WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:03.000 You are welcome once again, in Jesus' name. 00:03.000 --> 00:05.400 So, today we are starting something new, 00:05.400 --> 00:08.920 we have promised you and today is the day of fulfilment. 00:08.920 --> 00:11.840 This is our first podcast programme, 00:11.840 --> 00:13.440 where by the grace of God, 00:13.440 --> 00:17.160 we'll be bringing to you issues that bothers, 00:17.160 --> 00:19.080 issues that matters for our Christian life. 00:19.080 --> 00:22.280 We say "Household of Faith". 00:22.280 --> 00:26.880 Why is the title "Household of Faith"? 00:26.880 --> 00:31.320 Faith is the key, we are Christians by faith. 00:31.320 --> 00:35.040 Faith is the basis of our union with God. 00:35.040 --> 00:40.440 We are saved by faith; redeemed, blessed by faith. 00:40.440 --> 00:45.200 Whatever we receive from God can only come by faith. 00:45.200 --> 00:46.920 Only faith pleases God. 00:46.920 --> 00:48.640 So, you can see the importance of faith 00:48.640 --> 00:51.120 in your approach to God. 00:51.120 --> 00:53.400 So please, in our daily life, the Bible says, 00:53.400 --> 00:57.240 "My righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) 00:57.240 --> 01:00.520 So, we are commanded by God to live by faith; 01:00.520 --> 01:04.400 we are commanded to walk by faith, to walk by the Spirit. 01:04.400 --> 01:07.360 So what is faith? 01:07.360 --> 01:10.080 Faith is a heart that believes God 01:10.080 --> 01:12.080 in ordinary circumstances of life. 01:12.080 --> 01:13.560 In every situation. 01:13.560 --> 01:16.640 You're welcome, in Jesus' name. 01:16.640 --> 01:17.760 Amen, and what a blessing 01:17.760 --> 01:20.160 to belong to "The Household of Faith"! 01:20.160 --> 01:22.240 You know, everyone has their own faith 01:22.240 --> 01:24.280 as they have their own shoes, 01:24.280 --> 01:26.160 as they have their own body, 01:26.160 --> 01:28.480 as they have their own reasoning faculties. 01:28.480 --> 01:32.920 Yes, God has given each person a measure of faith, 01:32.920 --> 01:35.840 and if today you're thinking that, "I don't have faith. 01:35.840 --> 01:38.280 My faith is small, I wish I had the faith 01:38.280 --> 01:40.280 of this Bible character, 01:40.280 --> 01:42.240 I wish I had so much more faith..." 01:42.240 --> 01:46.960 Remember, it's not great faith you need, it's a great God. 01:46.960 --> 01:48.360 And that great God is here in our midst 01:48.360 --> 01:50.520 and that's the greatest miracle of all, 01:50.520 --> 01:53.480 and in these podcasts we want to be able to explore 01:53.480 --> 01:56.800 those practical situations in life 01:56.800 --> 01:58.480 where the Word of God can be applied, 01:58.480 --> 02:01.080 so that you can grow in your spiritual life 02:01.080 --> 02:04.560 and your faith in that great God can grow. 02:04.560 --> 02:10.240 Because, look, here we are, we are weak people, 02:10.240 --> 02:13.960 not amazingly gifted or intelligent, 02:13.960 --> 02:16.320 but look what God is doing in our lives. 02:16.320 --> 02:18.520 The same thing He can do for you, 02:18.520 --> 02:21.360 if you submit yourself to the Spirit of God. 02:21.360 --> 02:22.800 So thank you so much for joining us 02:22.800 --> 02:23.640 in "The Household of Faith", 02:23.640 --> 02:26.040 it's a privilege to be part of this community, 02:26.040 --> 02:29.440 we see it as a privilege to be in the house of God. 02:29.440 --> 02:31.320 Absolutely. So today, 02:31.320 --> 02:35.800 when we look at the Christianity all over the world today, 02:35.800 --> 02:38.040 by the emails we receive, 02:38.040 --> 02:41.600 our communication with many viewers of The UOG, 02:41.600 --> 02:44.840 we realise that many issues 02:44.840 --> 02:48.600 brought to our attention relates to faith. 02:48.600 --> 02:51.000 People have troubles, people have issues, 02:51.000 --> 02:52.840 some want to grow in knowledge of God, 02:52.840 --> 02:57.400 but all this can only happen by faith. 02:57.400 --> 02:59.320 If we understand the purpose of faith 02:59.320 --> 03:01.600 our focus will change in everything we do, 03:01.600 --> 03:04.920 because faith focuses on God, 03:04.920 --> 03:08.400 faith focuses on God's ability. 03:08.400 --> 03:12.280 Now, we remember the message of Prophet TB Joshua, 03:12.280 --> 03:15.240 two kinds of faith - faith in faith 03:15.240 --> 03:19.760 and faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. 03:19.760 --> 03:24.360 Faith is not mere confessing the promises of God, 03:24.360 --> 03:28.560 faith is to believe with your heart the promises 03:28.560 --> 03:31.120 and you confess them before you see them happen. 03:31.120 --> 03:32.160 So we want to help people 03:32.160 --> 03:34.440 to enter the practical side of Christianity, 03:34.440 --> 03:36.480 because a Christian must not only know his faith 03:36.480 --> 03:41.680 but must show his faith in community, in your daily living. 03:41.680 --> 03:42.800 When we live by faith, 03:42.800 --> 03:46.800 we approach every situation by faith in God, 03:46.800 --> 03:51.840 and that is it, Jesus Christ has done everything for us, 03:51.840 --> 03:54.360 everything, whatever we are, 03:54.360 --> 03:56.760 whatever we receive is not by works; by grace. 03:56.760 --> 04:01.360 Grace means there are two things we don't need to confuse. 04:01.360 --> 04:03.720 Grace is a principle in the Gospel, 04:03.720 --> 04:06.480 I mean, Jesus has paid the supreme price 04:06.480 --> 04:08.880 to bring whatever we need from God. 04:08.880 --> 04:11.040 How do we appropriate it? 04:11.040 --> 04:13.720 Faith comes, our genuine willingness. 04:13.720 --> 04:17.160 So, to grow in faith, 04:17.160 --> 04:21.240 we must enter into the practical side of Christianity, 04:21.240 --> 04:26.080 which requires hearing and obedience. 04:26.080 --> 04:27.840 What does it mean by obedience? 04:27.840 --> 04:30.560 The Bible says that our only means of growth 04:30.560 --> 04:32.200 is the Holy Spirit, 04:32.200 --> 04:34.920 anytime we hear from God and we obey God, 04:34.920 --> 04:42.080 something will enter us that increases our strength, faith. 04:42.080 --> 04:45.400 Abraham, all the heroes of faith, 04:45.400 --> 04:50.520 they were people like you and me, ordinary people, 04:50.520 --> 04:54.200 they faced challenges in their lives - everybody, 04:54.200 --> 04:56.000 but with God all things are possible. 04:56.000 --> 04:58.240 They overcame by faith because their faith 04:58.240 --> 05:03.120 was not based on their own ability; on God's ability. 05:03.120 --> 05:07.400 So, now what is your situation? 05:07.400 --> 05:10.200 That's why we say "The Household of Faith" 05:10.200 --> 05:13.080 is to make you strong in the Lord, 05:13.080 --> 05:16.800 because in this world, whether we like it or not, 05:16.800 --> 05:18.480 there will be trouble. 05:18.480 --> 05:21.440 God never promised that there will be no more problem; 05:21.440 --> 05:26.040 there will be, but we overcome them by faith. 05:26.040 --> 05:28.000 So what is faith, Ruth? 05:28.000 --> 05:29.520 Remind them, what is faith again? 05:29.520 --> 05:30.800 Well, I think you said it all, 05:30.800 --> 05:32.560 I love that definition 05:32.560 --> 05:36.600 that faith is a heart that believes God in every single circumstance, 05:36.600 --> 05:38.600 not just in desperate times but day-to-day. 05:38.600 --> 05:42.600 You say the heart, why not the brain? 