Threshold - Witness

Am I too loud?

Where's the iPad?

I thought everyone who teaches here gets an iPad.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, thanks.

That's fine.

All right.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this wonderful time.

Thanks for this opportunity you have given to me to stand in front of the,

along with the body after many months.

Thanks for bringing me from death to life.

So here I am, O God, obeying your command.

So may your name be lifted high.

May your name be alive.

May your word be alive here in this session.

We praise you.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Okay.

Let's read a couple of passages and then we'll see what God has for us.

John, the Gospel, Chapter 1.

John, the Gospel, Chapter 1, verse 6 onwards.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

He came as a witness to bear witness among the light, about the light,

that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

And Acts, Chapter 22.

Acts 22 · chapter mention

Acts, Chapter 22, verse 12 onwards.

Acts 22:12

And this is the account of Paul and his beautiful encounter with Jesus Christ

and the way he became a Christian.

So Acts, Chapter 22, verse 12 onwards.

Acts 22:12

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law,

well spoken by all the Jews who believed there,

came to me and standing by me said to me,

Brother Saul, receive your sight.

And at the very hour I received my sight and saw him.

And he said, The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will,

to see the righteous one, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

For you will be a witness for him, to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

And let's do Ezekiel and Chapter 43.

Chapter 43, verse 8.

By setting their threshold by my threshold,

and their doorpost beside my doorpost,

with only a wall between me and them,

they have defiled my holy name by their abomination that they have committed.

So I have consumed them in my anger.

I just want to repeat those words, the first half of the verse.

By setting their threshold by my threshold,

and their doorpost beside my doorpost,

with only a wall between me and them.

And let's do 1 John, Chapter 5,

1 John 5:11

verse 11 and 12.

Let's do from 10 onwards.

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.

Whoever does not believe, God has made him a liar,

because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life.

And this life is in his Son.

Whoever has a son has life.

And whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life.

And this is the life, and this life is in his Son.

Whoever has a son has life.

And whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. Amen.

So we've read a couple of passages.

So today we're going to learn about the lifestyle of witness.

Because you see John and then you see Paul,

and God is calling them to be witness.

And we all know that we are called to be witness.

So Jacob has been teaching about threshold.

And last week he taught about the hindrances of these thresholds.

And then now we have come to a place, threshold means we have come to a place,

we have reached this level and then we are looking for the next door to open.

And all of us, and in fact even me and then all of us, most of us,

we are at a place where we know that there is something in front of us

where we need to step into, where we need to go into.

The room is ready, we know that.

So even in our spiritual lives and even our jobs and the work

and then with the moving and with all of this,

we all know that as a church together we are at a place

we got to go and then step into the next level.

And that's what we've been training on.

That's what we've been training for and we've been listening to for the past couple of months.

In fact, you've got to be very careful here because I just came from India.

So you can, I'll tell you a beautiful story.

So a couple of years ago I went to, I went for a dinner here in Vancouver.

So these are like beautiful senior couples.

So I had dinner with them and then I was sharing my story

and then they couldn't understand some words.

Then I told them, I told them,

Oh, it's actually British English.

Because I'm from India and then we have more influence from British people than American.

And then they told me that they actually worked at Oxford for 20 years.

And the guts I have to say that it's British English.

So you might hear some British English, some Canadian English, and some Indian English.

But I hope Holy Spirit may convince you.

So as a church and as a body together we are at a place where we are looking

to step into the next phase of our life.

And by this time we kind of have a sense where God is going to take

and which room God is going to take.

But then the room, we kind of understand that.

But in order to enter the room we actually need to find the right door.

We actually need to step into the right door.

Because door is the entrance of the room.

Because so far we have learned about the intimacy with the Father.

And we know that the God from Isaiah chapter 22 and verse 22,

Isaiah 22 · chapter mention

he's the one who was holding the keys of the David on his shoulder.

And then he said in Matthew chapter 16, he said,

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

I'm going to give you these keys. I give you these keys of the kingdom.

Whatever you open it will be open.

So God, the God of the universe and this God,

he has trusted his sons and daughters, his body on this earth

to actually live a life that we're supposed to live in heaven.

The Garden of Eden was like that.

It is like a conjunction of this holy, beautiful, of heaven and the earth together.

And then now we on this earth as the walking Garden of Eden

where we bring, we carry the presence of God,

we are connected with the spiritual world and the presence of God.

And on this earth we do things as we see things in heaven.

And that's what we are called for.

And for that God has given us the keys and he has prepared us.

And then now we are at a place, each one of us, even at my own life,

I am at a place where I need to find the right door.

