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When you go where
you are not meant to be,

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you will find what you 
are not meant to see.

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People of God, grace and peace 
to you all in Jesus' mighty name.

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Let us pray together right now and commit
this time into the mighty hands of God.

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Let us pray.

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Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You
from the depths of our hearts

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for the precious blood You shed
for us on the cross of Calvary.

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We acknowledge, we recognise
how undeserving we are

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and we are grateful
for everything You are,

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for everything You have done.

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Lord Jesus Christ,
let the light of Your Word

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shine bright in our hearts 
today with understanding.

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Let Your Word have its way in our hearts
and help us to apply this truth

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to our daily lives,
in Jesus' mighty name, we pray.

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And the children of God said, 'Amen!'

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Thank You, Lord! 
Thank You, Jesus Christ!

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I want to share a message today that

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I believe will encourage you,
but also challenge you.

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I was speaking with someone recently and
the person asked a very good question

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and I want to share the question asked.

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The answer to that question gave birth to the message you're about to hear today.

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So the person was asking me about something I had said in a previous message.

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In that message, I had said, 
'If God permits it,

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He will prepare you for it,

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He will give you peace in the midst of it,
and He will promote you through it.'

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I hope you remember that message.
It's a word of encouragement.

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Whatever we may be facing as 
Christians, as children of God,

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listen, if God permits you 
to pass through it,

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He will provide peace in the 
process of seeing you through it.

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That's a word of hope.

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But the question this brother asked 
me was very straightforward.

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He said, 'Brother Chris, I'm 
going through a difficult situation

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right now and I don't have 
any peace in the midst of it.

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Does this mean God did not permit it?

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I'm going through a terrible situation

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and God did not prepare me for it.

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I don't have peace in the midst of it.
I'm not seeing promotion coming from it.

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So does that mean God was not aware,

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God did not permit it,
God did not allow it?'

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I said, 'This is a very good question.'

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People of God, if you are going 
through a difficult situation

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and you don't have peace of heart
in the midst of that situation,

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oftentimes it is because it is
self-inflicted, not divinely permitted.

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Take note, I said, 'Oftentimes'.

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Many times you're going 
through a challenge, trial,

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you don't have 
peace in the midst of it.

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You're filled with worry, anxiety, fear.

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Oftentimes it's because it is 
self-inflicted, not divinely permitted.

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Not always.

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There can be some situations where God 
allows it, but maybe that situation

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shifts our focus off God and we fall 
into that trap of panic, fear, worry.

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Remember our Lord Jesus Christ
when He called Simon Peter to come.

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It was an instruction from Jesus, 'Come!'

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Peter came, but when he saw the waves,
the winds, what happened?

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His focus left the Saviour 
and turned to the storm.

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When he saw the waves and 
the winds, fear stepped in.

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He began to sink.

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Sometimes our situation can feel
so overwhelming and our attention is taken

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from our Saviour, from our Source.

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That's true.

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But today, I want to talk about

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the challenges, the trials, the 
difficulties that are self-inflicted.

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Because when you face
a self-inflicted trial,

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you will not be prepared for it,

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you will not have peace in the 
midst of it, and you will not be promoted

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through it unless you turn to 
God in the face of it, in repentance.

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Now, what do I mean when I say a self-inflicted trouble, a self-inflicted trial?

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Well, people of God,
take note of this.

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Those of you who are connected today,
you brought your notebook,

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you want to take note of something for further reflection, you can write this down.

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A self-invited temptation leads
to a self-inflicted trouble.

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I'll say it again.

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A self-invited temptation leads
to a self-inflicted tribulation.

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There are temptations that God allows.

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There are temptations that we invite.

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Let me just read 
from 1 Corinthians 10:13.

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This is a very popular Scripture
when talking on this subject matter.

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But I want you to think 
carefully about this.

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1 Corinthians 10:13,

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"No temptation has overtaken
you except such as is common to man;

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but God is faithful, who will not allow you
to be tempted beyond what you are able,

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but with the temptation

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will also make the way of escape
that you may be able to bear it."

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If you cannot find a way out,
you have shown the way in.

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People of God, if you are with someone,

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you can tell the person or 
you can tell yourself,

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“If you have not found the way out,

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you have shown 
the way in to sin.”

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If you don't find an escape route,
you have let sin take root.

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This is what the Scripture is saying here.

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The temptation that God permits
is accompanied by a way out.

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But the temptation we easily fall 
into is the temptation we invite.

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And if you open the door, don't 
blame the devil for entering through it.

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Don't blame the devil 
for entering through

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the door you leave
wide open for him.

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I hope you follow what I’m 
saying here, people of God.

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If you invite temptation, don't assume 
God will help you to fight temptation.

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God will not see you through
the temptation invited by you.

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If you invite it, you are 
left alone to fight it.

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This is the reason why many people 
today are facing self-inflicted trials

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in their marriage, in their 
health, in their finances,

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because they set themselves 
up for temptation.

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And when you set yourself 
up for temptation,

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temptation will soon be set up for 
you and you will likely fall into it.

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The consequences of falling 
into that temptation

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often lead to self-inflicted troubles.

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I want to talk to you today
about two very common ways

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we invite temptation so we can examine
ourselves in the light of God's Word.

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Two ways that we invite temptation -

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1. We go where we are not meant to go.

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2. We do not go where we are meant to go.

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Oh, thank You, Jesus.

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I will say it again, people of God.
There are two common ways

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we invite temptation, or two ways
in which we tempt the devil to tempt us.

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1. We go where we are not meant to go -

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being where we are not 
meant to be as children of God.

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2. We don't go where we are meant to go.

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Now, if you are to look at these two common ways in which we invite temptation,

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I think the first one is something
far easier to understand.

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As a child of God, there are
certain places we should not go,

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I should not go, you should not go.

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You should not go to a place where 
Jesus Christ would not be welcomed.

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Don't expect God's grace,
God's protection, to cover you

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when you go to a place, knowingly,
where sin is celebrated.

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You are walking into the lion's den.

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You are asking for temptation to come.

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And when you go where you are 
not meant to go, what happens?

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You are on your own.

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And this natural strength
cannot overcome sin's power.

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Natural wisdom cannot 
defeat the devil's cunning.

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You say, 'I'm strong in myself.'

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You go to a place where 
Jesus will not be welcomed.

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You go on your own.

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The Spirit of God is not 
there to protect you.

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The Spirit of God is not there
to make a way out for you.

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You're going to fall into the trap
you have set for yourself.

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So I could give a very
simple example, right?

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Let's say someone is praying,
'God, I want to stop drinking alcohol.

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I know this is bad for my spiritual life,
physical life, financial life, marital life.

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In every department, it is bad, sinful.

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I want to stop drinking alcohol,'
and you receive prayer.

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You join the Interactive Prayer Service

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or you go to a living church to receive
prayer or you're seeking God on your own.

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But after that prayer, you use 
your own two legs to walk

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to a bar, to a club, to a pub where
alcohol is being sold and celebrated.

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You are walking into the trap
that you will fall into.

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You're going to fall straight back
into that ungodly influence. Why?

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Because you are going where 
you are not meant to go.

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What business does a child of God

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have with a place that celebrates sin,
or a place that celebrates darkness?

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So I think it is easier to understand
that particular example.

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Hey, as a child of God,
some places are off-limits.

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I should not go there.

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There is no justification for going there.

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But let's now look at the second one,

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because it's not just about going
where you are not meant to go.

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Do you know what is the cause
of many invited temptations?

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We are not where we are meant to be.

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I want to turn to the 
Scriptures to read a story

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in the Old Testament that 
illustrates the danger of this,

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and that is taken from
the Book of 2 Samuel.

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Please turn with me in your 
Bibles to 2 Samuel 11.

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Now this is the account of 
David, Bathsheba, and Uriah.

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I believe you are familiar with 
this story, David and Bathsheba.

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It's a well-known story.

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How could this man after 
God's own heart, the king,

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succumb to that temptation with Bathsheba?

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Let us examine not just
the sinful action,

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but what happened before
that led to that temptation.

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So I want to read this account.

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Let's start from verse one,

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"It happened in the spring of the year,
at the time when kings go out to battle,

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that David sent Joab and his 
servants with him, and all Israel;

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and they destroyed the people 
of Ammon and besieged Rabbah.

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But David remained at Jerusalem.

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Then it happened one evening 
that David arose from his bed

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and walked on the 
roof of the king's house.

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And from the roof he saw a woman bathing,

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and the woman was 
very beautiful to behold.

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So David sent and 
inquired about the woman.

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And someone said, 
'Is this not Bathsheba,

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the daughter of Eliam, the 
wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

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Then David sent messengers, and took her;
and she came to him, and he lay with her,

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for she was cleansed from her impurity;

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and she returned to her house.

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And the woman conceived;

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so she sent and told David, 
and said, 'I am with child.'

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Then David sent to Joab, saying,
'Send me Uriah the Hittite.'

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And Joab sent Uriah to David.

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When Uriah had come to him,
David asked how Joab was doing,

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and how the people were doing,
and how the war prospered.

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And David said to Uriah, 'Go down 
to your house and wash your feet.'

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So Uriah departed
from the king's house,

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and a gift of food from the 
king followed him.

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But Uriah slept at the 
door of the king's house

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with all the servants of his lord,
and did not go down to his house.

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So when they told David, saying,
'Uriah did not go down to his house,'

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David said to Uriah, 'Did you 
not come from a journey?

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Why did you not go down to your house?'

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And Uriah said to David, 'The ark and
Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents,

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and my lord Joab and the servants of
my lord are encamped in the open fields.

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Shall I then go to my house to eat
and drink, and to lie with my wife?

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As you live and as your soul 
lives, I will not do this thing."

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I'm going to pause the reading here.

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This is a very sad, sobering story,

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and, although we will not 
read the entire passage,

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eventually, because Uriah does 
not go back to meet his wife,

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David sends him back to the 
battle with a letter to Joab,

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effectively arranging his murder,

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and Uriah was killed on the battleground.