05:42.600 --> 05:46.080 Because it's with our heart that we believe God. 05:46.080 --> 05:48.120 What happens when we believe in our brain? 05:48.120 --> 05:50.120 We ask ourselves questions. 05:50.120 --> 05:51.880 What happens when we believe in our brain? 05:51.880 --> 05:53.720 Well, it's mental assent, 05:53.720 --> 05:59.040 it's just reasoning faculty, it's just memorising, 05:59.040 --> 06:01.560 like when you prepare for an exam, you can learn something. 06:01.560 --> 06:04.280 But later on you might 06:04.280 --> 06:05.640 delete it from your brain. 06:05.640 --> 06:07.240 But what's the main challenge in that case 06:07.240 --> 06:09.360 when you operate by brain or not by faith, 06:09.360 --> 06:11.040 what's the main problem? 06:11.040 --> 06:12.280 That's the question. 06:12.280 --> 06:15.360 Anything that doesn't come from the heart cannot last. 06:15.360 --> 06:19.040 Why? 06:19.040 --> 06:24.280 Faith sees the invisible, 06:24.280 --> 06:28.520 faith believes the impossible, 06:28.520 --> 06:32.880 and you can see already it's contrary to common sense 06:32.880 --> 06:36.480 because God always asks us to do what we cannot do 06:36.480 --> 06:39.560 so He can teach us how to do it. 06:39.560 --> 06:42.760 So God's Word and His promises 06:42.760 --> 06:47.240 can only be put into practice or we receive the promises 06:47.240 --> 06:52.320 when we act faith in God's possibility, not our own ability. 06:52.320 --> 06:56.000 So real faith doesn’t reason 06:56.000 --> 06:59.040 because mental assent, as she rightfully said, responds to reason. 06:59.040 --> 07:02.960 So when we face situations that are difficult, 07:02.960 --> 07:04.520 we may likely reason and say, 07:04.520 --> 07:06.680 "Ah, it's not possible." 07:06.680 --> 07:08.640 We begin to restrict God 07:08.640 --> 07:11.440 within the frame of our intellectual mind. 07:11.440 --> 07:13.480 And that's why we say today, 07:13.480 --> 07:15.600 failure to give God and His Word 07:15.600 --> 07:19.680 His proper position in our heart, not in our brain, 07:19.680 --> 07:23.680 is actually responsible for the crisis of our faith. 07:23.680 --> 07:28.760 When you said about the issue of reason, 07:28.760 --> 07:31.000 it reminded me that the Word of God, 07:31.000 --> 07:34.560 our reason will probably reject it 07:34.560 --> 07:36.680 but your heart craves for it. 07:36.680 --> 07:39.360 And you don't know that your heart is actually craving 07:39.360 --> 07:43.600 for spiritual food, and the Word of God is a spiritual food 07:43.600 --> 07:45.560 but your reasoning faculties, 07:45.560 --> 07:47.760 you know, they can't understand it. 07:47.760 --> 07:51.400 And that is why faith comes through hearing the Word of God, 07:51.400 --> 07:54.120 because it's that Word of God that comes into your heart 07:54.120 --> 07:57.840 and causes that faith, which is a spiritual force to grow, 07:57.840 --> 07:59.400 and I think that's what makes it 07:59.400 --> 08:01.200 maybe so complicated for people 08:01.200 --> 08:04.160 because we try and overthink it 08:04.160 --> 08:08.160 and try and make it as if it's a reasoning issue. 08:08.160 --> 08:10.560 No, your reason may reject the Word of God, 08:10.560 --> 08:12.480 like your reason may reject faith, 08:12.480 --> 08:14.040 but your heart craves for it. 08:14.040 --> 08:17.520 Anything that comes by force is not faith. 08:17.520 --> 08:20.200 I know that one for a fact, 08:20.200 --> 08:23.120 anything that comes by force is not faith, 08:23.120 --> 08:25.680 you can't fake faith. 08:25.680 --> 08:27.840 Because you see the goodness of God, you now realise, 08:27.840 --> 08:31.200 "Oh, God is worthy of my praise." 08:31.200 --> 08:33.480 And then your faith in Him automatically grows, 08:33.480 --> 08:35.960 simultaneously, spontaneously grows. 08:35.960 --> 08:39.000 When you say force, it is true. 08:39.000 --> 08:44.040 Sometime we do things by force, by power and by might. 08:44.040 --> 08:45.720 Sometimes we even go to the extent, 08:45.720 --> 08:49.920 we force God to do what we want to do. 08:49.920 --> 08:51.720 Sometimes we pull God to our mind, 08:51.720 --> 08:53.960 "Lord, I want this. Lord, I want that." 08:53.960 --> 08:56.120 When you look at your Bible very clearly, 08:56.120 --> 09:00.360 you will see the need to have effective prayer, 09:00.360 --> 09:04.360 and we come before God, as James 4:2-3 says, 09:04.360 --> 09:08.080 "You do not have because you don't ask." 09:08.080 --> 09:09.760 That means, it's our duty 09:09.760 --> 09:13.640 to come before God, our Father, to ask. 09:13.640 --> 09:17.040 The Bible says, we can make God know all our needs, 09:17.040 --> 09:19.080 there's nothing wrong, 09:19.080 --> 09:21.960 but the Bible says very often we approach God 09:21.960 --> 09:24.040 through the narrow-mindedness of our intellect 09:24.040 --> 09:26.160 because of our outward needs. 09:26.160 --> 09:28.960 "Lord, I need money. I pray for money. 09:28.960 --> 09:32.200 I'm poor, I want blessing, I'm sick" 09:32.200 --> 09:33.720 There is something far more important 09:33.720 --> 09:35.280 than those natural circumstances, 09:35.280 --> 09:38.720 you need to know the will of God in the matter. 09:38.720 --> 09:44.880 So James says, "You do not have because you ask wrongly." 09:44.880 --> 09:47.040 How do we ask wrongly? 09:47.040 --> 09:49.240 Whatever we face - our faith 09:49.240 --> 09:53.640 should not be dictated by the circumstances. 09:53.640 --> 09:57.320 God in His mercy may allow all sorts of situations 09:57.320 --> 10:00.520 to test our faith, to make us grow. 10:00.520 --> 10:06.120 He's aware, but how we respond to it determines the outcome. 10:06.120 --> 10:08.760 We focus on the situation, on the sickness, 10:08.760 --> 10:09.960 but sometimes God may allow 10:09.960 --> 10:13.080 foolish things to happen to our life to strengthen us. 10:13.080 --> 10:15.840 Okay, let's say the case of Paul 10:15.840 --> 10:19.120 in 2 Corinthians 12, 10:19.120 --> 10:22.280 Paul was faced with a thorn in his flesh. 10:22.280 --> 10:26.280 It was a real problem, it was painful, 10:26.280 --> 10:30.640 so he came to the Lord and prayed for the Lord to remove it, 10:30.640 --> 10:34.800 as all of us would naturally do. 10:34.800 --> 10:36.960 God remained silent. 10:36.960 --> 10:39.680 He prayed again and the Lord remained silent. 10:39.680 --> 10:42.320 Do you know what that thorn was - Paul's thorn? 10:42.320 --> 10:44.320 Many people are interpreting what the thorn is - 10:44.320 --> 10:48.320 all we know it’s something contrary to his desire. 10:48.320 --> 10:50.040 So we don't know, the Bible never says 10:50.040 --> 10:50.920 whether it was a sickness. 10:50.920 --> 10:52.480 All we know that there was a problem, 10:52.480 --> 10:54.280 it was a physical problem he had or a weakness. 10:54.280 --> 10:57.480 But the Lord said to him, 10:57.480 --> 11:04.320 "My grace is sufficient for you." 11:04.320 --> 11:05.880 You want God to remove your problem, 11:05.880 --> 11:11.720 but sometimes God will not answer your request to the letter. 11:11.720 --> 11:13.080 One thing we should never doubt, 11:13.080 --> 11:16.160 God always answers the prayer of faith, 11:16.160 --> 11:17.520 but never in the letter. 11:17.520 --> 11:20.400 Never the way you expect it. 11:20.400 --> 11:22.840 Absolutely. What you're asking for, 11:22.840 --> 11:23.960 God may not give you that, 11:23.960 --> 11:27.400 but an equivalent is always given. 