And the door is Jesus, always.

He's the door. He's the door.

And then from Ezekiel chapter 43, we have learned that God is telling those guys,

Ezekiel 43 · chapter mention

guys, you know, you know, you have come to your threshold point.

You know, you have come to your threshold.

And God is also saying that I have my threshold.

But what you guys are doing is that you're bringing your threshold and keeping that next to me.

And I have a doorstep for you. I have a door for you.

And you also have your own door.

And you are bringing that and then keeping that next to me.

And with just a wall where we're supposed to leave our doorsteps and our thresholds

and catch his doorstep and catch his threshold and then step into his threshold.

Because we might think we are at a place for the next step,

but we got to be very careful with the Holy Spirit and then ask him,

God, help me. Am I really at the right place for the next step?

So for that to happen, as I was praying for that to happen,

this lifestyle, witness lifestyle is the most is very helpful

because witnessing the power of Christ, witnessing what gospel has taught us,

witnessing how he has transformed us, witnessing who he is,

is actually, it should be actually one of our DNA that we should never lose it.

I'll tell you, so you're going to listen to most of the stories, beautiful stories,

but these stories are actually from India, not from British.

I just want to make sure that you understand the context.

You know I went to India for 17 days, but then God allowed me to stay there for 10 months, right?

So when I first went there, on Sunday we were ready to go to church,

and all of a sudden there was a motorbike and then three young people,

they came to our home, we were ready to go to church.

Two of them, I know two of them, so they were three on the motorbike,

and then there's a guy in the middle, they are 21 years old young guys, right?

So two of those guys we know, and the guy in the middle, he got a brain tumor,

and he couldn't even stand properly, he couldn't even remember anyone,

he can't even speak, he was just hanging like this, they had to carry him.

So I was about to go to church, and then we saw that,

and then those two guys came to me and they said,

brother, we should pray for this guy.

And I'm like, okay, we will pray for sure.

And the guy goes, no, we should pray for healing, right now, and then our God can heal.

And I've seen such a great faith in them, because they played together,

and then he's been struggling like that for past six months,

and then even doctors, they went for, he went to the hospitals,

even they said there's a tumor and then it's growing,

and they need a lot of money for the surgery, and then they don't have money,

so they said, okay, we will gather our money and then we will come back to the surgery.

So that's where they are at.

And then these two friends, they brought him, and he's not from Christian background,

he's from Hindu background, and then we prayed, and then I was there,

and then I said, you guys have greater faith, why don't you guys pray?

We all prayed together.

And then those two guys, they laid hands on him, and then I was there,

and my mom and some of our people were there, and then we all prayed for that boy,

and then I was like, okay, thank God, so they left.

Two weeks later, not two weeks, almost a month later,

that was December, and then in January, we were having a camp for the young adults,

so all the teenagers were there, and then we were having a camp,

and then I was there, and then I looked at the sound system,

and there's one guy, and then who's operating the sound, and that's this guy.

He's completely healed.

And I said, what are you doing here?

No, I'm arranging the sound, I'm the sound guy here.

Because there are so many teenagers here, we're talking about at least 2,000 teenagers, right?

So I don't remember most of them, but when I saw him, he's like, yeah, I'm the sound guy here,

I'm taking care of the sound.

I said, how are you doing? I said, oh, we're doing well.

And even after the camp, they were playing soccer, and then this guy was also playing soccer.

He's completely healed, and then he's back, and he gave his life to Christ.

It's amazing.

I believe that our lifestyle, our calling in the lifestyle is actually not to do stuff,

but actually to witness what God is doing.

That's what we are called for, and that's what Acts chapter 1, verse 8 says,

Acts 1:8

that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and He shall come upon you,

and then you will receive power, you will receive power to bear the witness,

and then go to the ends of the earth to bear the witness.

That's what we are doing. Now the church, Acts 29, all of our people,

some of them are in Ohio, some of them are in New York,

and some of them, the best people are in Vancouver, here, right here,

and then enjoying and celebrating the presence of God.

And what we are all doing is actually witnessing what Christ has done,

what Christ is doing, and what Christ will do in our lives and through our lives in this world.

The moment we take that responsibility and then put it on our shoulders,

we are carrying the heaviest burden.

And this witness life is beautiful life because you never operate from a place

where you carry this heavy burden.

It's always on the next person who is Jesus Christ,

and then you are called to be there and then to watch and then to enjoy

and then to praise God for whatever He's doing.

There, at the miracle that happened, we didn't do anything,

but those guys there have heard about Jesus Christ, and then they knew that.

