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. in the faith, standing fast in the

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faith, and we took time to explain or talk about

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what doctrine is, what doctrine is, and how the

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false doctrine is able to distort the actual

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truth, the actual sound truth of God's Word.

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And we see these warnings go out time and time

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again in God's Word, and we stopped at Jesus'

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instructions to his disciples to beware of the

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doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

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I want us to pick it up from there. I want us

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to pick it up from there as we continue. And

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if it wasn't important, the instruction would

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have not been given. If the instruction wasn't

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important, it wouldn't have been given. And he

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had warned the disciples, he had stated, that

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is in Matthew 22, he had warned and stated, and

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even though they misunderstood, at first because

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he said the will of the leaven of the Pharisees.

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And that got them confused because they were

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like leaven and leaven is yeast. And we know

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that in the process of bread making, when you

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put yeast in something, it causes a fermentation

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process that results in the rising of things.

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And thinking about it is a false rise, right?

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It's just air. His air and he says beware of

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it and then it's it took them a while and then

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we see in 33 we see them get into To to note

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what it was. They was talking about the doctrine

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of the Pharisees. Praise God, but just we visited

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we we said that the Sadducees are and the teaching

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that is that most what they hold onto, the teaching

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that they hold onto, and I think in Matthew 22,

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verse 23, that's from the message, it says that

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this party, it denied the possibility of resurrection.

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That quote from the message, it says that this

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party, they deny the possibility of resurrection,

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and we know that there's a doctrine of resurrection,

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and we had looked at how you can't be, you can't

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be, a believer and deny, that is like one of

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the core doctrines of Christianity. That's one

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of the doctrines of Christ. In fact, Christ himself

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had resurrected as proof of the fact that what

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they are holding onto is invalid, is an error.

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And they come and I repeated to us that the way

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they approach the questioning, the way they approach

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the questioning, and you want to not just Here,

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people ask questions. When they ask questions,

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they're coming from a place. And sometimes, in

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their own case, there's that sense of, oh, want

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to mock this whole idea, want to mock the idea

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of you saying, and then you now create a story

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around it to just make the idea look stupid in

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a sense, make the idea look stupid in a sense.

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Because once you structure it like that, one

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woman, seven brothers, And then at the end, who's

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she married to? You are missing the point. And

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that's what he brought to your attention. You

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are deceived, right? You are deceived. You are

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mistaken. You are mistaken. So they did all of

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that to place it. But Jesus Christ brings their

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attention in answering their question. He brings

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them to the real issue, right? He brings them

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to the real issue. And he still uses the same,

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he still uses Moses. Because they came to him

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with Moses, right? He came to him with what Moses

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had instructed and then he goes back and then

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he reorders it. He reorders it because you notice

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that the mindset they come with is a worldly

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mindset. The mindset that they approach their

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questions is a worldly mindset and it's flawed.

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And you see that they are trying to place the

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whole thing on like... the whole idea of marriage

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that is of this world. And then they come and

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then they say, okay, what the whole thing is

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around is not around continuing the family line.

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And even after now, it will not be about continuing

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family line. The family line that you're saying,

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okay, because in a bid to want to preserve the

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family line, that is why they were having that

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engagement. And we know that that family line

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idea will not be something that we'll be talking

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about after now. Because after the resurrection,

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it's not about you preserving your family line.

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There's a family that we're part of, praise God.

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That's why when we talk about family, family,

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yes, we have our family, which we do appreciate,

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but we know that we're into this family now,

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right? There's a family that we're part of that

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shipens not our own culture now. There's a family

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culture that we now have that shipens the way

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we think. And there's a... There's a way we operate

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in the family. There's a way we do things in

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the family, which would be very different. Some

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of our families, they are godly, right? They

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are godly, so they adopt the way we do things

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here. And the families that we have around the

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world, most of the times, if the culture is worldly,

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if it's worldly, the culture will be worldly,

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praise God. But if it's godly, because the culture

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we're in is a culture that is anchored and shaped

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by God. and what God's will is for us. So he

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brings them back to that. He realigns them. He

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brings the attention to what is. And he uses

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Moses. He says, Moses showed that the dead will

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rise because by implication, he says God of Abraham,

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right? God of Isaac, God of Jacob. He is not

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the God of the dead or the God of the living.

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For to him, all are alive. For to him, that's

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invested too. For to him, all are alive. So you

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will not be speaking of this individual if they

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were not, in a sense, because of him, because

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he brings, he presents the same thing, makes

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it clear to them that look, what you are denying

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is undeniable, right? What you're trying to deny

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is undeniable. What you're trying to deny is

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undeniable. Jesus makes it absolutely clear to

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them. He makes his absolutely clear to them,

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because not only will he resurrect, right? Not

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only will he resurrect, because his work is majorly

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anchored on him being raised from the dead. And

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then in Luke's account of the same conversation,

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Luke's account of the same conversation, in Luke

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20 verse 36, what he adds to what Matthew's account

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is, it says, And adding that, those who rise

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can no longer die. Those who rise can no longer

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die, for they are like angels. They are God's

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children, since they are children of the resurrection.

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Since they are children of the resurrection.

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So those that are raised can no longer die. He

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says, and he compares them to angels, kind of

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similar to what Matthew, very similar to what

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Matthew says, but at that moment they can no

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longer die. He says, they are God's children,

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praise God. Now he brings them to the actual

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family that is most important, not the family

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line that they're trying to, because they're

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trying to preserve it, they start passing it

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down. brings them to the family line that's important

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because by virtue of us believing in what Christ

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has done, we are part of a family. There's no

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complicated process around it. There's no complicated

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process around it. So he brings them back in

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place, brings them back in order. And that's

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how, when we see an error, we want to know where

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the error is stemming from, right? And then because

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you are very clear as to what you believe in,

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you are able to address it. Praise God. And there's

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a big problem when you don't even know what you

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believe in. Somebody just presents something

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to you. You'll just fall afloat. Because you

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know that for every error, there's the consequences.

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If you believe something, there are the consequences

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of your belief. And if you just blindly say,

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OK, for the sake of peace, for the sake of peace,

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let's just agree. For the sake of peace, let's

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agree. But by agreeing, you have agreed to all

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the terms and conditions. Most of the times,

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we don't agree. We don't go through terms and

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conditions just for the stress, just the stress

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of having to read the lengthy and the way they

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make it very bulky. So you just accept, accept,

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accept. But there's a consequence for you accepting

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everything. Like those you're accepting, you're

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open. They say, OK, because you have accepted

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this now, we'll collect this percent of your,

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you have accepted. You have agreed to it because

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you have accepted and they didn't force you to

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it. They assume that you should have read and

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you are aware of all the details, all the nuances

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before you. you click Accept. So the same thing

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happens with Arrow. If you don't assess it properly,

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you will be accepting and accepting everything

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in the mix. Because once you have accepted, you're

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coming back with, oh, no, I didn't know that

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it entails this and this. That's why people maliciously

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put certain segments. Make it very small so that

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you can read it. Make it small so that you can't

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necessarily see it or pay attention to it. And

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then you go from there. And note that I want

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to take us to something else that Something else

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in the in the in the false letter to the church

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in current as in the second Corinthians where

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he brings the attention to something very important

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about where he talks about Forgiven right where

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it talks about forgiving and I am going there

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because he says something that's very important,

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right? You see something very important now read

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it from the NLT in second Corinthians 2 verse

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11 I want us to see it. This is in in the NLT

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says so that Satan will not outsmart us, for

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we are familiar with his evil schemes. We are

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familiar with his evil schemes. So there's a

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familiarity with the way a person operates that

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makes you spot when there's error, right? There's

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a familiarity with the way the person operates

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that makes you, because if you are smarter than

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the person that is trying to outsmart you, you

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are at an advantage, right? Because you can be

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able to spot with different ways they are trying

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to outsmart you. I was explaining sometime, I

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think I was explaining to, you know, just by

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observation, you can see how people are trying

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to be smart, right? You go into the market, the

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way they position things is very strategic. It's

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business, by the way. It's not, they're not trying

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to, there's a psychology behind it and they understand

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that and you don't understand it, you just flow

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with it. The goal is to sell to you something

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and the ultimate goal is that they are selling

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something that they want people to buy. And then

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you walk into the market, and you are about existing

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in the market. It took me a while to understand,

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because on this island, just being around an

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island, you might not necessarily make sense

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of what is going on. The way they position things

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in the market is very strategic. Even when companies

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come to place their product, the way they position

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their own product as against those other companies

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that don't come to position their product, very

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strategic. They put yours at the back, put theirs

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in front, because they are there to arrange it

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for themselves. right? Such a way that there's

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accessibility. The moment you can easily reach

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for that thing, it's easy for you to buy it,

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right? And then when you're exiting, notice,

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how many of us have noticed where they place

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the suites when you're exiting? It's not where

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adults can easily reach. For most good amount

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of market, they put it at that level where, when

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the parent is going to pay for it, the child

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will be fiddling, because the child will be there

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with the parent, right? So it's very, it's at

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the site level of the child. And once the child

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picks it, you know, You know, if your child has

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had like two, three sweets prior to coming to

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the market, and then the child now wants to have

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extra sweets, and then you now, it's a queue.

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You know how that thing can be embarrassing where

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you're trying to pick your child and get them

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through the counter, and then there's a very

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nice person behind us. You don't know the problem.

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We'll pay for it. It's not that you don't have

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the money to pay. You know that this child has

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had several other suites before now. So having

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that extra, so the smart thing parents will do

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is just take it and keep it for them for later.

