0:00 1 John 1.7, if we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins. So what is the fundamental principle we have to bear in mind when we fellowship with God and that is walk in the light. 0:24 That's the only condition. Then we have fellowship with Almighty God. So what does walk in the light mean? It's very important for us to understand that. It's such a simple principle, yet I find that the vast majority of believers do not follow it. 0:45 And therefore, they do not have fellowship with God. The most important thing in the Christian life is to have fellowship with God. And that is what will bring fellowship in our home as well between husband and wife. So when we think of marriage, which is one of the things we're going to think of today, we must start here. 1:10 Walk in the light. If husband and wife are individually walking in the light with God, that's the first thing by which they'll have fellowship with one another. So we need to understand what walking in the light is. It means total honesty, not perfection. 1:30 Perfection is something that will come only when Christ returns. We will be like Him only when He comes. But until then, we can walk in the light right now. What is it that enabled the sinful prostitute who Jesus forgave in John chapter 8 when the Pharisees wanted to stone her? 1:56 She did not hide her sin. She was just open about her sin. Admitted it. And she was forgiven and released. Even though the Old Testament law said that she must be stoned to death, Jesus released her. It looks as if Jesus disobeyed the same command that He gave to Moses from heaven 2,000 years earlier. 2:20 Or 4,000 years earlier. Or rather, 2,000 years earlier. And He disobeyed it. But He's Almighty God. He came with mercy and righteousness. With grace and truth. So He had the right to forgive that woman and He released her. 2:44 What do we learn from that? You know, there's another thing you see in that particular place. The Lord said, if you remember in John chapter 8, The one who is without sin should cast the first stone. And He was there Himself without sin. 2:57 And that's what He said also He did not do. Why? Because mercy triumphed over judgment. There's a great verse in James chapter 2 verse 13. Mercy triumphed over judgment. And even though the Old Testament law said she must be stoned. 3:16 And Jesus said the man without sin must throw the first stone. And He was there without sin. And He did not do that. Mercy triumphed over judgment. So please remember this. If you walk in the light with God, It's amazing how in your life, 3:33 Mercy will always triumph over judgment. In God's relationship with you. I found that in the last 50 years, It's changed my life completely. Why is it, for example, That a man like David, Who raped somebody else's newly married wife, 3:53 Bathsheba, And then killed her husband, And married that woman. Why is it God allowed David to continue on the throne? You read Psalm 51, And you'll understand. In Psalm 51, David came right into the light. He was not living in new covenant times, 4:12 So the standard was not so high. He lived in old covenant times. But it's amazing when you think of a man, Who raped somebody else's newly married wife, Murdered her husband, And married the woman. And God lets him go, And keeps him as king in Israel. 4:31 Mercy triumph over judgment. I'll tell you, My brothers and sisters, It's a tremendous truth, If you can understand, What it means to walk in the light. Total honesty. Meditate often on Psalm 51. He loves brokenness. There are two things. 4:50 If you walk in the light, Something will happen to you. You will be a broken person. I'll tell you what has been true for me, As I've sought to walk in the light, Especially after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, 51 years ago. 5:06 I was converted 67 years ago. And I received the Holy Spirit at that time. Because you cannot be born again, Without the Holy Spirit coming in. But I was baptized in the Spirit, Only 16 years later. And then only my real ministry began. 5:24 Now many people have, Confused these two things. They think it's the same thing. It is not the same thing. And it's very important. The reason I say that is because, Your church, Has been taught a false doctrine, On the Holy Spirit. 5:41 Almost from the beginning of the, Of the Austin CFC, By your former, He himself told me. When did he tell me that? Almost towards the end of his stay in, CFC Austin. He tells me, He disagrees with me, On the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 5:57 I wish he had told me in the beginning. 15 years ago. I would have removed him from eldership, And CFC Austin then itself. The problem started there. Dishonesty. Not walking in the light. He did not tell me, That he disagreed with me, 6:13 On the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Right at the beginning. I discovered it much later. Let me just clarify this doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Which I've said before, But I want to clarify it now, Again. Let me ask you all a question. 6:31 When did the Apostles, The initial Apostles of Jesus, Receive the Holy Spirit? Very important question. When did the initial Apostles of Jesus, Receive the Holy Spirit? Most Christians have the wrong answer. 6:52 Well, let me tell you, Please, Most people will say, On the day of Pentecost, I say wrong. So turn with me to John's Gospel, Chapter 20. In John's Gospel, Chapter 20, We see on the day of resurrection, Jesus appeared, To Mary Magdalene, 7:10 Who had come to the tomb, In John's Gospel, And spoke to her, In John 20, Verse 13, Woman, Why are you weeping? And then, Mary Magdalene, Saw the risen Lord. She was the first one, To see the risen Lord. And she went away, 7:26 And told the other, No news to the disciples, Verse 18. And that evening, Please turn to your Bible, John, Chapter 20, Verse 19. This is the day of resurrection. On that evening, Jesus came, Now I'm repeating this, You've heard me say this before, 7:44 I'm repeating it for the benefit of those, Who are hearing it for the first time, And to emphasize, What some of you may not have got it clearly. That evening, Jesus met with them, And came and stood in their midst, John 20, 7:58 Verse 19, And said, Peace be with you. And, He, When he had said that, Peace be with you, In verse 21, In verse 22, He breathed on them, Read carefully, And said, Receive the Holy Spirit. When God breathed on Adam, 8:20 4,000 years before this, Jesus was there, Breathed on Adam, Adam became a living soul, Immediately. Till then, He was a block of clay. Here, When Jesus breathed on these people, They suddenly became born again. Till then, 8:37 They were under the old covenant. When you receive the Holy Spirit, You're born again. Whenever you're born again, When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, Today, We ask Jesus to come into your heart, Because he's risen in heaven. 