When I saw them, the immediate picture that came to me, and for most of you,

the immediate picture that might have come to your mind is where, in Jesus' times,

where people, four friends, carried the guy and then just landed in front of Jesus Christ.

And that's what I saw.

It's like, okay, these people, they have faith, and they are carrying this guy,

and then one day this guy is going to walk without anyone's help, and that's what happened.

We have witnessed that, and that's our calling.

So I want to talk about that lifestyle a bit more.

So what do you mean by witness? What's the definition of witness?

I just Googled it, so I want to be honest today.

So the definition of the witness, and then I changed it a bit, is that it has two parts.

It has two parts.

One, the first one is actually to see, to see or to know by personal experience.

The first part is to see or to know by your personal experience or with your own eyes.

And then in biblical terms, it's got to be personal experience.

And the second part, the second part is to bear the testimony, to carry it, and then to bear and then to share it.

I feel so proud when people are taking notes.

Wow.

I'm humbling myself at the same time. Sorry.

Shoot.

And that's the two parts.

I was watching a documentary, and also one of my deepest pain that I always ask was like,

I mean it's my personal question, but I always struggle with this question,

was like the gospel in India, it's been there since the beginning of the church.

Because Jesus' disciple, Thomas, he came to India, and since then the gospel was there.

But still in India, we only have 2.5 to 3% Christians, and I struggle with that.

Like why?

I think the things that I've observed even in my life, the place where I got stuck was that the first part,

I experienced the power of God. I experienced the healing of God.

I experienced his strength. I experienced his redemption, power, redemptive love that has actually brought from the depths,

brought from the bottomless pit and lifted me up and then placed me at a place.

And even in the last trip from COVID, God literally pulled me from the class of the death,

and then he made me alive and then he allowed me to stand back again.

So I experienced it, and that's a beautiful part of the witness,

that you get to experience this wonderful power of Christ in your personal life.

It becomes subjective. All the principles and all the ideas that were objective,

they become subjective to your personal life, and then all of a sudden, the creator of the universe,

the creator of the universe, the one who created you, becomes your best friend, becomes your father,

becomes the one whom you want to love, the one whom you want to walk with.

And what a beautiful witness and what a beautiful relationship that is.

And each one of you and every one of us in this world, if you go and ask them,

once you start to dig your life, then you start to understand, you start to see the beauty of his love over your life,

that he never leaves you nor forsakes you. And there was not a single moment where he has failed his words.

Absolutely. Absolutely. He's so, so in love with you. And we get to experience that.

And not only we get to experience that, we also see with other people, we get to experience God as a body together.

And then each one of us, each one of us tagging each other, okay, now if you look at young people in the church,

I'm also very young, so like five, six years ago when I got a job, that was the situation.

I didn't have a job. And then if you see Acts 29 jobless positions, like people who are jobless,

and then in a majestic way how God actually gives the work to people. It's like one story after the other.

It's like, okay, okay, Jeevan, I'm done. Hey, hey, Don, okay, I got my job. Now it's your turn.

And then Don comes in and then God does a beautiful miracle in his life and he gets a job.

And the next person and the next person and the next person.

We get to experience God in the community, in the beautiful, in the body.

But then the next part is the most important thing too, where we take that and we start to share.

And that is the witnessing lifestyle. One hand you experience it, on the other hand you start to release it.

You start to share it. So I'm not just talking about the salvation, about sharing the gospel.

We have to understand that the kingdom of God is bigger than whatever we can think of.

Gospel is the most important thing. We have to carry it at the same time.

As we carry the gospel, there are so many elements into that where God has called us with different callings and gifts.

And then we have to be at a place where we want to share them, where we want to open up and then let the world see that.

And in fact, the first service, the first thing we have started was like, I've been touched by a fire.

Come, now see, let me watch burn. That's it.

So this is the witnessing lifestyle. So we're going to learn about what do we witness?

What are we supposed to witness? So the first one from John chapter 5 and verse 11 and 12,

John 5 · chapter mention

the first John 5, verse 11 and 12, which we read.

1 John 5:11

The first one, we witness the finished and redeemed work of the Christ.

We witness the finished and redeemed work of Christ.

The God who loved us, he has done it. He has finished it long time back.

He has finished it long time back. And then all we got to do is step in and then ask him and receive it.

And that's where we step in. That's where we step in.

Now, back in India, this is Christmas season and we started to do Christmas in 200 villages.

Last year we want to give 90,000 New Testaments.

And then last night I was in a meeting with those guys and they were telling me beautiful stories.

They told me that they went to your village and then they want to be usually street Christmas.

