3:28 While we stand, let's sing our first song. Oh Savior, precious Savior, whom yet unseen we love, we worship thee, we bless thee, and to thee alone we sing. We praise thee and confess thee, our holy Lord and King. Let's join and sing together, brothers 3:47 and sisters. We worship thee. We bless thee. To thee alone we sing. 4:02 We praise thee and confess thee our holy Lord and King. Feel free to clap and sing. Oh savior, precious savior 4:20 whom yet unseen we love. Oh name of might and favor all other names above. We worship thee. We bless thee. To thee 4:38 alone we singe. We praise thee and confess thee our holy Lord and King. Only brothers sing. Oh bringer of salvation who wondrously 4:58 has brought thyself the revelation of love beyond the thought. All together we worship thee. We bless thee. To thee alone we sing. 5:17 We praise thee and confess thee. Our gracious Lord and King. Sisters go first. In thee. Your fullness dwelling all grace and divine. 5:36 The glory that exalted. Oh son of God is together sing. We worship thee. We bless thee. To thee alone we sing. 5:52 We praise thee and confess thee our glorious Lord and King. [Music] Oh grant the consumation of this our song above 6:11 in endless adoration and everlasting love. Then shall we praise and bless thee where perfect praises ring 6:28 and ever more confess thee our savior and our king. Please be seated. Brothers, please join and sing with us. Glory, 6:54 glory in the highest. Glory to the Almighty. Glory to the Lamb of God. Glory to the living word. Glory to the Lamb. From the top again. Glory. 7:12 Glory. Glory in the highest. Glory to the Almighty. Glory to the Lamb of God. Glory to the living word. Gloryy to the Lamb. 7:31 I give glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory to the Lamb. I give glory, glory, glory, 7:50 glory, glory, glory to the lamb. I give gloryy to the lamb from the top again. Glory, glory, glory in the highest. Glory to the 8:10 almighty. Glory to the lamb of God. Glory to the living word. Glory to the lamb. [Music] 8:28 I will praise you with all of my heart. And I will praise you with all of my strength. [Music] 8:44 With all of my heart. With all of my strength. All of my hope is in you. [Music] 9:04 Please feel free to clap and sing. [Music] Join up. My life is in you, Lord. My strength is in you, Lord. My hope is in 9:21 you, Lord. In you. It's in you. My life is in you, Lord. My strength is in you, Lord. My hope is in you, Lord. In you, it's in you. And I will praise you with 9:40 all of my heart. I will praise you with all of my strength. With all of my heart. With all of my strength. 9:58 All my hope is in you. My life is in you, Lord. My strength is in you, Lord. My hope is in you, Lord. 10:13 In you. It's in you. My life is in you, Lord. My strength is in you, Lord. My hope is in you, Lord. In you. It's in you. In you. In you. It's in you. In 10:32 you. [Music] Next song says he lowers us to raise us. So we can sing his praises. As all my changes come from him. He who 10:51 never changes. I'm a I'm held firm in the grasp of the rock of all the ages. All is well with my soul. He is God in control. I know not all his plans, but I know I'm in his hands. 11:09 [Music] He lowers us to raise us [Music] 11:28 so we can sing his praises. Whatever is his way, all is well. He makes us rich and poor 11:52 that we might trust him more. Whatever is his way, all is well. [Music] 12:11 All my changes come from him. He who never changes. And I'm the fun 12:25 in the grass under rock of all the aes. All is well. with my soul. He is God 12:51 in control. [Music] I know all his friends. [Music] 13:08 But I know I'm in his hand. [Music] He goes now and strips us. 13:34 And with his word equips, whatever is his way, all is well. Though seasons change, 13:55 [Music] we still exalt his name. [Music] Whoever is this all is well. [Music] 14:15 All my changes come from him. He who never changes the firm 14:29 in the cross of the rock of all the aes is well with my soul. He is God 14:54 in control. I know not all his plans. [Music] 15:11 But I know I'm in his hand. [Music] Sing or sing 15:35 of my redeemer with his blood. He purchases me. On the cross, [Music] 15:54 he sealed my pardon, paid the debt, and made me free. I will sing of my redeemer 16:14 and his wondous love to me. On the cruel cross he suffered from the curse to set me free. Sing oh sing 16:33 of my redeemer. With his blood he purchases me. On the cross he sealed my pardon. paid the debt 16:50 and made me free. And I will tell the wonderous story how my lost savior to sing. In his boundless 17:07 love and mercy, he the ransom freely gave. Sing oh s of my redeemer with his blood he purchased me 17:26 on the cross he sealed my pardon paid the debt and made me free. [Music] I will praise my dear redeemer his triumph 17:46 and power. I'll tell how the victory he gave over sin and death and hell. Sing the sake of my redeemer. 18:05 With his blood, he purchases me. On the cross, he sealed my pardon, paid the death, and made me free. [Music] 18:22 I will sing of my redeemer and his heavenly love for me. He from death to life has brought me. Son of God 18:40 with him to be. Sing or sing of my redeemer with his blood. He purchased me on the cross. He sealed my burden, 18:59 paid the debt, and made me free. [Music] I'm forgiven 19:18 because you were forsaken and I'm accepted. You were condemned [Music] and I'm alive and well. Your spirit is within me 19:37 because you died and rose again. I'm forgiven because you were forsaken and I'm forgiven because you were forsaken. I'm accepted. 19:56 You were condemned. [Music] I'm alive and well. Your spirit is within me because you died and rose again. [Music] [Applause] 20:15 Amazing love. How can it be that you, my king, would die for me. [Music] Amazing love 20:33 I know it's true. And it's my joy to honor you in all I do. I honor you. You are my king. 20:51 You are my king, Jesus. You are my king. You 21:09 are my king. Jesus, you are my king. Amazing love. Amazing love. How can it be 21:28 that you, my king, would die for me. Amazing love. I know it's true. [Music] 21:43 It's my joy to honor you. In all I do, I honor you. In all I do in all I do. 22:00 I honor you. Shall we stand? Sing our last song. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. Pray to the Lord. I will sing 22:19 unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God. While I have my being, my meditation 22:41 of him shall be sweet. I will be glad. I will be glad in the Lord. [Music] Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. 23:01 Praising the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. 