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And afterwards David then 
took Bathsheba to be his wife.

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It is a seriously sad story -
how a man who loved God,

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a man after God's heart, 
could not only fall

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into that trap of temptation,
but then go on this journey of cover-up

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that led him to increasingly worse sins.

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Before I go back to the beginning
of this chapter to examine what led

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to David being in the place
where such a temptation struck,

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I think it's worth saying 
something important here -

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sin always outstays its welcome.

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It gives you far less than you desire
and takes far more than you realise.

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Sin is like a wildfire that cannot 
be contained once lit.

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00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:25,160
No human efforts to contain it 
will succeed without repentance.

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Sin will take you further than 
you are prepared to stray,

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will hold you longer than 
you are willing to stay,

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and will cost you more 
than you are ready to pay.

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This is the case of David and Bathsheba.

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It's a big lesson, people
of God, a very big lesson.

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David's attempt to cover up his sin

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became a downward spiral 
that led him increasingly

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00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,800
down into the depths of even more sin.

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00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:33,800
The more you attempt to cover up sin, 
the tighter it increases its grip on you.

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00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:43,880
The wildfire of sin can only be 
contained by a repentant heart.

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00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,800
Or let me say the wildfire of sin

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00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:51,920
can only be contained by 
the blood of Jesus Christ,

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00:23:51,920 --> 00:24:02,200
which we have access to when 
we repent genuinely, sincerely.

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00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:09,400
I know this is a serious subject, 
people of God, but let's look into this.

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00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,880
What happened to David?

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00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:19,560
What happened that he fell headlong 
into this trap of Bathsheba?

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00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:24,680
Okay, I want to read again 
to you 2 Samuel 11:1.

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Let's examine the scenario 
before this encounter.

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"It happened in the spring of the year,
at the time when kings go out to battle..."

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00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,440
David was a warrior.

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00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:51,440
He had been with his 
army on the battleground,

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00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:57,400
but on this occasion,
the army went out to battle

245
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:02,280
but the king remained at Jerusalem.

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00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:08,280
I hope you see where I'm 
going with this, people of God.

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00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:15,120
David was meant to be
with his men at the battle

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00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:20,080
but he remained in Jerusalem.

249
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:25,200
And because he was not 
where he was meant to be,

250
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:38,240
the idleness that he fell into soon 
led to the temptation that he invited.

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00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:43,880
Why do I say idleness? 2 Samuel 11:2, "Then it happened one evening..."

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00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:51,400
Take note - in the evening,
David arose from his bed.

253
00:25:51,400 --> 00:26:00,520
His men are fighting on the field
while David was sleeping in his bed.

254
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:07,240
I hope you follow the lesson I'm painting 
to everyone here, people of God.

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00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:15,960
In the afternoon he was sleeping - 
a time he was not meant to.

256
00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:24,600
And then he got up in the 
evening and went up to the roof.

257
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:29,920
When you go where
you are not meant to be,

258
00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,280
you will find what you 
are not meant to see.

259
00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,440
If you are searching for 
what is not missing,

260
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:43,560
you will soon locate
what you are not looking for.

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00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:49,600
David went up to the 
roof in the evening

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00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:54,520
because he was on his 
bed in the afternoon,

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00:26:54,520 --> 00:27:01,320
while his men were 
fighting on the field of battle.

264
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,720
People of God, there's a big lesson here.

265
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:13,440
There is a very big lesson here
for all of you, for all of us.

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00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:18,520
If David was with his men
on the field of battle,

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00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:24,000
he would not have been at 
that place, at that moment

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00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:31,040
where his eyes saw Bathsheba
and he fell into that temptation.

269
00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:43,000
Do you know there are many testimonies
that your eyes may never see

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00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:51,040
because you are where 
God wants you to be.

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00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,480
He has preserved you.

272
00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:56,360
He has protected you.

273
00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:01,520
He has seen you through battles
you didn't even know existed,

274
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,600
because you were in the right place.

275
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:12,560
There is no moment spent in God's
projects, God's assignments,

276
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,920
that is wasted,
that is missed, that is lost.

277
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:22,560
You have no idea how
God has rescued you

278
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,520
just by being in the right place 
and doing the right thing -

279
00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,720
being in your assignment.

280
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:35,120
What happened with David?

281
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:45,760
He stepped out of his duty, and 
so he stepped into temptation.

282
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,800
People of God, think about this.

283
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,600
When you step out of 
the path of your duty,

284
00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:01,280
you will soon step into 
the path of temptation.

285
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:12,240
If you neglect your assignments,
it will surely deflect your focus.

286
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:18,720
If you let down your guard, 
idleness seeps in,

287
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:20,760
you can fall into that temptation.

288
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:27,440
David was not an idle man. He was a 
warrior, a man of war. We know his exploits.

289
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,400
We have so many examples
in the Scriptures.

290
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:35,960
He was not an idle man,
but in a moment of idleness...

291
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:37,480
Or let me put it like this,

292
00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:43,120
a moment of idleness turned 
into a moment of madness.

293
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:53,080
And the man after God's own 
heart fell to the sin of adultery.

294
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,880
This is a serious message,
once again, people of God.

295
00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,880
We don't know how God 
has been preserving us

296
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,000
simply by our presence in His presence,

297
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,160
by being in the right place
at the right time.

298
00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,280
I used to hear some people say today,

299
00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,400
'I was just in the wrong 
place at the wrong time.'

300
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,000
People of God, let 
me tell you a vital truth,

301
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:24,400
as a child of God, you will not be
in the wrong place at the wrong time. Why?

302
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:30,240
Because if you are in 
the right place with God,

303
00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:36,040
He will preserve you from being in 
the wrong place at the wrong time.

304
00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,440
Think about how many 
troubles people enter today,

305
00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:46,120
how many negative situations emerge today
because people are in the wrong place,

306
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,600
at the wrong time, with the wrong people.

307
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,360
Because if you are in the wrong 
place, at the wrong time,

308
00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,840
you will get connected
to the wrong people -

309
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:59,960
people that divide your life,
people that subtract from your life.

310
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:08,800
On the contrary, if you are 
in the right place with God,

311
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:13,960
you will be moving at the right pace

312
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:18,000
and you will find yourself 
surrounded by the right people -

313
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:24,160
people that will add to your life,
contribute to your spiritual growth,

314
00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,520
multiply your life.

315
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:32,640
When you are committed to your assignment from God, He will connect you to those

316
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,840
who are equally committed 
to the same cause.

317
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:41,120
Let me give you advice, because many
people reach out to us at God's Heart TV,

318
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,640
with this issue of marriage, 'I want to find my godly partner, the right person.

319
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,080
When will the right person come?'

320
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:53,200
People of God, you will not find
the right person in the wrong place.

321
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:59,080
You will not find the right 
person in the wrong place.

322
00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:03,520
If you stay in the right 
place with God,

323
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:11,800
He will bring the right person
at His appointed time.

324
00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,160
But we get desperate.
We look at our age.

325
00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:20,800
We look at all these other circumstantial
factors, pressures from society, and we

326
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:28,760
go to the wrong place, at the wrong time,
and expect to meet the right person. No!

327
00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,560
These are invited temptations.

328
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:40,880
And if you invite temptation,
don't expect spiritual benefits.

329
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:49,720
Don't assume a spiritual benefit
for a self-inflicted trial.

330
00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:54,680
As I'm recounting this story 
of David, you can just reflect

331
00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,560
on your own life, your own journey of faith.

332
00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:06,960
Let's contrast David's attitude 
to Uriah's attitude.

333
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,680
Oh, there is a big difference.

334
00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:17,960
Uriah left the battle, but the 
battle did not leave him.

335
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:24,640
He physically left his assignment,
but his assignment did not leave him.

336
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:34,760
Even when he came back to see the 
king, he refused to go and meet with

337
00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:40,120
his wife or eat and drink
as the king wanted. Why?

338
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:47,840
Because he said, 'How can I do this 
whilst those men are on the battlefield?'

339
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,080
Even though Uriah 
left the battle in flesh,

340
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,680
he did not leave the battle in spirit.

341
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,520
The problem with David
is that he was neither

342
00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:03,080
present in the battle 
in flesh nor in spirit.

343
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,160
I hope you understand, people of God.

344
00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:10,200
Even if David was not there physically,

345
00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:14,760
if he was alert that a battle's going on,

346
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:19,240
there are people putting their lives
on the line to fight his enemies,

347
00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:21,760
he would have joined them in spirit.

348
00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,880
He would have stayed alert
to that assignment,

349
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:28,600
even if he was not physically
in the place of that assignment.

350
00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:35,960
But whilst his men were busy
fighting his enemies on the field,

351
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:45,600
he was busy playing games 
with the enemy on the roof.

352
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,440
Take note, I'm not saying 
Bathsheba was his enemy.

353
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:58,240
The devil is our actual enemy.

354
00:34:58,240 --> 00:35:01,400
He was not present in 
the battle physically,

355
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:06,760
but equally, he was not 
present in the battle spiritually.

356
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,320
Some people may say, 
'David is a fighting man.

357
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,160
You know, he'd gone out to many 
battles. He'd won many victories.

358
00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:16,480
This was a time for him to rest.

359
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:19,520
It's not every time he had 
to lead the men in battle.

360
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,760
He could have gone back to rest.'

361
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:27,480
Okay, people of God, I agree, there is a 
time to work, there is a time to rest.

362
00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:30,680
But when you rest when 
you are meant to work,

363
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:34,840
it will only leave you more stressed.

364
00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:38,320
If you relax at the time
you are not meant to,

365
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:43,840
it is far from relaxing because 
it is accompanied by guilt.

366
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:52,360
There is no real pleasure in 
ill-timed leisure, unearned leisure.