The process goes like this. We pray for a village. We go there and then we find a busy street.

And then they put up a mat and they invite people. They invite kids. They invite families.

Because they're going to be there for an hour and they sing some songs and then they preach the gospel.

And then if anyone needs prayer, they pray for them and then give them Bibles if anybody wants and then they leave.

So that's the street Christmas that they were doing.

And then they said that in one of the villages where they want to go and then all of a sudden the radical people who doesn't like Christianity, they stopped them.

They said, you're not allowed to come into this village.

They said, okay, so we don't want to come.

But then these guys said, if you don't allow us, we won't enter into this one because you're closing your doors for the mighty God.

And when they start to use those words, one guy said, okay, why don't you guys come? We will see what you do.

So then they're it. And then they have about 300 people.

Children and young people and old people who are all going in that village.

They were all there and even these guys were there.

And you know the first one who accepted Christ, these people who have who have tried to stop them.

We have to understand that I don't know where we get this notion that, okay, people are not actually interested in their spiritual lives.

No, they're actually more hungrier than ever before.

They're actually more hungry than ever before.

The light shines brighter in the darkness.

And they're actually more hungrier.

And then we are called to witness this finished and deemed work of Christ.

He has finished it and it's ready and it's available and he has done it in a long time.

The second one.

The second one.

We witness the will and the kingdom above.

We witness the will, the will of God and the kingdom which is above, not this kingdom.

As I shared this beautiful story in the video, I don't know if you have watched the video when I was in India.

We wanted to build the girls sewing factory who make t-shirts, t-shirts factory.

We want to build and then I went to India and I was like, oh, I'm going to build a t-shirt factory.

I went to India and I went to India in December.

So when I went there, I was praying in the land and God clearly spoke to me that by March 1st you have to move into this place.

So I went and told our team, our guys, our family, we said, okay guys, March 1st we are moving there.

And they go, are you crazy because we already paid rent until March 31st.

We have the contract until March 1st.

And then I go, it's okay if you lose money but we're going to move by March 1st.

And they're like, God is the one who provided and then we can stay there.

And they're like, no, we're going to move.

And then they're like, because it's the end of January and then March 1st is only two months.

And then they said, it's impossible to build this building.

But then God clearly spoke to me and this is his will which he spoke to me, which I believed in it.

And that's the will and that's how the kingdom works.

Then I called these guys who are going to build it and then I told them, I was like super excited.

And I'm like, okay guys, this is what we're going to build.

Can you build it and give it to me by March 1st?

And the guy said, no, this is impossible.

And then I told him, I begged him, I said, please, because we have to move.

It's okay even if you don't construct the whole thing but we are going to move.

And the guy came back and then he told me, okay, I will hire more people and I will give it to you by February 28th.

I'm like, okay, sure.

So, you know, Indian times are very different, right?

So, even though he said February 28th and we weren't able to move in by March 1st until March 1st, March 5th.

So, but March 1st I decided that, okay, we're going to move at any cost.

So, even though the place wasn't ready yet and even though we had the place until March 31st and we moved all of the stuff and then kept all the machines, all the computers, all these sewing machines under a tree in the open place.

And then we covered them.

We didn't even have a protective place for them.

But we have to take risks because God told me so.

So, we went there, we came there and then by March 5th we were able to finish and then we moved in.

We had a beautiful inauguration and then March 12th, a week later, we found out that there was a murder that happened in the old, just in front of the old place.

And then the guys told me, the neighbors told me that you have done the greatest thing because if had you guys were here, here at the time, they said about 400 people, they fought amongst each other because they saw a murder right in front of them and they were beaten to death.

They were beating everybody.

They destroyed the whole property.

They broke the glasses and then he said, if you were here, then you wouldn't even have a chance to even take a pin from that place because of the murder.

They would seal everything.

And then they said, and then the guy said, your name, your company's name would have become the reference point for this murder in the news.

The enemy knows that we stayed there for four years and then we wanted to move out and then the enemy has planned to destroy us on March 12th.

But God, the one who knew it all before, he has allowed us to, he has given us his will to come out of that place and move even before the enemy has done something.

As children of God, and that's what even the prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples, it teaches us that his will, however it happens in the kingdom, should happen here because we belong to that kingdom.

We follow that rule.

We follow that process.

We follow him.

We follow his ways on this earth and show the world that, hey, actually, we belong to somewhere else.

And our citizenship is not here.

Yeah.

So that's the second one.

And the third one, what do we bear?

What do we witness?

The third one.

Acts chapter 22, verse 15.