23:21 Praising the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. Praise ye the Lord. We'll sing one more time. I will sing unto the Lord. 23:38 And I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 23:55 [Music] My meditation of him shall be seen. I will be glad. 24:11 I will be glad in the Lord. Only wisest sing. Bless the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my son. Praising the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, 24:32 oh my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. Praising the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul. 24:56 Praise ye the Lord. Dear brothers and sisters, shall we bow 25:27 our heads and continue in the same spirit of praise and thanks? Let's uh seek not to be distracted from anything else and recognize the Lord's presence in our midst this morning. Like to read a few verse. Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing 25:50 praises to our king. Sing praises for God is the king of all the earth. Sing praises with a skillful psalm. A God reigns over the nations. He sits on his holy holy throne. The princes of the people have assembled 26:10 themselves as the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God. He is highly exalted. Let's be mindful, dear brothers and sisters. The Lord is on the throne and he is highly exalted far above all 26:28 kingdoms and all rulers and all authorities and he has sent us with promising his presence with us. So let's recognize his presence today morning. Our heavenly father we thank you and praise you for such a great privilege 26:45 which you have given to us. What a great love that you bestowed us upon us that we should be called your children. We praise you and thank you Lord for the marvelous work which you have done in our lives. Changing our heart, changing 26:59 our direction, changing our lives. Brothers and sisters, lift up your hearts. Lift up your voice and thank him and shout him. Shout to him with the with the songs of praise in your heart. Lord, we praise you. Father, we praise 27:13 you and bless you. Thank you Lord for the mighty salvation. Lord, thank you for saving us. Thank you for redeeming us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for cleansing us with your precious blood. Lord, thank you for justifying us. Lord, thank you 27:25 for the boldness which you have given to us. Lord, we want to praise you with all our heart. You are the king of king. You are the Lord of Lord. We praise you, bless you, God almighty. We seek you, Lord, this morning together as a church, 27:37 Lord. We ask you, Lord, to be with us, Lord. Reveal your presence, Lord. Reveal yourselves, Lord. and give us a heart of uh heart of rest as we listen to your word. Anoint your servant Lord Jesus as he speaks your word. Lord Jesus we 27:51 praise you, bless you Lord. We pray that Lord you speak to us, speak to us and change us Lord. Thank you father for hearing in Jesus precious and mighty name we pray. Amen. Please take your seat as we look at our memory verses. 28:10 Last week we had a promise. Please repeat after me. Romans chapter 9:33. I am laying in Zion a rock of offense. And the one who believes in him 28:29 will not be put to shame. Amen. And for this week, we have a command. 1 Corinthians chapter 6:18. flee immorality. The immoral man sins against his own 28:47 body. Let's repeat it once again. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 18. Flee immorality. The immoral manoral 29:02 sins against his own body. So this morning we will first hear a recorded message from brother Sack. After that we will hear brother John Pereira Christians 29:31 whether the church will go through the tribulation or not the important thing is to be ready. Supposing the church does go through the tribulation. Are you ready? Supposing the Lord comes before the tribulation. Are you ready? The 29:48 important thing is to be ready. If you have your doctrine right and you're not ready, it's going to be pretty pathetic in the last days for you. So though I have certain convictions myself, I personally believe the church will go 30:06 through the tribulation. We'll see the Antichrist before Christ returns. It's very clear to me in scripture without a shadow of doubt. And um I see my calling as to prepare people for those days of persecution. One of the mistakes that many Christian 30:24 missionaries made in China in the early part of the 20th century was that they told the Christians there that Christ will come before the tribulation. And so everybody was waiting for that. And instead of Christ coming, the 30:40 communists came and took over the country. And they've been ruling there for 60 years now, not just 7 years of tribulation. So, and some of those Chinese Christian leaders said the reason why many Christians uh renounced Christ and 30:56 forsook him at that time was because they were not prepared. They were told, "Oh, Jesus will come. Be ready for that." Instead of that they got tortured in communist prisons and they've denied the faith. So it's important for us to be ready 31:14 much more important than the details of his second coming. Then we can ask why has God given various vague sort of details which people interpret in various ways. Do you know that through the years people have said that Christ would come in 1841, 1844, 31:33 1994, different different times. He never came. There are people who waited up on mountains and white clothes and then went away. There were preachers who told people to sell everything because Christ is coming in a few years and swiped 31:47 their money and sent them back home penniless. All types of things have gone on in the name of Christ, particularly in the last 150 years, but you'll never go wrong if you listen to what the Lord said to be ready for his coming. 32:07 And it doesn't matter when it is. So that's what I want to emphasize. Now I want to turn to a passage in Luke chapter 21 where Jesus said he's talking about the days when men will faint from fear. 32:23 Verse 21, chapter 21 verse 26. Men will faint from fear, the expectation of things that are coming upon the world. And then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten 32:40 up. I believe Christians should take this seriously. Straighten up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. I take it like this that um a true disciple of Jesus has got his head lifted up at all times. 32:59 is never hanging down in um defeat and in um depression and gloom and occupied with earthly things. Have you seen the animals in the world? Every animal that I ever see, I see them with their head to the ground. Whether it's a 33:18 cow or a dog or a pig or if you haven't noticed that, just look around next time. You want to be like the animals. always looking down at earthly things and what can I get for myself that's what the animals look for always looking 33:36 at down to see now there's a way I mean our look can also be like that and that's what reduces us to the level of animals for animals food sex and sleep that's the main thing food sex sleep 33:56 and when food sex and sleep become the most important certain things for you. I'm sorry to say this, but you've reduced yourself to the love of to the level of an animal. You never see a cow looking up and praising God or a pig or a dog or even a 34:13 lion. That's reserved for us. But unfortunately, you see, even a lot of human beings, their heads are not lifted up. Their heads are down. One of the first questions that the Lord asked Cain, you know, outside the Garden 34:29 of Eden, the first question God ever asked a man was, "Why is your face fallen?" You know, that's one of the first questions, perhaps the first question that the Lord asked a man outside the Garden of Eden. Why is your face looking 34:40 down? He had something wrong in his heart towards somebody else. That was the reason why his face was down. There could be many reasons, but Jesus said we must walk with our heads lifted up because he is our glory and the lifter 34:56 of our head. If your head is not lifted up because of some earthly reason, ask the Lord to lift up your head. Um, it's not only those who have no problems. I think the Lord has pleased the Lord to take me through many trials 35:11 in my life. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had any in ministry today. But he's taught me to lift up my head and not sink under those trials, but walk on top of the water cuz that's his power that can keep us. We can't do it without it. 35:25 And then he said in verse 34 of Luke 21, be on guard. Be on your guard. He said that often in relation to the last days. the thief comes to steal and to kill and destroy. 35:43 He said, and um Jesus said that his coming would be so sudden. He's not a thief. He never said that. He said the devil's a thief, but his coming would be as sudden as a thief in the night. So, we've got to be on our guard. And that's 36:00 why the Bible says that we, God's people, are not going to find Christ coming like that of a thief. I want to show you that before coming back here in 1 Thessalonians in chapter 5 because many Christians say hey u he's coming is 36:18 like a thief in the night for me and I say no sir it's not like that you haven't read the scriptures 1 Thessalonians 5 it says in verse two 1 Thessalonians 5:2 you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a 36:37 thief in the night and while everybody around is saying peace and safety, destruction will come. Like the Living Bible says, a thief is not going to call ahead and make an appointment before he comes to your house. Uh it's when everybody's walking around 36:56 complacently congratulating each other saying, "Hey, we got it made and that's the time we can take it easy now." Suddenly everything will fall apart. You know, we're living in a world and that's coming into the cities in India too 37:11 where people have become rich and they say, "Hey, we've got it made now finally and now we can take it easy." Suddenly everything's going to fall apart now. Be be ready for that. The Lord said that a lot of people who put their trust in um 37:25 currency and money and bank accounts and stock market and real estate and um and in their secure jobs. I want to tell you everything's going to fall apart. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just trying to get you to be ready for that 37:40 day. Keep your head lifted up and trusting in the Lord and things will not fall apart in your life no matter what happens around you. But when people have say say we've surely got it made, we can take it easy now. Suddenly everything will fall 37:53 apart and it's going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth fangs to a pregnant woman. She knows he's going to deliver, but the actual moment of delivery comes suddenly and it's birth fangs. But he says, "But 38:11 you, brethren, verse four, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you like a thief." Did you hear that? So, the coming of the Lord like a thief in the night is for the unbelievers. He's going to surprise them. 38:29 But here's a believer whom the thief does not surprise because he's alert. It doesn't mean he never sleeps, but spiritually he never sleeps. That's the meaning. Physically we have to sleep, but spiritually we got to be alert. We read 38:43 that the wise virgins were physically asleep, but the lamps were burning. How do you like that? They were asleep, but the lights were on. So we we get tired. We naturally on this earth we fall asleep but our lights can still be burning that mean they were 39:02 ready when the bridegroom came. So that's the point when it says in Luke 21:34, be on guard. Now, how do I ensure that I can even when I'm physically tired and physically asleep, my light's going to be burning, my head's lifted 39:21 up, even if I'm physically tired and asleep. Be on guard so that your hearts will not be weighted down with drunkenness. Now I can understand physical drunkenness. I hope none of us ever get 39:38 drunk. But there is another drunkenness that Jesus speaks about of the heart. Now how do you know when a man is drunk? Well for externally of course you can make out because he can't walk steady. He he's this way and that way and the 39:56 other way. He can't walk a straight line. And spiritually also it's something like that. You know you're drunk with the world when you want can't walk straight with the Lord. There's a bit of crookedness in your life. 40:15 You can't walk straight. You can't have your eyes fixed on the things above. Sometimes here and sometimes there. Then you know you're drunk. And in the same way, a drunken man, how do you Another characteristic of a drunken man is 40:32 he he really doesn't know what's happening around him. You can steal his money and he won't even know it because he's living in he's so drunk that he's in another world. The real world is um not real to him. And especially people 40:51 who are on drugs, you know, if it were written today, it would be something like this. Don't don't get drugged in your heart. A person's on drugs and he's on a what they call a high. It's 41:07 actually a low, by the way. Um, he's living in another world. The real world is not real to him. And when a Christian lives in a way where the real world, the real world by the way is in heaven, is 41:26 not real to him, but another world which is unreal, this earthly world is real to him, you know, he's drunk. I've made that rule for myself that when the things of this earth, please listen carefully, are more real to me 41:46 than the things of heaven, I'm drunk. And I never want to be drunk. I would like to turn to a verse in the 42:11 light of what we heard that's in Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 13. so that he might establish your hearts without 42:29 blame in holiness before our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. See this is the reality. Paul was concerned that he is warning or 42:46 encouraging or challenging that the Lord may establish your hearts without blame in holiness. This was coming to me was like a quite strongly to me that how am 43:03 I doing? How is my heart? Is it established uh without blame in holiness? See, we heard about being ready. Are we ready or am I in delusion that 43:21 everything is okay? So, we need to know the word of the Lord and principles with God works. See here it says your heart should be without blame in holiness. How I am standing now matters. That's why discouragement is 43:39 very dangerous thing that um it will pull me down. My heart gets dissipated like Jesus said the many people's heart will be kind of a with the worries and cares of the world it's in dissipation like Satan we heard about drugged. 