8:49 But in those days, He was right there. So he breathed on them, Said receive the Holy Spirit. When we ask the Lord to come into our heart, It's the Holy Spirit who comes in. We say, Lord Jesus come into my heart. He's in heaven. 9:02 How does he come into our heart? Through the Holy Spirit. Right then. And that's why it says, In Romans, And chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. It's good for you to know these, Truths because, Then you will not be confused. In Romans 8, 9:18 We read, That, If you do not have the Spirit of God, Within you, You don't belong to him. Romans 8. We read in verse 15, It is the Holy Spirit, Who comes within us, 9:39 And cries out, Father. The moment the Spirit of God comes in, He cries out, Father. And Romans 8, 9, Last part, If you don't have the Spirit of Christ, You're not even born again. Very clear. The moment you're born again, 9:52 The Holy Spirit comes in. There's no doubt about it. So, The disciples received, The Holy Spirit on the day, Of resurrection. And to those disciples, He says in Acts chapter 1, He said to them, Now, I want you to wait, In Jerusalem, 10:13 Verse 8, Wait until you receive, The power of the Holy Spirit. And He said to them in verse 5, Acts 1, 5, You have received the Holy Spirit, You're born again. Now you'll be baptized, In the Holy Spirit, A few days from now. 10:34 So, We read there, You receive the Holy Spirit, But you're not baptized, In the Holy Spirit. They could have asked Him, Lord, What do you mean, Baptized in the Holy Spirit? We received the Holy Spirit, 40 days ago, When you breathed upon us. 10:47 And the Lord says, Yes, You received the Holy Spirit, You're born again. But, You're going to be, Immersed in the Holy Spirit, And then what will happen? Verse 8, Then you will receive power. And then you will be, My witnesses. 11:03 Not, You should be, My witnesses. That will be like a command. Read 1, Acts 1, 8 carefully. You shall be, Automatically. You will not, Be forced into it. Nobody will have to push you, To be a witness for Christ. I believe many, 11:22 Many believers, Have not experienced this. They received the Spirit, Inside them, Just like Jesus, Breathed on their disciples. But they have not been, Immersed in the Holy Spirit. And that's why, They have problems in their marriage. 11:36 They have problems in their life. Defeated by sin. Everything, Is based on this wrong doctrine, That you have been taught, From the beginning of CFC Austin. Now, Reject it, Forsake it, And come to the truth of scripture, 11:49 And say, You need to be baptized, You need to be baptized, In the Holy Spirit. And not only baptized, In the Holy Spirit, We need to be, Continuously filled, In the Holy Spirit. I'll come to that in a moment. Because your married life, 11:59 Is also depending on this. Now, When you receive power, In the Holy Spirit, What happens? Again, We should not listen, To the Pentecostals, Who say, You will speak in tongues. I've been to so many, Pentecostal churches, 12:14 And I've seen them, Blabbering away, And I don't believe, That's unknown tongues at all. There is a genuine, Unknown tongues. God gave that to me, When I was baptized, In the Holy Spirit. So I know what it is. But I can make out a fake as well. 12:27 So these people, When they were baptized, In the Holy Spirit, The main thing is, They received power. Acts 1.8. So when you, Ask the Lord to fill you, With the Holy Spirit, What should we be asking for? Not tongues. If God gives that to you, 12:40 Take it. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Says not everybody, Is given that gift, Of tongues. It's only for some. It's like any other gift, Of prophecy, Or teaching, Or raising, Healing the sick, Etc. Only some people have it. 12:55 So don't ask for a particular gift. God will give you, Whatever gift, He wants you to have. But, You need power. Power is for everyone. You shall receive power, When the Holy Spirit, Has come upon you. And then, Not you should be, 13:10 My witnesses. There are certain things, You need to be, Understand here. Not, You should, Acts 1.8. I'm reading from Acts 1.8. When the Holy Spirit, Has come upon you, You will receive power. It's not, You might receive it, 13:24 Or some of you, Might receive power. If the Holy Spirit, Has really baptized you, You will receive power. When you read, The testimonies of, People like, D.L. Moody. He had been preaching, For so many years, An evangelist, 13:38 One day, The Holy Spirit, Baptized him. He was baptized in the Holy Spirit, He received power. Charles Finney, Another great evangelist, One day he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, He received power. And then, Both of them became, 13:52 Flaming witnesses. And that's what happened to me as well. Nobody had to tell me, To go and be a witness. When the Holy Spirit fills me, I automatically become a witness. Dear brothers and sisters, So, Please get rid of that wrong doctrine you heard, 14:10 And believe the truth here now. You shall receive power, When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, And fire. That's the promise that, The Lord gave through John the Baptist. You know, I've often said this before, The first promise in the Bible, 14:25 Is Matthew 1.21, Jesus will save you from your sins. The second promise in the New Testament, Is Matthew 3.11, The same Jesus who saves you from your sins, Will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. That's the promise. 14:39 Matthew 3.11, Go there and claim it. It's for you as well. And so here it says, Very important. If you are finding it difficult, To be a witness for Christ, In your office, With your relatives, Unconverted relatives, And in your home, 14:57 To your wife and husband, And children, I'll tell you what the reason is. You're not baptized in the Holy Spirit. How shall you be baptized in the Holy Spirit? He told them, Wait until you're baptized in the Holy Spirit. 15:10 I remember the days and weeks and months, I cried out to God, 16 years after I was born again. I said, Lord, I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Otherwise, I cannot serve you effectively. I'm trying to do so many things, 15:23 But it's so ineffective. But when God filled me in the Holy Spirit, Life was completely different. And it's six months after, The Lord baptized me in the Holy Spirit. We started the first CFC church in Bangalore. And ever since then, 15:36 I've taught people everywhere. We seek to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I remember my wife, Annie. She was also so discouraged after, You know, Because we were struggling initially when we were married. We were very, Very poor. 15:50 I could not afford to rent a house because I had given away all my life's earnings for the Lord's work and left my naval job with zero in my bank account, as God told me to. And I told Annie, I've got nothing in my bank account. 