11:27.400 --> 11:28.920 What is equivalent? 11:28.920 --> 11:32.080 When Paul asked for this thorn to be removed, 11:32.080 --> 11:33.600 it doesn't mean God ignored him. 11:33.600 --> 11:36.880 God allowed that thing to happen for a purpose. 11:36.880 --> 11:39.960 You see, he said because of the excellency 11:39.960 --> 11:41.800 of the revelation God gave me, 11:41.800 --> 11:44.920 He allowed the thorns to prevent me from being conceited, 11:44.920 --> 11:48.720 to protect me from spiritual pride. 11:48.720 --> 11:50.520 Once He understood that, 11:50.520 --> 11:55.800 the Lord said, "My grace, My power 11:55.800 --> 11:58.600 is manifested in your weakness." 11:58.600 --> 12:02.080 He really understood the reason for that thorn, 12:02.080 --> 12:03.400 and because He understood the reason 12:03.400 --> 12:05.040 that gave Him such a peace, 12:05.040 --> 12:07.360 and I think that's such a lesson for us today 12:07.360 --> 12:12.000 because he had that spiritual maturity 12:12.000 --> 12:15.160 to understand that he'd been given such an amazing gift, 12:15.160 --> 12:16.560 like he had these revelations, 12:16.560 --> 12:19.400 amazing revelations that no one else had, 12:19.400 --> 12:21.760 in order to prevent him from becoming conceited 12:21.760 --> 12:24.480 because pride is our biggest enemy, 12:24.480 --> 12:27.000 and in order for that not to happen 12:27.000 --> 12:29.440 he realised that God gave him that thorn, 12:29.440 --> 12:31.080 and that's why if we look at our lives 12:31.080 --> 12:33.880 we can see many things as like a check, 12:33.880 --> 12:36.000 a check for us to... 12:36.000 --> 12:39.360 If we've been so blessed in so many areas, 12:39.360 --> 12:41.480 just so many people come to us 12:41.480 --> 12:42.720 with complaint after complaint, 12:42.720 --> 12:43.880 but if you begin to think and 12:43.880 --> 12:47.920 count the blessings of God in your life - 12:47.920 --> 12:53.600 good health, your ability to wake up in the morning, to read the Bible, 12:53.600 --> 12:56.240 think about your family, your friends, 12:56.240 --> 12:58.920 everything that God has blessed you with, 12:58.920 --> 13:02.960 and then you realise that any difficulty or maybe hardship - 13:02.960 --> 13:06.160 it's to check your spiritual life, 13:06.160 --> 13:09.080 to make sure that you realise that you need God. 13:09.080 --> 13:10.400 So I love that about Paul. 13:10.400 --> 13:11.680 There's a big lesson 13:11.680 --> 13:15.160 I, myself, personally, learned from him. 13:15.160 --> 13:18.400 He was a friend of God, a man of faith, 13:18.400 --> 13:20.880 he prayed for the sick, they were healed. 13:20.880 --> 13:24.560 He himself had the sickness or thorn, whatever. 13:24.560 --> 13:28.360 The Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you." 13:28.360 --> 13:29.200 What I want to say, 13:29.200 --> 13:32.360 I remember one word of wisdom of Prophet TB Joshua 13:32.360 --> 13:36.160 which really opened my heart to the issue of prayer. 13:36.160 --> 13:37.640 So let's talk about prayer 13:37.640 --> 13:42.200 to make it more practical in our discussion about faith, 13:42.200 --> 13:44.440 all prayers should be prayers of faith. 13:44.440 --> 13:48.000 He said, "We often hear people say 13:48.000 --> 13:50.960 that prayer answers all trouble, 13:50.960 --> 13:54.920 that prayer brings changes." 13:54.920 --> 13:57.240 Honestly, if prayer were changing all things, 13:57.240 --> 14:00.560 all things would've changed in the life of many people, 14:00.560 --> 14:07.880 because some say, "Ah, I've been praying. Does God ignore me? 14:07.880 --> 14:09.840 Maybe God does not want to answer my prayer." 14:09.840 --> 14:12.000 You see, because I see many people, 14:12.000 --> 14:16.840 many face mountain of unanswered prayers, 14:16.840 --> 14:18.400 unanswered prayers keep standing 14:18.400 --> 14:19.760 between them and their faith, 14:19.760 --> 14:20.880 and many stop praying 14:20.880 --> 14:22.840 because they have no hope for an answer. 14:22.840 --> 14:24.280 They've given up. 14:24.280 --> 14:25.880 But when we understand 14:25.880 --> 14:28.760 that God does not answer our prayers to the letter, 14:28.760 --> 14:31.000 because He knows what is good for you, 14:31.000 --> 14:34.640 means in every circumstance you face 14:34.640 --> 14:37.600 God has something to say. 14:37.600 --> 14:40.240 If the Lord sees that I am the type 14:40.240 --> 14:43.240 that pride may destroy, 14:43.240 --> 14:46.120 the Lord may allow something to test my faith 14:46.120 --> 14:48.400 and to break that pride. 14:48.400 --> 14:51.480 God can use terrible situations, difficult situations, 14:51.480 --> 14:54.720 like gold must be refined, 14:54.720 --> 14:57.120 as a check to reform me. 14:57.120 --> 14:58.920 It was the purpose of God. 14:58.920 --> 15:01.720 So, if I ignore the purpose of God in that situation 15:01.720 --> 15:06.640 and I begin to pray for healing, God will not answer me. 15:06.640 --> 15:09.040 If Job had prayed, 15:09.040 --> 15:11.920 "God, heal me, heal me," 15:11.920 --> 15:14.200 nothing would've happened 15:14.200 --> 15:18.000 because God allowed the things to happen for a purpose. 15:18.000 --> 15:20.600 He was not sick because he sinned, 15:20.600 --> 15:23.040 that sickness was a test of faith. 15:23.040 --> 15:27.240 So, it means as a member of "The Household of Faith", 15:27.240 --> 15:31.400 God is our Father, God is good all the time, 15:31.400 --> 15:34.000 whether good or bad. 15:34.000 --> 15:40.120 So what must we do when we face difficult situations? 15:40.120 --> 15:43.120 The first thing, we should not rush and begin to ask God, 15:43.120 --> 15:46.360 first, the most difficult to do, 15:46.360 --> 15:54.280 sit back in silent and ask God, surrender to His will, 15:54.280 --> 15:57.280 what is His purpose in the matter? 15:57.280 --> 16:02.640 As you know, when Job was sick, some of his friends came, 16:02.640 --> 16:04.880 because of compassion, to visit Job, 16:04.880 --> 16:06.760 he was their best friend. 16:06.760 --> 16:09.000 The Scripture says when they came, 16:09.000 --> 16:13.440 when they saw Job from far, they could not believe; 16:13.440 --> 16:16.000 when they saw his state, they were moved. 16:16.000 --> 16:19.400 And the Bible says, "For seven days they could not speak." 16:19.400 --> 16:21.560 That was the right thing to do. 16:21.560 --> 16:23.000 For seven days it was fine, 16:23.000 --> 16:27.320 there was no trouble. 16:27.320 --> 16:28.560 There was no problem with Job. 16:28.560 --> 16:32.000 For seven days they would come, 16:32.000 --> 16:36.560 but the moment they opened their mouth to speak, 16:36.560 --> 16:41.320 trouble started, they began to misjudge Job, 16:41.320 --> 16:44.480 they began to see the situation in the natural 16:44.480 --> 16:45.960 and began to defend God, 16:45.960 --> 16:49.960 and began to point fingers at him, and trouble started. 16:49.960 --> 16:51.320 That's why most of our troubles 16:51.320 --> 16:54.080 are tongue troubles. 16:54.080 --> 16:58.240 So, what is the best thing to do when you face a situation? 16:58.240 --> 17:03.720 Inquire from God first, and this is not easy to do. 17:03.720 --> 17:06.760 Sit down in silence and pray to God 17:06.760 --> 17:11.360 to reveal to you what is His purpose, 17:11.360 --> 17:14.040 as a man of faith or a woman of faith, 17:14.040 --> 17:15.320 that we should do, 17:15.320 --> 17:19.520 always, when we are faced with challenges. 