By Faith

because you talk to them. In fact it's not a good idea to talk to angels. But it's a

great idea to ask God and God sends angels. I mean I remember the first time was I'd

been a Christian for three days and I'd read this verse which says sometimes when you help

people you entertain angels meaning without knowing you sometimes are taking care of angels

who come sometimes disguised in various forms. I remember travelling in this train, it's

travelling at 80 kilometers per hour and there's this guy who looks like a beggar sitting near

the toilet and I decide that someone needs to help him but I was very conscious, I'd

been a Christian for three days, very conscious of helping him so I wouldn't move and I had

some food with me. I was so conscious of being a Christian that I had actually wrapped my

Bible with newspapers so nobody knows I'm reading the Bible. That is how shy I was of

being a Christian initially and then I remember deciding I've got to go feed this guy because

I'm reading the Bible, it's talking about this. So I get up and I go and I sit right

next to him and I start telling him about Jesus and as I'm telling him about Jesus

he isn't saying anything but tears are just flowing out of his eyes. And so we sit there

and I eat with him and people are looking at me strangely as in what's wrong with you.

And then I go back to my seat and five minutes later I thought I'll go give him something

more and these trains in India don't have through connections to the next compartment,

it's just there and I go back and this guy has disappeared. So I go looking throughout

the compartment trying to locate him, can't find him. So I think to myself what if he's

seated somewhere so I go looking for him, can't find him. And this was just three days

after becoming a believer and I realized that day that oh shucks, God actually sends

angels. That was my first encounter. The second time was when I was in a church and I was

talking to a group of people and I was telling the people how I had often failed and not

done well and I don't know why things are going wrong and I'm failing and stuff like

that and there's one man in the congregation, he's sitting there and he's looking at me

and he's shaking his head sometimes to encourage my points. Whenever I say points about my

failure he just smiles but whenever I say anything about God or about how God's worked

for me he shakes his head and I know I've seen him somewhere but I know I've never met

him before. And this was in England and so after the service the guy comes up to me and

he says to me that God wants you to know that all the times you thought you failed was not

a failure, it was a test and you passed and you did well. And then I'm looking at him

and I want to say to him that I've seen you before, I know you before but I know I haven't,

I've never met him before. And so I go and ask the pastor who's that guy and the pastor

says he's never been here before. And a man never came after. Every time I've gone I've

looked for him, I've asked the pastor and there are multiple pastors in that church,

never come back after. That was the second occasion when this happened. The third occasion

was crazy man. Some of these things as I tell you I was recounting today and I wanted to

tell the kids about this because guys sometimes one of the ways God helps you because only

God understands what sometimes happens in your heart because even grown-ups can't sometimes

fathom what happens in a child's heart. God does and God sometimes sends angels to just

help you. Hi guys. And so the third time was when I desperately needed to give a book called

The Happiest People on Earth to a person who was not a believer and I knew that book would

change their lives. And I looked for the book everywhere, couldn't find it. I had one copy

and I had already given it to somebody. I'm thinking to myself man that guy is going to

leave tomorrow. And so I prayed a simple prayer before going to bed. I said father I need

to give this book to this person. What do I do because I won't see this person. I have

to give the person the book tomorrow. And I said I can't find the book. Looked everywhere,

can't find it. And I knew I had to give that book. I go to sleep. The next morning the

strangest thing happens. There's a brand new The Happiest People on Earth right next to

my night table sitting there. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. A brand new book.

These are stories I've never said here before. Why? Because I want you kids to understand

that man there is a God who understands what's going on in your heart and sometimes when

you call out to him even if grown ups can't understand it, God does and he turns up. One

of the coolest things that happened which made me cry that night is I was in this place

where I was sick. I couldn't move. I wasn't feeling good. It was very cold and I didn't

have even the strength to move guys. And I'm lying there in bed and I'm crying out of God

saying father I'm feeling so cold I wish I could go to the next room or whatever and

get a blanket and put it on myself but I don't even have the strength for it. Now many will

dismiss this as oh you don't know but maybe you got up at night and did this. I woke up

