1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,880 Today's message is about reading the Bible, meditating the word, which is the essential 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,760 part of our spiritual life in communicating with the Lord Himself. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:18,320 We live in an age that we have more versions of the Bible now than there ever was, and 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,920 we also have it electronically. 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,760 We can not only read it to our gadgets, but we also can listen to it. 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,960 Unfortunately, the majority of the believers do not read the Bible. 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,960 I did a quick search to see if there is any survey about this subject. 8 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,760 Of course there was, out came a number of articles. 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,360 The ones I read, they all say the same thing. 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:47,120 There's a very small percentage of the believers that read the Bible, and a great majority 11 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,160 of them don't even open the Bible, and what they do know from the Bible is what they hear 12 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:53,920 in their churches. 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,120 This is despite the fact that God repeatedly says in the Old Testament, meditated upon 14 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:05,000 my word, and he says it in so many different ways that it's almost unbelievable that as 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:11,000 believers we all fall in the category of the majority that do not read the Bible. 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,640 You see, Christianity is a marriage relationship. 17 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,780 Every relationship is established and maintained by communication. 18 00:01:22,780 --> 00:01:27,920 Just think of a couple that they never communicate, and if there is any communication, it's just 19 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,320 one of them keep wanting something from the other one. 20 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:35,000 That kind of a relationship, she will never work with us. 21 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,160 The Lord wants to have a relationship. 22 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,280 It's not just coming to him, wanting things from him. 23 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,400 He wants a relationship, and he always speaks. 24 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,840 People often ask, does God speak? 25 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,040 Can we hear his voice? 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,200 Yes, the answer is, of course. 27 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,240 God always speaks. 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,600 Jesus said, my sheep will hear my voice, and we have the ability to hear his voice. 29 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:03,680 Well, that's where we are, most of the Christianity, that having all these blessings, especially 30 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,800 nowadays having all these phones and this and that, but yet still they don't read the 31 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:09,800 Bible. 32 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,800 I want to begin today with three important principles when it comes to understanding 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:16,680 of the Bible. 34 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:23,800 First and foremost, that God is eternal, with God there is no past and future, every time 35 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,320 for God is present time. 36 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,320 He can look at our whole life in one single straight line, and he can intervene in any 37 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:36,960 moment in our history, and he will always be present time for God. 38 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:42,120 It's difficult to understand because we're confined in space and time, we don't understand 39 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:43,880 eternity. 40 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,400 Time doesn't tick in eternity. 41 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:48,440 He gets old and dies. 42 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:49,760 All of that is here. 43 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,920 So that's why it's difficult for us to understand that every time for God is always present 44 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:56,160 time. 45 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:03,520 In the same way is his word, is always eternal, and it is always for present time. 46 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:10,280 Paul says that the Scriptures are inspired by God, or NIV says, all the Scriptures are 47 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,320 God breathed. 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,720 It's the breath of God Almighty. 49 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,880 It's eternal and always can speak to any generation. 50 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,120 God's word can speak to us that live right now. 51 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,840 It inspired the past generation, and it will also inspire the future generation. 52 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,480 Any time is always right now. 53 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:36,560 So he can speak to any generation, past, present, future in the same way, direct, it's always 54 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,200 now for God. 55 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,600 That's how relative God's word is, that he can speak to any generation. 56 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:47,400 So never entertain this thought that says, well, Bible was written so many thousands 57 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,400 of years ago. 58 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,400 How can that relate to me? 59 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:51,840 God's word is always now. 60 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,400 He speaks to his own people at any present time. 61 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,880 That's why it can be very relative. 62 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,080 It is eternal like he is. 63 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,960 So leave those thoughts for Bible critics. 64 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:03,960 There's so many of them. 65 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,640 There's no shortage of Bible critics at any time. 66 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,400 So that's the first principle of understanding the Bible. 67 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:12,760 God is eternal. 68 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,400 There's no past and future with him. 69 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,240 He is always now at present time. 70 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:18,800 And so is his word. 71 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:24,440 That's why I said he can always speak to any generation, past, present, and future. 72 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:31,120 Second important principle is that Christ Jesus our Lord is the interpretation of the 73 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,480 Bible. 74 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,280 No one can understand the Bible until they come to know the Lord Jesus. 75 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:41,640 Think to know the Lord Jesus, then you can understand the Bible. 76 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,560 More you know him, more you can understand the Bible and the other way around. 77 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,400 I want to give you an example from Apostle Paul. 78 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:50,400 He was a Pharisee. 79 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:56,800 They were highly educated people and they lived in a strict rules and regulation of the Old 80 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,160 Testament. 81 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:04,400 On the top of it, their own rules and regulations, their traditions of their fathers and whatnot. 82 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:12,480 And they meticulously tied everything to the ounce of the spices that they collected. 83 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,840 They were highly educated and in order to graduate and become part of the Pharisees, 84 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:22,200 they had to memorize the first five books of the Old Testament. 85 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:27,240 That's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and the Oranomy. 86 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,120 You know that's a good chunk of the whole Bible. 87 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,720 They had to memorize the entire five books in order to become a Pharisee. 88 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,040 Now Apostle Paul says, I'm a Pharisee of Pharisees. 89 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,360 He talks about his zeal that none of his contemporaries had it. 90 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:47,680 Zeal for the tradition of his fathers, the Old Testament laws and all that. 91 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,680 That's why he was persecuting the church. 