17:19.520 --> 17:22.360 God may reveal His purpose to you, 17:22.360 --> 17:24.400 He's a God of love and mercy, 17:24.400 --> 17:25.640 because we will all face 17:25.640 --> 17:30.640 what Prophet TB Joshua called unchangeable events. 17:30.640 --> 17:33.760 I think if you have that kind of outlook on life, 17:33.760 --> 17:36.880 it really changes you from the inside out. 17:36.880 --> 17:39.640 I mean if I look at my experience, 17:39.640 --> 17:41.200 even just going through this whole journey 17:41.200 --> 17:43.840 of pregnancy and birth, and the first few months 17:43.840 --> 17:45.480 of the baby and everything, 17:45.480 --> 17:50.040 my whole way of seeing life has really changed. 17:50.040 --> 17:53.680 I think people can have so many expectations 17:53.680 --> 17:55.160 of what they think life should be like 17:55.160 --> 17:57.080 or what they would like life to be like, 17:57.080 --> 17:58.720 "I would like to have this at this age 17:58.720 --> 17:59.720 and do this at this age, 17:59.720 --> 18:02.040 and have this this way, and this this way." 18:02.040 --> 18:04.240 But God is the one that has the final say, 18:04.240 --> 18:07.840 and if we learn to surrender to His will 18:07.840 --> 18:10.520 and not say we want things in a specific way, 18:10.520 --> 18:13.680 but just say, "God let Your will be done, and-" 18:13.680 --> 18:14.920 There's one prayer of Prophet TB Joshua 18:14.920 --> 18:20.920 that I love so much, he said, "Let me only know Your will and submit 18:20.920 --> 18:23.280 to everything You permit to happen to me." 18:23.280 --> 18:24.600 I think that that's how it goes, isn't it? 18:24.600 --> 18:27.200 Let me only know Your will. 18:27.200 --> 18:30.080 And that prayer really helped me 18:30.080 --> 18:34.840 going through some really tough periods in this last year, 18:34.840 --> 18:36.760 and it really helped me personally 18:36.760 --> 18:39.880 because I realised that it wasn't about 18:39.880 --> 18:41.000 praying for a specific thing, 18:41.000 --> 18:43.440 "God I want this, remove this or have it like this, 18:43.440 --> 18:45.280 or do this in my life; 18:45.280 --> 18:49.560 but, God, this is Your will, 18:49.560 --> 18:52.000 permit whatever You allow to happen to me 18:52.000 --> 18:53.320 to happen to me." 18:53.320 --> 18:57.160 And if you pray that kind of prayer from faith, really, 18:57.160 --> 18:58.640 it changes your outlook. 18:58.640 --> 19:01.000 You mentioned faith, but the prayer says, 19:01.000 --> 19:08.680 "Holy Spirit, take me as Your disciple." 19:08.680 --> 19:14.560 "I promise, Lord to accept all, all that You permit to happen to me. 19:14.560 --> 19:16.760 I surrender. Let me know all Your will." 19:16.760 --> 19:18.920 It's easy to do that. 19:18.920 --> 19:22.360 Once the trouble happens, they say, "Lord, what is this?" 19:22.360 --> 19:26.000 If you really accept the will of God 19:26.000 --> 19:27.440 and you're a child of God, 19:27.440 --> 19:28.800 and you know that nothing out of God's control 19:28.800 --> 19:30.440 can happen to you, 19:30.440 --> 19:34.440 when situation comes upon you, never doubt the love of God. 19:34.440 --> 19:37.040 God is aware. 19:37.040 --> 19:39.560 If you are a believer and a child of God, 19:39.560 --> 19:42.800 nothing can happen to you without God's awareness. 19:42.800 --> 19:46.240 God knows, before they even happen; the Lord is aware. 19:46.240 --> 19:49.240 That's what Jesus said, 19:49.240 --> 19:51.520 "When we approach God before you speak, 19:51.520 --> 19:54.760 God knows the word that will come from your mouth." 19:54.760 --> 19:58.720 So why should I ask my God, "Lord, give me money, 19:58.720 --> 20:00.200 give me food, give me this..." 20:00.200 --> 20:03.360 Jesus say, "Don't ask those things." 20:03.360 --> 20:05.160 It's the gentiles that ask for it, 20:05.160 --> 20:07.200 your Father know that you needs them. 20:07.200 --> 20:09.520 That's what he Lord said. 20:09.520 --> 20:11.320 And Prophet TB Joshua said, 20:11.320 --> 20:13.600 to come back to what Ruth were saying 20:13.600 --> 20:15.400 concerning the will of God, 20:15.400 --> 20:18.880 we often hear that prayer changes things. 20:18.880 --> 20:22.040 No, it's not entirely true that prayer changes things, 20:22.040 --> 20:24.520 you see, prayer changes me 20:24.520 --> 20:27.760 and faith causes things to happen. 20:27.760 --> 20:29.400 Let me repeat again. 20:29.400 --> 20:34.880 Prayer changes me, I myself, and faith make things happen. 20:34.880 --> 20:36.400 Faith changes things- 20:36.400 --> 20:38.760 So how does prayer change you? 20:38.760 --> 20:41.920 What does it mean? 20:41.920 --> 20:45.760 When I come to God, I have an affliction. 20:45.760 --> 20:47.560 My natural human tendency 20:47.560 --> 20:49.560 is to focus on the problem I'm having, 20:49.560 --> 20:51.160 and the body, we all know the body, 20:51.160 --> 20:54.600 the body wants peace in the outside. 20:54.600 --> 20:57.120 The body wants quick solution, it's a natural thing. 20:57.120 --> 21:03.760 So, "Lord, please heal me,” 21:03.760 --> 21:08.320 but if God reveals to you, as He did to Paul, 21:08.320 --> 21:11.400 that He's aware of your situation, 21:11.400 --> 21:13.240 that the thing happened for a purpose - 21:13.240 --> 21:17.080 for God to glorify His name in your life, 21:17.080 --> 21:19.880 you will not ask God for healing. 21:19.880 --> 21:22.560 The moment God reveals to you His purpose, 21:22.560 --> 21:23.400 changes will happen. 21:23.400 --> 21:26.040 Why? Because you know the will of God, 21:26.040 --> 21:29.400 as a child of God you are here to do the will of God. 21:29.400 --> 21:32.920 So, God chooses what we go through; 21:32.920 --> 21:35.440 we choose how we go through it. 21:35.440 --> 21:39.480 If God said, "Okay, Ruth, you know what you went through, 21:39.480 --> 21:44.840 it was tough for this pregnancy," 21:44.840 --> 21:49.480 but God allowed you to go through it, 21:49.480 --> 21:51.520 You never said, "Shortcut or dodge it." 21:51.520 --> 21:56.440 No, you accepted it to go through it with the grace of God. 21:56.440 --> 21:58.280 There are some choices we make, 21:58.280 --> 22:02.080 our choices should match the will of God in our lives, 22:02.080 --> 22:03.520 not shortcuts. 22:03.520 --> 22:05.800 We accept the will of God, 22:05.800 --> 22:08.120 "What You permit to happen to me, I accept it, 22:08.120 --> 22:09.160 let me know Your will." 22:09.160 --> 22:12.080 Why? Because knowing the will of God in your situation 22:12.080 --> 22:15.960 will impart a spiritual strength to endure. 22:15.960 --> 22:17.160 And that's what you need to get you through it. 22:17.160 --> 22:19.960 And that is endurance. 22:19.960 --> 22:21.360 What's the purpose of endurance? 22:21.360 --> 22:23.600 It's to build your character. 22:23.600 --> 22:26.400 I think endurance is rarely talked about today. 22:26.400 --> 22:29.560 I think that long suffering, endurance, perseverance, 22:29.560 --> 22:34.600 are elements of faith and virtues 22:34.600 --> 22:37.720 that are rarely appreciated or celebrated today. 22:37.720 --> 22:40.360 You know, we tend to want everything so quick 22:40.360 --> 22:45.040 and we don't have that ability to endure, 22:45.040 --> 22:46.960 whereas Jesus promised us 22:46.960 --> 22:50.320 that he who endures to the end will be saved. 