Acts 22:15

Acts 22, verse 15.

Acts 22:15

Verse 15, it says, for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

The church, the call of the church to bear the witness of everything what we see in kingdom, in spirit, and what we hear presently.

Because he is alive.

The only God who's alive is Jesus Christ.

Yeah, I come from a place where you have so many gods and then everyone who claimed God, they still have their tombs.

They still have their death anniversaries.

But there is only one God who is alive and active even today.

And the church and us, we should never stop at some place where we have heard him before and then we should never stop because he's proceeding.

He's moving.

And we've got to move with him.

And we have to bear witness of the things you see today or very recently or present and hear very recently.

So that's where the witnessing power comes.

As you keep seeing in the spirit what he is doing and then we will be able to see that in this physical reality.

As we hear him every day, we walk and then we move our lives along with him.

So we, the church, and then I have to bear witness to the things that what I see today in him.

Which means it requires a constant relationship, a communion with him all the time.

And that's where he is.

He is so committed to that.

If there is anyone who is so committed to have a beautiful communion and relationship with you, and that is Jesus alone.

Because he has put his spirit in us who never leaves at any cost, at any situation.

He's always there to connect with us.

So that's one of my frustrations with the back home with the people, with our leaders, some of the leaders.

Because they had such beautiful, powerful stories.

But they got stuck.

They still witness for the things that happened before, which is good, which is amazing, which needs to be done.

But then they have not, they have missed witnessing him what the present is.

What the present, recent things that God is doing.

And we have to move with him.

We have to walk with him and then see what God is doing in this world today and recently in our life and start to witness to that.

And that's where the power comes.

That's where the doors open.

Because the time is now.

And that's why we have to be in the presence of God.

And that's why we have to be in the presence of God.

Because the times are changing.

People are changing.

And you know God is moving to meet everyone where they are at with his love.

Amen.

Next one.

So how does this witness lifestyle look like?

How does this witness lifestyle look like?

The first one.

It's a lifestyle of sent one.

It's a lifestyle of sent one.

Because we are never meant to witness alone because Holy Spirit is there.

That's what Paul says.

The Holy Spirit in us, who bears witness, is the one who bears witness.

Because we are never meant to witness alone because Holy Spirit is there.

That's what Paul says.

The Holy Spirit in us, who bears witness.

And when we are witnessing, what we are witnessing is that we are not by ourselves.

We are actually sent by him.

It's a beautiful relationship.

So when we accept Christ, we become sons and daughters.

So our identity is who we are.

Who we are becomes like we are his son.

But at the same time, we connect with him as a son.

But then at different times, we take different roles and we witness who God is.

There are times where we need to weep.

There are times where we fight.

There are times where we go and preach the gospel.

There are times where we wait.

And then he is the one who gives us power.

So that's what John chapter 7 and verse 18 says.

John 7 · chapter mention

Jesus always seeks the one who seeks the glory of one who sent him.

And then he says, you believe in me.

If you believe in me, you will also believe in the one who sent me.

He always takes his place from him who has sent.

And when we go to witness, when we go to witness, be it sharing the gospel or be it writing a blog or be it making a video or going to work,

whatever, wherever God is calling you, wherever he's taking you,

whenever you want to go and witness his power, his help and his presence right there, always remember that.

We are sent by him.

And when we are sent by him, the one who sent you is the one who is going to provide you, who's going to protect you,

who's going to give you opportunity, who's going to give you strength.

And you never work. You never work.

It's only the one who has sent you will empower you to stand there and to see the power of God come alive in that place.

And the moment you think that, OK, maybe I need to do this one, you carry the burden.

A Christian life is that it's like we know who we are.

So what I who am I, what I do and then what we witness.

And this is the way right. So you know who you are out of who you are.

You start to do you start to act. And then out of that, you start to witness the first miracle that happened after church was born,

where John and Peter, they were at this temple and then they saw this beggar and then they said, they said, OK, we see you.

And then we don't have silver and gold, but we know what we have.

We give you in Jesus name. Rise up.

They know who they are.

And then they did because out of that, because they know that they are their sons of God.

And then they like we don't have any silver, we don't have any gold, but we know what we what we have.

And then they they asked him to rise up and then he did.

They witnessed his miracle. But people who are not belong to the body yet, their lives, their journey starts from what they witness.

What they witness, that's where their life starts from out of the witness.

Then they step into they get to do something.

And then they understand their they understand they get to their own identity.

That's how that's how we got our identity.

Someone told us the gospel or someone came in and preached the gospel or we have seen the miracle of God or we have seen the goodness of God.

