WEBVTT

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is

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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your

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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until

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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive

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right in. This evening, I sense that this evening

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is going to be very different. We're going to

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do as much as we can this evening. So I want

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to just remind us of what we're doing. We said

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just a bit of recap, and then we're just going

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to what we're doing today. Understanding the

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Father's love in Christ. Understand the Father's

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love in Christ. Walking in love. And our scripture,

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which is the prayer team. Thank you so much,

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prayer team. Helped us just build, just remind

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us. and just set the foundation for us to continue

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in the teaching. Ephesians 5, 1 and 2 says, Therefore

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be imitators of God as dear children, and walk

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in love, as Christ also has loved us. Note that

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it's loved us, not will love us. Has loved us

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and given himself for us. An offering and sacrifice

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to God for a sweet -smelling aroma. For a sweet

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-smelling... Arama and we had gone back and gone

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forward. We were going to take time. We were

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looking at the prayers and we looked at the one

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in 1 Thessalonians 3, 12, and then we're looking

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at the one in Philippians and we'll continue

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with that. We'll continue with that. But I want

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us to remember, which is what I've been saying,

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that our thoughts, our minds is very important

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in the things that God is doing in and through

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us. Our minds are very important. And I'm saying

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this to tell you how, I'm saying this to build,

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I will build more and more, talk about it more

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and more because if you have a wrong mindset

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or wrong understanding or your thoughts are wrong

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about a thing, it means that you have a wrong

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belief system and it means that your conversation

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will be, there will be error and then even your

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actions will be erroneous. So it just spirals

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down. It builds up from your thinking. And I'll

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start this by telling us something that we need.

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I think that was a powerful lesson to me back

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in high school. Back in high school. And what

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happened in high school was that I was born in

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the northern part of Nigeria. I was born and

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not raised. I schooled there for most of my growing

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up. And in the north, there's this attire. I

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don't know. They call it Jalabia. I don't know.

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What do you call it in English? I think African

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middle. It's a long robe. I don't know. What

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do you call it? Is this the same? That's what

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they call it. So it's a long robe. It's silk.

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Some of us have seen it around. It's silk, long

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robe. So what happens is that people wash their

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clothes and spread them, right? People typically

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wash their clothes. And in the dormitory area,

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when there are enough spaces to spread, people

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hang them on trees. People hang them on trees.

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So you can have it on hangar and people hang

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it on trees. That's just like, because in our

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dormitory, I can remember, I can see it as I'm

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speaking to you now. In our dormitory, there's

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a tree just somewhere in the middle of the tree,

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of the dormitory. So people hang those things

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there. So in the middle of the night, one of

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our roommates wanted to go ease himself. That

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night was dark, cold like this night, and a bit

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windy. A bit windy. So on opening the door to

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want to go out, he saw something around the trees,

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moving like it was, you know, when something

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is not on the ground. You know, you see something,

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it's not, you can't, he couldn't see, it's suspended

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in the air. And it's around the tree area. And

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then the wind was moving it like it was moving,

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but it was not moving. And the young man decided

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that he was going to hold his pee throughout

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the night. In fact, I think he tapped some of

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us. We heard the story in the morning because

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some of us were fast asleep. We don't know what

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we were. But yeah, it went on until light came

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in the morning. And you can imagine his horror

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or his disappointment or his like, oh, it was

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even a or someone's clothes. He started looking,

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who is the person that owns this clothes? Who

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owns this? So what had happened is that in the

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dark, in the thick, in the dark and in the dead

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of the night, because it's dark, he couldn't

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see. And he assumed that what he saw there was

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a ghost. or something, you know, Jesus Christ

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and his disciples. So, you know, that one is

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understandable. You're in the sea and then you

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see somebody. It's understandable. You know,

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if your brain is not prepared for certain things,

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you just assume. And if you have a mindset that

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is very, you have a very spooky or you watch

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too much of all of those things, you will have

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so many ideas when you see certain things that

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don't even, like, you can logically, a person

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that doesn't have that view on things will say,

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oh, this and this is what I'm seeing. But for

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someone that has a mindset structured in that

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manner, you will conclude, you reach a conclusion,

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act on that conclusion. Because what has happened

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is that he reached a conclusion, this was it.

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And we know that now, because when I was telling

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the story, the moment I got to the part where

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he couldn't go out and he thought it was something,

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we understood, we're all laughing. But for him,

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it was serious. Because he lacked what? Understanding

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of what he saw. And what brought that understanding

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was the... light or the morning sun right i can

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imagine when he could imagine when he woke up

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and then he was like he was angry because can

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you imagine what someone's clothes that stopped

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me from going to ease myself because what is

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more important to him is we live in himself what

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should be more important to him is we live in

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himself but at this point in time fear crippled

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and didn't allow him to make the move that was

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important to his well -being praise god So I

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used that to start, and that wasn't even the

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plan. I think I was afraid. I was reminded of

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it, and I said, let me share it to just bring

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to us the importance of what you think about,

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your thoughts, the things you think about, the

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things you hold on to, the things that you, the

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way you understand things. It will greatly affect

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your work. It will greatly affect your action.

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It will greatly affect your action. As I said

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earlier, If you have a wrong thinking or wrong

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perception, that wrong perception will build

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into a wrong belief system. And that wrong belief

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system will be expressed in how you communicate,

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the things you say. And that will build into

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your action because you don't just act on things.

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Some people think you just wake up one morning

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and say, this is my idea. I was sharing to a

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couple of people. I said, even your career, You

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can be walked through to where you decide that

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you say, this is what I want to do with my life.

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But somebody had given you ideas that you internalize

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and you saw yourself doing that particular thing.

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And then when they say, what do you want to do?

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You say, right from when I was a child, that

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is what I had in mind. But you can be trained

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or fed certain information that will make you.

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act in a certain kind of way. And this is what

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we see here and then. And as I said earlier,

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what enables, the renewing of our mind, the renewing

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of our mind is very important in our walk. In

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Ephesians 4 verse 23, the instruction is be renewed

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in the spirit of your mind. Be renewed in the

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spirit of your mind. What it means is that our

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love for God, our love for God, The love of God

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must be what is rooted, our hearts are rooted

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with. The teaching, the understanding, his word

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is what should tell our action. If we act a certain

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way, it's because we know that as the only way

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to act. We can't do anything other than where

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our minds are at. So when we looked at Romans

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12 verse 2, It says, do not be conformed to this

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world, but be transformed by the renewing of

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your mind. Do not be conformed to this world,

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meaning that there are informations that you

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get that makes you act a certain kind of way.

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It says, but be transformed, meaning that there

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should be a change, right? That happens by the

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renewing of our mind. The B part now will say

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that you may approve. That you may approve. And

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that word there, the Greek word may approve there

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is dokimazo. That is D -O -K -I -M -A -Z -O.

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That you may approve, that is dokimazo. And this

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will mean that the transformation of your mind

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will result in a different kind of action. There's

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a demonstration now. And it will show what it

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is you value, what it is you accept as true.

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Because now you have a new set of information

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that will tell your action. A new set of information

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that will tell your action. See, approve what

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is good, acceptable, and a perfect will of God.

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I mean, we have been taught in this church that

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it's not like good, better, best. Like there's

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good, there's better, and then there's the best.

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It means that all, you see, the good, which is

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the acceptable, which is the perfect. Will of

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God. All is the will of God. I like the NLT.

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It says, don't copy the behavior and customs

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of this world. We have a lot of people or we

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are bombarded with a lot of information. And

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when you receive, and some of us don't even know

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the extent to which we have absorbed this information

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because we just go about our daily living assuming

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that, oh, it doesn't get to. As little as what

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people say subconsciously. Like you're not even

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paying much attention. You are receiving that

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information and you won't be surprised when it's

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time to act. You act that kind of way. He says,

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don't copy the behavior or customs of this world,

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but let God transform you into a new person by

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changing the way you think, even though it was

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it and then you will know and then it goes further

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and further on that. So what I want us to live

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with is if your lifestyle does not reflect Christ.

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Not that you're saved. That doesn't change. You

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don't lose it because you are living differently.

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If your lifestyle does not reflect, the root

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of it is your thinking doesn't reflect. Because

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your thinking, if your thinking reflects the

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character of Christ, what you think the most,

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what you give your mind to, give your attention

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to, is the Word of God. When it's time for you

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to act, you will not act any different because

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you have a set of information that tell us your

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thinking. So what this means in essence is if

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your thoughts are not guided, your actions won't

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be guided. If your thoughts are not guided, your

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actions will not be guided. We know that what

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guides our thoughts or what we should even give

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attention to is the word of God, meaning that

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when it's time for us to, or when the opportunity

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presents itself, we don't show up and then we

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start. Our actions don't just spring up from

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nowhere. They come from a place and our minds

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are where this whole thing happens in. And just

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to tie it with Philippians, remember when we're

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going through Philippians, Philippians 1, 9.

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He says, And this I pray, that your love may

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abound still more and more in knowledge and all

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discernment. 10 now says that you may approve.

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10 now says that you may approve. Go to New Kingdoms.

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It says you may understand what really matters.

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It says that you may approve. That may approve

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is the same word as we saw in Romans 12 .2. Romans

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12 .2. May prove and may approve is the same

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Greek word that we saw in Romans 12 .2. That's

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New King James. New King James. Yeah. It says

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that may approve, that you may prove. May prove

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here and may approve in Philippians 1 .10 is

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the same Greek word. Go back to Philippians 1

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.10. And the word, let me use the opportunity

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to explain. The word, the Greek word, which I've

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said is to test, to examine. and then accept

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if it's genuine is to test, to examine, and then

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accept if it's genuine. So what this means is

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that your thinking demonstrates what you value

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and accept as true or correct, or true and correct.

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So your thinking demonstrates what you value

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and accept as true and correct. So, you can dwell

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on a thought if you have not received that thought.

