WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.799 Welcome to Pomoja Podcast, a ministry of Life 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:07.040 of Christ International Ministries, the place 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:11.240 where stronger lives are built, faith is strengthened, 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.080 hearts are encouraged, and Christ -centered homes 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:18.660 are shaped through ordinary conversations that 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:22.440 become extraordinary encounters with God's truth. 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:27.399 One conversation, one story, one revelation at 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:32.409 a time. In our last conversation, we discovered 00:00:32.409 --> 00:00:35.350 that every house has windows. Every marriage 00:00:35.350 --> 00:00:39.490 has windows. Every covenant has windows. And 00:00:39.490 --> 00:00:43.070 I left you with a question. If the greatest danger 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:47.310 is not always the storm outside, how does the 00:00:47.310 --> 00:00:51.689 enemy get inside? Today, I want to answer that 00:00:51.689 --> 00:00:55.109 question through an old story. It is not found 00:00:55.109 --> 00:00:58.719 in the pages of scripture. But like many stories 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.520 passed from one generation to another, it carries 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:06.799 wisdom. It is the kind of story elders tell around 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:12.799 a fire, simple yet unforgettable. The story says 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:16.060 there was once a husband and wife who lived peacefully 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:19.560 together. Their home was known for its warmth. 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:23.819 Travelers often admired it. Neighbors respected 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:27.159 it. People who entered always felt welcomed. 00:01:28.060 --> 00:01:31.420 One evening, a traveler arrived at their door. 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.120 He looked tired. Dust covered his clothes. His 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:41.060 voice was gentle. His smile seemed sincere. He 00:01:41.060 --> 00:01:43.439 asked for nothing more than a place to rest for 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:46.120 the night. The couple looked at one another. 00:01:46.540 --> 00:01:50.680 How could they refuse? After all, hospitality 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:54.409 is honorable. Scripture teaches kindness to strangers, 00:01:55.269 --> 00:01:58.790 so they welcome him. They prepared a meal. They 00:01:58.790 --> 00:02:01.489 offered him water. They gave him a place near 00:02:01.489 --> 00:02:05.230 the fire. That evening, they laughed together, 00:02:05.969 --> 00:02:09.729 shared stories, talked about life. Everything 00:02:09.729 --> 00:02:14.930 seemed harmless. The next morning, the traveler 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:17.830 remained. He offered to help around the house. 00:02:18.169 --> 00:02:21.030 He complimented the husband. He praised the wife. 00:02:21.159 --> 00:02:25.500 He appeared grateful. Again, nothing seemed wrong. 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:30.360 Days passed, then something changed, not in his 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.860 behavior, in his conversations. When the husband 00:02:33.860 --> 00:02:36.879 was away, the traveler would casually speak with 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:40.479 the wife. I noticed you carry many responsibilities. 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.740 You deserve more appreciation. I'm surprised 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.840 your husband doesn't see how much you do. Nothing 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.400 offensive, nothing obvious. Just observations. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:56.500 Seeds. Then, when the wife was busy, he spoke 00:02:56.500 --> 00:02:59.860 privately with the husband. You work so hard. 00:03:00.539 --> 00:03:03.919 You sacrifice so much. I wonder if she truly 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:08.180 understands everything you carry. Again, nothing 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:13.120 dramatic. Just words. Simple words. But words 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.520 have a way of finding fertile ground. Before 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:20.340 long. The husband began noticing things he had 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:23.919 never noticed before. The wife began remembering 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.900 disappointments she had long forgiven. Conversations 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:32.259 became shorter. Patience became thinner. Suspicion 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:35.919 quietly entered the room. The fire still burned. 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:40.180 The house still stood. But something invisible 00:03:40.180 --> 00:03:44.680 had changed. The atmosphere. The elders would 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.800 end the story with these words. The Traveler 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:51.280 never came to steal the house. He came to change 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:55.180 its atmosphere. And once the atmosphere changed, 00:03:55.879 --> 00:04:01.020 everything else became easier to destroy. When 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:04.900 I first heard that story, I thought it was simply 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:07.680 about being careful who you invite into your 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.199 home. Now I believe it is much bigger. The Traveler 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:15.219 represents every influence we welcome without 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:18.939 discernment. Not every influence is evil because 00:04:18.939 --> 00:04:23.220 it looks evil. Some arrive looking helpful, comforting, 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:27.480 understanding, reasonable. That is why discernment 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:30.399 is one of the greatest protections God gives 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:35.360 his people. When Satan appeared in the Garden 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:39.040 of Eden, he did not force his way in. He started 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:42.660 a conversation. He asked a question. Did God 00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:47.220 really say one question? One conversation, one 00:04:47.220 --> 00:04:51.019 suggestion. That was all it took to open a window. 