43:58 uh Satan doesn't give whether money or love of money or a love of this world or the drawing our heart away from the Lord. He doesn't do it all of a sudden and he gives this drugging little by 44:16 little. He drugs us little by little so that we get more occupied. I I remember speaking to many brothers and sisters. So I sensed I was trying to judge myself Lord uh am I getting drugged like that 44:35 and many uh worries and cares and difficulties of the world or is he offering something and he's uh making me get involved in something and slowly pulling me down. My heart's sensitivity is going down. Is it happening that 44:54 that's what uh uh I was uh looking at in this verse that the Paul is saying that see it's before God the father at the coming of our lord lord Jesus with all his saints he's going to come and how is my heart before 45:12 my god the and father and the previous verse is very important verse 12 says may the god cause you to increase, increase and abound in love. Jesus also said many people's love will 45:32 grow cold. Why? Oh, many things are happening around me. I I have to be careful. We need to be very careful that my heart is without blame in holiness. What is holiness? What is walking in light? That is walking in love. It says 45:49 so Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people. Is it true? Is my I'm able to handle or I do I have grace to handle every person around me. Maybe somebody is 46:09 causing trouble to me or circumstances situation. Am I able to ha hand handle with grace and with love? Am I abound in love? My heart is filled with love. I'm able to cope with the struggles of life 46:25 or is it pulling me down? The Lord is not really concerned about what in fact the Lord is concerned about our heart and he will allow many situations. People can come and situations can come. But the thing is do 46:42 I have grace to handle my heart in peace in love in holiness that is what uh is very important brothers and sisters that's the battle that's what was coming to me very strongly I said Lord from this day I want my uh priorities to 47:01 change that guarding my heart without blame and or in holiness is more important for me that that's the calling That's the calling of the Lord. That's what being ready means. Not that oh when, okay, okay, I'll settle some 47:17 things and I'll be okay by the time the Lord comes. No, the Lord may come. If I'm not ready now, I shouldn't fool myself to think that I'll be ready then. No, the Lord may come or I may go. I can meet with an 47:33 accident and go. See that is the the seriousness or um that's how we need to live in readiness. So that that's what was coming to me. So I would like to turn to another verse in Ephesians 5 27. 47:51 See it's uh when when we look at God's heart it's like this that uh you know it's uh it's such a joy when child is born to the parents. I can think about mother's especially mother's joy where she bore the child for 12 sorry 9 months 48:11 and and bringing the child up and you know when parents looking at children being drugged or poisoned and getting sick and and child health 48:27 deteriorates how the parents heart feels I feel that's not the Lord's concern about us. It's much much um difficulty that we are born in this world. Born again in this world not born born again 48:46 that means uh it's really it's a miracle big miracle bigger miracle than a child being born. A person is born again in this evil world. Such a strong influence. In the midst of that, a man uh brings down all his reasonings and 49:04 accepts Christ and experiences uh the birth new birth being born again. That's a great great privilege. And because of that, the heaven rejoices. But what happens after that? That's the concern Paul had. And God has God God's 49:23 burden was communicated through Paul. Paul says Jesus gave such a high price. He bought you with his own blood. But now what's happening? That's the concern. Do you think everything will be okay just because you come to church? 49:38 No. Protecting our heart matters a lot. And here Ephesians 5:27 says Jesus might present to himself. It says in the previous verse that he gave himself. He loved and gave himself 49:56 but he might present to himself the church in all her glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such things but she would be holy and blameless. Again holy and blameless that's the goal. See God doesn't just accept anybody anything 50:15 just like that. If I slip into sin, I have to come to I have to have a right attitude to sin and also toward God and I have to come and uh be cleansed. God God can get us right quickly. We have that grace now. We are living in that period that we can get it 50:34 right with God. But Satan wants to put fear and take away our courage and uh like our head will be down, our face will be like Cain's face. That that that's what Satan's goal is that we don't go back to God. Uh we don't he 50:51 doesn't want us to lift our heads before him and uh and uh live a proper life. But whom God Jesus is waiting for. Jesus is waiting now waiting to come. He is waiting that his bride will be prepared. That's us. All those who are born again, 51:11 redeemed from the world. And he is preparing. See, it says it's beautiful. He might present to himself and uh how and with all her glory having no spot, no wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and blameless. 51:30 This is the calling, brothers and sisters. It's not for tomorrow. It is today. See, we shouldn't be too much fooled by all the accusation or condemnation which comes from Satan about our past. No, we are not supposed to accept that. See, we cannot do 51:44 anything about the past. Whatever we can do, we should do by the help of the Lord. If the Lord points out something, yes, we should be ready to settle. But we we can't be too much thinking about future because it's not in our hand. But 51:57 what is in our hand is today. Today is a gift, a present from the Lord. And today I should be standing in holiness and in blamelessness. That's another verse I would like to read. Colossians chapter 1 verse 22. Yet 52:16 he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death. This is that that's the thing. See why it is serious. Why it is serious? Because Jesus had to pay such a high price. Jesus had to come down and humble and g 52:35 had to give such a high price in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Again, that's the thing. See the it's it's called to overcome. That's what rather called to repent and overcome. See every 52:52 time when we look at Jesus and uh his sacrifice, his love, his commitment, I cannot just go like just like that without cleansing my heart. See Jesus is truth and Jesus is holy. I can't just walk into his presence just like that. 53:09 So but he desires us to be close to