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If the person insists that they do pay for that

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particular thing. But you see that everything

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around us is somewhat designed to get people

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to engage with certain things. So the more you're

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conscious of it, the more you'll be able to find

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ways to navigate it. So if there's a challenge

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and you don't know it's a challenge, you will

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fall prey to it every time. Praise God. And the

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challenge that Apostle Paul is trying to address

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in this place is that thing of where you have

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an issue letting go. Because forgiveness, unforgiveness

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is an issue, right? Forgiveness is not something

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that people very easily do, right? People very

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easily do. Understanding, and Apostle Paul is

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trying to address it here. And I want us to start

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from 8 to 11. Let's read from 8 to 11. We will

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do it in the New Kingdom, sorry. Let's go back

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to 18 James, from 8 to 11. It says, therefore

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I affirm, it says, I urge you, sorry, therefore

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I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. That

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is the person that has offended, because it's

00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:23.960
the church now that's addressing the issue of

00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:28.659
this person to him. To this end, as I also wrote,

00:14:29.059 --> 00:14:33.179
that I might put you to the test, whether you,

00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:38.029
whether you are obedient in all things, right?

00:14:38.669 --> 00:14:44.070
In 10, he says, now whom you forgive, whom you

00:14:44.070 --> 00:14:48.690
forgive anything, I also forgive, for if indeed

00:14:48.690 --> 00:14:54.090
I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that

00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:57.730
one for his sake, for your sake, in the presence

00:14:57.730 --> 00:15:01.250
of Christ. He says, he now says, least Satan

00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:04.820
take advantage of us. for we are not ignorant

00:15:04.820 --> 00:15:07.620
of his devices." So he's trying to encourage

00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:10.480
them to reaffirm their love to that particular

00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.679
individual, to reaffirm their love to that particular

00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.720
individual in verse 6 and 7. We see that in verse

00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.100
6 of the same chapter. He says, this punishment

00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:24.419
which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient

00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:26.500
for such a man. That's the individual. It means

00:15:26.500 --> 00:15:29.980
that this individual has suffered enough from

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:33.179
from the from yes yes probably has been afflicted

00:15:33.179 --> 00:15:35.799
enough this seven now says so that on the contrary

00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:39.720
you ought rather to forgive and comfort him least

00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:43.039
perhaps such one will be swallowed up with too

00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:46.500
much sorrow so he's encouraging them to forgive

00:15:46.500 --> 00:15:48.740
and comfort so that they don't lose a brother

00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.559
right so they don't lose a brother the end goal

00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:54.340
is for the individual to be restored in other

00:15:54.340 --> 00:15:57.440
words he says let's let's let's forgive this

00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:00.360
person right Let's forgive this person and you

00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:05.080
can get a sense that it's a situation that happened

00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:08.100
in the church that they're addressing and then

00:16:08.100 --> 00:16:10.059
he's bringing the attention to the fact like,

00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:11.980
let's reaffirm our love for this person, right?

00:16:12.299 --> 00:16:14.399
Let's reaffirm our love for this person because

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:17.980
we don't want to lose him in trying to reprimand

00:16:17.980 --> 00:16:20.279
him, right? We don't want to lose him in trying

00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:23.620
to reprimand him and he now concludes with saying,

00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:29.220
right? At least Satan takes advantage us for

00:16:29.220 --> 00:16:31.559
we are not ignorant of his devices means that

00:16:31.559 --> 00:16:36.740
we are aware of the ways the devil want us to

00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:38.580
but because broken relationship is what you're

00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:40.539
trying to fix here the broken relationship is

00:16:40.539 --> 00:16:42.399
what you're trying to see how you can restore

00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:46.659
the Brother so I use that force to help to help

00:16:46.659 --> 00:16:51.039
us understand that the enemy has ways Right the

00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:55.120
enemy has ways that he can cross an offense cross

00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:00.250
division make you go away from the core tenets

00:17:00.250 --> 00:17:04.029
of the doctrine of Christ, make you go away from

00:17:04.029 --> 00:17:07.549
all of that. And we know that if you don't desire

00:17:07.549 --> 00:17:10.950
sound, what is sound? You fall for what is false,

00:17:11.130 --> 00:17:13.930
right? You don't desire what is sound, you fall

00:17:13.930 --> 00:17:17.089
for what is false. And even the understanding

00:17:17.089 --> 00:17:19.910
of what is false will help you, right? Because

00:17:19.910 --> 00:17:21.569
once you know what is sound, understanding what

00:17:21.569 --> 00:17:23.829
is false will help you to easily deal with it.

00:17:24.109 --> 00:17:26.329
help you to easily deal with it. And that's why

00:17:26.329 --> 00:17:28.990
you continue to answer. Because the enemy is

00:17:28.990 --> 00:17:32.509
not, he's not, he's always improving, right?

00:17:32.650 --> 00:17:36.630
He's always trying to make the, max the deception,

00:17:36.809 --> 00:17:39.029
make it very difficult for you to spot what is

00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:42.009
an error. And you want to always be on your toes,

00:17:42.069 --> 00:17:44.829
to be able to see the schemes of his schemes

00:17:44.829 --> 00:17:48.069
and be able to make, understand and walk around

00:17:48.069 --> 00:17:51.329
it and ensure that you are not, you are a lot,

00:17:51.549 --> 00:17:54.019
praise God, and ensure that you are a lot. So

00:17:54.019 --> 00:18:01.019
in 1 Peter 5, 8 to 9, it says, be sober, be vigilant.

00:18:01.180 --> 00:18:02.799
That word there, we're familiar with it from

00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.420
Sunday, that being vigilant means to be watchful,

00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:09.640
to watch. It's the same word as in 1 Corinthians

00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:13.019
16, 13, the same word there. They say because.

00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:19.000
The reason why you are sober is because your

00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:23.269
adversary, the devil walks. about like a roaring

00:18:23.269 --> 00:18:27.630
lion. Emphasis on like a roaring lion. Seeking

00:18:27.630 --> 00:18:31.529
whom he may devour. Seeking whom he may devour.

00:18:31.849 --> 00:18:35.930
Resist him. Resist him. The Greek word there

00:18:35.930 --> 00:18:42.390
is to stand against that. It's to oppose. It's

00:18:42.390 --> 00:18:44.390
to stand against that or it's to oppose. Stand

00:18:44.390 --> 00:18:47.029
against what exactly it is and how do you stand?

00:18:47.069 --> 00:18:50.809
It says steadfast in the faith, right? Steadfast

00:18:50.809 --> 00:18:53.809
in the faith. Knowing that the same sufferings

00:18:53.809 --> 00:18:57.150
are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

00:18:57.509 --> 00:19:00.029
Knowing that it's not like it's the same. The

00:19:00.029 --> 00:19:03.109
methods, the strategies he'll be employing is

00:19:03.109 --> 00:19:05.710
the same. Praise God. Methods and strategy he'll

00:19:05.710 --> 00:19:09.869
be employing is the same. So the adversary, which

00:19:09.869 --> 00:19:11.630
is one very important thing that I want you to

00:19:11.630 --> 00:19:15.950
notice, he says, he didn't say, be sober, be

00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:19.640
vigilant, because your adversary your brother

00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:21.960
and your sister in Christ. Did he word it like

00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:25.200
that? Was that what was stated? Because sometimes

00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:28.079
we fail to understand who the true enemy is,

00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:30.720
right? Because the fact that the enemy is walking

00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.039
through a brother and a sister, it can be misleading.

00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.599
Praise God. It can be misleading. Because you

00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:40.299
want to be able to spot, because the person you

00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:42.019
can see is your brother and your sister, right?

00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:44.200
And you just feel like they're trying to just

00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:46.539
get underneath your skin. They're trying to find

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:49.109
ways. to test your love work, to see if you are

00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:52.049
genuinely a believer. Praise God. To see if you're

00:19:52.049 --> 00:19:54.950
genuinely a believer. But not that we are encouraged

00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:56.890
to understand that the adversary is the enemy,

00:19:56.910 --> 00:20:02.009
as the devil. The person that is your brother

00:20:02.009 --> 00:20:06.529
and your sister is not the devil. That person

00:20:06.529 --> 00:20:09.710
that has done you wrong was empowered by somebody.

00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:12.930
Praise God. Was empowered by somebody. So when

00:20:12.930 --> 00:20:18.140
you want to retaliate, When you want to retaliate,

00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.920
understand that helps you to calm down, right?

00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:23.240
When you feel like, OK, I want to retaliate,

00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:25.200
it helps you to calm down. Even though the person

00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:30.160
before you is really, because the enemy is very

00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:33.420
strategic in how he makes you miss the point.

00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:36.500
He makes you miss the point, because now your

00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:40.319
focus is on the, because when somebody does something

00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:41.740
to you and you understand the person is not a

00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:44.180
believer, you know, it changes the way you, because

00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:45.599
this person doesn't believe what you believe

00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:50.799
in. So why am I angry? Praise God. It helps you

00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.180
just examine the reasons why you shouldn't even

00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:58.000
be so bothered about a person's action. In fact,

00:20:58.039 --> 00:20:59.599
most of the times, why you're greatly bothered

00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:01.859
is especially when the person says, I'm a believer,

00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:04.759
you feel like this person has just betrayed.

