WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.600 When you go where you are not meant to be, 00:00:05.600 --> 00:00:09.760 you will find what you are not meant to see. 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:17.840 People of God, grace and peace to you all in Jesus' mighty name. 00:00:17.840 --> 00:00:26.880 Let us pray together right now and commit this time into the mighty hands of God. 00:00:26.880 --> 00:00:29.160 Let us pray. 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:42.520 Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You from the depths of our hearts 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:55.080 for the precious blood You shed for us on the cross of Calvary. 00:00:55.080 --> 00:01:07.080 We acknowledge, we recognise how undeserving we are 00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:12.480 and we are grateful for everything You are, 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.600 for everything You have done. 00:01:18.600 --> 00:01:30.360 Lord Jesus Christ, let the light of Your Word 00:01:30.360 --> 00:01:39.960 shine bright in our hearts today with understanding. 00:01:39.960 --> 00:01:51.520 Let Your Word have its way in our hearts and help us to apply this truth 00:01:51.520 --> 00:02:02.960 to our daily lives, in Jesus' mighty name, we pray. 00:02:02.960 --> 00:02:07.840 And the children of God said, 'Amen!' 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:12.240 Thank You, Lord! Thank You, Jesus Christ! 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:17.640 I want to share a message today that 00:02:17.640 --> 00:02:23.000 I believe will encourage you, but also challenge you. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:31.720 I was speaking with someone recently and the person asked a very good question 00:02:31.720 --> 00:02:37.040 and I want to share the question asked. 00:02:37.040 --> 00:02:42.760 The answer to that question gave birth to the message you're about to hear today. 00:02:42.760 --> 00:02:50.760 So the person was asking me about something I had said in a previous message. 00:02:50.760 --> 00:02:57.760 In that message, I had said, 'If God permits it, 00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:00.200 He will prepare you for it, 00:03:00.200 --> 00:03:05.880 He will give you peace in the midst of it, and He will promote you through it.' 00:03:05.880 --> 00:03:09.080 I hope you remember that message. It's a word of encouragement. 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:14.720 Whatever we may be facing as Christians, as children of God, 00:03:14.720 --> 00:03:22.080 listen, if God permits you to pass through it, 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:29.520 He will provide peace in the process of seeing you through it. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.520 That's a word of hope. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:35.720 But the question this brother asked me was very straightforward. 00:03:35.720 --> 00:03:40.640 He said, 'Brother Chris, I'm going through a difficult situation 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:45.160 right now and I don't have any peace in the midst of it. 00:03:45.160 --> 00:03:49.360 Does this mean God did not permit it? 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:53.160 I'm going through a terrible situation 00:03:53.160 --> 00:03:58.320 and God did not prepare me for it. 00:03:58.320 --> 00:04:02.640 I don't have peace in the midst of it. I'm not seeing promotion coming from it. 00:04:02.640 --> 00:04:05.680 So does that mean God was not aware, 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.000 God did not permit it, God did not allow it?' 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:12.760 I said, 'This is a very good question.' 00:04:12.760 --> 00:04:20.600 People of God, if you are going through a difficult situation 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:29.560 and you don't have peace of heart in the midst of that situation, 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:41.200 oftentimes it is because it is self-inflicted, not divinely permitted. 00:04:41.200 --> 00:04:47.320 Take note, I said, 'Oftentimes'. 00:04:47.320 --> 00:04:53.040 Many times you're going through a challenge, trial, 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:54.960 you don't have peace in the midst of it. 00:04:54.960 --> 00:05:01.000 You're filled with worry, anxiety, fear. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:09.680 Oftentimes it's because it is self-inflicted, not divinely permitted. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:11.440 Not always. 00:05:11.440 --> 00:05:18.480 There can be some situations where God allows it, but maybe that situation 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:26.440 shifts our focus off God and we fall into that trap of panic, fear, worry. 00:05:26.440 --> 00:05:31.320 Remember our Lord Jesus Christ when He called Simon Peter to come. 00:05:31.320 --> 00:05:33.720 It was an instruction from Jesus, 'Come!' 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:39.400 Peter came, but when he saw the waves, the winds, what happened? 00:05:39.400 --> 00:05:44.120 His focus left the Saviour and turned to the storm. 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:48.600 When he saw the waves and the winds, fear stepped in. 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:50.640 He began to sink. 00:05:50.640 --> 00:05:57.600 Sometimes our situation can feel so overwhelming and our attention is taken 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:01.000 from our Saviour, from our Source. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.160 That's true. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:11.840 But today, I want to talk about 00:06:11.840 --> 00:06:21.880 the challenges, the trials, the difficulties that are self-inflicted. 00:06:21.880 --> 00:06:30.880 Because when you face a self-inflicted trial, 00:06:30.880 --> 00:06:33.720 you will not be prepared for it, 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:37.800 you will not have peace in the midst of it, and you will not be promoted 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:48.600 through it unless you turn to God in the face of it, in repentance. 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:58.840 Now, what do I mean when I say a self-inflicted trouble, a self-inflicted trial? 00:06:58.840 --> 00:07:05.000 Well, people of God, take note of this. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.760 Those of you who are connected today, you brought your notebook, 00:07:08.760 --> 00:07:13.960 you want to take note of something for further reflection, you can write this down. 00:07:13.960 --> 00:07:24.800 A self-invited temptation leads to a self-inflicted trouble. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.200 I'll say it again. 00:07:26.200 --> 00:07:40.040 A self-invited temptation leads to a self-inflicted tribulation. 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:45.880 There are temptations that God allows. 00:07:45.880 --> 00:07:51.240 There are temptations that we invite. 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:56.920 Let me just read from 1 Corinthians 10:13. 00:07:56.920 --> 00:08:01.120 This is a very popular Scripture when talking on this subject matter. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:04.120 But I want you to think carefully about this. 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:07.480 1 Corinthians 10:13, 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:16.000 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:25.200 but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 00:08:25.200 --> 00:08:27.000 but with the temptation 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:34.360 will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it." 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:44.400 If you cannot find a way out, you have shown the way in. 00:08:44.400 --> 00:08:46.880 People of God, if you are with someone, 00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:50.600 you can tell the person or you can tell yourself, 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:58.880 “If you have not found the way out, 00:08:58.880 --> 00:09:07.680 you have shown the way in to sin.” 00:09:07.680 --> 00:09:20.040 If you don't find an escape route, you have let sin take root. 00:09:20.040 --> 00:09:24.000 This is what the Scripture is saying here. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.600 The temptation that God permits is accompanied by a way out. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:42.280 But the temptation we easily fall into is the temptation we invite. 00:09:42.280 --> 00:09:51.240 And if you open the door, don't blame the devil for entering through it. 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:55.880 Don't blame the devil for entering through 00:09:55.880 --> 00:10:00.280 the door you leave wide open for him. 00:10:00.280 --> 00:10:04.680 I hope you follow what I’m saying here, people of God. 00:10:04.680 --> 00:10:15.840 If you invite temptation, don't assume God will help you to fight temptation. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:25.440 God will not see you through the temptation invited by you. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:33.000 If you invite it, you are left alone to fight it. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:43.000 This is the reason why many people today are facing self-inflicted trials 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:49.080 in their marriage, in their health, in their finances, 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:56.640 because they set themselves up for temptation. 00:10:56.640 --> 00:11:00.760 And when you set yourself up for temptation, 00:11:00.760 --> 00:11:09.160 temptation will soon be set up for you and you will likely fall into it. 00:11:09.160 --> 00:11:14.440 The consequences of falling into that temptation 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:20.640 often lead to self-inflicted troubles. 00:11:20.640 --> 00:11:26.520 I want to talk to you today about two very common ways 00:11:26.520 --> 00:11:32.440 we invite temptation so we can examine ourselves in the light of God's Word. 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:36.360 Two ways that we invite temptation - 00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:45.480 1. We go where we are not meant to go. 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:52.320 2. We do not go where we are meant to go. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:56.400 Oh, thank You, Jesus. 00:11:56.400 --> 00:12:00.120 I will say it again, people of God. There are two common ways 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:08.520 we invite temptation, or two ways in which we tempt the devil to tempt us. 00:12:08.520 --> 00:12:18.600 1. We go where we are not meant to go - 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:23.360 being where we are not meant to be as children of God. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:30.600 2. We don't go where we are meant to go. 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.920 Now, if you are to look at these two common ways in which we invite temptation, 00:12:35.920 --> 00:12:40.560 I think the first one is something far easier to understand. 