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If you don't agree with that thought. Most of

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us, notice I think last, on Sunday, I think I

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was speaking to someone. When somebody says something

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you don't agree with, how many of you have noticed

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that your first reaction is, you just say no?

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Some of you, by default, you just say, no, I

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don't. Your mind just says, I don't agree with

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this. You just quickly will say, I don't agree

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with it. Because your mind is the guard. You

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don't even allow it to settle because you don't

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agree with it. And when you agree with something,

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you're like, ah. And sometimes we even say, I

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just like this brother. See, this brother, we

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just, we, there's something about meaning that.

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You have thoughts, the mindset the person has

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and your mindset aligns a lot. And for many of

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us, we're in a day and age where people don't,

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if you don't, if your mindset, you just say,

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I don't, I don't just know. In fact, some people

00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.759
will say my spirit and the spirits. They go to

00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:50.799
spirits. They say my spirit and the spirit doesn't

00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.259
just align. I don't just know why. Every time

00:15:54.259 --> 00:15:56.600
he's talking A, I'm talking B. Talking C, I'm

00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.549
talking his mindset. It's just, it's just. What

00:15:59.549 --> 00:16:01.070
is important to him is not what is important

00:16:01.070 --> 00:16:03.049
to you. That's basically what it is. What you

00:16:03.049 --> 00:16:05.809
prioritize is not what you prioritize. And you

00:16:05.809 --> 00:16:08.090
always have issues because if somebody say, let's

00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:09.470
go up, you say, let's go down, you'll be like,

00:16:09.549 --> 00:16:11.509
well, why are you always going north? And then

00:16:11.509 --> 00:16:14.370
we're trying to go south because that's the mind.

00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:19.169
The same way, if a person is grounded, you will

00:16:19.169 --> 00:16:22.850
just naturally flow because you agree on so many

00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:25.330
things that scripture, and that's where we come

00:16:25.330 --> 00:16:29.129
together on is on scripture. Praise God. Why

00:16:29.129 --> 00:16:30.730
we come together on this on scripture. So it

00:16:30.730 --> 00:16:33.289
says, our thinking demonstrates what we value

00:16:33.289 --> 00:16:35.909
and what we accept. So it means that if our thoughts

00:16:35.909 --> 00:16:38.909
are not anchored on the word of God, we'll have

00:16:38.909 --> 00:16:44.009
a lot of, there'll be, I don't want to use a

00:16:44.009 --> 00:16:46.570
big word, but I want to say dissonance. Things

00:16:46.570 --> 00:16:48.269
will not align. Like you'll just be going south

00:16:48.269 --> 00:16:51.330
and you will not be leaving out things or leaving

00:16:51.330 --> 00:16:55.250
out your identity. Praise God. And then it goes

00:16:55.250 --> 00:17:00.080
to say, that which, Approve the things that are

00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.159
excellent. You know, he mentioned when he was

00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:04.920
leading us to prayer, he says, the excellent,

00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:06.480
I show you the excellent, we say, that which

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.940
is excellent, that is it that are excellent.

00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:12.599
It's another Greek word which refers to things

00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:16.619
of higher priority and value. Higher priority

00:17:16.619 --> 00:17:19.220
and value. So you approve because you know that

00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:21.559
you're thinking of what you value and those things

00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:24.180
that you value are things of higher priority

00:17:24.180 --> 00:17:27.039
or things that are excellent. That's the diphero.

00:17:27.470 --> 00:17:31.289
So it's a D -I -D, that excellent is a Greek

00:17:31.289 --> 00:17:38.170
word, which is D -I -A -P -H -E -R -O. So this

00:17:38.170 --> 00:17:42.269
word refers to things of higher priority of value,

00:17:42.410 --> 00:17:45.329
things that are higher priority of value. We

00:17:45.329 --> 00:17:50.549
see this a lot in scripture. Our highest priority

00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:55.589
and value is what God values, not what the world

00:17:55.589 --> 00:17:59.779
values. Every now and then, the renewing of mind

00:17:59.779 --> 00:18:03.099
means that we are prioritizing God's values,

00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:07.779
not the world's value. So it means that when

00:18:07.779 --> 00:18:12.240
you prioritize the things of God, your actions

00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:17.079
will show it, right? Your actions will show it.

00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:21.359
When you are asked to choose between doing this

00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:25.140
or coming to... midweek service or coming to

00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:28.380
Sunday service or coming, it naturally will show

00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:31.519
itself because you know what is more important

00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:37.119
to God. God will prioritize because you can't,

00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:39.519
there's no way you say, okay, it will be better

00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:42.079
for you to be elsewhere than with his people.

00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.880
Praise God. There's no way that will be what

00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:49.000
he will want for you. Your mind will naturally,

00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:56.099
a mind that is, fixated on worldly things will

00:18:56.099 --> 00:18:59.740
naturally gravitate there. Because things will

00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:02.240
naturally find their place. You know, I was talking

00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:05.779
to some people, I said, as Africans, check yourself.

00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:09.920
When you walk into a room, the first tendency

00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:11.980
you have is to look for the Africans in the room

00:19:11.980 --> 00:19:15.559
and go to them. You don't even think too much

00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:17.000
about it. In fact, you do it so much that you

00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:18.380
say, why are you always with your... Then you're

00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:20.160
like, no, am I with my... Then it now brings

00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.000
it... Your attention is brought to it because

00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.259
you naturally will find them or naturally because

00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:27.799
you know that you will not have much difficulty

00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.000
communicating with them first and foremost. Your

00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.940
brain is not wanting to deal with the difficulty

00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:36.180
of... Excuse me, can you... No English. You don't

00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:38.420
want to deal with that or you don't want to...

00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:44.309
But once you... and then you are doing what doesn't

00:19:44.309 --> 00:19:46.630
come naturally to you because you know that it's

00:19:46.630 --> 00:19:49.349
important. I was discussing with someone, I said,

00:19:49.430 --> 00:19:51.990
if you really want to improve in a particular

00:19:51.990 --> 00:19:54.569
area or you want to learn a language, you can

00:19:54.569 --> 00:19:56.390
learn a language when you are speaking the language

00:19:56.390 --> 00:19:59.289
you already know. Praise God. You can learn a

00:19:59.289 --> 00:20:00.690
language when you're speaking a language you

00:20:00.690 --> 00:20:02.650
already know. You can learn a language when you're

00:20:02.650 --> 00:20:04.130
speaking that language that you want to learn.

00:20:05.230 --> 00:20:07.269
And sometimes we can say, I want to learn a language.

00:20:07.430 --> 00:20:11.130
You just want to, you just like the idea. of

00:20:11.130 --> 00:20:13.710
speaking a new language. It's not like you want

00:20:13.710 --> 00:20:15.190
to learn the language. You just like the idea

00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:17.049
of speaking a new language, but you know that

00:20:17.049 --> 00:20:20.109
it moves from... When you know that this thing

00:20:20.109 --> 00:20:22.470
is important, it moves from just liking the idea,

00:20:22.609 --> 00:20:26.329
but seeing yourself speaking the language and

00:20:26.329 --> 00:20:28.230
being motivated to do the things that are most

00:20:28.230 --> 00:20:30.829
uncomfortable for you, the things that you don't

00:20:30.829 --> 00:20:33.269
like, but you have to do it because this is the

00:20:33.269 --> 00:20:35.890
new nature that you have. Praise God. So it says

00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:38.009
we gravitate towards... So a renewed mind will

00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:40.369
naturally gravitate towards... The things that

00:20:40.369 --> 00:20:43.789
are excellent in God's eyes, not the world's

00:20:43.789 --> 00:20:47.970
eyes. And we see in Matthew 16, Matthew 16, 23.

00:20:49.670 --> 00:20:57.109
Matthew 16, 23. But he turned and said to Peter,

00:20:57.369 --> 00:21:01.190
get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me,

00:21:01.250 --> 00:21:04.490
for you are not mindful of the things of God.

00:21:05.099 --> 00:21:07.859
but the things of man. You're not mindful of

00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:09.539
the things of God, but the things of man. Meaning

00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:12.920
that Peter's attention was not on the things

00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:15.640
that are of value to God, because what would

00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:17.559
be of value, what was in the conversation of

00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:20.000
value to God is his son, right? Remember what

00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.220
I've been talking about, and it's almost like

00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:23.200
Peter always finds his way in this conversation

00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.059
anytime we're talking about it, where what is

00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:28.779
going through his mind is something else, which

00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:31.839
is not bad, right? Not that the things, some

00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:33.920
of the things, the things that are around us

00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.640
are important. But not that when you have prior,

00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:40.680
you choose what is most important when you have

00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:43.680
several important things. Because something has

00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:45.460
to rank because you can't do all of them at the

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:47.180
same time. There's certain things you can't do

00:21:47.180 --> 00:21:49.420
all at the same time. It's like you can't be

00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:53.660
in your house sleeping and be here. Right? Or

00:21:53.660 --> 00:21:55.660
you can't be in your house studying and be here

00:21:55.660 --> 00:21:57.819
at the same time. It means that you have to choose

00:21:57.819 --> 00:22:00.390
which one. And sometimes we go for the one that

00:22:00.390 --> 00:22:03.049
is most convenient. The weather is cold. There's

00:22:03.049 --> 00:22:06.789
heating in my house. Outside it's cold, like

00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:09.670
who, who, who, who? So that's why I applaud you

00:22:09.670 --> 00:22:12.970
for making the effort to do the difficult thing,

00:22:13.049 --> 00:22:15.650
which is find your way, get on the bus or get

00:22:15.650 --> 00:22:18.589
a taxi or get something, get a means by which

00:22:18.589 --> 00:22:20.690
you can transport yourself to this place. So

00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:23.369
it means that, at least for starters, you prioritize

00:22:23.369 --> 00:22:27.309
fellowship. You prioritize sharing the word of

00:22:27.309 --> 00:22:33.819
God. You prioritize. And note also, in Philippians,

00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:38.420
it also goes further to talk about how that it

00:22:38.420 --> 00:22:41.460
is. That's in the same thing. It says that you

00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:46.000
may be sincere and without offense. We'll just

00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.640
look at the sincere and without offense. And

00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:51.240
sometimes when we say somebody's sincere, we

00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:54.700
use the word sincere for somebody that's genuine,

00:22:55.079 --> 00:22:57.799
right? Somebody that's genuine. somebody that,

00:22:57.839 --> 00:22:59.359
and the Greek word there is somebody that's pure,

00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:03.619
that you have genuine motive and thought. So

00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:08.460
for someone's thought to be genuine means that

00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:10.420
there are motives of the actions, because it

00:23:10.420 --> 00:23:12.500
starts, remember, everything we're talking about

00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:15.579
starts from the thought. If I have a wrong, if

00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:18.880
my thought stores you evil, will my actions towards

00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:24.339
you be good? No. Even if I have a good, even

00:23:24.339 --> 00:23:28.480
if my actions towards you are good, temporarily

00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:33.559
is for the end goal. Because people do that.