in the morning and I'm completely covered with a blanket from the next room. Completely

covered. I was just in bed weeping because I knew what God had done. Strange things God

does because children call out to him. The strange thing is he sees you and I as children

too. But I'm talking about you kids. I know somebody else's story which I don't want to

share without their permission but I remember once a child who was in dire trouble because

big ants were going to come and completely crowd the child where it lay. And the mother

cries out and these two people turn up who help the child out. Multiple times I've heard

of stories. These four stories happened with me that I'm absolutely aware of. And God only

knows how many times God is fighting for us pushing back the darkness. Where's that? Go

to the verse before. God is fighting for us pushing back the darkness. Lighting up the

kingdom that cannot be shaken. In the name of Jesus enemies defeated and we shout it

out. These are just four incidents. I can come up with one or two more where God was

protective. I just want you kids to remember that. Call out to God and sometimes he sends

angels to take care of you. That's how God is. That's how God is. And strangely enough

kids, you guys are more prone to angels helping you than us grown ups. We grown ups have become

too skeptical in our heads. Even as I told these stories some of us were trying to figure

out perhaps you brought the book and left it on your night table by mistake. Perhaps

you got up, sleepwalked to the next room, grabbed the blanket and covered it to you,

covered yourself and you're now saying that God did it. This is how our grown up minds

think. But God says that you kids have angels appointed to you. It says so in Matthew. I'm

not kidding you. It actually says so in the Bible. Begin to call out to God and you'll

find that God will send angels to help you in times of trouble and you won't even understand

it but you'll suddenly know, huh, something's different. Just thought I'll share that with

you.

You hold my every moment You calm my raging seas

You walk with me through fire And heal all my disease

I trust in you I trust in you

One more time from the beginning

You hold my every moment You calm my raging seas

You walk with me through fire And heal all my disease

I trust in you I trust in you

I believe you're my healer I believe you are all I need

I believe you're my portion I believe you're my hope

I believe you're more than enough for me Jesus, you're all I need

I believe I believe you're my healer

I believe you are all I need

I believe you're my portion I believe you're more than enough for me

Jesus, you're all I need Nothing is impossible

Nothing is impossible Nothing is impossible for you

You hold the world in your hands I believe you're my healer

I believe you are all I need

I believe you're my portion I believe you're more than enough for me

You're more than enough for me Jesus, you're all I need

You're more than enough for me Jesus, you're all I need

There's a cool verse in Job 36

Never read it before though, I've read it before

Job 36 verse 16

Job 36:16

Here's what it says

God is wooing you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious place free from restriction

to the comfort of your table laden with choice food

God is wooing you from the jaws of distress

to a spacious place free from restriction

to the comfort of your table laden with choice food

Never read that verse before, quite surprised

Hebrews 11 23-30

It's all about Moses

Here it goes

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born

because they saw he was no ordinary child

Can you turn down the echo a little Matt?

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born

because they saw he was no ordinary child

and they were not afraid of the king's decree or edict

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God

rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt

because he was looking ahead to his reward

By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king's anger

He persevered because he saw him who is invisible

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood

so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land

But when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned

By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people had marched around them for seven days

That's what we'll talk about, just those six verses

Guys, here's a different definition of faith

Faith is my trusting childlike response

Faith is my trusting childlike response

to what God has already provided by grace

Faith is my childlike

Faith is my trusting childlike response

to what God has already provided by grace

Faith is my trusting childlike response

to what God has already provided by grace

There's nothing that I am asking for in faith that God has not already provided in grace

There is nothing that I'm asking in faith that God has not already provided in grace

So there's nothing I can ask for

Nothing I can ask for that God hasn't already provided

And here's the other thing

Since he knows everything that I need

before I was born or before the earth was created

He's already made arrangements for everything I need to live this life in Vancouver