16:03 We'll just trust the Lord. But for four months, Four years rather, We had to live with my parents because I could not afford even house rent. And that was difficult for us. It's not easy to live with your parents when you're married. 16:16 But anyway, God permitted that. We were really poor. What to do? There's no alternative. The alternative was to be on the streets. So we stayed with our parents. And that was a struggle, Especially for her, Even though my parents were very good. 16:28 But that discouraged her a lot. But the Lord met with her in the first year of her marriage and baptized her in the Holy Spirit. And she suddenly began to speak in tongues. And she wondered what it was. She was against it all the time. 16:40 And the Lord immersed her and changed her life completely. And that's what made a difference in our marriage. Why am I saying that? Because that's what made our marriage today a foretaste of heaven. You know, You've got to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to have a happy marriage. 16:55 Both husband and wife. So we can have so many teachings on this. You do. This is how you must do. And this is how you must do. But without the power of the Holy Spirit is just a waste of time. It's like some marriage counseling. 17:07 You go to some secular marriage counselor. They also give you a lot of advice. How husband and wife must live together. But the power comes from the Holy Spirit. Which those secular counselors do not talk about. So think of Acts 1-8 as your married life. 17:24 In your married life, husband and wife, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit will come upon you. And you will be witnesses to each other. Let's look at it like that. You husband, you will be a witness for the Christ's life to your wife. 17:38 In other words, you will behave like Christ to your wife. And wife, you will be a witness to your husband. You will manifest the Christ's life through your life when the Holy Spirit has come and filled you. So this is the great secret. 17:53 And the other thing I told you was walking in the light. Very, very important. I showed you that in 1 John chapter 1 and verse 7. Never forget that verse. 1 John 1-7. Walk in the light. It's one of the very important principles in the Christian life. 18:13 And especially in marriage. It means total honesty with each other. No pretense. If we are transparent. I'm not saying you're going to confess your secret sins to your husband and wife. Each other. But in your relationship with each other, you must be absolutely transparent. 18:41 Walk. That is the meaning of walk in the light. And in our fellowship with one another as believers also, So the secret is walking in the light. So this is very, very important. And the Holy Spirit is the one who brings light into our life and helps us to walk in the light. 19:00 And I can certainly say that, you know, the thing that's helped Annie and me anytime you've slipped up immediately to ask forgiveness and set it right to humble ourselves and to seek God together is all being because, one, we're baptized in the Holy Spirit. 19:17 And second, we're baptized in the Holy Spirit. And second, we're baptized in the Holy Spirit. And second, we decided to walk in the light with each other and not hide anything. I'm not saying that you have to confess your secret sins to each other. 19:26 No. If there are sins in your mind, you confess that only to God. But if there's anything which relates to husband-wife relationship, you must be honest with each other. And one of the principles of getting married is that you must break away your connection with your relatives. 19:50 That's very important. So, Jesus comes to make us disciples. If a husband is a disciple and a wife is a disciple, then they can fellowship with each other. So, let's look at the condition of discipleship in Luke's Gospel in chapter 14. 20:07 We've taught that from the beginning of CFC, Luke 14 and verse 25. Walking in the light. You see, this, I want to tell you about your second. His problem was not baptism in the Holy Spirit. I don't know whether he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. 20:21 I've got no idea. Because I never heard him speak about it this way or that way. But there was one thing I discovered about him. He did not walk in the light with his fellow elders. And if you don't believe me, go and ask your three elders today. 20:35 Ask him. Ask them. Any of them. He walked in the light with them. He did not. He concealed the things with them. And even though he claimed to be an elder with them. And that's why he fell away. So, that's the second lesson you need to learn. 20:49 Why did your second elder fall away? Nobody told him to go. In the case of the first elder, he had to be put out because of sin. But the second one, he left on his own. Why? Because he did not walk in the light. And all three of your fellow elders will tell you that truth today. 21:10 Even fellowship in the elders is broken when you don't walk in the light. How much more in a marriage? So, it's a very important principle. I've taught this in all our churches. Elders must walk in the light with each other. 21:23 That means be transparent. As I said, we don't have to tell our secret sins to anybody. But in our relationship with each other, there must be nothing hidden. Very, very important. Please remember these two things. To be baptized in the Holy Spirit and to walk in the light. 21:40 The failures of elder number one and elder number two. Baptism in the Holy Spirit and walking in the light. And that failure has been there in your midst, which has removed two elders. Please learn that lesson, all of you. 21:53 And if you are baptized in the Holy Spirit and walk in the light, I tell you, your church will be a very powerful church, witnessing for Christ in that area. And it will expose sin in your midst. So, the condition of discipleship, Luke 14 and verse 26. 22:16 If anyone comes to me and he does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Our earthly relationships must be cut off. Not in the sense of broken, but we must love Jesus more than we love all of them. 22:36 Everyone, including your wife, takes second place. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now, what about when we get married? Do you know the first command mentioned in the Bible? Which is the very first command mentioned in the Bible? 22:54 Do you know what it is? The very first command in the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis gives us the description of the creation of the heaven and the earth. And then in the Bible, there's the very first command that God gave to man and woman. 