WEBVTT 00:00:01.779 --> 00:00:05.599 Welcome to NECF. We're thrilled you're here. 00:00:06.440 --> 00:00:09.320 Make sure to stay with us till the end, where 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:11.740 we will share some great resources to deepen 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:15.800 your faith. Now, let's dive into this week's 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:23.420 sermon. Good evening, everybody. We're just quickly 00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:26.160 going through the teaching. And the title is 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.660 still The Believer's Authority in Christ. And 00:00:28.660 --> 00:00:30.280 it should be the third one, if I'm not mistaken. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.299 The believer's authority in Christ. The believer's 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:38.579 authority in Christ. And, you know, the emphasis, 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:43.259 right, this evening, right, is actually to, what 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:47.560 I say, to give us as much evidence as possible, 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:52.320 right, from the Old Testament text, right, across 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:58.630 to the time of Christ and beyond to see. That 00:00:58.630 --> 00:01:01.630 the supernatural is real through the power of 00:01:01.630 --> 00:01:06.549 God. That the supernatural is evident through 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:09.790 the power of God. That we might be able to walk 00:01:09.790 --> 00:01:14.409 in it. We might be able to walk in it. The whole 00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:17.430 purpose of this teaching is to really fill us 00:01:17.430 --> 00:01:21.250 up. So that we can understand and see the supernatural 00:01:21.250 --> 00:01:23.930 across scripture. We can see the supernatural 00:01:23.930 --> 00:01:27.450 across scripture. And by that, we come to the 00:01:27.450 --> 00:01:31.549 epignosis of things regarding the supernatural 00:01:31.549 --> 00:01:34.849 manifestation of the kingdom of God. We come 00:01:34.849 --> 00:01:39.650 to the precise and correct knowledge of it. That 00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:42.489 there will be no doubts at any point in time. 00:01:42.590 --> 00:01:45.969 That there will be no doubts even while you are 00:01:45.969 --> 00:01:49.030 out there preaching. while you are out there 00:01:49.030 --> 00:01:52.129 laying hands, while you are out there walking 00:01:52.129 --> 00:01:55.390 and seeing the kingdom of darkness and asserting 00:01:55.390 --> 00:01:57.950 your authority, that there will be no doubt that 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:00.790 you will see it evidently, right, through the 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:03.769 scripture and in your life, in my life, in our 00:02:03.769 --> 00:02:07.909 lives, in our meetings. Amen. So first of all, 00:02:07.930 --> 00:02:10.770 in my last teaching, I explained something that 00:02:10.770 --> 00:02:14.810 actually we do not have, we do not exert authority. 00:02:15.419 --> 00:02:17.740 over a believer or over a person. We don't assert 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:21.219 authority as such as we assert over the kingdom 00:02:21.219 --> 00:02:26.099 of darkness. What we need to understand, the 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:28.800 balance of it, of that we don't assert authority 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:32.360 over another person, right? I said that in my 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:33.960 previous teaching, that we don't assert authority 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.599 over another person, right? But the balance of 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:39.300 it, right, means that, you know, as Fred would 00:02:39.300 --> 00:02:41.620 say, that teaching is standing on one leg, right? 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:43.979 This is the second leg that balances it, is that... 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.960 In the functioning of life, so you can write 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.340 it down, that in the functioning of life, in 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:54.180 the functioning of life, things in the natural, 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:56.680 the functioning of life, things in the natural, 00:02:56.780 --> 00:03:02.360 the believer has an influence. The believer has 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:06.039 an impact. The believer has an impact. Therefore, 00:03:06.419 --> 00:03:09.180 we would say that in the functioning, how people 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:12.659 function, how circumstances happen around people, 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:17.479 the believer can assert the authority. I can 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.680 assert authority upon the circumstances surrounding 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.780 someone's life. I can assert my authority as 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:27.699 a child of God. I can see someone that is healed, 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.879 that is sick, and I can rebuke the sickness. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:34.180 That's the circumstance. And the person is healed. 00:03:34.340 --> 00:03:37.439 So I can also see the person, right, under the 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.979 oppression of the devil. The person might even 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:43.620 be ignorant. And I can assert the power of God 00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:46.520 in that circumstance and the person will be delivered. 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:48.879 The person will be delivered. Because circumstances 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.400 of life, right, circumstances of life and this, 00:03:52.580 --> 00:03:55.919 you know, natural things, they also respond. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:59.280 They respond to the supernatural power in the 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.919 believer. And this is the truth. The circumstances 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:07.419 of life, the things in the natural respond to 00:04:07.419 --> 00:04:11.199 the supernatural power of God that is in the 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:14.919 believer. That is in the believer. So while the 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:19.459 believer, while we cannot push, I mean, while 00:04:19.459 --> 00:04:23.040 we cannot, how do I say it? Push someone's will 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.980 to believe, right? We influence someone's will 00:04:26.980 --> 00:04:31.120 by preaching the gospel. Luke chapter 24. We 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.180 influence someone's will by preaching the gospel. 00:04:34.459 --> 00:04:37.360 Then the person exercises their will in believing. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:42.439 So while we cannot affect that, circumstances, 00:04:42.939 --> 00:04:44.720 natural circumstances surrounding people's life, 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:48.319 the believer, the supernatural power of God in 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.639 the life of the believer, right, can make significant 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:55.920 impacts. So we can go to Luke 24, Luke 24, Luke 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.339 24, verse 26. Let's start with this. It is written. 00:05:00.110 --> 00:05:03.209 that Christ should suffer and on the third day 00:05:03.209 --> 00:05:07.350 rise from the dead and that repentance and forgiveness 00:05:07.350 --> 00:05:11.910 of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all 00:05:11.910 --> 00:05:15.949 nations. And from Jerusalem, you are witness 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:18.370 of these things and behold, I'm sending the promise 00:05:18.370 --> 00:05:20.509 of the father upon you, but stay in the city 00:05:20.509 --> 00:05:24.389 until you are clothed with power from on high. 00:05:24.529 --> 00:05:27.430 So he said, repentance and forgiveness of sin. 00:05:27.949 --> 00:05:32.290 will be proclaimed in his name, right? Will be 00:05:32.290 --> 00:05:36.410 proclaimed in his name. And Romans 10, right? 00:05:36.490 --> 00:05:40.110 Romans 10 would give more clarity on that. Romans 00:05:40.110 --> 00:05:42.889 10 would give more clarity on that. And it will 00:05:42.889 --> 00:05:47.449 further and say, Romans 10 from verse 8, right? 00:05:47.509 --> 00:05:50.610 From verse 8. But what does it say? The word 00:05:50.610 --> 00:05:53.610 is near you in your mouth and in your heart. 