0:07 Okay, brother This is a question answer time. And I hope we shall cover all that is all the questions asked. So, there won't be much time for each question because there are about 30 questions here. 0:27 Okay. >> [clears throat] >> The first one is I am not able to forgive someone who has harmed my family. Whenever I remember about him, I lose my peace. What can I do to forgive him? 0:47 Well, this is a common problem that many people face, although all are not honest enough to acknowledge that they struggle to forgive. But I find the 1:03 best way to forgive is to remember how much Jesus forgave us. And an unwillingness to forgive somebody because we think the crime is so great which that person committed against us 1:21 or our family is mainly because I'd say not only mainly is only because such a person has not seen the gravity of his own sin in the eyes of God. 1:38 I believe when we get to glory and the Lord shows us the depth of our sin. I believe this. It'll be a million times more than all the total sins that people have committed against us. 1:56 In progress. If I realize it now it'll be very easy to forgive. You remember the story where Jesus said in Matthew 18 of the man who was forgiven. Let's in terms of 2:15 today's money, let's say a billion or a trillion dollars. A huge debt. He was forgiven a billion or a trillion dollars. And then it's Matthew 18 verse 23 onwards till the end. 2:35 And then he goes out and meets a man who owes him $10. Or I would say $1. And he catches him by the throat and takes him to court and locks him up because he's not paid up that $1. When he is owed the king 2:54 a trillion dollars. And when the king heard it the king said, "You wicked slave I forgave you such a huge debt and you couldn't forgive that person $1? Well, I'm going to unforgive what I forgave you." You know, many people ask this question. 3:14 Will God ever unforgive what he's forgiven? Well, that's what he did in this parable. This is a parable is taught by Jesus who knows everything about the Father and about eternity and about forgiveness. And the parable teaches that 3:29 the sin that was forgiven was put back into his account. And the jail that he escaped, he was finally sent into. And the other thing is what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6. You know, if we don't forgive on the 3:46 basis of love because I'm overwhelmed by the love of God towards me a second reason for forgiveness, which is the second best is Matthew 6 and verse 14. Verse 15 rather. If you don't forgive others 4:05 your father will not forgive you. So, the first reason for forgiveness, which he just quoted is because I recognize how much God's forgiven me and I am therefore feel I should forgive another. The second reason is that if I don't 4:20 forgive, I'll go to hell. Is that really true? That if a person doesn't forgive another, he will go to hell? Some people say I preach too strong radically. I'm not preaching strong, no stronger than what Jesus said. Let's read it. Matthew 6:15. 4:39 If you do not forgive others your father will not forgive your transgressions. And what if you die in that state not having forgiven somebody? Is there some future place where you can be forgiven like the Roman 4:58 Catholics teach? There is no future place. Hebrews 9:27 says it is once appointed to a man to die and after that there's only one thing, judgment. So, that is why I say if a man dies without forgiving another, it's appointed once to die after the 5:16 judgment and if he's not been forgiven before he dies, there is no forgiveness afterwards. Now, we preach some radical things in CFC churches, but not more radical than what Jesus said. And I wonder if you have ever heard any 5:30 preacher say this, that if you die without forgiving somebody, you'll go to hell. Now, if you can any other interpretation of Matthew 6:15, please explain it to me. It is impossible to find another explanation. Is there some forgiveness 5:45 after we die? If you do not forgive others, your father will not forgive you. So, there are two reasons why we should forgive others. One is because we are overwhelmed by how much God has forgiven us. And secondly, if that doesn't help you, at 6:00 least the fear of judgment should make you forgive. Okay, the next question is there is a lot of news about artificial intelligence taking all our jobs. I get anxious when I hear that. How can I overcome it? Well, I I I've also heard that and I 6:18 don't know all that artificial intelligence can do. I feel that people who are in the technical field studying for technical courses in the colleges today, I would encourage them to study artificial intelligence because 6:30 that is going to be very useful in the future. As that's what I as a layman I understand it. And certainly it's a subject which all technical people who are going into studying colleges now to young students should study. 6:41 But as far as jobs are concerned etc. From a human standpoint, we can say, well, who will be after artificial intelligence has knocked out all the technical people by replacing them jobs, who will be left? There'll still be jobs for nurses, 6:59 doctors, farmers, electricians, probably that's about it. Or something like that. So, people go for that. But I'll tell you there's another group of people who will survive. Those Matthew 6:33 who seek God's kingdom first and his 7:17 righteousness. And it doesn't matter what their profession is. God will amazingly take care of them without their depending on any man without their 7:34 being afraid that jobs will go. It's true. Seek first his kingdom Matthew 6:13 and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. I say to you verse 25, do not be worried for what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air. 7:52 They don't know AI. Your father your heavenly father feeds them. And look at the lilies in the field, how they are clothed. And if God feeds these birds and clothes these flowers, how much more, how much more? That's what he 8:11 keeps saying again and again. Your father will take care of you. It's the Gentiles, non-Christians who eagerly seek for these things, but your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. So, that is my advice to 8:26 every wholehearted Christian. And I can say that because I myself being in full-time Christian work for the last 60 years I have proved it in my life without depending on anybody. That whatever little I tried to do 8:45 God blessed the work of my hands and my little investments here and there and took care of me. Of course, I had to live simply. And if you're willing to live simply like the birds God will take care of you till the end of your life. I can 9:00 guarantee that. Okay, the next question is in the church that I attend I notice that the adults there are not warm towards my two-year-old daughter. Despite they are kind towards other children. I don't want my child to grow up in an 9:18 environment where she doesn't feel loved. Do you advise I change my place of worship? I don't think you should change your place of worship just because of that. I mean, if you're a new person, naturally people may not know you. It may take 9:30 time for them to get used to you. It may get time for your children to get used to other two-year-old and three-year-old children there. So, don't give up so easily, but sure I mean, show a lot of love to your child at home and if they find 9:45 no love being shown elsewhere, you must make up for it by showing a lot of love at home and encourage them, talk to the leaders of your church. I don't know which church you go to. But tell them and get your child to involved with others, 9:58 but at 2 years is too early for them to get involved in any active way in a church. So, wait a little. Be patient. I mean, if you're talking about some 10-year-old or something, I can understand. But, 2 years old, I mean, a lot of 10:12 people will just neglect them in any church. So, don't be so critical. But, what you need to see more is are you in the right church, which is leading you to a godly life? Forget about your 2-year-old. What about the Is Is he the church 10:27 leading you to a godly life? That's more important. Okay. Oh, the next question is, "Why does overcoming sexual lust seem to be the most difficult sin to conquer? I'm tired of fighting it, brother." Well, don't give up. I'd say fight it. 10:45 Fight it till you overcome because it'll destroy you otherwise. I'll tell you why. Again, people say we preach very strongly. Not more strongly than Jesus preached. Please listen to me. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, verse 11:03 28 and 29, he's talking about the exactly the same thing, overcoming sexual lust, which is lusting with our eyes and in our mind. Jesus says, "I say to you." Now, Jesus did not preface every 11:23 statement of his by saying I say to you, but sometimes he said, "I say to you" emphasize to emphasize the fact this is pretty serious because otherwise you don't take it seriously. So, let me read it like this. The Lord says, "I'm telling you this 11:38 very seriously. That's the meaning of I say to you. Everyone, without exception, who looks at a woman, whether a woman alive, living, or in a magazine, or on the phone, or on the computer in some program, everyone 11:57 who looks at a woman and lusts for her, that is lusts for her body, wants to see more and more of her body, and lusts for her in his mind, has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And you know the number of men 12:16 >> [clears throat] >> who are committing adultery every day and not even bothered. I'll tell you why. Because they think, "Oh, Jesus doesn't mean what he says." I'll tell you in the day of judgment you'll discover he did 12:29 mean what he said. So, I have to say if love for Christ does not deliver you from sexual lust, at least let the fear of judgment deliver you. To be delivered, to be saved from sin through the fear of judgment is the second best. 12:43 I don't avoid sin because I'm afraid of judgment. I finished with that. I Maybe in the early days of my Christian life it was like that. There's only one reason I avoid sin today because I love Jesus Christ. And because he paid such a price for my 12:56 sin that I detest sin because that's what killed my savior. Lusting after women is what killed my savior. Why should I do it? You're holding hands with something that killed your savior. So, think of it like that. And so, what is the solution? If your 13:13 right eye makes you stumble by lusting after a woman, tear it out and throw it away from you. Did Jesus mean that? That it is better to lose one eye and go into God's kingdom 13:32 than to keep both eyes and go to hell because he finally talks about hell. If your right eye