him, live in his presence and live for his purposes. So that that is what he he it is saying here. But what he desires, he desires a holiness so that we will be beyond reproach in our hearts. So I I I 53:28 remember that verse the God may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before the God the father. So he wants to do it. So again one more verse I would like to read Jude 1:24. Now to him who is able to keep you from 53:47 stumbling. See, we are living in this evil world. How can we live without stumbling? I mean like I I think Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14 maybe you walk triumphantly always walk triumphantly. Here Jude says 54:05 so without kept keep you from stumbling that he will keep us and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless and great joy. This is our birthright. So when we heard Brazak saying your head should be lifted 54:24 up that means what? We stand before God all the time not being uh pulled down by the world and worries and whatever it is whether whether it be job or difficulty whatever it is it should not pull us down pull our hearts down and 54:43 uh kind of drain our confidence before God. It says that we live in his presence stand in his presence of his glory blameless and great joy. This is our calling brothers and sisters. Again I say it's not for tomorrow. Tomorrow 54:59 will worry about itself. Let the tomorrow come. Then we should uh yearn before God and say Lord please help me fill me with your spirit that I will have that freshness. I will have that joy that that's what tomorrow we can 55:14 pray but we have given today. So what we need to do that we have to set our ourselves right. That's why the call is what is God's calling for? God's calling for deep repentance. See, it's it's a it's one thing to assume that I am okay. 55:34 That that can happen to us that is dangerous. So, we have to go before God and say Lord is there something our prayer should be Lord I want to repent. Is there something I can repent of? Is there something you don't like me? But 55:48 if we are serious, God is willing to show us our condition. See like uh for example, I said about um there are many when I talk to them, they're burdened by so many things. Why they have been pulled down and they finding very 56:05 difficult whether a sister or brother, one of the reason would be their mind is not set on God's interests. Even myself including me if my heart is set on God's interest Lord I am here to just to do what you say then these all 56:23 the other worries and cares doesn't pull me down. Second thing I will uh I will learn to be in the will of God. See in the when I'm in the will of God stands with me. See God I can find God when I am in the in his will. So when I am in 56:40 the will of God, God will come and help me. It's like if you join a company and if you are uh if you are committed yourself to the their agenda, then they are ready to do everything all that you need, they will supply, they will give 56:55 you salary also, they will stand by you. But if you have your own agenda and join a company and try to do what you want to do, the company will not take responsibility or doesn't back. That's that's how in the kingdom of God if I am 57:10 committed to his cause or his will then he will stand with me. See that's how many times or many things will pull us down. Uh when I'm when I go outside the will of God things become too difficult. I I remember telling somebody somebody 57:28 said he wants to do something. Yes, I said brother you can do it. But the thing is I hope the Lord will stand by you and he will give you grace that the grace and peace uh is the indication. If you're not if you're finding very 57:42 difficult uh to stand you just examine yourself repent and get right with God. That's the call to repent and overcome. See repent means Lord I don't want my way your way and now tell me how to overcome my situations. So I I was 58:02 thinking about some of the verses which um which is mentioned to overcome in revelation the the churches seven church for ch seven churches. I was I'll just briefly quickly go through the first I would like to read what Peter says in 2 58:17 Peter 3:1 like to read that verse. Second Peter chapter 3:1 says, "Since 58:34 all these things, the existing heavens and earth are to be destroyed, what sort of people how you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" That's the calling this all this like we heard everything will collapse. No, we don't have to live 58:53 in fear but we have to live in confidence that the Lord will help me. If everything collapses, he will hold my hand. That is the confidence. Now we we are not able to handle small small problems in the home and uh uh in the 59:11 office or anything which is coming we are failing then we are not finding grace then how we stand bigger u kind of challenges. So here um the message of the spirit in the last days can be summed up in one 59:31 word overcome. So what is the message which Jesus gave to the church? Revelation chapter 2:7 says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." So that means everybody cannot hear what 59:49 the spirit is saying. And we should we should uh kind of examine ourselves and prepare our heart. Lord, you tell me what you are speaking to me. See, somebody may be having more responsibility. Somebody may be uh some ordinary brother whatever it is 1:00:05 whichever place we are in we may be in home and whatever but uh the spirit is trying to speak to us because we are in the body of Christ we are his temple and uh see we are separated from the world we are being being built like we heard 1:00:23 Jesus is preparing us not only Sunday morning Jesus is working 24/7 all through the week He's working to prepare our heart. It's not only confined to Sunday. Here it says he who as an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the 1:00:42 churches to him who overcomes. See this is very important. See God is concerned about our overcoming overcoming our situation. It means the basically what I'm trying to say is am I ready now? Now am I ready? If the Lord 1:01:00 comes now, am I ready? That's that is overcoming. If I if I overcome my over my circumstances, situation, sin which entangles me and whatever comes around me and then my heart is ready. If I overcome, I'm ready. Okay. What if uh if 1:01:20 I slip, I can quickly get right with God. Overcome means what's the message according to I think Hebrews 4:16. What's the message for the one who falls? Let him get up immediately. Run to the throne of grace in confidence and 1:01:36 receive mercy. Okay, if he's not fallen and let him receive grace. That's how that's the call for us each day, each moment to overcome. Repent and overcome. Repent of what is wrong and overcome and uh get right with God. Stand with straight face 1:01:55 before God. I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in in the paradise of God. This is the promise for the overcomer here in this church. See then what is that? That 1:02:12 is living partaking