Even that is provided for in his grace and in his foresight

This is not faith is often seen as some kind of extraction

where we've got to pull something out of God with faith

But instead it is not extraction

It is already provided in grace for us

Romans 4.16 actually talks about that

Romans 4.16 talks about that

But it says, I've already provided things for you

that you can access by faith

and even that I provided in grace

Just remember that

So let's go to Hebrews 11, verse 23

Hebrews 11:23

Hebrews 11, verse 23 where we start

Hebrews 11:23

It says, by faith, Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born

because they saw he was not an ordinary child

and they were not afraid or not overawed

or not terrified by the king's decree

Now they had reason to be terrified

Because Pharaoh had just said, I'm going to slaughter all the children who were below a certain age

and he was sending our people to slaughter

To go against the king's decree meant not just the slaughter of the children

It meant the slaughter of the parents too

But they were not terrified

So the first principle we want to draw from that verse

is that faith is not intimidated by threat or perceived danger

Faith is not intimidated by threat or perceived danger

Faith is not intimidated by threat or perceived danger

It's happened to the best of them

In 1 Kings 19, verse 3, you see Elijah getting news

1 Kings 19:3

that Jezebel was really upset because he had won this amazing victory

victory of Mount Carmel

And the Bible says in 1 Kings 19, 3

that when Elijah saw what Jezebel was planning to do

he got afraid and he fled

The point being, guys, that faith is not intimidated by threats or perceived danger

So whenever there's a sense of perceived danger or threat

based on something that might happen tomorrow

remember or be cognizant of the fact of two things, guys

In 1, this is Jacob and this is heaven

And strangely enough, don't ever forget that in Jacob

lives the personal presence of Jesus by the Holy Spirit

And at the same time, that same Jesus is also seated on the throne

Never forget that

It's the object, it's the source of our faith

that two things are happening at once

At once, the personal presence of Jesus Christ is in Jacob by the Holy Spirit

The personal presence of Jesus Christ is in Jacob by the Holy Spirit

And at the same time, that same Jesus is also seated on the throne

the king of the universe which cannot contain him

the earth being his footstool at once

Faith is anchored in the simple statement that I will not leave you, I am with you

Start there, if I don't start there, faith can't move

All perceived danger, every threat has to be first met

And remember, with this recognition that the same Christ who rules the entire universe

as seated on the throne controlling everything that happens

in the life of everything in the universe

is the same Christ who is personally present in this human body

And it is anchored in the simple statement that Jacob, I am with you

Start there

Fear actually is my heart's response

when in come into agreement with the intimidation of the devil

Fear is actually my heart's response

when I come into agreement with the intimidation of the devil

Fear is my heart's response

when I come into agreement with the intimidation of the devil

That's what fear is

When I agree with the intimidation that is being

and that is being thrown upon me by the enemy.

That's when fear happens.

And so one of the best things to do at times of fear

is to quickly go recognize this, and after this,

go ask God for hope.

Romans 5.5 says, the Holy Spirit brings hope to me.

So when I'm afraid, the first thing I do is go and ask God,

Father, I'm afraid.

I'm scared.

These things aren't working out.

Can you, through your word and through the witness

of the Holy Spirit, give me hope?

Because hope fuels endurance.

Hope fuels endurance.

I will not endure under pressure if there is no hope.

Why would I not pack it in if there is no hope?

Why would I not go with the flow if there is no hope?

Hope fuels endurance.

So in darkness, in the storm, in the midst of fear,

ask the Holy Spirit to bring hope,

because Romans 5.5 clearly indicates

that he brings hope to those that love God,

fills their hearts with hope, and he brings it

through the word and through his witness.

It's the only way to endure.

Any questions before we move on?

OK.

Next verse says, aroused by faith,

Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ

as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt

because he was looking ahead to his reward.

Aroused by faith or by faith, Moses, when he had grown up,

refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God

rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin

for a short time.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ

as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt

because he was looking ahead to his reward.

OK?

Faith is not held captive by feelings.

Faith is not held captive by feelings.

One of the problems we Christians have when it comes

to faith is we are hypnotized by feelings.

We are hypnotized by feelings.

You might think hypnosis doesn't work,

but when it comes to feelings, feelings hypnotize believers.

Where you're stuck with the feeling

and your feeling does not allow you to forge forward in faith.

Can't afford it, guys.

Faith is not held captive by feelings.