92 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:58,200 Just think, all that education, all that knowledge and memorization of the Bible did not bring 93 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,840 Apostle Paul to come to know the Christ. 94 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:03,040 What happened to him? 95 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:07,520 Well, on his way to Damascus, he met the Lord Jesus. 96 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,200 From that experience, you know, he was blinded for three days. 97 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,280 Three days later, Ann and I, prayed for him in Damascus. 98 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:15,640 His eyes opened. 99 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:22,280 In the Book of Acts, when you read this account in the ninth chapter, it says that Paul began 100 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:28,960 immediately preaching the gospel and proving from the Scripture that Jesus is the Christ 101 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,320 of God. 102 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:31,320 What happened to him? 103 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,000 Before, he couldn't see anything. 104 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,080 But once he met the Lord Jesus, that whole Scripture he knew opened up for him to know 105 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,360 that Jesus is the same Christ from the Old Testament. 106 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,600 You have to know Christ Jesus. 107 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,760 And for us born against, we begin with that. 108 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:49,600 We know him as our Lord and Savior. 109 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:50,840 Then we would read the Bible. 110 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:53,360 That's why we can understand the Bible. 111 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,760 So that's second principle in understanding of the Bible. 112 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:02,800 Third one, equally important, the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of the Bible. 113 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,320 There's nobody else can interpret the Bible. 114 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,360 When you came to the Lord Jesus and you were born again, it was the Holy Spirit that brought 115 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,480 you to our Lord Jesus. 116 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:17,520 And Jesus being the Word of God, it is only the Holy Spirit can teach you the meaning and 117 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,720 understanding of the Bible. 118 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:27,200 So therefore, the entire Bible inspired by God, written by spiritual people, guided by 119 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:34,000 the Holy Spirit, for spiritual people that at this age, they are the born again people 120 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,440 of God. 121 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:40,560 And that's the three most important principles that you need to know when it comes to the 122 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,680 understanding of the Bible. 123 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:47,400 Having said that, I'm going to take you to Psalm 105. 124 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,000 This is about the Israelites in the desert. 125 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:57,000 Verse 40, he says, the people ask and he brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of 126 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,120 heaven. 127 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,680 He opened the rock and water gushed out. 128 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:02,680 He gave them meat. 129 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,640 He gave them the bread, the manna. 130 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,680 He also gave them water from the rock. 131 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,360 And here's the next verse from 1 Corinthians 10. 132 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,760 About the same experience, this is how a possible pope puts it. 133 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:22,480 He says, all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for they 134 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:30,240 drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. 135 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:36,320 Just listen to these two verses that I read, one from Psalm 105 and 1 Corinthians. 136 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:41,400 In Psalm, he's talking about the physical manna that God gave them and physical water 137 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,280 that came out of the rock. 138 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:44,280 What rock is that? 139 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:45,640 You all remember that rock. 140 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:51,400 That's the same rock that God told Moses, strike the rock and the water will come out. 141 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,360 Don't ever think of that rock as like you turned the faucet. 142 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:00,280 This water that came out of the rock fed two and a half million people plus their animals. 143 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,960 In my mind, I'm picturing water of a good size creek that came out of that rock that 144 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:06,920 fed that many people. 145 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:12,880 And apostle Paul, looking at that picture, he says, they all ate the same spiritual food. 146 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,380 What was the food? 147 00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:15,760 The manna. 148 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:22,120 And they also drank the same spiritual water which came from the rock and he says the rock 149 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,920 was Christ. 150 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,360 What they ate was physical. 151 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:31,000 What we eat today and drink is spiritual. 152 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,160 Here's the two sides of God's word or Jesus being the word. 153 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,240 On one side is the manna, is the physical food. 154 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,440 Just think of the food we eat. 155 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:41,560 What is it for? 156 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:45,940 To give us the energy for us to go on living in this life on this planet. 157 00:09:45,940 --> 00:09:48,120 In the same way, we drink water. 158 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,880 Same is true for physical. 159 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,200 Same is also through the spiritual. 160 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,760 We have two sides of God's word. 161 00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:01,360 On one side is manna to sustain us, to make us go on with the Lord. 162 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,360 At the same time, we have the water. 163 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:09,440 Now I'm going to talk about manna first from John 6. 164 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:15,160 As Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life and he who comes to me shall never hunger 165 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:19,040 and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 166 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,840 Two ways when we come to the Lord Jesus or believe in Him. 167 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:28,720 One that we will never hunger and the second that we will not thirst. 168 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:34,040 In my early Christian years, when I became born again, I had this burden to teach right 169 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:35,680 from the beginning. 170 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:37,720 I didn't know much about the Bible. 171 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,160 It was something new for me, but I had this burden. 172 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,320 I couldn't ignore it. 173 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,920 So I would prepare messages, reading different books, and I would share with very small group 174 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,600 that got together praying and teaching the word. 175 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,560 It would take a long time for me to prepare a message basically because I didn't know 176 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:56,600 much about the Bible. 177 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:03,480 But all of that changed over the years to a point that when I get inspired by any subject, 178 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:09,320 whether I read a verse or paragraph from the Bible or I read some article or I hear a message 179 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:15,640 from somebody, in any case, once I'm inspired by having a potential of a message, then I 180 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,880 begin and pray, meditate, and that's where all begins. 181 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:25,360 And most of the time, there's this versus that comes to my mind very related to the 182 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:31,640 subject that I pray for, not just haphazardly from here and there, but meditating and praying 183 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,120 about the subject that is related to that. 184 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,720 And this is very important for every believer. 