causes you to stumble in relation to lusting after a woman, tear it out. Throw it away because it is better that one part of your body you lose it than for your 13:47 whole body to go to hell. That's amazing. Can lusting after a woman, watching pornography on a phone, on a computer, in a picture, or lusting after a woman even if it's 14:06 not pornography, some half-dressed woman in some advertisement, is that enough to take you to hell? If you believe Jesus, yes. If you don't believe Jesus, I have nothing more to say to you. I have no nothing to say to you. I 14:23 believe the Bible. My whole life for 67 years has been based on this book, and I have never found it to fail me. And that is why I say it with certainty. So, if don't if the love for Christ does not 14:42 first push you to be free from the sin, at least let the fear of hell save you from it. One of the two. The best is you love Jesus and you don't want to do anything that displeases him. But, if you don't love Jesus that much, 14:57 at least let the fear of hell, second best, keep you from this sin because it's a terrible thing. It's like harming yourself. I It's like this. It's like you're taking a dagger, lust after a woman, and stabbing yourself, stabbing 15:06 yourself, stabbing yourself. Do you see it like that that you're When you lust after a woman, you're stabbing yourself, stabbing yourself? People don't see it like that because they don't see the harm they're doing to their inner life. 15:18 And when a Christian is like that in his mind, you can be pretty sure that he's not going to hear God speaking in his mind. When he reads the Bible, it'll be just an empty book for him because he's not getting light from 15:30 heaven because his inwardly, his spiritual eyes are blinded because his physical eyes are looking at all sorts of dirty things that have got nothing to do with God. So, take it seriously. It is for you this this because you lust 15:45 after women that Jesus had to hang on the cross. Father, because of that guy's lusting after women, he's got to go to hell. I'm taking his punishment. Please spare him. You see that and can you go and lust after women after that after you see 16:01 that Jesus died for you on the cross? The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is what has protected me, helped me to turn away from sin. And may it help you also because it makes me love Jesus so much that he was willing to pay such a price to deliver 16:17 me from sin. Okay. In a command given to deacons, it says the the they must hold on to the mystery of the faith. What does this phrase mean? The uh it's not a command, but the conditions for qualifications, I would 16:37 say, for being a deacon are mentioned in 1 Timothy in chapter 3 and uh he speaks about that deacons must I mean, there are two places where deacons are mentioned. And anyway, the mystery of the faith, 1 16:55 Timothy chapter 3, is mentioned here in verse 16. Great is the mystery of godliness. The question is what is the mystery of the faith? Mystery of the faith is meant called here the mystery of godliness in 1 17:12 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. And that is What is this mystery of godliness? Or the mystery means a secret that only God can reveal to you. You'll never find the word mystery in the Old Testament because in the Old Testament there was 17:30 no secrets that God had to reveal. In the New Testament you read about mystery. Mystery of iniquity, the mystery of godliness. The mystery of godliness is that Jesus Christ, it's written there in verse 16, 1 Timothy 3:16, came in the 17:46 flesh. And this is the matter on which a lot of controversies there. A lot of people have been accused me of preaching false teaching. Did Jesus come in the flesh or not? It It says it so clearly. He was filled in the flesh. 18:05 Not in sinful flesh because he was not born of a human father. It is the Holy Spirit who came upon Mary. Mary only provided the egg. The Holy Spirit produced the body of Jesus in Mary's 18:23 womb, completely free from sin, but still in the flesh. So, therefore, we need to understand what the flesh means. There's a difference between sinful flesh and flesh. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh. You read that in Romans 18:42 8 and verse 3, I think. It is Romans 8, verse 3. That means Jesus Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Not in sinful flesh. Romans 8:3, in the 19:02 likeness, but not in actual sinful flesh. And he there in that flesh he condemned, that means put to death, sin in the flesh. So, I spent many years studying the Bible to find out what is the New Testament meaning of flesh. 19:21 I have never read it anywhere. I never heard anybody preach on it. But, I see clearly from my study of the scriptures that is also this human body is also referred to as flesh, but that's not what it's referring to. It's referring to self-will. 19:35 That is my definition I've discovered after studying the New Testament of what flesh is. Jesus came to earth in the flesh means Jesus came to earth with a will of his own. Did he have a will of his own or not? Very important question. 19:55 If he did not have a will of his own, he was a robot. A robot who just moved around on Earth, never doing anything wrong. That is an insult to say that Jesus came on Earth like a robot with no will of his own and just automatically did 20:10 what the Father told him. No. He made a choice. And it says here in John 6:38, very important verse. I call it the autobiography of Jesus Christ. The his life story that he himself wrote in one sentence. 20:28 John 6:38, I came from heaven to do what? Most Christians will say he came from heaven to die on the cross. That's the answer that a baby Christian will give, which I also gave. But I'm not a baby Christian today. I say Jesus said himself, I came from 20:46 heaven not to die on the cross, to do the will of my Father. To do the will of God. And to deny his own will, two things. I came from heaven to deny my own will, that is the flesh, and to do the will of the Father who sent me. 21:03 That is my answer. Why did Jesus come from heaven? Not to die on the cross, not to heal the sick. He came from heaven in one sentence to deny his own will for 33 and 1/2 years and to do the will of his Father 33 and 1/2 years. If you want a scriptural 21:17 answer, that is the answer. What does that mean? That from day one he kept on saying no, no, no to his own will and yes, yes, yes to the Father's will. And that the temptation in the 21:35 wilderness was just that. It was There's nothing for example the first temptation in the wilderness that Satan tempted him, "Turn the stones into bread." Tell me, what is the I mean, let's take a human example. Supposing you have money 21:52 to buy a loaf of bread and you've been not eating for for 40 days. And you go to a store and bread is available and you have the money to buy it. Is there a sin in buying it and satisfying your hunger? Not at all. And Jesus had 22:10 the power, which is equivalent of money, to turn those rocks into bread. Why couldn't he use it? He's not harming anybody. He's not hurting anyone. And he's not asking for a luxury. He's not asking for those rocks to be turned 22:27 into diamonds, into bread. This necessary after 40 days of fasting. But he wouldn't do it. Why? Go back to what I said earlier, his autobiography. I came from heaven not to satisfy my hunger. I came from 22:44 heaven never to do my own will, but to do the will of his Father. That's why he said what he said to Satan, "Man shall live by every word that proceeds from the Father in heaven." That's how he lived by. He lived his whole life by a word that proceeded from 23:02 the Father. Father had not told him to turn the stones into bread, then I won't turn. What if you die? I'll die. But he knew he can't die before the Father's time. He came here to be crucified and he cannot die of starvation, impossible. 23:16 And he waited till the Father gave him food to eat. But he would not do anything, even a simple thing like using his power just to satisfy his bodily need after 40 days of fasting when he had the power to do it. It's like going to a store and 23:31 you have the money to buy the bread and but you say if the Father said don't buy it and you're starving. And you say, "Father, okay, I won't buy it." That requires tremendous devotion to the Father. This is what it means to follow Jesus. 23:49 Let's not take it lightly. We talk about follow, follow, I will follow him anywhere. Most people don't have a clue what they mean. Here's what it means. That even when you're starving, you will not do something till the Father tells 24:00 you to do it. It's a tremendous standard that the Lord has set. And many people who think they're pretty spiritual, who are not even 1% of that level, think they're spiritual. We got to humble ourselves and fall on our face 24:12 and say we got a long way to go. That is the mystery of the faith that he he did that in the power of the Holy Spirit and he says you can do that, too. If you seek for the power of the Holy Spirit and in the power of the Holy Spirit say no 24:27 to the flesh. Take up your cross every day. Next question. Practicing the word was versus faking the word. Example, rejoice in the Lord. I practice this even if I I failed God 1 10,000 times. Yet how do I know 24:46 I'm not deceiving myself and forcing a smile? Yeah, it's We don't want to go around looking gloomy. If you At least if you can force a smile, do that. There's nothing wrong in doing that so that you don't look gloomy and make life miserable for other 25:02 people. You say, "Lord, I don't not really happy, but I don't want to make other people miserable, so I'll smile." Good. Second best. But the best is if you can live in the Lord's presence and experience his joy. And there's only one thing 25:20 that can take away that joy. And that is sin. Unconfessed sin. I'm absolutely convinced after being a believer for 67 years that it's only unconfessed sin that can take away your joy. So then go to God and say, "Why is my 25:36 joy not there? I don't have to force a smile." Now in the beginning it was like that with me also. We just struggled to try and appear as happy. But I'll tell you honestly before God, it's not like that now for many years in 25:49 my life. I sincerely rejoice before the Lord no matter what happens. I'm not saying I'm happy, but I rejoice. Happiness is a human expression. Rejoice in the Lord inwardly all the time, no matter what happens on the outside. 