367
00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,680
I hope you follow what 
I'm saying, people of God.

368
00:35:55,680 --> 00:36:00,400
It's a divine decree to rest. Yes,
there are times this body needs rest.

369
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:04,360
But if you rest in the body,
don't relent in the spirit.

370
00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:09,400
Don't rest in the spirit.
This was the problem of David.

371
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:21,280
He not only left the battle naturally, 
he was not there spiritually.

372
00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,040
That's why idleness crept in.

373
00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,920
Look, I'm not saying you should not rest.

374
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,560
Of course, this body needs rest.

375
00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:41,400
But look, rest is an extension of your 
assignment, not an escape from it.

376
00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:48,600
Rest should be an expression 
of faith, not an exception of faith.

377
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:50,360
What do I mean?

378
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:54,760
If you are to rest this flesh,
you must not rest your spirit.

379
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,360
You must stay alert.

380
00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,880
Watch and pray.

381
00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:02,920
Many of us today, what happens?

382
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:07,560
We say, 'I want to rest. I want to relax.'

383
00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:11,720
But in the process of relaxing, 
what are we doing?

384
00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:17,240
We are where we are not meant to be.

385
00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:23,240
We see what we are not meant to see.

386
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:30,160
If you want to rest, don't simply look for something that can entertain your flesh.

387
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:34,640
Look for something
that can edify your spirit

388
00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:42,160
because the devil does not 
respect your time of relaxation.

389
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:50,520
Look at David - if this could happen 
to a man after God's own heart,

390
00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,360
how much more so should we be careful?

391
00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:59,800
Be careful, people of God.

392
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:05,840
Don't tempt the devil to tempt you. 
Don't invite temptation.

393
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:10,760
Now, some of you may hear 
this message today and say,

394
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:14,320
'Brother Chris, David was a man of war.

395
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:19,000
This was a clear-cut scenario. You know,
his soldiers were on the battleground.

396
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,640
Me, I am not working in the army.

397
00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,160
I'm not going to fight a physical battle. What can I do?

398
00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:29,680
What do you mean that I must stay
in the place where God wants me to be?

399
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:35,680
I must stay in my assignment.
What does that mean practically?'

400
00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:47,080
People of God, if you take care
of your relationship with God,

401
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:56,080
you will know there are assignments 
all around that He has given you.

402
00:38:56,080 --> 00:39:04,720
There is no one connected here
whom God has not given an assignment.

403
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:09,640
If you drown out the noise of your 
situation and listen to the prompting

404
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:15,000
of your conscience, you will 
know what you need to do.

405
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:24,600
Your contribution to others
is an assignment from God.

406
00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,040
I will say it again.

407
00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:37,320
Your contribution to others
is an assignment from God.

408
00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:47,120
Use what is in your hands to help 
and watch what is in your hands grow.

409
00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:52,760
If you have too much time for yourself,

410
00:39:52,760 --> 00:40:01,480
you will soon find yourself spending 
it on your wants, not your needs.

411
00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,800
And man's wants are unlimited.

412
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:18,720
The confusion of needs with wants
is the cause of the crisis in contentment.

413
00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:25,280
We are not content
and lack of contentment

414
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:32,280
makes you a candidate
for carnal comparison.

415
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,560
We're not content.

416
00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:46,520
We're so busy looking at the lives of
others rather than living our own lives.

417
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:52,080
I remember an old saying that there are
three types of people in this world -

418
00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:55,600
those who make things happen,

419
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,520
those who watch things happen,

420
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:03,320
and those who wonder what happened.

421
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:10,840
We're too busy comparing 
ourselves with others,

422
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:15,560
focusing on what we want
rather than what we need.

423
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:22,480
God has promised as a good Father
to meet the needs of His children -

424
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:25,280
not necessarily our wants.

425
00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:29,760
David had everything that he needed.

426
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:38,400
God had given him everything, even 
more abundantly, more than he needed.

427
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:45,520
But because he neglected his 
duty, his focus was deflected,

428
00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:51,240
and he started focusing on what 
he wanted, not what he needed.

429
00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:59,880
And then he saw Bathsheba
and fell into the trap of the devil.

430
00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:05,120
It's important, people of God, 
that we address issues like this,

431
00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:09,360
not to condemn you, no.

432
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:17,400
Look, even if you're watching this message
right now and you reflect and realise,

433
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:23,320
'My situation is self-inflicted
because I invited temptation' -

434
00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:34,960
there is hope because the answer to a self-inflicted trial is repentance.

435
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:42,960
When you turn to God with all your heart,
He can still turn that situation around

436
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:47,040
and it can still lead to your 
progress and promotion.

437
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:48,880
That's the mystery.

438
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:54,200
Even David, with what happened...

439
00:42:54,200 --> 00:43:00,040
Do you know, people of God, that after this, when the prophet Nathan rebuked him

440
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:08,680
and he repented, do you know that this very scenario led him to write Psalm 51?

441
00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:16,760
A Psalm, I believe so many of 
us present here have read

442
00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:19,920
and been touched by the Holy Spirit.

443
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:24,200
A message that resonates 
through generations,

444
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:27,840
that came from a repentant heart.

445
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:34,560
And even though sin connected 
David with Bathsheba,

446
00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:39,640
we know that eventually their 
union produced King Solomon,

447
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:45,640
a man who has provided such words 
of wisdom through the Proverbs,

448
00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:52,920
and someone who was even part
of the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ.

449
00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:54,880
What does this mean?

450
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,800
Even if your trial is self-inflicted,

451
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:02,160
and right now, you don't 
have peace in the midst of it,

452
00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:04,680
the answer is to repent.

453
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:12,040
Repentance comes when you 
stop blaming and start changing.

454
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:14,920
Stop blaming.

455
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,160
‘I'm facing this because 
of what they did to me.’

456
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:22,440
‘I'm going through this because 
of my family background.’

457
00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:28,440
‘I did this because everyone in my 
workplace is doing it - it's okay.’

458
00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:34,480
‘I'm going through this difficulty because
of the corruption in my government.’

459
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:40,400
‘I'm facing this because of that.’

460
00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:45,880
Even if there is an element of 
truth in that allegation,

461
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:51,640
spiritually, the answer 
is not to blame.

462
00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:58,680
Blaming will not produce change; 
it will keep you in chains.

463
00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:06,640
Repent, reconnect with God

464
00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:10,600
and He can still provide
that peace in the midst of it

465
00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:15,680
even if you face the 
consequences of it.

466
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:19,480
Repentance does not 
necessarily remove consequence,

467
00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:27,840
but it enables you to put 
the best construction on it.

468
00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:39,520
May God bless His Word
in the midst of our hearts.

469
00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:54,160
And may He help us to stay
on the path of our calling

470
00:45:54,160 --> 00:46:00,840
that we avoid the road
that leads to our falling.

471
00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:08,400
In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen.

472
00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:14,360
At this point, I would love 
to hear from one or two of you,

473
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:20,720
if there's a lesson you have learnt from
this sermon, this word of encouragement,

474
00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:26,320
or perhaps you have a question
to ask in the light of this message,

475
00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:29,400
let's give some time right now for that.

476
00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:36,360
I am Eliane.

477
00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:41,800
I'm originally from Ivory Coast, but
I'm a Dutch citizen living in Amsterdam.

478
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:48,960
Brother Chris, I want to say thank you for the message about King David and Bathsheba.

479
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:55,320
This message really touched me
because it captured my own story.

480
00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,840
I found myself where 
I shouldn't have been

481
00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:03,240
and I met a married man
and I had a child for him.

482
00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:09,320
And the only child that I have
was born with sickle-cell anaemia.

483
00:47:09,320 --> 00:47:15,880
So I know that what I did was very wrong.

484
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:22,200
And I'm always asking God to 
forgive me because it's very bad.

485
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:25,280
And she's the only child I have.

486
00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:28,800
Now she's doing fine because 
I'm praying every day for her

487
00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:33,000
and I have taken her to a
man of God to pray for her.

488
00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:38,440
But sometimes I think that the 
consequences are still there.

489
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:42,440
I think that maybe I may lose my 
child and when I think about it

490
00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:45,600
I'm always crying and I'm 
always asking God for forgiveness.

491
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,280
This message really touched me.

492
00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,360
It is my story.

493
00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:53,520
I'm so sorry.

494
00:47:53,520 --> 00:47:57,160
Please help me beg God.

495
00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:59,760
This is just what I wanted 
to say, it's a comment.

496
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:04,640
I don't have any question. I know 
that what I've done is very bad.

497
00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:10,280
I'm just asking God to help me, 
to forgive me.

498
00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:12,840
Because I even asked the woman,

499
00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:17,800
the married woman, before
she got divorced with her husband,

500
00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:20,800
I asked for forgiveness.

501
00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:26,080
But my daughter, my only child, 
she has sickle-cell anaemia.

502
00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:29,280
Mama, so thank you very 
much for being open.

503
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:31,000
We can see your tears.

504
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:36,200
We know to have a child
in a health challenge,

505
00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:42,000
as a mother, we understand your heart.
So let me thank you for being open.

506
00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:47,120
You know, that's why I said that this time
of question and answer is very important.

507
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:48,600
It makes it practical.

508
00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:53,440
What our mother is saying is 
a real situation that she's in.

509
00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:58,560
But, mama, I want to 
encourage you, first of all.

510
00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,160
Our God is not someone that

511
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:11,680
you have to beg for forgiveness for many
months or years before it is released. No.

512
00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:19,280
The devil who tries to incite 
us to sin against God

513
00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:25,920
is the same one who tries to twist our
understanding of who God is after we sin

514
00:49:25,920 --> 00:49:29,720
so that we fall into 
the trap of condemnation.

515
00:49:29,720 --> 00:49:39,000
‘Because I've done this and I am facing a challenge, this is God punishing me.

516
00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:43,480
This is the consequences
and I cannot be forgiven.