00:05:53.730 --> 00:05:57.099 That is the word of faith that we proclaim. So 00:05:57.099 --> 00:06:01.819 you see there in Luke 24, forgiveness of sin, 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:05.939 repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:09.279 in his name to all nations. And here he says 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.360 that that's a word that we, that word of faith 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:16.139 that we proclaim. Because if you confess with 00:06:16.139 --> 00:06:18.220 your heart that Jesus is Lord and believe in 00:06:18.220 --> 00:06:19.959 your heart that God raised him from the dead, 00:06:20.139 --> 00:06:23.339 you will be saved. So he's talking about believing. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.920 the repentance and forgiveness of sin through 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:30.120 Christ, right? So it's bringing us together that 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.259 a man is only saved, right? By believing in the 00:06:34.259 --> 00:06:36.579 message that we proclaim to you, which is repentance 00:06:36.579 --> 00:06:39.399 and forgiveness of sin that is proclaimed in 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:42.139 the name of Christ. So we see that, that we cannot 00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:45.360 influence anyone except through the part of the 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.500 gospel. So through the gospel that how we influence 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:50.620 men and they have to believe, they have to take 00:06:50.620 --> 00:06:56.100 a position. of believing in the message that 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:58.980 they have received. While that is true, right? 00:07:00.019 --> 00:07:02.839 Circumstances surrounding people's life, the 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:06.519 believer has a lot of influences. So we can actually 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.480 supernaturally affect what happens in the natural. 00:07:09.699 --> 00:07:13.180 Let's go to 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12. 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:15.939 So 1 Corinthians 12, when we start talking about 00:07:15.939 --> 00:07:19.600 the gifts, right? You will see that in that first 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:25.019 few paragraphs, In those first few verses, the 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:30.480 emphasis was actually on these gifts and for 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:33.779 the common good. For edification, for the common 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:36.300 good, for the good of the church. 1 Corinthians 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:41.740 12, from verse 4. Now there are varieties of 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:44.959 gifts, but the same spirits, and there are varieties 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:47.079 of service, but the same Lord. And there are 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:49.920 varieties of activities, but it is the same God. 00:07:50.569 --> 00:07:54.529 who empowers them all in everyone. To each is 00:07:54.529 --> 00:07:59.069 given the manifestation of the spirits for common 00:07:59.069 --> 00:08:01.990 good, right? As we say, for common good. So Jesus 00:08:01.990 --> 00:08:05.050 said for, you know, everybody's profiting, right? 00:08:05.110 --> 00:08:07.069 For the benefit of the church, for the benefit 00:08:07.069 --> 00:08:09.850 of everybody. For to one is given through the 00:08:09.850 --> 00:08:12.529 spirit all trends of wisdom and to another all 00:08:12.529 --> 00:08:14.410 trends of knowledge according to the same spirit. 00:08:14.509 --> 00:08:19.170 And it continues in verse 11 says, All these 00:08:19.170 --> 00:08:21.649 are empowered by one and the same spirit who 00:08:21.649 --> 00:08:25.790 apportions to each one individually as he wills. 00:08:25.949 --> 00:08:28.810 So as we come together in our meetings, right? 00:08:28.889 --> 00:08:30.750 As we come together in our meetings, as people 00:08:30.750 --> 00:08:33.610 desire these gifts, right? They walk in them, 00:08:33.669 --> 00:08:36.210 right? You desire to prophesy, you walk in prophecy. 00:08:36.389 --> 00:08:39.889 You desire to walk in the gift of faith, you 00:08:39.889 --> 00:08:42.529 walk in it. You desire to walk in the sermon 00:08:42.529 --> 00:08:44.110 of spirit, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, 00:08:44.230 --> 00:08:46.470 you walk in it because it says as each of them 00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:48.840 will. But one thing is certain there, or one 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.600 thing is emphasized there, is that for the common 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:55.659 good, right? For the common good, it means for 00:08:55.659 --> 00:08:58.940 us, for the benefit of us, or that we are edified, 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:04.679 right? Now, when we come to chapter 14, let's 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:06.899 come to chapter 14 of the same 1 Corinthians. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.759 Do we observe that when they start teaching about 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:13.149 prophecy and tongues, When we start teaching 00:09:13.149 --> 00:09:15.230 about prophecy and tongues, towards the end, 00:09:15.370 --> 00:09:21.450 Apostle Paul introduced something which included 00:09:21.450 --> 00:09:30.690 the unbeliever as a beneficiary in prophecy and 00:09:30.690 --> 00:09:34.610 tongues. So if you read from verse 20. of chapter 00:09:34.610 --> 00:09:38.070 14 of 1 Corinthians. So brothers, do not be children 00:09:38.070 --> 00:09:40.590 in your thinking, right? Be infants in evil, 00:09:40.669 --> 00:09:43.570 but in your thinking, be matured. In the law, 00:09:43.570 --> 00:09:46.389 it is written, by people of strange tongues and 00:09:46.389 --> 00:09:48.470 by lips of foreigners will I speak to these people. 00:09:48.590 --> 00:09:51.789 And even when they will not listen to me, says 00:09:51.789 --> 00:09:55.710 the Lord. Those songs, those tongues are not 00:09:55.710 --> 00:09:59.149 a sign for believers, but for unbelievers. While 00:09:59.149 --> 00:10:01.710 prophecy is a sign, not for unbelievers, but 00:10:01.710 --> 00:10:04.639 for believers. If therefore the whole church, 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:07.559 you see, from verse 23, pay attention. I say, 00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:10.360 if therefore the whole church comes together 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:14.360 and all speak in tongues and an outsider or unbeliever 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:17.840 enters, will they not say that you are out of 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:21.120 your minds? But if all prophesy, and there's 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.000 an unbeliever in church, right? If all prophesy 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:28.100 and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:32.320 by all. He is called to account by all. the secret 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:35.519 of his heart are disclosed. And so falling on 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.720 his face, he will worship God and declare that 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:43.399 God is really among you, right? He will worship 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:47.659 God and say, God is really among you. So he painted 00:10:47.659 --> 00:10:51.840 this picture of the fact that when we are together 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.840 and we have supernatural outrances, right? When 00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:59.100 there's supernatural outrance and there is prophecy, 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:04.600 right? An unbeliever, right, can receive a word 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:07.779 from prophecy. So in the supernatural expression 00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:12.720 of the believer, right, an outsider, when it 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:16.500 comes as prophecy, an outsider can receive a 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:18.779 word, can receive instruction, can receive direction, 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:24.139 can have an understanding and say truly, right, 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:27.379 just to say truly God is really among you. So 00:11:27.379 --> 00:11:29.840 here we see that when it comes to the supernatural, 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:34.279 is something that will benefit the church. And 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:38.659 when we prophesy, someone from outside can also 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:43.059 benefit from it. So we can therefore say the 00:11:43.059 --> 00:11:45.940 supernatural gifts and supernatural utterances 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:50.320 are both for believers and a believer can receive 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:55.100 instructions from it. We can instruct an unbeliever, 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:59.039 an outsider, because we have received a word. 