26:06 So it is we don't have to In the beginning we as a matter of as a matter of courtesy to others, we don't show a gloomy face. That's good. But um don't be satisfied with that. Say, "Lord, I want to deny myself and come into the 26:20 life of Jesus, the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love and then joy. You cannot produce that love for the unlovely and for your enemies yourself, but the Holy Spirit can. You cannot produce joy or peace, 26:37 but the Holy Spirit can. Remember that and trust him. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. So then you don't have to fake it. Okay, next question is should I confess my secret sins to my elder? No. Sin must be confessed in the circle in 26:53 which it was committed. That's the expression I always use. The circle in which it was committed. So in that circle if there's only one person, supposing you hurt your wife by something you did or said, you only have to confess to your wife. 27:09 Supposing there were two people in the office who you hurt by what you said, you have to confess to those two people. >> [snorts] >> And supposing in your thought life it is only God who's in that circle whom you hurt, then you confess only to God. 27:21 So remember the sin must be confessed in the circle in which it was committed. So if you hurt somebody in the world, you even a believer or unbeliever, you must ask his forgiveness. And of course ask God's forgiveness. You 27:36 don't have to confess sins that are committed before God alone to anybody on Earth. Not even to your husband or your wife. That's before God alone. But if you hurt someone, whoever it is, you must ask that person's forgiveness 27:53 as well. Next question. My spiritual failures often time burst out as frustrations on myself and my family. How can I rejoice while I'm still struggling in my fight against my flesh? Yeah. >> [clears throat] >> Uh it's because I'm fed up with myself 28:12 that I can get angry with others. I have to The Bible says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." You know that verse in um Philippians in chapter 2. Luke 3. 28:49 And verse 13. It is God who's [clears throat] at work in you to will and to work his good pleasure. So therefore, remember that it's God who's working in you. What should you do? Verse 12, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." 29:06 Fear because I don't want to hurt God. Fear and trembling, Lord, I can live for myself. Let me work out my salvation and in secret and then I will not burst out in frustration on others. To judge ourselves in secret is a very 29:21 important thing that we must do every day. I decided that many years ago in my life that from morning till night I shall live in a spirit of self-judgment. Not that I'm judging myself all the time, but if I ever sense that I thought something wrong or said 29:37 something wrong or did something wrong, I immediately seek to judge myself. Then my heart is clean because God cleanses me immediately. And then there'll be no opportunity to get frustrated with anybody else. If I believe 29:52 certain things like God will make everything work together for my good. Romans 8:28. And 1 Corinthians 10:13, God will never allow me to be tested beyond my ability. If I just believe those two verses, I'll never be frustrated 30:09 with other people in any way. Say, "Lord, this is something you're permitting me to be tempted with. And then one more verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9, my grace is sufficient for you." So, I will not be tempted beyond my ability. 30:22 God makes everything work together for my good. And his grace is sufficient for me. That's enough for me to go all through life to be an overcomer. >> [clears throat] >> So, don't then you won't be frustrated with others. 30:34 When I read God's word and he gives me light on some understanding, immediately I think, "Ah, I can share this in the next meeting." That's a common thought that comes to all Christians. Even not only baby Christians, grown-up Christians, too. 30:48 Because I'll tell you why. Because there's such a tremendous lust in us to get honored. Why do you want to share that? Because you want to get some honor. Ah, >> [clears throat] >> let people see what a clever thought I 31:02 got out of this verse. Uh and let them be impressed with me that I am such a spiritual person. It's like that children's chorus of little Tom Thumb who put in his thumb pulled out a plum and said, "What a good boy am I?" 31:17 It's something like that. That Christians have got that spirit. They find a verse and put it out. See see what a good Christian I am. So, we have to die to that. Say, you know, the way is to say, "Lord, I don't want the honor of men." 31:32 It's a terrible sin, terrible terrible sin to take credit for what God has given me. For example, if somebody's made a nice cake and cut it up and said, "Brother Zac, please distribute this to different people." And I go and 31:47 distribute to different people and they say, "Brother Zac, what a wonderful cake you made." And I say, "Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it." I won't say that. I say, "Listen, I didn't make it. I'm just distributing it." Please remember that that we are not 32:01 manufacturing that word or even that revelation. If God gave it to you, give the credit to God. If somebody else made the cake, tell them plainly, "Somebody else made it. I'm only distributing. I was asked to distribute it." That's 32:15 If you just use that simple illustration, the same thing applies when we share God's word with others. Who gave it to you? Did you bring it down from heaven? No, God gave you some revelation from his word. Please remember this. 32:28 It's a It's a crime to take credit for what you didn't do. And so, humility. Another question. I'm sorry I have to rush through all this, otherwise you'll never get to the end of it. I >> [clears throat] >> I'm struggling with overeating. 32:47 I've been trying to fast and pray about it, but I often slip up. How can I overcome this? Well, there is only one way to overcome it, and that is a discipline because you have a goal. And the illustration for that is in 1 Corinthians 33:06 and chapter 9, it says, "Don't you know that verse 24, 1 Corinthians 9:24, don't you know that all who run in a race all run, but only one wins the prize?" And so, everyone who competes in 33:23 the games exercises self-control in all things so that he can win those days a wreath, today a gold medal. You know, these people, for example, who run in the marathon race, 26 miles, and get a gold medal. They don't get there by just overeating 33:40 and ignoring their physical condition. They uh I mean, most of these people who win it are from Kenya. And uh they get up there in that climate in the morning and run 26 miles every day. You keep running 26 miles every day for 4 33:55 years. That's how they prepare for the final 26-mile race. And they discipline themselves. Don't They don't go every day eating and stuffing their stomachs and getting overweight, they'll never win the race. They discipline themselves. That's what 34:09 the example used in the Bible. And they do that for an earthly gold medal. And we are we are getting a far more important prize that we are running for. And he says, "Therefore, I run 1 Corinthians 9:26, in such a way I 34:29 discipline my body and make it my slave. Or I tell my body what it should eat. My body body doesn't tell me what it should eat. I don't do what my body wants. I tell my what body what it should do. Now, many people are slaves to their 34:48 body. Their body tells them something, they immediately obey. They don't realize that. Paul says, "No, I'm not going to be a slave of my body. I'm not going to be a slave of anybody." I mean, we wouldn't like to be a slave 35:01 of another person who tells me, "Go here, go there, go there." The same way my body tells me, "Eat this, eat this, go." No, I'm not going to listen to my body. If I have a work to do and the body says, "Go to sleep," I say, "No, I'm not 35:12 going to sleep. I've got a work to do." I I am in charge of my body. Most people in the world, I'd say 99%, their body runs their life. But a true Christian filled with the Holy Spirit, he says, "This body is a temple of the 35:27 Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is inside me, and he controls me even in the matter of eating. I discipline my body means I tell my body what it should do. My body doesn't tell me what it should do." And then, if I don't do that, listen to 35:42 this. Paul, the great apostle, says in verse 9, 1 Corinthians 9:27, "If I don't do that, if I don't make my body my slave, one day I will discover when I come to the end of my life that I'm disqualified by the Lord." You know, I've heard of this in some 36:00 uh Olympic games where somebody runs and runs and comes first. And he's delighted that he breasted the tape first, but then he's told he's disqualified because somewhere along that line he crossed the track and did something wrong. 36:16 Oh, what a thing to discover after you come first at the end of the race. And that's the meaning of disqualified. After having preached to others, I, the Apostle Paul, can be disqualified. Why? Because I did not discipline my body and make my body 36:35 my slave. 1 Corinthians 9:27. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. If Paul was in no danger of that, what about you and me? Dear brothers and let me urge you, discipline yourself in the area of eating, 36:52 in the area of sleeping. See, food, sleep, and sex are natural desires for married people, sex, food, and sleep for everybody, are desires that God has put in the body. We don't have to be ashamed of any of those things. A married person does 37:12 not have to have any shame that he's got a desire to have sex with his wife. Just like he's not ashamed of the saying, "I'm feeling sleepy." He can say, "I want to have sex with my wife." Or saying, "I'm hungry." It's exactly the same. 37:26 Uh and with nobody else, but only with his wife. But even there in 1 Corinthians 7, he says a man should be disciplined even in the area of sex with his wife. It's amazing. 1 Corinthians 7 in verse 4, the wife doesn't have authority over her body, 37:44 but the husband has. The husband doesn't have authority over his body, his wife has. But stop depriving one another unless you want to fast from sex for a short period. Have you ever heard of that? That a husband and wife were perfectly 37:59 right for them to have sex with each other, they by agreement, both of them fast from sexual relation for a certain time to come to for prayer and later on come together and have sex again. Uh I think there are very few people who 38:17 come to that level. So, in these areas of food, sleep, and sex, we need to discipline ourselves in food, discipline ourselves in sleeping, also. We shouldn't sleep so much that we don't do what we should do should be doing. 