00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:10.859
Has just betrayed and many times that is what

00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:13.720
gets us and we need to spot what, why are you

00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:17.369
offended, right? Why are you, like if you come

00:21:17.369 --> 00:21:21.650
down to truly why you're offended, it helps you

00:21:21.650 --> 00:21:23.670
build up from there, right? Because sometimes

00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:25.890
we can't even, you know there's times when you're

00:21:25.890 --> 00:21:27.329
offended, but you don't even know the reason

00:21:27.329 --> 00:21:29.950
why you're offended. You just feel like, and

00:21:29.950 --> 00:21:33.829
you cannot, you are just, you want to exercise

00:21:33.829 --> 00:21:36.990
on the premise of the offense, but you want to

00:21:36.990 --> 00:21:39.470
take a step back and say, why am I really offended?

00:21:40.970 --> 00:21:43.549
Is what my actions or the actions I'm about to

00:21:43.549 --> 00:21:47.059
take. commensurate to the offense. Praise God.

00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:54.619
So when he uses the word lion, lion has a strategy

00:21:54.619 --> 00:21:58.200
of attack. The lion doesn't attack the focused.

00:21:59.299 --> 00:22:03.240
It doesn't attack the strongest. The lion attacks

00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:05.980
the one that is isolated, right? The one that

00:22:05.980 --> 00:22:09.519
is not amongst the pack. He observes. The lion

00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:14.309
doesn't just pursue. I think if you watch wildlife,

00:22:14.849 --> 00:22:18.529
you see that the animals are very, there are

00:22:18.529 --> 00:22:20.609
certain animals that just hunger and make them

00:22:20.609 --> 00:22:23.029
just hunt around, but the lion is very strategic

00:22:23.029 --> 00:22:25.890
in how he hunts. The lion is very strategic in

00:22:25.890 --> 00:22:28.029
how he hunts. Their focus, they look for those

00:22:28.029 --> 00:22:30.309
that are weak, they look for those that are careless,

00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:33.190
right? Animals that are careless. You're with

00:22:33.190 --> 00:22:35.369
your pack, you decide to just wander and wander

00:22:35.369 --> 00:22:38.430
away, and you're wandering away to your own...

00:22:40.740 --> 00:22:43.720
Because the lion now spots that, rather than

00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:48.059
me go against this whole group, there's one available

00:22:48.059 --> 00:22:51.819
dinner or breakfast. Praise God. There's an available

00:22:51.819 --> 00:22:56.460
dinner or breakfast. And he uses that to paint

00:22:56.460 --> 00:22:59.259
a picture to us. And the strategy of the enemy

00:22:59.259 --> 00:23:03.720
is the same. It's easy to attack somebody that

00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:07.779
is isolated. Right? And many times we don't even

00:23:07.779 --> 00:23:09.680
know this with even relationships. When people

00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:14.000
want to mess, they drag you out. They will make

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.720
you fight with all the people that truly care

00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:18.759
for you. Praise God. They will make you fight

00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:20.920
with all of them. They will say, this person

00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:23.119
doesn't mean you well. These are the reasons

00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:24.839
why they don't mean you well. You will say, yes,

00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:26.660
I see the reasons why they don't mean you well.

00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:29.119
But you don't understand that all of a sudden

00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:32.380
they don't mean you well. There's a change. So

00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:35.369
you want to. Be aware that the enemy walks the

00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:38.289
same exact way and the enemy uses the same, people

00:23:38.289 --> 00:23:41.490
that do it use the same tactic of the enemy,

00:23:41.869 --> 00:23:45.690
the same tactic. So what it really means is that

00:23:45.690 --> 00:23:49.069
you have to examine yourself. When I'm in difficult

00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:51.589
situations, what are my first line of action?

00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:54.710
Do I isolate myself from the believer? Wrong

00:23:54.710 --> 00:24:00.279
move. Do I decide that, okay, those times are

00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:02.700
the times I don't attend church meetings because

00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:06.480
I'm trying to do a personal examination of myself?

00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:08.720
I don't want to be distracted. I want to just

00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:15.819
focus on the Lord and myself. Praise God. Does

00:24:15.819 --> 00:24:19.819
that sound like a very good strategy? Or your

00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:28.660
strategy is making you even more. of a lunch

00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:34.359
and a dinner. Very good. Notice that I don't

00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:37.160
use breakfast, because it's early. Most people

00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:40.359
come in the mornings. So you can give the lion

00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:43.619
a run when it's morning, because the energy,

00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:48.200
you are still up on your energy. And sometimes,

00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:50.420
which is one of the strategies the enemy employs,

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.579
he makes you feel that, oh, why am I the only

00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:56.579
one that is always attacked? Why am I the only

00:24:56.579 --> 00:24:59.160
one that is always prone to all, you just feel

00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:02.000
like, am I the only one that is, why should I

00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:03.539
be the only one that is going through suffering,

00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:05.720
right? Why should I be the only one that's going

00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:07.319
through hardships? Why should I be the only one

00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:09.920
that's going through difficulty? But you fail

00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:14.779
to understand that those things are part of what

00:25:14.779 --> 00:25:16.940
happens to people that are alive, right? Those

00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:18.319
things are part of what happens to people that

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:19.799
are alive. The only people that have the best

00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.019
time of their life are people that are just laying

00:25:22.019 --> 00:25:24.299
down, sleeping and nothing. They don't care about

00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:26.660
anything. Nothing bothers them. They're not functioning

00:25:26.660 --> 00:25:29.599
systems. They're just there. But for you that

00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:31.920
is alive, you'll be prone to those things, right?

00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:36.319
And the fact that you are in a family, going

00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.380
back to the whole idea of being a family, you

00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:41.759
are secured, right? Because not everybody will

00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:43.700
not be going through suffering at the same time.

00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:45.599
Yeah, there are times where it happens, right?

00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:48.720
But not everybody feels it the same way. Praise

00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:50.539
God. So there's always going to be that person

00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:52.700
that will help you through it. Praise God. And

00:25:52.700 --> 00:25:55.609
that's why When we encourage us time and time

00:25:55.609 --> 00:25:59.609
again, don't just say, okay, have close cycle

00:25:59.609 --> 00:26:03.450
of friends in the church that you can run to,

00:26:03.710 --> 00:26:06.670
right? That you can run to, that you can encourage

00:26:06.670 --> 00:26:08.410
yourselves, that you can grow together, that

00:26:08.410 --> 00:26:10.450
you can strengthen yourself, that you are very,

00:26:10.470 --> 00:26:14.069
very vulnerable with. Praise God. You're very

00:26:14.069 --> 00:26:16.869
vulnerable. It's very important because it helps

00:26:16.869 --> 00:26:21.700
you. It helps you stand. It helps you stand.

00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:24.940
And we'll talk more about that because we'll

00:26:24.940 --> 00:26:27.299
see it in Scripture. The time that Peter and

00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:29.920
John had that situation, he had people they went

00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:36.460
to. They went to pray together. When Paul was

00:26:36.460 --> 00:26:41.859
with Silas in the prison, he had Silas. When

00:26:41.859 --> 00:26:51.380
we'll get to see... their Babylonian names. They

00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:54.220
had themselves, right? They had themselves. When

00:26:54.220 --> 00:26:58.400
Daniel had the, he came back to them. In Daniel

00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:01.759
2, he came back to them. He came back to them.

00:27:02.059 --> 00:27:04.400
So you want to understand that difficult seasons,

00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:07.660
you shouldn't conclude when you have difficult

00:27:07.660 --> 00:27:08.980
seasons. You shouldn't conclude that the Lord

00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:12.500
has left you to sort yourself out. Don't conclude

00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:14.079
that the Lord has left you to sort yourself out

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:16.240
because Difficult season the moment you open

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.900
your mouth and start talking about difficulties

00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:20.599
You hear more other difficult situation has happened

00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:23.700
to other people, right? So it's a major lie from

00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:26.880
the enemy That makes you feel like the Lord has

00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:28.880
left you to your own like just sort yourself

00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:32.740
out But scripture time and time and again reminds

00:27:32.740 --> 00:27:35.960
us that he will never leave us. Right? He has

00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:38.859
that is not the way he operates. He doesn't say

00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.039
Leave yourself, you know, today I was talking

00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:43.259
to my students, I say, sometimes the way I look

00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:45.220
at some people in the exam hall, it looks like

00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:47.619
the moment they pick up, like the question paper

00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:49.700
is dropped on the table, and then they look at

00:27:49.700 --> 00:27:52.000
the question paper, the other part of themselves

00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:56.640
will tell them, see you at home. It's like, that's

00:27:56.640 --> 00:27:59.059
basically what it is to them, like, because they

00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:02.099
will allow fear, make the most of them, and then

00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:03.940
they will just feel like, I can't do this. After

00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:06.410
you have studied, Like, you know, say, I can't

00:28:06.410 --> 00:28:07.829
do this. And then it's like, see you at home,

00:28:07.910 --> 00:28:10.029
please. Just handle it by yourself. And it's

00:28:10.029 --> 00:28:12.309
the part that studied with them that leaves them.

00:28:14.730 --> 00:28:17.829
So I was encouraging them. I said, when that

00:28:17.829 --> 00:28:19.450
part of yourself wants to leave, just tell them,

00:28:19.569 --> 00:28:21.289
please, we can't do this. I can't do this alone.

00:28:21.390 --> 00:28:24.009
We have to do this together. Let's sit down and

00:28:24.009 --> 00:28:25.769
ensure that we do the exams together. And for

00:28:25.769 --> 00:28:28.089
some people, they feel it's like that. When there's

00:28:28.089 --> 00:28:31.900
a difficult situation, ah. God now lives with

00:28:31.900 --> 00:28:33.940
them. God is scared of this situation, too scared

00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:38.599
that he abandons you in the line of fire. I want

00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:41.819
you to reorient your understanding about God.