22:50.320 --> 22:53.800 And even that prayer Jesus prayed, He said, 22:53.800 --> 22:56.160 "I pray that your faith will not fail." 22:56.160 --> 22:59.000 That's the prayer that Jesus is praying for us 22:59.000 --> 23:01.880 and praying for all true disciples of Christ. 23:01.880 --> 23:05.280 And I think what you said is so true, 23:05.280 --> 23:07.720 that endurance and perseverance can only come 23:07.720 --> 23:09.640 when that spiritual strength is there 23:09.640 --> 23:13.480 because everything human has a limit. 23:13.480 --> 23:15.160 Human patience has a limit, 23:15.160 --> 23:18.520 human wisdom, human perseverance, everything has a limit, 23:18.520 --> 23:21.840 but when you have that spiritual strength, you can go on, 23:21.840 --> 23:24.680 and you can have that peace in the midst of the trouble, 23:24.680 --> 23:26.040 in the midst of the problem. 23:26.040 --> 23:27.720 And that's why there's something, 23:27.720 --> 23:29.360 I always remember Prophet TB Joshua said 23:29.360 --> 23:31.800 that always impacted me so much, he said that, 23:31.800 --> 23:34.120 "Learning how to hear God after the prayer 23:34.120 --> 23:35.840 is a much greater blessing 23:35.840 --> 23:37.560 than what you're even praying for." 23:37.560 --> 23:39.000 Like if you're praying for breakthrough 23:39.000 --> 23:45.920 or for a specific answer to something you're asking God for, 23:45.920 --> 23:48.000 hearing the voice of God, 23:48.000 --> 23:51.240 for example, knowing the will of God in that situation 23:51.240 --> 23:53.640 is even a much greater blessing, 23:53.640 --> 23:55.280 because you have that peace. 23:55.280 --> 23:57.720 And when, Racine, you were talking about faith, 23:57.720 --> 23:59.680 That prayer changes us, 23:59.680 --> 24:02.240 that prayer takes our focus from us to God 24:02.240 --> 24:07.040 because if we're praying, we're praying to God, 24:07.040 --> 24:08.240 we're having a conversation with God 24:08.240 --> 24:10.720 so that's why taking our focus off ourselves 24:10.720 --> 24:12.960 and that's why it changes us. 24:12.960 --> 24:15.480 Look for example, an example, 24:15.480 --> 24:18.560 we all know who Saul of Tarsus was; 24:18.560 --> 24:20.680 a persecutor of the church 24:20.680 --> 24:23.680 who later become Apostle Paul. 24:23.680 --> 24:29.600 While he was persecuting the church, arresting believers, 24:29.600 --> 24:32.320 having a letter of recommendation from the religious leaders 24:32.320 --> 24:36.000 to put them to prison, some were executed in his presence - 24:36.000 --> 24:40.240 so people were in fear of him. 24:40.240 --> 24:44.720 He was on his way to Damascus to perform his duty. 24:44.720 --> 24:48.240 When Jesus met him on the way to Damascus, 24:48.240 --> 24:52.200 Jesus spoke to one disciple called Ananias. 24:52.200 --> 24:56.520 When the Lord said, "Ananias," he said, "Yes, Lord." 24:56.520 --> 24:58.160 When the Lord mentioned the name of Saul he said, 24:58.160 --> 25:02.960 "Lord, Saul? Lord, this man!" 25:02.960 --> 25:06.160 "Lord, this man has been persecuting your saints, 25:06.160 --> 25:09.600 he has done so much evil against us, 25:09.600 --> 25:11.120 so many things, so many things!" 25:11.120 --> 25:13.040 So at that moment you don't expect 25:13.040 --> 25:15.080 Ananias to obey the instruction, 25:15.080 --> 25:18.640 but Jesus said to him, "This man who you see as evil 25:18.640 --> 25:23.200 is my chosen vessel." 25:23.200 --> 25:29.640 Immediately when Ananias heard that, that changed his focus completely. 25:29.640 --> 25:32.400 The Lord said, "Go." 25:32.400 --> 25:35.400 Now that knowledge of the will of God 25:35.400 --> 25:38.760 and the purpose of the calling in the life of Saul, 25:38.760 --> 25:40.400 Ananias received supernatural strength 25:40.400 --> 25:42.080 and the fear disappeared. 25:42.080 --> 25:45.240 The man he was afraid of, he went without doubt. 25:45.240 --> 25:47.640 If that dream was given to you and me 25:47.640 --> 25:49.080 and you woke up in the morning, 25:49.080 --> 25:51.320 you would say, "This is a nightmare, I will not go!" 25:51.320 --> 25:52.600 Is the dream real? 25:52.600 --> 25:54.640 This man killing... 25:54.640 --> 25:57.720 Ananias never - he woke up in the morning, 25:57.720 --> 26:03.160 believed the dream and went straight to the place, 26:03.160 --> 26:06.960 and he met that man - the wolf had become a lamb 26:06.960 --> 26:10.320 because Jesus had changed the situation. 26:10.320 --> 26:13.440 If Ananias was not a man of faith, 26:13.440 --> 26:16.760 would he obey the instruction? I doubt it. 26:16.760 --> 26:19.200 But being a man of faith, a man of vision, 26:19.200 --> 26:21.560 the moment he knew God's opinion on the matter, 26:21.560 --> 26:24.720 fear disappeared, strength came, confidence came, 26:24.720 --> 26:25.920 and he went straight... 26:25.920 --> 26:29.240 Because of his obedience Saul was saved, 26:29.240 --> 26:32.400 because Jesus and an angel will never come 26:32.400 --> 26:33.720 and preach the Gospel to you. 26:33.720 --> 26:36.480 You need to hear from a human being who preaches the Gospel 26:36.480 --> 26:39.240 and by faith you receive salvation and be saved. 26:39.240 --> 26:42.040 When Ananias met him, in Acts 9, 26:42.040 --> 26:46.680 particularly in Acts 22:20, he said, 26:46.680 --> 26:49.840 "Saul come, the Lord has called you. 26:49.840 --> 26:53.760 It is time for you to be washed of your sin and call His name," 26:53.760 --> 26:55.240 And salvation came. 26:55.240 --> 27:01.640 So it is too early to be overwhelmed by your situation 27:01.640 --> 27:03.960 and to come and say, "God, give me this" - 27:03.960 --> 27:07.640 based on your natural circumstances. 27:07.640 --> 27:12.480 First thing, as we said, we should come sit down in silence 27:12.480 --> 27:14.280 and find out God's purpose, 27:14.280 --> 27:17.520 because prayer is answered according to the will of God, 27:17.520 --> 27:20.080 not according to my will. 27:20.080 --> 27:22.200 So don't be rushed by emergencies 27:22.200 --> 27:24.200 before you come and open your mouth to pray before God 27:24.200 --> 27:26.560 without knowing His will in the matter. 27:26.560 --> 27:29.760 When you come to a prophet like Prophet TB Joshua, 27:29.760 --> 27:32.760 and you bring somebody into his presence he often said, 27:32.760 --> 27:38.440 "I first inquire from God before I pray for the person, 27:38.440 --> 27:40.400 so I know the will of God in the matter. 27:40.400 --> 27:44.120 If God revealed to me that this man, what it is 27:44.120 --> 27:46.920 God allowed it to happen just for a short time, 27:46.920 --> 27:48.400 I will not pray against the will of God. 27:48.400 --> 27:54.120 I will strengthen the person, I will counsel him. 27:54.120 --> 27:58.240 My brother, this is for a purpose, to make you strong. 27:58.240 --> 27:59.760 It will not last long." 27:59.760 --> 28:02.160 And the person receives word of encouragement, exhortation, 28:02.160 --> 28:05.480 receive strength, understanding and perseverance. 28:05.480 --> 28:06.400 What is faith? 28:06.400 --> 28:10.360 If you ask and God gives you, like 'cash and carry', 28:10.360 --> 28:12.680 faith is not 'cash and carry', 28:12.680 --> 28:15.960 faith is not a magic button you press 28:15.960 --> 28:18.240 to get exactly what you want. 28:18.240 --> 28:22.360 For faith to be real, it must be based on the promise. 