23:15 It was not, don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That was the second command. Did you know that? Second command was, don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. What is the first one? Turn with me. 23:33 I'll show it to you in Genesis chapter 2. Genesis and chapter 2. And we'll turn to verse. Let's read from verse 23. 23:53 Let's read from verse 22. Sorry. The Lord took Adam's rib. Genesis 2.22. Made a woman out of it. And he took that rib. That woman that he has made. Now she had become a woman. Had Eve. 24:14 And brought her to the man. And when the man saw this woman. Till then, he had been looking at the lions and the donkeys and the pigs and the elephants. And he saw none of them were suitable for him. That's what you read earlier. 24:28 Interesting. That God brought all the animals and asked Adam, do you want any of these? And Adam said, no, no, no, no, no, no. And he was alone. And then God brought a woman. And he said, wow, this is different. This is not like the donkey and the elephant and the dog who came by me. 24:46 This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. And she shall be called woman. Genesis 2.23. Because she was taken out of the man. And I've often told women, men and women, when a couple, when they get married, remember that God did not take a bone out of Adam's head and make Eve. 25:11 Teaching us that a wife should not rule over her husband. God did not take a bone from Adam's feet and make a woman, teaching us the man should not rule over the woman. The woman should not rule over the man and the man should not rule over the woman. 25:27 He took the bone from Adam's side near his heart. I believe it is from the left side. And he made a woman to teach us that a man must keep his wife near his heart, closer to his heart than anybody else, even than his children. 25:43 And then I want you to see this because she was taken out of the man and is to be closest to him in his heart. For this reason, therefore, a man, verse 24, must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and become one flesh. 26:07 Become one flesh speaks of the sexual relation. Now, a lot of men have not done that. What does it mean to leave father and mother? To love your wife more than you love your parents. Your parents brought you up, cared for you, did so much for you. 26:25 And now all of a sudden, God says, you've got to love your wife more than you love your parents. That's what Jesus said in Luke 14, 26. You've got to love me more than you love your father, mother, brother, sister. All that they've done for you is great. 26:39 But you've got to forsake, forget all that and love me supremely. That's the condition of discipleship. Same thing here. You get married. You've got to leave your father and mother and be joined to your wife. And then they will become one flesh. 26:52 They can have sex with each other. Now, a lot of men are very eager to have sex with their wives. But they're not so eager to do the first part of that. Before, leave your father and mother and then become one flesh with your wife. 27:06 So many men. They eagerly become one flesh with their wives, but they never leave their attachment to their parents. And that's what causes a lot of problems in the married life. The number one commandment for a happy married life is leave your attachment to your father and mother. 27:26 Your earthly parents. Now, that may go contrary to what your natural feelings say, but you've got to put your feelings to death. This is, I was asking you, what is the first commandment given in the Bible? This is the first commandment. 27:45 This is the first commandment. It's only after that that the Lord told them, now don't eat of the fruit of knowledge of the tree of good and evil. It's only after Adam and Eve were together. And then God gave the commandment to not eat from the tree of good and evil. 28:04 Many people have forgotten that the first thing mentioned in the Bible is that a man must leave his father and mother. And that command is given at a time when Adam did not have a father and mother. Isn't that interesting? 28:17 Adam didn't have a father and mother to leave. Why is that command put there? Why doesn't it come afterwards somewhere in Genesis 4 or 5? Because this is a fundamental principle in marriage, that the physical union between a man and a woman is so intimate, their relationship has to become so close in spirit, soul, and body. 28:39 And that can take place only if they are detached from their earthly parents. So we can talk to so many things about marital happiness, but it all begins here. Now, what about the wife? Nothing is written about the wife over here, but if you turn with me to Psalm 45, there is a command given to the wife. 29:05 In Psalm 45, it's called a bridal psalm. It's the description of the Lord and his bride. And that is a pattern of Jesus and his bride. And that's a pattern for earthly marriages. So here it says, my heart overflows, my address my verses to the king. 29:30 Psalm 45, verse 1. And the bride is saying to the bridegroom, you are fairer than the sons of men. Grace is poured upon your lips. Therefore, God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your high, O mighty one, in your splendor and in your majesty. 29:50 And in your, this is referring to the bridegroom, the husband, in your majesty, ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and makeness and righteousness and so on. Then he talks about God. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. 30:04 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God has anointed you with the oil of gladness. He's referring to Jesus as the bridegroom. All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes. And then it says, king's daughters, verse 9, are among your noble ladies. 30:22 And at your right hand stands your bride, the wife, the bride of Jesus Christ, the queen in gold from Ophir. And now, listen to the advice given to the wife. Listen, O daughter. Give attention. 30:43 Incline your ear. Forget your people. And forget your father's house. Then your husband. In this case, the king Jesus. Will desire your beauty. Because he is your Lord now. Bow down to him. So there we see the same command is given to the bride as God gave to Adam. 31:08 Genesis 2 and Psalm 45. And it is because this command is not obeyed, particularly I find in India. And I'm sure it's in the U.S. too. Because they don't obey that first commandment. There's lots of unhappy marriages. My wife and I were tremendously grateful to our parents. 31:31 I mean, I lived with my parents for four years. Because I couldn't afford house rent. He was so poor. But inwardly, I forsook them. Annie was first in my life. Even when we were living in my parents' home. Annie was very attached to her parents. 