00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:44.880
When God promises to never leave you no for sake,

00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:47.559
what he means is that. He's not going to leave

00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:51.400
you no for sake. So even in the fire, praise

00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:55.500
God, he's there with you. Even in the fire, he's

00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:57.579
there with you. And he didn't just even leave

00:28:57.579 --> 00:29:00.250
you for... He places family, he places, he gives

00:29:00.250 --> 00:29:04.210
you his word, right? He gave you family. He gave

00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:06.650
you the church, the church family. He gave you

00:29:06.650 --> 00:29:08.390
the church family. He gave you his word. He gave

00:29:08.390 --> 00:29:12.490
you himself. Praise God. And I want that to be

00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:15.430
a very strong encouragement to you that no matter,

00:29:15.569 --> 00:29:18.670
no matter what you're going through, don't ever

00:29:18.670 --> 00:29:21.769
get yourself or catch yourself thinking that

00:29:21.769 --> 00:29:24.130
you are alone on the matter. And by the way,

00:29:24.190 --> 00:29:25.609
note that you can think that you're alone on

00:29:25.609 --> 00:29:27.440
the matter. But the actual fact or the actual

00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.559
reality is that you're not alone. Praise God.

00:29:29.980 --> 00:29:33.299
And that should be what you should reinforce

00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:35.079
in your mind. That's what you should reinforce.

00:29:35.339 --> 00:29:38.900
It can feel like you're alone, right? The situation

00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:41.059
can make you feel like you're not alone, but

00:29:41.059 --> 00:29:45.299
you are guaranteed. Your rest assured that the

00:29:45.299 --> 00:29:48.500
fact that you have, even if you can't, God's

00:29:48.500 --> 00:29:49.880
word is not making sense to you at that point

00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:52.079
in time. God's people around you should make

00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:53.880
sense to you at that point in time. so you don't

00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:56.920
isolate yourself from them, praise God. In Psalms

00:29:56.920 --> 00:30:03.279
55 -22, Psalms 55 -22, it says, give your burdens,

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:07.380
give your burdens, NLT, I'm using the NLT, say,

00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:10.640
give your burdens, and that burdens is whatever

00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.380
life throws at you, whatever life throws at you,

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:16.660
to the Lord, and he will take care of you, praise

00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:19.279
God. It says, he will take care of you, and he

00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:21.430
has been doing this for a while. He took care

00:30:21.430 --> 00:30:23.329
of David. He took care of all the people. He

00:30:23.329 --> 00:30:25.210
has been taking care of them. So he has experience.

00:30:25.289 --> 00:30:27.769
So don't think that you are new. Like your own

00:30:27.769 --> 00:30:30.869
case is very unique to you. God is struggling.

00:30:30.970 --> 00:30:32.829
He's finding ways to take care of you. He doesn't

00:30:32.829 --> 00:30:34.670
even know how to take care of you because your

00:30:34.670 --> 00:30:37.069
situation is so complicated that God's mind just

00:30:37.069 --> 00:30:41.069
gets blown away. That's not what he says. Praise

00:30:41.069 --> 00:30:43.130
God. He says he will take care of you. He says

00:30:43.130 --> 00:30:46.750
he will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

00:30:46.910 --> 00:30:49.750
Praise God. Jude says he's able to keep us from

00:30:49.750 --> 00:30:53.289
stumbling. He's able to preserve us. He says

00:30:53.289 --> 00:30:55.650
all of those things to reinforce. And then the

00:30:55.650 --> 00:30:57.690
New King James says, cast your burdens on the

00:30:57.690 --> 00:31:00.829
Lord, and he shall sustain you. He shall never

00:31:00.829 --> 00:31:03.470
permit the righteous to be moved. Praise God.

00:31:03.630 --> 00:31:05.970
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

00:31:07.369 --> 00:31:10.730
And note that in the earlier verses, the earlier

00:31:10.730 --> 00:31:15.869
verse of 1 Peter, that's basically where he had

00:31:15.869 --> 00:31:20.730
mentioned that. that has taken it from the Psalms.

00:31:21.289 --> 00:31:23.509
David is the one that is saying this. And David

00:31:23.509 --> 00:31:26.809
knows this for himself, praise God. David, as

00:31:26.809 --> 00:31:29.390
someone who has gone to battle, someone who has

00:31:29.390 --> 00:31:32.390
faced difficult situations, he knows this for

00:31:32.390 --> 00:31:36.289
a fact. And when he says cast your burden, he

00:31:36.289 --> 00:31:38.910
doesn't say you should, you know, sometimes you

00:31:38.910 --> 00:31:42.650
can put it there and pick it back. You can put

00:31:42.650 --> 00:31:43.950
it there and you feel like, oh no, no, no, it's

00:31:43.950 --> 00:31:45.150
my problem, it's my problem, we take it back

00:31:45.150 --> 00:31:49.339
again. That is in the 1 Peter 5 verse 7. It says,

00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:51.539
Casting all your care upon the Lord, because

00:31:51.539 --> 00:31:56.079
he cares for you. Casting all your care upon

00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:58.440
the Lord, for he cares for you. That's where

00:31:58.440 --> 00:32:03.000
the pita picks from the psalmist, picks from

00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:05.539
David. The casting of the care, because he cares

00:32:05.539 --> 00:32:09.460
for you. Because he cares for you. And I want

00:32:09.460 --> 00:32:11.740
us to quickly see Daniel and his friends. I want

00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:15.240
us to quickly see Daniel and his friends. When

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:19.000
Daniel was faced with the situation, and all

00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:21.200
of us, technically, everybody was faced with

00:32:21.200 --> 00:32:24.039
that situation, in Daniel 2 verse 1, New King

00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:26.839
James, Daniel 2 verse 1, it says, now in the

00:32:26.839 --> 00:32:29.660
second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar

00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:35.299
had dreams, had dreams. And his spirit was so

00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:39.500
troubled that his sleep left him. So he had a

00:32:39.500 --> 00:32:41.539
dream, and he was so troubled. And I want you

00:32:41.539 --> 00:32:46.490
to mark. The key word here is that he slept,

00:32:46.890 --> 00:32:49.069
had a dream, he woke up, he couldn't sleep. Right?

00:32:49.369 --> 00:32:50.589
Slept, had a dream, woke up, and couldn't sleep.

00:32:50.809 --> 00:32:52.990
He said, then the king gave a command to all

00:32:52.990 --> 00:32:58.210
his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, Chaldeans,

00:32:58.309 --> 00:33:02.410
to tell the king his dreams. So I think I was

00:33:02.410 --> 00:33:05.390
thinking about it one time. I said, it's interesting

00:33:05.390 --> 00:33:10.049
how these kings surround themselves with all

00:33:10.049 --> 00:33:12.980
these calibers of people. I guess, different

00:33:12.980 --> 00:33:14.779
kinds of people, they surround themselves with

00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:16.559
all of these persons because they don't want

00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:18.619
to make a wrong move, right? They want to be

00:33:18.619 --> 00:33:23.420
very, and for us, we are the ones that choose

00:33:23.420 --> 00:33:25.880
to surround ourselves by ourselves when you're

00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:28.019
faced with a talentless situation. But these

00:33:28.019 --> 00:33:31.119
people, and if you want to, a king is someone

00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:32.759
that you should observe, especially if a king

00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:34.680
knows what he's doing, right? If a king knows

00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:36.180
what he's doing, it's someone that should see

00:33:36.180 --> 00:33:37.720
the way he operates, the way he does things,

00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:40.359
and we see that this man, even though he doesn't

00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:43.160
know God, right? But he puts himself around people,

00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:46.140
at least he has people around him. You have Daniel

00:33:46.140 --> 00:33:48.019
that knows God, so that if there's a problem,

00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:52.779
but you have people around, you leave those people

00:33:52.779 --> 00:33:54.559
and then you go to the people that don't know

00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:58.339
God. What do I do about this situation? And what

00:33:58.339 --> 00:34:01.059
do you expect them to tell you? Godly things,

00:34:02.059 --> 00:34:03.920
godly steps to take, like they say, don't worry,

00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:06.819
I know you fear God. So I will teach you how

00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:09.460
to, they will teach you what the word of God

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:11.670
says concerning your particular. Situation is

00:34:11.670 --> 00:34:14.650
that is that what usually happens? No, they will

00:34:14.650 --> 00:34:18.269
give you the wrong thing or the best ways to

00:34:18.269 --> 00:34:20.429
They would suggest to you the ways to get yourself

00:34:20.429 --> 00:34:23.010
arrested ways to get yourself killed ways to

00:34:23.010 --> 00:34:24.789
get yourself into more trouble than you started

00:34:24.789 --> 00:34:27.110
with because when you assess yourself from when

00:34:27.110 --> 00:34:30.329
you took the advice to win You can tell there's

00:34:30.329 --> 00:34:31.909
a big difference and the difference is not a

00:34:31.909 --> 00:34:35.130
good difference Praise God. So he surrounds himself.