185 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:43,600 Jesus said to His disciples, when the Holy Spirit comes, He will remind you of what I 186 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,000 have said. 187 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,280 For three and a half years, they heard Jesus speaking, teaching, and all that, but they 188 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,800 didn't get the real understanding of it. 189 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:55,680 But the Holy Spirit reminded them when the time came. 190 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:57,440 And here's what I always say. 191 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:02,840 You got to have the word in you in order for the Holy Spirit to remind you of it. 192 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:09,160 Over the years that you hear or read the Bible or meditate that you accumulate or you bank 193 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:15,000 God's word in your heart, then whenever the time comes, the Holy Spirit can remind you. 194 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,680 There was this Sunday, I was speaking that Sunday, and as usual, I get up early in the 195 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:23,640 morning to gather all my thoughts for the message. 196 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:29,800 There was one part of the message that I understood very clearly, but I did not have a practical 197 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,320 application of it. 198 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:37,840 And I remember in our house, I was standing when I prayed next to one of the walls, and 199 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:42,960 I prayed, I said, Lord, I do not see a clear application of this. 200 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:49,800 Immediately the Lord spoke within me and just showed me from the Bible the practical application 201 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:50,800 of it. 202 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:57,720 At the same time, he also showed me or reminded me of an experience that I had earlier, some 203 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:04,920 time before, that how God intervened in my life and got me out of a situation with the 204 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:06,760 same application. 205 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:12,720 Here I am praying for guidance from the Lord to show me a practical application of it. 206 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:17,480 Not only he showed me that, but he also showed me how he helped me in a situation and an 207 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:19,280 experience that I had. 208 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:25,280 And I do not have to tell you that how emotionally you get when the Lord speaks to you that way. 209 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,960 That is the type of manner he feeds you. 210 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:35,240 I am speaking about communicating with the Lord two ways, like in a marriage relationship. 211 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,360 You know the Lord cares. 212 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,440 I mean, he says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 213 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,200 But when you get to have that experience, it is something else. 214 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:45,920 You say the Lord cares for me. 215 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,080 I mean, who am I? 216 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,760 You know, you go through that emotions. 217 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:55,480 It is one of the greatest experiences that I have as a believer. 218 00:13:55,480 --> 00:14:00,880 Now you may hear all this and you say, well, that's because your teaching comes with the 219 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,400 territory and yes, it does. 220 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:07,440 Here's what Paul said to Timothy in the second Timothy. 221 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:12,320 Paul says, all scripture is God breed and is useful for teaching. 222 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,880 The first thing he says is useful teaching. 223 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,320 That's what I've been saying about that. 224 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:23,160 Rebuke him, correcting, training and righteousness so that the servant of God make thoroughly 225 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:27,960 equipped with every good work, all of them through. 226 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,120 But it is not always that I teach that the Lord speaks. 227 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,560 Four years ago, I've shared this when it happened. 228 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,840 I'm going to share it again because it's appropriate. 229 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:42,960 Right after my open hours surgery, when I came home, it's the time of recovery. 230 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:48,840 Every time I put my head down to sleep, I was so very much conscious of my heart beating. 231 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,880 First of all, it was very loud and I would listen to it. 232 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,480 I would say, oh, it's beating too fast or it's beating too slow. 233 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,760 Oops, it skipped a beat or something. 234 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:02,200 All of a sudden, for some reason, I became an expert of how heart beats. 235 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:08,760 So all of that thoughts kept me from sleeping until the Lord spoke to me from Psalm 4 verse 236 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:09,760 8. 237 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:10,760 This is what it says. 238 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,520 Psalm 4, I will both lie down in peace and sleep. 239 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,320 For you alone, oh Lord, make me dwell in safety. 240 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,920 That verse is a manna. 241 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,600 That's how manna works. 242 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,200 When the Lord speaks to you, it is always specific. 243 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,760 It is always for you at that moment. 244 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:29,960 That's what manna does. 245 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:31,480 It sustains you. 246 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:33,800 It always gives you comfort. 247 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,600 It always gives you energy to go on with the Lord. 248 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,000 That's how manna works, just like the food we eat. 249 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:45,760 In Revelation 2, 17, this is what the Lord Jesus said to the church in Pergamos. 250 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:51,120 Verse 17, he says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 251 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:56,680 To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. 252 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,180 What is manna? 253 00:15:58,180 --> 00:15:59,280 Spiritual food. 254 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:00,960 What is hidden manna? 255 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,960 It is hidden always unless the Lord shows it to someone. 256 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,560 Psalm 4, verse 8, was my hidden manna. 257 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,480 It was specific for me, specific for my condition. 258 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,960 It was specific for that day. 259 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:17,800 That's how manna works. 260 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:23,680 And that's how the Lord, when He speaks and gives you manna, spiritual food, again, it 261 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:25,320 sustains you. 262 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:30,280 It gives you comfort, really shows you that He's with you and He cares. 263 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:35,360 I mean, for a believer, there's nothing more you can ask from Him. 264 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,600 That's the side of the word as manna. 265 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,080 Praise the Lord for it. 266 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:41,920 It always comforts. 267 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:47,400 Now, you come to the side of the word which is water. 268 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,360 The power of the word as water. 269 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,400 This is what Paul said to the Ephesians. 270 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:58,840 Verse 25, husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself 271 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:03,240 for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her. 272 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:09,000 Listen to this, with the washing of the water by the word. 273 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:14,760 Manna always gives you comfort, but when the Lord speaks to you to the power of the word 274 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:23,000 as water, always cleanses you, always washes you, corrects you, rebukes you in order for 275 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,640 you to get in the right track. 