00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:36.140
I think most times what comes to mind about this

00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:38.119
is when you have an animal that you're training

00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:42.960
for around the season. When you have an animal

00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:44.720
you're training for around the season, the animal

00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:49.400
will think you love them. But when it's time

00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:53.200
for something to die, when it's time for something

00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.990
to die, They will have to lay down their lives.

00:23:58.329 --> 00:24:01.089
They have to lay down their lives because people

00:24:01.089 --> 00:24:03.690
need to eat, right? People need to eat. So, know

00:24:03.690 --> 00:24:07.470
that there is always the thinking or the thought,

00:24:07.529 --> 00:24:10.069
I think Proverbs says it, Proverbs 23 verse 7

00:24:10.069 --> 00:24:13.150
says it, that for his thoughts, for he thinks,

00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:17.670
for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Because

00:24:17.670 --> 00:24:20.549
the person's thinking will very much reflect

00:24:20.549 --> 00:24:23.750
in how they act. So, that's why it's the... and

00:24:23.750 --> 00:24:27.890
even 2 Peter. 2 Peter 3 verse 1. I want us to

00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:31.450
go to 2 Peter 3 verse 1. 2 Peter 3 verse 1. It

00:24:31.450 --> 00:24:35.789
says, Beloved, I now write to you this second

00:24:35.789 --> 00:24:41.509
epistle. In both of them, which I stare your

00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:47.630
pure minds by way of reminder. Note that he will

00:24:47.630 --> 00:24:50.190
not be saying, when he says pure minds, I mean,

00:24:50.190 --> 00:24:53.910
jeez. It's not necessary, you know, when we hear

00:24:53.910 --> 00:24:56.170
the word pure, I think one time, I think when

00:24:56.170 --> 00:24:58.930
Pastor Victor was teaching, when we say something

00:24:58.930 --> 00:25:01.470
is pure, we think of pure as something that is

00:25:01.470 --> 00:25:04.369
solely that thing. We think of pure as something

00:25:04.369 --> 00:25:06.730
that is solely that thing. And we can say the

00:25:06.730 --> 00:25:09.829
water in the bottle is pure, even though we are

00:25:09.829 --> 00:25:12.670
taught that it's wholesome. It's not necessarily

00:25:12.670 --> 00:25:15.650
pure, meaning that it has one thing. It's wholesome,

00:25:15.710 --> 00:25:17.769
meaning that it's drinkable. You can drink it.

00:25:17.970 --> 00:25:20.329
But it has more than you know. When I explained

00:25:20.329 --> 00:25:22.609
to students in class, I said, the water they

00:25:22.609 --> 00:25:26.049
think is just H2O has ions in it, has different

00:25:26.049 --> 00:25:29.789
ions, has different other minerals and all those

00:25:29.789 --> 00:25:32.109
things inside the water. So it's like a combination

00:25:32.109 --> 00:25:34.549
of things, but it's wholesome. We can drink it

00:25:34.549 --> 00:25:38.089
and not have issues. And then he says without

00:25:38.089 --> 00:25:41.509
offense. That without offense, many times when

00:25:41.509 --> 00:25:45.690
he says, I am without offense, we feel that he's

00:25:45.690 --> 00:25:49.210
taking offense. You know, to take offense is

00:25:49.210 --> 00:25:52.130
different from giving offense. You know, many

00:25:52.130 --> 00:25:54.250
times we have a tendency when we say without

00:25:54.250 --> 00:25:59.410
offense. So, I don't want trouble. I'm just on

00:25:59.410 --> 00:26:03.849
my own. I don't want to. We think of the offense

00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:08.769
there as someone, like we taking offense. But

00:26:08.769 --> 00:26:10.690
when he says without offense, the Greek word

00:26:10.690 --> 00:26:13.569
there, I'll spell it to us. The Greek word there,

00:26:13.650 --> 00:26:20.720
just to check and see, is A -P -R -O -S -K -O

00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:27.339
-P -O -S. A -P -R -O -S -K -O -P -O -S. Sounds

00:26:27.339 --> 00:26:37.180
like a word from where I come from. So it means

00:26:37.180 --> 00:26:41.099
to not cause others to stumble. It means to not

00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:44.380
cause others to stumble. It means to not cause

00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:47.180
others to stumble. It's not about you. It's about

00:26:47.180 --> 00:26:49.900
the other person. Praise God. It's not about

00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:51.779
you, but the other person. Because many times

00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:53.640
when we think of offense, offense, offense, offense,

00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:57.059
offense, it's like he offended me. I am offended.

00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:01.640
The church has offended me so deeply. That's

00:27:01.640 --> 00:27:05.839
why I don't even come to church. I missed church

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:07.880
for a couple of times. Nobody checked up on me.

00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:14.059
How is love? How is this law of their teaching

00:27:14.059 --> 00:27:18.240
expressed if they did not even check up on me?

00:27:20.119 --> 00:27:24.140
It says, not causing others to stumble. And we

00:27:24.140 --> 00:27:27.660
see this in 1 Corinthians 10, the same word,

00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:33.839
1 Corinthians 10, 32. 1 Corinthians 10, 32. It

00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.220
says, give no offense. Now it's you that is not

00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:39.220
giving the offense, right? It's not you, it's

00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:42.319
not taking offense. It's give no offense. Either

00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:45.440
to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church.

00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:48.500
So, you know, you can give, you know, it can

00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:51.519
be cultural. You know, one time I was in a church.

00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:58.259
I was in a church where on the service day, the

00:27:58.259 --> 00:28:01.000
brother, I know the brother speaks English. I

00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:02.359
know the brother speaks English. He can speak

00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:04.339
English very well. In fact, he has preached before

00:28:04.339 --> 00:28:06.500
in English. But on that particular day, he decided

00:28:06.500 --> 00:28:10.819
to preach in his native language. Ha! The Ghanians

00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:13.319
did not like it though. Me, I was excited because

00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:15.299
the brother was on fire. You know, when you're

00:28:15.299 --> 00:28:17.559
preaching in your native tongue, there's a different

00:28:17.559 --> 00:28:20.720
feel. For some people, there's a different feel.

00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:22.059
When they're preaching in their native tongue,

00:28:22.259 --> 00:28:26.279
there's this, and he had a translator. So now

00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:29.420
we had to do, he would say it, and then we'll

00:28:29.420 --> 00:28:31.039
hear it, he would say it in Shona, and we'll

00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:32.839
hear it in English. And we'll hear it from the

00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:35.160
translator in English. So he was doing, so the

00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:37.779
Ghanians were very angry. They were like, how

00:28:37.779 --> 00:28:43.359
can he? Me, I was like. I was taking notes with

00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:45.759
the one I understand. I was taking notes with

00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:49.880
the one I understand. But it was an issue. It

00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:53.000
was an issue. So they took offense because the

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:58.619
brother had given, had done things in a way that

00:28:58.619 --> 00:29:01.099
it was like, and he was, he felt that that was

00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:03.779
the, because actually the good amount of the

00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:07.380
congregation was Zimbabwean. So he felt like

00:29:07.380 --> 00:29:11.140
that's the way to go from there. He says that

00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:19.140
you may be sincere and without offense. And know

00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:21.579
that in our dealings with our brothers and our

00:29:21.579 --> 00:29:27.559
sisters, right? We have a tendency to give. Like

00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:31.180
we cause the other person to stumble. We know

00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:32.920
that the word is to cause the other person to

00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:37.680
stumble or to, on other ways, to harbor harm.

00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:42.440
or evil in your heart towards that person. And

00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:44.400
they are very subtle things. I used that example

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:49.180
of someone coming and what he was doing was the

00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:51.519
best work, what he was doing was good in his

00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:54.099
own sight, but the other person took an offense

00:29:54.099 --> 00:29:56.539
because what the actions of this person caused

00:29:56.539 --> 00:29:59.819
them to have that. So you want to, even when

00:29:59.819 --> 00:30:04.700
a situation happens, you want to still have that,

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:09.920
you know, when you love someone, Right? You always

00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:12.680
will have, you know, the way you defend yourself

00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:15.000
against the action is make an excuse for them,

00:30:15.079 --> 00:30:18.119
right? Because we do that. And then every other

00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:19.720
person will be like, can't you see what the person

00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:21.460
did is wrong? And you're like, no, I think he's

00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:25.160
trying to do this. You will construct, you will

00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:27.819
like think of what the reasons why, you know,

00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:30.880
notice that I told you the reason I stood for

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.630
why he used the language. in the course of construction.

00:30:33.769 --> 00:30:35.349
Because I wasn't offended because I felt like

00:30:35.349 --> 00:30:38.289
this guy was, I was enjoying the way he was,

00:30:38.329 --> 00:30:39.789
even though I wasn't hearing a good amount of

00:30:39.789 --> 00:30:42.009
what he was saying, not saying what he was saying,

00:30:42.049 --> 00:30:44.309
but I was following the one I was understanding,

00:30:44.490 --> 00:30:46.549
right? But I was enjoying the fact that he was

00:30:46.549 --> 00:30:50.190
very much energetic, he was doing, he was very

00:30:50.190 --> 00:30:53.230
much, I could tell the difference because I observed

00:30:53.230 --> 00:30:54.950
and I saw the difference. But the other person

00:30:54.950 --> 00:30:58.130
wasn't getting it. Because in my mind, I was

00:30:58.130 --> 00:31:00.690
like, he just wanted to do something different.