00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:46.680 As a child of God, there are certain places we should not go, 00:12:46.680 --> 00:12:50.600 I should not go, you should not go. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:55.600 You should not go to a place where Jesus Christ would not be welcomed. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:13:01.360 Don't expect God's grace, God's protection, to cover you 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:08.480 when you go to a place, knowingly, where sin is celebrated. 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:12.400 You are walking into the lion's den. 00:13:12.400 --> 00:13:17.760 You are asking for temptation to come. 00:13:17.760 --> 00:13:21.400 And when you go where you are not meant to go, what happens? 00:13:21.400 --> 00:13:24.120 You are on your own. 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:30.840 And this natural strength cannot overcome sin's power. 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:38.320 Natural wisdom cannot defeat the devil's cunning. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:40.760 You say, 'I'm strong in myself.' 00:13:40.760 --> 00:13:45.560 You go to a place where Jesus will not be welcomed. 00:13:45.560 --> 00:13:47.280 You go on your own. 00:13:47.280 --> 00:13:51.360 The Spirit of God is not there to protect you. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:55.040 The Spirit of God is not there to make a way out for you. 00:13:55.040 --> 00:14:01.200 You're going to fall into the trap you have set for yourself. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:04.160 So I could give a very simple example, right? 00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:11.760 Let's say someone is praying, 'God, I want to stop drinking alcohol. 00:14:11.760 --> 00:14:18.960 I know this is bad for my spiritual life, physical life, financial life, marital life. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.240 In every department, it is bad, sinful. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:25.640 I want to stop drinking alcohol,' and you receive prayer. 00:14:25.640 --> 00:14:27.640 You join the Interactive Prayer Service 00:14:27.640 --> 00:14:31.840 or you go to a living church to receive prayer or you're seeking God on your own. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:39.120 But after that prayer, you use your own two legs to walk 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:45.440 to a bar, to a club, to a pub where alcohol is being sold and celebrated. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:51.560 You are walking into the trap that you will fall into. 00:14:51.560 --> 00:14:57.600 You're going to fall straight back into that ungodly influence. Why? 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:04.680 Because you are going where you are not meant to go. 00:15:04.680 --> 00:15:08.200 What business does a child of God 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:16.600 have with a place that celebrates sin, or a place that celebrates darkness? 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:23.760 So I think it is easier to understand that particular example. 00:15:23.760 --> 00:15:28.680 Hey, as a child of God, some places are off-limits. 00:15:28.680 --> 00:15:30.840 I should not go there. 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:34.280 There is no justification for going there. 00:15:34.280 --> 00:15:37.320 But let's now look at the second one, 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:42.000 because it's not just about going where you are not meant to go. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:47.040 Do you know what is the cause of many invited temptations? 00:15:47.040 --> 00:15:52.000 We are not where we are meant to be. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:58.280 I want to turn to the Scriptures to read a story 00:15:58.280 --> 00:16:03.920 in the Old Testament that illustrates the danger of this, 00:16:03.920 --> 00:16:10.640 and that is taken from the Book of 2 Samuel. 00:16:10.640 --> 00:16:17.040 Please turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 11. 00:16:17.040 --> 00:16:25.800 Now this is the account of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah. 00:16:25.800 --> 00:16:30.720 I believe you are familiar with this story, David and Bathsheba. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.280 It's a well-known story. 00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:38.160 How could this man after God's own heart, the king, 00:16:38.160 --> 00:16:44.840 succumb to that temptation with Bathsheba? 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:50.680 Let us examine not just the sinful action, 00:16:50.680 --> 00:16:56.640 but what happened before that led to that temptation. 00:16:56.640 --> 00:17:00.440 So I want to read this account. 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.440 Let's start from verse one, 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:11.920 "It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:18.760 that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; 00:17:18.760 --> 00:17:23.320 and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. 00:17:23.320 --> 00:17:34.800 But David remained at Jerusalem. 00:17:34.800 --> 00:17:42.960 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:50.640 and walked on the roof of the king's house. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:56.960 And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:00.600 and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 00:18:00.600 --> 00:18:03.920 So David sent and inquired about the woman. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:06.840 And someone said, 'Is this not Bathsheba, 00:18:06.840 --> 00:18:10.720 the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:20.680 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, 00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:23.400 for she was cleansed from her impurity; 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:30.280 and she returned to her house. 00:18:30.280 --> 00:18:32.320 And the woman conceived; 00:18:32.320 --> 00:18:36.800 so she sent and told David, and said, 'I am with child.' 00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:43.800 Then David sent to Joab, saying, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' 00:18:43.800 --> 00:18:46.600 And Joab sent Uriah to David. 00:18:46.600 --> 00:18:51.280 When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, 00:18:51.280 --> 00:18:55.000 and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:00.520 And David said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.' 00:19:00.520 --> 00:19:03.000 So Uriah departed from the king's house, 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:07.160 and a gift of food from the king followed him. 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:12.560 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house 00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:19.360 with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 00:19:19.360 --> 00:19:24.280 So when they told David, saying, 'Uriah did not go down to his house,' 00:19:24.280 --> 00:19:28.440 David said to Uriah, 'Did you not come from a journey? 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:31.960 Why did you not go down to your house?' 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:41.920 And Uriah said to David, 'The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:47.280 and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. 00:19:47.280 --> 00:19:54.320 Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? 00:19:54.320 --> 00:20:02.080 As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." 00:20:02.080 --> 00:20:07.120 I'm going to pause the reading here. 00:20:07.120 --> 00:20:15.760 This is a very sad, sobering story, 00:20:15.760 --> 00:20:21.800 and, although we will not read the entire passage, 00:20:21.800 --> 00:20:30.160 eventually, because Uriah does not go back to meet his wife, 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:35.800 David sends him back to the battle with a letter to Joab, 00:20:35.800 --> 00:20:40.440 effectively arranging his murder, 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:46.120 and Uriah was killed on the battleground. 00:20:46.120 --> 00:20:53.560 And afterwards David then took Bathsheba to be his wife. 00:20:53.560 --> 00:21:01.080 It is a seriously sad story - how a man who loved God, 00:21:01.080 --> 00:21:06.040 a man after God's heart, could not only fall 00:21:06.040 --> 00:21:13.120 into that trap of temptation, but then go on this journey of cover-up 00:21:13.120 --> 00:21:18.520 that led him to increasingly worse sins. 00:21:18.520 --> 00:21:25.280 Before I go back to the beginning of this chapter to examine what led 00:21:25.280 --> 00:21:34.240 to David being in the place where such a temptation struck, 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:38.840 I think it's worth saying something important here - 00:21:38.840 --> 00:21:50.360 sin always outstays its welcome. 00:21:50.360 --> 00:22:04.200 It gives you far less than you desire and takes far more than you realise. 00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:16.280 Sin is like a wildfire that cannot be contained once lit. 00:22:16.280 --> 00:22:25.160 No human efforts to contain it will succeed without repentance. 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:37.560 Sin will take you further than you are prepared to stray, 00:22:37.560 --> 00:22:44.680 will hold you longer than you are willing to stay, 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:51.880 and will cost you more than you are ready to pay. 00:22:51.880 --> 00:23:01.480 This is the case of David and Bathsheba. 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:07.960 It's a big lesson, people of God, a very big lesson. 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:14.800 David's attempt to cover up his sin 00:23:14.800 --> 00:23:22.400 became a downward spiral that led him increasingly 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:26.800 down into the depths of even more sin. 00:23:26.800 --> 00:23:33.800 The more you attempt to cover up sin, the tighter it increases its grip on you. 00:23:33.800 --> 00:23:43.880 The wildfire of sin can only be contained by a repentant heart. 00:23:43.880 --> 00:23:46.800 Or let me say the wildfire of sin 00:23:46.800 --> 00:23:51.920 can only be contained by the blood of Jesus Christ, 00:23:51.920 --> 00:24:02.200 which we have access to when we repent genuinely, sincerely. 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:09.400 I know this is a serious subject, people of God, but let's look into this. 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:12.880 What happened to David? 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:19.560 What happened that he fell headlong into this trap of Bathsheba? 00:24:19.560 --> 00:24:24.680 Okay, I want to read again to you 2 Samuel 11:1. 00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:31.000 Let's examine the scenario before this encounter. 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:42.080 "It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle..." 00:24:42.080 --> 00:24:46.440 David was a warrior. 