31:48 They had done a lot for her. She had eight siblings younger to her, whom she had to care for. She loved all of them. But when we got married, they all became second. My parents became second in our life. Annie's family became second in her life. 32:06 And that brought us together to a very happy marriage. We decided from day one, even if you are living in my parents' house, they will be second. So we are all very grateful to our parents. I was extremely grateful that my parents gave me a house to live in when I was so poor that I could not even have house rent. 32:25 Because I had given away all my life savings to the Lord's work. Because the Lord told me to. So I was very grateful to my parents that they gave me a room to live in in their home. And Annie was grateful too. But we did not let them come between us in our marriage. 32:41 Even when we were living there. And Annie did not let her parents come between us in our marriage. And that's been one of the reasons why we've had a very happy married life for 58 years. And I want to say to all of you, dear brothers and sisters. 33:01 Please listen to God's word. These are the manufacturer's instructions. You know, when you get a product. Supposing you get a new product that you've never known how to use. Whether it's a washing machine. Or a dishwasher. 33:17 Or anything. And you don't know head or tail about it. The first time in your life you're getting it. You open the manufacturer's instructions. They tell you which button to push. And which you should not push. And how much soap to put in. 33:32 And where you should put it. And where you should put your clothes or the vessels. If it's a dishwasher. And you don't imagine that you know more than the manufacturer. Do you? No. Or if you're getting a new car. And you don't know exactly how to operate different things in it. 33:52 You read the instructions. And you follow it exactly. Do any of you think. Whenever you get a new product. That you know better than the manufacturer. I tell you. It's only in marriage. That so many stupid married couples. 34:07 And I want to use the word stupid. You married couples think. That they know better than the manufacturer. Who manufactured marriage? Whose idea was it? Almighty God. Our father. It was his idea. Adam didn't come to God. 34:25 And say oh God please give me a wife. He just looked at all. He says he looked at all the animals. And he was not happy with any of them. And he was just lonely. He said Lord I'm not happy with the elephant or the dog or the pig or any one of them. 34:36 I'm lonely. And the Lord said don't worry. I've got to plan something better for you than all these animals. He didn't ask for the wife. God gave him. And God had planned everything in his life. And right there God says you've got to leave your father and mother when Adam did not have a father or mother. 34:55 It's a law for the marriage. And so I want to emphasize that very much. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. And there are many other things that come later on. I'll come to that in a minute. But the principle of using any product is obey the manufacturer's instructions exactly. 35:16 And if something goes wrong with the product that you're using, again, whether it's a washing machine or a dishwasher or a car, you say it must have messed up something I did not obey. I pressed the wrong button or something. 35:34 Then you go back to the manufacturer's instructions that tell you if you do this and the thing stops, then do this and rectify it. You'll find it towards the end of the instructions. There's what to do when you do something wrong. 35:46 So the same way with marriage. When you've done something wrong, go to the Lord, confess your sin and come back to the manufacturer's instructions and say, let me follow it. So let me tell you some more of the manufacturer's instructions for happy marriage to make sure the product called marriage works perfectly. 36:11 Ephesians in chapter 5. Ephesians 5, there's a whole section on marriage beginning with verse 22 all the way to husband and wife up to verse 33 and how to treat children, chapter 6. And verse 1 to 4. And then those days they had even servants in the home, slaves, how to treat them, verse 5, 6, 7 and 8, 9. 36:40 So the entire home life is described there up to verse 9. These are the manufacturer's instructions. And it begins with, all this begins with one command. Don't forget that. This is the section on marriage, the main section on a married life in the whole Bible. 37:02 Ephesians 5, 22 to chapter 6, verse 9. And what is the introduction to this? Ephesians, the previous four verses, 18, 19, 20, 21 of chapter 5. Chapter 5, verse 18, 19, 20, 21 are the introduction to happy married life. 37:25 Husband-wife relationship, parent-child relationship. So let's look at the introduction. First thing, husbands and wives. Ephesians 5, 18. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. There we are. Back to what I said right at the beginning. 37:42 This is the beginning of married life. The introduction to married life does not start in verse 22. It starts in Ephesians 5, 18. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. And when you are filled with the Spirit, you'll be speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody. 38:03 In other words, there will be such a joy in your life and in your married life if you are filled with the Holy Spirit. And instead of complaining and grumbling, like happens in so many marriages, verse 20, you'll always be giving thanks in your home. 38:16 What a wonderful way to begin your married life. And then learn to be subject to one another. Before it says, wives, be subject to your husband, it says, be subject to one another. So there's a sense in which a husband has to be subject to his wife also. 38:32 In what way? See, God has drawn a boundary around all of us. God's drawn a boundary around a wife and a husband should not go into that boundary. God has drawn a boundary around a husband. Even God has drawn a boundary around our children. 38:51 For example, supposing your child did something wrong when there are visitors in your home. You should not punish your child or rebuke the child strongly in the presence of those visitors. You have to punish them separately. 39:08 Otherwise, you're giving them a double punishment. You humiliate that child in the presence of those visitors and then you spank him. Two punishments. So I've known when times when one of my children, they are small and misbehave and there are visitors sitting in the house and say, you go to your room, I'll talk to you later. 39:26 And then after the visitors are left, I deal with them because I respect the boundary around my son that I should not humiliate him. So even children have a boundary that parents must not cross. Don't humiliate them in the presence of others. 