00:31:01.210 --> 00:31:05.109
And then even though... But just to enjoy the

00:31:05.109 --> 00:31:08.369
service, right? Just so that you'll be blessed

00:31:08.369 --> 00:31:11.609
from the service. Because if you... I know that

00:31:11.609 --> 00:31:15.829
he wasn't taking notes. The other man, he had

00:31:15.829 --> 00:31:18.809
every right to. But know that when you prioritize

00:31:18.809 --> 00:31:21.049
being blessed from a service, you will not allow

00:31:21.049 --> 00:31:23.869
what the other person does to not allow you to

00:31:23.869 --> 00:31:27.609
be blessed. Praise God. And this is... This is

00:31:27.609 --> 00:31:29.170
something that we need because we're dealing

00:31:29.170 --> 00:31:30.809
with individuals that are different from ourselves.

00:31:30.869 --> 00:31:32.529
Sometimes we think everybody is from our hometown.

00:31:34.670 --> 00:31:37.470
They understand our language. We can relate to

00:31:37.470 --> 00:31:40.430
them. But you always have people, you remember

00:31:40.430 --> 00:31:42.589
on Sunday I was telling us, people's culture

00:31:42.589 --> 00:31:46.690
is different from your culture. And what is normal

00:31:46.690 --> 00:31:50.309
in your culture is offensive. So they will take

00:31:50.309 --> 00:31:52.950
offense because you don't understand. That's

00:31:52.950 --> 00:31:55.819
why we're dealing with knowledge, right? You

00:31:55.819 --> 00:31:57.460
want to go out of your way to understand how

00:31:57.460 --> 00:31:59.920
things operate. And you want to be very careful

00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:03.539
not to now, because of their actions, now have

00:32:03.539 --> 00:32:08.519
harbor setting, like harbor evil towards the

00:32:08.519 --> 00:32:11.220
individual. Because if you're harboring evil

00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:16.819
towards that individual, you will struggle to

00:32:16.819 --> 00:32:20.170
express love to that person. Praise God. You

00:32:20.170 --> 00:32:22.289
struggle to express love to that person because

00:32:22.289 --> 00:32:24.250
you're harboring evil towards them. And you don't

00:32:24.250 --> 00:32:29.690
want to allow for the enemy to make instances

00:32:29.690 --> 00:32:31.990
where you will not be able to do so because you

00:32:31.990 --> 00:32:33.849
would be the person at that point in time to

00:32:33.849 --> 00:32:35.829
do that and then you deny yourself an opportunity

00:32:35.829 --> 00:32:37.930
of being blessed. Because when we love on someone,

00:32:38.029 --> 00:32:39.690
we allow the love of God to flow through us.

00:32:39.769 --> 00:32:41.430
We're blessed while we're at it. Praise God.

00:32:41.829 --> 00:32:43.529
We're blessed while we're at it and we're encouraged

00:32:43.529 --> 00:32:47.670
to do so. We're encouraged to do so. So I want

00:32:47.670 --> 00:32:52.890
to go to... Yeah, this is also very important.

00:32:53.250 --> 00:32:57.089
That you want to, from time to time, check yourself.

00:32:57.869 --> 00:33:00.829
Because sometimes we don't do it. Check yourself.

00:33:01.470 --> 00:33:05.089
And ask yourself, what is my touch towards this

00:33:05.089 --> 00:33:07.289
person? Or what is my touch towards that person?

00:33:09.569 --> 00:33:15.670
Like, what emotions do I feel when I think of

00:33:15.670 --> 00:33:17.769
the person? Because that in itself will help

00:33:17.769 --> 00:33:21.829
us to ask ourselves, Is it consistent with the

00:33:21.829 --> 00:33:23.190
word of God? Because sometimes we push it off.

00:33:24.089 --> 00:33:27.329
And for some of us, we do it and it piles up.

00:33:28.410 --> 00:33:30.769
I've never seen instances where somebody does

00:33:30.769 --> 00:33:32.990
something, in fact, a very practical situation.

00:33:33.130 --> 00:33:37.369
You know, you won't know that you are working.

00:33:37.470 --> 00:33:39.849
You can't determine whether you're working in

00:33:39.849 --> 00:33:41.750
love if everybody's saying, hi, love you, brother,

00:33:41.869 --> 00:33:43.650
love you, sister. You know, you can't find out.

00:33:44.190 --> 00:33:45.849
It's when somebody that doesn't have the fear

00:33:45.849 --> 00:33:49.349
of God comes around. That's how you will know

00:33:49.349 --> 00:33:50.750
whether you're truly working in love. The person

00:33:50.750 --> 00:33:53.730
does something, presses all the buttons. You

00:33:53.730 --> 00:33:56.549
know, somebody say, he knows how to pee. If he

00:33:56.549 --> 00:34:01.329
knows the button, the button should not be working.

00:34:01.730 --> 00:34:03.329
But he presses all the buttons. You know, when

00:34:03.329 --> 00:34:06.509
somebody presses all the buttons, you know, there's

00:34:06.509 --> 00:34:08.610
individuals that you see, they say, don't do

00:34:08.610 --> 00:34:11.170
this. It's that thing that they say, don't do.

00:34:11.889 --> 00:34:14.650
That's the one. You know, I was, so I think every

00:34:14.650 --> 00:34:17.349
time I talk about this, I see that there's this,

00:34:17.769 --> 00:34:19.610
video of a guy that they say don't touch the

00:34:19.610 --> 00:34:21.309
walls the guy just went like this i'm just going

00:34:21.309 --> 00:34:25.010
i don't do it was just going we're just going

00:34:25.010 --> 00:34:26.489
they said don't touch the world you guys like

00:34:26.489 --> 00:34:28.989
is that that's what you want to talk to just

00:34:28.989 --> 00:34:32.889
go go around and you'll be because you're like

00:34:32.889 --> 00:34:34.849
you have painted this wall now this guy is and

00:34:34.849 --> 00:34:36.869
probably he had oil in the hand and so something

00:34:36.869 --> 00:34:41.690
like that just to get you because now we will

00:34:41.690 --> 00:34:46.860
know what is and when you have done it and probably

00:34:46.860 --> 00:34:49.840
poured out everything of yours and you're done.

00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.639
You know, when you're calm, have you ever noticed

00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:54.300
when you're calm, that's when the Holy Spirit

00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:57.420
will say, see this thing you've done now. How

00:34:57.420 --> 00:35:01.760
has it communicated the love of God? And many

00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:04.000
times we don't even have to say, let him go away

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:09.219
now. Say what he did was wrong. But they say,

00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:15.159
what you now did also did not help. The situation,

00:35:15.239 --> 00:35:17.460
praise God. It doesn't help the situation. So

00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:21.460
you want to, and even when in a church setting,

00:35:21.619 --> 00:35:24.940
where you interact with people, you want to also

00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:27.179
ensure that you're touched towards them. Remember

00:35:27.179 --> 00:35:30.199
we used the word pure. You're looking at a sister.

00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:32.860
You want to see that lady as your own sister,

00:35:32.980 --> 00:35:35.579
your blood sister. The things you won't do to

00:35:35.579 --> 00:35:37.800
your own sister, you don't want to do to that

00:35:37.800 --> 00:35:42.079
lady. A guy, same thing. You don't want to be...

00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:44.380
Remember we said, you don't want to cause an

00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:47.159
offense to that person. Because the moment we're

00:35:47.159 --> 00:35:50.920
doing that with one another, we're training ourselves

00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:55.079
to walk in the nature that we've received. Praise

00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:57.059
God. We're training ourselves to walk in the

00:35:57.059 --> 00:35:59.639
nature we've received. It doesn't speak well

00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:03.139
of you when you are just, because once you, remember

00:36:03.139 --> 00:36:06.460
we said, when your actions are not guarded, it

00:36:06.460 --> 00:36:08.440
means that your thoughts to just go, you allow

00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:12.510
your thoughts to go anywhere. You allow your

00:36:12.510 --> 00:36:15.550
thoughts to go anywhere. Praise God. And it says,

00:36:15.650 --> 00:36:20.710
it says, continuing that, it says, till the day

00:36:20.710 --> 00:36:23.510
of Christ, meaning that you have to continue

00:36:23.510 --> 00:36:26.469
in it, right? You have to continue. Just keep

00:36:26.469 --> 00:36:28.730
on it. Keep on it. You don't come to a point

00:36:28.730 --> 00:36:31.030
and say, I'm tired of this. You know, there's

00:36:31.030 --> 00:36:38.630
how you do stuff. Say, in fact, I've tried. It's

00:36:38.630 --> 00:36:42.289
like you're taking it and then you explode it.