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:01.379 Right. By the spirit. This is what happens when 00:12:01.379 --> 00:12:04.659 we go for evangelism. And then we meet people 00:12:04.659 --> 00:12:07.059 on the street and we receive a word for them. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.799 Right. And when they receive this word, they 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:13.120 are edified, they are blessed. They confirm and 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.279 say, truly, truly, I know that you have come 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:20.399 from God. Of course, sometimes some of them don't 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.259 still believe after they receive this supernatural 00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:26.519 word of instruction, clarity, the secret of their 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:29.039 hearts made known to them and their directions 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:32.620 are given unto them. Sometimes, I mean, sadly, 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:35.340 they still walk away. They still walk away, but 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:39.720 they can also benefit in this supernatural manifestation 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:42.720 that comes from. the believer, right? They can 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.980 benefit from that. So what we are seeing here 00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:47.120 is that both the believer and unbeliever, right? 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.039 They can benefit from it, but it's giving expression 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:53.320 only through the believer. Supernatural expressions 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:57.340 only comes through the believer. Please note 00:12:57.340 --> 00:12:59.820 this thing that I said here about the outsiders, 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:05.120 about the unbeliever who receives a word from 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.490 the supernatural expression of a church. Please 00:13:08.490 --> 00:13:11.330 note it. Because when we begin to see from the 00:13:11.330 --> 00:13:13.649 scriptures I'm going to go through, we would 00:13:13.649 --> 00:13:18.230 notice, right? We will notice that just like 00:13:18.230 --> 00:13:21.269 I said, that in the functioning of life and things 00:13:21.269 --> 00:13:23.730 around us and circumstances around people's life, 00:13:23.850 --> 00:13:28.009 because the believer has an authority, right? 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:32.610 We can impact and assert influence on those circumstances, 00:13:32.809 --> 00:13:35.629 right? We can impact and assert influence on 00:13:35.629 --> 00:13:39.230 those circumstances. unbelievers are within those 00:13:39.230 --> 00:13:42.470 contexts. So it's about the authority in the 00:13:42.470 --> 00:13:45.190 believer. It's not about the situation. And it's 00:13:45.190 --> 00:13:47.850 not about the unbeliever. It's about the authority, 00:13:47.970 --> 00:13:50.870 the power of God that is in the believer. The 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:54.230 focus is the power of God that is resident, that 00:13:54.230 --> 00:13:57.830 is indwelling in the believer. So therefore, 00:13:57.970 --> 00:14:01.470 sometimes, right, we can find circumstances where 00:14:01.470 --> 00:14:04.529 we are sat the supernatural power of God and 00:14:04.529 --> 00:14:08.399 unbelievers can be. partakers you know of the 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.899 result of it or the benefits so this is authority 00:14:12.899 --> 00:14:16.840 this is how authority works okay it works responding 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:20.059 to the one who carries the authority responding 00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:22.820 to the one who carries the authority so right 00:14:22.820 --> 00:14:26.299 now i will begin to check scriptures begin to 00:14:26.299 --> 00:14:31.200 check scriptures um we can check scriptures now 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.399 let's let's go to hebrews 11 12 to 14 hebrews 00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:39.309 11 Let's start from Hebrews 11. Of course, that 00:14:39.309 --> 00:14:41.110 was nowhere I intend to start from, but we start 00:14:41.110 --> 00:14:45.909 from Hebrews 11, right? Hebrews 11, 12 to 14. 00:14:46.230 --> 00:14:49.830 It's a death for from one man and him as good 00:14:49.830 --> 00:14:55.409 as dead. We are born descendants, right? As many 00:14:55.409 --> 00:14:59.470 as the stars of the heaven, as many, right? As 00:14:59.470 --> 00:15:03.950 innumerable grains of the sun of the sea. So 00:15:03.950 --> 00:15:08.039 we can see. If you read from verse 10, it says, 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:38.320 of sand, right, by the seashore. Now, this is 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:41.360 actually referring to, in a way, referring to 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.899 Abraham's situation, right, situation in the 00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:48.539 natural, right, reflecting to his situation in 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:51.159 the natural as good as dead, right, as good as 00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:54.200 dead, as someone in the natural that we do not 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:57.059 expect, right, that we do not expect to give 00:15:57.059 --> 00:15:59.379 birth. But when we go back, we will see that 00:16:00.180 --> 00:16:03.299 despite the natural situation, right? There's 00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:06.240 a supernatural power of God that function in 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:09.440 Sarah, right? The supernatural power of God that 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.379 function in Sarah and Abraham. And then they 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:14.500 give birth to Isaac, right? They give birth to 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:18.019 Isaac. Now, this is what I'm saying, that circumstances 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:20.820 surrounding, right? The believer circumstances 00:16:20.820 --> 00:16:24.419 surrounding. because the supernatural power of 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:27.600 God actually can function. Of course, we interpret 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.960 this and it leads us to Christ. All this, Hebrews 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:33.620 11, points us to Christ. But we see that the 00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:36.580 man that is as good as dead, like non -functioning, 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:39.820 became functional, right? The woman became functional, 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:43.879 even when in the natural is not expected. So 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:45.519 we see that these things are actually supernatural 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:49.539 impact of God through the believer. So let's 00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:52.379 check, right, and trace much more. how these 00:16:52.379 --> 00:16:56.460 supernatural activities, right? Do we have them 00:16:56.460 --> 00:16:58.919 in the Old Testament? Do we still have them today, 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:01.679 right? So that's the main focus of this teaching 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:06.500 because sometimes we overlook them and that's 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:08.319 the truth, right? Sometimes we overlook them. 00:17:08.460 --> 00:17:12.640 We overlook probably miracles. We overlook the 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.559 supernatural taking place. Our focus sometimes 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.759 is mostly in the natural and how natural things 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:24.029 function. But the emphasis here is to raise up 00:17:24.029 --> 00:17:29.890 our faith and direct us much more to see and 00:17:29.890 --> 00:17:34.930 focus more on the supernatural and then expect 00:17:34.930 --> 00:17:38.049 it. That's another thing, that we might expect 00:17:38.049 --> 00:17:41.710 it. So we are so focused on the natural that 00:17:41.710 --> 00:17:43.950 when even we say the supernatural is about to 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:46.549 take place, we don't expect it. We don't even 00:17:46.549 --> 00:17:50.700 break through from the natural. So, from the 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:52.960 scriptures, we will see that from the Old Testament 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.519 text, there are a lot of supernatural events 00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:58.140 that happen. And in the, you know, what we call 00:17:58.140 --> 00:18:00.920 the New Testament text, they are still happening. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:04.400 And they can happen in our lives. Right? That's 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:07.140 true. They can happen in our lives. And we can 00:18:07.140 --> 00:18:09.859 see that. So, we can start with Exodus. Right? 00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:12.440 So, let's start our journey gradually with Exodus 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:17.420 14. Right? With Exodus 14. With Exodus 14. Now, 00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:21.119 we'll go to verse... Verse 15, Exodus 14 from 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:23.359 verse 15, actually from verse one to 31, but 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:26.099 we'll go to verse 15. And the Lord said to Moses, 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:28.940 why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:33.140 to go forward, lift up your staff and stretch 00:18:33.140 --> 00:18:36.920 out your hand over the sea and divide it. And 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:40.400 the people of Israel may go through the dry ground 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.420 and I'll harden the hearts of the Egyptians so 00:18:43.420 --> 00:18:46.980 that they shall go in after them and I'll glory 00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:50.880 over Pharaoh. and all the hosts of his chariots 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.759 and his horsemen. And the Egyptian shall know 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:57.180 that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory 00:18:57.180 --> 00:19:00.000 over Pharaoh and his chariots and his horsemen. 00:19:00.099 --> 00:19:03.200 Then the angel of God, who was going before the 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.579 hosts of Israel, moved and went behind them, 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:10.099 and the pillar of cloud moved before them and 00:19:10.099 --> 00:19:12.819 stood behind them, coming between the hosts of 00:19:12.819 --> 00:19:15.880 Egypt and the hosts of Israel. And there was 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:19.269 a cloud and darkness. and it lit up the night 00:19:19.269 --> 00:19:23.009 without one coming near the other. Then Moses 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:25.589 stretched out his hand over the sea, and the 00:19:25.589 --> 00:19:28.829 Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind 00:19:28.829 --> 00:19:33.509 all night and made the sea dry, and the waters 00:19:33.509 --> 00:19:37.089 were divided. And the people of Israel went into 00:19:37.089 --> 00:19:41.289 the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the waters 00:19:41.289 --> 00:19:44.069 being a wall to them on their right hand and 00:19:44.069 --> 00:19:46.779 on their left. Right. So we see that they walked 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:49.819 on dry ground and the water was like a wall on 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:53.220 both sides to them. So what we see here is actually 00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:56.559 the supernatural power of God taking place and 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.920 functioning in the circumstances of a people. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.180 Right. Of a people. So we see all those descriptions 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:05.680 that the angel of God following them. We see 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.339 the cloud. We see the pillar of fire. Then we 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:11.740 see Moses, a certain authority through the staff 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:16.059 in his hand and dividing. the sea. Now, this 00:20:16.059 --> 00:20:18.299 happened real. This is not something that we 00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:21.420 say, of course, it points to something, a salvation 00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:24.940 that is to come, but it happened in real life, 00:20:25.079 --> 00:20:27.220 right? I think that's the way I can say it. So 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:30.279 it happened real. It means a part of God is functional 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:33.460 through the man of God. And this is supernatural 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:37.619 events, right? Taking place in the Old Testament 00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:40.220 text, right? Taking place in the Old Testament 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:43.109 text. Now we see that this took place for the 00:20:43.109 --> 00:20:46.369 preservation of the people. So this took place 00:20:46.369 --> 00:20:49.470 for the preservation of the people. The exercise 00:20:49.470 --> 00:20:52.930 of the supernatural and then someone is preserved 00:20:52.930 --> 00:20:56.089 from trouble. The exercise of the supernatural 00:20:56.089 --> 00:21:00.369 can take place through you and someone is preserved 00:21:00.369 --> 00:21:03.569 from trouble. So we must pay attention as we 00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:06.099 daily live. To know that the supernatural can 00:21:06.099 --> 00:21:08.680 take place through you and someone will be preserved 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:10.720 from trouble. A people will be preserved from 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.859 trouble. Let's go to Exodus 16. Let's move to 00:21:13.859 --> 00:21:16.480 Exodus 16, just the next page. So this one, they 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:18.740 are preserved from an enemy. That's what we see, 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:20.880 right? They are preserved from destruction. They 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.099 are preserved from an enemy. Exodus 16 gives 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:28.559 another, not another perspective, but another 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:33.599 deliverance of God. Exodus 16, we can go to verse, 00:21:34.990 --> 00:21:37.569 We can go to verse 9. Then Moses said to Aaron, 00:21:37.730 --> 00:21:40.769 said to the whole congregation of the people 00:21:40.769 --> 00:21:44.049 of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for he 00:21:44.049 --> 00:21:46.269 has heard your grumbling. And as soon as Aaron 00:21:46.269 --> 00:21:48.130 spoke to the congregation of the people, they 00:21:48.130 --> 00:21:50.970 looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:52.950 glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And 00:21:52.950 --> 00:21:54.450 the Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling 00:21:54.450 --> 00:21:57.569 of the people of Israel. Say to them, As three 00:21:57.569 --> 00:22:00.690 lights you shall eat meat in the morning, and 00:22:00.690 --> 00:22:03.269 you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall 00:22:03.269 --> 00:22:06.000 know that I am God. And in the evening, right, 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:08.660 Quill came up and covered the camp in the morning 00:22:08.660 --> 00:22:12.019 dew, in the morning dew, right, in the morning 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:14.900 dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.839 gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:21.380 a fine flakes like a thin, right, fine as the 00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:24.599 frost of the ground. When the people of Israel 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:26.680 saw it, they said to another, what is this? For 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:28.559 they did not know what it was. And Moses said 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.259 to them, right, Moses said to them, it is the 00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:35.569 bread that the Lord. has given you to eat. This 00:22:35.569 --> 00:22:38.529 is what the Lord has commanded. Gather of each 00:22:38.529 --> 00:22:41.329 one of you as you eat. You shall eat and take 00:22:41.329 --> 00:22:44.490 your own man. And those instructions go like 00:22:44.490 --> 00:22:49.009 that. Now, what we see here, right, is also supernatural 00:22:49.009 --> 00:22:53.470 provision. Okay? Supernatural provision. Why 00:22:53.470 --> 00:22:57.529 so many times we try to shift away from it, right? 00:22:57.609 --> 00:23:00.029 We try to shift away from it because there are 00:23:00.029 --> 00:23:03.079 excesses. It does not mean. that there are no 00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:06.519 supernatural provisions, okay? Because there 00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:09.599 are excesses of people saying, oh, all your life 00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:11.740 from January to December, you have to depend 00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:14.559 on supernatural provision. And then people become 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.259 lazy. It does not mean that there are no supernatural 00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:21.380 provisions. And this is one of the things that 00:23:21.380 --> 00:23:24.980 we need to bring back to our knowledge, right? 