276 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,080 In Book of Revelation, this is what it says. 277 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:33,200 And to her, speaking about the bride, it says, and to her it was granted to be arrayed in 278 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:35,200 fine linen. 279 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:41,200 Clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 280 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:42,880 Did I read it right? 281 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:50,480 The linen robe these believers are wearing is the righteous acts of the saints. 282 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:52,200 That's what it says. 283 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,840 It's not the righteousness we have that is a gift from the Father. 284 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:02,280 You see, when we were born again, God literally took our sins and punishment and put it on 285 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:10,000 Christ in the same way He took His righteousness and put it in our account as righteous. 286 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,400 That's why we have right standing with God. 287 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,480 That's the gift of the Father. 288 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,520 He will never change. 289 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,840 That's the immutability of God. 290 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:26,840 That is God's unchangeableness that you will always have the right standing with God because 291 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:28,360 that's what He did. 292 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:30,040 That's what Christ did. 293 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:34,000 You can never do anything to cause the Lord to love you less or more. 294 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:41,400 I can live my entire Christian life as righteous as I can or I can live my entire spiritual 295 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,960 life as unrighteous as I can. 296 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,480 That will not change our right standing with the Lord because that's the gift that the 297 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Father gave to whoever believes. 298 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,520 That's a great work that our Lord Jesus did. 299 00:18:54,520 --> 00:19:02,160 However, what you lose is your standing towards God and every time we live unrighteously or 300 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:10,080 sin or continuously sin, we are defiling the garment that we are wearing. 301 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,720 Not to become perfect, but we lose that stand. 302 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,760 In my own experiences, I'm going to share one of them. 303 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:23,520 When something like this happens, the Lord speaks to you by the power of the word of 304 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:24,880 washing. 305 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,840 You always have the choice and the choice is to repent or not to repent. 306 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,000 As a believer, you know you're sinning. 307 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:37,600 You know you're not in the right track, but somehow you convince yourself this is okay. 308 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:42,360 If you all do that from time to time, it happens to the best of us. 309 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:47,440 But when the Lord speaks to the power of the word as washing like the water, something 310 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,080 happens when the Lord speaks and something clicks in you and you turn around. 311 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:57,840 You repent and you say to yourself, enough of this, whatever it is you're in, enough 312 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,800 of this, I want to live for the Lord. 313 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,400 You turn around, that turn around is repentance. 314 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:04,840 That's always it is. 315 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:08,760 In your mind, you turn around and you decide you want to live for the Lord. 316 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,360 There's many things that happens. 317 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:16,320 These experiences, I call them my turning points. 318 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:22,060 In past messages, when I speak of my turning points, that is exactly my experience. 319 00:20:22,060 --> 00:20:27,520 When the Lord speaks, you repent, you turn around and you want to go forward with the 320 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,440 Lord and none of this nonsense that you were in. 321 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:37,000 The letter to the Hebrews talks about the old and new covenant and compares constantly 322 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,840 that old is this, new is this. 323 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,760 One of them is about the blood. 324 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:46,880 He says the blood of goats and animals in the Old Testament could never cleanse the conscious 325 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,880 of the worshipers. 326 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:54,840 But the blood of our Lord Jesus, He offered that once for all can cleanse our conscious. 327 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:59,400 The first thing happens when the Lord speaks to you by the power of the word that washes 328 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,440 you as cleansing is your conscious becomes clear. 329 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:08,480 Because up to that point, you know you were sinning, you know you were in the wrong track, 330 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,760 but after repentance, your conscious becomes clear. 331 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:17,720 Another thing that happens, and this is very experiential thing that you go through when 332 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:24,320 the Lord speaks through by the power of again, spiritual water, not manna. 333 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,960 Manna I said, it's always comfort. 334 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:33,320 It always gives you energy and it's speaking to you in that way, but not the water. 335 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,400 You're rebuke by the Lord for correction. 336 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:42,320 Another thing that happens during that time, you're bombarded by the accusation of the 337 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,200 enemy in your mind. 338 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:49,760 The book of Revelation says the accuser of the brethren day and night, he's accusing 339 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,520 to the Father about all of the believers. 340 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:58,920 At the same time, in your mind, we are bombarded by his lies and his accusations. 341 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:04,160 It is so interesting that once your consciousness is clear, even your mind is cleared from all 342 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,120 that nonsense. 343 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:13,040 I want to take you to book of Revelation to church at the Laodiceans. 344 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,920 This is a longer text, I'm going to read it for you. 345 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,800 And the angel of the church of the Laodicean, right. 346 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:25,440 These things says the amen and faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation 347 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:26,440 of God. 348 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,480 I know your works that you are neither cold or hot. 349 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,120 I could wish you were cold or hot. 350 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:39,680 So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold or hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 351 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:44,520 Because you say I'm rich, I have become wealthy and I have a need of nothing. 352 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,280 And do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. 353 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,000 I mean, you just said it all. 354 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:59,440 Verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in fire that you may be rich and white 355 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:06,320 garments that you may be clothed, that your shame of your nakedness may not be revealed 356 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,560 and anoint your eyes with I self that you may see. 357 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,280 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 358 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,720 Therefore be zealous and repent. 