00:34:35.130 --> 00:34:38.269
He gets these people to want he sees so that

00:34:38.269 --> 00:34:40.469
they can be so that they should so they came

00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:42.599
Stood before the king and then he goes on and

00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:46.179
on. I wanted to jump to 16 So we understood that

00:34:46.179 --> 00:34:48.820
the king now says oh if you cannot get this done

00:34:48.820 --> 00:34:51.440
You guys are gonna be killed like why do I have

00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:53.940
you if you can't solve my problem, right? So

00:34:53.940 --> 00:34:55.760
he threatens them and says, okay, you guys are

00:34:55.760 --> 00:34:58.440
gonna be killed if you know so in 16 now it gets

00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:00.840
to Daniel gets word of it of this and then he

00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:04.000
says Daniel went in and asked the king to give

00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:06.860
him time I was thinking to give him time that

00:35:06.860 --> 00:35:10.299
he might tell the king the interpretation So

00:35:10.299 --> 00:35:12.659
now Daniel is now having to, because the king

00:35:12.659 --> 00:35:14.300
did not want to tell them what the dream was,

00:35:14.380 --> 00:35:17.039
because anybody can cook up anything, and say

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:19.079
that's the, since you have told us the dream.

00:35:19.340 --> 00:35:21.739
So the person is able to tell him, because he

00:35:21.739 --> 00:35:23.619
wants to trust that you're not making up stuff,

00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:25.579
because anybody, because you know that you're

00:35:25.579 --> 00:35:28.559
gonna die, because you know that death is the

00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:30.179
ultimate, you will have to make up something,

00:35:30.460 --> 00:35:32.639
just so that you live to see another day, right?

00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:35.940
But we see that Daniel now comes, and then in

00:35:35.940 --> 00:35:40.809
17, so Daniel went into, went, to his house and

00:35:40.809 --> 00:35:44.469
made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael,

00:35:44.829 --> 00:35:47.670
and Hazariah, his companions. He made the decision

00:35:47.670 --> 00:35:50.929
known to his companions. So it means that he

00:35:50.929 --> 00:35:54.769
didn't just go by himself. He went to his companions,

00:35:54.849 --> 00:35:57.409
his friends, right? He went to his friends, made

00:35:57.409 --> 00:36:01.150
known to them, and in 18 it says that they might

00:36:01.150 --> 00:36:08.369
seek the mercies from the God of heaven. concerning

00:36:08.369 --> 00:36:11.070
this secret, so that Daniel and his companions

00:36:11.070 --> 00:36:14.889
might not perish with the rest of the wise men

00:36:14.889 --> 00:36:16.849
of Babylon. So Daniel and his companions will

00:36:16.849 --> 00:36:20.590
not perish alongside. Meaning that in him being

00:36:20.590 --> 00:36:22.650
able to, it's not like the rest are gonna die,

00:36:22.789 --> 00:36:25.030
they're gonna be saved. All those other men too

00:36:25.030 --> 00:36:29.090
will be saved as well. So that Daniel and his

00:36:29.090 --> 00:36:30.989
companions might not perish alongside them. So

00:36:30.989 --> 00:36:35.750
in 19, now it says, Then the secret was revealed

00:36:35.750 --> 00:36:40.250
to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed

00:36:40.250 --> 00:36:42.510
the God of heaven. So Daniel blessed the God

00:36:42.510 --> 00:36:45.570
of heaven. So we see that Daniel and his friends

00:36:45.570 --> 00:36:50.389
would have gathered. His friends would have come

00:36:50.389 --> 00:36:51.730
together and they start saying, hey, what are

00:36:51.730 --> 00:36:54.730
we going to do now? Hey, now that the king is

00:36:54.730 --> 00:36:56.210
going to remove our heads, what are we going

00:36:56.210 --> 00:36:59.710
to do? It was not a party of friends. They were

00:36:59.710 --> 00:37:02.130
now warring themselves together, right? Let's

00:37:02.130 --> 00:37:05.179
hold their hands and be crying. What they did

00:37:05.179 --> 00:37:08.280
was that they sought the help of God, right?

00:37:08.619 --> 00:37:11.840
And know that for God to be the one you go to

00:37:11.840 --> 00:37:14.320
when you have a problem, it says a lot about

00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:17.699
the way you solve or the way you deal with it.

00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:21.179
And then someone says, when you are faced with

00:37:21.179 --> 00:37:22.960
a situation, do you run to the phone or run to

00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:28.940
the throne? So is your first line of action going

00:37:28.940 --> 00:37:31.599
to God or trying to find a way to fix it yourself?

00:37:32.759 --> 00:37:35.699
So we see that this man understood that this

00:37:35.699 --> 00:37:38.780
particular thing, we cannot solve it. Praise

00:37:38.780 --> 00:37:41.500
God. And that's the first thing you want to understand

00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:42.900
when you're faced with a difficult situation.

00:37:43.159 --> 00:37:45.000
Because sometimes you're faced with a difficult

00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:47.719
situation, you cannot solve it. You are trying

00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:51.639
to solve it by yourself. And it's a dangerous

00:37:51.639 --> 00:37:55.079
place to be because it can get worse. Because

00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:56.960
the moment you now come and find the people that

00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:59.300
will help you, we will just be telling you if

00:37:59.300 --> 00:38:02.940
you had contacted us earlier. it would have been

00:38:02.940 --> 00:38:06.340
a lot easier, praise God. So you want to, and

00:38:06.340 --> 00:38:08.840
I believe that even when you're going to a difficult

00:38:08.840 --> 00:38:11.599
situation, you pray about it, I am very sure

00:38:11.599 --> 00:38:15.280
that the Holy Spirit will highlight individuals

00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:17.179
that you should go and talk about your situation.

00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:20.699
I'm very sure, because you are in a family, right?

00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:24.260
You're in a family. So these men prayed together

00:38:24.260 --> 00:38:27.579
and then it was revealed to them. And note something.

00:38:31.409 --> 00:38:34.909
situation is enough to deny them sleep. Do you

00:38:34.909 --> 00:38:39.030
understand me? It's enough because if somebody

00:38:39.030 --> 00:38:40.969
says they're going to kill you if you don't do

00:38:40.969 --> 00:38:42.369
something and you know that what they're asking

00:38:42.369 --> 00:38:45.389
you to do is impossible. I don't know about you.

00:38:45.550 --> 00:38:47.289
Sleep will not be on the list of things that

00:38:47.289 --> 00:38:50.690
you will do even after you're afraid. Because

00:38:50.690 --> 00:38:52.510
if you're afraid and then the solution doesn't

00:38:52.510 --> 00:38:55.690
come in that very place of prayer, you say, God,

00:38:55.789 --> 00:39:01.260
I'm finished. Praise God. Because you just get

00:39:01.260 --> 00:39:03.840
into panic mode, and everything just spirals

00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:09.360
down from there. But we see that Daniel was able

00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:15.920
to at least go to bed. Praise God. He was able

00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:19.960
to go to bed, and he was in his sleep. Right?

00:39:20.179 --> 00:39:22.420
He was in his sleep, because it says night vision.

00:39:22.579 --> 00:39:25.039
I don't know when you say it. And other instances

00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:26.900
in the book of Daniel Way makes reference to

00:39:26.900 --> 00:39:28.719
that. But we understand that that was. That was

00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:31.860
him having to rest, and then that happens. So

00:39:31.860 --> 00:39:36.480
one key thing you can see from here is the fact

00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:38.820
that no matter what it is you're going through,

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:47.880
sleep helps you to actually... Praise God. It's

00:39:47.880 --> 00:39:52.519
very straightforward, very simple. If you don't

00:39:52.519 --> 00:39:54.960
sleep, you probably will not even see the way

00:39:54.960 --> 00:39:59.190
out. Praise God. The door can be in front of

00:39:59.190 --> 00:40:03.250
you, you say, I'm locked up because you have

00:40:03.250 --> 00:40:08.530
not slept. Praise God. So if you know that there's

00:40:08.530 --> 00:40:10.889
a time to sleep, that's just so because sometimes

00:40:10.889 --> 00:40:12.489
the cause of the problem is that you're sleeping

00:40:12.489 --> 00:40:17.130
too much. Praise God. So we see that the dream

00:40:17.130 --> 00:40:19.909
was made known to them and it just communicates

00:40:19.909 --> 00:40:22.829
their trust. Going to bed, even when you have

00:40:22.829 --> 00:40:24.449
a difficulty, it just communicates your trust

00:40:24.449 --> 00:40:26.809
in God. You know, we say, cast your care. Once

00:40:26.809 --> 00:40:30.349
you have casted it on him, you can sleep. Because

00:40:30.349 --> 00:40:33.349
now it's not on you, it's on him. And you trust

00:40:33.349 --> 00:40:35.449
that when you wake up tomorrow morning, it will

00:40:35.449 --> 00:40:38.730
be a lot better. Praise God. And we see that

00:40:38.730 --> 00:40:43.389
that was the case for them, because in a place

00:40:43.389 --> 00:40:48.010
of rest, the revelation was able to be made known

00:40:48.010 --> 00:40:50.170
to them. And then he comes, and then he presents

00:40:50.170 --> 00:40:52.989
it to the king. I want to just go back to because

00:40:52.989 --> 00:40:56.130
I I just did that so that we can come back on

00:40:56.130 --> 00:40:58.110
it. So I want to go to James now and show us

00:40:58.110 --> 00:41:03.329
something. James 1, 2 to 4. James 1, 2 to 4.

00:41:03.630 --> 00:41:06.030
And I want to read it from the NLT, please. It

00:41:06.030 --> 00:41:10.210
says, dear brothers and sisters, when troubles

00:41:10.210 --> 00:41:14.650
of any kind come your way. When troubles of any

00:41:14.650 --> 00:41:16.789
kind come your way. It says, when troubles of

00:41:16.789 --> 00:41:23.150
any kind come your way. Consider it an opportunity.