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:54.860 Notice something remarkable. Eve sinned with 00:04:54.860 --> 00:04:58.740 her hands. Only after she had first entertained 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:02.759 the conversation in her mind, every visible fall 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:07.779 begins with an invisible conversation. I have 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:11.879 learned something through life. The enemy rarely 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:15.959 begins with behavior. He begins with perspective. 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:20.259 If he can change how you see your spouse, your 00:05:20.259 --> 00:05:24.220 marriage, your calling, your church, or your 00:05:24.220 --> 00:05:29.180 God, your actions will eventually follow. Behavior 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:33.459 is often the harvest. Perspective was the seed. 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:37.519 That is why we must become very careful about 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:40.899 the voices we repeatedly listen to. Not every 00:05:40.899 --> 00:05:44.990 voice deserves access to your marriage. Not every 00:05:44.990 --> 00:05:49.110 opinion deserves a seat at your table. Not every 00:05:49.110 --> 00:05:51.569 friendship deserves your deepest confidence. 00:05:52.709 --> 00:05:55.509 Not every counselor speaks with God's wisdom. 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:59.689 Not every social media personality understands 00:05:59.689 --> 00:06:03.910 covenant. Not every successful person is qualified 00:06:03.910 --> 00:06:07.769 to teach you how to build a godly home. Influence 00:06:07.769 --> 00:06:12.170 is never neutral. Every voice is planting something. 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:16.560 I have also discovered that the most dangerous 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:20.199 influences are rarely loud. They are subtle. 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:25.259 A television series that slowly normalizes unfaithfulness. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.899 A co -worker who always seems to understand you 00:06:28.899 --> 00:06:32.100 better than your spouse. An old relationship 00:06:32.100 --> 00:06:36.360 that begins with, we're just catching up. A private 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:41.100 conversation that doesn't mean anything. A comparison 00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:44.920 that starts with, I wish my marriage were more 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:49.379 like theirs. Little by little, the traveler finds 00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:53.879 a chair by the fire. The tragedy is this. Many 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:57.319 people believe they are simply opening a window. 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.939 They never intended to lose the house. No husband 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:06.040 wakes up planning to destroy his family. No wife 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:09.420 dreams of breaking her covenant. The collapse 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:13.579 usually begins much earlier. when someone or 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:17.540 something was allowed to stay long enough to 00:07:17.540 --> 00:07:21.259 reshape the atmosphere. This is why scripture 00:07:21.259 --> 00:07:25.079 repeatedly calls us to watchfulness. Not because 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:28.399 God wants us to live in fear, but because he 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:31.920 has entrusted us with something sacred. Marriage 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:36.019 is sacred. Family is sacred. Peace is sacred. 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:40.379 The presence of God in your home is sacred. Sacred 00:07:40.379 --> 00:07:45.699 things deserve protection. There is one line 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:48.079 from the elder's story that has never left me. 00:07:48.259 --> 00:07:51.480 It says, the traveler eventually left the house. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.939 But his voice remained. Think about that. The 00:07:55.939 --> 00:07:59.699 visitor departed. The whisper stayed. How true 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:03.339 that is. Many of the voices that shaped us are 00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:07.060 no longer around. Yet their words still echo 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:10.620 in our minds. Sometimes we are still fighting 00:08:10.620 --> 00:08:14.740 conversations that ended years ago. Sometimes 00:08:14.740 --> 00:08:17.959 we are still believing lies spoken by people 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:21.519 who are no longer in our lives. Sometimes we 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.120 are still living under the influence of someone 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:29.740 who has already walked away. The good news is 00:08:29.740 --> 00:08:33.559 that God also speaks. and his voice is stronger 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:36.179 than every whisper of the traveler. His truth 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:39.399 can silence every lie. His word can renew every 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:42.179 mind. His spirit can restore the atmosphere of 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:50.080 every house willing to welcome him. Next time, 00:08:50.620 --> 00:08:54.299 we will become even more practical. We will identify 00:08:54.299 --> 00:08:57.379 the specific windows that are most often left 00:08:57.379 --> 00:09:01.710 open. The window of words. the window of comparison, 00:09:02.269 --> 00:09:05.730 the window of offense, the window of secrecy, 00:09:06.049 --> 00:09:09.950 the window of distraction, the window of influence. 00:09:10.230 --> 00:09:13.669 And we'll discover that protecting a house is 00:09:13.669 --> 00:09:17.309 not about building higher walls, it's about wisely 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:20.710 guarding the windows God has entrusted to us. 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:25.210 Until then, remember this, be careful who you 00:09:25.210 --> 00:09:29.350 invite into your house, because some guests leave 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:31.539 but their voices remain.