00:36:43.030 --> 00:36:46.329
Praise God. There's no explosion. What should

00:36:46.329 --> 00:36:50.489
happen is that you keep pouring it out and the

00:36:50.489 --> 00:36:52.769
explosion is love that should be coming out because

00:36:52.769 --> 00:36:55.010
that's what you are full of, right? When we say

00:36:55.010 --> 00:37:00.230
abounding more and more in love means that the

00:37:00.230 --> 00:37:02.610
love should always find expression whether you

00:37:02.610 --> 00:37:05.230
feel like it or you don't feel like it. Praise

00:37:05.230 --> 00:37:10.760
God. Because what? God had done, you know, I

00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:15.780
think I listened to, I saw a video, I think this

00:37:15.780 --> 00:37:18.019
morning when, I think you shared a video and

00:37:18.019 --> 00:37:20.159
then I saw another video after. I was just thinking

00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:25.039
about it. I was like, just imagine what Christ

00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:27.260
had gone through. At some point in time, he got

00:37:27.260 --> 00:37:30.380
it, he had it up to here. And then he decided

00:37:30.380 --> 00:37:36.420
to just say, all of you. You know, some of you

00:37:36.420 --> 00:37:37.800
have thought about it. Your mind has already

00:37:37.800 --> 00:37:47.719
gone there. He said, in fact, you know, some

00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:50.300
of you are, you know, Avengers, you know, when

00:37:50.300 --> 00:37:53.119
he does it like this, when he does like this,

00:37:53.159 --> 00:37:57.260
everything, like all the, he doesn't even need

00:37:57.260 --> 00:38:01.380
to, he does the thought of it. Praise God. If

00:38:01.380 --> 00:38:03.639
I, he would say, I say I could, if my kingdom

00:38:03.639 --> 00:38:11.329
was of this, I would have, Ah, praise God. But

00:38:11.329 --> 00:38:15.710
we see an example, right? And you know, sometimes

00:38:15.710 --> 00:38:21.889
I've heard a song, you see, don't try me. Don't

00:38:21.889 --> 00:38:28.449
try me. It's Jesus. It's Jesus. You know, when

00:38:28.449 --> 00:38:30.349
you sing those kind of songs, you'll be further

00:38:30.349 --> 00:38:38.590
justified. But yeah, he's him. I am me. But remember

00:38:38.590 --> 00:38:40.510
we say the love is in Christ and we have the

00:38:40.510 --> 00:38:43.110
life of Christ, right? So it means that if they

00:38:43.110 --> 00:38:45.250
try you, what Jesus did is what you're going

00:38:45.250 --> 00:38:49.730
to do. Praise God. Praise God. And it's not a

00:38:49.730 --> 00:38:52.969
problem when sometimes you lose it, right? That

00:38:52.969 --> 00:38:59.389
just shows that you have work to do, right? That

00:38:59.389 --> 00:39:02.329
just shows that we have work to do because really,

00:39:02.510 --> 00:39:05.639
if you're dealing with... If you're here, you

00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:08.900
will have situations sometimes. You don't even

00:39:08.900 --> 00:39:11.099
need to be a parent. You don't need to be a teacher.

00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:14.280
You don't need to be... You know when you explain,

00:39:14.579 --> 00:39:16.980
you have repeated it like 10 times, and then

00:39:16.980 --> 00:39:20.679
the person says, excuse me, sir. When are we

00:39:20.679 --> 00:39:24.940
going to have the quiz? And you wrote it on,

00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:28.460
you published it on UZEM. You said it like five

00:39:28.460 --> 00:39:30.360
times in the class in the beginning. You said

00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:32.400
it like five times in the middle, and then you

00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:34.369
still... In fact, sometimes you just ask a random

00:39:34.369 --> 00:39:37.269
person, when is it the person tells you another

00:39:37.269 --> 00:39:44.010
date? And then you know you spoke English. You

00:39:44.010 --> 00:39:45.929
didn't use Mandarin, you didn't use French, you

00:39:45.929 --> 00:39:48.710
didn't use Russian. In fact, even if you use

00:39:48.710 --> 00:39:50.289
the language that the person understands, it's

00:39:50.289 --> 00:39:52.570
still going to be the same result. But you still

00:39:52.570 --> 00:39:58.710
choose to still do it regardless, right? Sometimes

00:39:58.710 --> 00:40:01.289
it really can get to that point where you're

00:40:01.289 --> 00:40:04.150
wondering, how will I walk or how will I do this?

00:40:04.429 --> 00:40:07.510
And we see it in an example of Christ because

00:40:07.510 --> 00:40:09.849
it says they're fruits. It means that these things

00:40:09.849 --> 00:40:13.789
will find expression. And there's a reward for

00:40:13.789 --> 00:40:16.309
it. We see it in the life of a believer. And

00:40:16.309 --> 00:40:18.929
I want you to see, we're not doing something

00:40:18.929 --> 00:40:21.849
strange. We're doing the things that are in our

00:40:21.849 --> 00:40:24.369
nature. Remember the passage we started with.

00:40:24.409 --> 00:40:29.199
It says, be imitators. of God, right? Be imitators

00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:33.219
of God. So, you are living out your original

00:40:33.219 --> 00:40:38.559
self when you act in accordance to or you replicate

00:40:38.559 --> 00:40:41.820
the character of your father. You're living out

00:40:41.820 --> 00:40:44.760
your original self. You're living out your true

00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:48.380
nature. You know, sometimes we think that imitations

00:40:48.380 --> 00:40:51.980
are fake. You know, when they say that's an imitation,

00:40:52.300 --> 00:40:55.349
in my country, it's from Abba. But sometimes

00:40:55.349 --> 00:40:58.190
those things are quality because they are made

00:40:58.190 --> 00:41:01.469
to suit our environment. The ones that are made

00:41:01.469 --> 00:41:03.809
to suit the environment will break and the ones

00:41:03.809 --> 00:41:05.369
that you bought, you know, sometimes you wonder

00:41:05.369 --> 00:41:07.929
the most expensive things might sometimes not

00:41:07.929 --> 00:41:09.789
be the things, depends on the manufacturing and

00:41:09.789 --> 00:41:12.969
the quality of what is used to make that. So

00:41:12.969 --> 00:41:14.309
when you're saying you're copying or you're leaving

00:41:14.309 --> 00:41:17.170
out, you're leaving out the character that is

00:41:17.170 --> 00:41:22.150
of the one whom you have received. And in 1 Corinthians

00:41:22.150 --> 00:41:27.139
4 verse 16, 1 Corinthians 4 verse 16 says, therefore

00:41:27.139 --> 00:41:30.780
I urge you, imitate me. Apostle Paul speaking,

00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:34.980
therefore I urge you, imitate me. Therefore I

00:41:34.980 --> 00:41:37.539
urge you, imitate me. And in 1 Corinthians 11

00:41:37.539 --> 00:41:43.260
verse 1, he goes further to say, imitate me just

00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:46.699
as I also imitate Christ. Meaning that you're

00:41:46.699 --> 00:41:49.079
not directly imitating him, you are imitating

00:41:49.079 --> 00:41:52.539
the character of the one who he is. He's like

00:41:52.539 --> 00:41:55.469
a person you can see, to meet it, even if you

00:41:55.469 --> 00:42:01.489
don't have some model to follow. Praise God.

00:42:01.889 --> 00:42:12.869
And then in 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 6, it says,

00:42:13.030 --> 00:42:17.010
and you became followers of us. That word, that

00:42:17.010 --> 00:42:19.530
followers there is still the same Greek word,

00:42:19.630 --> 00:42:24.019
which is mimetis. followers of us that is m -i

00:42:24.019 --> 00:42:28.820
-m -e -t -e -s m -i -m -e -t -e -s that's the

00:42:28.820 --> 00:42:33.500
imitators or followers of us and of the lord

00:42:33.500 --> 00:42:37.239
having received the word in many affliction with

00:42:37.239 --> 00:42:40.340
joy of the holy spirit with joy of the holy spirit

00:42:40.340 --> 00:42:45.739
and we see it again and again and we see even

00:42:45.739 --> 00:42:49.909
in hebrews it says in hebrews 6 verse 12 In Hebrews

00:42:49.909 --> 00:42:53.909
6 verse 12, this is speaking of Abraham. Hebrews

00:42:53.909 --> 00:42:57.269
6 verse 12 says, that you do not become sluggish.

00:42:57.809 --> 00:43:00.389
That you do not become sluggish. Hebrews 6 verse

00:43:00.389 --> 00:43:03.650
12, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate

00:43:03.650 --> 00:43:06.949
those who through faith and patience inherit

00:43:06.949 --> 00:43:09.929
the promises. Who through faith and patience

00:43:09.929 --> 00:43:11.929
inherit the promise. That's speaking of, because

00:43:11.929 --> 00:43:14.829
in the next verse you see, Abraham's being spoken

00:43:14.829 --> 00:43:17.789
of. Abraham is spoken of. And I want us to go

00:43:17.789 --> 00:43:29.530
to, Ephesians 4 .24. Let's look at that and then

00:43:29.530 --> 00:43:32.230
we'll see some examples with Christ. We'll see

00:43:32.230 --> 00:43:35.449
some examples with Christ. 4 .24, it says, Then

00:43:35.449 --> 00:43:37.670
you put on the new man that was created according

00:43:37.670 --> 00:43:42.210
to God in true righteousness and holiness. So

00:43:42.210 --> 00:43:44.329
it says put on the new man, meaning that you

00:43:44.329 --> 00:43:46.869
are actively doing these things. You're actively

00:43:46.869 --> 00:43:49.429
working in it. Remember, we say the work is a

00:43:49.429 --> 00:43:52.889
lifestyle. You're choosing to live a certain

00:43:52.889 --> 00:43:55.389
kind of way. You're choosing to follow. And that

00:43:55.389 --> 00:43:59.309
is the walk in love. The walk in love is a consistent

00:43:59.309 --> 00:44:01.889
lifestyle and a behavior. It's not just, it doesn't

00:44:01.889 --> 00:44:04.670
just stop at doctrine. It's a consistent lifestyle

00:44:04.670 --> 00:44:07.789
and behavior and it's something that we do independent

00:44:07.789 --> 00:44:11.909
of the other person's actions. It's not dependent

00:44:11.909 --> 00:44:13.849
on the other person's actions. It's independent

00:44:13.849 --> 00:44:15.309
of the other person's actions. And we know what

00:44:15.309 --> 00:44:17.510
independence means, right? Meaning that if they

00:44:17.510 --> 00:44:20.849
do it to you, it doesn't change. And for some

00:44:20.849 --> 00:44:25.539
of us, I think I was reminded whilst I was preparing

00:44:25.539 --> 00:44:29.860
this, there was some lady that we heard that

00:44:29.860 --> 00:44:33.340
she doesn't have food to eat. We heard that she

00:44:33.340 --> 00:44:36.079
doesn't have food to eat. We went, bought foodstuff.