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.720 When we study the scriptures, that because there 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:30.420 are extremes to it. that makes people lazy and 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:32.660 makes people misinterpret the scripture does 00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:35.480 not mean that supernatural provisions does not 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:39.779 exist. It does exist. Why? For the preservation 00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:42.200 of the people again. So supernatural provisions 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:45.599 can be made available for the preservation of 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:48.819 the people. Of course, you know that Israel did 00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:52.400 not eat manna all through their life. They only 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.250 ate it for a period of time. That is what's paying 00:23:55.250 --> 00:23:57.529 attention to, that this supernatural provision 00:23:57.529 --> 00:24:00.450 was provided. Now, if you read from verse 16, 00:24:00.609 --> 00:24:04.609 it said they left a place called Elim, which 00:24:04.609 --> 00:24:09.390 had 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. That 00:24:09.390 --> 00:24:13.009 is Exodus 15, 27. They left a place. They moved 00:24:13.009 --> 00:24:15.250 from Elim and they moved to the wilderness of 00:24:15.250 --> 00:24:17.910 Sin, right? And there was no water. So they were 00:24:17.910 --> 00:24:20.130 found in a situation. where they couldn't find, 00:24:20.170 --> 00:24:22.089 when they were in a limb, there was no record 00:24:22.089 --> 00:24:24.029 that they said they cried for water. But when 00:24:24.029 --> 00:24:27.089 there was a need, right, there was provision 00:24:27.089 --> 00:24:30.569 made for them. So they ate that, right, and they 00:24:30.569 --> 00:24:33.509 drank that. Don't forget, we'll come to 1 Corinthians 00:24:33.509 --> 00:24:37.250 10 that also later refers to this. So supernatural 00:24:37.250 --> 00:24:40.170 provisions for feeding, it happens, it takes 00:24:40.170 --> 00:24:44.869 place. It takes place. All right, so verse 17, 00:24:44.930 --> 00:24:48.049 chapter 17, let's just go to chapter 17 and see 00:24:48.049 --> 00:24:50.759 the other one. chapter 17 from verse 1 to 6. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:53.440 So after they had eaten all of this manna and 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.299 this quail, right, all the congregation of the 00:24:57.299 --> 00:24:59.740 people of Israel moved from the wilderness of 00:24:59.740 --> 00:25:03.380 sin, you see, by stages, according to the commandment 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:06.619 of the Lord. So in their movements, problems 00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:10.900 arise and supernatural provisions were made in 00:25:10.900 --> 00:25:13.259 their movement as they were moving. So you will 00:25:13.259 --> 00:25:15.480 see that by stages, according to the commandment 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:19.069 of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim. but there 00:25:19.069 --> 00:25:22.470 was no water for the people to drink. Therefore, 00:25:22.630 --> 00:25:24.910 the people quarreled with Moses and said, give 00:25:24.910 --> 00:25:27.170 us water to drink, right? After they've eaten. 00:25:27.390 --> 00:25:29.089 And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with 00:25:29.089 --> 00:25:32.690 me? Why do you test the Lord? But the people 00:25:32.690 --> 00:25:35.369 tested there for water and the people grumbled. 00:25:35.569 --> 00:25:38.109 And why did you bring us? And they made all complaints. 00:25:38.589 --> 00:25:41.950 Now, what happened? Behold, let's read from verse 00:25:41.950 --> 00:25:44.789 five. And the Lord said to Moses, pass on before 00:25:44.789 --> 00:25:46.789 the people take in with you some of the elders 00:25:46.789 --> 00:25:50.920 and take. In your end, the staff with which you 00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:53.299 struck the nail and go. Behold, I will stand 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:56.779 before you there on the rock at Horeb. And you 00:25:56.779 --> 00:25:59.680 shall strike the rock. And water shall come out 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:02.700 of it. And the people will drink. And Moses did 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:05.819 so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And 00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:07.980 he called the name of the place Masa and Meribah 00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:11.400 because of the quarreling of the people of Israel. 00:26:11.500 --> 00:26:16.220 And because they tested the Lord by saying, is 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:20.589 the Lord. amongst us or not. I'll come back to 00:26:20.589 --> 00:26:23.890 that statement. But what we see here is that 00:26:23.890 --> 00:26:26.410 within two chapters, the supernatural provision 00:26:26.410 --> 00:26:29.769 of food, the supernatural provision of water 00:26:29.769 --> 00:26:34.089 within their circumstances, right? Within the 00:26:34.089 --> 00:26:36.990 circumstances of them. So these supernatural 00:26:36.990 --> 00:26:40.170 provisions take place. The supernatural power 00:26:40.170 --> 00:26:42.829 of God walks through the man of God, Moses, to 00:26:42.829 --> 00:26:45.569 make things available for the people of God. 00:26:46.250 --> 00:26:51.910 In quotes, right? So we see that here. And of 00:26:51.910 --> 00:26:55.430 course, when we go to 1 Corinthians, I think 00:26:55.430 --> 00:26:57.829 we should go to John 6, 49 first. Let's go to 00:26:57.829 --> 00:27:01.970 John 6, 49. To corroborate Exodus 16, we'll just 00:27:01.970 --> 00:27:06.690 go to John 6, 49. John 6, 49. Say, your fathers 00:27:06.690 --> 00:27:10.069 ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 00:27:10.779 --> 00:27:13.480 right? They died. We'll come to that. But first, 00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:16.079 they ate the manna in the wilderness. It means 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:18.160 there was a provision, right? So Jesus acknowledged 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:21.599 that, that there was a divine provision and they 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.700 ate this manna in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:29.519 10 verse 1 to 4 would also tell us that they 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:33.660 ate and they drank, right? Of course, symbolizing 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:36.839 many things there. Well, let's see. So for I 00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:39.950 do not want you to be unaware, brothers. 1 Corinthians 00:27:39.950 --> 00:27:43.589 10 from verse 1. That our fathers were all under 00:27:43.589 --> 00:27:45.349 the cloud and all passed through the sea and 00:27:45.349 --> 00:27:48.369 were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and 00:27:48.369 --> 00:27:50.609 in the sea. And they all ate the same spiritual 00:27:50.609 --> 00:27:52.470 food and all drank the same spiritual drink. 00:27:52.809 --> 00:27:57.910 For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed 00:27:57.910 --> 00:28:01.089 them. And that rock was Christ. God said, I will 00:28:01.089 --> 00:28:02.789 be in front of you and you will hit the rock. 00:28:03.009 --> 00:28:06.269 So that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most 00:28:06.269 --> 00:28:10.269 of them, God was not pleased. for they were overthrown 00:28:10.269 --> 00:28:13.509 in the wilderness. So another evidence to show 00:28:13.509 --> 00:28:15.930 that the earth's spiritual food, right, the earth 00:28:15.930 --> 00:28:18.589 is divinely provided food, and the drunk are 00:28:18.589 --> 00:28:23.130 divinely provided water in the wilderness. In 00:28:23.130 --> 00:28:26.630 the wilderness, the earth and they were delivered, 00:28:27.049 --> 00:28:31.630 the earth and the drunk. Now one more, one more. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:34.359 So supernatural preservation, we see supernatural 00:28:34.359 --> 00:28:37.319 food made available, drink. Then we see one more, 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:40.700 Numbers 21, verse 9. Because the believer actually 00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:43.980 can walk in these things, right? We can intervene 00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:47.839 in circumstances like this. Numbers 21, verse 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:52.400 9. Numbers 21, verse 9. Thank you, Jesus. It 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:55.420 says, so Moses made a bronze, a bronze serpent, 00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:59.319 and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bites 00:28:59.319 --> 00:29:03.440 anyone, He would look at the bronze serpents 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:06.740 and leave, right? He would look at the bronze 00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:10.740 serpents and leave. So we see this also as a 00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:12.900 means by which people are being healed, right? 00:29:12.980 --> 00:29:16.059 Divine healing taking place in this place. And 00:29:16.059 --> 00:29:21.920 we will see it also in John 3, 14, right? John 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:26.019 3, 14 gave the scriptures that as Moses, right? 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:28.650 As Moses raised, that was now... interpreted 00:29:28.650 --> 00:29:31.990 as a pattern and as a message, right? The message 00:29:31.990 --> 00:29:35.849 was explained from that event that happened, 00:29:35.950 --> 00:29:38.789 right? The message was explained from Moses raising 00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:45.130 the snake. Let's see. John 3, verse 14. It said, 00:29:45.170 --> 00:29:47.569 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 00:29:47.809 --> 00:29:51.950 so was the Son of Man lifted up, that whosoever 00:29:51.950 --> 00:29:57.079 believes in him may have eternal life. So, what 00:29:57.079 --> 00:30:01.240 Moses did there, right, was physical healing, 00:30:01.240 --> 00:30:12.720 right, was physical healing. And Jesus interpreted 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:21.539 this and said about eternal life. So, here, natural 00:30:21.539 --> 00:30:44.089 life was preserved in John. So we see all, all 00:30:44.089 --> 00:30:48.849 of these. Sorry about the breaking transmission. 00:30:49.230 --> 00:30:53.390 I really know how that opens. I hope we are back 00:30:53.390 --> 00:30:55.900 now. I hope we're able to get Numbers 21, verse 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:59.839 9. Right? Did we get Numbers 21, verse 9? And 00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:04.099 John 3, verse 14. Yes. Thank you, sir. So, we 00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:08.640 got it. So, now, Jesus explained that in the 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:10.740 light of eternal life, that if you look at Christ, 00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:13.299 if you believe in Christ, you will be saved. 00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:17.380 So, these supernatural events are taking place. 00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:20.160 Now, before we go further, the question I would 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:24.759 like to ask, was Israel saved? in these situations? 00:31:24.839 --> 00:31:28.279 The answer is Israel was not saved. Most of them 00:31:28.279 --> 00:31:33.640 were in unbelief, right? Most of them were in 00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:40.279 unbelief in their movement and their walk with 00:31:40.279 --> 00:31:43.240 God. They were in high level of unbelief, what 00:31:43.240 --> 00:31:46.359 I can call high level, right? Because after every 00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:50.700 deliverance and supernatural manifestation of 00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:55.200 God, right? Plus the message of Moses revealing 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.960 Christ to them. They still walk in unbelief. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:01.980 So why is the supernatural functioning among 00:32:01.980 --> 00:32:04.500 them? That's the question we would ask. Why is 00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:07.710 the supernatural? functioning among. Do you remember 00:32:07.710 --> 00:32:10.789 that question? They said, is God even amongst 00:32:10.789 --> 00:32:13.970 us, right? God was among them. They were asking 00:32:13.970 --> 00:32:17.789 if God was among them, right? So Israel was working 00:32:17.789 --> 00:32:20.690 in series of unbelief. So we need to know where, 00:32:20.710 --> 00:32:24.289 why is all this taking place? It is because there's 00:32:24.289 --> 00:32:27.410 a man of God there called Moses that is leading 00:32:27.410 --> 00:32:31.009 them and under the authority granted to him by 00:32:31.009 --> 00:32:35.059 God, those things were taken. For their preservation, 00:32:35.259 --> 00:32:38.819 for their healing, despite their unbelief. So 00:32:38.819 --> 00:32:41.480 it's just an authority that the circumstances 00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:44.779 around respond to the authority of the man of 00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:48.140 God, Moses. As he receives instruction from God, 00:32:48.299 --> 00:32:51.720 when Moses receives instruction from God, he 00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:54.799 executes those instructions and the circumstances 00:32:54.799 --> 00:32:57.799 surrounding that respond to him. If it is by 00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:00.799 Israel's fate, nothing will happen. If it is 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.109 by Israel's fate, nothing. will happen. But by 00:33:05.109 --> 00:33:09.349 Moses, right, having the authority, being appointed 00:33:09.349 --> 00:33:12.289 by God to lead them, the supernatural took place. 00:33:12.410 --> 00:33:15.569 So the same way, right, I'm going to continue 00:33:15.569 --> 00:33:18.450 with other scriptures. In the same way, when 00:33:18.450 --> 00:33:22.269 the believer, right, is in certain circumstances, 00:33:22.789 --> 00:33:26.670 the believer can assert his authority, right, 00:33:26.750 --> 00:33:30.230 to put things in place. And unbelievers can benefit 00:33:30.230 --> 00:33:33.490 from it. I mean, it's not unfortunately, but 00:33:33.490 --> 00:33:35.950 it's just the way things are. It's just because 00:33:35.950 --> 00:33:38.589 the circumstances would respond, would respect 00:33:38.589 --> 00:33:41.630 the authority of God in the believer. And this 00:33:41.630 --> 00:33:45.650 is what we must know. Do you remember what I 00:33:45.650 --> 00:33:47.910 was going to do? Let me give us an example in 00:33:47.910 --> 00:33:53.690 the New Testament. Acts chapter 27. I will still 00:33:53.690 --> 00:33:56.170 refer to it again when we continue the teaching. 00:33:56.349 --> 00:34:01.339 Acts chapter 27. It tells you that The unbeliever 00:34:01.339 --> 00:34:05.279 has the authority, right? From God has the authority, 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:08.280 the power within working in him to put things 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:11.360 in place for preservation of many, for healing 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:14.420 of many, for provisions for many. Now let's see 00:34:14.420 --> 00:34:16.559 what, what happened to Paul, right? Paul was 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:21.280 in the midst of a storm and many were preserved 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:24.300 through that. Let's see. Verse nine, Acts chapter 00:34:24.300 --> 00:34:27.780 seven, verse nine. Since much time had passed 00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:30.380 and the voyage was not dangerous because, The 00:34:30.380 --> 00:34:35.360 event fast was already over. Paul advised them, 00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:40.179 saying, Sir, I perceive that this voyage will 00:34:40.179 --> 00:34:43.760 be with injury and much loss, not only of the 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:47.860 cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. You 00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:51.519 see? But the centurion paid more attention to 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.619 the pilot, to the owner of the ship, than to 00:34:53.619 --> 00:34:56.760 what Paul said. And because... The harbour was 00:34:56.760 --> 00:34:59.920 not suitable to spend the night in. The majority 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:02.380 decided to put out to the sea from there. On 00:35:02.380 --> 00:35:04.199 the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:07.800 a harbour in Crete, facing the southwest and 00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:10.739 the northwest, and spend the winter there. Now, 00:35:10.739 --> 00:35:13.519 when the south wind blew gently, supposing they 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:16.219 had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchors 00:35:16.219 --> 00:35:18.739 and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. But 00:35:18.739 --> 00:35:22.340 soon as the tempestuous wind called the northeaster 00:35:22.340 --> 00:35:26.380 struck down the land, And when the ship was caught 00:35:26.380 --> 00:35:29.380 and could not face the wind, they gave way to 00:35:29.380 --> 00:35:32.460 it and were all driven along, running under the 00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:36.760 lee of