the Lord's nature. See if I stand in this that place of overcoming and if my heart is right with God and he will teach me how to become like Jesus Christ. He will transform. See, we have a promise that uh he will 1:02:31 uh help you walk in his statutes and he will change us. See, we we know that promise. It's a new covenant promise. God has committed to his promises, but we have to be standing in the right place. And Revelation 2:11 says again, 1:02:49 he who overcomes will not be hurt by second death. That means he will not be cast away. What is second death? First death is physical death. What is second death? Second death is uh left out from God. That means sent to 1:03:05 hell. So we may not believe that sometimes. Oh no no no. I'm okay. God is merciful. No, this is what God is saying. If you if your heart is not right with with God now, you will not uh go to heaven. That's what basically in 1:03:22 fact one more verse also comes exactly like that. Revelation 21:17 says, "To him, oh comes, to him I will give some of the hidden mana and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who 1:03:41 receives it." See only the one who receives realizes the one who overcomes he will give hidden mana. See mana was kept for 40 years in the presence of God. It was fresh. So God will give us that freshness and privilege is living 1:03:58 in his presence. God will help us to live in his presence if we overcome. That means we our heart is right with God and uh he will help us to be fresh. That's a great promise. And also the this uh the stone is a kind of a 1:04:14 commitment. The when girl is engaged to boy there there's a commitment. Sometimes they exchange rings or gifts. So the intimate relationship with the Lord, he will give it. All these are promises. Revelation 2:26 says, "He who 1:04:29 overcomes, he who keep uh he who overcomes and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations." See, I I was remembering what that centurion said. centurion told 1:04:49 Jesus Jesus I know you are a man under authority that's why what you have you have authority over Satan or sickness rather that time you know what is he who keeps my deeds this this is hardarching because what is 1:05:08 what did Jesus do one of the thing Jesus did was submission submission to authorities his parents or whatever the authority and more importantly submission to his father. Total submission. So we can be sitting here without submission. Do you think it will 1:05:27 go well with with us? No. If I don't have heart of submission to authority, I will defy any authority. I go stand in the queue and say I don't want Q. I'll go forward. Means do you think such person will be regarded by God? Here it 1:05:44 says he who overcomes and he who keeps my deeds until the end induced till the end to him I'll give authority over the nations. God will go give authority even in the church I have found we don't know there a hidden life but gradually we 1:06:01 realize those brothers and sisters start having grace to exercise authority and they overcome in their hidden life and God will give them the responsibilities in the church and uh revelation 3:5 says he who overcomes will thus be clothed in 1:06:19 white garments and I will not erase his name from the book of life. See, this is something uh very very important. God is saying if you don't overcome, see overcome means it's we shouldn't be thinking I have to overcome everything 1:06:34 in the world. No, if your heart is right with God now, your conscience is clear, you're overcomer. You're right with God now, then you will your name will remain in the book of life. Otherwise, it will be erased. This is the words of Jesus 1:06:52 himself. and I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. Jesus also said in another place that you when somebody is ashamed of me I'll be ashamed of him before the father. So where another verse revelation 3:12 he 1:07:09 who overcomes I will make him pillar in the temple of God of my God and he will not go out from it anymore and I will write uh on him the name of my God and name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven 1:07:28 from my God and uh my new name. See these are all talking about what we will have. See thing is the that's what Paul's burden was. See we are living in a very temporary world and temporary life. Actually our life begins when 1:07:44 Christ comes. That is what here so many promises but where it all hangs it comes down to now. Am I a overcomer or is my heart right with God? Is God happy? See that's why it's very important to repent 1:08:03 and uh live to overcome every circumstances not to go down under our circumstances. So uh seventh verse which says revelation 3:21 he who overcomes I will grant him to sit down with me on my throne. 1:08:21 Wonderful. Uh a as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. See Jesus is ready to share his privileges with us. Like uh Paul says in Timothy 2 Timothy 2:21 uh if we endure we shall also reign with him. This is 1:08:40 the promise brothers and sisters. But uh what is the call? Call is to repent and overcome and live blamelessly in holiness. Now and uh the last verse which says revelation 21:7 he who overcomes will in inherit these things 1:08:57 and I'll be with uh I'll be his god and he will be my son. So it it doesn't say my child it says my son. God will uh give us better privileges to live before him. May the Lord help us grant 1:09:16 us grace to repent uh for past and uh establish our hearts without blame in holiness and be overcomers and ready for his return anytime. We don't have to think too much about the future. Am I ready now? That's what 1:09:33 matters. May the Lord help us. Um I'll close here. We can sing a song and brother John Paulo can continue. [Music] 1:10:25 [Music] Brothers and sisters, let's go over the words of of this song. Words are by AB Simpson. Painting soldier of the Lord, hear his sweet inspiring word. I have 1:10:44 conquered all thy foes. I have suffered all thy woes. Struggling soldier, trust in me. I have overcome for thee. And this is the chorus. I have overcome, overcome, overcome for thee. And thou shalt overcome, overcome through me. 1:11:00 Fear not, though thy foes be strong. Faint not, though the strife be long. Trust thy glorious captain's power. Watch with him one little hour. Hear him calling, follow me. I have overcome for thee. And the next verse says, soon the 1:11:15 conflict will be done. Soon the battle will be won. Soon shall wave the victor's palm. Soon shall ring the eternal psalm. Then our joyful song shall be I have overcome for thee. We'll just sing the chorus first once and then we'll sing the verse. 1:11:32 [Music] I have overcome. Overcome, overcome, overcome to me. Thou shalt overcome, overcome, overcome, 1:11:51 overcome through me. Painting soldier of the Lord. his sweet inspiring word. 1:12:07 I have conered all thy foes. I have suffered all I want. Struggling soldier trust in me. I have overcome 1:12:26 for thee. I have overcome. Overcome, overcome, overcome for thee. Thou shalt overcome, overcome, overcome, overcome 1:12:45 through me. Fill not though thy foes be strong. Faith not though the strife belong. Trust thy glorious captain far 1:13:04 with him one little alarm. You're in calling for me. I have overcome for thee. I have overcome. Overcome overcome. 