Faith does not covet.

Faith does not seek instant gratification.

Faith does not seek instant pleasure.

Moses didn't.

Says, by faith he chose not to.

Guys, here's the thing.

Romans 1.17 says that the just shall live by faith

or the righteous shall live by faith.

Sometimes when your faith is not shaken, what the enemy then

does is he tries to undo or undermine your righteousness.

Sometimes when your faith is solid and it cannot be shaken,

Satan tries to undermine your right ways of living

or your righteousness.

How does he do that?

He provokes anger.

He provokes sin.

He provokes deceit.

He provokes deception.

He provokes shame.

He provokes revenge.

What then happens is the righteous shall live by faith.

If faith cannot be shaken, why not attack

Jacob's righteousness?

Because once Jacob's righteousness is attacked,

now he's out of place with God and is

not able to walk with the same degree of faith

as he could have otherwise walked.

It's a common ploy of the enemy.

Samson had faith.

Samson had tremendous faith.

So do what?

Attack his righteousness.

A boy would be successful.

Be aware of that.

The Bible says, do not be overcome by evil,

but overcome evil with.

Good.

That's so in Romans 12.

When you're walking a pathway of faith,

know that there'll be provocations.

And when provocations come, choose not to lose your temper.

Choose not to avenge.

Choose not to lie.

Choose not to walk in ways that are being done unto you.

Moses was mistreated.

And the Bible says, even though he was mistreated,

he chose not to avenge.

Even though he was facing disgrace,

he chose not to be party with those that can give him

position.

This doesn't sit well with the prosperity, faith, gospel

message.

There you always want position, gratification, pleasure,

increase.

And here is exactly the opposite.

Moses didn't want any of it.

And remember this.

God very clearly says, hey, Jacob, I will reward you

if you seek my faith when times are dark.

I will reward you.

Not if you seek an answer, if you seek a solution,

but if you seek my faith.

I will reward you.

Hebrews 11.6 or 11.5 says that, he who comes to God must

know that he's a rewarder of those that seek him

diligently.

Faith that does not expect to be rewarded by God

is unbiblical faith.

Faith that does not expect to be rewarded by a faithful God

is not biblical faith.

Any questions?

In Hebrews 11, it says, anyone who comes to God must believe

that he exists and must know that he rewards those that

seek him diligently.

Therefore, in any situation as a child seeks its parent,

I need to seek his faith and seek what he has for me

in that given situation.

And when I do, as every child expects the parent to reward it

for seeking the parent, so God says, I will reward you.

Therefore, a child who goes to the parent for help,

not expecting anything, is not a child that actually trusts

or has a relationship with the parent.

That child is an orphan and goes to anybody.

Questions?

Next line.

By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger.

He persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger.

And he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

Guys, for faith to be successful,

shut the eye of the mind and open the eye of the spirit.

For faith to be successful, or let's put it this way,

faith shuts the eye of the mind and opens the eye of the spirit

which allows you to see him who is invisible.

I'll explain it.

One last line.

Faith shuts the eye of the mind and opens the eye of the spirit

so that you see him who is invisible.

We try to approach things with God, seeing things as our mind perceives.

But everything about God is invisible.

And my spirit can recognize it, but my mind will not compute it.

It is impossible to understand God using my mind.

It is a curse of mankind that we have sometimes grown up in homes

where the mind was given so much value that today people find it difficult to connect with God.

When the Bible says we are spirit beings in a body given a mind to process truths.

And so, faith shuts the eye of the mind.

Meaning, it approaches things not with a, this is what I see, this is what I hear, this is what I feel,

this is what I sense, this is what I touch, this is what I smell.

It does not approach things like that.

It shuts the eye of the mind and opens the eye of the spirit.

So my spirit sees that which is invisible, as in God himself.

God connects first to the spirit.

God connects first to the spirit.

It is amazing how I have had occasion to be with a couple of babies over the last couple of years.

And they make odd sounds and you make odd sounds back.

And then you find the parents and the kids make odd sounds and the parents know what the kid wants.

Those sounds make no sense to you, but they make complete sense to the parents.