38:32 And the area of sex. So, there's a place for discipline. And that's important for us to discipline our I'll say one more verse before I this matter of eating. You know what the Bible says about people who cannot control their 38:46 appetite? 1 Corinthians, sorry, Philippians chapter 3, verse 18. There are some people who are called enemies of the cross of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:18, enemies of the cross of Christ. Who are these enemies of the 39:06 cross of Christ? Those, verse 19, whose God is their stomach. Those whose God is their body, their belly, their appetite. Their mind is on earthly things. 39:24 Have you ever thought that a person who's got a lust to eat is not eating is not stealing food. It's his own food. He's paid for it. He's eating eating and he just keeps on eating eating eating without any self-control, he is an enemy of the 39:40 cross of Christ. Well, we preach some radical things in the church. People get upset with us, but I say it's all in scripture. These are the things nobody else preaches. That's why they think it's a strange doctrine. But it's here in scripture. 39:53 People haven't read the Bible carefully. Read it. I tell you weeping, verse 19, they are the enemies of the cross of Christ because their God is their appetite and their mind is set on earthly things. Okay, I won't say more on that. 40:10 Next question, as a single brother in my late 20s living at home with my mom, how should I understand submission and obedience given my age of 20? Well, you don't have to submit to your parents if you've come of age and you're supporting yourself 40:27 financially, but you still have to honor them. The Bible says, "Honor your father and mother." Even if you're 50 years old, 70 years old, your father and mother are alive, you must honor them. That is a command. It's the first 40:41 command given to children with a promise. It'll go well with you. Honor your father and mother and it will go well with you. I can testify to that. I honored my father and my mother. I didn't always agree with them. Once I was on my own, I didn't ask them 40:57 when I wanted to leave the Navy. I obeyed the Lord and told them that I'm resigning. But I honored them in everything. I didn't speak rudely to them or abuse them in any way or take advantage of them or anything like that. 41:11 And I want to testify it has gone well with me. And I would say to her, I even tell non-Christian people who have got non-Christian parents, "Honor your father and mother. It'll go well with you." And then teach your children 41:24 to honor you as parents so that it'll go well with them. So, >> [clears throat] >> we but at the same time you don't have to listen to them if they tell you to do something which you're not in God's will for you. And if you're in your late 20s, 41:40 you should be standing on your own feet, especially if you're earning your own living. And so, but be very loving and kind to your mom. And she's always seen you obeying him and tell your mom that I respect you. I love you, but mom, 41:53 please let me begin to live my own life. Okay. How do I encourage my next question, my family members who are Christian but who are not receptive to the message of CFC? Sometimes I want to avoid talking about Christianity completely with them 42:09 because I know there are differences in the way we see things, but at the same time I feel I should exhort and encourage them. I would say first of all, if you're living at home, let them see a difference in your life. Number one, don't be in a hurry to 42:23 preach to them. Wait a little. It doesn't matter if you wait 6 months. Let them see that after you gave your life to the Lord or after you started coming to CFC that it is a bit your life is a bit different from the way you behaved at home when 42:38 you were attending other churches. You hear such strong exhortations in the church to love and to be pure and humble that people in your home should be able to see a difference. That the message has changed you. If it hasn't changed you, then you either 42:55 you're not responded to the message you heard in the CFC church or your local CFC church elder is not telling you the truth. One of these reasons. We preached very strong truth in CFC Bangalore right from the beginning. 43:11 And I can testify that it has changed the lives of numerous people. Their personal life, their family life, their work life, and everything. Upright in everything, forgiving, loving. Not everybody, it depends on who responds to it. But I know numerous 43:29 people. I'm proud of them that they have responded to the God's truth. And so, your family members should see that first. And remember this that Jesus lived for 30 years manifesting his life. Then he preached for 3 years. It's a 43:45 pretty good proportion to think of. He didn't straight away preach as soon as he was 30 years old. He manifested Christ in the carpenter's shop by uprightness, honesty, and love towards people who cheated him or did something wrong. 43:59 Meditate on how Jesus ran a carpentry shop. You'll get a lot of light on how to live in this world in a the in a in your work office or anything. And then you can speak. So, ask yourself whether your life is speaking like somebody said about a 44:14 Christian, "Your life speaks so loud that I can't hear what you're preaching." Because the life is saying something else. It shouldn't be like that. The life must back up what I'm saying. Okay, next question. I'm a single brother who would like to 44:27 attend the singles conference, but I'm weak and I can be tempted. So, I think I'd attend online. >> [laughter] >> Well, I agree that is the second best, but I 44:46 don't think you should uh you can overcome temptation by always running away. Then you'll have to sit at home the whole day and never go out anywhere. No. Come to the meeting and say, "Lord, I'm going to battle it and fight it and 44:58 if you find the girls are tempting, just don't go too near them. That's all. Very simple. Ask God to help you. But come. If you're a believer, I think it's a good to come and uh ask God to help you to be an overcomer. Okay, next question is I'm struggling. 45:15 I'll tell you how to handle this. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Say, "Lord, I want to I'm being tempted when I come I'm a single person. I'm tempted when there are lovely single pretty single girls around here and who 45:26 are also believers. Please help me to overcome. Help me to concentrate to hear your word while I've come for this conference." It's you're you're honest. Every young man is tempted. Everyone. >> [clears throat] >> If he's not tempted, I'd say he's 45:43 probably less of a man than he God meant him to be. There's nothing wrong in that, but God can help you to overcome. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Okay, I'm struggling with wanting to stand up for the truth of Christ with my 45:56 family and my relatives, but I often find myself becoming angry inside my heart and judging them. How can I stand for the truth and not compromise but also remain pure and loving? There's again, the only way is to ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and 46:10 to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit whenever he tells you, "Don't think like that." Or whenever he tells you when when an argument is going on, "Keep your mouth shut." Let it look as if you have lost the argument. I have many times 46:23 taken that position. Somebody comes and he's so argumentative. I try to explain scripture to him and he's so argumentative. And the Lord tells me, "Let him think he has won the argument. Keep your mouth shut." Cuz he's not interested in listening to 46:37 God's word. So, I just kept my mouth shut and let him think that he has won the argument. Let him think that he defeated Brother Zac in the argument. Good. And I don't want to lose my temper. No. I'm not here to win a argument. I'm here 46:53 to win a soul. And if I have to lose an argument to win a soul, I'm glad to do it. Remember this. Our aim here is not to win arguments. Our aim is to win souls for Christ. So, keep that in mind and don't stand up for the truth in a 47:08 crude way that drives people away from the Lord. Sometimes we should just keep quiet and ask God to speak to them. Trust God. Trust in prayer more than your arguments and your preaching to them. And ask God to keep your attitude pure 47:25 always. After a time of you had a tense time with your family, get into your room and judge yourself. Say, "Lord, cleanse me. Next time when in such a situation comes, help me to be more restrained." Okay, next question is I want to fear 47:38 God more. How can I cultivate the fear of God in my life? The Bible Bible says the spirit is called the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Have you read that? Isaiah chapter 11, it's referring to Jesus Christ. And it's referring to Jesus Christ as a 47:57 man having the fear of God. It's a prophecy about him in Isaiah 11. You know, in Revelation it speaks about the sevenfold Holy Spirit. You probably number of times you read in Revelation. But sometimes it's called seven spirits. There are not seven 48:12 spirits, there's only one spirit. But sevenfold Holy Spirit. There are seven characteristics of the Holy Spirit. And if you're I never knew what those seven were till I studied the scripture and found they're all mentioned in Isaiah 11:2. 48:27 He's called one, the spirit of the Lord of Jehovah. And the second is called the spirit of wisdom. Third, spirit of understanding. Fourth, the spirit of counsel. Fifth, the spirit of strength. Isaiah 11:2. And the sixth, the spirit of knowledge. 48:40 And seventh, the spirit of the fear of the Lord. This is the sevenfold Holy Spirit. And is the spirit who's called the spirit of the fear of the Lord. So, the Holy Spirit when he fills you, he'll fill you with all these things. 48:53 And one of this is the fear of God. And out of all these seven, one of them is picked out by the Holy Spirit. The Jesus This is referring to Jesus, remember, in verse one. A root that comes out of the stem of Jesse, who's 49:07 the father of David. And out of these seven mentioned here in verse three, one is picked out. He when the spirit of God fills him, he will delight in the fear of the Lord. And as a result, when a man fears the Lord, what is the result? Listen to 49:24 this. All of you who imagine that you fear the Lord, he will not judge by what his eyes see, nor take a decision by what his ears hear. That is one characteristic of the fear of the Lord. That when I see something I say, "Well, I could be mistaken. I 49:43 don't want to pass a judgment immediately." I hear something and I say, "That may not be the full truth." And partial truth. I don't want to pass a judgment. That is a mark of a man who fears the Lord. He waits. And he will not make a decision, verse 50:00 three, by what his ears hear. He will not judge by what his eyes see. That is connected to the fear of the Lord. So, if you think that you fear the the Lord, if you fear the Lord, ask yourself whether you make decisions 50:14 purely on the basis of what your eyes see and your ears hear. Oh, Oh, see these are the two main uh what's say, windows shall I call, through which or doors through which information comes into our system, eyes and ears, mostly. 