39:43 Punish them privately. I would punish my children separately even from their siblings. I would tell my son, let's go into the other room and they knew what it was for. A discipline. But I would not let any of the other sons come there. 39:58 That's because we respect the boundary around our son. The same way a wife has a boundary around her. We have to be, let me show you something of that boundary that a wife has. Turn with me to 1 Peter and chapter 3. Sometimes the husband does not respect the boundary around her, his wife. 40:18 1 Peter chapter 3 says in verse 7, we read in Ephesians 5 that we must be subject to one another. In what way must a husband be subject to his wife? There's a lot of teaching that the wife must be subject to the husband. 40:36 But in what way must the husband be subject to his wife? Not to obey her. Not that the wife says, okay, do this, do that. And the husband meekly obeys. Not like that. The husband has the right to tell his wife like that, do this and do that. 40:48 But the husband has to be subject to his wife in another way. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 7. You husbands, in the same way. You know, what does it mean in the same way? If you want to know what is in the same way means, because chapter 3 verse 1, it says, in the same way, you wives. 41:07 What's he referring to? In the same way means just like Jesus also, verse 21, left you an example to follow in his steps. 1 chapter 2 verse 21 begins there. Chapter 2 verse 21. Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example and to follow in his steps. 41:31 Who committed no sin. There's no deceit found in his mouth. He was willing to suffer when he was reviled. He uttered no threats. And he kept entrusting. This is the important thing. He kept entrust. 1 Peter 2 verse 23. Entrusting himself to the one who judges righteously. 41:50 In the same way, chapter 3 verse 1. You wives, be submissive to your husbands. How? As Jesus submitted to whatever God allowed to happen in his life. And that's described in verse 23. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. 42:08 When suffered, he uttered no threats. He submitted to whatever God permitted other people to do to him. In the same way, you wives, chapter 3 verse 1. Be submissive to your own husbands, even if they are disobedient to the word. 42:23 That is how a wife is to be subject to her husband. Even if he's disobedient to God's word. And then what about the husband? Again, it says, in the same way, that is just like Jesus submitted. In the same way, husband, verse 7. 42:37 Live, here is how the husband must live with his, submit to his wife. Live with your wives in an understanding way. So what is the thing we have to understand, husbands have to understand about their wives? That is written in the next sentence. 42:52 That she is someone weaker. Because she's a woman. It's right there. Live with your wives, 1 Peter 3, 7. In an understanding way, recognizing she's weaker. So husbands don't say, why is my wife crying for some such a silly thing like this? 43:09 I don't cry. I'll tell you why. Brother, it's because you're a man. It's not because you're more spiritual. Not at all. Why does she cry? It's not because she's less spiritual. She's a woman. She's a weaker vessel. And if you don't understand that, you're disobeying 1 Peter 3, verse 7. 43:26 You're not living in an understanding way with your wife. Now, if you're traveling, for example, there are two suitcases. Will you allow your wife to carry the heavier suitcase? And you carry the lighter one? That happens in some of the villages in India I've seen sometimes. 43:42 Godless non-Christians do that. But a Christian who obeys, you will not do that as a Christian. You'll take the heavier suitcase yourself. And your wife, take the lighter one. That's how it must be in the Christian life. 43:56 You must be willing to take a greater burden than your wife in other matters also. Not just in lifting suitcases. So you husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way. Recognize that she's a weaker vessel. 44:11 You recognize that when it comes to lifting suitcases. Recognize that also in emotional areas. Why does she cry so easily? Because she's a weaker vessel. Why don't you cry? Because you're a stronger person. Not because you're better than him, better than her, or more spiritual than her. 44:26 It's because you're a man. Sometimes we think, oh, she must be like me. Why does she get so upset about some little thing? Because she's a woman. Why does a woman be so concerned about a few cents? Oh, one or two dollars here. 44:41 Whereas you as a man doesn't matter. Even if it's ten dollars lost, you don't bother. I'll tell you why. Not because you're more spiritual than her. Because you're a man. She's a weaker vessel. And her mind works like that way. 44:51 She's more concerned about the loss of money. She's concerned about little, little things in the home. And you say, oh, it doesn't matter. Forget it, darling. Well, she can't forget it because she's a weaker vessel. Don't despise her. 45:06 Husbands fail thoroughly here in submitting to their wives. How should a husband submit to his wife? Not in obeying her that she tells him to go here and go there. No. In this way, recognize that she's a woman, a weaker vessel. 45:20 And therefore, 1 Peter 3, 7, give her honor. My dear brothers who are married, do you give honor to your wife? As a fellow heir of the grace of life means, heir means you're both royalty. The word heir has got to do with royalty. 45:40 But you're the king and she's the queen. But what he's saying is fellow heir means your thrones are both at the same level. That's the meaning of fellow heir. Your wife's throne is not at the lower level. She's at the same level as you as a fellow heir of God's grace. 45:58 So recognize that. Understand that. Don't treat her as somebody inferior. She is definitely to be subject to you. In what way? That also I'll show you. Everything is in scripture. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians and chapter 11. 46:16 And here you'll understand why a woman wails her head. Why the woman is commanded to wail her head when she prays. And why a man does not have to wail his head. Do you know the reason for that? Here's the reason. I want you to understand. 46:38 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 3. The Holy Spirit wants you to understand this. He wants us to understand the whole of scripture. But he specifically mentions here. I want you to understand. 46:59 Doesn't he want us to understand the whole scripture? Certainly. But when he writes something and says I want you to understand this. It must be like you know. Your dad writes a letter to you. And he underlines certain lines in it. 47:11 Those are special. So when the Holy Spirit says. Of course you want to understand the whole Bible. The Holy Spirit wants us to understand it. But then he specifically says. I want you to understand it. These are underlined verses in the Bible. 