We have witnessed it. And then we start to say, OK, Father, I turn to you.

Can you forgive me? Can you take me as your son?

And then Jesus says, I've done it. I've been waiting for you.

And then he access and then we get new identity as a children of God.

We get the new identity and that identity is the sonship.

And out of sonship, he sends you as a witness.

So this witness lifestyle always looks like sent one that when they see you, when they see you at different places, they don't actually they see you, but they see Jesus in you.

They see that there is someone who is behind you, who is working for you.

So it's always a sent one lifestyle, always.

They would never forget that that that that there's a God who has sent you.

There's God who is with you.

And he wants you to be there to see his power and majestic and the love so that you worship him.

The second one. From Matthew, Chapter 11, it was 2129.

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

The second this lifestyle is the lifestyle of rest.

It's a rest lifestyle.

It's a rest lifestyle.

That's what happens when you come to him.

He gives you rest.

He gives you rest.

He gives you rest at the same time.

He gives you that rest is and also he keeps he puts his yoke on you, which is light.

That you're not you'll never work.

You're never without work.

You're always there.

But this is this comes from rest.

This comes from knowing that he has already finished.

What I'm here is declaring what he has promised.

And I'm going to see it.

So it comes from rest lifestyle.

It's like a rest.

It's like it's like you you fight battles.

You take the battles and then you know you you experience this immense peace that surpasses all understanding.

Because you know who has called you.

You know who has put you here.

And then you know where he's going to take you.

But you don't know how.

But that's where faith comes in and you trust his process.

Rest.

Because the sent one bears all the weight.

He bears all the weight.

And then today I pray today I pray that if we if we are carrying any burden whatever it is any burden even the burden of growing in the Lord whatever it is any burden I pray that Jesus calls all of us to come.

And then to lay our burden there and then to carry and then to take his rest on our shoulders and his yoke which is light.

It's important to switch that.

Otherwise we get used we get used to carry this burden and this burden becomes part of our life until it is actually taken away.

Then we feel the light.

Yeah.

The third one.

From Acts chapter one eight.

It's a lifestyle of empowered.

Empowered by the power.

Of Holy Spirit.

It's a lifestyle of empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When I was in India it was about eleven thirty in the night and then all of a sudden I got a video call from a from a different village.

And then this guy called me up and then he said brother my grandmother is demon possessed.

I'm like show me I want to see her and I saw her then I'm like OK stop.

I want to see your face because she was acting so crazy so weird because she went to buy a refrigerator in the next town.

But then she was she came very late and then one of the this guy was driving and then she was behind him.

And then as he was driving in and all of a sudden she started to change her voice all of a sudden she started to change her name and then act so weirdly.

And they brought to the village and they started to beat her so that the demon would leave and the demon wouldn't leave.

And then he called me and then he said he said another this my grandmother and she's she's everybody's beating her and it's hard for me to watch.

And then I saw her and then she was she was she was with the demon possessed and I didn't and I told him do you want me to come.

But it's already 1130 and it's very it's not a it's not it's not safe journey for me to go.

Then I started to pray I started to pray I said I told the guy what do you want I said I told him I have two options here one I'll come tomorrow early morning to you get to pray for her.

And he's like no no I don't want to pray because if I pray then what if I what if the demon doesn't leave what if the demon catches then I told him I told him what the Bible teaches I told him the authority we give.

I told him I told him I told him how this works is like I opened the scripture I said do you have a Bible and then one scripture after the other and then after teaching I told him again I have two choices one.

Do you want me to come tomorrow with our with some of the boys or do you want to pray now.

And he said I will pray now and as we were watching right so he put he put the camera he give the camera to someone else and then as he was watching he went and then he started to pray and then and then he was he was shivering.

But at the same time I started we started to pray again right and then all of a sudden the guy who was shivering the guy who was not not uttering the words properly he went and then he he went and then he hugged his grandmother and then he started to cast out the demon.

It's like in Jesus name with the authority that he has given I don't have anything in me but only the power of the Holy Spirit in me and then I pray in Jesus name be gone.

I have the screen screen recording of the video if you want to see.

Be gone.

And the demon has no way no way to act any other way than the commandment that comes from the Spirit of God.

His grandmother was completely free.

She sat down and then the next day we went and then she was cleaning her dishes.

We are empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit and that comes only when we align with the scripture and then we believe what he has written for us and what he has done in our life.

What was the reference that you gave in Acts?

Oh 1 8 when the power of the Holy Spirit comes.

Yeah.

And he's the one who's always there to empower us.