50:30 And when that information comes in, it says the man who's filled with the Holy Spirit and who's got the fear of the Lord will not take a decision. I've seen it. I've heard it. But Lord, give me discernment now. What is it I've seen? What is it I've 50:47 heard? Have I seen everything? Have I heard everything? Or is it only partial knowledge? So, I'm very careful. One mark of the fear of the Lord is is not quick to form an assessment of somebody or a judgment about some situation. He waits. 51:06 And ask God to help you to develop that. Okay, the next question is, I oftentimes feel discouraged and afterwards when trying to exalt my family to follow God more closely, I feel like if I just encourage them with God's love, it makes me too soft or 51:21 unbalanced. I struggle to exalt them maybe because there is a critical spirit in myself. How do I find the balance? Yeah, that is a common mistake that all make, you know. I found that very often when we preach holiness, most 51:36 people begin with the old covenant attitude. Thou shalt, thou shalt not, thou shalt, thou shalt not, thou shalt not. That is our understanding of holiness. But that's There's nothing wrong in that. That was the law of Moses. 51:48 But it brings you under bondage, just like it brought all the Israelites under bondage. But there you have to say, "No, Lord, I'm not under the old covenant. I don't want to go around in running my family with thou shalt and 51:59 thou shalt not, thou shalt not." If they are little children, we have to tell them very clearly, "I don't want you to do this. I want you to do this." That's the only language they understand. Little children are under the old covenant. So, you got to 52:09 treat them like that. They are not in the the place where they can reason and understand. But when you're talking to your wife, you don't live with thou shalt and thou shalt not. So, we need to ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit and say, "Lord, I want 52:23 to come into the new covenant." Where Jesus never forced anybody. It was not a thou shalt and thou shalt not. Inwardly, he wanted to produce a change in a person inwardly so that he doesn't even desire that. I'm born with a desire for something 52:40 sinful, but God has done a work through the Holy Spirit within me and that desire has been put to death. That's the meaning of taking up the cross. And if I taken up the cross sufficiently in one area, it's like you put that man 52:52 on the cross, he doesn't die immediately, but it takes a time and finally he's dead. That's what happens when you I if I crucify something inside me, and one of the my personal illustrations is this. My flesh is like a box of snakes. 53:10 All kinds of snakes of lust and deception and lying and cheating and uh uh hatred and all that are the different little snakes with their heads. And in the past years of my life, when I was unconverted, it poked its head out of 53:22 the box, I would feed them some milk and they'd go back and become a little stronger next time. But after I got converted and I sought to be filled with the Holy Spirit, now when that snake puts out its head, I give it a whack on 53:31 the head and it doesn't die immediately, but it's gone down. It'll come up again. I give it another whack on the head till one day it is dead. But then there are other snakes. I've got to give each of them a whack on the 53:44 head and through the Holy Spirit. It's just a personal illustration. If If it helps you, take it. If it doesn't help you, forget it. But that is how uh we know we put to death the deeds of the body. That's my interpretation of it. And then 54:00 we we can come into a glorious life. Okay. I see so much selfishness in me at times, especially at home. What helped you to overcome in this stress? Selfishness is the opposite of Christ-likeness. We are all basically selfish. 54:17 And uh it's only as we get light, and I I find that I get light if I meditate on the life of Jesus. I feel that many of us don't meditate on the life of Jesus sufficiently. Uh we meditate on the Bible, which is very, very good. 54:36 But one of the things which nobody told me when I was a young Christian, which I had to discover myself, was to obey uh not to obey, but to meditate on the last verse of the Gospels. How many of you know the last verse in 54:50 the four Gospels? There are four Gospels. What is the last verse? John's Gospel, chapter 21, verse 25. You know what it says? There are many things that Jesus did 55:08 which are not written in these four Gospels. Did you hear that? All Christians know what are written in the four Gospels. But the last verse says there are many other things Jesus did which are not written in these Gospels. 55:22 And if they were written in detail, the whole world will not be able to contain the books to describe all that Jesus did. Then how shall I know that? I'll tell you. That's what I sought to find out. 55:41 And I found that Jesus said in John 16, "When the Holy Spirit has come," John 16, 13 and 14. This is the answer to the last verse of the four Gospels, to John 21:25. The answer is, "When the Holy Spirit has come, the spirit of 55:59 truth," verse 13, "when he comes, he will guide you He will guide you into all the truth, even the things that are not written in these four Gospels." The truth is in Christ. He will take of mine, verse 14, middle. 56:18 He will take of mine and disclose means show you a secret. He will reveal to you what is secret. That's the meaning of disclose. Something not written in the four Gospels. Let me paraphrase it. When the spirit of truth is come, he 56:35 will guide you and reveal to you things about me which are not written in the four Gospels. He will glorify me because he'll take of mine means he'll take of my life and show you the things which are not written in the four Gospels. 56:51 Has the Holy Spirit shown you things that are not written in the four Gospels that Jesus did? He has shown me so many things that have helped me in my life. Particularly what he did in the first 30 years. We know very little. 57:07 We know that he was submissive to his parents and I use my imagination. God has given us imagination. And let me tell you this. If you have used your imagination for filthy things in your past life, why do you keep it blank now that you're born 57:21 again? Use it for good things now. I use my imagination for good things now. That's the way to make up for the all the filthy things I used it for in my unconverted days. So, I use my imagination to imagine how did Jesus live with four younger 57:35 brothers and two younger sisters? They must have irritated him, taunted him. And I imagine what all they did to him and how he reacted. I get a gui- guidance in my life how I should react when other people taunt me or irritate me in some way. 57:50 Or I used to imagine things like this. Um Jesus is playing, young 12-year-old boy, playing games with the other boys in um Nazareth, outside his home. And uh all ev- every country has got a games with a bat and a ball. 58:10 Whether you call it baseball or cricket or whatever they called it in the first century, there's Jesus playing this game with the bat and a ball. And the time comes for his turn to bat. And his mother says, "Jesus, come here." 58:25 What does he do? He drops the bat and goes and all the team members, "Hey, Jesus, don't be a man. Fini- Finish your batting. Your mom can wait." No, mom can't wait. He appears to be a He goes and listen to his mother. 58:44 Mom says, "Go and draw some water from the well. We've run short of water. Get a bucket of water." And Jesus goes to the well, draws the water, comes and gives it to his mother, and then goes back to the game and his batting turn is over and they say, "Hey, 58:57 because of you didn't bat, we lost the game." Will he do that next time? When his mother calls him? He says, "I'll do it next time, too." I'm more interested in honoring my father and mother than in winning a game in baseball or cricket or whatever they 59:15 called it those days. It's the things which are hidden in secret. Jesus, the Lord reveals to me and the Lord says, "Do that in your life." Or he's um making a table in his carpenter shop and a crack came in and he uses some putty 59:34 to exactly the same color to make it perfect. And it looks exactly the same. But when he sells it to the customer, he tells him, "Listen, there was a crack in this and it looks exactly the same, but I want to tell you that I put some putty 59:48 here. So, you you can pay me less than what I originally told you." Takes it mind and show it to you. Teaches me to be like that in my business dealings. Or if some little child comes into the carpenter shop and some very delicate thing that Jesus had 1:00:05 made, the child takes it and breaks it. And Jesus does not get upset. He picks up picks up the child and kisses it and says, "Never mind, my son. It's quite okay. I can make it again." This is what I mean by the Holy Spirit 1:00:20 taking the hidden things which are not written in the four Gospels and reveals it to me because he wants me to live like that. Oh, I could tell you numerous things that the Holy Spirit has disclosed to me, but I don't know don't 1:00:32 want to rob you of the joy of the Holy Spirit revealing it to you. So, I won't tell you anymore. You ask God to show it to you yourself. Your life will be exciting, I tell you. Many people don't enjoy the revelation of the Holy Spirit. 1:00:47 Don't look for something to in the Bible which you can get up and preach. Look for something the Holy Spirit will tell you which will help you to live more like Christ in your daily life. That's a million times more important 1:00:57 than getting up and preaching some revelation you got some verses in Chronicles or something like that. Okay. Um Um How can we be sure that we are 100% Oh, sorry. Uh what Many of most of us have a hidden ministry in RLCF. 1:01:16 How can we be encouraged that we are doing in building the church and that God is pleased with us? You live before God, I mean, if your calling in RLCF is to make sure the toilets are always clean, do it quietly without any fuss and don't 1:01:29 worry people uh appreciate you or know about it. Best if nobody knows about it who did it. Wonderful. And are you building the church? Sure. You're building the church by doing a job that somebody has to do. I mean, washing the feet. 1:01:42 Let's talk about washing dirty feet. Is that building the church? It's what Jesus did. And so, equivalent today may be cleaning the toilets or scrubbing the floor. Um And getting down on your knees and scrubbing it like we have to do it in India. 