47:23 What is that? Christ. Is the head. Of your husband. The husband. Is the head. Of the wife. And God. Is the head of Christ. So you say. So you say. Hey. Does that mean. The woman is. 47:43 Not equal to the man. Doesn't they. Are they both. Human beings. Yes. Go further. In verse 3. Isn't God. And the father and Christ equal. Yes. The father and Christ. Are eternally equal. But yet. Jesus Christ. Voluntarily. 48:00 Took. The place. Of being. In submission. To the father. And said. Okay. You're my head. That's the way. In which a woman. Says. Yeah. You're created equal. You're both human beings. Under the headship of Christ. But you voluntarily. 48:15 Submit to your husband. Just like Jesus Christ. Voluntarily submitted to the father. That's the message in verse 3. And to show that submission. The woman put something over her head. But a man does not put verse 4. A man does not put something. 48:33 Over his head. Because that's disgracing his head. Which is Christ. Why does a man not put a covering on his head. Because his head is Christ. And Christ must not be covered. You got it. His head is Christ. You read that in verse. 48:52 Chapter 3. The man. Christ is the head of every man. Verse 3. Should Christ be covered in the church. Or should everybody see Christ in the church. Of course everybody must see Christ in the church. And if. Man does not cover his head. 49:07 Symbolizing. My head is Christ. And Christ must be seen in the church. Not the man. Christ. What about the man himself? Should the glory of man be seen in the church? No. Therefore a woman covers her head saying. My head is man. 49:24 And man's glory must be covered. Do you understood that now? That a woman wails her head. She's symbolizing. My head is man. And man's glory must be covered in the church. That's why I cover my head. If a woman understood that. 49:38 Look at all these women who don't cover their heads. What are they showing in that church? They don't understand it. They don't read the Bible properly. They're saying man's glory must be shown openly in the church. Rubbish. 49:50 Man's glory must be hidden and concealed in the church. No man's glory must be seen in the church. And that is what a woman is saying. Man is my head. And symbolically I'm covering my head to show man's glory must be completely covered in the church. 50:06 And the man, let me repeat that again. Man is saying the glory of Christ must be seen openly in the church. That's why Christ is my head. I don't cover my head. I hope you understood. I think some of you are understanding this for the very first time. 50:19 It is written there very clearly. If you had meditated on, if you had not just read verse 3 and 4. But meditated on verse 3, 4 and 5. You would have understood it yourself. I did not get any special revelation from heaven to understand these meanings. 50:34 I just read it. And I didn't just rush on to the next verse. I said Lord explain it to me. I sometimes spend 15 minutes looking at 2 or 3 verses. Then I get light. Because the Bible says blessed is the man who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night. 50:50 Not one who just reads it. Do you only read or do you meditate? If you read, you'll get very little. If you meditate, you get a lot. So that is the principle of man being equal and yet the woman and the woman yet being subject to the man. 51:07 Just like the Father and Christ are equal. And yet Jesus Christ voluntarily submitted to the Father. In the same way man and woman are equal, but the woman voluntarily submits to the man. What a wonderful testimony a woman has to manifest to the world that as Jesus submitted to the Father, I can show my submission to my husband. 51:31 And that the glory of the Lord and the man and the glory of man must be hidden in the church. So I wail my head. There are so many wonderful truths in Scripture that we sometimes we blindly follow something without knowing the deep meaning behind it. 51:45 People break bread like that without understanding the deep meaning in breaking a bread. So many things in the Christian life have become a ritual. So let's turn back to Ephesians in chapter 5 again. Ephesians chapter 5. 52:01 I told you this section on married life begins at verse 18. Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Okay, let me ask you all a question. Please, are you listening? Even the children can answer this question. 52:18 When the Bible says in verse 18, don't get drunk with wine. If you disobey it and get drunk with wine, are you sinning? Of course you're sinning. Because you're disobeying Ephesians 5, 18a. Now let's go to Ephesians 5, 18b. 52:36 Be filled with the Spirit. If you don't seek to be filled with the Spirit, are you sinning? Aha. You have to think about that, is it? I want to tell you in Jesus' name, you are sinning when you don't seek to be filled with the Spirit. 52:52 Just like the first part of the verse, you are sinning if you get drunk with wine. Where did I discover that? It's written there. But it struck me because I meditated on it. It did not strike some of you. Because you did not meditate on it. 53:08 Do you realize that not being filled with the Spirit is as bad as getting drunk with wine? Let me repeat that again. The correct thing is, the way to live is, don't get drunk with wine, be filled with the Spirit. Don't get drunk with wine, be filled with the Spirit. 53:27 To disobey that scripture is getting drunk with wine and not being filled with the Spirit and not even being bothered whether you are filled with the Spirit. You just say, I received the Spirit when I was born again. I know you did. 53:38 But you got to be filled with the Spirit. But you got to be filled with the Spirit continuously. And this, the New Testament was written in Greek. And in the Greek language, the meaning is not be filled with the Spirit. 53:49 But be, being filled with the Spirit is the present continuous. Like walking, running, falling. It's a continuous action. Be, being filled with the Spirit. In other words, again and again and again. If you go to the Acts of the Apostles, you take time to read it sometime, they were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2. 54:11 You go to Acts chapter 4, they were filled with the Spirit again. You go to Acts chapter 5, they were filled with the Spirit again. Take time to find that yourself. They were not filled with the Spirit just once. Again and again and again. 54:23 And throughout their life, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And that's why every morning when I get up, I pray every day of my life. I pray, Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Even though 51 years ago, the Lord baptized me in the Holy Spirit. 