28:22.360 --> 28:24.200 Yes, God has given us promises, 28:24.200 --> 28:26.760 but He'll never tell you at what time He will fulfil it. 28:26.760 --> 28:28.760 And that's what faith is all about, God's time. 28:28.760 --> 28:31.880 So patience is important. 28:31.880 --> 28:34.120 We should never run out of patience, 28:34.120 --> 28:37.160 we should never run out of faith when we face a situation, 28:37.160 --> 28:40.000 whatever people tell you, whatever your situation, 28:40.000 --> 28:42.880 looks like at face value, don't be too quick. 28:42.880 --> 28:45.800 First, examine all things 28:45.800 --> 28:51.440 in the light of God's Word. 28:51.440 --> 28:55.400 That's why we talk about "The Household of Faith". 28:55.400 --> 28:56.560 It is easy to go to church, 28:56.560 --> 29:00.560 to listen to wonderful messages as you did last Sunday, 29:00.560 --> 29:04.800 but the next day you face real challenges 29:04.800 --> 29:07.360 in your business, in your company, 29:07.360 --> 29:10.440 you face real situations in your family, everywhere - 29:10.440 --> 29:13.920 that's where we see the need of faith. 29:13.920 --> 29:17.480 Because when you meet a situation, 29:17.480 --> 29:20.280 if you see it in the light of God's Word, 29:20.280 --> 29:23.880 God will reveal His purpose there and give you strength. 29:23.880 --> 29:27.400 You will not be overwhelmed by your situation. 29:27.400 --> 29:29.040 There are many situations we faced before, 29:29.040 --> 29:31.120 you thought it was impossible, 29:31.120 --> 29:33.040 and you overcame them by the grace of God. 29:33.040 --> 29:36.480 So please, any spiritual experience, including faith, 29:36.480 --> 29:40.560 needs to be tested in the face of a real situation, 29:40.560 --> 29:42.280 that's a test you're facing - 29:42.280 --> 29:44.720 because our values 29:44.720 --> 29:48.360 must be tested in the face of a real situation. 29:48.360 --> 29:51.720 If you say you are a Christian; you're a believer - 29:51.720 --> 29:56.640 we know you're a believer when your faith is tested. 29:56.640 --> 29:58.120 We cannot dodge it. 29:58.120 --> 30:01.760 The purpose of a test is to check the state of our heart, 30:01.760 --> 30:04.800 we need a check; if our heart is not checked 30:04.800 --> 30:07.320 we may drift away from the way of the Lord. 30:07.320 --> 30:10.440 That's why God always allows a check to happen in our lives, 30:10.440 --> 30:13.440 to reset our mind so we can be focused on God. 30:13.440 --> 30:17.640 That's why Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble." 30:17.640 --> 30:19.640 God never, never promised us 30:19.640 --> 30:22.800 to keep us away from tests and trials; never ever. 30:22.800 --> 30:25.880 but He promised to see us through it. 30:25.880 --> 30:27.480 So, be encouraged today 30:27.480 --> 30:30.240 that you are a member of "The Household of Faith", 30:30.240 --> 30:33.480 and what does that mean - to be part of a community 30:33.480 --> 30:35.800 of believers, real believers. 30:35.800 --> 30:37.920 To be in a household means you belong, 30:37.920 --> 30:39.000 and what makes you belong? 30:39.000 --> 30:41.880 It's not which country you were born in, 30:41.880 --> 30:45.360 which race, nationality you are - 30:45.360 --> 30:47.840 whatever kind of genetics you have. 30:47.840 --> 30:50.720 What makes you belong is your faith in Christ Jesus, 30:50.720 --> 30:52.920 and whosoever wills, 30:52.920 --> 30:56.280 whosoever believes in Jesus Christ is saved. 30:56.280 --> 30:57.480 Jesus is the only way, 30:57.480 --> 31:00.520 so that faith makes you part of this community, 31:00.520 --> 31:01.680 and it's such an amazing thing 31:01.680 --> 31:04.960 because you're part of a community all over the world, 31:04.960 --> 31:06.480 of real believers. 31:06.480 --> 31:09.360 And that's such a thing of joy, so you're not alone. 31:09.360 --> 31:13.880 And remember that Jesus Christ loves you so much, 31:13.880 --> 31:18.240 and sometimes we allow fear to rob us of faith. 31:18.240 --> 31:20.040 So don't allow fear to rob you of faith today. 31:20.040 --> 31:22.280 And I think that's one of the major problems people have, 31:22.280 --> 31:25.560 they spend so much time worrying and anxious, 31:25.560 --> 31:28.360 and fearful of things that don't actually ever happen. 31:28.360 --> 31:32.240 If you think about how many years, and time you've wasted 31:32.240 --> 31:35.680 worrying about things that actually didn't come to pass, 31:35.680 --> 31:39.200 so don't allow your fear to rob you of your faith, 31:39.200 --> 31:41.960 because faith is the route to God. 31:41.960 --> 31:45.240 Don't forget, go read your Bible very well. 31:45.240 --> 31:47.720 And even today, in our midst, including me 31:47.720 --> 31:50.160 and we talking to you, 31:50.160 --> 31:56.000 no one comes to Jesus Christ in comfort, nobody. 31:56.000 --> 32:01.200 Everybody came to Christ because of a problem, because of a 'check' 32:01.200 --> 32:03.720 so when you face a problem or a situation 32:03.720 --> 32:08.120 don't think it's strange and begin to doubt your God, 32:08.120 --> 32:09.360 don't think it's strange 32:09.360 --> 32:12.240 and begin to measure your Christian life by it, that, 32:12.240 --> 32:15.040 "Does God love me? Am I a Christian?" 32:15.040 --> 32:17.120 And begin to doubt your faith. 32:17.120 --> 32:21.000 Please, we need to understand that whatever happens in life, 32:21.000 --> 32:26.640 we need to find out that nothing happens for nothing, 32:26.640 --> 32:30.960 Nothing for a believer happens by chance. 32:30.960 --> 32:33.120 So what are you facing today? 32:33.120 --> 32:35.280 What is your trouble today? 32:35.280 --> 32:37.000 When you come to "The Household of Faith", 32:37.000 --> 32:42.960 you will know one truth, no condition is permanent. 32:42.960 --> 32:46.880 And today God is still saying something, 32:46.880 --> 32:48.240 and whatever happened to you 32:48.240 --> 32:52.920 it may be just a mere stopping interval 32:52.920 --> 32:55.720 to check your faith and to take you to another level. 32:55.720 --> 32:58.400 There's no way our character in Christ is built 32:58.400 --> 33:00.240 without test and trials. 33:00.240 --> 33:02.000 How will you know the faithfulness of God 33:02.000 --> 33:04.200 when everything is fine? 33:04.200 --> 33:08.480 How do you know the value of love when everything is fine? 33:08.480 --> 33:12.960 How do you know the man of faith when everything is smooth? 33:12.960 --> 33:18.880 We know a man of faith in the face of a difficult situation. 33:18.880 --> 33:20.320 We know that you're a man of faith 33:20.320 --> 33:21.920 when that faith is deeply tested, 33:21.920 --> 33:24.000 when your faith is challenged by a situation - 33:24.000 --> 33:26.640 uncommon situations. 33:26.640 --> 33:30.360 So what's the answer to all this trouble? 33:30.360 --> 33:33.720 Now you can understand the meaning of faith today. 33:33.720 --> 33:36.680 Faith in Christ Jesus is not a risk, 33:36.680 --> 33:39.880 but a sure and practical act. 33:39.880 --> 33:41.160 What does it mean? 33:41.160 --> 33:46.000 Faith is a trust that arises in your heart 33:46.000 --> 33:50.280 that God is faithful. 33:50.280 --> 33:57.480 Daniel found himself in the lion's den for a purpose. 