a small island called Kauda. We managed 00:35:36.760 --> 00:35:40.360 with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. After 00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:44.000 hoisting it up, they used support and unguarded 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:47.420 the ship. Then, fearing that they would run on 00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:51.420 the cities, they lowered the gear. Since we were 00:35:51.420 --> 00:35:53.300 violently stormed, they began the next day to 00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:57.539 jettison. the cargo. Now, if you go to verse 00:35:57.539 --> 00:36:02.199 21, it says, since they had been without food 00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:04.780 for a long time, Paul stood up among them and 00:36:04.780 --> 00:36:08.440 said, men, you should have listened to me and 00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:10.780 not have sailed from Crete and incurred this 00:36:10.780 --> 00:36:13.880 injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:17.659 for there will be no loss of life among you, 00:36:17.719 --> 00:36:21.519 but only of the sheep. For this very night, there 00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:25.920 stood before me an angel of God to whom I belong 00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:29.139 and whom I worship. And he said, do not be afraid. 00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:32.860 Paul, you must stand before Caesar and behold, 00:36:33.099 --> 00:36:36.699 God has granted you all those who sail with you. 00:36:36.780 --> 00:36:40.139 God has granted you all you, right? God has granted 00:36:40.139 --> 00:36:42.659 you all those who sail with you. So take heart, 00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:46.760 men, for I have faith in God that it will be 00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:50.519 exactly as I have been told. but we must run 00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:55.039 aground on some highlands. So in the circumstances 00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:58.579 of Paul, right, that's a deliverance. That's 00:36:58.579 --> 00:37:00.920 a supernatural deliverance. People who have not 00:37:00.920 --> 00:37:03.239 even believed are part of that deliverance because 00:37:03.239 --> 00:37:06.960 Paul was in that circumstances or rather in that 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:10.159 circumstance. So because Paul was in that situation, 00:37:10.460 --> 00:37:13.800 right, they gave a revelation. They did not yield. 00:37:14.659 --> 00:37:18.510 Despite their disobedience, There was assurance. 00:37:19.250 --> 00:37:23.690 God has granted you. How did he put it? God has 00:37:23.690 --> 00:37:26.670 granted you. All those who say with you. They 00:37:26.670 --> 00:37:29.809 are preserved with you. They are preserved with 00:37:29.809 --> 00:37:34.190 you. No life will be lost. The believer actually 00:37:34.190 --> 00:37:37.789 carries. The supernatural power of God. That's 00:37:37.789 --> 00:37:43.349 true. Our presence. Circumstances can change. 00:37:44.389 --> 00:37:50.559 True. Our words. Asserting our authority. Circumstances. 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:54.940 Can change for good. And unbelievers can partake 00:37:54.940 --> 00:37:57.059 in it. That is what we see. People who have not 00:37:57.059 --> 00:37:59.599 even believed. In fact some people probably you 00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:02.219 have preached to. They can benefit from the supernatural 00:38:02.219 --> 00:38:04.079 power of God. Because he is not responding to 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:06.420 their faith. He is responding to your faith. 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:09.420 He is responding to your word. And Paul would 00:38:09.420 --> 00:38:13.260 say. Because I have faith. He emphasized on this. 00:38:13.320 --> 00:38:21.690 I have faith. So take at men, for I have faith 00:38:21.690 --> 00:38:25.010 in God. Circumstances of life respond to the 00:38:25.010 --> 00:38:28.389 faith of the believer, responds to the authority 00:38:28.389 --> 00:38:32.630 of the believer. So in the case of Israel, it's 00:38:32.630 --> 00:38:35.829 a similar situation where we see, right, where 00:38:35.829 --> 00:38:38.670 we see that people are preserved, right, because 00:38:38.670 --> 00:38:40.210 there's a leader, there is a man of God that's 00:38:40.210 --> 00:38:42.130 leading them, that's giving instructions, and 00:38:42.130 --> 00:38:45.699 by the authority, We see many signs and wonders 00:38:45.699 --> 00:38:49.119 taking place. Many signs and wonders taking place. 00:38:50.039 --> 00:38:53.440 Let's check more scriptures. Let's check more 00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:58.039 scriptures and see. And see how people also believe. 00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:00.400 In fact, some people wouldn't even believe in 00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:04.420 your message, but they believe in the fact that 00:39:04.420 --> 00:39:06.360 you're a man of God and you can heal. Or you're 00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:08.639 a son of God, you're a child of God, and you 00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:11.539 can pray for them and they can receive healing. 00:39:12.269 --> 00:39:15.170 So let's go to 1 Kings. 1 Kings 17, verse 7 to 00:39:15.170 --> 00:39:18.170 16. And just push through a little bit forward 00:39:18.170 --> 00:39:23.809 to 1 Kings. 1 Kings 7 to 16. From verse 8, right? 00:39:23.869 --> 00:39:26.690 We can say, The word of God, the word of the 00:39:26.690 --> 00:39:29.710 Lord came to him. Arise, go to Zarephath, which 00:39:29.710 --> 00:39:32.429 belongs to Sidon. And dwell there. Behold, I 00:39:32.429 --> 00:39:34.829 have commanded a widow there to feed you. So 00:39:34.829 --> 00:39:37.409 he rose and went to Zarephath. And when he came 00:39:37.409 --> 00:39:39.309 to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was 00:39:39.309 --> 00:39:42.679 there guarding stakes. And he called to her and 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:45.219 said, bring me a little vessel that I may drink. 00:39:45.420 --> 00:39:49.400 And as she was going to bring it, he called to 00:39:49.400 --> 00:39:51.300 her and said, bring me a muzzle of bread in your 00:39:51.300 --> 00:39:53.860 hand. And she said, as the Lord your God lives, 00:39:54.039 --> 00:39:56.860 I have nothing baked, only a handful of a jar, 00:39:57.000 --> 00:40:00.340 only a handful of flour in a jar and a little 00:40:00.340 --> 00:40:04.139 oil in a jar. And now I'm gathering a couple 00:40:04.139 --> 00:40:06.280 of things that I may go in and prepare for myself 00:40:06.280 --> 00:40:10.199 and son and that we can eat and die. Right. We're 00:40:10.199 --> 00:40:12.579 not sustenance again. And Elijah said to her, 00:40:12.619 --> 00:40:15.079 do not fear. Go and do as you have said. But 00:40:15.079 --> 00:40:17.719 first make a little cake for me and bring it 00:40:17.719 --> 00:40:19.880 to me. And after I would make something for yourself 00:40:19.880 --> 00:40:22.280 and your son. But thus is the Lord God of Israel. 00:40:22.519 --> 00:40:24.619 The jar of oil shall not be spent. The jug of 00:40:24.619 --> 00:40:27.179 oil shall not be empty until the day the Lord 00:40:27.179 --> 00:40:30.579 sends rain upon the earth. And the house hold 00:40:30.579 --> 00:40:32.820 air for many days and the jar of flour was not 00:40:32.820 --> 00:40:34.820 spent. Neither did the jug of oil become empty. 00:40:35.219 --> 00:40:38.670 According to what the word of the Lord. According 00:40:38.670 --> 00:40:41.570 to the word of the Lord that is put by Elijah. 00:40:41.710 --> 00:40:44.349 Now, I know that these scriptures have actually 00:40:44.349 --> 00:40:47.489 been used very well. And many things have been 00:40:47.489 --> 00:40:51.190 done to the scripture. Many challenges and disasters 00:40:51.190 --> 00:40:54.429 have been done to the scripture. And sometimes 00:40:54.429 --> 00:41:01.889 it makes us, it makes us to miss the blessing. 00:41:02.409 --> 00:41:04.530 See, the problem is when a part of the scripture 00:41:04.530 --> 00:41:07.889 is not explained or there's an overemphasis on 00:41:07.889 --> 00:41:10.869 something, it makes us miss the blessing that 00:41:10.869 --> 00:41:14.250 is founded, right? It makes us to miss the blessing. 00:41:14.349 --> 00:41:17.050 So is it that now that, you know, it has been 00:41:17.050 --> 00:41:18.809 bastardized, we can just cut that part out and 00:41:18.809 --> 00:41:20.110 say, we don't know. We have to pay attention 00:41:20.110 --> 00:41:22.329 to it. We have to read it. We have to explain 00:41:22.329 --> 00:41:25.889 it. We have to check it, right? We have to check 00:41:25.889 --> 00:41:29.510 it. We have to pay attention to it. Now, the 00:41:29.510 --> 00:41:34.360 emphasis I'm just going to make for today. The 00:41:34.360 --> 00:41:37.460 emphasis is, he said the jar of the floor was 00:41:37.460 --> 00:41:40.199 not spent, neither did the jug of oil become 00:41:40.199 --> 00:41:44.320 empty, according to the word of the Lord that 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:49.980 he spoke, right? That was spoken by Elijah, right? 