1:13:24 Overcome for thee. Thou shalt overcome, overcome, overcome, overcome through me. 1:13:39 Soon the conflict will be done. Soon the battle will be won. Soon shall the victor fall. Soon shall bring the 1:13:56 eternal song. Then our joyful song shall be. I have overcome for thee. I have overcome. Overcome. Overcome. Overcome 1:14:16 for thee. Thou shall overcome. Overcome. Overcome. overcome through me. [Music] Thank God for what we heard this 1:14:52 morning. I'd like to turn to the verse that we read. Ephesians 5 27 talks about know that he might present to himself 1:15:10 the church in all her glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she would be holy and blameless about having no spot 1:15:26 No blame, no spot in me. I want to contribute to the holiness of this bride to the church. No having no spot in my life. Thinking of this what the life of Jesus 1:15:44 like we sang Jesus said I have overcome the world and Jesus also said behold the prince of the world or the ruler of the world is coming and he has nothing in me. John 14 verse 30. For the ruler of the world is coming. He 1:16:01 has nothing in me. Jesus is saying there is no spot in me that he can point out that he can find. There is nothing in me that belongs to him. There is no spot. Jesus was you know overcomer. He lived a life holy and blameless. 1:16:20 Was thinking of this once in my life. some time back, some years back, I was alone in uh in a room and I was reading Revelation 20 verse 10 and uh where it says Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire. And I heard brother Zach saying 1:16:37 many years back, you can talk to Satan and tell him that when he reminds you of your past, you can remind him of his future. That's what Zach says. So some courage and boldness I told Satan you'll be thrown into the lake of fire. And the 1:16:53 question that came to me was this John 14:30. Do you have something of me in you? Jesus could say I have he has nothing in me. But can can I say that? Can you say that? And I was shaken up a bit, you know, 1:17:13 um to the core because I had something which is not settled. I couldn't say that I'm spotless, blameless like we heard. All it took was to repent before the Lord and say, "Lord, I repent and he is willing to forgive us and 1:17:30 cleanse us and make us blame, make us holy and blameless again and cleanse the spot." Jesus could cleanse it. All it was needed is repentance. But I was struggling to let go and repent of it. And I was, you know, battling with that. 1:17:49 But you know, God in his mercy helped me to repent of it and come out and say, "Yes, Lord, I want to repent. Forgive me. I want to give up. I don't want to have a spot in my life." Yes. having you know hearing such a message being overcomer and um holy and 1:18:08 blameless I just don't want to go above my head I want to come and hit my life Lord is there any spot in me that I need to set it right that I need to you know repent of Lord I'm willing to repent even to the worst of the church 1:18:26 the call is repent and you can be overcomer so whatever is my condition failure. The call today is you can repent and I can overcome. I can be a overcomer without no spot. As we are reading the book about know 1:18:46 your enemy that's the book of the month and as young people I would recommend we read that book so that Zach says only when we know the enemy we can overcome. And the tactics of enemy tactics of enemy is to remind of us of our past. We 1:19:01 don't need to be held up with our past because the past is taken care. It's forgiven. And I can be a overcomer. The other verse and the other word in that uh Ephesians 5:27, no wrinkle. In other words, wrinkle-free. 1:19:19 We hear so many shirts now advertised saying wrinkle-free. Ephesians 5:27 it talks about wrinkle I was thinking what is this wrinkle in my life I can say there is no spot in me but is there a wrinkle in my life is there a wrinkle 1:19:38 quite often in the connection both both the verses we read Thessalonians 3 and this is in the connection of love and here it's in the connection of husband's love your wives is there a wrinkle in my love I may say there is no 1:19:55 spot I have forgiven. There is no unforgiving attitude in my life. Yes, there is no spot, but is there a wrinkle? Paul says, "My heart is wide open to you to you Corinthians. But your heart, you know, your heart is restrained or 1:20:11 constrained. Your heart has a wrinkle towards me." Lord, help me to let go of this wrinkle. There is no wrinkle-free shirt for us. Our wrinkle has to be ironed, you know. It was to be the iron box had to be heated up and ironed. 1:20:29 And that's what it is in my life. It has to be put to death. This wrinkle, the hot iron box had to be put so that it becomes wrinkle-free. I let you know the love of God or the Holy Spirit to lead me to death to self 1:20:47 so that this wrinkle is gone. Yes. spotless and wrinkleless and God can do that to us. One last thing is we are hearing mind set on Christ. I want to quickly turn to Luke 13. He heard from brother Zach and brother 1:21:07 John as well. Luke 13:10-13 we read about a woman sickness caused by the spirit. It was not just any sickness. It was the sickness caused by the spirit. Luke 13:E 10 verse 11. A woman for 18 years had a 1:21:26 sickness caused by the spirit. What is the sickness caused by the spirit? She was bent double. She were bent double. I've seen people who are bent but bent double. And one of my uncle said he has seen a person like that who is bent double who 1:21:44 always you know whole head is down. All they can look is themselves and this earth. That's how she was bent double. Her problem, her needs and things of the earth. 1:22:06 Maybe I have a sickness that's caused by the spirit. And like brother Zach said, I can go to the Lord and say, "Lord, touch me. Straighten me up." And Jesus said, "Woman, you're freed from your sickness." And God can heal 1:22:20 us. Heal me of this sickness of bending double. Always looking at my need, my problem, my family, my comfort, and the things of the earth. What I can get from this, what I can get from that, me, me, me. That's the sickness caused 1:22:39 by the spirit. And Jesus said, "Woman, you are freed from the sickness." And he laid his hands on her. Immediately she was made straight again and began glorifying God. Praise the Lord. Jesus could do that. If he can touch that woman, he can touch me and 1:22:56 straighten up so that I can lift up my head and say, "Lord, glory to your name." May God help me and each of us. Amen. Invite Brother Charles to come and close. This morning we 1:23:21 heard a few words repeatedly and those are love and peace, holiness, repentance and overcome. These are what we uh heard 1:23:41 and these are very essential for our Christian life because without repentance we cannot come to the Lord. That's the fundamental uh requirement in the Christian life. Jesus the first word he in his public ministry 1:23:59 he said was repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. And even after he uh rose from the dead, just before he uh went to heaven, he told his disciples, "Go and preach repentance and faith." 