517
00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:51,000
Or I have to maybe do certain 
sacrifices in order to be forgiven.’ No!

518
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:57,640
The blood of Jesus Christ
shed on the cross for you, mama,

519
00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:03,440
for me, is so abundant, so sufficient

520
00:50:03,440 --> 00:50:08,160
that when we turn to Him
with all of our hearts and repent -

521
00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:13,680
we can see your tears 
as you repent - it's over.

522
00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:19,080
You are forgiven.

523
00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:23,280
If there is a situation, in 
this case with your daughter,

524
00:50:23,280 --> 00:50:30,680
don't assume that the 
challenge she's facing is

525
00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:37,680
a retribution or a punishment 
for what you did. No.

526
00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:43,320
Situations come in life. The question is, what do we do about them?

527
00:50:43,320 --> 00:50:47,160
Here you are today seeking God.

528
00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:54,120
A child can be sick.
That doesn't mean that

529
00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:57,960
because of that sickness,
they are limited from achieving

530
00:50:57,960 --> 00:51:01,760
what God wants them to achieve
while they are here on earth.

531
00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:05,600
And it doesn't mean that you as a 
mother should move around laden

532
00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:09,840
with guilt and condemnation
because of a mistake you made in the past.

533
00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:15,840
That is the devil's intention to 
rob you of joy, to rob you of peace.

534
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:19,120
Yes, we are not denying there 
is a challenge with your daughter.

535
00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:21,880
And I am happy you've 
said you've taken her for prayer.

536
00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:24,920
Prayer in the name 
of Jesus Christ is powerful.

537
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:27,600
There is healing in 
the name of Jesus Christ.

538
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:34,880
But for you, mama, don't go 
through life thinking that God is

539
00:51:34,880 --> 00:51:38,000
punishing you for your past mistakes

540
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:41,720
and that the only evidence 
of His forgiveness,

541
00:51:41,720 --> 00:51:44,520
is if that situation in your 
daughter's life changes.

542
00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:48,000
‘Oh, I am not forgiven until 
that situation changes’ - no!

543
00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:50,440
Situations may be there in life.

544
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:56,080
Even though the circumstance behind 
her birth is what you have shared,

545
00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:59,520
that doesn't mean it's the 
cause of her having sickle-cell.

546
00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:01,520
A child could be born with an affliction.

547
00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:05,920
It doesn't necessarily mean it's because
of the circumstances behind their birth.

548
00:52:05,920 --> 00:52:13,600
So don't have that mindset 
that the only evidence of

549
00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:17,520
God's forgiveness for me is a 
change in my daughter's situation.

550
00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:20,760
What must you do?
Take this to God in prayer.

551
00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:22,960
As you've turned to Him, 
you've recognised,

552
00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:27,320
you were even open to say it publicly, 
that you did this, it was wrong,

553
00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:31,400
you've identified - as far as 
you do that with your heart

554
00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:34,880
and you acknowledge that, it's over.

555
00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:41,080
Spiritually, the blood of Jesus 
washes it clear, washes it clean.

556
00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:43,280
You start afresh.

557
00:52:43,280 --> 00:52:46,600
So, mama, please,
thank you for being open,

558
00:52:46,600 --> 00:52:49,120
but I want you to dry your tears.

559
00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:52,560
Our God is not one who is going to be

560
00:52:52,560 --> 00:52:58,680
counting the magnitude of your wrong
and holding it against you. No.

561
00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:00,720
Sin is sin.

562
00:53:00,720 --> 00:53:04,560
All of us stand in helpless
need of His divine forgiveness,

563
00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:07,360
and all of us can receive 
that divine forgiveness

564
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:10,560
on the platform of faith and repentance.

565
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:15,840
So we will join you in 
prayer for your daughter.

566
00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:18,360
We know there is 
healing in the name of Jesus.

567
00:53:18,360 --> 00:53:21,760
Thank you for being open to 
share that. We can see mama's tears.

568
00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:25,560
And I know her words have 
touched many of us as well today.

569
00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:34,320
My name is Gabriel from Colombia.

570
00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:41,040
My question is why is it that 
the more I pray, the more I fast,

571
00:53:41,040 --> 00:53:45,960
the more I read my Bible,
the more the temptation?

572
00:53:45,960 --> 00:53:48,400
And sometimes I fall into it.

573
00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:51,760
What our brother is talking about
is something I've heard many times.

574
00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:56,720
People ask, 'I don't understand. 
I'm trying to draw closer to God,

575
00:53:56,720 --> 00:54:03,760
but it seems as if the temptations
and trials are increasing, not decreasing.

576
00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:06,920
Am I doing something wrong?
What's going on here?'

577
00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:12,360
And I would just encourage 
you, my brother,

578
00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:17,320
there is no prayer, no fasting,
no spiritual maturity in this world

579
00:54:17,320 --> 00:54:20,120
that will remove the reality of temptation

580
00:54:20,120 --> 00:54:31,880
because we are in a world which 
is dominated by those in darkness.

581
00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:37,200
I don't say that to cause 
fear or apprehension,

582
00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:40,720
but if we look at society,
we look at what's happening,

583
00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:47,480
we are living in a world that people
have strayed so far from godly principles.

584
00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:51,400
Sin has dominated so many hearts.

585
00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:54,320
So as we navigate this 
world, it's a reality.

586
00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:56,960
There will be a lot of temptation.

587
00:54:56,960 --> 00:55:02,800
And as you rightly said,
there are times you fall.

588
00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:06,240
There's a big difference, though,
as I said in this message,

589
00:55:06,240 --> 00:55:12,080
between the temptation God allows
and the temptation we invite.

590
00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:18,520
If God allows temptation but you 
still fall into it, because we are weak

591
00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:22,760
and sometimes we succumb 
to the flesh, what will happen?

592
00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:27,840
You will repent and 
learn from that situation.

593
00:55:27,840 --> 00:55:30,600
‘Oh, what happened that I fell?

594
00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:34,240
This is what happened 
before I fell - I learn from it.’

595
00:55:34,240 --> 00:55:37,720
You actually increase
your spiritual maturity

596
00:55:37,720 --> 00:55:40,760
through the experience
of succumbing to temptation.

597
00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:46,960
But if it's a temptation you invite - 
when you fall into it,

598
00:55:46,960 --> 00:55:52,240
you are not going to
have that spiritual benefit.

599
00:55:52,240 --> 00:55:54,840
That's the difference.

600
00:55:54,840 --> 00:56:00,240
Once again, I'm not saying you 
cannot turn to God afterwards.

601
00:56:00,240 --> 00:56:06,160
There's no situation, no matter 
how bad, that stops us

602
00:56:06,160 --> 00:56:08,080
from the decision of turning to God.

603
00:56:08,080 --> 00:56:13,280
Even if a trial is self-inflicted,
even if temptation is self-invited,

604
00:56:13,280 --> 00:56:15,360
you can still turn to God.

605
00:56:15,360 --> 00:56:22,640
But if you are seeking Him, praying,
fasting, reading the Scriptures and yet

606
00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:27,960
that temptation keeps coming 
and perhaps you fall, that fall

607
00:56:27,960 --> 00:56:32,400
will lead to your rising. What do I mean?
You will learn from that temptation.

608
00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:35,640
You will increase your strategies
in how to deal with it.

609
00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:39,880
You will be more sensitive to 
the areas that, perhaps, led to it.

610
00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:44,680
It will actually result 
in your growth, spiritually.

611
00:56:44,680 --> 00:56:47,000
This is a mystery.

612
00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:51,040
Why is it that the path 
to spiritual growth

613
00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:56,920
is so often steeped in tests, 
trials and temptations?

614
00:56:56,920 --> 00:57:01,200
Well, God has to equip us 
for the task He has for us.

615
00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:04,880
You don't get equipped in the school.

616
00:57:04,880 --> 00:57:10,680
You get equipped on the field.

617
00:57:10,680 --> 00:57:13,600
I hope you understand, people of God.

618
00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:19,960
You don't get equipped in ‘theory’;
you get equipped in ‘practical’.

619
00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:26,400
This is life - the realities of life, 
the temptations of life.

620
00:57:26,400 --> 00:57:32,640
But if you repent, learn from it, 
run back to God in the midst of it,

621
00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:37,360
that temptation becomes 
a source of your spiritual growth.

622
00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:40,000
So don't be discouraged.

623
00:57:40,000 --> 00:57:45,240
And as I said, don't assume that one day
you will reach a milestone spiritually

624
00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:46,960
where temptation disappears.

625
00:57:46,960 --> 00:57:56,080
‘Oh, I have overcome all of that.
I will never be tempted.’ No!

626
00:57:56,080 --> 00:58:00,400
As far as we are in this world, 
it will come but there is grace.

627
00:58:00,400 --> 00:58:06,600
God has promised a way 
of escape, a way out.

628
00:58:06,600 --> 00:58:08,560
And it is important for me to emphasise

629
00:58:08,560 --> 00:58:12,520
that the message I've 
given today is for believers.

630
00:58:12,520 --> 00:58:20,040
The understanding of a 
self-inflicted trial, versus

631
00:58:20,040 --> 00:58:25,960
a trial that God permits, is on the basis
of someone who has been delivered.

632
00:58:25,960 --> 00:58:31,200
There are some challenges that are
as a result of demonic influence,

633
00:58:31,200 --> 00:58:40,040
which is why prayer in the name of Jesus 
Christ strikes at the root spiritually.

634
00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:47,080
That's why sometimes you can
try and find every solution naturally.

635
00:58:47,080 --> 00:58:52,080
But if something is spiritual,
it needs to be dealt with in prayer.

636
00:58:52,080 --> 00:58:57,960
So I am not denying the reality that 
there are some demonically influenced

637
00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:03,320
situations that people face, maybe 
as a result of generational curses,

638
00:59:03,320 --> 00:59:07,960
not through something they themselves
have done to inflict themselves.