00:44:36.320 --> 00:44:38.099
We gave it to her. She said, no, she's fine.

00:44:40.780 --> 00:44:43.420
I said, we heard, we know, and in fact, we can

00:44:43.420 --> 00:44:45.380
see that she doesn't have. We gave it to her.

00:44:45.420 --> 00:44:47.780
She said, she's fine. I said, me? I'm giving

00:44:47.780 --> 00:44:50.420
you something, and I know, and I have full information.

00:44:50.909 --> 00:44:52.610
I said, take it and give it to anybody that you

00:44:52.610 --> 00:44:55.710
feel like that has missed it. And I was thinking

00:44:55.710 --> 00:44:59.409
to myself, I was like, what will make you see

00:44:59.409 --> 00:45:07.050
what you need and pass? I was, I was, I was,

00:45:07.050 --> 00:45:12.190
I was like, what, what is going on? We had to

00:45:12.190 --> 00:45:14.989
force, like, we had to force it. We had to force,

00:45:15.070 --> 00:45:16.469
it's like, it's like, you need this thing and

00:45:16.469 --> 00:45:19.440
we're forcing it down. And I was like, And it

00:45:19.440 --> 00:45:21.260
took a while. I think it's, it's almost like

00:45:21.260 --> 00:45:23.099
it took the lady a while. I think it took a while

00:45:23.099 --> 00:45:26.340
before she got to accept, start receiving, start,

00:45:26.400 --> 00:45:29.300
it was used to. And if you're using the way the

00:45:29.300 --> 00:45:30.599
person reacted, you will not give them again.

00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:33.760
Yeah, if you're using the way the person reacted,

00:45:33.820 --> 00:45:35.639
you will not give the person again. You'll be

00:45:35.639 --> 00:45:37.480
like, this person always, and the person needs

00:45:37.480 --> 00:45:40.380
it. So, know that when you, when you love someone,

00:45:40.500 --> 00:45:43.119
you will, you will, you will do what you do independent

00:45:43.119 --> 00:45:47.300
of how they respond to you. Because it's necessary,

00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:50.420
because they need it. And then if you choose,

00:45:50.460 --> 00:45:52.880
whether they, okay, if you say, I'll give you

00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:54.559
this thing, when the person just say, good morning,

00:45:54.659 --> 00:45:56.579
say, they not greet me well, okay, tomorrow,

00:45:56.820 --> 00:45:59.739
even you have suffered well enough, then I'll

00:45:59.739 --> 00:46:02.639
come back and you will check whether you are

00:46:02.639 --> 00:46:04.460
ready to receive the love I have to give to you.

00:46:07.960 --> 00:46:09.860
Remember what we said, that even whoever yet

00:46:09.860 --> 00:46:14.320
see this, it is not, we were not put together,

00:46:14.519 --> 00:46:16.340
even put together, there's no need for him to

00:46:16.340 --> 00:46:19.429
do it, right? Praise God. So it's independent.

00:46:19.630 --> 00:46:23.449
So it's our nature and it's not, we don't react.

00:46:23.710 --> 00:46:25.769
We don't like, we don't, when somebody asks them,

00:46:25.829 --> 00:46:29.190
we react and then we react. So we just flow with

00:46:29.190 --> 00:46:31.090
our nature. We flow with our nature. Don't your

00:46:31.090 --> 00:46:34.949
neighbor and say, I flow in my nature. I flow

00:46:34.949 --> 00:46:38.170
in my nature. If the person is not answering

00:46:38.170 --> 00:46:40.610
you, say it, shake them. I flow in my nature.

00:46:42.110 --> 00:46:46.010
Ask them, do you flow in your nature? See that

00:46:46.010 --> 00:46:50.530
nature is love. The nature is the nature of God's

00:46:50.530 --> 00:46:56.190
love. And it's not transactional. Tell the person

00:46:56.190 --> 00:46:59.409
also it's not transactional. It's not if I do

00:46:59.409 --> 00:47:03.590
you, if I help you today, you now help me back

00:47:03.590 --> 00:47:06.489
tomorrow. Because sometimes you can be very angry

00:47:06.489 --> 00:47:08.590
because you help the person. Remember that time.

00:47:09.130 --> 00:47:12.570
That time when you had nothing. You had nothing

00:47:12.570 --> 00:47:15.190
and I showed up for you. Now it's time for you

00:47:15.190 --> 00:47:20.429
to... To reciprocate. You know. That time you

00:47:20.429 --> 00:47:21.710
were begging me. I told you you should not bother.

00:47:22.530 --> 00:47:25.789
Now I'm the one begging you. Please show me love.

00:47:30.849 --> 00:47:35.489
Please show me love. So turn to your neighbor.

00:47:36.590 --> 00:47:38.869
Turn to your neighbor. And tell him it's not

00:47:38.869 --> 00:47:44.699
business. It's not business. We are called to

00:47:44.699 --> 00:47:46.480
be kind to one another. We are called to love

00:47:46.480 --> 00:47:48.739
one another. It's not business. So it's only

00:47:48.739 --> 00:47:50.420
business you do like that. You give them goods

00:47:50.420 --> 00:47:52.579
and services and they supply you with even money

00:47:52.579 --> 00:47:54.139
and they supply you with goods and services.

00:47:54.760 --> 00:47:57.159
Praise God. So when you're doing good, you will

00:47:57.159 --> 00:48:01.980
really be offended. If you are going about doing

00:48:01.980 --> 00:48:03.699
yourself, you say, just look at the person. You

00:48:03.699 --> 00:48:05.539
say, this person, if I give him like this and

00:48:05.539 --> 00:48:08.019
that, when is time? Will they have it to give

00:48:08.019 --> 00:48:09.800
me back? Say, no, no, no. Let's find somebody

00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:12.659
that is in more fertile ground. Because, yeah.

00:48:13.050 --> 00:48:15.289
There are some people that even if I keep selling,

00:48:15.429 --> 00:48:18.789
nothing will come out. They always don't have.

00:48:18.909 --> 00:48:23.090
If there's anything, they don't have. Those kind

00:48:23.090 --> 00:48:24.949
of persons, when I need, they will not supply.

00:48:25.090 --> 00:48:28.269
Praise God. So that's not how we live our lives

00:48:28.269 --> 00:48:31.409
as believers. We give regardless. It's unconditional.

00:48:31.670 --> 00:48:33.550
We don't have conditions attached to our giving.

00:48:33.809 --> 00:48:36.550
Right? We don't have conditions. Regardless of

00:48:36.550 --> 00:48:38.989
how the person responds, we don't still choose.

00:48:39.250 --> 00:48:41.030
We don't look at their faces and then respond

00:48:41.030 --> 00:48:44.019
the way they... They respond to us. Praise God.

00:48:44.440 --> 00:48:47.679
So I want to quickly run through, I think, I

00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:50.440
don't know how many we'll be able to do, examples

00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:54.320
in the scripture of how Christ showed compassion.

00:48:54.500 --> 00:48:56.960
And really, if there's anything, I want you to

00:48:56.960 --> 00:49:00.019
see the example of the way he moved, the way

00:49:00.019 --> 00:49:04.219
he, the actions that motivated, like what motivated

00:49:04.219 --> 00:49:07.940
his action. I want you to see that. I want you

00:49:07.940 --> 00:49:11.059
to see how compassion was what motivated him

00:49:11.059 --> 00:49:14.559
to do the things that he did. And the compassion

00:49:14.559 --> 00:49:18.239
there is the word, just write it down, is sp

00:49:18.239 --> 00:49:32.840
-l -a -g -c -h -n -i -z -o -m -a -i. If you notice,

00:49:32.880 --> 00:49:38.659
there are a lot of zomai, zomai. S -P -L -A -G

00:49:38.659 --> 00:49:47.760
-C -H -N -I -Z -O -M -A -I. So, you can try it.

00:49:47.800 --> 00:49:54.780
It's experimental. It means to be moved from

00:49:54.780 --> 00:49:59.900
one's inner depths. You know when somebody says,

00:49:59.980 --> 00:50:05.719
my liver, inner organs, to be moved in one's

00:50:06.030 --> 00:50:10.750
inner organs or depth. And it's not pity. It's

00:50:10.750 --> 00:50:14.329
not just pity. It's not just pity. It's not just

00:50:14.329 --> 00:50:19.449
pity. It's a profound empathy that leads to action.

00:50:20.630 --> 00:50:23.030
Because it's from the depth of the person, it

00:50:23.030 --> 00:50:26.150
will always result in action. It's not just words.

00:50:27.150 --> 00:50:29.530
It doesn't just stop at words. It will always

00:50:29.530 --> 00:50:33.239
result. You see... actions that align with the

00:50:33.239 --> 00:50:35.260
person's, with the compassion, because the word

00:50:35.260 --> 00:50:38.940
is compassion. And I'll just list a couple of

00:50:38.940 --> 00:50:41.820
things. Know that we see in scripture, Jesus'

00:50:42.019 --> 00:50:44.400
compassion towards the lost and the helpless.

00:50:45.039 --> 00:50:47.739
The first one, Jesus' compassion towards the

00:50:47.739 --> 00:50:50.980
lost and the helpless. And this is one theme

00:50:50.980 --> 00:50:54.139
that you will see again and again and again with

00:50:54.139 --> 00:50:56.619
regards to Jesus Christ. Just write, I'll just

00:50:56.619 --> 00:50:58.440
give us the scriptures. We can do that because

00:50:58.440 --> 00:51:00.619
we don't have much time. Let's give us the scriptures.

00:51:00.840 --> 00:51:08.579
Matthew 9, 35 to 36. Matthew 9, 35 to 36. Mark

00:51:08.579 --> 00:51:15.019
6, 34. Matthew 9, 35 to 36. Mark 6, 34. So I'll

00:51:15.019 --> 00:51:19.820
just read to us the 35. I think 36, just 36 thereabout.