It's beautiful and we know the love of the Father where he wants us to enjoy his work along with him by co partnering with him.

I thought this guy is going to go and then stretch his hand and then command the demon but this guy went and hugged his grandmother started to pray.

I thought this guy is going to go and then stretch his hand and then command the demon but this guy went and hugged his grandmother started to pray.

God knows his heart and God knows and the Holy Spirit empower him.

Yeah.

That's a witness lifestyle is always empowered by the Holy Spirit because he's the one who's doing the work and we are there to witness and then he gives us strength and courage and boldness.

Fourth one.

It's a lifestyle that we know what's going to come but we don't know how it's going to happen.

We know what's going to come.

We know what's going to happen.

We pray for redemption.

We pray for things to move.

We pray for things to shift.

We know.

But then it's a lifestyle where we don't know how it's going to happen but we still trust the one who has given the word.

Because God's will is not what happens is actually what he says.

We know what's going to happen.

What happens is actually what he says.

We always we should we should never check his promise based on what's happening but actually what he said what he says always go back to what he said what he told you because that's how you began.

That's how you started your journey because he said something and then you started to walk in it.

Yeah so it's a life it's a lifestyle that we know what's what's going to come.

We know what's going to happen but we don't know how.

And that's where that's where that's where our faith comes in trusting his ways.

Trusting his ways and his ways are always higher than us.

And seven next one.

Six one.

What a fifth one right.

OK fifth one sorry.

I want to skip points because I told someone that I'm going to talk for 20 minutes.

I have a feeling that we passed the 20 minutes long time back.

OK so OK.

Oh sorry.

OK it's a lifestyle.

It's a lifestyle that transforms you.

The more you witness you are transformed and you are empowered.

And your hunger increases.

And the power you receive increases and the opportunities to live that life increases.

So as I said in the camp I saw this guy setting up the mic right.

So I asked him why don't you stand up and then share this story.

I said no no no no no I don't even know how to say I don't even know how to say praise the Lord.

Because he comes from a different background right.

I said don't worry about it just just be who you are and just say what whatever has happened right.

So this guy was already shivering and he was like oh my god I'm going to die.

And I said OK.

And then he started to share and then all of a sudden the guy who takes care of the property the watchman.

He he disturbed us.

He's also not a Christian he comes from different background.

But he came and then he disturbed us that the guy himself was already shivering.

The guy came in his leg.

No no no can you guys talk about this.

I mean I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

The guy came in his leg.

No no no can you guys talk on this phone.

I said was that no no no we will talk on the phone but let him finish.

But the guy said no no no my daughter is on the call.

Can you please talk to her.

Like like OK we will talk but let him finish.

The guy is like no no no no please talk for us.

So then we were like OK.

And we started to talk.

She was on the loudspeaker and then she started to talk and then she said I have a daughter who is who is four who is four and a half years old now.

And then she got a disease where her stomach and then her legs and then her hands and entire body swallow body swells so much.

And then even the water started to ooze out from this from the tummy.

We took her to hospital and then they said they can't do anything.

And then and then even the tests are expensive.

But then she said she said my family who is who is next to me they always talk about Jesus Christ and that Jesus heals.

And then we have heard it.

And then now she said now my dad called me and then said he heard a story where the boy is completely healed.

Can you guys pray for my daughter too.

And then we prayed for the daughter.

I wish I can.

I think Jacob might have shown you the picture.

I will show you the picture before and after.

It was so beautiful.

We started we all started to pray.

We all started to pray.

And then after two weeks or so they came to us and then she started to get well.

And then God started to heal her because she started to eat and then the swelling started to go down.

And then in a month she was completely healed.

She was completely healed.

And then she came she came up she came up the girl she came up and then she told that Jesus Christ healed me.

I told my grandfather that why don't you go to church because if you go to church he will also heal you.

And the and the and the grandfather said no I don't want to go to church because if I go to church then the whole village will shame me.

But then she said because within that one month what we did was we built a church in that property which is right in front of his home.

So and then now and then now she's telling you said you were you were ashamed to go to church which is a to a different village.

And then now the God of this creation he came right in front of your home.

How can you escape now.

Wow for a four and a half year old girl to say that those words.

Beautiful.

The more we started to witness the more it creates more excitement and hunger to see the hand of God moving because he's alive and he's active and he's everywhere.

And he's out of his sheer love and mercy which is which overflows from his heart will actually touch the life and change the life.

And we get to see the taste of his beautiful beautiful heaven beautiful beautiful presence.

I pray I pray that this hunger increases I pray that was so that when hunger increases the power that we experience increases and then we get the more opportunities to his to to see his power and then we get to praise him more and more.