00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:51.820 And this is not the first time he's doing something 00:41:51.820 --> 00:41:55.300 supernatural. So we also see supernatural provisions 00:41:55.300 --> 00:41:58.739 here. In fact, she said, as the Lord your God 00:41:58.739 --> 00:42:00.980 lives. So it means that she understood this is 00:42:00.980 --> 00:42:03.679 a prophet, understood that this is a man of God, 00:42:03.739 --> 00:42:07.300 and for her to make the statement. But the man 00:42:07.300 --> 00:42:09.199 of God had made a statement and said, according 00:42:09.199 --> 00:42:12.780 to his word, nothing. There was a divine provision. 00:42:12.940 --> 00:42:14.739 That's what we can see here. And preservation. 00:42:15.820 --> 00:42:17.920 There was divine provision and preservation. 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:20.420 You can see that subsequently, even when the 00:42:20.420 --> 00:42:24.309 widow's child died, Elijah raised him up. Right? 00:42:24.349 --> 00:42:26.469 He raised them up again. So these are supernatural 00:42:26.469 --> 00:42:31.469 events that we must still believe God that takes 00:42:31.469 --> 00:42:34.690 place in time and seasons. Right? In this time 00:42:34.690 --> 00:42:37.750 now. Right? In this time now. So we see that 00:42:37.750 --> 00:42:40.010 the man of God spoke a word. By the authority 00:42:40.010 --> 00:42:43.269 of the man of God, there was provision. Right? 00:42:43.289 --> 00:42:44.690 By the authority of the man of God, there was 00:42:44.690 --> 00:42:48.010 provision. So we see supernatural things still 00:42:48.010 --> 00:42:51.269 taking place. And we also see it. We can write 00:42:51.269 --> 00:42:53.010 the scriptures down. These are the scriptures. 00:42:53.289 --> 00:42:58.110 1 Kings 18, verse 14. 1 Kings 18, verse 14. We'll 00:42:58.110 --> 00:43:00.969 pay more attention to it when we come together 00:43:00.969 --> 00:43:04.070 much on Sunday. 1 Kings 18, verse 41, sorry. 00:43:04.250 --> 00:43:09.909 1 Kings 18, verse 41. 1 Kings 19, verse 8. 1 00:43:09.909 --> 00:43:13.469 Kings 18, verse 41. 1 Kings 19, verse 8. And 00:43:13.469 --> 00:43:17.369 you can put in brackets James 5, verse 19 to 00:43:17.369 --> 00:43:22.760 18. James 5, verse 19. James 5, verse 19 to 18. 00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:24.739 You can also put this other scripture, 2 Kings 00:43:24.739 --> 00:43:27.559 2, 14. Let's write all of them down and we will 00:43:27.559 --> 00:43:32.719 get them on Sunday. 2 Kings 2, 14. 2 Kings 2, 00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:38.739 21. 2 Kings 2, 14. 2 Kings 2, 21. And 2 Kings 00:43:38.739 --> 00:43:42.280 3, verse 17. 2 Kings 3, verse 17. Now, these 00:43:42.280 --> 00:43:45.239 are events where people who are the authority. 00:43:46.190 --> 00:43:50.750 To function in the office of a prophet, exercise 00:43:50.750 --> 00:43:53.789 their authority. And we see what happened in 00:43:53.789 --> 00:43:57.349 those situations. And we say we are kings, we 00:43:57.349 --> 00:44:01.510 are priests, we are prophets. And therefore, 00:44:01.650 --> 00:44:05.389 we must believe that the supernatural can function 00:44:05.389 --> 00:44:08.329 amongst us. We can heal the sick. We can raise 00:44:08.329 --> 00:44:11.429 the dead. We can make the lame to walk. We can 00:44:11.429 --> 00:44:14.510 make the deaf to speak, the dumb to speak, the 00:44:14.510 --> 00:44:17.610 deaf to hear. This is the power of God in us. 00:44:18.010 --> 00:44:22.250 And it will be evident. So it just shows much 00:44:22.250 --> 00:44:24.210 more that the believer has so much authority 00:44:24.210 --> 00:44:26.889 that needs to be exercised. So much authority 00:44:26.889 --> 00:44:29.789 that we must pay attention to in our daily life. 00:44:29.829 --> 00:44:32.789 So much authority that we must make sure that 00:44:32.789 --> 00:44:36.739 our faiths Let me say this, our faith must be 00:44:36.739 --> 00:44:41.219 in God first, right? In God first, then other 00:44:41.219 --> 00:44:44.840 what we call probably drugs and natural things 00:44:44.840 --> 00:44:47.460 and all other circumstances, right? So it's not, 00:44:47.539 --> 00:44:50.400 sometimes, for example, someone is first sick, 00:44:50.559 --> 00:44:52.639 the first thing is drugs. Yes, drug is fine. 00:44:52.820 --> 00:44:54.480 And of course, we know that in this church, we 00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:56.000 don't say you shouldn't take drugs. You have 00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:57.340 to take drugs, you have to follow the medication. 00:44:57.480 --> 00:45:00.239 I was sometime not feeling well. We prayed, I 00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:02.360 received healing and I still went to Astenem. 00:45:02.699 --> 00:45:04.639 and the doctor did what he wanted to do, and 00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:08.099 I'm fine. And I still believe that it's not just 00:45:08.099 --> 00:45:10.460 what about the doctor did, it's about the fact 00:45:10.460 --> 00:45:12.599 that I've been prayed for, right? And the doctor 00:45:12.599 --> 00:45:15.960 had to just make that manifest. So it works together. 00:45:16.019 --> 00:45:18.719 So primarily, right, we must set our hearts, 00:45:18.820 --> 00:45:20.960 right, we must set our hearts to believe that 00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:24.280 as believers, right, supernatural power of God 00:45:24.280 --> 00:45:26.159 is at work in us. When we see circumstances, 00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:29.409 we are first of all... to say, okay, God, we 00:45:29.409 --> 00:45:32.170 believe in your intervention by the power at 00:45:32.170 --> 00:45:35.289 work in us in this circumstance first. And that 00:45:35.289 --> 00:45:39.550 helps us to grow in faith in God. In fact, sometimes 00:45:39.550 --> 00:45:42.670 you will see the manifestation immediately. So 00:45:42.670 --> 00:45:45.010 this is what we must set our heart to do, that 00:45:45.010 --> 00:45:48.250 the supernatural is a reality, is a reality in 00:45:48.250 --> 00:45:50.570 our midst. I know many people that have been 00:45:50.570 --> 00:45:53.030 sick. We have prayed for, we have seen healing 00:45:53.030 --> 00:45:55.329 come to place in this church. You know, one of 00:45:55.329 --> 00:45:57.820 the things we will do. right maybe when we continue 00:45:57.820 --> 00:46:00.460 this teaching there's a part that we're testimony 00:46:00.460 --> 00:46:04.840 the raw testimony of people play in healing you 00:46:04.840 --> 00:46:06.340 know we've not really paid attention to that 00:46:06.340 --> 00:46:08.059 i'm sure with time we'll pay attention to that 00:46:08.059 --> 00:46:10.960 where people would have to share their testimonies 00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:13.960 of healing and from there people can begin to 00:46:13.960 --> 00:46:16.099 heal can begin to receive healing others that 00:46:16.099 --> 00:46:18.699 have been trusting god So what we'll do is to 00:46:18.699 --> 00:46:20.420 pay attention to these things and trust God. 00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.440 But this evening, we want to conclude, I want 00:46:22.440 --> 00:46:24.960 to conclude with this, that you say to yourself 00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:28.380 that I'm a believer and the supernatural power 00:46:28.380 --> 00:46:31.679 of God is at work in me. I put circumstances 00:46:31.679 --> 00:46:37.199 into order. I put things into order. I put chaos. 00:46:37.420 --> 00:46:40.599 I put chaos into order. I take away... darkness, 00:46:40.679 --> 00:46:44.099 and I bring light to every situation I find myself. 00:46:44.519 --> 00:46:47.199 Oh, many people around me benefit because of 00:46:47.199 --> 00:46:49.900 the supernatural power of God in me. Many people 00:46:49.900 --> 00:46:52.320 around me are preserved because of the supernatural 00:46:52.320 --> 00:46:56.440 power of God in me. I see it evidently. Oh, as 00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:59.139 I also go to preach, I preach, the supernatural 00:46:59.139 --> 00:47:01.579 takes place. The supernatural takes place, then 00:47:01.579 --> 00:47:04.800 I preach. Oh, all working together to bring, 00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:10.059 oh, to bring the manifestation, of the kingdom 00:47:10.059 --> 00:47:13.500 of God in our midst, to bring the manifestation 00:47:13.500 --> 00:47:17.139 of the kingdom of God through us. Father, we 00:47:17.139 --> 00:47:19.820 thank you for the supernatural. It is evident 00:47:19.820 --> 00:47:22.119 in our midst. We believe it. We walk in it. We 00:47:22.119 --> 00:47:25.079 have faith. Oh, thank you for supernatural provision, 00:47:25.219 --> 00:47:28.039 supernatural preservation. Oh, thank you, Jesus, 00:47:28.059 --> 00:47:33.860 for supernatural healing. We're thankful you 00:47:33.860 --> 00:47:37.570 joined us today. Don't forget to subscribe so 00:47:37.570 --> 00:47:40.130 you're always connected to our latest sermons. 00:47:40.750 --> 00:47:44.090 You can also explore more about NECF on our website 00:47:44.090 --> 00:47:47.869 or follow us online. We look forward to having 00:47:47.869 --> 00:47:50.289 you with us next time. God bless.