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:51.440 He had been with his army on the battleground, 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:57.400 but on this occasion, the army went out to battle 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:02.280 but the king remained at Jerusalem. 00:25:02.280 --> 00:25:08.280 I hope you see where I'm going with this, people of God. 00:25:08.280 --> 00:25:15.120 David was meant to be with his men at the battle 00:25:15.120 --> 00:25:20.080 but he remained in Jerusalem. 00:25:20.080 --> 00:25:25.200 And because he was not where he was meant to be, 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:38.240 the idleness that he fell into soon led to the temptation that he invited. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:43.880 Why do I say idleness? 2 Samuel 11:2, "Then it happened one evening..." 00:25:43.880 --> 00:25:51.400 Take note - in the evening, David arose from his bed. 00:25:51.400 --> 00:26:00.520 His men are fighting on the field while David was sleeping in his bed. 00:26:00.520 --> 00:26:07.240 I hope you follow the lesson I'm painting to everyone here, people of God. 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:15.960 In the afternoon he was sleeping - a time he was not meant to. 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:24.600 And then he got up in the evening and went up to the roof. 00:26:24.600 --> 00:26:29.920 When you go where you are not meant to be, 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:34.280 you will find what you are not meant to see. 00:26:34.280 --> 00:26:38.440 If you are searching for what is not missing, 00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:43.560 you will soon locate what you are not looking for. 00:26:43.560 --> 00:26:49.600 David went up to the roof in the evening 00:26:49.600 --> 00:26:54.520 because he was on his bed in the afternoon, 00:26:54.520 --> 00:27:01.320 while his men were fighting on the field of battle. 00:27:01.320 --> 00:27:05.720 People of God, there's a big lesson here. 00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:13.440 There is a very big lesson here for all of you, for all of us. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:18.520 If David was with his men on the field of battle, 00:27:18.520 --> 00:27:24.000 he would not have been at that place, at that moment 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:31.040 where his eyes saw Bathsheba and he fell into that temptation. 00:27:31.040 --> 00:27:43.000 Do you know there are many testimonies that your eyes may never see 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:51.040 because you are where God wants you to be. 00:27:51.040 --> 00:27:53.480 He has preserved you. 00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.360 He has protected you. 00:27:56.360 --> 00:28:01.520 He has seen you through battles you didn't even know existed, 00:28:01.520 --> 00:28:05.600 because you were in the right place. 00:28:05.600 --> 00:28:12.560 There is no moment spent in God's projects, God's assignments, 00:28:12.560 --> 00:28:15.920 that is wasted, that is missed, that is lost. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:22.560 You have no idea how God has rescued you 00:28:22.560 --> 00:28:26.520 just by being in the right place and doing the right thing - 00:28:26.520 --> 00:28:30.720 being in your assignment. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:35.120 What happened with David? 00:28:35.120 --> 00:28:45.760 He stepped out of his duty, and so he stepped into temptation. 00:28:45.760 --> 00:28:49.800 People of God, think about this. 00:28:49.800 --> 00:28:54.600 When you step out of the path of your duty, 00:28:54.600 --> 00:29:01.280 you will soon step into the path of temptation. 00:29:01.280 --> 00:29:12.240 If you neglect your assignments, it will surely deflect your focus. 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:18.720 If you let down your guard, idleness seeps in, 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:20.760 you can fall into that temptation. 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. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:30.400 We have so many examples in the Scriptures. 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:35.960 He was not an idle man, but in a moment of idleness... 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:37.480 Or let me put it like this, 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:43.120 a moment of idleness turned into a moment of madness. 00:29:43.120 --> 00:29:53.080 And the man after God's own heart fell to the sin of adultery. 00:29:53.080 --> 00:29:55.880 This is a serious message, once again, people of God. 00:29:55.880 --> 00:30:00.880 We don't know how God has been preserving us 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:04.000 simply by our presence in His presence, 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:08.160 by being in the right place at the right time. 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:11.280 I used to hear some people say today, 00:30:11.280 --> 00:30:14.400 'I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.' 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:17.000 People of God, let me tell you a vital truth, 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? 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:30.240 Because if you are in the right place with God, 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:36.040 He will preserve you from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 00:30:36.040 --> 00:30:39.440 Think about how many troubles people enter today, 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:46.120 how many negative situations emerge today because people are in the wrong place, 00:30:46.120 --> 00:30:49.600 at the wrong time, with the wrong people. 00:30:49.600 --> 00:30:52.360 Because if you are in the wrong place, at the wrong time, 00:30:52.360 --> 00:30:54.840 you will get connected to the wrong people - 00:30:54.840 --> 00:30:59.960 people that divide your life, people that subtract from your life. 00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:08.800 On the contrary, if you are in the right place with God, 00:31:08.800 --> 00:31:13.960 you will be moving at the right pace 00:31:13.960 --> 00:31:18.000 and you will find yourself surrounded by the right people - 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:24.160 people that will add to your life, contribute to your spiritual growth, 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:26.520 multiply your life. 00:31:26.520 --> 00:31:32.640 When you are committed to your assignment from God, He will connect you to those 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:36.840 who are equally committed to the same cause. 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, 00:31:41.120 --> 00:31:45.640 with this issue of marriage, 'I want to find my godly partner, the right person. 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:48.080 When will the right person come?' 00:31:48.080 --> 00:31:53.200 People of God, you will not find the right person in the wrong place. 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:59.080 You will not find the right person in the wrong place. 00:31:59.080 --> 00:32:03.520 If you stay in the right place with God, 00:32:03.520 --> 00:32:11.800 He will bring the right person at His appointed time. 00:32:11.800 --> 00:32:15.160 But we get desperate. We look at our age. 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.800 We look at all these other circumstantial factors, pressures from society, and we 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! 00:32:28.760 --> 00:32:32.560 These are invited temptations. 00:32:32.560 --> 00:32:40.880 And if you invite temptation, don't expect spiritual benefits. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:49.720 Don't assume a spiritual benefit for a self-inflicted trial. 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:54.680 As I'm recounting this story of David, you can just reflect 00:32:54.680 --> 00:33:00.560 on your own life, your own journey of faith. 00:33:00.560 --> 00:33:06.960 Let's contrast David's attitude to Uriah's attitude. 00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:12.680 Oh, there is a big difference. 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:17.960 Uriah left the battle, but the battle did not leave him. 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:24.640 He physically left his assignment, but his assignment did not leave him. 00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:34.760 Even when he came back to see the king, he refused to go and meet with 00:33:34.760 --> 00:33:40.120 his wife or eat and drink as the king wanted. Why? 00:33:40.120 --> 00:33:47.840 Because he said, 'How can I do this whilst those men are on the battlefield?' 00:33:47.840 --> 00:33:51.080 Even though Uriah left the battle in flesh, 00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:53.680 he did not leave the battle in spirit. 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:56.520 The problem with David is that he was neither 00:33:56.520 --> 00:34:03.080 present in the battle in flesh nor in spirit. 00:34:03.080 --> 00:34:05.160 I hope you understand, people of God. 00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:10.200 Even if David was not there physically, 00:34:10.200 --> 00:34:14.760 if he was alert that a battle's going on, 00:34:14.760 --> 00:34:19.240 there are people putting their lives on the line to fight his enemies, 00:34:19.240 --> 00:34:21.760 he would have joined them in spirit. 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:24.880 He would have stayed alert to that assignment, 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:28.600 even if he was not physically in the place of that assignment. 00:34:28.600 --> 00:34:35.960 But whilst his men were busy fighting his enemies on the field, 00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:45.600 he was busy playing games with the enemy on the roof. 00:34:45.600 --> 00:34:48.440 Take note, I'm not saying Bathsheba was his enemy. 00:34:48.440 --> 00:34:58.240 The devil is our actual enemy. 00:34:58.240 --> 00:35:01.400 He was not present in the battle physically, 00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:06.760 but equally, he was not present in the battle spiritually. 00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:10.320 Some people may say, 'David is a fighting man. 00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:14.160 You know, he'd gone out to many battles. He'd won many victories. 00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:16.480 This was a time for him to rest. 00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:19.520 It's not every time he had to lead the men in battle. 00:35:19.520 --> 00:35:21.760 He could have gone back to rest.' 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. 00:35:27.480 --> 00:35:30.680 But when you rest when you are meant to work, 00:35:30.680 --> 00:35:34.840 it will only leave you more stressed. 00:35:34.840 --> 00:35:38.320 If you relax at the time you are not meant to, 00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:43.840 it is far from relaxing because it is accompanied by guilt. 