359 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,880 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 360 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:26,000 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him. 361 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:27,280 And he with me. 362 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:33,600 To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and 363 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,960 sat down with my father on the throne. 364 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:42,040 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 365 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:48,080 The loudest scenes, which is the last church that Jesus addresses, the first six churches, 366 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,080 Jesus acknowledges their good points. 367 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,920 After telling them their points, he says, nevertheless, I have this against you. 368 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:01,040 This is the only church that Jesus did not have anything positive to say. 369 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,600 They were so far gone. 370 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:04,200 These are born again believers. 371 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:09,440 They are so far gone that they thought they were rich, but the Lord says you are poor, 372 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,920 wretched, blind and naked. 373 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,120 That's the condition of the church. 374 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:18,240 This verses that it says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. 375 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,280 Whoever opens the door, I will come in. 376 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:26,440 I'm sure you realize that the Lord Jesus is speaking to the believers, born again believers. 377 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,400 Here's one more experience I want to share with you. 378 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,200 This is the years ago again. 379 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,360 I was going through some financial difficulties. 380 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:38,320 One time I came from work home and then I went out for a walk. 381 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:40,800 I walked about an hour or so. 382 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,840 I just prayed for the finances. 383 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,080 I was in a situation that I didn't know what to do. 384 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:47,080 So I prayed. 385 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,120 I mean, how much can you pray for your financial situation? 386 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:53,040 I mean, verbally, how many things can you say? 387 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:54,040 Not much. 388 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,000 It will take over one or two, three minutes telling the Lord this is the situation, you 389 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,280 know, like he doesn't know. 390 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:01,520 You don't know what to pray. 391 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,440 So I ended up praying in tongue, prayed in spirit. 392 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,160 I would say 95% of the time I just spoke in tongues. 393 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:13,120 I'm praying in tongues until by the time I turn to our street, there's a spot that I 394 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:19,480 always stand because I get tired sometimes walking after an hour, just for like 30 seconds 395 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:20,880 or a minute. 396 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,200 Then I regain my energy and I continue. 397 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:30,240 As I stopped there, the Lord spoke within me, never audible voice, always within me. 398 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:35,080 And what he said was, whatever is going on, it will be for your benefit. 399 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:40,120 Again, I don't have to tell you how comforting that was that the Lord spoke after praying 400 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:41,680 for an hour. 401 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,760 It was very satisfactory what the Lord said in that day. 402 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,600 And I just didn't think of it anymore. 403 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,640 So I continued. 404 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:56,440 Now years later, with the same verses that I read from the law of the sea and when the 405 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:01,560 Lord says, I stand at the door and knock whoever opens the door, I will come in. 406 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:06,520 The Lord spoke to me in another area of my life that I never opened up my heart to the 407 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:07,520 Lord. 408 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,560 As he spoke again, this is through the power of his word as water. 409 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,640 This is spiritual water, not manna. 410 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:18,960 I keep saying this for you to distinguish between manna and the water. 411 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,280 Because in our physical life, we both eat physical food and water. 412 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:24,680 Just think of it this way. 413 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,920 I also typed it in search. 414 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,960 I said, how long can we last without food? 415 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,200 Again, out came many different articles. 416 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,200 Most of them said between one month to two months. 417 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:37,200 That's all you can survive. 418 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,240 It all depends on many factors. 419 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:44,000 I'm sure body weight and this and that are many factors. 420 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,480 Taking the biblical account of fasting, Elijah, Moses, and Jesus fasting for 40 days, I would 421 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:54,360 say putting all together somewhere between 40 days and two months is the most somebody 422 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,680 can last without food. 423 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:57,840 Think of it this way. 424 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,280 How many days can you last without water? 425 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,600 Well, most of what I read is between four days and eight days. 426 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:12,120 If you compare, both of them is not much compared to, let's say, 78 years of somebody's lifespan. 427 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:14,240 But it's shorter for water. 428 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:18,840 That tells you water is more important than the physical food. 429 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:20,920 Physical food is praise the Lord for it. 430 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:24,960 I mean, I'm talking about spiritually when he speaks, there's so much comfort. 431 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,200 I just already shared that with you. 432 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:32,880 But the water when he washes you is much more important than the physical one. 433 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,400 Here's two sides of the world. 434 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,800 One was manna, spiritual food, and water. 435 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,840 There's also a third one. 436 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:45,240 Paul says, all scripture is God breath. 437 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,160 That's breath of God. 438 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,320 How long can you last without air or oxygen? 439 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,400 Four minutes is the most you can last. 440 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,680 I mean, I don't think I can last even 30 seconds or one minute. 441 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:03,040 Those who last four minutes are divers or some special people that they train themselves 442 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:04,720 for years. 443 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,920 But see how important God's word is. 444 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,320 Breath, water, and solid food. 445 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,320 Same way, spiritually. 446 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:20,080 So years later, the Lord spoke to me from this verse that I stand at the door and knock. 447 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:25,440 And the same experience, as I said, I call it turning points, conscious clear, all that 448 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:26,440 happened. 449 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:33,760 However, he also reminded me of the day I was praying for finances. 450 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,960 Because what I saw from these verses is simply this. 451 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:42,280 God cares for your spiritual wellness. 452 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:46,360 I don't want to say less than what he cares for your physical wellness. 