1:02:00 Yeah, that's so not as easy as doing it with a vacuum cleaner, but you do it for the Lord's sake, you do it. So, there's everything is a ministry. You do it before the Lord. It's building the church. There's so many practical aspects of it. 1:02:15 So, you're building the church, too. Don't worry. How can we be sure that we are a hundredfold in managing our one talent into two talents? Well, that is not something that we can decide easily. All I would say is according to the 1:02:29 light that you have. God will not question you beyond the light that you have, but if your light is not increasing, you know, let me put use an illustration. When we are unconverted, our heart is like one big black circle. Flesh, flesh, 1:02:46 flesh, flesh, flesh. Sinful flesh. One day Christ comes in, one small white circle in the middle. All of the rest of it is black. But I seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and as I judge myself, what happens is I'm pressing on the 1:03:05 outer edges of this white circle, new areas, new areas, and that white circle becomes a little bigger. I've conquered in some area. And then I keep fighting, fighting, fighting that becomes a little bigger. Little by little, this black circle is being 1:03:21 overcome by the white. Christ is overcoming and my aim is finally that it's all Christ. Completely. None of self and all of thee. But that takes time, but we have to work on it. That's the meaning of taking up the cross. 1:03:37 So, if you work on it like that, um don't ask yourself whether you're thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or hundredfold. That let the Lord decide in the final day. Today, your job is only to make sure that you're the areas that you see 1:03:50 something wrong, you judge yourself and keep pressing on. Don't compare yourself with others and don't think of hundredfold, sixtyfold, or don't think of final reward. Don't do anything for a reward. Do it because you love Jesus. 1:04:04 And let the Lord decide about rewards. Okay. I cannot see a future of my life uh but I I cannot see a future of my life having any effect for the kingdom of God. I want to be a useful vessel, but my pride my sorry, my circle is very small in 1:04:21 daily life. Is it pride in me that desires more? No. God determines the size of our ministry. Not I did not decide the size size of my ministry. I never did. And I don't think I can ever determine 1:04:41 it. God has got a particular ministry for everybody and it is not determined by how many countries have you traveled to, how many churches have you established, how many people have you blessed? No. What do you think of a poor widow who's 1:04:55 got to sit at home with her five or six children she's trying to bring up very safely and she never goes outside of own hometown for all her life struggling to take care of her family. You think she can't get a reward? I think she can 1:05:09 get a reward that she sits at the right hand of Christ in the final day. Why not? And maybe the apostle doesn't get a reward as much because he was not faithful in his circle. The circle is of our ministry is determined by God 1:05:23 and the whiteness of that circle is not determined by how spiritual you are. Each has got a different calling. It's like I think of the body, you know, in the body there are many parts of a calling. The visible parts we all know. Even a 1:05:39 nail, you know, we feel itchy. The nails are very important. Eyes are important. But there are other parts of our body which are so same small. Think of the small blood vessels inside our body, miles of them. That's what doctors tell me. There are 1:05:53 miles of blood vessels inside my body. How thin they are. Insignificant. But if the blood doesn't flow through that in one of those, I can get a heart attack. It's more important than my nails and my eyes and ears. So, don't devalue 1:06:10 any person in the body of Christ. And that we never think of those blood vessels and yet that my nails can never I I can lose my nails and not get a heart attack. But that little blood vessel can be blocked and I can get a heart attack. 1:06:24 So, some of those invisible parts of the body are very, very important. People who pray secretly, silently. Nobody knows about them. More visible ones are what everybody knows. So, don't determine your ministry by how effective your ministry is by seeing how 1:06:44 much wider circle you have ministry in or how many people you have brought to Christ or things like that. Um I want to be useful vessel in the circle in which is very small. God decides the side of that circle size of that circle. 1:06:59 Okay. I believe in God is my loving father, but when I make the slightest mistake, I become very afraid that he has condemned me. That's a common feeling for those who are not secure in the love of God. So, we have to be find find security in 1:07:15 the love of I feel he's condemned me and I need to set it right to get in God's favor. I'm not able to differentiate whether this is self-condemnation or if God is actually condemning me. I mostly live in fear, constantly defeated by 1:07:27 discouragement due to the cycle of condemnation. This doesn't seem like the life God promised to us. I >> [clears throat] >> drew a circle with two no entry roads once. Discouragement and self-condemnation. Two no entry roads. 1:07:44 You know what a You see a no entry road sign on the road, you just don't enter there. You're going to have an accident. You'll have a collision. Self-condemnation, you'll definitely have a collision. Discouragement, you'll definitely have a 1:07:56 collision. Just make sure you're not going to enter those roads. When you're tempted to go there, you say, "No, I'm not going to do it." No entry sign. Discouragement, I'm not going to do it. I'm going to rejoice in the fact that Jesus is my savior. I'm 1:08:08 not perfect, fine. I'm still pressing on, but Jesus is my savior. I rejoice in that. So, don't condemn yourself unnecessarily for something like that. Be secure in the fact that God loves you. Thing is to know that you're a child of God. You 1:08:22 must be sure of that. See, I have sometimes used this example. A child a real child of a family that's brought up from childhood, brought up by father mother, say, two, three years old. He does something wrong. He's not 1:08:37 disturbed. He goes to sleep. But think of an adopted child. Supposing a first child is adopted, say, at the age of seven or eight. And he knows that I'm not a real child here. Adopted lovingly. He can live in such fear when he does something wrong. 1:08:57 Will my adopted father or mother send me back to the orphanage from which he found me? He lives in that fear. I better behave because otherwise daddy will send me back to the orphanage from which he picked me up. But that 1:09:14 born child, if he does something ten times worse than that, he's not bothered. He will sleep peacefully. He knows that my father will not check me out. So, I find among God's children there are those who behave like adopted children. 1:09:29 Are you an adopted child? You know, the Bible speaks about By the way, the word word adoption you do find in Ephesians and all is not referring to adopted from an orphanage. The real translation of that word is being placed 1:09:42 as an adult child in the Jewish culture. When a child became 12 years old, it was placed as a son. Till then he was a baby. That's what it means. But there's no adopted God doesn't have any adopted children. All are born, born again is the only way we 1:09:58 come into God's kingdom. There's no such thing as being adopted from an orphanage. So, we must be secure in the fact that I am a real child of God. God is my father. He's not going to dump me in the garbage just because I made a 1:10:11 mistake. So, get rid of the self-condemnation. We are in Christ. When you do something wrong, confess it. Tell the Lord, I'm sorry I did it and the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin that moment. You know, because we take such a long 1:10:26 time to forgive somebody and we keep it in our mind all the time, we think that God is like that. Let me tell you, brother, God is not like you. He forgives immediately. And he doesn't keep it in mind against you. Doesn't say, "Oh, you did this again. 1:10:41 You did this yesterday and you did it again today." He never says that. He says, "Their sins and iniquities I will remember no more. I will not remember." Because he's God. So, don't live in condemnation. Okay? Uh 1:11:00 I vaguely remember you mentioned once about praying when we enter hotel rooms cuz we don't know who may have lived there who may have slept there before regarding demons there. Should we be careful about what type of objects we 1:11:11 buy and places we stay in? Can demons dwell in inanimate objects? We don't have to First of all, we don't have to be afraid of demons. They were all defeated on the cross. You must be absolutely sure of that. I've stayed in hotel rooms where I'm 1:11:27 absolutely convinced that whoever stayed there before was involved with some demons, but they're all scared of me. So, no demon can survive when I go into a room. And it's not like that not because I'm somebody special. 1:11:40 I had faith that Jesus defeated all those demons on the cross. That's the only difference between me and the other guy who goes there scared. If you believe that Jesus defeated every single demon and the devil himself on 1:11:51 the cross of Calvary, you can go into any place in the world without fear. And let me tell you something else, my brother. If you're the youngest believer in the world, Jesus defeated Satan for you. And if you are alone in some place, you 1:12:04 encounter a demon-possessed person, and your conscience is clear, you can tell that demon in the name of Jesus, "Get out of him." And the demon will listen to you. Even if you're born again yesterday and you're only 15 years old. 1:12:18 You know, I heard a true story uh somewhere in the 19th early 19th century or something of a pastor in China in some village in China who was There were a lot of demon-possessed people and they would take him to the take the demon-possessed person to the 1:12:35 pastor and always the demon would be cast out. Every time. One day, they brought this demon-possessed person to the pastor's house and he was not there. Only his 12-year-old son was there. So, they said this the person demon-possessed and the child 1:12:52 said, "Sure, bring him in." And he's He'd seen the father cast out demons so many times. And he said he knew the power is not in his dad, but in Jesus. And he cast out that demon in Jesus' name, the name of Jesus who I trust in, 1:13:06 my father trust in. "Get out of him." And the demon left. A 12-year-old child can do that. Why can't you? Because it's not a question of strength or how spiritual you are. It's the name of Jesus at which demons tremble. 