00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:52.360 There is no real pleasure in ill-timed leisure, unearned leisure. 00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:55.680 I hope you follow what I'm saying, people of God. 00:35:55.680 --> 00:36:00.400 It's a divine decree to rest. Yes, there are times this body needs rest. 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:04.360 But if you rest in the body, don't relent in the spirit. 00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:09.400 Don't rest in the spirit. This was the problem of David. 00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:21.280 He not only left the battle naturally, he was not there spiritually. 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:24.040 That's why idleness crept in. 00:36:24.040 --> 00:36:26.920 Look, I'm not saying you should not rest. 00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:29.560 Of course, this body needs rest. 00:36:29.560 --> 00:36:41.400 But look, rest is an extension of your assignment, not an escape from it. 00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:48.600 Rest should be an expression of faith, not an exception of faith. 00:36:48.600 --> 00:36:50.360 What do I mean? 00:36:50.360 --> 00:36:54.760 If you are to rest this flesh, you must not rest your spirit. 00:36:54.760 --> 00:36:57.360 You must stay alert. 00:36:57.360 --> 00:37:00.880 Watch and pray. 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:02.920 Many of us today, what happens? 00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:07.560 We say, 'I want to rest. I want to relax.' 00:37:07.560 --> 00:37:11.720 But in the process of relaxing, what are we doing? 00:37:11.720 --> 00:37:17.240 We are where we are not meant to be. 00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:23.240 We see what we are not meant to see. 00:37:23.240 --> 00:37:30.160 If you want to rest, don't simply look for something that can entertain your flesh. 00:37:30.160 --> 00:37:34.640 Look for something that can edify your spirit 00:37:34.640 --> 00:37:42.160 because the devil does not respect your time of relaxation. 00:37:42.160 --> 00:37:50.520 Look at David - if this could happen to a man after God's own heart, 00:37:50.520 --> 00:37:54.360 how much more so should we be careful? 00:37:54.360 --> 00:37:59.800 Be careful, people of God. 00:37:59.800 --> 00:38:05.840 Don't tempt the devil to tempt you. Don't invite temptation. 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:10.760 Now, some of you may hear this message today and say, 00:38:10.760 --> 00:38:14.320 'Brother Chris, David was a man of war. 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:19.000 This was a clear-cut scenario. You know, his soldiers were on the battleground. 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:21.640 Me, I am not working in the army. 00:38:21.640 --> 00:38:25.160 I'm not going to fight a physical battle. What can I do? 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? 00:38:29.680 --> 00:38:35.680 I must stay in my assignment. What does that mean practically?' 00:38:35.680 --> 00:38:47.080 People of God, if you take care of your relationship with God, 00:38:47.080 --> 00:38:56.080 you will know there are assignments all around that He has given you. 00:38:56.080 --> 00:39:04.720 There is no one connected here whom God has not given an assignment. 00:39:04.720 --> 00:39:09.640 If you drown out the noise of your situation and listen to the prompting 00:39:09.640 --> 00:39:15.000 of your conscience, you will know what you need to do. 00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:24.600 Your contribution to others is an assignment from God. 00:39:24.600 --> 00:39:27.040 I will say it again. 00:39:27.040 --> 00:39:37.320 Your contribution to others is an assignment from God. 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:47.120 Use what is in your hands to help and watch what is in your hands grow. 00:39:47.120 --> 00:39:52.760 If you have too much time for yourself, 00:39:52.760 --> 00:40:01.480 you will soon find yourself spending it on your wants, not your needs. 00:40:01.480 --> 00:40:05.800 And man's wants are unlimited. 00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:18.720 The confusion of needs with wants is the cause of the crisis in contentment. 00:40:18.720 --> 00:40:25.280 We are not content and lack of contentment 00:40:25.280 --> 00:40:32.280 makes you a candidate for carnal comparison. 00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:35.560 We're not content. 00:40:35.560 --> 00:40:46.520 We're so busy looking at the lives of others rather than living our own lives. 00:40:46.520 --> 00:40:52.080 I remember an old saying that there are three types of people in this world - 00:40:52.080 --> 00:40:55.600 those who make things happen, 00:40:55.600 --> 00:40:58.520 those who watch things happen, 00:40:58.520 --> 00:41:03.320 and those who wonder what happened. 00:41:03.320 --> 00:41:10.840 We're too busy comparing ourselves with others, 00:41:10.840 --> 00:41:15.560 focusing on what we want rather than what we need. 00:41:15.560 --> 00:41:22.480 God has promised as a good Father to meet the needs of His children - 00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:25.280 not necessarily our wants. 00:41:25.280 --> 00:41:29.760 David had everything that he needed. 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:38.400 God had given him everything, even more abundantly, more than he needed. 00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:45.520 But because he neglected his duty, his focus was deflected, 00:41:45.520 --> 00:41:51.240 and he started focusing on what he wanted, not what he needed. 00:41:51.240 --> 00:41:59.880 And then he saw Bathsheba and fell into the trap of the devil. 00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:05.120 It's important, people of God, that we address issues like this, 00:42:05.120 --> 00:42:09.360 not to condemn you, no. 00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:17.400 Look, even if you're watching this message right now and you reflect and realise, 00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:23.320 'My situation is self-inflicted because I invited temptation' - 00:42:23.320 --> 00:42:34.960 there is hope because the answer to a self-inflicted trial is repentance. 00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:42.960 When you turn to God with all your heart, He can still turn that situation around 00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:47.040 and it can still lead to your progress and promotion. 00:42:47.040 --> 00:42:48.880 That's the mystery. 00:42:48.880 --> 00:42:54.200 Even David, with what happened... 00:42:54.200 --> 00:43:00.040 Do you know, people of God, that after this, when the prophet Nathan rebuked him 00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:08.680 and he repented, do you know that this very scenario led him to write Psalm 51? 00:43:08.680 --> 00:43:16.760 A Psalm, I believe so many of us present here have read 00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:19.920 and been touched by the Holy Spirit. 00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:24.200 A message that resonates through generations, 00:43:24.200 --> 00:43:27.840 that came from a repentant heart. 00:43:27.840 --> 00:43:34.560 And even though sin connected David with Bathsheba, 00:43:34.560 --> 00:43:39.640 we know that eventually their union produced King Solomon, 00:43:39.640 --> 00:43:45.640 a man who has provided such words of wisdom through the Proverbs, 00:43:45.640 --> 00:43:52.920 and someone who was even part of the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:43:52.920 --> 00:43:54.880 What does this mean? 00:43:54.880 --> 00:43:58.800 Even if your trial is self-inflicted, 00:43:58.800 --> 00:44:02.160 and right now, you don't have peace in the midst of it, 00:44:02.160 --> 00:44:04.680 the answer is to repent. 00:44:04.680 --> 00:44:12.040 Repentance comes when you stop blaming and start changing. 00:44:12.040 --> 00:44:14.920 Stop blaming. 00:44:14.920 --> 00:44:18.160 ‘I'm facing this because of what they did to me.’ 00:44:18.160 --> 00:44:22.440 ‘I'm going through this because of my family background.’ 00:44:22.440 --> 00:44:28.440 ‘I did this because everyone in my workplace is doing it - it's okay.’ 00:44:28.440 --> 00:44:34.480 ‘I'm going through this difficulty because of the corruption in my government.’ 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:40.400 ‘I'm facing this because of that.’ 00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:45.880 Even if there is an element of truth in that allegation, 00:44:45.880 --> 00:44:51.640 spiritually, the answer is not to blame. 00:44:51.640 --> 00:44:58.680 Blaming will not produce change; it will keep you in chains. 00:44:58.680 --> 00:45:06.640 Repent, reconnect with God 00:45:06.640 --> 00:45:10.600 and He can still provide that peace in the midst of it 00:45:10.600 --> 00:45:15.680 even if you face the consequences of it. 00:45:15.680 --> 00:45:19.480 Repentance does not necessarily remove consequence, 00:45:19.480 --> 00:45:27.840 but it enables you to put the best construction on it. 00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:39.520 May God bless His Word in the midst of our hearts. 00:45:39.520 --> 00:45:54.160 And may He help us to stay on the path of our calling 00:45:54.160 --> 00:46:00.840 that we avoid the road that leads to our falling. 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:08.400 In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen. 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:14.360 At this point, I would love to hear from one or two of you, 00:46:14.360 --> 00:46:20.720 if there's a lesson you have learnt from this sermon, this word of encouragement, 00:46:20.720 --> 00:46:26.320 or perhaps you have a question to ask in the light of this message, 00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:29.400 let's give some time right now for that. 00:46:35.200 --> 00:46:36.360 I am Eliane. 00:46:36.360 --> 00:46:41.800 I'm originally from Ivory Coast, but I'm a Dutch citizen living in Amsterdam. 00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:48.960 Brother Chris, I want to say thank you for the message about King David and Bathsheba. 00:46:48.960 --> 00:46:55.320 This message really touched me because it captured my own story. 00:46:55.320 --> 00:46:58.840 I found myself where I shouldn't have been 00:46:58.840 --> 00:47:03.240 and I met a married man and I had a child for him. 00:47:03.240 --> 00:47:09.320 And the only child that I have was born with sickle-cell anaemia. 00:47:09.320 --> 00:47:15.880 So I know that what I did was very wrong. 00:47:15.880 --> 00:47:22.200 And I'm always asking God to forgive me because it's very bad. 00:47:22.200 --> 00:47:25.280 And she's the only child I have. 00:47:25.280 --> 00:47:28.800 Now she's doing fine because I'm praying every day for her 00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:33.000 and I have taken her to a man of God to pray for her. 00:47:33.000 --> 00:47:38.440 But sometimes I think that the consequences are still there. 00:47:38.440 --> 00:47:42.440 I think that maybe I may lose my child and when I think about it 00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:45.600 I'm always crying and I'm always asking God for forgiveness. 