639
00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:12,040
That's why we talk about deliverance
in the name of Jesus Christ.

640
00:59:12,040 --> 00:59:17,360
But irrespective, this truth 
remains valuable for everyone.

641
00:59:17,360 --> 00:59:22,120
Because it’s far easier to...
Let me put it like this.

642
00:59:22,120 --> 00:59:29,440
Some people today are very fond of finding
a scapegoat to make them feel better

643
00:59:29,440 --> 00:59:33,080
in the midst of their problem,
and it's easy to blame the devil.

644
00:59:33,080 --> 00:59:35,320
‘Oh, the devil is behind this!’

645
00:59:35,320 --> 00:59:40,720
Even though the works of darkness
may be behind what you are facing,

646
00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:45,480
don't agree with the mindset that 
quickly points the finger in blame.

647
00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:50,480
Because even if the devil is kicked 
out, you have a role to play.

648
00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:54,360
It's not good for us to 
propagate the mindset of blame.

649
00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:57,320
I hope you understand what 
I'm saying, people of God.

650
00:59:57,320 --> 01:00:02,080
It's very easy for us to say,
'Because of my family background,

651
01:00:02,080 --> 01:00:06,080
this is why I'm facing this.' And there 
may be truth in that statement.

652
01:00:06,080 --> 01:00:09,000
Maybe there's a curse in the family
that needs to be broken,

653
01:00:09,000 --> 01:00:15,040
but don't have that mindset
that quickly attaches blame to something

654
01:00:15,040 --> 01:00:22,160
beyond your control, because it doesn't
encourage stewardship and responsibility.

655
01:00:22,160 --> 01:00:27,680
After your deliverance,
after your freedom,

656
01:00:27,680 --> 01:00:32,000
you must use what is in your hands today.

657
01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:41,520
Grace and peace be unto you.

658
01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:46,480
Brother Chris, thank you for 
allowing yourself to be used

659
01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:48,360
by the Lord God Almighty.

660
01:00:48,360 --> 01:00:56,320
I am Donald, watching from Frankfurt, Germany. I'm originally from Cameroon.

661
01:00:56,320 --> 01:01:01,600
This story concerning Bathsheba
and King David...

662
01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:07,680
As Christians, most of us have our favourite 
Bible figures in the Bible.

663
01:01:07,680 --> 01:01:12,960
David has always been my favourite.

664
01:01:12,960 --> 01:01:16,920
I have been asking myself,
that this same David, who

665
01:01:16,920 --> 01:01:21,440
I learnt from in Psalm 119, who said
"Thy Word have I hidden in my heart

666
01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:23,360
that I may not sin against you,"

667
01:01:23,360 --> 01:01:25,640
how could he fall into such temptation?

668
01:01:25,640 --> 01:01:31,000
But today, I have understood
that there was a time when kings

669
01:01:31,000 --> 01:01:35,720
usually go to battle, and he 
stayed home and fell into temptation.

670
01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:40,440
And I was always asking 
myself this question because,

671
01:01:40,440 --> 01:01:43,080
as the man of God,
Brother Chris, rightly said,

672
01:01:43,080 --> 01:01:48,040
because of this, 
David had to write Psalm 51.

673
01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:50,280
I saw that he repented,

674
01:01:50,280 --> 01:01:56,200
but during the course of it
he fasted for almost a week.

675
01:01:56,200 --> 01:02:01,560
David didn't eat anything, and when 
Nathan the prophet came to him,

676
01:02:01,560 --> 01:02:07,200
Nathan the prophet said God 
had declared that the child

677
01:02:07,200 --> 01:02:09,760
Bathsheba was carrying 
wasn't going to live.

678
01:02:09,760 --> 01:02:14,400
I was asking myself, ‘Why is 
it that God forgave David

679
01:02:14,400 --> 01:02:21,480
but the child could not live? 
But still He gave David Solomon.’

680
01:02:21,480 --> 01:02:25,080
But today I've understood that,

681
01:02:25,080 --> 01:02:30,080
even when we sin against God and 
we have been corrected or punished,

682
01:02:30,080 --> 01:02:33,680
the consequences - we have to pay for.

683
01:02:33,680 --> 01:02:36,000
That's what I've learnt today.

684
01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:41,400
Because I have been asking myself, 
‘Why is it that David prayed and fasted,

685
01:02:41,400 --> 01:02:45,120
but the child couldn't live,
knowing God forgave him?’

686
01:02:45,120 --> 01:02:48,760
Thank you so much
for the revelation.

687
01:02:48,760 --> 01:02:54,800
I'm happy. That's my 
contribution and what I've learnt.

688
01:02:54,800 --> 01:03:00,480
You touched on a point which we didn't
cover today in the aftermath of David's

689
01:03:00,480 --> 01:03:07,800
sin with Bathsheba, where 
the first child she bore grew sick.

690
01:03:07,800 --> 01:03:13,800
As you rightly said, David was fasting
and praying for the child to be restored.

691
01:03:13,800 --> 01:03:19,240
In 2 Samuel 12, 
I'll read from verse 19.

692
01:03:19,240 --> 01:03:23,200
I want to emphasise a point
with what my brother said now.

693
01:03:23,200 --> 01:03:25,560
"When David saw that his 
servants were whispering,

694
01:03:25,560 --> 01:03:28,080
David perceived that the child was dead.

695
01:03:28,080 --> 01:03:30,920
Therefore David said to his 
servants, 'Is the child dead?'

696
01:03:30,920 --> 01:03:33,840
And they said, 'He is dead.'

697
01:03:33,840 --> 01:03:36,760
So David arose from the ground, 
washed and anointed himself,

698
01:03:36,760 --> 01:03:42,360
and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.

699
01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:44,480
Then he went to his own house 
and when he requested,

700
01:03:44,480 --> 01:03:46,440
they set food before him, and he ate.

701
01:03:46,440 --> 01:03:49,400
Then his servant said to him,
'What is this that you have done?

702
01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:52,280
You fasted and wept for the 
child while he was alive,

703
01:03:52,280 --> 01:03:55,320
but when the child died, 
you arose and ate food.'

704
01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:59,800
And he said, 'While the child was 
alive, I fasted and wept;

705
01:03:59,800 --> 01:04:04,680
for I said, 'Who can tell whether 
the Lord will be gracious to me,

706
01:04:04,680 --> 01:04:06,360
that the child may live?'

707
01:04:06,360 --> 01:04:10,600
But now he is dead; why should I fast?
Can I bring him back again?

708
01:04:10,600 --> 01:04:13,800
I shall go to him, but he 
shall not return to me."

709
01:04:13,800 --> 01:04:17,600
This is a very deep
statement from David.

710
01:04:17,600 --> 01:04:20,920
We could preach an 
entirely different message

711
01:04:20,920 --> 01:04:23,400
just on this response from David.

712
01:04:23,400 --> 01:04:27,000
But the point that I want
to make to our brother to

713
01:04:27,000 --> 01:04:33,480
emphasise the area he is sharing is that

714
01:04:33,480 --> 01:04:38,240
even though this account is
before the coming of Christ

715
01:04:38,240 --> 01:04:41,200
and the blood shed on the cross,

716
01:04:41,200 --> 01:04:50,720
we know that ultimately judgement
and justice are in the hands of God.

717
01:04:50,720 --> 01:04:58,720
We cannot determine or dictate the way
and manner the consequence of sin strikes.

718
01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:06,360
Definitely, we know our God is merciful.

719
01:05:06,360 --> 01:05:13,920
But we should not view God's mercy as a

720
01:05:13,920 --> 01:05:20,880
justification for continuing
knowingly in sin.

721
01:05:20,880 --> 01:05:26,720
Some people today prepare 
their prayers for forgiveness

722
01:05:26,720 --> 01:05:30,240
even before they have sinned.

723
01:05:30,240 --> 01:05:35,280
‘I know this is wrong, but God is merciful,

724
01:05:35,280 --> 01:05:43,800
so before I sin, I'm already ready 
to ask for forgiveness afterwards.’

725
01:05:43,800 --> 01:05:51,560
This is trying, naturally, 
to turn God's mercy,

726
01:05:51,560 --> 01:05:58,400
God's grace, into an avenue 
of enablement for sin.

727
01:05:58,400 --> 01:06:02,400
‘Because of God's mercy,
because of God's grace -

728
01:06:02,400 --> 01:06:06,480
I'm His child. If I sin, God will forgive me.

729
01:06:06,480 --> 01:06:10,400
God will not allow the 
consequences to strike.’

730
01:06:10,400 --> 01:06:16,480
If we do what is wrong, repentance does not necessarily mean

731
01:06:16,480 --> 01:06:20,760
there are no consequences.

732
01:06:20,760 --> 01:06:24,960
We cannot dictate or determine
how that happens.

733
01:06:24,960 --> 01:06:30,120
David's words in these verses
clearly reveal his understanding of

734
01:06:30,120 --> 01:06:32,120
God's position and his own position.

735
01:06:32,120 --> 01:06:35,520
‘I can just seek God for mercy,
but I don't have the power

736
01:06:35,520 --> 01:06:39,120
to bring the child back to life
or restore the child to health.

737
01:06:39,120 --> 01:06:43,360
So far as the child is still alive
let me plead before God for mercy,

738
01:06:43,360 --> 01:06:48,360
but I cannot dictate the way and 
manner that mercy manifests.’

739
01:06:48,360 --> 01:06:52,560
I think our concern should be

740
01:06:52,560 --> 01:06:59,280
to run from sin, to depart
from sin, to disconnect from sin.

741
01:06:59,280 --> 01:07:07,360
If you play with a fire and don't get burnt, 
it does not mean you should enter that fire.

742
01:07:07,360 --> 01:07:10,000
‘I did this, there didn't 
seem to be a consequence.

743
01:07:10,000 --> 01:07:14,160
Maybe it means
I can do it, I can go ahead.