Don't know how it works.

But a parent understands something about the kid that is internal that you and I can't understand through external words.

It is, I love the fact that whenever things go seriously wrong and everything in me is screaming,

do this, do this, do this, Google this, Google this, Google this, Wikipedia this, Wikipedia this, Wikipedia this,

and ask for the experts, everything is screaming back.

And then there is a place within where the spirit begins to see what God wants.

And the spirit begins to see what God wants through the knowledge of the word, through the leading of the spirit.

This is the way you see what God wants.

You see the invisible through the visible word and you see the invisible through the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit in you,

where he leads you, where he directs you.

And if I don't follow that, I will live my entire life here on earth as an earthbound Christian,

who never experiences God here, but will only experience God in heaven.

If that were the case, accept Jesus Christ just before you die.

Hopefully you will get it right.

What a shame it would be if we lived here without this experience, guys.

I know this, guys, faith will always bring out our true colors.

Not faith, pressure will always bring out our true colors.

James chapter 1, verse 2, in the message puts it this way,

James 1:2

you know that under pressure your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

You know that under pressure your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

So don't try to get out of anything prematurely.

Let faith do its work so that you become mature.

Crazy!

God is saying, hey, Jacob, I want you to know that there is no other way you can grow other than through this process of faith.

There is no other way you can grow other than through the process of faith.

There is no other way you can grow other than through the process of faith.

There is no growth.

Faith comes by hearing, growth comes by doing what you are told.

Faith comes by hearing what you are told, growth comes by doing what you are told.

There is no other way around it.

How do we get out prematurely of the process of faith?

We sleep with three people.

One, we sleep with Hagar.

Two, we sleep with Delilah.

And three, we sleep with Bathsheba.

Three women you should keep away from.

Hagar is man-made solution.

Delilah is passive faith, languishing in passive faith.

Man, she is so into Christians.

And Bathsheba is sin or disobedience.

Three people you should avoid if you want to walk in faith.

The first one is Hagar, man-made solutions.

Abraham learned it the hard way.

The second one is Delilah.

Good old Samson would go, lay his head and his flowing locks on her lap.

In passive faith thing, yeah, spin it on a wheel and I'll lose my strength.

He just played a fool with his faith.

This was a man who was chosen to deliver Israel.

Passive faith.

And the third one is Bathsheba, who David sinned with.

Any of these methods will undo our faith, guys.

Undoes our faith.

This is how we prematurely get out of the process that God wants to take us through.

With faith so that we come out with greater growth, what do we do?

We often resort to man-made solutions.

Or we go into this mode called passive faith.

Sometimes the Bible does say that you cannot inherit anything without faith and patience.

The Bible says in Hebrews 6, verse 12, you can only inherit things, inherit promises through faith and patience.

Hebrews 6:12

You can only inherit promises through faith and patience.

But sometimes, guys, laziness can masquerade as patience.

Sometimes laziness or sluggishness can masquerade as patience.

Where you're not doing anything, it's passive.

It's like, yeah, I'm waiting in faith.

And what does that look like?

It looks like this.

Sometimes sluggishness or laziness masquerades as patience when it's not.

How do you deal with it then?

How do you solve it?

Here's a very simple way to solve laziness, sluggishness, passivity.

Hang out with passionate people.

You hang out with passionate people, mediocrity will be exposed.

Whenever passion shows up, mediocrity is exposed.

Whenever passion shows up, mediocrity is exposed.

Doesn't matter whether it's a software program, whether it's hockey.

It does not matter.

Or whether it's Christian life.

Passion always exposes mediocrity.

Hang out with passionate people.

And in that area, your laziness will be exposed.

And your laziness will be affected and changed.

Want to increase in faith?

Do this.

Hunger for it.

Because there's not going to be any growth till we get to this place, guys.

Any questions?

Any questions?

Any questions?

Yeah.

Hebrew 612.

How do you approach fatherhood?

You mentioned before that the people with our mission go first.

I tell you, even if you don't, how do you approach fatherhood?

Yeah.

A child first approaches his father and gets a solution.