00:47:45.600 --> 00:47:48.280 This message really touched me. 00:47:48.280 --> 00:47:51.360 It is my story. 00:47:51.360 --> 00:47:53.520 I'm so sorry. 00:47:53.520 --> 00:47:57.160 Please help me beg God. 00:47:57.160 --> 00:47:59.760 This is just what I wanted to say, it's a comment. 00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:04.640 I don't have any question. I know that what I've done is very bad. 00:48:04.640 --> 00:48:10.280 I'm just asking God to help me, to forgive me. 00:48:10.280 --> 00:48:12.840 Because I even asked the woman, 00:48:12.840 --> 00:48:17.800 the married woman, before she got divorced with her husband, 00:48:17.800 --> 00:48:20.800 I asked for forgiveness. 00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:26.080 But my daughter, my only child, she has sickle-cell anaemia. 00:48:26.080 --> 00:48:29.280 Mama, so thank you very much for being open. 00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:31.000 We can see your tears. 00:48:31.000 --> 00:48:36.200 We know to have a child in a health challenge, 00:48:36.200 --> 00:48:42.000 as a mother, we understand your heart. So let me thank you for being open. 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. 00:48:47.120 --> 00:48:48.600 It makes it practical. 00:48:48.600 --> 00:48:53.440 What our mother is saying is a real situation that she's in. 00:48:53.440 --> 00:48:58.560 But, mama, I want to encourage you, first of all. 00:48:58.560 --> 00:49:01.160 Our God is not someone that 00:49:01.160 --> 00:49:11.680 you have to beg for forgiveness for many months or years before it is released. No. 00:49:11.680 --> 00:49:19.280 The devil who tries to incite us to sin against God 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 00:49:25.920 --> 00:49:29.720 so that we fall into the trap of condemnation. 00:49:29.720 --> 00:49:39.000 ‘Because I've done this and I am facing a challenge, this is God punishing me. 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:43.480 This is the consequences and I cannot be forgiven. 00:49:43.480 --> 00:49:51.000 Or I have to maybe do certain sacrifices in order to be forgiven.’ No! 00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:57.640 The blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for you, mama, 00:49:57.640 --> 00:50:03.440 for me, is so abundant, so sufficient 00:50:03.440 --> 00:50:08.160 that when we turn to Him with all of our hearts and repent - 00:50:08.160 --> 00:50:13.680 we can see your tears as you repent - it's over. 00:50:13.680 --> 00:50:19.080 You are forgiven. 00:50:19.080 --> 00:50:23.280 If there is a situation, in this case with your daughter, 00:50:23.280 --> 00:50:30.680 don't assume that the challenge she's facing is 00:50:30.680 --> 00:50:37.680 a retribution or a punishment for what you did. No. 00:50:37.680 --> 00:50:43.320 Situations come in life. The question is, what do we do about them? 00:50:43.320 --> 00:50:47.160 Here you are today seeking God. 00:50:47.160 --> 00:50:54.120 A child can be sick. That doesn't mean that 00:50:54.120 --> 00:50:57.960 because of that sickness, they are limited from achieving 00:50:57.960 --> 00:51:01.760 what God wants them to achieve while they are here on earth. 00:51:01.760 --> 00:51:05.600 And it doesn't mean that you as a mother should move around laden 00:51:05.600 --> 00:51:09.840 with guilt and condemnation because of a mistake you made in the past. 00:51:09.840 --> 00:51:15.840 That is the devil's intention to rob you of joy, to rob you of peace. 00:51:15.840 --> 00:51:19.120 Yes, we are not denying there is a challenge with your daughter. 00:51:19.120 --> 00:51:21.880 And I am happy you've said you've taken her for prayer. 00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:24.920 Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is powerful. 00:51:24.920 --> 00:51:27.600 There is healing in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:51:27.600 --> 00:51:34.880 But for you, mama, don't go through life thinking that God is 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:38.000 punishing you for your past mistakes 00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:41.720 and that the only evidence of His forgiveness, 00:51:41.720 --> 00:51:44.520 is if that situation in your daughter's life changes. 00:51:44.520 --> 00:51:48.000 ‘Oh, I am not forgiven until that situation changes’ - no! 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:50.440 Situations may be there in life. 00:51:50.440 --> 00:51:56.080 Even though the circumstance behind her birth is what you have shared, 00:51:56.080 --> 00:51:59.520 that doesn't mean it's the cause of her having sickle-cell. 00:51:59.520 --> 00:52:01.520 A child could be born with an affliction. 00:52:01.520 --> 00:52:05.920 It doesn't necessarily mean it's because of the circumstances behind their birth. 00:52:05.920 --> 00:52:13.600 So don't have that mindset that the only evidence of 00:52:13.600 --> 00:52:17.520 God's forgiveness for me is a change in my daughter's situation. 00:52:17.520 --> 00:52:20.760 What must you do? Take this to God in prayer. 00:52:20.760 --> 00:52:22.960 As you've turned to Him, you've recognised, 00:52:22.960 --> 00:52:27.320 you were even open to say it publicly, that you did this, it was wrong, 00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:31.400 you've identified - as far as you do that with your heart 00:52:31.400 --> 00:52:34.880 and you acknowledge that, it's over. 00:52:34.880 --> 00:52:41.080 Spiritually, the blood of Jesus washes it clear, washes it clean. 00:52:41.080 --> 00:52:43.280 You start afresh. 00:52:43.280 --> 00:52:46.600 So, mama, please, thank you for being open, 00:52:46.600 --> 00:52:49.120 but I want you to dry your tears. 00:52:49.120 --> 00:52:52.560 Our God is not one who is going to be 00:52:52.560 --> 00:52:58.680 counting the magnitude of your wrong and holding it against you. No. 00:52:58.680 --> 00:53:00.720 Sin is sin. 00:53:00.720 --> 00:53:04.560 All of us stand in helpless need of His divine forgiveness, 00:53:04.560 --> 00:53:07.360 and all of us can receive that divine forgiveness 00:53:07.360 --> 00:53:10.560 on the platform of faith and repentance. 00:53:10.560 --> 00:53:15.840 So we will join you in prayer for your daughter. 00:53:15.840 --> 00:53:18.360 We know there is healing in the name of Jesus. 00:53:18.360 --> 00:53:21.760 Thank you for being open to share that. We can see mama's tears. 00:53:21.760 --> 00:53:25.560 And I know her words have touched many of us as well today. 00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:34.320 My name is Gabriel from Colombia. 00:53:34.320 --> 00:53:41.040 My question is why is it that the more I pray, the more I fast, 00:53:41.040 --> 00:53:45.960 the more I read my Bible, the more the temptation? 00:53:45.960 --> 00:53:48.400 And sometimes I fall into it. 00:53:48.400 --> 00:53:51.760 What our brother is talking about is something I've heard many times. 00:53:51.760 --> 00:53:56.720 People ask, 'I don't understand. I'm trying to draw closer to God, 00:53:56.720 --> 00:54:03.760 but it seems as if the temptations and trials are increasing, not decreasing. 00:54:03.760 --> 00:54:06.920 Am I doing something wrong? What's going on here?' 00:54:06.920 --> 00:54:12.360 And I would just encourage you, my brother, 00:54:12.360 --> 00:54:17.320 there is no prayer, no fasting, no spiritual maturity in this world 00:54:17.320 --> 00:54:20.120 that will remove the reality of temptation 00:54:20.120 --> 00:54:31.880 because we are in a world which is dominated by those in darkness. 00:54:31.880 --> 00:54:37.200 I don't say that to cause fear or apprehension, 00:54:37.200 --> 00:54:40.720 but if we look at society, we look at what's happening, 00:54:40.720 --> 00:54:47.480 we are living in a world that people have strayed so far from godly principles. 00:54:47.480 --> 00:54:51.400 Sin has dominated so many hearts. 00:54:51.400 --> 00:54:54.320 So as we navigate this world, it's a reality. 00:54:54.320 --> 00:54:56.960 There will be a lot of temptation. 00:54:56.960 --> 00:55:02.800 And as you rightly said, there are times you fall. 00:55:02.800 --> 00:55:06.240 There's a big difference, though, as I said in this message, 00:55:06.240 --> 00:55:12.080 between the temptation God allows and the temptation we invite. 00:55:12.080 --> 00:55:18.520 If God allows temptation but you still fall into it, because we are weak 00:55:18.520 --> 00:55:22.760 and sometimes we succumb to the flesh, what will happen? 00:55:22.760 --> 00:55:27.840 You will repent and learn from that situation. 00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:30.600 ‘Oh, what happened that I fell? 00:55:30.600 --> 00:55:34.240 This is what happened before I fell - I learn from it.’ 00:55:34.240 --> 00:55:37.720 You actually increase your spiritual maturity 00:55:37.720 --> 00:55:40.760 through the experience of succumbing to temptation. 00:55:40.760 --> 00:55:46.960 But if it's a temptation you invite - when you fall into it, 00:55:46.960 --> 00:55:52.240 you are not going to have that spiritual benefit. 00:55:52.240 --> 00:55:54.840 That's the difference. 00:55:54.840 --> 00:56:00.240 Once again, I'm not saying you cannot turn to God afterwards. 00:56:00.240 --> 00:56:06.160 There's no situation, no matter how bad, that stops us 00:56:06.160 --> 00:56:08.080 from the decision of turning to God. 00:56:08.080 --> 00:56:13.280 Even if a trial is self-inflicted, even if temptation is self-invited, 00:56:13.280 --> 00:56:15.360 you can still turn to God. 00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:22.640 But if you are seeking Him, praying, fasting, reading the Scriptures and yet 00:56:22.640 --> 00:56:27.960 that temptation keeps coming and perhaps you fall, that fall 00:56:27.960 --> 00:56:32.400 will lead to your rising. What do I mean? You will learn from that temptation. 00:56:32.400 --> 00:56:35.640 You will increase your strategies in how to deal with it. 00:56:35.640 --> 00:56:39.880 You will be more sensitive to the areas that, perhaps, led to it. 00:56:39.880 --> 00:56:44.680 It will actually result in your growth, spiritually. 00:56:44.680 --> 00:56:47.000 This is a mystery. 00:56:47.000 --> 00:56:51.040 Why is it that the path to spiritual growth 00:56:51.040 --> 00:56:56.920 is so often steeped in tests, trials and temptations? 00:56:56.920 --> 00:57:01.200 Well, God has to equip us for the task He has for us. 00:57:01.200 --> 00:57:04.880 You don't get equipped in the school. 00:57:04.880 --> 00:57:10.680 You get equipped on the field. 00:57:10.680 --> 00:57:13.600 I hope you understand, people of God. 00:57:13.600 --> 00:57:19.960 You don't get equipped in ‘theory’; you get equipped in ‘practical’. 00:57:19.960 --> 00:57:26.400 This is life - the realities of life, the temptations of life. 00:57:26.400 --> 00:57:32.640 But if you repent, learn from it, run back to God in the midst of it, 00:57:32.640 --> 00:57:37.360 that temptation becomes a source of your spiritual growth. 00:57:37.360 --> 00:57:40.000 So don't be discouraged. 00:57:40.000 --> 00:57:45.240 And as I said, don't assume that one day you will reach a milestone spiritually 00:57:45.240 --> 00:57:46.960 where temptation disappears. 00:57:46.960 --> 00:57:56.080 ‘Oh, I have overcome all of that. I will never be tempted.’ No! 00:57:56.080 --> 00:58:00.400 As far as we are in this world, it will come but there is grace. 