1:24:16 Luke 24. And also in from heaven, he says to these seven churches that we read about, repent, repent, repent and overcome. So we underestimate repentance these 1:24:34 days especially you see so many churches they only emphasize on believe believe faith but Jesus didn't go around saying believe or was it was not the first word that he said uh have faith or believe 1:24:53 but the first thing that he said was repent. So repentance is the requirement for the kingdom of God. Without repentance, nobody can know the Lord as their Lord and Savior. 1:25:11 And we read we heard about that God may prepare our hearts uh in love and holiness to meet him. And how do I get love? 1:25:30 It's it's not manufactured. It's not that I grit my teeth and I determine to love somebody. that can last for a few t few minutes and then it fizzles out. But the love that God gives 1:25:47 us because God is the God of love. We know him as God of love. And Romans 5:5 it says the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts. So that constrains us and because of 1:26:06 that we love one another. And Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." And if you love somebody, we will not go around talking behind his back or about him, backbiting or things like that. Like for example, you love your 1:26:24 children. We love our children. We don't go around telling the weaknesses of our or the blunders that our children make. As far as possible, we try to contain it. But somebody else's children because they are not my children. We go 1:26:43 around tomtoming about them. That is not love. If I have love covers multitude of sins, the Bible says. And then about holiness, the Bible says without holiness no one will see the Lord. That's very 1:27:03 essential. We read in Hebrews 12:14, Hebrews 12:14, pursue peace with all men and sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Sanctification is 1:27:21 holiness. So without holiness, nobody will see the Lord. If I'm impure, I can't expect to see the Lord. I may not be there in the first place in the presence of the Lord. Blessed are the pure in heart 1:27:39 for they shall see God. And if we don't pursue that holiness, no man will see the Lord. It says, "And pursue peace with all men. Blessed are 1:27:57 the peacemakers for they shall be called sons or daughters of God. So these are very essential things in the Christian life. repentance and uh um 1:28:16 repentance, peace and holiness and uh love and then with all these things we our aim is to overcome 1:28:33 like Jesus before the crucifixion he said 16:33 John he said in the world you will have tribulation. He didn't say come to me and all your problems will be gone disappeared. 1:28:52 Jesus didn't say that. Come initially he said come to me all ye that labor and heavy laden and I'll give you rest. You'll find rest for your souls. Take my yoke upon you and learn from meekness and gentleness. My yoke is easy and my 1:29:05 burden is light. You'll find rest for your souls. Yeah, that was initial call but the final call was what? Come and take up my cross. What is taking up my cross? Many people have very vague idea of taking we have heard many times 1:29:24 here taking up the cross is where your will crosses God's will. That is the cross where you decide whether to take your cross or I mean the cross of Christ or you want 1:29:43 to take say uh or do your will when my will crosses God's will that is where I I find my cross and I deny my will which wants to sin and enjoy sin's pleasure and I want to do the will of God and 1:30:01 which involves suffering. The cross involves suffering. When we deny ourselves, there will be an amount of suffering. But through suffering, we gain glory. So through all these things, repentance, 1:30:18 faith and uh uh peace, holiness, we press on so that we overcome. So that on the last day the Lord can be proud of us and say well done. 1:30:36 So that is what we would all like to hear from the Lord. So may the Lord by his holy spirit quicken us and give a deep desire for these things to love one another as he loved and to live in peace with all men 1:30:55 and pursuing sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Shall we bow our heads in prayer? So father in heaven we thank you for your word this morning. Thank you for 1:31:13 stirring us with your word. We pray father that you will help us each one of us to take our lives seriously and not to think that everything is fine with us when it is not. Lord help us repent. 1:31:30 Help us set things right in our life so that you can approve of us Lord that the enemy will have no power and he will have nothing in us Lord Jesus that he may be crushed under our feet as your 1:31:50 word says the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Lord help us each one of us to experience that on a daily basis. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. We'll have the book of the month and 1:32:10 then the announcements. [Music] Presenting the book of this month, 1:32:29 Know Your Enemy by Brother Zack Pune. Young people are the target of Satan's attacks in these days. Satan is going all out to ensure that today's young people are polluted by 1:32:49 impurity, bitterness, jealousy, selfish ambition and materialism. 1:33:09 And if not by any of these, then at least by pride, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy. There is a crucial need for Christians, 1:33:28 especially young people, to understand Satan, their spiritual adversary. We need to know Satan's origin as the perfect angel Lucifer who fell due to pride and rebellion against God. And we need to know Satan's deceptive 1:33:49 tactics such as questioning God's word, appealing to fleshly desires, and showing the allure of worldly things. As seen in his temptation of Eve, 1:34:11 God permits Satan's existence because it serves purposes like testing believers and prompting people to turn to God in adversity. Satan currently operates on earth and in the second heaven, 1:34:30 not in hell. and he's actively seeking to deceive and destroy. We can overcome Satan by knowing and applying God's word, resisting him in the name of Jesus, and maintaining a pure life. 1:34:47 We should not be ignorant of Satan's schemes and should rely on God's protection. [Music] Satan was defeated on Calvary decisively 1:35:07 by our Lord Jesus and was stripped of his power. [Music] Our calling now is to register that victory over the forces of darkness 1:35:24 everywhere we go. May this book help you to attain victory through Christ over your enemy. You can read this book free online at cfcindia.com/books/now your enemy. 1:35:46 [Music]