00:51:19.900 --> 00:51:22.920
It says, But when he saw the multitudes, he was

00:51:22.920 --> 00:51:25.880
moved with compassion for them, that they were

00:51:25.880 --> 00:51:29.239
weary and scattered like sheep with no shepherd.

00:51:29.719 --> 00:51:31.719
It was scattered like sheep with no shepherd.

00:51:32.239 --> 00:51:39.059
And in Mark 6 .34, it says, And Jesus, when he

00:51:39.059 --> 00:51:41.340
came out, he saw the multitude and was moved

00:51:41.340 --> 00:51:44.280
with compassion for them because they were like

00:51:44.280 --> 00:51:47.280
sheep without shepherd. So he began to teach

00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:50.619
them many things. Note that the solution to what,

00:51:50.739 --> 00:51:52.340
because when you say like sheep without shepherd,

00:51:52.519 --> 00:51:54.159
note that what he was looking at is the fact

00:51:54.159 --> 00:51:56.840
that these people lacked care, there's teaching,

00:51:57.079 --> 00:52:00.460
there's understanding. And then he taught. He

00:52:00.460 --> 00:52:03.840
taught. He sought an opportunity to teach them.

00:52:03.980 --> 00:52:07.079
Jesus perceived that there was a need. There

00:52:07.079 --> 00:52:09.239
was spiritual confusion. There was no direction.

00:52:09.539 --> 00:52:11.179
There was the exploitation that was happening.

00:52:11.300 --> 00:52:13.739
The Pharisees, the Sadducees were just exploiting

00:52:13.739 --> 00:52:16.039
the people because they lacked an understanding.

00:52:16.480 --> 00:52:18.699
And that's why if you look throughout Jesus'

00:52:18.880 --> 00:52:22.039
ministry, a lot of teaching was involved in it.

00:52:22.119 --> 00:52:25.539
A lot of teaching was involved in it because

00:52:25.539 --> 00:52:29.090
people needed... spiritual guidance people needed.

00:52:29.230 --> 00:52:31.050
And that's why when he was leaving, he told Peter,

00:52:31.210 --> 00:52:35.269
feed, teach. They took time. You see that that

00:52:35.269 --> 00:52:39.150
was very much the solution to this. So it means

00:52:39.150 --> 00:52:41.610
that when people are in ignorance, you should

00:52:41.610 --> 00:52:44.630
have compassion towards them. You're actually,

00:52:44.670 --> 00:52:47.150
this is not, hey, you don't know. You don't know.

00:52:47.610 --> 00:52:50.570
These are the basic doctrines of the foundation.

00:52:51.150 --> 00:52:55.239
If you're... If you're doing that, you are not

00:52:55.239 --> 00:52:58.079
in any way walking in the, because when Jesus

00:52:58.079 --> 00:53:00.159
Christ saw them, he did not say, ah, you would,

00:53:00.260 --> 00:53:03.119
you know, you don't understand these things.

00:53:03.460 --> 00:53:05.260
Okay, I'm here for you. Don't worry. I'm going

00:53:05.260 --> 00:53:07.400
to teach you. Know that he, there was a love

00:53:07.400 --> 00:53:09.480
and you see him saying, when you see that without

00:53:09.480 --> 00:53:11.679
shepherd, well, they are like ships without shepherd.

00:53:11.760 --> 00:53:14.699
He went ahead and did what was needed. And then

00:53:14.699 --> 00:53:16.900
going for the, from the Mark six, we'll see that

00:53:16.900 --> 00:53:20.269
when you read down. From that Mark 6, in the

00:53:20.269 --> 00:53:23.150
35, 44, you see that there's also his compassion

00:53:23.150 --> 00:53:26.170
towards the hungry. People that now, besides

00:53:26.170 --> 00:53:28.050
the spiritual, there's also the physical needs

00:53:28.050 --> 00:53:30.429
that they had. They were hungry and they needed

00:53:30.429 --> 00:53:33.190
food. And we see that he was practical. Not that

00:53:33.190 --> 00:53:35.190
I talked earlier about somebody that was hungry,

00:53:35.250 --> 00:53:39.210
that needed food. And they received the food

00:53:39.210 --> 00:53:41.869
because there was no way that food would come

00:53:41.869 --> 00:53:45.010
about. And we see that he did this when they

00:53:45.010 --> 00:53:50.510
fed the 5 ,000, right? In Mark 6, we see the

00:53:50.510 --> 00:53:55.110
feeding of the 5 ,000. And then in Mark 8, we

00:53:55.110 --> 00:53:58.750
see the feeding of the 4 ,000. We see the feeding

00:53:58.750 --> 00:54:05.130
of the 4 ,000. In Matthew 14, 13 -21, we see

00:54:05.130 --> 00:54:15.269
the feeding of the 4 ,000. And in Matthew 15,

00:54:16.779 --> 00:54:19.980
32 to 38, we see the feeding of the 4 ,000. We

00:54:19.980 --> 00:54:23.320
see it in both accounts. And I'll just read the

00:54:23.320 --> 00:54:25.099
Matthew's account. It says, Now Jesus called

00:54:25.099 --> 00:54:28.219
the disciples to himself and says, I have compassion.

00:54:28.300 --> 00:54:30.820
I have compassion on the multitude because they

00:54:30.820 --> 00:54:35.000
have continued with me three days and have nothing

00:54:35.000 --> 00:54:39.159
to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry,

00:54:39.380 --> 00:54:43.719
lest they faint on the way. Lest they faint on

00:54:43.719 --> 00:54:46.510
the way. We see Jesus' desire for them. to be

00:54:46.510 --> 00:54:49.389
fed physically, not just to go without feeding.

00:54:49.530 --> 00:54:52.469
And then I'll go to the important part or the

00:54:52.469 --> 00:54:55.289
one I want us to see very quickly while we close.

00:54:56.329 --> 00:54:59.909
Jesus' compassion for the sick and those suffering

00:54:59.909 --> 00:55:03.130
and those grieving. For the sick, suffering,

00:55:03.309 --> 00:55:05.750
and the grieving. Jesus' compassion for the sick,

00:55:05.789 --> 00:55:11.280
suffering, and the grieving. this was one thing

00:55:11.280 --> 00:55:13.199
that was very important to him because Jesus

00:55:13.199 --> 00:55:16.239
Christ never moved into a place and he finished

00:55:16.239 --> 00:55:18.260
teaching and then there were people, he will

00:55:18.260 --> 00:55:22.079
follow it with killing. He'll follow it with

00:55:22.079 --> 00:55:25.159
healing. If there's anybody that's sick, there

00:55:25.159 --> 00:55:27.500
will be prayers for the person and you see that,

00:55:27.559 --> 00:55:30.000
scripture will tell us that all that were sick

00:55:30.000 --> 00:55:32.699
were healed. All that were sick, they were healed.

00:55:32.739 --> 00:55:36.780
And we're reading a book on healing. Please read

00:55:36.780 --> 00:55:39.699
that book. If you read the book, you'll see there's

00:55:39.699 --> 00:55:41.039
a lot of things that has to do with the mind.

00:55:41.239 --> 00:55:44.400
There's a lot of things. There's a sense, knowledge.

00:55:44.880 --> 00:55:46.739
There's a sense, knowledge, and there are different

00:55:46.739 --> 00:55:49.300
things that will help you to understand what

00:55:49.300 --> 00:55:52.099
it is or what motivated or why we do things the

00:55:52.099 --> 00:55:53.840
way we do things. We don't walk with understanding.

00:55:54.079 --> 00:55:57.019
We don't look at sickness as is the will of God,

00:55:57.099 --> 00:56:01.099
you know. Jesus Christ, we see his action towards

00:56:01.099 --> 00:56:04.880
sickness. Everybody that was sick, that was within

00:56:04.880 --> 00:56:06.960
that perimeter was healed. Let's see Matthew

00:56:06.960 --> 00:56:13.320
14, 14. Matthew 14, 14. Matthew 14, 14, it says,

00:56:13.480 --> 00:56:17.460
and when Jesus went out, he saw the great multitude

00:56:17.460 --> 00:56:20.840
and he was moved with compassion for them and

00:56:20.840 --> 00:56:23.099
healed their sick. He was moved with compassion

00:56:23.099 --> 00:56:26.860
for them and healed their sick. Matthew 20, I

00:56:26.860 --> 00:56:30.699
will just give us Matthew 20, 29 to 34. You see

00:56:30.699 --> 00:56:32.880
that even the blind, he opened the eyes of the

00:56:32.880 --> 00:56:36.480
blind. Matthew 20, let's go to 34. Just go to

00:56:36.480 --> 00:56:42.860
34. Let's go to 34. It says, so Jesus had compassion

00:56:42.860 --> 00:56:45.360
and touched their eyes and immediately their

00:56:45.360 --> 00:56:48.840
eyes received sight and they followed him and

00:56:48.840 --> 00:56:52.719
they followed him. So we see even him healing

00:56:52.719 --> 00:56:54.460
those with leprosy. And I don't know whether

00:56:54.460 --> 00:56:56.739
you know, I think those of us that are following

00:56:56.739 --> 00:56:59.619
in the cell meeting teachings, there's something

00:56:59.619 --> 00:57:02.519
about when people are deformed, they don't, they

00:57:02.519 --> 00:57:05.500
will not, And they are not part of the worship.

00:57:05.639 --> 00:57:06.940
They're not part of the worship because they

00:57:06.940 --> 00:57:10.719
have defects. And that is the end goal of every

00:57:10.719 --> 00:57:13.320
of the healing is for people to serve God, right?

00:57:13.719 --> 00:57:15.840
Every of the things, because spiritual is more

00:57:15.840 --> 00:57:18.440
important to him, right? Even though the physical

00:57:18.440 --> 00:57:21.360
is, but in the order of things, we see that he's

00:57:21.360 --> 00:57:23.679
more moved, there's a teaching. And by the way,

00:57:23.719 --> 00:57:26.039
once there's teaching, all of those things will

00:57:26.039 --> 00:57:29.000
flow naturally. Because in the course of teaching,

00:57:29.199 --> 00:57:31.539
you will receive. Because you have an understanding.