453 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:47,680 Let me say it this way. 454 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:53,960 The priority is, first, he cares more about your spiritual wellness than your physical 455 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:54,960 wellness. 456 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,640 I was praying for my finances. 457 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:04,680 In fact, when the Lord showed me this, I was even ashamed that I was praying for my finances. 458 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:06,760 Finances can change overnight. 459 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,400 Everything we do in life can change overnight. 460 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:15,080 If you go by these principles, the Lord says, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, 461 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,960 everything else will be added on to you freely. 462 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,320 That's given if you follow Him. 463 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,160 He cares more for your spiritual wellness. 464 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,600 He says, I counsel you to buy from me gold. 465 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,160 This is spiritual wealth. 466 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,560 I counsel you, buy for yourselves, for you to see. 467 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,480 These believers could not see. 468 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,480 And the worst part of it, they were naked. 469 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,320 What happened to their garment? 470 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,160 This is their own garment of righteous acts. 471 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,160 What happened? 472 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:54,120 Well, I'm assuming it got defiled so many times that it wasn't worth wearing it. 473 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:58,040 And that's how the Lord Jesus looked at them naked. 474 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:04,040 The only other church that the Lord talks about the garment, Revelation 3.7, you have 475 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:10,440 a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me 476 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,520 in white for they are worthy. 477 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:18,840 In this church, He says, there are those who have not defiled their garments. 478 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:24,960 And the word defiled in this particular one in Greek is sexual defilement. 479 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:25,960 What is it? 480 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:26,960 Sexual? 481 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:33,320 Well, fornication, adultery, and probably pornography in these days is right up the same alley. 482 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,480 These are the sexual defilement. 483 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,720 But that's not the only way we can defile our garments. 484 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:44,840 There's many ways when we are rebellious against the Lord or sin against the Lord in any direction. 485 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:45,840 Think of this way. 486 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:50,520 Some people, what they need is having the control of their tongue as believers. 487 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:52,160 Again, think of it this way. 488 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,680 Has your tongue ever given you in trouble as a believer? 489 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:04,640 Apostle John says this, love not the world and neither the things in the world. 490 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:10,080 For the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life does not come from the 491 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,960 Father but from the evil one. 492 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:14,720 He talks about three things. 493 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:19,440 Lust of the flesh, that's probably sexual in nature, lust of the eyes. 494 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:24,120 You can have lust of eyes in any direction you can think of. 495 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:31,240 You will go for power, lust for power, anything you lust after in this way, it's open and 496 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:32,440 pride of life. 497 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:37,840 These are three of the deadliest sins you can get in. 498 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,080 Let me show you how deadly lust is from the Bible. 499 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:47,040 Later to Ephesians, Paul in the sixth chapter he says, our fight is not against flesh and 500 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:52,320 blood but against the principalities and the powers that do exist in the air. 501 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:53,880 But there is a solution. 502 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,840 These are the demonic forces that work with Satan. 503 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:58,840 There's a solution, solution he tells you. 504 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:05,000 He says put on the whole armor of God and having done all, stand on your ground. 505 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,320 Stand, that's the solution he's telling you against all these principalities, demonic 506 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:10,840 forces. 507 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:16,960 James in his letters he says submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. 508 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,800 All of this thing happens for the believer because the authority we have. 509 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:25,640 He says submit to God, resist the devil, he will flee from you. 510 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:30,840 But when it comes to lust, the Bible says flee from the lust. 511 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:37,320 You cannot fight against it, just like you fight against the demons and you cannot even 512 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:41,400 resist it like the resisting the devil that he will flee from you. 513 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,880 The thing to do the Bible says run, flee from it. 514 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,280 Don't fight it, don't resist it because nobody can. 515 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,040 That's how deadly lust is. 516 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:58,000 Now again, I'm not only speaking about sexual lust, but any kind of lust you go after. 517 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:03,720 You see the problem is when you read the Word and meditate you are storing God's Word in 518 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:04,720 you. 519 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,920 That's the most important part of it, storing. 520 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,320 God always speaks. 521 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,640 He speaks to his people through his Word. 522 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,600 At the same time the enemy is speaking. 523 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,400 He speaks all lies, all accusations. 524 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:19,880 And then you speak. 525 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,960 God says the truth, the enemy lies. 526 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,120 At the end it all comes to this. 527 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,600 Which one are you going to believe? 528 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,600 The truth or the lies that the enemy talks? 529 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,200 And what you say will come out of the bundles of your heart. 530 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:38,360 And it will always come down to this. 531 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:45,440 Remember if you side with the Lord, the truth, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word 532 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:46,680 of God. 533 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,000 When the Lord speaks, faith increases. 534 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:55,440 Every time there's a fear involved, it comes from the enemy. 535 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:02,320 And you choose whether you stay in the fear and speak it that way out of your the bundles 536 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:08,840 or you believe the Lord by faith, which increases your faith and you speak and that's where 537 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,840 you stand. 538 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:16,120 Now this is the church that the Lord says, behold I stand at the door and knock. 539 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:22,680 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and 540 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:23,960 he with me. 541 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:28,400 That word dine in Greek language is the full meal. 542 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:35,360 During the biblical time, breakfast is very minimal, usually bread dipped in wine. 543 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:40,360 Lunch is the same way, something as a snack or same thing, bread dipped in wine. 544 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:46,000 But come dinner time, that was the meal that they spent time together and they made a feast. 