744
01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:16,960
If I pray extra hard,
God's grace will cover me.

745
01:07:16,960 --> 01:07:23,640
I will give a larger offering
in church this Sunday,

746
01:07:23,640 --> 01:07:29,160
I will increase the amount I'm giving
in church - that will cover me.

747
01:07:29,160 --> 01:07:32,840
But I can be doing this in secret.’

748
01:07:32,840 --> 01:07:46,280
Don't mistake God's mercy unto repentance as God's approval of transgression.

749
01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:56,280
My name is Audrey.
I'm originally from Zimbabwe.

750
01:07:56,280 --> 01:07:59,960
Right now I'm in Northern Ireland.

751
01:07:59,960 --> 01:08:03,480
Thank you, Brother Chris, for the word.

752
01:08:03,480 --> 01:08:09,880
I think when you read the word
from the Book of 2 Samuel,

753
01:08:09,880 --> 01:08:14,000
I had to reflect as you were
reading the story of King David.

754
01:08:14,000 --> 01:08:21,400
I had to reflect to myself, and I was 
also picturing myself being at

755
01:08:21,400 --> 01:08:27,800
a place where I was not supposed
to be, when looking at my past.

756
01:08:27,800 --> 01:08:33,280
Then I realised when this was
happening, it was not a good thing.

757
01:08:33,280 --> 01:08:37,840
So now my question is about repentance.

758
01:08:37,840 --> 01:08:42,880
How do I know that now
my relationship with God is good?

759
01:08:42,880 --> 01:08:45,560
Yes, I know, I pray, 
I do all those things.

760
01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:50,960
I see that God is working in my life - 
these are good things,

761
01:08:50,960 --> 01:08:52,640
these are breakthroughs.

762
01:08:52,640 --> 01:08:59,320
But I want to know, how do I know
that my relationship with God is good,

763
01:08:59,320 --> 01:09:02,640
especially concerning
this issue of repentance?

764
01:09:02,640 --> 01:09:10,320
Your attitude to sin is a 
far clearer indication

765
01:09:10,320 --> 01:09:15,280
of your spiritual life than 
your current situation.

766
01:09:15,280 --> 01:09:20,800
The truth within that statement
is the answer to the question.

767
01:09:20,800 --> 01:09:25,280
Because it's common today for people to

768
01:09:25,280 --> 01:09:31,520
use external yardsticks to try and 
gauge where they are spiritually.

769
01:09:31,520 --> 01:09:37,360
‘Maybe I've had a testimony, I've 
received a blessing or a breakthrough.

770
01:09:37,360 --> 01:09:40,200
Oh, that means God has 
favoured me, I'm a child of God.

771
01:09:40,200 --> 01:09:42,000
I'm in the right place with God.

772
01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:47,160
I've been healed of a sickness and my health is good, so I’m a child of God.’

773
01:09:47,160 --> 01:09:52,360
But these are not measurements 
that we should use

774
01:09:52,360 --> 01:09:55,560
to determine where we are spiritually.

775
01:09:55,560 --> 01:10:00,480
Our attitude to sin is a much 
clearer indication. Why?

776
01:10:00,480 --> 01:10:04,960
Because what does sin ultimately do?

777
01:10:04,960 --> 01:10:10,360
Sin separates us from God.

778
01:10:10,360 --> 01:10:14,880
And you talked about repentance,
and I talked in this message

779
01:10:14,880 --> 01:10:16,440
today about repentance.

780
01:10:16,440 --> 01:10:20,520
And it's a very common theme
we talk about because what is repentance?

781
01:10:20,520 --> 01:10:25,800
Repentance is the recognition of that

782
01:10:25,800 --> 01:10:33,400
and returning to God, running back
to God to ask for forgiveness,

783
01:10:33,400 --> 01:10:36,880
knowing that His blood shed on
the cross of Calvary

784
01:10:36,880 --> 01:10:43,360
is the only thing that can contain
the wildfire that's caused by sin.

785
01:10:43,360 --> 01:10:54,120
Look, people of God, we're not here to
just use spiritual language loosely.

786
01:10:54,120 --> 01:10:56,960
We are talking about real life
and real situations.

787
01:10:56,960 --> 01:11:02,280
There's no one present here, including
myself, who can claim perfection.

788
01:11:02,280 --> 01:11:05,720
No one is perfect.

789
01:11:05,720 --> 01:11:11,560
When I talk about attitude to sin,
I'm not talking about absence of wrong.

790
01:11:11,560 --> 01:11:15,400
It doesn't mean you are 
not going to make a mistake.

791
01:11:15,400 --> 01:11:18,600
But what do you do when you realise?

792
01:11:18,600 --> 01:11:22,200
That's a clearer reflection
of your relationship with God.

793
01:11:22,200 --> 01:11:30,400
Because I can know, the Spirit 
of God prompts my conscience.

794
01:11:30,400 --> 01:11:35,920
I can know when I do the wrong thing.
I can know when I take the wrong step.

795
01:11:35,920 --> 01:11:39,040
I can know when I see
what I'm not supposed to see.

796
01:11:39,040 --> 01:11:43,600
I can know when I go
where I'm not supposed to go.

797
01:11:43,600 --> 01:11:52,240
You can know. How? The Spirit 
of God prompts your conscience

798
01:11:52,240 --> 01:11:56,160
through the Word stored in your heart.

799
01:11:56,160 --> 01:12:00,120
Now, what do you do when 
your conscience is prompted?

800
01:12:00,120 --> 01:12:04,360
Do you blame or do you change?

801
01:12:04,360 --> 01:12:08,040
Do you realise, recognise, 
repent, run back to God?

802
01:12:08,040 --> 01:12:11,800
That's the reflection of 
a healthy relationship with God,

803
01:12:11,800 --> 01:12:13,720
not the absence of wrong,

804
01:12:13,720 --> 01:12:18,600
but the speed at which you 
recognise and get back on track.

805
01:12:18,600 --> 01:12:28,200
If we justify sin, if we 
downplay sin, if we minimise sin,

806
01:12:28,200 --> 01:12:33,200
it is a sign we are not 
in the right place spiritually.

807
01:12:33,200 --> 01:12:39,880
It's not about blessings.
It's not about material progress.

808
01:12:39,880 --> 01:12:44,640
'A man can be sick in body 
yet be a friend of God,'

809
01:12:44,640 --> 01:12:47,160
to quote Prophet T.B. Joshua.

810
01:12:47,160 --> 01:12:59,960
A man can be poor yet richer in spirit 
than the billionaires of this world.

811
01:12:59,960 --> 01:13:06,680
So we don't measure spiritual 
things by material yardsticks,

812
01:13:06,680 --> 01:13:13,840
my sister, but by 
our attitude to sin.

813
01:13:13,840 --> 01:13:25,240
This is why we must feed our 
conscience with the Word of God.

814
01:13:25,240 --> 01:13:29,240
We must feed our souls
with the Word of God

815
01:13:29,240 --> 01:13:31,400
because the Word of God reveals

816
01:13:31,400 --> 01:13:35,760
the standard of God
for what is right and wrong.

817
01:13:35,760 --> 01:13:43,520
Today's world is trying to flip
that standard, not just shift it.

818
01:13:43,520 --> 01:13:46,240
I hope you understand,
it's not just to shift the standard;

819
01:13:46,240 --> 01:13:48,160
it's trying to flip the standard.

820
01:13:48,160 --> 01:13:53,720
Right becomes wrong, wrong 
becomes right. That is the work of satan.

821
01:13:53,720 --> 01:13:56,440
There are many things 
that happen in society today

822
01:13:56,440 --> 01:14:02,040
that people say, 'It's okay, it's fine.'

823
01:14:02,040 --> 01:14:07,360
But if you go to the Bible as the standard, 
it is wrong. It is sin.

824
01:14:07,360 --> 01:14:11,200
Just because others do it 
doesn't make it right.

825
01:14:11,200 --> 01:14:15,160
Just because you see someone 
sinning without consequence,

826
01:14:15,160 --> 01:14:19,240
does not mean that you,
with the knowledge of truth,

827
01:14:19,240 --> 01:14:23,160
can take the same course
and expect the same result.

828
01:14:23,160 --> 01:14:27,800
Anyway, the deception that one sins
without consequence is a lie.

829
01:14:27,800 --> 01:14:31,560
If you sin without immediate 
consequence, it is just preparing you

830
01:14:31,560 --> 01:14:34,640
for the more significant 
consequence that is coming.

831
01:14:34,640 --> 01:14:39,080
God may give - perhaps there 
is time for repentance,

832
01:14:39,080 --> 01:14:41,440
but it's not a sign of His approval.

833
01:14:41,440 --> 01:14:44,320
If you see someone, maybe 
they even claim to be a Christian,

834
01:14:44,320 --> 01:14:46,960
but you know they
are living an ungodly life,

835
01:14:46,960 --> 01:14:49,160
and they don't seem 
to see the repercussions,

836
01:14:49,160 --> 01:14:52,240
don't think that God's
favour is on that person -

837
01:14:52,240 --> 01:14:57,240
they can sin without consequence. 
It's not a sign of God's approval.

838
01:14:57,240 --> 01:15:01,840
It's a sign of God's patience
to encourage them to repentance.

839
01:15:01,840 --> 01:15:09,280
But if you don't repent, 
my brothers and sisters in Christ,

840
01:15:09,280 --> 01:15:12,600
the wildfire will spread.

841
01:15:12,600 --> 01:15:19,600
The beautiful thing about repentance
is that it doesn't require your money,

842
01:15:19,600 --> 01:15:25,000
your position, wealth.

843
01:15:25,000 --> 01:15:26,880
It doesn't require connections.

844
01:15:26,880 --> 01:15:32,240
It doesn't require you to meet a
very holy man of God for you to repent.

845
01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:35,320
‘If this man of God prays for me,
then I will be able to repent.’