00:41:23.309 --> 00:41:27.349
for great joy consider it an opportunity for

00:41:27.349 --> 00:41:29.769
great joy what does that mean in a sense means

00:41:29.769 --> 00:41:36.909
that your attitude towards trouble should be

00:41:36.909 --> 00:41:40.170
oh this is another opportunity for god to deliver

00:41:40.170 --> 00:41:43.369
me right this is an opportunity for god to do

00:41:43.369 --> 00:41:46.190
it's not when you now face trouble you say oh

00:41:46.190 --> 00:41:48.469
god i'm finished you call god and then you see

00:41:48.469 --> 00:41:53.000
you are finished praise god We see that you want

00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:55.380
to consider it an opportunity for great joy because

00:41:55.380 --> 00:41:58.639
it's going to end in great joy, right? It looks

00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:00.960
like it's difficult, but it's going to end in

00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:03.260
great joy. And the interesting thing about that,

00:42:03.320 --> 00:42:04.940
speaking about the fact that you're standing

00:42:04.940 --> 00:42:07.079
in faith, the interesting thing about that in

00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:09.039
this sense now, the interesting about that is

00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:16.000
that what you're experiencing does not make sense

00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:19.159
with what you're thinking about, right? Because

00:42:19.159 --> 00:42:22.630
what you're experiencing is trouble. You will

00:42:22.630 --> 00:42:24.389
say a person is weird or you say a person is

00:42:24.389 --> 00:42:26.010
crazy when they are going through difficulty

00:42:26.010 --> 00:42:29.130
and they are looking forward to what God is going

00:42:29.130 --> 00:42:32.050
to do in that situation. Praise God. They're

00:42:32.050 --> 00:42:33.289
looking forward to what God is going to do in

00:42:33.289 --> 00:42:35.190
that situation. And three now gives us something

00:42:35.190 --> 00:42:38.250
very important. It says, for you know that when

00:42:38.250 --> 00:42:41.969
your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance

00:42:41.969 --> 00:42:47.070
to grow. Praise God. When your faith is tested,

00:42:47.210 --> 00:42:50.550
your endurance, but we are in a world where Any

00:42:50.550 --> 00:42:53.670
form of testing, we don't want tests. We don't

00:42:53.670 --> 00:42:58.889
want challenges. Just give us the end. Just give

00:42:58.889 --> 00:43:01.309
us the end. The end is joy, right? The end is

00:43:01.309 --> 00:43:04.170
rejoicing. Just skip, let's skip all of that.

00:43:04.170 --> 00:43:06.570
That part of suffering, delete, delete, delete,

00:43:06.730 --> 00:43:08.730
suffering, delete, delete, delete. I wish it

00:43:08.730 --> 00:43:11.269
was that way, where you have your life like a

00:43:11.269 --> 00:43:13.309
movie script. You just cut out that part of suffering.

00:43:13.690 --> 00:43:15.369
Just be cutting them out. Many people, they will

00:43:15.369 --> 00:43:24.460
cut. Life is not like that. Because it tells

00:43:24.460 --> 00:43:27.920
you that when, it did not say if, right? It says

00:43:27.920 --> 00:43:31.159
when troubles of any kind come your way, consider

00:43:31.159 --> 00:43:34.420
it an opportunity for joy. How many of us are

00:43:34.420 --> 00:43:38.820
willing to see, you know, that is some, like

00:43:38.820 --> 00:43:41.780
you have to deconstruct a lot of things to be

00:43:41.780 --> 00:43:45.659
able to see suffering or see challenges and say,

00:43:45.719 --> 00:43:47.980
God, I can't wait for what you're going to do

00:43:47.980 --> 00:43:53.400
in this situation. And I guarantee you that it

00:43:53.400 --> 00:43:57.639
will make the whole journey worth a while. Because

00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.639
now you're going through every step of it, looking

00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:04.579
for how God is going to deliver you. Not how

00:44:04.579 --> 00:44:08.719
you're going to die in the process. Praise God.

00:44:09.639 --> 00:44:11.260
Not how you're going to die in the process. It's

00:44:11.260 --> 00:44:14.900
for you know. In fact, if the... Difficulty doesn't

00:44:14.900 --> 00:44:18.440
do anything to you. It's an opportunity for you

00:44:18.440 --> 00:44:21.880
to grow. The next time you see the same kind

00:44:21.880 --> 00:44:24.340
of a thing, you'll be like, I've seen this before.

00:44:25.019 --> 00:44:27.039
I've faced it before. And I used to tell people,

00:44:27.159 --> 00:44:29.320
I say, if somebody has faced something before,

00:44:29.480 --> 00:44:33.199
you don't have to. And he faced it, and he did

00:44:33.199 --> 00:44:35.500
a good job of how he navigated his way around

00:44:35.500 --> 00:44:38.260
it. You don't now have to now say, let me do

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:41.880
it my own style. You don't have to rework it.

00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:44.280
because this person has already gone through

00:44:44.280 --> 00:44:47.119
it so that you don't have to cry too much, suffer

00:44:47.119 --> 00:44:49.019
too much to be able to find your way out of it.

00:44:49.559 --> 00:44:51.699
All the bruises and all the, you know, he has

00:44:51.699 --> 00:44:55.019
collected it all for you so that now you will,

00:44:55.280 --> 00:44:57.480
praise God, so someone has gone through it so

00:44:57.480 --> 00:44:59.400
you are able to even endure it and go through

00:44:59.400 --> 00:45:05.420
it a lot. The phone now says, so let it grow,

00:45:05.500 --> 00:45:09.440
so let it grow. When your endurance is fully

00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:12.150
developed, you will be perfect and complete,

00:45:12.489 --> 00:45:15.309
needing nothing. So the challenge now is to let

00:45:15.309 --> 00:45:18.349
that, like, you want to grow, you want to let

00:45:18.349 --> 00:45:22.349
it grow. So it says, for when you know that your

00:45:22.349 --> 00:45:26.130
fate is tested, when your fate is tested, your

00:45:26.130 --> 00:45:29.170
endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow,

00:45:29.349 --> 00:45:31.730
right? Let your endurance through the situation

00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:34.070
grows. And people that have been through difficult

00:45:34.070 --> 00:45:37.769
situations, people that have seen difficult situations,

00:45:38.090 --> 00:45:41.889
always have a stamina and a stability to them.

00:45:42.829 --> 00:45:46.130
They are not easily moved when they stay steadfast

00:45:46.130 --> 00:45:48.769
and immovable. Because regardless of what is

00:45:48.769 --> 00:45:51.309
happening, they are doing the Lord's work. Regardless

00:45:51.309 --> 00:45:53.550
of whatever difficulties they are facing, one

00:45:53.550 --> 00:45:55.489
thing is constant. The work of the Lord will

00:45:55.489 --> 00:45:58.849
continue to move forward. Because in doing that

00:45:58.849 --> 00:46:00.750
work, every other thing that you feel like is

00:46:00.750 --> 00:46:03.710
a problem, you're giving it the attention it

00:46:03.710 --> 00:46:05.050
requires, by the way. You're not just ignoring

00:46:05.050 --> 00:46:06.809
it. Because there's one other thing to ignore

00:46:06.809 --> 00:46:08.989
the problem and act like it's not there. You

00:46:08.989 --> 00:46:12.070
understand? Because Daniel did not say, OK, Nebuchadnezzar,

00:46:12.170 --> 00:46:15.070
OK, don't worry. We'll just ignore what you have

00:46:15.070 --> 00:46:18.309
said. Let's just sleep. No. They prayed about

00:46:18.309 --> 00:46:20.610
it, right? They trusted that God was going to

00:46:20.610 --> 00:46:22.510
deliver on the other end. And indeed so. Praise

00:46:22.510 --> 00:46:26.769
God. So I want us to see that. And let's go back

00:46:26.769 --> 00:46:29.409
and then look at a couple of issues, dangers

00:46:29.409 --> 00:46:31.989
that Apostle Paul was trying to address. And

00:46:31.989 --> 00:46:37.079
it will help us to be able to sift through. the

00:46:37.079 --> 00:46:39.019
major issue or the what he kept on talking about,

00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:41.860
and it's all, it comes down to the doctrine,

00:46:42.000 --> 00:46:43.820
right? It comes down to standing fast on the

00:46:43.820 --> 00:46:45.760
truth that you receive, because if you understand

00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:47.500
the truth that you receive, every other thing

00:46:47.500 --> 00:46:49.739
will arrange itself. The first thing which we

00:46:49.739 --> 00:46:53.480
see in 1 Corinthians 1, 10 to 12, is that issue

00:46:53.480 --> 00:46:56.500
around division, right? Now it's showing around

00:46:56.500 --> 00:46:58.559
people saying I'm from this person, I'm from

00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:00.199
that person, I'm from that person, I'm from this

00:47:00.199 --> 00:47:04.980
person. So it's just divided loyalties. Where

00:47:04.980 --> 00:47:07.530
one individual is just factions, this person,

00:47:07.849 --> 00:47:12.909
it just messes up the beauty of the family. The

00:47:12.909 --> 00:47:14.969
beauty of the family is so that everything works,

00:47:15.010 --> 00:47:17.929
we work together. There's unity. There's unity,

00:47:18.210 --> 00:47:20.650
there's one vision, there's no two visions. Praise

00:47:20.650 --> 00:47:25.469
God. In 1 Corinthians 1, 10 to 12, it says, Now

00:47:25.469 --> 00:47:31.650
I plead with you, brethren, by the name of the

00:47:31.650 --> 00:47:35.869
Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same

00:47:35.820 --> 00:47:40.340
thing, right? Speak the same thing, not two things,

00:47:40.699 --> 00:47:43.559
and that there be no divisions among you. And

00:47:43.559 --> 00:47:45.139
speaking the same thing will mean that you're

00:47:45.139 --> 00:47:50.619
all Muhammad. It says, but that you are perfectly

00:47:50.619 --> 00:47:54.179
joined together in the same mind and in the same

00:47:54.179 --> 00:47:57.559
judgment. It says, for it, 11 says, for it has

00:47:57.559 --> 00:48:00.219
been declared, it has been declared to me concerning

00:48:00.219 --> 00:48:03.559
you, my brethren, by those of close household.