00:57:31.719 --> 00:57:33.480
Light comes to you. Remember what I started with.

00:57:33.599 --> 00:57:35.920
The moment where there's light, there's clarity.

00:57:36.119 --> 00:57:38.039
There's no confusion. You're not mistaking somebody's

00:57:38.039 --> 00:57:42.199
clothes for a ghost. Praise God. Because there's

00:57:42.199 --> 00:57:45.599
something that happens when there's light. Understanding

00:57:45.599 --> 00:57:48.280
comes. You receive. And please, when you receive

00:57:48.280 --> 00:57:50.159
something, don't go to where it will be stolen

00:57:50.159 --> 00:57:53.800
from you. Or don't listen to things. Or don't

00:57:53.800 --> 00:57:56.039
now harbor understanding or teachings that will

00:57:56.039 --> 00:57:59.269
undo. You know, they have taught you to pray

00:57:59.269 --> 00:58:00.889
in the spirit and then you go somewhere and they

00:58:00.889 --> 00:58:05.590
say, I'm sure you're not communicating with spirits.

00:58:06.650 --> 00:58:08.829
They start telling you things. You're like, eh,

00:58:08.989 --> 00:58:13.269
it's true. It's true. I noticed that I used to

00:58:13.269 --> 00:58:16.809
hear voices when I... Then you now start using

00:58:16.809 --> 00:58:19.590
several other things and then you now scatter

00:58:19.590 --> 00:58:21.909
everything that you have. That's why you stay

00:58:21.909 --> 00:58:28.329
grounded and rooted. In Mark, I want us to see

00:58:28.329 --> 00:58:30.030
the lepers. I'll just give us the scriptures.

00:58:30.130 --> 00:58:37.050
Mark 1, 40 to 42. Mark 1, 40 to 42. We see, then

00:58:37.050 --> 00:58:40.010
Jesus moved with compassion. That is, then Jesus

00:58:40.010 --> 00:58:43.929
moved with compassion. Yeah. Two, yeah. Yeah.

00:58:43.969 --> 00:58:46.110
Then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out

00:58:46.110 --> 00:58:49.449
his hand and touched him and said to him, I'm

00:58:49.449 --> 00:58:51.969
willing be cleansed. I'm willing be cleansed.

00:58:51.989 --> 00:58:54.900
Then the... Other one which is grieving is the

00:58:54.900 --> 00:58:58.760
woman that lost her son and she was weeping.

00:58:59.460 --> 00:59:03.880
Luke 7, that's for grieving. Luke 7, 11 to 15.

00:59:04.780 --> 00:59:10.960
The widow of name. 11 to 15. Just take us to

00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:14.539
13. Let's just go to 13. It says, when the Lord

00:59:14.539 --> 00:59:18.480
saw her, he had compassion on her and said to

00:59:18.480 --> 00:59:22.719
her, do not weep. Do not weep. And we're reminded

00:59:22.719 --> 00:59:25.800
of Lazarus' situation where he wept and then

00:59:25.800 --> 00:59:29.099
he called him forth. So note that Jesus Christ,

00:59:29.239 --> 00:59:33.199
every of his action was motivated by love for

00:59:33.199 --> 00:59:36.099
the individual and compassion that led to action

00:59:36.099 --> 00:59:40.159
on that particular situation. So one very important

00:59:40.159 --> 00:59:42.599
thing, and we have parables too that also communicates

00:59:42.599 --> 00:59:44.599
that, where we see the... Samaritan, where he

00:59:44.599 --> 00:59:46.719
calls us to do likewise, to go out of our way

00:59:46.719 --> 00:59:49.420
to show compassion to others. He gave an example

00:59:49.420 --> 00:59:51.940
with the Levi and all of those people, and then

00:59:51.940 --> 00:59:53.519
there was a Samaritan. He made the Samaritan

00:59:53.519 --> 00:59:56.059
a hero in that particular story to just communicate

00:59:56.059 --> 00:59:58.739
the fact that we go out of our way. Compassion

00:59:58.739 --> 01:00:00.440
is what led him to stop. He had where he was

01:00:00.440 --> 01:00:02.380
going to, but he stopped. And in some of us,

01:00:02.460 --> 01:00:05.440
we have things that, you know, the money that

01:00:05.440 --> 01:00:08.659
you have in your pocket, you can use it to do

01:00:08.659 --> 01:00:11.219
many things. But there's something about when

01:00:11.219 --> 01:00:15.440
you... You're concerned that this person hasn't

01:00:15.440 --> 01:00:17.659
had something to eat. You know, you can see the

01:00:17.659 --> 01:00:20.199
person. And even though I will tell us that there

01:00:20.199 --> 01:00:23.039
are individuals that will lie to you, right?

01:00:23.699 --> 01:00:25.739
The individuals that we have had instances where

01:00:25.739 --> 01:00:28.940
people will come and they will lie. We know that

01:00:28.940 --> 01:00:32.960
they are lying. We know. We know that they are

01:00:32.960 --> 01:00:35.739
lying. When the person comes, we assess it. We

01:00:35.739 --> 01:00:38.380
know that this person is lying, but we'll just

01:00:38.380 --> 01:00:42.119
do what we can. Praise God. We'll do what we

01:00:42.119 --> 01:00:44.179
can anyways. And for some people, they will just

01:00:44.179 --> 01:00:46.980
call. I was talking to them. You call and then

01:00:46.980 --> 01:00:50.840
you will get the same results every time because

01:00:50.840 --> 01:00:52.980
you're doing things the way you want to do it.

01:00:53.139 --> 01:00:55.659
And know that some people use the opportunity

01:00:55.659 --> 01:00:59.659
of, oh, you're supposed to PR this. There are

01:00:59.659 --> 01:01:04.559
certain things that you will... You know, in

01:01:04.559 --> 01:01:08.039
love, there's correction. And many in this day

01:01:08.039 --> 01:01:10.280
and age, people, when you correct them, they

01:01:10.280 --> 01:01:11.760
feel like, no, there's no love in this place.

01:01:11.820 --> 01:01:15.099
So I had a situation where I was speaking to

01:01:15.099 --> 01:01:17.340
someone. She used to come to church and we had

01:01:17.340 --> 01:01:20.219
talked and we had encouraged her. And then I

01:01:20.219 --> 01:01:23.539
said, we love you. You know when somebody doesn't

01:01:23.539 --> 01:01:26.360
know when they roll their eyes? Because they

01:01:26.360 --> 01:01:28.099
feel like you're not feeling the love and you're

01:01:28.099 --> 01:01:30.059
telling them that you love them. How can you

01:01:30.059 --> 01:01:33.800
say that is love? And for many people, they have

01:01:33.800 --> 01:01:35.679
a wrong understanding of it that when somebody

01:01:35.679 --> 01:01:39.190
is giving them, they can't comprehend it. And

01:01:39.190 --> 01:01:42.309
what happens is that time will tell. Time is

01:01:42.309 --> 01:01:45.329
going to tell because as I said when I was speaking,

01:01:45.409 --> 01:01:47.429
the same person that blocked you because you

01:01:47.429 --> 01:01:50.489
were trying to correct them or tell them or help

01:01:50.489 --> 01:01:53.150
them are the people that when they have sorted

01:01:53.150 --> 01:01:56.570
all the, they have looked for it and they say,

01:01:56.650 --> 01:01:58.829
ah, these people really had loved me. You know,

01:01:58.849 --> 01:01:59.969
there's something that happens when you have

01:01:59.969 --> 01:02:01.690
hit, hit, hit, hit and then you now see, ah,

01:02:01.769 --> 01:02:04.090
there's no other way. You'll come back to base.

01:02:05.029 --> 01:02:07.949
Praise God. So I want us to just open our mouths

01:02:07.949 --> 01:02:14.429
and just thank God. And please, I will close

01:02:14.429 --> 01:02:20.210
with what I started. Following with all that

01:02:20.210 --> 01:02:23.730
has been said, in the course of the week, you

01:02:23.730 --> 01:02:26.289
will have people's names come to your mind. You

01:02:26.289 --> 01:02:29.190
have thoughts of people. Sometimes you just have

01:02:29.190 --> 01:02:32.530
them come again and again. Don't ignore it. Pray

01:02:32.530 --> 01:02:36.059
for that person. Pray for that person. Try to

01:02:36.059 --> 01:02:38.139
reach out to that person. That's another thing.

01:02:38.139 --> 01:02:39.780
One thing is praying for the person. Another

01:02:39.780 --> 01:02:41.780
thing is reaching out to the person. It goes

01:02:41.780 --> 01:02:45.159
a long way in causing the power of God to flow

01:02:45.159 --> 01:02:46.940
through. You will just have a random conversation,

01:02:47.119 --> 01:02:50.460
but because God had brought it to your attention

01:02:50.460 --> 01:02:53.239
for a reason, you will see that reason. I want

01:02:53.239 --> 01:02:55.639
you to open your mouth and just thank God for

01:02:55.639 --> 01:03:02.019
the fact that His love has been poured out. His

01:03:02.019 --> 01:03:04.619
love has been poured out. into our hearts by

01:03:04.619 --> 01:03:10.760
His Spirit, and we walk in that love. We appreciate

01:03:10.760 --> 01:03:13.420
you being here today. We hope you carry this

01:03:13.420 --> 01:03:16.480
word with you throughout your week. Don't forget

01:03:16.480 --> 01:03:18.500
to check the show notes for additional insights.

01:03:19.019 --> 01:03:21.900
Stay connected with us through our website or

01:03:21.900 --> 01:03:25.340
follow us on social media. If you are encouraged,

01:03:25.559 --> 01:03:27.739
share this message with someone you care about.

01:03:28.460 --> 01:03:30.599
Until next time, stay blessed.