Praise God for who he is.

Praise God.

So next one.

What are the things that hinder.

That hinder that stop this lifestyle.

What can hinder.

Our witness lifestyle.

The first one.

The first one.

The first one.

Expecting Holy Spirit.

To witness.

To our own reason.

To our own reason than his way.

That can be the huge hindrance.

To expect him to help us to see this witness to see this thing happen in our own reason for our own reason for our own ways.

And after I've experienced that so many times I've gone through that so many times and that actually pushes me into uncertainty.

Especially when the code thing was happening we were helping families we were helping families to come out of the code.

To come out of the code and then and you know you know as people of God we have so many beautiful ideas and then we want to go and then we want to help them in our own way just like how Jesus how.

God said in Ezekiel so he has his own doorstep and then we bring and then we say our door and then say Jesus this story is the best because they can they can do much better and then no no no no no it's actually his door which is important.

So so we go and then we we were like okay God do this for them or else oh God deliver her in this way there are so many girls who who are not willing to do this for them.

So so we go and then we we were like okay God do this for them or else oh God deliver her in this way there are so many girls who who was being abused and then we go and then we say why don't you just take them this way and then that way and then and and we expect God to do whatever he said but in our own reason in our own way.

And when thing doesn't happen in our own way that's when we get discouraged and that becomes a hindrance.

When you want to witness you have to give him you have to give him room you we need to allow him to happen you need to allow him to work in his own way and trusting that you have said this I know I will reach there I know I will witness this one but in your own way.

Yeah let's not push him let's not let's not let's not expect him to work in our own ways.

Yeah let's not push him let's not let's not let's not expect him to work in our own ways.

I was there's one girl whom we have helped her and then I was meeting her and then she told me I said I asked her she was in she was at a place where she was she wasn't sure which way to go and then we were there and then we asked her one of our team guy he asked her and then said.

So what do you want to become what do you what is your will what do you what do you want to do and then she stood up and then she said it's not important what I want to do to me I came to a place where I want to know what he loves to do in my life and turn that as my desire.

So can you guys help me to find out what he loves to do in my life.

She completely changed her way to actually find what he loves to do in our life and then wants to take that as the direction for her life.

And she's 1920 and we were like blown away like praise God so so so that something hinders us because we go and we expect got to do in a different way in some way and then that doesn't happen and then but then children of God as sons of God we know that his ways are so

higher and and we have to stick with him we have to hang on to him even when we came to the end of the rope.

The second one.

The second one.

It's from X chapter one and seven.

The desire to know times and seasons.

The desire to know times and seasons can actually hinder this witness lifestyle.

Sometimes we go on sometimes I go on how long should I wait God.

How long should I wait one this gonna shift when this gonna happen.

How long should I wait and this actually hinders our lifestyle and that's why the next words it says that.

It says that X chapter one verse seven and two and he said to them it is not for you to know the times of season that father has already fixed in his own authority but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you that you will be my witness in Jerusalem and all the earth.

So the desire to know the times and seasons sometimes hinders our lifestyle but remember that always always rely on the power of the Holy Spirit always rely that he is there.

You don't need to know the times and seasons sometimes but he's there to cover you and then to empower you and to help you to walk through.

Yeah the last one.

The last one.

Seeking self promotion or self glory.

Yeah seeking self promotion self glory.

We know that authority comes with the intimacy authority comes with the intimacy but at the same time Jesus said the authority is actually given to people who wants to glorify the one who gave the authority.

The authority is always given to people who wants to glorify him.

Yeah.

I'm done.

Last section.

So what do you need now as a church.

What do we need to have this lifestyle.

That's the last section.

And I'm done.

What do we need to live this lifestyle.

What do we need.

The only thing we need is is the desire and urge because Holy Spirit is always there to empower us.

The desire when you have this desire then as we said this witnessing becomes our own experience and then we start to move with that we start to witness.

Yeah we have we should expect more from God we should expect.

We should have this desire Lord I want to be a witness to you and there are people who have been doing that and you've been doing that and now I pray that I pray that we don't live we don't leave this this element of our DNA when we step into the next phase of our life next room of our life that this becomes as a part of our DNA that wherever we go even in the next phase we see more opportunities to actually witness.

Yeah let's pray.

Can we sing the same song I've been touched by a fire.

Yeah and then we close.

Yeah, and I'll pray.

What do you want to what do you want to receive.

We want to we want to see more opportunities for us to witness and we want to see we want to we want to experience more of him in our personal lives.

Father we pray.

You can start.