1:13:23 Because he was defeated on the cross. Now, if you don't believe that, then don't try it. Or if your life is not clean. You know, you read in the Acts of the Apostles of one chap who tried to cast out demons and said, "In the name of 1:13:38 the Jesus who Paul preaches, get out." And the demon jumped on the person and said, "Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?" You know that the demons recognize a spiritual man. I believe that. Demons recognize the 1:13:55 people who have authority over them. And I believe the demons should recognize that in you as well. There's nothing to glory in. It's Jesus who won the victory. So, a young boy can cast out demons if he has faith in Jesus and his life is 1:14:07 clean, his conscience is clear. Okay. Next question. How to remain broken and contrite of heart with low thoughts of oneself without having to fall into sin? Only one way from my experience. Always look unto Jesus. You will always remain small in your own 1:14:24 eyes. It is impossible to have high thoughts if you're living in the presence of Jesus. Impossible. When you get high thoughts about yourself, it's because you're moved away from God's presence. That's all. It's like the bright shining light. 1:14:38 You see so many things in you in that bright shining light. If you move into the darkness, you think your your shirt is pretty clean. It's not clean. Yeah, the self is still there. We As we get light on it, we put it to death. 1:14:53 How to remain broken and contrite of heart with low thoughts of oneself without falling into sin? By looking unto Jesus. The more we look unto Jesus' life, we will judge ourselves. I judge myself every day. By that I'm confessing 1:15:11 that I've not yet become fully like Jesus Christ. That's all. I'm not going falling into the same things every day. Some things I may take a few days to overcome. A few weeks. But it's not the same old things that 20 years ago I fell into I'm falling into 1:15:27 again. No. There's a growth. You know, it's like you ask a student who's studying in first grade, "Are you learning some multiplication?" "Yeah, I can do two two times two is four and three times three is nine." Good. He goes to the next class, he's learning 1:15:44 something more. He goes to the next class, he's learning finally geometry and algebra and trigonometry and he's growing growing. In the same way, we grow to discover more and more about the Lord and about ourselves. So, that keeps us broken. 1:16:01 I grew up in a Christian family. My father is a full-time pastor. I intellectually know the gospel since I was a kid. And yet I was skeptical, flickering liar, thief who stole from my parents with and with and a rebel along 1:16:15 with self-pity and bitterness in my heart. God saved me and gave his assurance last year. So grateful and happy. Yet I'm tempted with doubts and thoughts recently. I read Hebrews where Paul warns about unbelief. Please help us with prayer, 1:16:29 encouragement, and strength. Thanks to all the elders and brother Zach. Okay. We must believe Hebrews 8:12. If you have confessed your sin, the Lord says, "I will not remember your sins anymore." 1:16:47 And he means what he says. That is a new covenant. The first step in the new covenant is not just to know that Jesus has forgiven my sin, but Hebrews 8:12, that he does not remember it anymore. I'm very thankful. 1:17:06 I may remember it because it's in my mind. God does not erase my memory. He erases my conscience. Remember this. Just because it's not erased from your memory does not mean it has to be in your conscience. My conscience is 100% clear, but I 1:17:23 remember the stupid foolish things that I did even when I was unconverted. 70 years ago, I remember it. What can I do? It's my memory is there, but I don't live in my memory. I live in my conscience. It's a crystal clear, cleansed in the 1:17:38 blood of Christ all the time. So, please remember that. Don't condemn yourself. And if you have confessed everything, it's God's blotted it out. Next question. I'm trying to live my Christian life in my will and not in my 1:17:52 emotions. Very good. How do I know if God is happy with my life and decisions I make daily? Well, you'll know as you grow, you'll know more and more. If God convicts you in your conscience about anything, immediately confess it. 1:18:06 In your actions. Some action the Lord says that is not right. Or your words. Something you spoke to somebody not right. Or in your thoughts. Some thought that went through your mind not right. Confess it. 1:18:23 Or attitudes. In your attitudes towards someone not a right attitude. Confess it. And fifthly, that good deed that you did with a wrong motive. Motives. Confess it. So, what is it? 1:18:43 Actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, motives. In all these areas, ask God to cleanse you. And keep on cleansing yourself till one day you'll become like Jesus. He says we cleanse ourselves till one day he we become like him. 1:19:02 How to characterize uh And then you can know your conscience is clear means you know that God is happy with you. Go by your conscience. How to characterize or discern a woman who fears God and has got a meek and gentle spirit when considering a future 1:19:20 marriage partner? Yeah, that's not easy. Women can deceive you. Pretty young girls can deceive you, especially if they're good-looking. Boy, they can really deceive you that they're spiritual. That's your mind fooling you. 1:19:35 So, the way is to inquire from people who know her. Because in our Indian society anyway, you can't go around with the person to find out how she is. You have to find out from others. And uh best is to ask somebody in a 1:19:51 church. Elders in a church, what do you think? That sister, is she a good sister? Has she got a good testimony? And is she one who is a witness of Christ? That is the best way to find out. And then ultimately, you must pray to 1:20:09 God and ask you for a clear sign. Lord, show me clear clear witness in my spirit. God has various ways. He spoke to me uh about my own marriage in many different ways. And I don't want to tell you all that because my mind worked in a particular certain 1:20:27 way, and God showed it to me in the way my mind worked. Your mind works in a certain way, God will show it to you in your mind. But, he'll give you an assurance that this is the person I have chosen for you. So, the advice of others and the witness of 1:20:41 this your own spirits of the spirit in your spirit. And inquire as much as you can from people who know her. And then ultimately, pray, Lord, please don't let me make a mistake. I used to pray, Lord, if I'm making a mistake, 1:20:54 please bring an earthquake on the day of the wedding so I don't get married to the wrong person. I'm so scared of marrying the wrong person. Because I said, "Oh, my whole life will be destroyed." So, if you're desperate, 1:21:05 then I believe God will protect you. Okay. A recent devotional that Brother Zach spoke about talked about praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit in a group setting rather than alone. No, I you can pray alone, definitely. 1:21:23 Or you can pray in a group. When you pray with others about something, you're more encouraged to pray together. So, I found it it was good to pray with somebody else who has the same sense of need. To meet regularly to pray. You 1:21:37 brother, you need to be filled with the spirit. I need to be Let's pray together. Let's meet together. I used to pray regularly with some brothers who want to be filled with the spirit. It was good for me. At the same time, on my own, I prayed to be to 1:21:49 be filled with the spirit, too. And that's how God finally met with me and met with those other people. So, it's not that one is better than the other. Many things, we pray together and we pray alone. How to deal with a debt? 1:22:02 Financial debt, I presume. That was there before you were saved itself. Well, we still have to pay back our money. Everything that we owe, even if it was uh you can't go and tell a person, "Listen, that debt I owe you was before 1:22:17 I was converted, so I'm sorry. I'm not going to pay you back." That is so stupid. Uh whether you got into debt before you were converted or after you converted, if it's a debt, it's a debt. You owe that person some money, you must return 1:22:31 it. Uh Is it possible Can it take Get a job in a si- Also, in a job situation, is it possible to start a new life? Like stop telling half truths in your workplace. What is the practical advice towards getting there? 1:22:49 See, that in a in a job situation, I know of people who you know, they want to get a visa to some country where it's difficult to get a visa, they'll tell a lie or a half a lie. Or I've even heard of people who sent false certificates about the scores 1:23:04 they got in some examinations to get visas, and they get it. But, I don't believe such people are Christians, or if they are Christians, they've lost their salvation. I don't believe it's worth getting any job or any visa if the price 1:23:18 you have to pay is is to tell a lie. It's like bowing down to Satan. Satan, there's no way for me to get this visa unless you help me. Satan, please help me. I will tell a lie. Can you imagine a Christian doing that? Bowing down to Satan to get a visa or to 1:23:34 get a job? That's exactly what they're doing. When you tell a lie, you're bowing down to Satan. Almighty God cannot help me, but Satan, you please help me. I will tell a lie. Satan says, "I'll tell you which lie to say. Go ahead, and you'll get the I'll 1:23:47 get you the visa." Look at it like that, and then you'll see what a terrible thing it is to get a lie to tell a lie to get a visa or a job or anything. It's when you see how serious it is, you'll avoid it. Okay, last question. 