00:58:00.400 --> 00:58:06.600 God has promised a way of escape, a way out. 00:58:06.600 --> 00:58:08.560 And it is important for me to emphasise 00:58:08.560 --> 00:58:12.520 that the message I've given today is for believers. 00:58:12.520 --> 00:58:20.040 The understanding of a self-inflicted trial, versus 00:58:20.040 --> 00:58:25.960 a trial that God permits, is on the basis of someone who has been delivered. 00:58:25.960 --> 00:58:31.200 There are some challenges that are as a result of demonic influence, 00:58:31.200 --> 00:58:40.040 which is why prayer in the name of Jesus Christ strikes at the root spiritually. 00:58:40.040 --> 00:58:47.080 That's why sometimes you can try and find every solution naturally. 00:58:47.080 --> 00:58:52.080 But if something is spiritual, it needs to be dealt with in prayer. 00:58:52.080 --> 00:58:57.960 So I am not denying the reality that there are some demonically influenced 00:58:57.960 --> 00:59:03.320 situations that people face, maybe as a result of generational curses, 00:59:03.320 --> 00:59:07.960 not through something they themselves have done to inflict themselves. 00:59:07.960 --> 00:59:12.040 That's why we talk about deliverance in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:59:12.040 --> 00:59:17.360 But irrespective, this truth remains valuable for everyone. 00:59:17.360 --> 00:59:22.120 Because it’s far easier to... Let me put it like this. 00:59:22.120 --> 00:59:29.440 Some people today are very fond of finding a scapegoat to make them feel better 00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:33.080 in the midst of their problem, and it's easy to blame the devil. 00:59:33.080 --> 00:59:35.320 ‘Oh, the devil is behind this!’ 00:59:35.320 --> 00:59:40.720 Even though the works of darkness may be behind what you are facing, 00:59:40.720 --> 00:59:45.480 don't agree with the mindset that quickly points the finger in blame. 00:59:45.480 --> 00:59:50.480 Because even if the devil is kicked out, you have a role to play. 00:59:50.480 --> 00:59:54.360 It's not good for us to propagate the mindset of blame. 00:59:54.360 --> 00:59:57.320 I hope you understand what I'm saying, people of God. 00:59:57.320 --> 01:00:02.080 It's very easy for us to say, 'Because of my family background, 01:00:02.080 --> 01:00:06.080 this is why I'm facing this.' And there may be truth in that statement. 01:00:06.080 --> 01:00:09.000 Maybe there's a curse in the family that needs to be broken, 01:00:09.000 --> 01:00:15.040 but don't have that mindset that quickly attaches blame to something 01:00:15.040 --> 01:00:22.160 beyond your control, because it doesn't encourage stewardship and responsibility. 01:00:22.160 --> 01:00:27.680 After your deliverance, after your freedom, 01:00:27.680 --> 01:00:32.000 you must use what is in your hands today. 01:00:37.520 --> 01:00:41.520 Grace and peace be unto you. 01:00:41.520 --> 01:00:46.480 Brother Chris, thank you for allowing yourself to be used 01:00:46.480 --> 01:00:48.360 by the Lord God Almighty. 01:00:48.360 --> 01:00:56.320 I am Donald, watching from Frankfurt, Germany. I'm originally from Cameroon. 01:00:56.320 --> 01:01:01.600 This story concerning Bathsheba and King David... 01:01:01.600 --> 01:01:07.680 As Christians, most of us have our favourite Bible figures in the Bible. 01:01:07.680 --> 01:01:12.960 David has always been my favourite. 01:01:12.960 --> 01:01:16.920 I have been asking myself, that this same David, who 01:01:16.920 --> 01:01:21.440 I learnt from in Psalm 119, who said "Thy Word have I hidden in my heart 01:01:21.440 --> 01:01:23.360 that I may not sin against you," 01:01:23.360 --> 01:01:25.640 how could he fall into such temptation? 01:01:25.640 --> 01:01:31.000 But today, I have understood that there was a time when kings 01:01:31.000 --> 01:01:35.720 usually go to battle, and he stayed home and fell into temptation. 01:01:35.720 --> 01:01:40.440 And I was always asking myself this question because, 01:01:40.440 --> 01:01:43.080 as the man of God, Brother Chris, rightly said, 01:01:43.080 --> 01:01:48.040 because of this, David had to write Psalm 51. 01:01:48.040 --> 01:01:50.280 I saw that he repented, 01:01:50.280 --> 01:01:56.200 but during the course of it he fasted for almost a week. 01:01:56.200 --> 01:02:01.560 David didn't eat anything, and when Nathan the prophet came to him, 01:02:01.560 --> 01:02:07.200 Nathan the prophet said God had declared that the child 01:02:07.200 --> 01:02:09.760 Bathsheba was carrying wasn't going to live. 01:02:09.760 --> 01:02:14.400 I was asking myself, ‘Why is it that God forgave David 01:02:14.400 --> 01:02:21.480 but the child could not live? But still He gave David Solomon.’ 01:02:21.480 --> 01:02:25.080 But today I've understood that, 01:02:25.080 --> 01:02:30.080 even when we sin against God and we have been corrected or punished, 01:02:30.080 --> 01:02:33.680 the consequences - we have to pay for. 01:02:33.680 --> 01:02:36.000 That's what I've learnt today. 01:02:36.000 --> 01:02:41.400 Because I have been asking myself, ‘Why is it that David prayed and fasted, 01:02:41.400 --> 01:02:45.120 but the child couldn't live, knowing God forgave him?’ 01:02:45.120 --> 01:02:48.760 Thank you so much for the revelation. 01:02:48.760 --> 01:02:54.800 I'm happy. That's my contribution and what I've learnt. 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 01:03:00.480 --> 01:03:07.800 sin with Bathsheba, where the first child she bore grew sick. 01:03:07.800 --> 01:03:13.800 As you rightly said, David was fasting and praying for the child to be restored. 01:03:13.800 --> 01:03:19.240 In 2 Samuel 12, I'll read from verse 19. 01:03:19.240 --> 01:03:23.200 I want to emphasise a point with what my brother said now. 01:03:23.200 --> 01:03:25.560 "When David saw that his servants were whispering, 01:03:25.560 --> 01:03:28.080 David perceived that the child was dead. 01:03:28.080 --> 01:03:30.920 Therefore David said to his servants, 'Is the child dead?' 01:03:30.920 --> 01:03:33.840 And they said, 'He is dead.' 01:03:33.840 --> 01:03:36.760 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, 01:03:36.760 --> 01:03:42.360 and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. 01:03:42.360 --> 01:03:44.480 Then he went to his own house and when he requested, 01:03:44.480 --> 01:03:46.440 they set food before him, and he ate. 01:03:46.440 --> 01:03:49.400 Then his servant said to him, 'What is this that you have done? 01:03:49.400 --> 01:03:52.280 You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, 01:03:52.280 --> 01:03:55.320 but when the child died, you arose and ate food.' 01:03:55.320 --> 01:03:59.800 And he said, 'While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; 01:03:59.800 --> 01:04:04.680 for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, 01:04:04.680 --> 01:04:06.360 that the child may live?' 01:04:06.360 --> 01:04:10.600 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? 01:04:10.600 --> 01:04:13.800 I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." 01:04:13.800 --> 01:04:17.600 This is a very deep statement from David. 01:04:17.600 --> 01:04:20.920 We could preach an entirely different message 01:04:20.920 --> 01:04:23.400 just on this response from David. 01:04:23.400 --> 01:04:27.000 But the point that I want to make to our brother to 01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:33.480 emphasise the area he is sharing is that 01:04:33.480 --> 01:04:38.240 even though this account is before the coming of Christ 01:04:38.240 --> 01:04:41.200 and the blood shed on the cross, 01:04:41.200 --> 01:04:50.720 we know that ultimately judgement and justice are in the hands of God. 01:04:50.720 --> 01:04:58.720 We cannot determine or dictate the way and manner the consequence of sin strikes. 01:04:58.720 --> 01:05:06.360 Definitely, we know our God is merciful. 01:05:06.360 --> 01:05:13.920 But we should not view God's mercy as a 01:05:13.920 --> 01:05:20.880 justification for continuing knowingly in sin. 01:05:20.880 --> 01:05:26.720 Some people today prepare their prayers for forgiveness 01:05:26.720 --> 01:05:30.240 even before they have sinned. 01:05:30.240 --> 01:05:35.280 ‘I know this is wrong, but God is merciful, 01:05:35.280 --> 01:05:43.800 so before I sin, I'm already ready to ask for forgiveness afterwards.’ 01:05:43.800 --> 01:05:51.560 This is trying, naturally, to turn God's mercy, 01:05:51.560 --> 01:05:58.400 God's grace, into an avenue of enablement for sin. 01:05:58.400 --> 01:06:02.400 ‘Because of God's mercy, because of God's grace - 01:06:02.400 --> 01:06:06.480 I'm His child. If I sin, God will forgive me. 01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:10.400 God will not allow the consequences to strike.’ 01:06:10.400 --> 01:06:16.480 If we do what is wrong, repentance does not necessarily mean 01:06:16.480 --> 01:06:20.760 there are no consequences. 01:06:20.760 --> 01:06:24.960 We cannot dictate or determine how that happens. 01:06:24.960 --> 01:06:30.120 David's words in these verses clearly reveal his understanding of 01:06:30.120 --> 01:06:32.120 God's position and his own position. 01:06:32.120 --> 01:06:35.520 ‘I can just seek God for mercy, but I don't have the power 01:06:35.520 --> 01:06:39.120 to bring the child back to life or restore the child to health. 01:06:39.120 --> 01:06:43.360 So far as the child is still alive let me plead before God for mercy, 01:06:43.360 --> 01:06:48.360 but I cannot dictate the way and manner that mercy manifests.’ 01:06:48.360 --> 01:06:52.560 I think our concern should be 01:06:52.560 --> 01:06:59.280 to run from sin, to depart from sin, to disconnect from sin. 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. 01:07:07.360 --> 01:07:10.000 ‘I did this, there didn't seem to be a consequence. 01:07:10.000 --> 01:07:14.160 Maybe it means I can do it, I can go ahead. 01:07:14.160 --> 01:07:16.960 If I pray extra hard, God's grace will cover me. 01:07:16.960 --> 01:07:23.640 I will give a larger offering in church this Sunday, 01:07:23.640 --> 01:07:29.160 I will increase the amount I'm giving in church - that will cover me. 01:07:29.160 --> 01:07:32.840 But I can be doing this in secret.’ 01:07:32.840 --> 01:07:46.280 Don't mistake God's mercy unto repentance as God's approval of transgression. 01:07:51.480 --> 01:07:56.280 My name is Audrey. I'm originally from Zimbabwe. 01:07:56.280 --> 01:07:59.960 Right now I'm in Northern Ireland. 01:07:59.960 --> 01:08:03.480 Thank you, Brother Chris, for the word. 01:08:03.480 --> 01:08:09.880 I think when you read the word from the Book of 2 Samuel, 01:08:09.880 --> 01:08:14.000 I had to reflect as you were reading the story of King David. 01:08:14.000 --> 01:08:21.400 I had to reflect to myself, and I was also picturing myself being at 01:08:21.400 --> 01:08:27.800 a place where I was not supposed to be, when looking at my past. 01:08:27.800 --> 01:08:33.280 Then I realised when this was happening, it was not a good thing. 01:08:33.280 --> 01:08:37.840 So now my question is about repentance. 01:08:37.840 --> 01:08:42.880 How do I know that now my relationship with God is good? 01:08:42.880 --> 01:08:45.560 Yes, I know, I pray, I do all those things. 01:08:45.560 --> 01:08:50.960 I see that God is working in my life - these are good things, 01:08:50.960 --> 01:08:52.640 these are breakthroughs. 01:08:52.640 --> 01:08:59.320 But I want to know, how do I know that my relationship with God is good, 01:08:59.320 --> 01:09:02.640 especially concerning this issue of repentance? 