33:57.480 --> 34:01.440 Daniel never doubted his God. 34:01.440 --> 34:03.720 The Bible says in that Book of Daniel 11:32 34:03.720 --> 34:09.560 "Those who know their God will do wonders." 34:09.560 --> 34:13.920 Those who know God's ability in their life will what? 34:13.920 --> 34:15.360 Work wonders. 34:15.360 --> 34:17.480 Jesus walked towards Jerusalem 34:17.480 --> 34:20.160 knowing the will of the Father - 34:20.160 --> 34:23.200 that by going to the Cross He would die for us. 34:23.200 --> 34:27.120 And he said it to them, "I'm going to Jerusalem, 34:27.120 --> 34:30.280 they will arrest Me and they will kill Me, 34:30.280 --> 34:35.160 on the third day I will rise." 34:35.160 --> 34:36.800 That's a man of faith! 34:36.800 --> 34:40.760 Jesus had absolute faith in the Father's Word. 34:40.760 --> 34:45.280 Jesus never let any Word of God fall to the ground - 34:45.280 --> 34:49.280 He knew He came to fulfil the Word. 34:49.280 --> 34:51.040 He knew that Isaiah 53 said, 34:51.040 --> 34:54.480 that He'll be taken like a lamb to the slaughter. 34:54.480 --> 34:59.880 He knew that. He knew in Psalm 22 that He will be crucified - 34:59.880 --> 35:01.640 they will pierce His hands. 35:01.640 --> 35:04.200 He came to fulfil the Scriptures. 35:04.200 --> 35:07.520 So members of "The Household of Faith", 35:07.520 --> 35:12.480 we have a lesson to learn from all we have said so far - 35:12.480 --> 35:17.880 that God is not moved by our words, 35:17.880 --> 35:20.760 God is only moved by His will. 35:20.760 --> 35:24.440 This simply means that 35:24.440 --> 35:28.840 when I come before God, whatever situation I face, 35:28.840 --> 35:31.880 I must inquire from God first to know His will 35:31.880 --> 35:36.080 before I utter a prayer in His presence. 35:36.080 --> 35:38.040 When I know the will of God in the matter, 35:38.040 --> 35:40.800 that knowledge of His will will impart a strength 35:40.800 --> 35:43.840 to endure whatever situation I'm facing, 35:43.840 --> 35:47.600 knowing that God has an appointed time. 35:47.600 --> 35:53.040 Job knew that it was a test - he said it, 35:53.040 --> 35:56.200 "I know that I am being tested, 35:56.200 --> 35:58.080 I will come out like gold." 35:58.080 --> 36:00.360 That's what he said. 36:00.360 --> 36:04.560 Jesus knew that going to the Cross was the Father's will, 36:04.560 --> 36:07.200 and He believed - He had absolute faith in God 36:07.200 --> 36:08.520 that He will rise from the dead, 36:08.520 --> 36:11.080 so He never let the Word of God fall to the ground. 36:11.080 --> 36:14.880 He fulfilled the scripture, laid down His life, 36:14.880 --> 36:16.640 committed His Spirit to the Father, 36:16.640 --> 36:20.840 on the third day He rose from the dead. 36:20.840 --> 36:23.600 So faith is a trust that arises in your heart 36:23.600 --> 36:27.520 that God is reliable. 36:27.520 --> 36:30.800 So what do we need to do? 36:30.800 --> 36:34.880 To move God is to be moved by His will, as the prophet said, 36:34.880 --> 36:38.880 "Your seed of faith must first move your faith - 36:38.880 --> 36:40.520 you must have faith in your heart, 36:40.520 --> 36:44.600 and that faith will move God to act in your life." 36:44.600 --> 36:46.920 As a Christian, 36:46.920 --> 36:49.720 we should not think it strange to face a situation - 36:49.720 --> 36:52.360 the Lord has told us clearly 36:52.360 --> 36:56.360 that in this world we will have tribulation. 36:56.360 --> 36:59.760 The Lord has said, ‘I will bless you with persecution.’ 36:59.760 --> 37:02.720 So when difficult times come, what do you do? 37:02.720 --> 37:08.520 Glory be to God Almighty! Run to God, pray the more, 37:08.520 --> 37:13.920 move closer to God, trust God, meditate in your heart. 37:13.920 --> 37:17.640 Ask God to reveal to you His purpose. 37:17.640 --> 37:22.080 Many marriages, many are crushed because of impatience. 37:22.080 --> 37:25.520 If you look at any successful marriage today; successful one, 37:25.520 --> 37:27.280 they went through difficult situations. 37:27.280 --> 37:30.520 Abraham and Sarah went through barrenness, 37:30.520 --> 37:33.840 Isaac and Rebecca went through barrenness. 37:33.840 --> 37:38.320 Jacob went through difficult situations, we know. 37:38.320 --> 37:41.240 All these people went through difficult situations, 37:41.240 --> 37:43.200 so the lesson is this one; 37:43.200 --> 37:47.360 being faithful to God does not eliminate adversities, 37:47.360 --> 37:49.080 adversity will come, 37:49.080 --> 37:53.600 but God will show you the way out by faith. 37:53.600 --> 37:57.480 And one thing I really want you to hold in your heart 37:57.480 --> 38:00.960 is that God's will is just the best thing 38:00.960 --> 38:03.240 that can possibly happen for you. 38:03.240 --> 38:06.200 God doesn't want good; He wants the best for you. 38:06.200 --> 38:07.680 You know, if I think about my life, 38:07.680 --> 38:09.920 I never even imagined 38:09.920 --> 38:11.880 in a million years that I would marry Racine! 38:11.880 --> 38:14.040 That never even came into my thought, ever. 38:14.040 --> 38:15.800 You know, I never 38:15.800 --> 38:17.720 imagined that I would marry Racine, 38:17.720 --> 38:20.080 that we'd have a baby together, 38:20.080 --> 38:22.840 We never, never, 38:22.840 --> 38:25.160 never thought about it. 38:25.160 --> 38:28.320 We were the best brothers and sisters! 38:28.320 --> 38:31.080 For many years - I'm just trying to give you an example 38:31.080 --> 38:31.920 that you did something 38:31.920 --> 38:34.560 which you never imagined could happen, 38:34.560 --> 38:37.960 but God's will and God's time is just perfect. 38:37.960 --> 38:39.520 Can you imagine? 38:39.520 --> 38:41.320 And if it had been me, I would have said, 38:41.320 --> 38:42.520 "Oh, I want this in my life, 38:42.520 --> 38:44.400 and I want to do this, and I want to do that." 38:44.400 --> 38:50.200 But God has a perfect plan for each person's life 38:50.200 --> 38:52.440 and I really want you 38:52.440 --> 38:53.920 to take that in your heart as well - 38:53.920 --> 38:55.520 the issue of God's promise. 38:55.520 --> 38:59.520 God's faith cannot be real without His promise and His time. 38:59.520 --> 39:03.320 We like to just take one, not the three, 39:03.320 --> 39:06.400 God's promise, God's time, God's faith. 39:06.400 --> 39:07.920 So you can't have faith 39:07.920 --> 39:10.880 unless you know the promise and the time of God. 39:10.880 --> 39:13.560 So God has a promise for your life, 39:13.560 --> 39:15.480 He has a perfect timing for your life, 39:15.480 --> 39:18.160 so you just need to rest in His will, 39:18.160 --> 39:21.200 and your prayer should be - change your prayer, 39:21.200 --> 39:23.360 let your prayer be, "God, let Your will be done. 39:23.360 --> 39:25.760 Give me the grace to submit to Your will. 39:25.760 --> 39:28.240 Allow everything that You permit to happen to me, 39:28.240 --> 39:29.800 to happen to me." 39:29.800 --> 39:31.840 And if you pray that prayer with your heart, 39:31.840 --> 39:36.720 it's a soul saving, life changing prayer, because 39:36.720 --> 39:38.880 it will change the way you see yourself and the way you see 39:38.880 --> 39:39.800 your relationship with God, 39:39.800 --> 39:42.040 and the way you see your relationship with others. 39:42.040 --> 39:42.920 So if there's anything 39:42.920 --> 39:45.640 you take from this little podcast today, 39:45.640 --> 39:52.240 take that nugget of wisdom - let your prayer change today, 39:52.240 --> 39:55.360 let the will of God be done in your life. 39:55.360 --> 39:57.480 So, you are not alone. 