1:24:03 Uh Brother Zach, should our church focus only on discipleship, or should we also encourage and develop other ministry like apostle, teacher, shepherd, evangelist that Christ has given to build the body of Christ? Okay, that's 1:24:13 the last question. I'll just go through it quickly. It's Ephesians chapter 4. Let me just spend a few moments in this Ephesians chapter 4. Very few people speak about this. >> [clears throat] >> If you go to my book, 1:24:33 The Day of Small Beginnings, and go to chapter 44. Can you remember 44? Chapter 44 deals with this uh the gifts mentioned here. Listen to this. Okay, let me start in the middle. Then 1:24:52 you'll see how serious it is. Ephesians 4 verse 14. As a result, we must no longer be children tossed here and there by waves. You know how waves are tossed here and there. Carried about by every 1:25:11 wind of doctrine. One wind blowing this way, another wind blowing this way. The CFC wind blowing this way, and the Roman Catholics another way, and the Methodists another way, and the Baptist doctrines this way. Winds of doctrine. 1:25:26 And by the trickery of men. Pastors who trick you in various ways to make you join their church. By craftiness. And by deceitful scheming. Boy, just think of that verse. It's [laughter] a scary verse. Being a child when you should be a 1:25:45 grown-up adult. Tossed here and tossed there by waves. Talking about a believer. And carried about by wind of doctrine. Sometimes this side, sometimes that side. By the trickery of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming. 1:26:00 Instead, we must speak the truth in love and grow up in all aspects of the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body is fitted and held together. It's talking about this body being built together. And in this building of the body, where 1:26:13 it says in the last part of 16, the body will be built up by itself in love. Okay. This is the conclusion. Let us see where it begins. It begins with this. Jesus Christ who descended into the depths. Verse 10. 1:26:32 Started verse 10. Has ascended far above all that he might fill all things. And from heaven, he appointed some as apostles. Now, these are not the 12 apostles he appointed on earth. That was before he ascended to heaven. 1:26:48 He appointed 12 apostles. One of them fell away, he appointed somebody else. I believe Paul was the one who replaced Judas Iscariot. He appointed and then he appointed some others also on earth. You know, only these 12, not Paul, the 1:27:00 other 11. He appointed 11 on earth. Then he ascended to heaven and appointed people like Paul and other apostles from heaven. And not only apostles, he appointed prophets. And he appointed evangelists from heaven, remember? 1:27:16 And pastors. Shepherd Pastor means shepherd. And teachers. Why did he appoint all these gifts? To equip the saints. For the work of ministry to build the body of Christ. Now, read verse 11 and 12 and tell me who is building the body 1:27:33 of Christ? Read carefully. Is it these apostles? Or is the members of Christ's body? What's the answer? The members of Christ's body. They are the ones who build the body of Christ. 1:27:50 To equip the believers to the work of ministry to build the body of Christ. But, there are some people equipping them. Who are these people equipping them? Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers. Five gifts given 1:28:07 from heaven to equip the saints to build the body of Christ and slowly until we come to the unity of faith. That is one type of growth. From disunity to unity is one growth. And then to the knowledge the full knowledge of the Son of God, which 1:28:22 is another growth. And to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, which is another growth. And if we don't allow this, we will become like children tossed here and there, verse 14. Carried about by every trickery of doctrine. So, 1:28:35 that is why it is so important for us to recognize the gifts God has given from heaven of apostles, pro- prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to build the body of Christ so that we don't get tossed about and go astray. 1:28:50 So, it's not that everyone pre- and pray for himself. God has appointed. So, what is an apostle? Now, you see, there no definitions of these things anywhere in the Bible. We only got to look at examples and see from the examples we know what an 1:29:05 apostle is. Paul is perhaps the greatest example. And there's enough written about him in the New Testament to know that an apostle is one who plants churches. He get Not just in bring people to Christ. There are There is an evangelist 1:29:20 that comes later on. Evangelists Evangelists are people who bring a person to Christ. He brings one person to Christ. You know, individual witness in our office or to relatives bring a person to Christ. Not just that, but one who consistently 1:29:34 brings people to Christ. Sometimes in public meetings or all of us everyone is a witness and can bring one person to Christ, but some people have a gift to bring many people to Christ. That is an evangelist. But he may not build the church. Some of 1:29:48 the well-known evangelists that we know of, you know, some world-famous evangelists, they go somewhere and have what they call a crusade. 3,000 people were converted and it is reported they're there for 1 week and they come away. 1:30:01 And you ask these evangelists later on, "Hey, I heard that you went to such and such a country and brought 1,000 people to Christ. Where are they?" Oh, "I don't know. I hope they join some church." But you go to Paul and say, "Hey Paul, I heard that you 1:30:14 brought a lot of people to Christ in Philippi. Where are they? Come." He'll take you to church in Philippi and say, "You see all these people sitting here? You see these 100 people sitting here? These are the people I brought to 1:30:25 Christ." "Paul, I heard that you brought some people to Christ in Thessalonica also. Come, I'll show you." Comes to Thessalonica, goes to the church and say, "All the people I brought to Christ are here." That is an apostle. 1:30:37 He puts them together in a local church. And he appoints elders. You read in Acts 14, they laid hands and appointed the elders. Take time to find it in Acts 14. That's an apostle. He gathers the people doesn't just bring 1:30:53 people to Christ. Gathers them together into a fellowship and lays hands on people and appoints people as their shepherds. And later on instructs them by visiting them again and again, writing letters to them, warning them, 1:31:12 correcting them, instructing them. That's what we see in the life of the Apostle Paul. And praying for them. And when they write with questions to him, like you read in Corinth, they wrote question, "Paul, what should we 1:31:25 do? Here somebody's taking somebody to court. Here somebody's living in sin with somebody's what shall we do? How shall we deal with them?" Various questions in 1 Corinthians, somebody women are getting up and preaching so many things in the church. 1:31:36 The people all types of people getting up and speaking in tongues. Paul says, "Okay, I'll tell you what you should do." Correction in each issue. That's the ministry of an apostle. He's like a father to all the churches. 1:31:48 That's what he said in 1 Corinthians and chapter 4. He says in 1 Corinthians 4:15, "You can have 10,000 teachers, tutors, countless tutors, but I was your father in the gospel." 1:32:08 So an apostle is like a father. And he's not just a somebody who teaches or just evangelizes. So that is the ministry of an apostle. And when they have some question in a church, "What should we do?" They would write to Paul and Paul say, "This is 1:32:24 what you should do in that situation." So he had authority because he was like a father who just like any earthly father, children will go to him and say, "Dad, what shall I do here?" Okay. And the next gift is prophets. Prophets 1:32:38 are those who speak more than teachers. Teachers are something people who take the Bible and explain. "So what? Let's study Ephesians. Today we're going to study Ephesians chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6. Okay." That's a teacher. Verse by verse by 1:32:52 verse he explains or let's study the subject of repentance or faith subject-wise. But a prophet is not taking a Bible study. He gets up and preaches a word which goes straight to people's hearts, convicts them of sin. And 1:33:11 brings them to repentance. And there are not many prophets, but we need to pray that there'll be more in our churches. So that is a prophet who speaks God's word and he may repeat the same message 20 times. 1:33:30 Jesus often repeated message. Paul Peter repeated message, but it'll be directed to the particular congregation that he's speaking to. He'll have a word according to the need of that particular group at that particular time. That's a prophet. 1:33:46 Okay. And evangelist of course is somebody who brings an unconverted person to Christ. If you I'm talking about Ephesians 4:11. Shepherd, the word is not pastor. You know, in some fortune put a word which is not really understood. Shepherd 1:33:58 everybody understands. But you know, pastor has become such a dignified title today that if you call somebody shepherd, he'll feel insulted. So I'm not a shepherd, I'm pastor so-and-so. It's not supposed to be a dignified 1:34:11 title. He's a shepherd of the sheep. Shepherd is just a shepherd. One who cares for the sheep. They scatter them, guides them, prevents them from takes them to the still waters to feed them and uh I I I have heard a Jewish 1:34:27 there's a Jewish uh story, not a true story, but a Jewish story about Moses that when Moses, before he became the leader of the Israelites, he was taking care of sheep, you know, he was looking after Jethro's sheep. And there's a story about him that he 1:34:43 was he suddenly found one little lamb ran away from the flock and went to a stream to drink some water. It was thirsty. He ran after that lamb and picked it up and said, "Oh my dear, if I knew you were thirsty, I would have carried you 1:35:00 there myself. You didn't have to go." And a voice from heaven says, "Truly you are fit to shepherd Israel, my people." The one who cares for a little lamb to make sure it is not thirsty or hungry. That is a shepherd. It's a very beautiful story. 1:35:19 So that is how a true shepherd in a church is one who cares for the weak ones, for the babies, for the lambs, to encourage them, strengthen them, etc., the new convert. There's a great need for many, many shepherds. And you don't have to be have 1:35:35 the title of elder or any such thing. Many ordinary brothers, I know in Bangalore we have number of ordinary brothers who are shepherds. Sisters who are like shepherds to the younger ones. Great need in every church. Many of you should be there. 1:35:51 And the other fifth one is teachers. Teachers are those who can take the Bible and explain it. That that which you couldn't understand, you begin to understand. So that is God needs all of them to build the body of Christ. 1:36:06 >> [music]