01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:10.320 Your attitude to sin is a far clearer indication 01:09:10.320 --> 01:09:15.280 of your spiritual life than your current situation. 01:09:15.280 --> 01:09:20.800 The truth within that statement is the answer to the question. 01:09:20.800 --> 01:09:25.280 Because it's common today for people to 01:09:25.280 --> 01:09:31.520 use external yardsticks to try and gauge where they are spiritually. 01:09:31.520 --> 01:09:37.360 ‘Maybe I've had a testimony, I've received a blessing or a breakthrough. 01:09:37.360 --> 01:09:40.200 Oh, that means God has favoured me, I'm a child of God. 01:09:40.200 --> 01:09:42.000 I'm in the right place with God. 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.’ 01:09:47.160 --> 01:09:52.360 But these are not measurements that we should use 01:09:52.360 --> 01:09:55.560 to determine where we are spiritually. 01:09:55.560 --> 01:10:00.480 Our attitude to sin is a much clearer indication. Why? 01:10:00.480 --> 01:10:04.960 Because what does sin ultimately do? 01:10:04.960 --> 01:10:10.360 Sin separates us from God. 01:10:10.360 --> 01:10:14.880 And you talked about repentance, and I talked in this message 01:10:14.880 --> 01:10:16.440 today about repentance. 01:10:16.440 --> 01:10:20.520 And it's a very common theme we talk about because what is repentance? 01:10:20.520 --> 01:10:25.800 Repentance is the recognition of that 01:10:25.800 --> 01:10:33.400 and returning to God, running back to God to ask for forgiveness, 01:10:33.400 --> 01:10:36.880 knowing that His blood shed on the cross of Calvary 01:10:36.880 --> 01:10:43.360 is the only thing that can contain the wildfire that's caused by sin. 01:10:43.360 --> 01:10:54.120 Look, people of God, we're not here to just use spiritual language loosely. 01:10:54.120 --> 01:10:56.960 We are talking about real life and real situations. 01:10:56.960 --> 01:11:02.280 There's no one present here, including myself, who can claim perfection. 01:11:02.280 --> 01:11:05.720 No one is perfect. 01:11:05.720 --> 01:11:11.560 When I talk about attitude to sin, I'm not talking about absence of wrong. 01:11:11.560 --> 01:11:15.400 It doesn't mean you are not going to make a mistake. 01:11:15.400 --> 01:11:18.600 But what do you do when you realise? 01:11:18.600 --> 01:11:22.200 That's a clearer reflection of your relationship with God. 01:11:22.200 --> 01:11:30.400 Because I can know, the Spirit of God prompts my conscience. 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. 01:11:35.920 --> 01:11:39.040 I can know when I see what I'm not supposed to see. 01:11:39.040 --> 01:11:43.600 I can know when I go where I'm not supposed to go. 01:11:43.600 --> 01:11:52.240 You can know. How? The Spirit of God prompts your conscience 01:11:52.240 --> 01:11:56.160 through the Word stored in your heart. 01:11:56.160 --> 01:12:00.120 Now, what do you do when your conscience is prompted? 01:12:00.120 --> 01:12:04.360 Do you blame or do you change? 01:12:04.360 --> 01:12:08.040 Do you realise, recognise, repent, run back to God? 01:12:08.040 --> 01:12:11.800 That's the reflection of a healthy relationship with God, 01:12:11.800 --> 01:12:13.720 not the absence of wrong, 01:12:13.720 --> 01:12:18.600 but the speed at which you recognise and get back on track. 01:12:18.600 --> 01:12:28.200 If we justify sin, if we downplay sin, if we minimise sin, 01:12:28.200 --> 01:12:33.200 it is a sign we are not in the right place spiritually. 01:12:33.200 --> 01:12:39.880 It's not about blessings. It's not about material progress. 01:12:39.880 --> 01:12:44.640 'A man can be sick in body yet be a friend of God,' 01:12:44.640 --> 01:12:47.160 to quote Prophet T.B. Joshua. 01:12:47.160 --> 01:12:59.960 A man can be poor yet richer in spirit than the billionaires of this world. 01:12:59.960 --> 01:13:06.680 So we don't measure spiritual things by material yardsticks, 01:13:06.680 --> 01:13:13.840 my sister, but by our attitude to sin. 01:13:13.840 --> 01:13:25.240 This is why we must feed our conscience with the Word of God. 01:13:25.240 --> 01:13:29.240 We must feed our souls with the Word of God 01:13:29.240 --> 01:13:31.400 because the Word of God reveals 01:13:31.400 --> 01:13:35.760 the standard of God for what is right and wrong. 01:13:35.760 --> 01:13:43.520 Today's world is trying to flip that standard, not just shift it. 01:13:43.520 --> 01:13:46.240 I hope you understand, it's not just to shift the standard; 01:13:46.240 --> 01:13:48.160 it's trying to flip the standard. 01:13:48.160 --> 01:13:53.720 Right becomes wrong, wrong becomes right. That is the work of satan. 01:13:53.720 --> 01:13:56.440 There are many things that happen in society today 01:13:56.440 --> 01:14:02.040 that people say, 'It's okay, it's fine.' 01:14:02.040 --> 01:14:07.360 But if you go to the Bible as the standard, it is wrong. It is sin. 01:14:07.360 --> 01:14:11.200 Just because others do it doesn't make it right. 01:14:11.200 --> 01:14:15.160 Just because you see someone sinning without consequence, 01:14:15.160 --> 01:14:19.240 does not mean that you, with the knowledge of truth, 01:14:19.240 --> 01:14:23.160 can take the same course and expect the same result. 01:14:23.160 --> 01:14:27.800 Anyway, the deception that one sins without consequence is a lie. 01:14:27.800 --> 01:14:31.560 If you sin without immediate consequence, it is just preparing you 01:14:31.560 --> 01:14:34.640 for the more significant consequence that is coming. 01:14:34.640 --> 01:14:39.080 God may give - perhaps there is time for repentance, 01:14:39.080 --> 01:14:41.440 but it's not a sign of His approval. 01:14:41.440 --> 01:14:44.320 If you see someone, maybe they even claim to be a Christian, 01:14:44.320 --> 01:14:46.960 but you know they are living an ungodly life, 01:14:46.960 --> 01:14:49.160 and they don't seem to see the repercussions, 01:14:49.160 --> 01:14:52.240 don't think that God's favour is on that person - 01:14:52.240 --> 01:14:57.240 they can sin without consequence. It's not a sign of God's approval. 01:14:57.240 --> 01:15:01.840 It's a sign of God's patience to encourage them to repentance. 01:15:01.840 --> 01:15:09.280 But if you don't repent, my brothers and sisters in Christ, 01:15:09.280 --> 01:15:12.600 the wildfire will spread. 01:15:12.600 --> 01:15:19.600 The beautiful thing about repentance is that it doesn't require your money, 01:15:19.600 --> 01:15:25.000 your position, wealth. 01:15:25.000 --> 01:15:26.880 It doesn't require connections. 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. 01:15:32.240 --> 01:15:35.320 ‘If this man of God prays for me, then I will be able to repent.’ 01:15:35.320 --> 01:15:40.760 No - repentance is a decision of the heart. 01:15:40.760 --> 01:15:44.920 And as you are listening to this message right now, 01:15:44.920 --> 01:15:48.400 the blood of Jesus is more than enough. 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. 01:16:00.000 --> 01:16:07.720 But remember what I said, Jesus died to free us from sin 01:16:07.720 --> 01:16:17.840 and its consequences, not to sin without consequence. 01:16:23.080 --> 01:16:27.880 Yes, good day Brother Chris, and the members of God's Heart TV. 01:16:27.880 --> 01:16:33.240 I have listened to your sermons on WhatsApp. 01:16:33.240 --> 01:16:42.600 My question is, how do we go to God, reading our Bibles and by meditation? 01:16:42.600 --> 01:16:48.800 Can Brother Chris, just give us maybe two examples or an example of 01:16:48.800 --> 01:16:52.000 how to meditate on the Word of God, 01:16:52.000 --> 01:16:58.120 so we may know God better, or know God's presence 01:16:58.120 --> 01:17:04.040 because there're a lot of us that don't know the presence of God. 01:17:04.040 --> 01:17:05.320 Thank you, Brother Chris. 01:17:05.320 --> 01:17:07.680 Our brother was talking about practical examples. 01:17:07.680 --> 01:17:09.760 I like that! It's good to be practical here. 01:17:09.760 --> 01:17:11.880 So one thing is clear, 01:17:11.880 --> 01:17:17.120 if we recognise the Word of God is not merely meant for our minds, 01:17:17.120 --> 01:17:19.720 or these ears, it's meant for our hearts, 01:17:19.720 --> 01:17:24.960 it means that for us to meditate on the Word, to read the Word effectively, 01:17:24.960 --> 01:17:27.160 our heart has to be settled. 01:17:27.160 --> 01:17:29.240 Our heart has to be right with God. 01:17:29.240 --> 01:17:32.240 So when it's time to read the Bible, 01:17:32.240 --> 01:17:36.480 you don't just pick up the Bible and turn to your Scripture. 01:17:36.480 --> 01:17:40.640 You first of all settle your accounts with God. 01:17:40.640 --> 01:17:43.720 So let's say you as husband and wife, 01:17:43.720 --> 01:17:47.880 maybe you have had a clash, you've had a disagreement over something, 01:17:47.880 --> 01:17:49.960 and you are angry with your wife or 01:17:49.960 --> 01:17:54.160 she's angry at you and maybe some wrong words 01:17:54.160 --> 01:17:56.000 have been spoken and you now say, 01:17:56.000 --> 01:17:57.520 'Let me go and read my Bible.' 01:17:57.520 --> 01:18:02.400 And you open the Bible and start reading. What you are reading will not enter. 01:18:02.400 --> 01:18:04.560 You are just reading for the sake of reading 01:18:04.560 --> 01:18:10.640 because your heart is disturbed, your heart is troubled, your heart is angry. 01:18:10.640 --> 01:18:14.240 You need to first of all go and settle. 01:18:14.240 --> 01:18:17.760 Settle with God and settle with your wife. 01:18:17.760 --> 01:18:24.560 Once your heart is settled, when you read the Bible, 01:18:24.560 --> 01:18:28.840 you can give full attention to it. 01:18:28.840 --> 01:18:41.080 Meditation is all about an undivided focus on the Word of God. 01:18:41.080 --> 01:18:44.840 So let's say that you read a passage of Scripture. 01:18:44.840 --> 01:18:49.360 You don't just read and then jump to the next verse. 01:18:49.360 --> 01:18:51.960 You read and pause. 01:18:51.960 --> 01:18:55.600 Think about it. What does this mean for me? 01:18:55.600 --> 01:19:00.720 Do I understand this? Maybe you need to read it aloud. 01:19:00.720 --> 01:19:03.560 How does this message apply to me? 01:19:03.560 --> 01:19:07.080 As you think about it, it's something you even write down. 01:19:07.080 --> 01:19:09.280 You have it in a notepad or even on your hand. 01:19:09.280 --> 01:19:13.360 During the day, you remember it as you are working. 01:19:13.360 --> 01:19:16.200 You give attention, you think about it. 01:19:16.200 --> 01:19:18.960 This is where we talk about meditation 01:19:18.960 --> 01:19:24.240 because it's deep engagement of the heart with His Word. 01:19:24.240 --> 01:19:30.600 The problem today is that we try to jump to meditation without settling our hearts. 01:19:30.600 --> 01:19:35.880 I want to meditate, but I am holding unforgiveness towards someone. 01:19:35.880 --> 01:19:40.200 I want to meditate, but I have just watched something lustful. 01:19:40.200 --> 01:19:45.520 I want to meditate, but I've just used bad words to someone at work. 01:19:45.520 --> 01:19:47.520 And you say, 'Let me just read the Bible.' 01:19:47.520 --> 01:19:50.200 No, there's a process. 01:19:50.200 --> 01:19:58.880 That is why it's important that we have daily time with God, 01:19:58.880 --> 01:20:06.880 so that we can have daily reckoning with sin and daily settlement of the heart. 01:20:06.880 --> 01:20:12.360 Because the longer you take to settle your heart, the more blocks are built up. 01:20:12.360 --> 01:20:15.480 We take too long to settle issues. 