54:38 Every day I pray, Lord, I want to be filled with the Spirit today. I want to be healthy today. It's not just I recovered my health some years ago. I want to be filled healthy today. I want to be healthy tomorrow. Being filled with the Spirit is like breathing. 54:55 It's like breathing. You know, Jesus breathed on his disciples and they received the Spirit. When do I stop breathing? When I'm dead. That's all. Until then, I have to keep on breathing. I've got to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. 55:13 It's so simple. So when we are filled with the Spirit, if you are a Spirit-filled wife, verse 22, Ephesians 5, 22, you will be subject to your husband. If you are not a Spirit-filled wife, you will always be rebelling against your husband. 55:31 If you are a Spirit-filled husband, verse 23, you will treat your wife like your own body. Husband is the head of the wife. You know, now when you use the word head, there are many types of head. For example, the head of this country is the president. 55:50 Or the head of an office is the CEO who orders everybody around in the office. But this is not that type of head, not a CEO. The husband is not CEO of the house. No. He's not the president of the house. He's the head of the body. 56:10 So it's this type of head, not that type of head. So the husband is the head of his wife in this sense that, or the brain, let's say. The brain tells the hand to move, it moves. It tells the left hand to move, it moves. 56:25 It tells the tongue to speak, speaking. The head is in control of everything, but the head also feels, if an ant comes and bites me right now, the head will feel it immediately. And I'll stop speaking and strike off that ant. 56:44 Dear brothers, do you care for your wives like that? That she's your body? That something hurts her and you feel it? If something hurts my body, my head immediately feels it and does something about it. Even if it's a mosquito or an ant biting me, the head feels it and strikes off that mosquito or ant. 57:09 What a sensitive head that is. That's how Jesus is. He cares for us. It's a long way we husbands have to go to love our wives like that. That's our calling. Husbands, love your wives. Verse 25. Exactly as Christ loved the church. 57:30 Verse 28. Husbands must love their wives as their own body. Have you read that, husbands? Treat your wife like you treat your body. How do you care for your body? Even if a thorn gets in, you pull it out immediately. You don't wait till the evening if the thorn got into your foot in the morning. 57:51 To be sensitive to the slightest pain that a wife has. What a wonderful marriage this will be. And wives, be subject to your own husbands. How? The head says to my right hand, lift up your hand. The hand doesn't say, well, hang on. 58:09 I can't lift it up right now. Hand doesn't say that. The head says, lift up your hand. It obeys. This is the type of relationship. I'm not saying we have to be dictators. Now, don't miscoat me and go and tell your wife, 58:27 see what Brother Zach said, that as soon as I say something, you must jump and obey me. A lot of people misquote me. You've got to understand the spirit of what I'm saying. A wife has got every right to say, darling, I'm just doing something urgently now. 58:39 I'll come and help you later on. It's perfectly all right for a wife to say that. It's very easy to become, you know, nitpicking on little words and say, this is what it means. Everything must be done in love and patience. 58:55 One of the biggest marks of love is patience. Husbands must love their wife as their own body. And if my right hand does not obey me, don't blame the right hand. Lord, is there something wrong with my head? Have I got a stroke or something? 59:16 You find sometimes your relationship with your wife is broken. Don't blame her. It could be her fault. But also ask yourself, did you have some stroke in your relationship with each other? Set it right. Everything can be said right. 59:34 We must be quick, husbands and wives, to ask forgiveness from one another. Well, finally, let's look at verse 3 in this relationship. Everyone must love his wife as he loves himself. 59:57 And the wife must see, verse 33, that she respects her husband. We conclude with that as far as husband-wife relationship is concerned. Love your wife as you love yourself. Care for your wife as you care for your physical body. 1:00:15 And the wife must see that she respects her husband. What does a wife need from her husband? In one word, love. Christ loved the church. What does a husband expect from his wife? 1:00:37 Submission. The church submits to Christ. Okay, now just a few words about the other part of our married family. Children and parents. Not going to waste much time on this. Just as fathers, verse 4, don't provoke, chapter 6, 1:00:55 verse 4, don't provoke your children to anger. Don't get so irritated with them and provoke them to anger. But bring them up in discipline and instruction of the Lord. If you are quick to discipline your children, ask yourself whether you are quick 1:01:14 to teach them God's word. Both are there in the same sentence. Discipline of the Lord, instruction of the Lord. You must discipline your children like your Heavenly Father disciplines you. And you must teach your children 1:01:27 like your Heavenly Father teaches you through the Holy Spirit. So, the discipline and instruction of the Lord, both are necessary. Fathers, and don't provoke your children to get angry. That means don't get upset with them unnecessarily 1:01:45 because you are irritated. Be patient. Let your children learn that you can be patient. Be strict. Discipline them by all means. But, the Bible says that God disciplines his own children. You read that in Hebrews chapter 13, 1:02:02 take time, Hebrews chapter 12. Take time to read in Hebrews 12 how God himself disciplines his children. So, a father who does not discipline his children will reap the consequences later on with disobedient children. I discipline 1:02:19 my children and all my children accept of the Lord and are following the Lord. And, if you don't discipline your children, blame yourself if they go astray. and children, verse 1, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. 1:02:37 Honor your father and mother. It's very, very important that we teach our children to honor the parents. They will always speak respectfully to their parents. Anytime if my son, any of my sons did not speak respectfully 1:02:53 to their mother, I would immediately, and I heard it, I tell them, stop what you're doing right now. go and apologize to mommy and then go and do your work. We must be very strict when parents, when children do not honor 1:03:07 their father and mother. So, these are some of the fundamental principles of family life and I hope it will be a blessing to all of you. Thank you very much. Now, Serenji.