545 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,320 They made a feast to their means, every family made a feast and they spent time together 546 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:56,480 for at least, not at least up to three hours they would spend together in fellowshiping. 547 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:01,120 The Lord says, if you open your heart, I will come in and I will dine with you. 548 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,720 What do you think the Lord will do when he comes in? 549 00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:07,880 He's going to come in and physically sit down and have dinner with you? 550 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:08,880 No. 551 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:15,640 He will come in and feed you with the scripture and have time with you, fellowshiping with 552 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:16,640 you. 553 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:18,640 Here's what Amos says. 554 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:24,520 Amos 8 verse 11 says, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send 555 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:32,040 a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, not a thirst of water, but of the hearing, 556 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:34,600 the word of the Lord. 557 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:42,600 It's very interesting, once you see the two sides of God's word as spiritual food and 558 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:47,800 spiritual drink, a ton of verses will open up for you to see. 559 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,440 This is just one of them. 560 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:55,800 Not a famine of bread, he's specifying it, not a famine of thirst, but of the hearing, 561 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,000 the word of the Lord. 562 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,480 There's never a shortage of God's word. 563 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:06,440 He always speaks, both for spiritual manna and spiritual water. 564 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,640 The famine is the hearing, the Lord. 565 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:13,560 And in this book of Revelation, seven times he says the same things. 566 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:18,440 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 567 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,480 It's always singular, it's always to the individual. 568 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:28,360 He is singular, who has an ear, one ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 569 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:29,560 What churches? 570 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:30,560 All of them. 571 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:31,880 All the six churches. 572 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:38,200 What he said to the Laodiceans, it was not just for the Laodiceans. 573 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,640 So whatever he said to any churches, it applies to all of us. 574 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:47,120 That's the thing, as a believer, you need to get to in the habit of saying after you read 575 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:52,680 the Bible or even you're hearing a message, Lord, what are you telling me? 576 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,200 What is it you're saying to me? 577 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:59,680 What I'm simply saying today is this, when the Lord speaks to you through the spiritual 578 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,800 water, he wants to correct you. 579 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,400 In what directions? 580 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,840 Just think of any direction that you have not opened your heart to him. 581 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,760 Also, he wants to come in, he wants to spend time with you. 582 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:17,480 Again, I give you many examples, the areas that you've been rebellious against him or 583 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,960 unfaithful against him for many years. 584 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:25,000 I'm talking about the sins that you constantly commit and you constantly repent. 585 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,240 That's the word for today. 586 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:31,760 And if you're hearing the Lord, that's all he wants to do. 587 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:37,600 Just get you in the right path and cleanse you to have that garment, which is the righteous 588 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:40,240 acts of the same. 589 00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:46,280 At this point, I want to ask you all to stand up, bow your heads and close your eyes. 590 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:52,080 If you want to open your heart to the Lord in any direction that you know of, nobody 591 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:57,520 else knows, I know that we are not like the church at Laudicine's. 592 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,200 We're not in that condition. 593 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:00,560 Of course we're not. 594 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:04,400 But I know this as believers, we all sin. 595 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,920 But the point is God doesn't want you to go on sinning. 596 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:08,920 He wants to correct you. 597 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:10,240 He wants to correct me. 598 00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:14,480 I've shared my experiences, how powerful it is when the Lord speaks to you. 599 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:20,640 If the Lord is speaking to you at this point, just say, Lord, I'm opening my heart to you 600 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:24,160 in this specific area that I never did. 601 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:30,360 You know, in the previous church, to the church in Philadelphia, the Lord Jesus said, I have 602 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:31,640 the keys of David. 603 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:38,280 I can open any door I want, I can close any door, but he will not open your door. 604 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:39,280 You have to do it. 605 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,040 Here's the Creator behind the door. 606 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:48,360 To the believers, he says, I knock and you open, even though he can open any door. 607 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,640 That's our responsibility. 608 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,200 And you know where it is. 609 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:53,560 I'm going to pray. 610 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:59,640 And as I pray, you can pray also in your mind and agree and just open to the Lord. 611 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:02,840 Let him do what he wants to do with your life. 612 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,240 And it's always to cleanse you, to put you in the right track, to put you in the right 613 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:08,680 direction. 614 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:14,160 If he speaks to you that way, just respond to him by opening your heart. 615 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:19,360 Heavenly Father, I thank you, Lord, for today, for your word that whenever you speak to us, 616 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:25,560 it's as powerful as just a manner that gives us comfort, just as the spiritual water that 617 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,080 cleanses us. 618 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:32,400 Bless you, Lord, for your word and your promises and your directions and the work of the Holy 619 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:33,960 Spirit in our lives. 620 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:38,280 I thank you that you care more about our spiritual condition. 621 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:42,040 It has more higher priority for you than our life. 622 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:47,240 But spiritual wellness and spiritual welfare, you care for every one of us, that it will 623 00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:49,880 last for eternity to come, Lord. 624 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,440 We say as your own, we love you, Lord. 625 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:58,880 We worship you and we are great for all the good work that you do constantly in our life, 626 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:04,680 speaking to us constantly in every direction, how grateful we are in all of this. 627 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:09,680 Father, I pray for every single one today that heard your message, that you will work 628 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:14,520 in their lives through the power of the cleansing spiritual water. 629 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:20,760 We all have flaws, but we want to go on with you and we want to be cleansed by your workload 630 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,480 as you do your work. 631 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:26,120 And we say, yes, Lord, continue doing your work, cleansing us, Lord. 632 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:30,080 In the precious name of our Lord Jesus, I pray, amen. 633 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:31,080 Please remain standing. 