01:20:15.480 --> 01:20:19.080 You know, I used the example of marriage because it's a common thing. 01:20:19.080 --> 01:20:21.360 It's a common problem in homes today. 01:20:21.360 --> 01:20:26.400 There are clashes - that's normal, but we don't settle them quickly. 01:20:26.400 --> 01:20:27.960 We allow them to continue. 01:20:27.960 --> 01:20:32.000 We go to sleep with our hearts still in anger. 01:20:32.000 --> 01:20:35.000 We go to bed without settling an issue. And what happens? 01:20:35.000 --> 01:20:37.720 You just build it up because you now carry over 01:20:37.720 --> 01:20:41.040 the next day's issues on top of the one of yesterday, 01:20:41.040 --> 01:20:45.600 and then how can you read your Bible? How can you pray? How can you meditate? 01:20:45.600 --> 01:20:48.240 So we've got to go back to the basics. 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, 01:20:52.800 --> 01:20:56.840 I need to recognise my heart is the instrument through 01:20:56.840 --> 01:21:00.640 which the Holy Spirit will bring understanding of this verse. 01:21:00.640 --> 01:21:06.760 So is my heart right? Is my heart settled? 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. 01:21:11.600 --> 01:21:14.280 Perhaps there's someone I need to say, 'I forgive you.' 01:21:14.280 --> 01:21:17.400 Perhaps there's someone I need to say, 'Will you forgive me?' 01:21:17.400 --> 01:21:21.480 Perhaps I need to call my wife and say, 'Please, it's over, sorry.' 01:21:21.480 --> 01:21:23.560 And then you read the Bible. 01:21:23.560 --> 01:21:28.120 I believe, my brother, it's not so simple as a mechanism. 01:21:28.120 --> 01:21:32.200 Like in school, if you are studying for an exam, 01:21:32.200 --> 01:21:37.040 maybe you could memorise this or people have certain ways of studying. 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. 01:21:41.440 --> 01:21:45.920 You employ the brain, but it is ultimately the heart that will receive it. 01:21:45.920 --> 01:21:49.440 So the most important thing is to settle your heart. 01:21:49.440 --> 01:21:52.240 No one knows the state of your heart better than you. 01:21:52.240 --> 01:21:55.160 So if your heart is not settled, you can know. 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. 01:22:00.800 --> 01:22:02.200 I can't emphasise that enough. 01:22:02.200 --> 01:22:04.680 Give your best! Give quality time. 01:22:04.680 --> 01:22:08.920 Give your best attention. It is not, like I said, to tick a box that 01:22:08.920 --> 01:22:13.280 after a long day of work, let me just read a verse before sleeping. 01:22:13.280 --> 01:22:14.760 Even if your heart is settled, 01:22:14.760 --> 01:22:18.120 you are likely not going to receive any revelation from that verse 01:22:18.120 --> 01:22:22.080 because you are coming to receive it at the time that you are disturbed. 01:22:22.080 --> 01:22:26.400 Look at this case of David and Bathsheba. 01:22:26.400 --> 01:22:31.080 Look at the understanding, the revelation that came about what led to that sin. 01:22:31.080 --> 01:22:34.440 That is not merely by reading that verse once. 01:22:34.440 --> 01:22:38.160 It's reading the verse, reflecting on it. What does this mean? 01:22:38.160 --> 01:22:41.280 What happened to David that he fell into this trap? 01:22:41.280 --> 01:22:44.920 How can I learn from this? How do I apply this into my life? 01:22:44.920 --> 01:22:47.640 It goes deeper than just reading. 01:22:47.640 --> 01:22:51.480 It calls for the full attention of the heart. 01:22:51.480 --> 01:22:54.600 So, this is my encouragement to you, my brother. 01:22:54.600 --> 01:22:56.880 I hope you understand. 01:22:56.880 --> 01:22:58.120 Thank You, Jesus. 01:23:04.000 --> 01:23:09.920 Hello, my name is Otis, originally from Liberia. 01:23:09.920 --> 01:23:14.520 I live in Florida, USA. 01:23:14.520 --> 01:23:19.240 So my question goes back to one of the sermons 01:23:19.240 --> 01:23:25.440 that you preached about being focused on the Word of God. 01:23:25.440 --> 01:23:31.560 My question is, if we are praying or reading the Word of God, 01:23:31.560 --> 01:23:36.200 to be sincere, when I'm praying, sometimes I get distracted. 01:23:36.200 --> 01:23:39.000 Sometimes thoughts come to mind. 01:23:39.000 --> 01:23:42.600 Sometimes I will just focus on some negative things, 01:23:42.600 --> 01:23:45.000 or sometimes positive things. 01:23:45.000 --> 01:23:49.360 Different thoughts will just come in while I'm praying or reading. 01:23:49.360 --> 01:23:52.120 This has been bothering me for years. 01:23:52.120 --> 01:23:56.000 Even up to today's date, even if I'm listening to a sermon, 01:23:56.000 --> 01:23:58.920 sometimes my mind gets distracted and thinks of other things. 01:23:58.920 --> 01:24:00.960 This has been bothering me. 01:24:00.960 --> 01:24:03.880 I wanted to ask this question for a very long time. 01:24:03.880 --> 01:24:08.280 First of all, the fact that there is a battle 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. 01:24:13.160 --> 01:24:17.360 If it was easy, smooth, simple, no battle, 01:24:17.360 --> 01:24:22.560 no distraction, no negative thoughts, then it's questionable 01:24:22.560 --> 01:24:25.800 whether it is truly going to enrich you spiritually. 01:24:25.800 --> 01:24:29.320 So don't be discouraged by that - 01:24:29.320 --> 01:24:33.480 ‘Anytime I want to read the Bible, negative thoughts come, why is this?’ 01:24:33.480 --> 01:24:35.160 No, it's a good thing. 01:24:35.160 --> 01:24:41.120 But one thing is clear, thoughts will come, 01:24:41.120 --> 01:24:48.880 but you determine what you feed your heart with. 01:24:48.880 --> 01:24:53.200 As soon as you recognise the negative thought, 01:24:53.200 --> 01:25:01.760 don't give attention to it by agreeing with it or taking it further. 01:25:01.760 --> 01:25:08.160 You must immediately rebuke it and reconnect. 01:25:08.160 --> 01:25:15.680 It doesn't mean that in the journey of faith, such thoughts will not come. 01:25:15.680 --> 01:25:23.040 But if you are quick to recognise it, like what you are saying now, 01:25:23.040 --> 01:25:29.040 as far as you recognise it, God has given you the power to overcome it. 01:25:29.040 --> 01:25:33.600 You are not a slave to your senses. You are not a slave to your thoughts. 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. 01:25:41.160 --> 01:25:44.480 ‘Oh, that thought comes, I cannot control it. 01:25:44.480 --> 01:25:48.160 I just must do it. I am distracted. I must do that.’ 01:25:48.160 --> 01:25:50.720 No, you have the power of choice. 01:25:50.720 --> 01:25:53.840 You have the power of discretion. 01:25:53.840 --> 01:25:56.720 That is what makes us humans - 01:25:56.720 --> 01:26:01.880 that spark of divinity that differentiates us from all other animal species. 01:26:01.880 --> 01:26:06.560 We have the discretion to choose between right and wrong. 01:26:06.560 --> 01:26:10.920 So don't cede that power to the lies of the devil 01:26:10.920 --> 01:26:14.800 by concluding, when a thought comes that you must succumb to it. 01:26:14.800 --> 01:26:17.160 ‘I will just get distracted’. No! 01:26:17.160 --> 01:26:23.480 If you identify a distraction, rebuke it in the name of Jesus. 01:26:23.480 --> 01:26:30.600 The Scripture says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 01:26:30.600 --> 01:26:35.640 No matter the lie the devil may try to paint in our minds, 01:26:35.640 --> 01:26:40.400 the truth in the living Word of God is far more powerful. 01:26:40.400 --> 01:26:43.720 As far as we stand in Truth, we are more than conquerors. 01:26:43.720 --> 01:26:46.440 But it doesn't mean there will not be a battle. 01:26:46.440 --> 01:26:49.440 That is why we talk about alertness. 01:26:49.440 --> 01:26:53.600 Watch and pray. 01:26:53.600 --> 01:26:56.080 This is a reality, my brother. 01:26:56.080 --> 01:27:03.720 And of course, as well as identifying a distraction, we need to also identify 01:27:03.720 --> 01:27:08.720 if there is any action we must take to disconnect from that distraction. 01:27:08.720 --> 01:27:14.040 Because Jesus said, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off." 01:27:14.040 --> 01:27:17.520 So sometimes you may say, 'Something is distracting me,' 01:27:17.520 --> 01:27:23.200 but the very thing distracting us is still with us. 01:27:23.200 --> 01:27:25.520 Last time, I talked about the phone. 01:27:25.520 --> 01:27:28.280 The phone is a device that we are to use. 01:27:28.280 --> 01:27:31.760 We are not to be used by it. It is to use. 01:27:31.760 --> 01:27:35.880 It is not for us be used by it, 01:27:35.880 --> 01:27:39.560 that if we pick up our phone, we get so engrossed in what we are 01:27:39.560 --> 01:27:44.520 seeing that it steals our time meant for other things. 01:27:44.520 --> 01:27:47.040 So for example, read a physical Bible, 01:27:47.040 --> 01:27:49.560 don't read the Bible app on your phone. 01:27:49.560 --> 01:27:52.440 I'm not saying a Bible app is bad, 01:27:52.440 --> 01:27:56.280 I'm just saying the phone is a source of distraction. 01:27:56.280 --> 01:27:59.240 So if you are reading the Bible on your app and suddenly 01:27:59.240 --> 01:28:05.400 a notification comes, a message comes, you are tempting yourself. 01:28:05.400 --> 01:28:09.200 Let's say you are inviting the temptation of distraction by that. 01:28:09.200 --> 01:28:15.720 So you also identify - is there anything around me that is also causing distraction 01:28:15.720 --> 01:28:18.680 that I need to take an action to deal with? 01:28:18.680 --> 01:28:29.280 But as far as we are in this world, there will be that battle. 01:28:29.280 --> 01:28:35.520 Don't think that the closer you draw to God, 01:28:35.520 --> 01:28:42.400 the intensity of the battle reduces, no, but your ability to identify the devil's 01:28:42.400 --> 01:28:48.360 tricks and traps, the sensitivity to the things of the Spirit increases. 01:28:48.360 --> 01:28:52.000 And that's why you find yourself easily overcoming. 01:28:52.000 --> 01:28:55.360 But as far as we're in this world, the battle will persist. 01:28:55.360 --> 01:28:57.960 The battle will continue. So don't be discouraged 01:28:57.960 --> 01:29:00.720 that you get distracted or negative thoughts come, 01:29:00.720 --> 01:29:07.040 but as soon as you identify it, get back on track, reconnect. 01:29:07.040 --> 01:29:11.400 It's a very good question because we are talking about something very practical. 01:29:11.400 --> 01:29:14.680 And I think some people feel that, if I'm reading the Bible, 01:29:14.680 --> 01:29:18.320 there will be zero negative thoughts or zero distractions. 01:29:18.320 --> 01:29:20.760 And that is not a realistic perception. 01:29:20.760 --> 01:29:23.640 You can play a role to reduce 01:29:23.640 --> 01:29:27.320 certain elements around you that could cause distraction, 01:29:27.320 --> 01:29:30.000 but ultimately this is a thing of the Spirit. 01:29:30.000 --> 01:29:33.160 The Bible is the only Book that can transform us. 01:29:33.160 --> 01:29:37.200 If you want to watch football, you're not going to have that kind of problem. 01:29:37.200 --> 01:29:40.720 If you want to just read the news it's not going to be a problem. 01:29:40.720 --> 01:29:46.800 If you want to study for school, it's not going to be the same problem. 01:29:46.800 --> 01:29:49.880 But once you pick up the Bible or you're going to read something 01:29:49.880 --> 01:29:54.640 that will spiritually edify you, definitely, a battle is taking place. 01:29:54.640 --> 01:29:59.120 So we are not afraid of that. We are alert to it.