39:57.480 --> 39:59.240 The purpose of this special program 39:59.240 --> 40:00.480 of "The Household of Faith" 40:00.480 --> 40:03.640 is to accompany you in your daily life - 40:03.640 --> 40:07.120 it is to give you the secret of faith, to strengthen you 40:07.120 --> 40:10.440 to overcome every day, day-by-day, day-by-day, 40:10.440 --> 40:13.320 and to grow in faith and to discover how faithful, 40:13.320 --> 40:15.560 how reliable God is. 40:15.560 --> 40:18.440 Be blessed, the Lord be with your spirit. 40:18.440 --> 40:20.920 I just want to read this scripture for you 40:20.920 --> 40:23.680 so you can meditate on it. 40:23.680 --> 40:29.200 The book of Acts 20:32. "Now I commit you to God 40:29.200 --> 40:31.680 and to the word of His grace, 40:31.680 --> 40:34.400 which can build you up and give you an inheritance 40:34.400 --> 40:38.680 among all those who are sanctified." 40:38.680 --> 40:40.800 You are among those who are sanctified, 40:40.800 --> 40:41.880 that's "The Household of Faith", 40:41.880 --> 40:45.800 and the only thing that can build you up spiritually 40:45.800 --> 40:47.000 is the Word of God. 40:47.000 --> 40:48.080 So that's what we do - 40:48.080 --> 40:50.400 we commit you now to God and to the Word of His grace. 40:50.400 --> 40:53.880 That is it - and live a victorious life. 40:53.880 --> 40:57.720 So when the devil comes with his temptation; to cause fear, 40:57.720 --> 41:01.120 to show you doubt, show him that faith exists, 41:01.120 --> 41:02.880 that God is real, in Jesus' name, amen. 41:08.600 --> 41:11.800 Father, we thank You for the promise of victory. 41:11.800 --> 41:15.480 The Bible says, ‘Greater is He that is in us, 41:15.480 --> 41:18.240 than he that is in the world.’ 41:18.240 --> 41:22.320 Lord, we are praying for each and every one 41:22.320 --> 41:24.680 of the members of "The Household of Faith", 41:24.680 --> 41:27.280 looking up to God, looking unto God. 41:27.280 --> 41:30.200 Father, I pray, give them the grace 41:30.200 --> 41:33.360 and the strength to be conscious of their faith 41:33.360 --> 41:37.120 in the midst of troubled situations. 41:37.120 --> 41:39.920 Lord, we are living in a troubled world, 41:39.920 --> 41:41.920 but we have reason not to be troubled 41:41.920 --> 41:43.920 because You are the Lord. 41:43.920 --> 41:46.280 Because You are the I Am that I Am, 41:46.280 --> 41:48.760 You are the Shepherd of the shepherds, the Lord of Lords, 41:48.760 --> 41:49.920 and You are good. 41:49.920 --> 41:52.800 Father, we commit every single person here, 41:52.800 --> 41:56.720 Their ways to your mighty hand, in the name of Jesus. 41:56.720 --> 42:01.160 You are the one who led them by the way of the wilderness 42:01.160 --> 42:04.320 and nothing out of Your control happened to them. 42:04.320 --> 42:07.400 The Bible says they walked in the wilderness 42:07.400 --> 42:12.080 and You made the water to spring from the rock. 42:12.080 --> 42:16.360 Father, the Bible says You were the Cloud going in front of them 42:16.360 --> 42:19.480 to show them the way in the wilderness, 42:19.480 --> 42:22.080 that sheltered them from the heat of the day. 42:22.080 --> 42:24.360 You were the Light that walked before them, 42:24.360 --> 42:26.880 to show them the right way to follow, 42:26.880 --> 42:30.160 and nothing, nothing out of Your control happened to them. 42:30.160 --> 42:32.640 Our security is in Your hand. 42:32.640 --> 42:36.000 Lord Jesus, I pray You shelter every member 42:36.000 --> 42:37.360 of "The Household of Faith" 42:37.360 --> 42:40.240 under the refuge and shelter of Your mightiness, 42:40.240 --> 42:42.880 in the name of Jesus. 42:42.880 --> 42:46.120 Protect them Lord, strengthen them in the name of Jesus, 42:46.120 --> 42:48.880 fill them with the Spirit of faith 42:48.880 --> 42:52.880 to overcome whatever comes their way, in the name of Jesus. 42:52.880 --> 42:54.280 Reveal Your purpose, 42:54.280 --> 42:56.920 Your will in their matter; in their situation, 42:56.920 --> 42:58.600 in the name of Jesus. 42:58.600 --> 43:01.120 Teach them, Lord, to look to the cross 43:01.120 --> 43:04.760 where the price was paid for the victory in Christ Jesus. 43:04.760 --> 43:07.040 Strengthen them, guide them, 43:07.040 --> 43:10.600 make them victorious by Your Spirit, by Your grace. 43:10.600 --> 43:13.440 Open their heart to the Word of faith, 43:13.440 --> 43:15.520 open their heart to the Spirit of God, 43:15.520 --> 43:18.840 open their heart to divine faith, in the name of Jesus. 43:18.840 --> 43:21.280 Manifest Your strength in their weaknesses, 43:21.280 --> 43:25.000 let them grow in knowledge, grow in wisdom, 43:25.000 --> 43:27.160 in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 43:27.160 --> 43:30.960 Amen, amen, amen, in Jesus’ name. 43:30.960 --> 43:32.400 Amen. 43:32.400 --> 43:35.440 Amen. The Lord be with your spirit. 43:35.440 --> 43:37.240 Thank you so much for joining us here 43:37.240 --> 43:39.080 on "The Household of Faith", 43:39.080 --> 43:41.480 which is such a privilege to be part of this community here 43:41.480 --> 43:43.120 in The University of God. 43:43.120 --> 43:45.160 God has really put it in our hearts 43:45.160 --> 43:48.040 to go deeper in our spiritual walk with God, 43:48.040 --> 43:49.560 and to take you with us. 43:49.560 --> 43:53.680 Freely we've received, freely we want to give 43:53.680 --> 43:56.560 all that we've learned under the grace of God, 43:56.560 --> 43:57.880 through our mentorship under Prophet TB Joshua, 43:57.880 --> 43:59.240 through our mentorship under prophet TB Joshua, 43:59.240 --> 44:00.640 the servant of Jesus Christ 44:00.640 --> 44:02.920 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 44:02.920 --> 44:04.040 And we just want to take a moment 44:04.040 --> 44:06.200 to explain "The Household of Faith", 44:06.200 --> 44:10.120 the subscription to the app of "The University of God" - 44:10.120 --> 44:13.040 the content on the app is free. 44:13.040 --> 44:15.080 The reason why we want you to subscribe 44:15.080 --> 44:19.120 is just so you can help maintain the app. 44:19.120 --> 44:21.080 We thank God for the partners 44:21.080 --> 44:24.080 of The University of God that have contributed 44:24.080 --> 44:27.320 and God has put it in their heart to bless us 44:27.320 --> 44:29.880 with this amazing application, 44:29.880 --> 44:33.440 what an amazing privilege to have an app - 44:33.440 --> 44:35.440 our own app, ‘The University of God’. 44:35.440 --> 44:37.840 And the reason why the subscription is there 44:37.840 --> 44:40.000 is just to go straight to the company 44:40.000 --> 44:42.600 which have created the app and are maintaining it, 44:42.600 --> 44:44.800 in order for us to give you the content 44:44.800 --> 44:46.840 without using social media. 44:46.840 --> 44:49.160 So you can watch the content of The UOG 44:49.160 --> 44:51.520 without going on YouTube, without going on Facebook - 44:51.520 --> 44:54.520 you can watch it direct on your phone through the app. 44:54.520 --> 44:57.560 You can download the app through the App Store, 44:57.560 --> 45:02.440 Google Play, Roku, it's there for you and for your family. 45:02.440 --> 45:04.320 So we just want to explain that to you. 45:04.320 --> 45:05.080 God bless you. 45:05.080 --> 45:05.120 God bless you.