634 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:36,000 At this moment, I will ask the ashes to assist you to get the elements. 635 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,880 We'll take the communion together. 636 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:42,080 I want to read this verses from 1 Thessalonians. 637 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:48,280 This is what Paul says, now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and 638 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:55,320 may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus, 639 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:56,320 Christ. 640 00:40:56,320 --> 00:41:00,760 Your whole spirit first, soul and body. 641 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:05,160 That's the priority I was trying to say somehow, I was saying, God cares for this more than 642 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:06,160 that. 643 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,640 No, the priority is first your spirit, then your soul. 644 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:13,760 Soul is where all the activities are, our mind, emotions and will. 645 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,120 That's where we are being conformed to the image of Christ. 646 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:20,480 That's where we are renew our minds. 647 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:27,080 That's where the Lord works and also where the Satan comes in with his lies and all that. 648 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:31,600 So the priority is always your spirit, soul and body. 649 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:35,480 Body when it comes to body, God has given us all the promises. 650 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:37,760 I don't have to speak about them. 651 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:42,160 Even on the cross, every stripes you took through it, you are healed. 652 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,400 I've been a believer in teaching the word for more than 40 years. 653 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:50,800 I've never done this just coming to the table of the Lord that I have the congregation stand 654 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:52,800 up and just open up for the Lord. 655 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:53,800 I've never done it. 656 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,680 I have one reason and one reason only. 657 00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:03,240 When it comes to the table of the Lord, I 100% believe and have acted this faith every time. 658 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:06,840 We're going to do exactly what the Lord says. 659 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:11,440 He says, as often as you come to the table of the Lord, remember me. 660 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:16,440 Repenting, praying, anything you want to do, you can do it anytime you want. 661 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:19,840 Whenever the Lord speaks to you, you can repent. 662 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:25,040 Whether it's He will give you manna or through the power of His spiritual water, you can do 663 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:26,520 that anytime you want. 664 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:31,880 But when you come to the table of the Lord, He says, as often as you do it, you remember 665 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,720 me and I've done it all these 40 years. 666 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:38,280 And that's what we're going to do right now. 667 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:43,040 His message was exception because of the way the word was. 668 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:48,280 I just couldn't finish it without having you commit to the Lord what needed to be done 669 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,200 per the message. 670 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:54,920 What I'd like to remember today for the Lord, as always, there's many ways you can remember 671 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:56,640 that our Lord Jesus. 672 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:59,400 As more you know Him, there's more ways. 673 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,960 We can never exhaust Him. 674 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:04,760 Just the same way you can never exhaust the word of God. 675 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:08,160 You can never exhaust our Lord Jesus in knowing Him. 676 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:13,440 I especially want to remember Him today for the power of His blood. 677 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:19,000 Not only He has forgiven us through His blood, but He can also cleanse our conscious, conscious 678 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:20,680 of the worshipers. 679 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:26,120 You see, through the blood of our Lord Jesus, our spirit is cleansed, but through the spiritual 680 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:30,800 water of His Word, He cleanses our soul. 681 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,120 That's where we need the cleansing. 682 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:39,680 That's where we wear that white linen garment, which is the righteous acts of the saints. 683 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:43,120 Don't ever underestimate what that is. 684 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:48,360 We've been teaching the message that God has given us, the message of the kingdom and everything 685 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:50,520 along with it, which is great. 686 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:51,920 That's what we've been doing. 687 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:57,880 But I don't want us to get to a place that neglects the principles, the fundamental principles 688 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:01,560 of living righteously. 689 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:06,760 In today's message, I shared from my own experience more than I wanted to. 690 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:11,280 Usually I don't want to, but it's appropriate sometimes, and I have to do what I have to 691 00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:12,280 do. 692 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:16,720 I always remember that I have to be in my Father's business, whether I like it or not. 693 00:44:16,720 --> 00:44:22,560 The reason I don't like that, because I don't want anybody to follow me as my example. 694 00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:28,040 I want you to be inspired by the word of God and by the Lord and the leading of the Holy 695 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:29,320 Spirit. 696 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:35,520 Whether I like it or not, eventually all of us are an example for one another. 697 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:36,720 Eventually we will be. 698 00:44:36,720 --> 00:44:39,440 Again, I like it or not, that's how it is. 699 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:45,160 I cannot live unrighteously and be a bad example for the rest. 700 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:46,920 I'm not saying to be perfect. 701 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:48,840 We will never become perfect. 702 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:51,440 We already have right standing with God. 703 00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:52,440 That's a gift. 704 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:59,040 We're not shooting for perfection, but living righteously is our garment that we live. 705 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:02,120 That's important to go on with the Lord. 706 00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:04,400 Let's take these elements together. 707 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,600 I will pray also for this. 708 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:12,200 Heavenly Father, I thank you for our Lord Jesus, for the power of His blood that through 709 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:17,560 His blood, not only you washed us, cleansed us, forgiven us Lord, but you say you don't 710 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:19,800 even remember our sins. 711 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:25,760 As far as east is from the west, you have forgiven and you don't remember our sins. 712 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:27,880 How blessed we are Lord. 713 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:32,280 Through the blood of our Lord Jesus, you have cleansed us and through your power of your 714 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:38,240 word as water, you are cleansing our soul, preparing for days ahead and the future Lord. 715 00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:43,320 As you only say we love you and thank you for all the good work that you do Lord. 716 00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:44,320 Blessed be your holy name. 717 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:49,440 May you be glorified and blessed among your people right here every time you come together. 718 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,280 In the precious name of our Lord Jesus, we thank you. 719 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:53,280 Amen. 720 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,040 Let's take it together. 721 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:56,040 God bless you. 722 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:58,040 See you next time.