846
01:15:35,320 --> 01:15:40,760
No - repentance is 
a decision of the heart.

847
01:15:40,760 --> 01:15:44,920
And as you are listening to 
this message right now,

848
01:15:44,920 --> 01:15:48,400
the blood of Jesus is more than enough.

849
01:15:48,400 --> 01:16:00,000
No past is too bad, no sin is too deep that the blood of Jesus cannot wash away.

850
01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:07,720
But remember what I said,
Jesus died to free us from sin

851
01:16:07,720 --> 01:16:17,840
and its consequences,
not to sin without consequence.

852
01:16:23,080 --> 01:16:27,880
Yes, good day Brother Chris,
and the members of God's Heart TV.

853
01:16:27,880 --> 01:16:33,240
I have listened to your 
sermons on WhatsApp.

854
01:16:33,240 --> 01:16:42,600
My question is, how do we go to God, 
reading our Bibles and by meditation?

855
01:16:42,600 --> 01:16:48,800
Can Brother Chris, just give us
maybe two examples or an example of

856
01:16:48,800 --> 01:16:52,000
how to meditate on the Word of God,

857
01:16:52,000 --> 01:16:58,120
so we may know God better,
or know God's presence

858
01:16:58,120 --> 01:17:04,040
because there're a lot of us that 
don't know the presence of God.

859
01:17:04,040 --> 01:17:05,320
Thank you, Brother Chris.

860
01:17:05,320 --> 01:17:07,680
Our brother was talking
about practical examples.

861
01:17:07,680 --> 01:17:09,760
I like that! It's good 
to be practical here.

862
01:17:09,760 --> 01:17:11,880
So one thing is clear,

863
01:17:11,880 --> 01:17:17,120
if we recognise the Word of God
is not merely meant for our minds,

864
01:17:17,120 --> 01:17:19,720
or these ears, it's meant for our hearts,

865
01:17:19,720 --> 01:17:24,960
it means that for us to meditate
on the Word, to read the Word effectively,

866
01:17:24,960 --> 01:17:27,160
our heart has to be settled.

867
01:17:27,160 --> 01:17:29,240
Our heart has to be right with God.

868
01:17:29,240 --> 01:17:32,240
So when it's time to read the Bible,

869
01:17:32,240 --> 01:17:36,480
you don't just pick up the 
Bible and turn to your Scripture.

870
01:17:36,480 --> 01:17:40,640
You first of all settle 
your accounts with God.

871
01:17:40,640 --> 01:17:43,720
So let's say you as husband and wife,

872
01:17:43,720 --> 01:17:47,880
maybe you have had a clash, you've 
had a disagreement over something,

873
01:17:47,880 --> 01:17:49,960
and you are angry with your wife or

874
01:17:49,960 --> 01:17:54,160
she's angry at you and 
maybe some wrong words

875
01:17:54,160 --> 01:17:56,000
have been spoken
and you now say,

876
01:17:56,000 --> 01:17:57,520
'Let me go and read my Bible.'

877
01:17:57,520 --> 01:18:02,400
And you open the Bible and start reading. 
What you are reading will not enter.

878
01:18:02,400 --> 01:18:04,560
You are just reading 
for the sake of reading

879
01:18:04,560 --> 01:18:10,640
because your heart is disturbed,
your heart is troubled, your heart is angry.

880
01:18:10,640 --> 01:18:14,240
You need to first of all go and settle.

881
01:18:14,240 --> 01:18:17,760
Settle with God and settle with your wife.

882
01:18:17,760 --> 01:18:24,560
Once your heart is settled,
when you read the Bible,

883
01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:28,840
you can give full attention to it.

884
01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:41,080
Meditation is all about an 
undivided focus on the Word of God.

885
01:18:41,080 --> 01:18:44,840
So let's say that you 
read a passage of Scripture.

886
01:18:44,840 --> 01:18:49,360
You don't just read and 
then jump to the next verse.

887
01:18:49,360 --> 01:18:51,960
You read and pause.

888
01:18:51,960 --> 01:18:55,600
Think about it.
What does this mean for me?

889
01:18:55,600 --> 01:19:00,720
Do I understand this?
Maybe you need to read it aloud.

890
01:19:00,720 --> 01:19:03,560
How does this message apply to me?

891
01:19:03,560 --> 01:19:07,080
As you think about it, it's 
something you even write down.

892
01:19:07,080 --> 01:19:09,280
You have it in a notepad
or even on your hand.

893
01:19:09,280 --> 01:19:13,360
During the day, you remember 
it as you are working.

894
01:19:13,360 --> 01:19:16,200
You give attention,
you think about it.

895
01:19:16,200 --> 01:19:18,960
This is where we talk about meditation

896
01:19:18,960 --> 01:19:24,240
because it's deep engagement 
of the heart with His Word.

897
01:19:24,240 --> 01:19:30,600
The problem today is that we try to jump
to meditation without settling our hearts.

898
01:19:30,600 --> 01:19:35,880
I want to meditate, but I am holding
unforgiveness towards someone.

899
01:19:35,880 --> 01:19:40,200
I want to meditate, but I have 
just watched something lustful.

900
01:19:40,200 --> 01:19:45,520
I want to meditate, but I've just 
used bad words to someone at work.

901
01:19:45,520 --> 01:19:47,520
And you say, 'Let me
just read the Bible.'

902
01:19:47,520 --> 01:19:50,200
No, there's a process.

903
01:19:50,200 --> 01:19:58,880
That is why it's important 
that we have daily time with God,

904
01:19:58,880 --> 01:20:06,880
so that we can have daily reckoning with 
sin and daily settlement of the heart.

905
01:20:06,880 --> 01:20:12,360
Because the longer you take to settle
your heart, the more blocks are built up.

906
01:20:12,360 --> 01:20:15,480
We take too long to settle issues.

907
01:20:15,480 --> 01:20:19,080
You know, I used the example of 
marriage because it's a common thing.

908
01:20:19,080 --> 01:20:21,360
It's a common problem in homes today.

909
01:20:21,360 --> 01:20:26,400
There are clashes - that's normal,
but we don't settle them quickly.

910
01:20:26,400 --> 01:20:27,960
We allow them to continue.

911
01:20:27,960 --> 01:20:32,000
We go to sleep with our 
hearts still in anger.

912
01:20:32,000 --> 01:20:35,000
We go to bed without settling 
an issue. And what happens?

913
01:20:35,000 --> 01:20:37,720
You just build it up
because you now carry over

914
01:20:37,720 --> 01:20:41,040
the next day's issues on
top of the one of yesterday,

915
01:20:41,040 --> 01:20:45,600
and then how can you read your Bible?
How can you pray? How can you meditate?

916
01:20:45,600 --> 01:20:48,240
So we've got to go back to the basics.

917
01:20:48,240 --> 01:20:52,800
If I'm to pick up my Bible 
and read, even if it's just a verse,

918
01:20:52,800 --> 01:20:56,840
I need to recognise my 
heart is the instrument through

919
01:20:56,840 --> 01:21:00,640
which the Holy Spirit will 
bring understanding of this verse.

920
01:21:00,640 --> 01:21:06,760
So is my heart right? 
Is my heart settled?

921
01:21:06,760 --> 01:21:11,600
If the answer is no, what must I do
to settle it? Perhaps I need to repent.

922
01:21:11,600 --> 01:21:14,280
Perhaps there's someone
I need to say, 'I forgive you.'

923
01:21:14,280 --> 01:21:17,400
Perhaps there's someone I need 
to say, 'Will you forgive me?'

924
01:21:17,400 --> 01:21:21,480
Perhaps I need to call my wife 
and say, 'Please, it's over, sorry.'

925
01:21:21,480 --> 01:21:23,560
And then you read the Bible.

926
01:21:23,560 --> 01:21:28,120
I believe, my brother, it's 
not so simple as a mechanism.

927
01:21:28,120 --> 01:21:32,200
Like in school, if you are 
studying for an exam,

928
01:21:32,200 --> 01:21:37,040
maybe you could memorise this or people have certain ways of studying.

929
01:21:37,040 --> 01:21:41,440
When it comes to the Word of God, it's not the brain that is ultimately required.

930
01:21:41,440 --> 01:21:45,920
You employ the brain, but it is 
ultimately the heart that will receive it.

931
01:21:45,920 --> 01:21:49,440
So the most important 
thing is to settle your heart.

932
01:21:49,440 --> 01:21:52,240
No one knows the state 
of your heart better than you.

933
01:21:52,240 --> 01:21:55,160
So if your heart is not settled,
you can know.

934
01:21:55,160 --> 01:22:00,800
Then when it's time, if the heart is settled and it's time to read the Word, give your best.

935
01:22:00,800 --> 01:22:02,200
I can't emphasise that enough.

936
01:22:02,200 --> 01:22:04,680
Give your best!
Give quality time.

937
01:22:04,680 --> 01:22:08,920
Give your best attention. It is 
not, like I said, to tick a box that

938
01:22:08,920 --> 01:22:13,280
after a long day of work, let 
me just read a verse before sleeping.

939
01:22:13,280 --> 01:22:14,760
Even if your heart is settled,

940
01:22:14,760 --> 01:22:18,120
you are likely not going to receive
any revelation from that verse

941
01:22:18,120 --> 01:22:22,080
because you are coming to receive it
at the time that you are disturbed.

942
01:22:22,080 --> 01:22:26,400
Look at this case of David and Bathsheba.

943
01:22:26,400 --> 01:22:31,080
Look at the understanding, the revelation
that came about what led to that sin.

944
01:22:31,080 --> 01:22:34,440
That is not merely by reading
that verse once.

945
01:22:34,440 --> 01:22:38,160
It's reading the verse, reflecting on it.
What does this mean?

946
01:22:38,160 --> 01:22:41,280
What happened to David 
that he fell into this trap?

947
01:22:41,280 --> 01:22:44,920
How can I learn from this?
How do I apply this into my life?