00:48:06.719 --> 00:48:10.760
contentment amongst you. Now, I see this, that

00:48:10.760 --> 00:48:16.059
each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos,

00:48:16.199 --> 00:48:19.099
or I'm of Cephas, that's Peter, or I'm of Christ.

00:48:20.039 --> 00:48:23.739
Right, or I'm of Christ. Then 13, now says, is

00:48:23.739 --> 00:48:27.360
Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? You

00:48:27.360 --> 00:48:29.440
know, he's trying to, like you know, sometimes

00:48:29.440 --> 00:48:32.820
these questions help you to recalibrate. It helps

00:48:32.820 --> 00:48:35.099
you to understand that, what are we even fighting

00:48:35.099 --> 00:48:39.480
for? or why are we even doing all of this? We

00:48:39.480 --> 00:48:41.920
should come together, right? We should come together.

00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:45.500
And it says, was Paul crucified for you or were

00:48:45.500 --> 00:48:48.539
you baptized in the name of Paul? So Paul is

00:48:48.539 --> 00:48:50.320
using himself here because he wants you to understand

00:48:50.320 --> 00:48:52.400
and look, there's no need for all of this. Let's

00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:54.900
see what just, don't allow the devil make us

00:48:54.900 --> 00:48:58.599
lose sight of the unity that we have in Christ,

00:48:58.699 --> 00:49:01.300
right? Don't allow the devil makes us lose sight

00:49:01.300 --> 00:49:04.219
of the unity that we have in Christ. So we see

00:49:04.219 --> 00:49:08.670
also in first, Corinthians 3 verse 1 to 4. That's

00:49:08.670 --> 00:49:12.329
Corinthians 3 verse 1 to 4. There's also an issue

00:49:12.329 --> 00:49:14.130
where he addresses it slightly different. He

00:49:14.130 --> 00:49:17.849
says, and I, brethren, could not speak to you

00:49:17.849 --> 00:49:23.269
as spiritual people, but as carnal, but as to

00:49:23.269 --> 00:49:27.050
carnal, as to babes in Christ. I have fed you

00:49:27.050 --> 00:49:30.510
with milk, not with solid food, for until now

00:49:30.510 --> 00:49:33.329
you were not able to receive it, and even now

00:49:33.329 --> 00:49:36.480
you are still not able. Three now says, for you

00:49:36.480 --> 00:49:42.000
are still carnal, for where there are envy, strife,

00:49:42.239 --> 00:49:47.420
and divisions among you, are you not carnal and

00:49:47.420 --> 00:49:53.800
behaving like mere men? For when one says, I

00:49:53.800 --> 00:49:57.780
am of Paul and I am of Apollos, are you not carnal?

00:49:58.179 --> 00:50:02.960
So we see that the carnal here now is you're

00:50:02.960 --> 00:50:06.599
not You're not walking in flow, like you are

00:50:06.599 --> 00:50:09.519
in Christ. We are doing something that is contradictory.

00:50:09.639 --> 00:50:13.219
That's why he says, was it Paul that was crucified

00:50:13.219 --> 00:50:16.659
for you? So you understand that the focus is

00:50:16.659 --> 00:50:19.519
Christ, not any of this sort of person. And you

00:50:19.519 --> 00:50:21.860
being God is like, you're not walking in the

00:50:21.860 --> 00:50:24.380
Spirit, like in the truth that you have received.

00:50:24.780 --> 00:50:26.420
Praise God. You're not walking in the truth that

00:50:26.420 --> 00:50:28.800
you have received. So he's kind of bringing the

00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:31.949
attention to the fact that the focus is in what

00:50:31.949 --> 00:50:33.949
Christ has done. And we understand that even

00:50:33.949 --> 00:50:37.670
Christ encouraged, in fact in this type of prayers,

00:50:37.969 --> 00:50:40.210
he prays for them in 17, is that they are one.

00:50:41.110 --> 00:50:46.070
He's not about the divisions. No progress happens,

00:50:46.389 --> 00:50:48.909
no good and solid progress happens when they

00:50:48.909 --> 00:50:51.269
are fractions. In fact, energies will be divided.

00:50:52.110 --> 00:50:54.409
The energy that you use to walk in one straight

00:50:54.409 --> 00:50:56.010
line, the other person will say, no, no, no,

00:50:56.010 --> 00:50:58.329
no, I can't walk, how can I be walking with this

00:50:58.329 --> 00:51:02.500
person? I don't like the way he operates. And

00:51:02.500 --> 00:51:04.800
then the energy now that we'll put in doing one

00:51:04.800 --> 00:51:06.320
thing, this other person will be doing his own

00:51:06.320 --> 00:51:07.219
thing, the other person will be doing his own

00:51:07.219 --> 00:51:10.280
thing, it will take us a long time to make progress.

00:51:10.739 --> 00:51:13.760
Praise God. And that's why he brings the attention.

00:51:14.000 --> 00:51:16.900
In 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14, he also says, but

00:51:16.900 --> 00:51:18.739
the natural man does not receive the things of,

00:51:18.880 --> 00:51:22.960
and that's to contrast the fact that you understand

00:51:22.960 --> 00:51:26.800
that you are not now, you're not a mare. You

00:51:26.800 --> 00:51:29.039
have the spirit of God, meaning that you are

00:51:29.039 --> 00:51:31.239
able to, See, you're able to read God's word.

00:51:31.840 --> 00:51:34.260
In fact, God's word is what has the authority.

00:51:34.699 --> 00:51:37.579
You live your life on the basis of what is the

00:51:37.579 --> 00:51:39.480
instruction. You live your life on understanding

00:51:39.480 --> 00:51:41.440
of what the authority has placed around you.

00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:43.500
You understand the importance of all of these

00:51:43.500 --> 00:51:46.440
things. So you don't live your life anyhow. He

00:51:46.440 --> 00:51:48.820
says, does not receive the things of his spirit

00:51:48.820 --> 00:51:51.579
because they are foolishness to him, nor can

00:51:51.579 --> 00:51:53.900
they know it because they are spiritually discerned.

00:51:53.920 --> 00:51:58.000
Meaning that you know that, OK, this is God's

00:51:58.000 --> 00:52:00.139
will. This is what we need to do in Christ Jesus.

00:52:00.659 --> 00:52:02.380
A person that is not, it's like when a person

00:52:02.380 --> 00:52:03.800
shows up here and he doesn't understand what

00:52:03.800 --> 00:52:05.179
is going on here, he will be doing something

00:52:05.179 --> 00:52:07.539
different from what we're doing, because he doesn't

00:52:07.539 --> 00:52:09.699
understand how things operate in this particular

00:52:09.699 --> 00:52:13.139
environment, but we are beyond that. And in 2

00:52:13.139 --> 00:52:17.619
Corinthians 10, 3 to 5, 2 Corinthians 10, 3 to

00:52:17.619 --> 00:52:20.400
5, I read it from the NLT, 3 to 5, it says, we

00:52:20.400 --> 00:52:23.480
are humans, but we don't wage war as humans do.

00:52:23.900 --> 00:52:27.539
We use the mighty weapons, not human. not worldly

00:52:27.539 --> 00:52:31.960
weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human

00:52:31.960 --> 00:52:34.860
reasoning and to destroy false arguments. And

00:52:34.860 --> 00:52:38.119
to destroy false arguments. So we destroy every

00:52:38.119 --> 00:52:40.119
proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing

00:52:40.119 --> 00:52:42.960
God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and

00:52:42.960 --> 00:52:45.880
teach them to obey Christ. We capture rebellious

00:52:45.880 --> 00:52:47.940
thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. I want

00:52:47.940 --> 00:52:51.320
to say something that when people are acting

00:52:51.320 --> 00:52:54.739
out of order, it means that they are, as we see

00:52:54.739 --> 00:52:58.340
here, as I said earlier, that the enemy is behind,

00:52:58.480 --> 00:53:00.940
is walking behind. There's a doctrine that the

00:53:00.940 --> 00:53:02.820
enemy is running. There's an active doctrine

00:53:02.820 --> 00:53:04.679
that's walking in that particular individual.

00:53:05.119 --> 00:53:09.519
And what you are doing is that you're using God's

00:53:09.519 --> 00:53:12.300
weapon, God's arsenal, which is his word, the

00:53:12.300 --> 00:53:14.760
teaching of his word, sound doctrine, to be able

00:53:14.760 --> 00:53:19.039
to destroy every form of human reasoning and

00:53:19.039 --> 00:53:22.039
every false argument, contrary to what the word

00:53:22.039 --> 00:53:26.860
of God is. And any of, any, any Anytime you entertain

00:53:26.860 --> 00:53:31.559
anything contrary to, you are slowly yielding

00:53:31.559 --> 00:53:33.860
to something that when you now manifest, it will

00:53:33.860 --> 00:53:36.039
now be like you don't know what the truth is.