948
01:22:44,920 --> 01:22:47,640
It goes deeper than just reading.

949
01:22:47,640 --> 01:22:51,480
It calls for the full 
attention of the heart.

950
01:22:51,480 --> 01:22:54,600
So, this is my encouragement 
to you, my brother.

951
01:22:54,600 --> 01:22:56,880
I hope you understand.

952
01:22:56,880 --> 01:22:58,120
Thank You, Jesus.

953
01:23:04,000 --> 01:23:09,920
Hello, my name is Otis,
originally from Liberia.

954
01:23:09,920 --> 01:23:14,520
I live in Florida, USA.

955
01:23:14,520 --> 01:23:19,240
So my question goes 
back to one of the sermons

956
01:23:19,240 --> 01:23:25,440
that you preached about 
being focused on the Word of God.

957
01:23:25,440 --> 01:23:31,560
My question is, if we are praying
or reading the Word of God,

958
01:23:31,560 --> 01:23:36,200
to be sincere, when I'm praying,
sometimes I get distracted.

959
01:23:36,200 --> 01:23:39,000
Sometimes thoughts come to mind.

960
01:23:39,000 --> 01:23:42,600
Sometimes I will just focus
on some negative things,

961
01:23:42,600 --> 01:23:45,000
or sometimes positive things.

962
01:23:45,000 --> 01:23:49,360
Different thoughts will just come in 
while I'm praying or reading.

963
01:23:49,360 --> 01:23:52,120
This has been bothering me for years.

964
01:23:52,120 --> 01:23:56,000
Even up to today's date, even 
if I'm listening to a sermon,

965
01:23:56,000 --> 01:23:58,920
sometimes my mind gets 
distracted and thinks of other things.

966
01:23:58,920 --> 01:24:00,960
This has been bothering me.

967
01:24:00,960 --> 01:24:03,880
I wanted to ask this 
question for a very long time.

968
01:24:03,880 --> 01:24:08,280
First of all, the fact 
that there is a battle

969
01:24:08,280 --> 01:24:13,160
when you want to read the Word of God
shows that you are doing the right thing.

970
01:24:13,160 --> 01:24:17,360
If it was easy, smooth, simple, no battle,

971
01:24:17,360 --> 01:24:22,560
no distraction, no negative 
thoughts, then it's questionable

972
01:24:22,560 --> 01:24:25,800
whether it is truly going 
to enrich you spiritually.

973
01:24:25,800 --> 01:24:29,320
So don't be discouraged by that -

974
01:24:29,320 --> 01:24:33,480
‘Anytime I want to read the Bible, 
negative thoughts come, why is this?’

975
01:24:33,480 --> 01:24:35,160
No, it's a good thing.

976
01:24:35,160 --> 01:24:41,120
But one thing is clear,
thoughts will come,

977
01:24:41,120 --> 01:24:48,880
but you determine what 
you feed your heart with.

978
01:24:48,880 --> 01:24:53,200
As soon as you recognise
the negative thought,

979
01:24:53,200 --> 01:25:01,760
don't give attention to it by 
agreeing with it or taking it further.

980
01:25:01,760 --> 01:25:08,160
You must immediately
rebuke it and reconnect.

981
01:25:08,160 --> 01:25:15,680
It doesn't mean that in the journey
of faith, such thoughts will not come.

982
01:25:15,680 --> 01:25:23,040
But if you are quick to recognise it, 
like what you are saying now,

983
01:25:23,040 --> 01:25:29,040
as far as you recognise it, God has given you the power to overcome it.

984
01:25:29,040 --> 01:25:33,600
You are not a slave to your senses.
You are not a slave to your thoughts.

985
01:25:33,600 --> 01:25:41,160
One of the biggest lies the devil has championed is that we are a slave to this flesh.

986
01:25:41,160 --> 01:25:44,480
‘Oh, that thought comes, I cannot control it.

987
01:25:44,480 --> 01:25:48,160
I just must do it. I am distracted. 
I must do that.’

988
01:25:48,160 --> 01:25:50,720
No, you have the power of choice.

989
01:25:50,720 --> 01:25:53,840
You have the power of discretion.

990
01:25:53,840 --> 01:25:56,720
That is what makes us humans -

991
01:25:56,720 --> 01:26:01,880
that spark of divinity that differentiates
us from all other animal species.

992
01:26:01,880 --> 01:26:06,560
We have the discretion to 
choose between right and wrong.

993
01:26:06,560 --> 01:26:10,920
So don't cede that 
power to the lies of the devil

994
01:26:10,920 --> 01:26:14,800
by concluding, when a thought 
comes that you must succumb to it.

995
01:26:14,800 --> 01:26:17,160
‘I will just get distracted’. No!

996
01:26:17,160 --> 01:26:23,480
If you identify a distraction,
rebuke it in the name of Jesus.

997
01:26:23,480 --> 01:26:30,600
The Scripture says, "Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good."

998
01:26:30,600 --> 01:26:35,640
No matter the lie the devil 
may try to paint in our minds,

999
01:26:35,640 --> 01:26:40,400
the truth in the living Word 
of God is far more powerful.

1000
01:26:40,400 --> 01:26:43,720
As far as we stand in Truth, 
we are more than conquerors.

1001
01:26:43,720 --> 01:26:46,440
But it doesn't mean there will not be a battle.

1002
01:26:46,440 --> 01:26:49,440
That is why we talk about alertness.

1003
01:26:49,440 --> 01:26:53,600
Watch and pray.

1004
01:26:53,600 --> 01:26:56,080
This is a reality, my brother.

1005
01:26:56,080 --> 01:27:03,720
And of course, as well as identifying 
a distraction, we need to also identify

1006
01:27:03,720 --> 01:27:08,720
if there is any action we must take
to disconnect from that distraction.

1007
01:27:08,720 --> 01:27:14,040
Because Jesus said, "If your right 
hand causes you to sin, cut it off."

1008
01:27:14,040 --> 01:27:17,520
So sometimes you may say, 
'Something is distracting me,'

1009
01:27:17,520 --> 01:27:23,200
but the very thing 
distracting us is still with us.

1010
01:27:23,200 --> 01:27:25,520
Last time, I talked about the phone.

1011
01:27:25,520 --> 01:27:28,280
The phone is a device that we are to use.

1012
01:27:28,280 --> 01:27:31,760
We are not to be 
used by it. It is to use.

1013
01:27:31,760 --> 01:27:35,880
It is not for us be used by it,

1014
01:27:35,880 --> 01:27:39,560
that if we pick up our phone,
we get so engrossed in what we are

1015
01:27:39,560 --> 01:27:44,520
seeing that it steals our 
time meant for other things.

1016
01:27:44,520 --> 01:27:47,040
So for example, read a physical Bible,

1017
01:27:47,040 --> 01:27:49,560
don't read the Bible app on your phone.

1018
01:27:49,560 --> 01:27:52,440
I'm not saying a Bible app is bad,

1019
01:27:52,440 --> 01:27:56,280
I'm just saying the 
phone is a source of distraction.

1020
01:27:56,280 --> 01:27:59,240
So if you are reading the 
Bible on your app and suddenly

1021
01:27:59,240 --> 01:28:05,400
a notification comes, a message 
comes, you are tempting yourself.

1022
01:28:05,400 --> 01:28:09,200
Let's say you are inviting the 
temptation of distraction by that.

1023
01:28:09,200 --> 01:28:15,720
So you also identify - is there anything around me that is also causing distraction

1024
01:28:15,720 --> 01:28:18,680
that I need to take 
an action to deal with?

1025
01:28:18,680 --> 01:28:29,280
But as far as we are in this 
world, there will be that battle.

1026
01:28:29,280 --> 01:28:35,520
Don't think that the 
closer you draw to God,

1027
01:28:35,520 --> 01:28:42,400
the intensity of the battle reduces, no,
but your ability to identify the devil's

1028
01:28:42,400 --> 01:28:48,360
tricks and traps, the sensitivity to 
the things of the Spirit increases.

1029
01:28:48,360 --> 01:28:52,000
And that's why you find 
yourself easily overcoming.

1030
01:28:52,000 --> 01:28:55,360
But as far as we're in this 
world, the battle will persist.

1031
01:28:55,360 --> 01:28:57,960
The battle will continue.
So don't be discouraged

1032
01:28:57,960 --> 01:29:00,720
that you get distracted
or negative thoughts come,

1033
01:29:00,720 --> 01:29:07,040
but as soon as you identify it, 
get back on track, reconnect.

1034
01:29:07,040 --> 01:29:11,400
It's a very good question because we are talking about something very practical.

1035
01:29:11,400 --> 01:29:14,680
And I think some people feel 
that, if I'm reading the Bible,

1036
01:29:14,680 --> 01:29:18,320
there will be zero negative 
thoughts or zero distractions.

1037
01:29:18,320 --> 01:29:20,760
And that is not a realistic perception.

1038
01:29:20,760 --> 01:29:23,640
You can play a role to reduce

1039
01:29:23,640 --> 01:29:27,320
certain elements around you
that could cause distraction,

1040
01:29:27,320 --> 01:29:30,000
but ultimately this is a thing of the Spirit.

1041
01:29:30,000 --> 01:29:33,160
The Bible is the only 
Book that can transform us.

1042
01:29:33,160 --> 01:29:37,200
If you want to watch football, you're
not going to have that kind of problem.

1043
01:29:37,200 --> 01:29:40,720
If you want to just read the news
it's not going to be a problem.

1044
01:29:40,720 --> 01:29:46,800
If you want to study for school,
it's not going to be the same problem.

1045
01:29:46,800 --> 01:29:49,880
But once you pick up the Bible
or you're going to read something

1046
01:29:49,880 --> 01:29:54,640
that will spiritually edify you,
definitely, a battle is taking place.

1047
01:29:54,640 --> 01:29:59,120
So we are not afraid of that. 
We are alert to it.