00:53:37.059 --> 00:53:39.440
And nowadays we have a situation where people

00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:42.639
don't consciously know that once you are listening

00:53:42.639 --> 00:53:46.099
to something over and over again, you are subconsciously

00:53:46.099 --> 00:53:48.559
programming yourself to see that as the right

00:53:48.559 --> 00:53:51.800
way of doing things. And it happens every now

00:53:51.800 --> 00:53:53.440
and then. You just feel like that is the normal

00:53:53.440 --> 00:53:56.300
way. That's the right way to do things. But it's

00:53:56.300 --> 00:53:58.980
not. It's not. And you will be forgiven of it

00:53:58.980 --> 00:54:01.239
because you have seen it so many times to think

00:54:01.239 --> 00:54:03.980
that, OK, everybody does it like that. But you

00:54:03.980 --> 00:54:05.719
understand that that is not the way people should

00:54:05.719 --> 00:54:07.619
do it. That is not the way it is done. Praise

00:54:07.619 --> 00:54:10.079
God. And it says, we capture their rebellious

00:54:10.079 --> 00:54:12.400
thoughts and teach them to be good. We have a

00:54:12.400 --> 00:54:15.219
responsibility to teach people, right? We have

00:54:15.219 --> 00:54:17.199
a responsibility to make people understand what

00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:20.550
we believe in and teach them. It's very important

00:54:20.550 --> 00:54:22.349
that we make people understand what we believe

00:54:22.349 --> 00:54:24.590
in and teach them I'm trying to find a place

00:54:24.590 --> 00:54:28.150
where we can So there are two other things that

00:54:28.150 --> 00:54:30.909
Apostle Paul addresses and one other thing is

00:54:30.909 --> 00:54:35.849
that them compromising to like Compromising on

00:54:35.849 --> 00:54:39.829
what they know to not be true, right? They yield

00:54:39.829 --> 00:54:42.710
because you see that this person is saved He

00:54:42.710 --> 00:54:45.110
knows that okay, I shouldn't be doing this, but

00:54:45.110 --> 00:54:47.170
they just say okay. Let's just do it anyways

00:54:47.369 --> 00:54:49.429
Like we're in Christ, right? We're in Christ.

00:54:49.789 --> 00:54:53.070
So we see that form of compromise that happens.

00:54:53.550 --> 00:54:56.070
And those are what he refers to as the levels

00:54:56.070 --> 00:54:58.610
that actually levels a little bit. Little compromises

00:54:58.610 --> 00:55:00.570
here and there. It's what takes you off. It's

00:55:00.570 --> 00:55:03.750
what makes you lose sight. In fact, it's what

00:55:03.750 --> 00:55:05.989
makes people lose confidence in what you say

00:55:05.989 --> 00:55:09.070
you believe in. Right? It makes people lose confidence.

00:55:09.309 --> 00:55:11.449
Because what you believe in is true. But your

00:55:11.449 --> 00:55:13.929
actions is not helping them in any way. Your

00:55:13.929 --> 00:55:16.110
actions is not helping them. And sometimes we

00:55:16.110 --> 00:55:22.320
undermine how that destroys your ability to proclaim

00:55:22.320 --> 00:55:25.099
the gospel. You undermine the importance of that

00:55:25.099 --> 00:55:28.519
because people see, they see you more than they

00:55:28.519 --> 00:55:31.079
hear you. Praise God. They see you more than

00:55:31.079 --> 00:55:33.159
they hear you and then you're telling them something

00:55:33.159 --> 00:55:35.500
and then they are like, it's all, and you're

00:55:35.500 --> 00:55:38.659
forgotten. But people don't forget. People have

00:55:38.659 --> 00:55:40.300
seen you so many times and they've seen you taking

00:55:40.300 --> 00:55:43.000
certain actions and you don't forget. So, and

00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:46.300
you see in their own case, There are issues of

00:55:46.300 --> 00:55:49.239
sexual immorality, and that has been rampant.

00:55:49.320 --> 00:55:51.960
We see that in 1 Corinthians 5, 1 to 2, and then

00:55:51.960 --> 00:55:54.480
6. It says that there has been reported sexual

00:55:54.480 --> 00:55:58.099
immorality among Jews, such as not even named

00:55:58.099 --> 00:56:00.539
among the Gentiles. That is the height of it.

00:56:01.159 --> 00:56:02.659
And tomorrow, you want to come and tell them,

00:56:02.659 --> 00:56:05.320
Jesus, to be difficult for you to get past that.

00:56:05.440 --> 00:56:08.880
It says that one now takes his father's wife.

00:56:09.300 --> 00:56:12.239
That's the height of it. He says, and you are

00:56:12.239 --> 00:56:14.159
puffed up. So you know, you have done something

00:56:14.159 --> 00:56:15.440
bad. It's bad enough you have done something

00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:17.980
bad, but you are now proud about what you have

00:56:17.980 --> 00:56:22.719
done. That's why he's addressing it. And he's

00:56:22.719 --> 00:56:26.320
addressing it. He says, and have you not rather

00:56:26.320 --> 00:56:33.679
mourned? And that he who has done this deed might

00:56:33.679 --> 00:56:36.500
be taken away from among you. In 6, he says,

00:56:36.780 --> 00:56:40.699
your glorying is not good. Do you not know that

00:56:40.699 --> 00:56:42.659
a little leavens leaven the lump, which is the

00:56:42.659 --> 00:56:44.900
whole idea of like, because you are glowing something

00:56:44.900 --> 00:56:47.719
that is evil. You're glowing something that is

00:56:47.719 --> 00:56:51.559
evil. And you want to be careful not to give,

00:56:52.119 --> 00:56:54.420
like make that a norm. That's why when there's

00:56:54.420 --> 00:57:00.239
a situation here, if we accept it, we are like,

00:57:00.519 --> 00:57:01.760
that's saying it's good. Everybody should behave

00:57:01.760 --> 00:57:03.840
like that. So you want to be able to understand

00:57:03.840 --> 00:57:05.599
that certain things that you should not even

00:57:05.599 --> 00:57:08.530
tolerate at all. The same thing is because it

00:57:08.530 --> 00:57:10.329
will undermine the faith that you believe in.

00:57:10.849 --> 00:57:13.570
You can't say you believe in this and then you

00:57:13.570 --> 00:57:16.650
are doing this. And then you are saying something

00:57:16.650 --> 00:57:18.449
and we are seeing something else, different from

00:57:18.449 --> 00:57:21.010
what you are saying. So it very much undermines

00:57:21.010 --> 00:57:22.829
that and that's why I pose to Paul this. Because

00:57:22.829 --> 00:57:24.750
all of those things are dangerous, praise God.

00:57:25.030 --> 00:57:27.510
All of those things are dangerous and the fact

00:57:27.510 --> 00:57:30.010
that you are living around a culture of people

00:57:30.010 --> 00:57:32.469
like different cultures, different people that

00:57:32.469 --> 00:57:34.070
are still holding back because you're trying

00:57:34.070 --> 00:57:36.329
to teach them something new. But there's something

00:57:36.329 --> 00:57:38.769
that has been running before. Because they have

00:57:38.769 --> 00:57:40.429
their different cultures, the different things

00:57:40.429 --> 00:57:42.170
that they do, they hold on to different system.

00:57:42.429 --> 00:57:44.110
Just imagine you're trying to tell them that

00:57:44.110 --> 00:57:46.269
Christ is the end of all the sacrifice and then

00:57:46.269 --> 00:57:48.170
you have people that say, no, no, we love this

00:57:48.170 --> 00:57:49.889
our sacrifice so much. We still have to be doing

00:57:49.889 --> 00:57:53.869
the sacrifice. So it will be hard because you

00:57:53.869 --> 00:57:56.610
have to keep on standing because it will go back

00:57:56.610 --> 00:57:59.849
to the other way. It's easy for you to flow back

00:57:59.849 --> 00:58:02.619
because you think we miss. We miss the times

00:58:02.619 --> 00:58:05.800
where we go into the temple and bring our goats

00:58:05.800 --> 00:58:08.639
and we miss those times. Well, we understand

00:58:08.639 --> 00:58:10.739
that those times are not relevant in this time

00:58:10.739 --> 00:58:12.780
because we have something greater than those

00:58:12.780 --> 00:58:16.039
things. Praise God. So he's trying to bring to

00:58:16.039 --> 00:58:17.840
them. And I wanted to get to a point where we'll

00:58:17.840 --> 00:58:20.800
talk about the whole ways that we can make those

00:58:20.800 --> 00:58:22.960
things idols. But that will be for some of the

00:58:22.960 --> 00:58:24.579
time to be addressed by some of the pastors.

00:58:24.619 --> 00:58:26.460
So I want us to just open our mouths and just.

00:58:27.780 --> 00:58:30.760
We appreciate you being here today. We hope you

00:58:30.760 --> 00:58:32.880
carry this worry with you throughout your week.

00:58:33.719 --> 00:58:35.760
Don't forget to check the show notes for additional

00:58:35.760 --> 00:58:38.559
insights. Stay connected with us through our

00:58:38.559 --> 00:58:42.420
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00:58:42.420 --> 00:58:44.739
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you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.