A child is not going to its solution giver.

A child is going to its father.

It's a fine distinction, but it is a distinction.

Here's the difference, guys.

Why do people go to different gods to seek answers?

They're hoping one of the gods will give them an answer.

The world does this.

You go to temples, you go to mosques, you go to gurudwaras, you go somewhere to find an answer.

Or you go to a crystal ball or a psychic because you want an answer.

Because they give you answers.

We're not going to an answer.

We're going to God himself who is my father in whom lies every solution.

So my running is to my father, not to my solution giver.

My father happens to have the solution.

If your wife is your dinner provider, she will find out at some point.

But if your wife is the one you love, she will also provide you dinner.

Or sometimes husbands provide dinner like Elmer does every so often.

Like Kamal does every so often.

Like Matt does every so often.

Yeah.

If God is silent, I never take it as a reflection of anything else.

So I'll come back tomorrow and ask you more.

And as you age with him, the ageless one, you will find that you are no longer in a hurry

because you've gotten to know that here is someone who has your best interest and whose timing is perfect.

And because of that, you begin to come to a place where it doesn't, you're in no hurry.

You're in no hurry.

You're in no hurry.

You mess up other people's lives in the bargain, but you're in no hurry.

Because others want an answer and you can't give them an answer.

But you're in no hurry because you know his timing is perfect and he never holds back.

He is not like our husbands, our wives, our mothers, our fathers, our brothers, our sisters,

and our bosses who hold back when things are not going well.

You know that silent treatment thing?

God ain't like that.

He's got no thing called silent treatment when it comes to his children.

Thank God, eh?

Because if he tried the silent treatment, he'd have to do that with me 24-7, man,

for little thing that I miss here, little thing that I miss there.

Thank God he doesn't do that.

So if he's silent, you talk.

You talk.

Sometimes he doesn't give me an answer immediately.

And at that time, it could be because I'm not hearing, but sometimes I know I'm hearing

and he still ain't saying nothing.

And I say to him, all right, I'll ask you again later.

It's like Ryan, when he tugs your shirt, daddy, where's that inheritance of mine?

Where's the million dollars?

Where's the million dollars?

Thank God God's name is not Marcus.

Yeah, it's not today, maybe tomorrow.

Ryan, keep trying, eh?

Million dollars, man.

By the way, types is usually called 10%.

Yeah, that's so easy.

Okay.

Guys, endure confidently, eh?

Endure confidently.

Endurance is not resignation.

Faith, sometimes Christians talk about faith as in, oh, yes, I'm enduring.

But that endurance is not, that endurance is not...

Are you guys getting this fan at all?

Okay.

Mark will just suffer through it.

Or he'll just move.

Or Mark and Rhonda will both move because they are sacrificial people who prefer the benefit of others to theirs.

So guys, endure confidently.

Because endurance that is not confident is resignation.

And faith has nothing to do with resignation.

Faith doesn't resign.

Hebrews 10.35 puts it this way.

I love it.

I learned that as a child, the song.

No, I wasn't a child.

I only became a Christian when I was 20-something.

It says, Hebrews 10.35, do not cast away your confidence.

Do not cast away your confidence.

For great is your reward and you will inherit the promise if you endure with patience and with faith.

Hebrews 10.35.

Don't cast away your confidence.

Endure confidently.

Because the sound from heaven always comes suddenly.

The sound from heaven always comes suddenly.

As in Acts chapter 2, you see that in verse 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And they were all gathered in the upper room.

Because Jesus had said, go wait in Jerusalem till I pour out my Holy Spirit.

And now they've been there for some time.

And suddenly Acts chapter 2, verse 2 says, and suddenly they heard a sound from heaven.

Acts 2:2

It might be just around the corner, guys.

Just around the corner.

Endure confidently.

What does that mean?

Maybe six years.

What does that mean?

Maybe six minutes.

What does that mean?

Maybe six seconds.

Endure confidently.

While you're enduring, don't think that the only thing you're going to do is sit here and wait for that guy to come along.

To marry you six years from now.

There's so much else to do, man.

I think I read someone's mail.

Anyways.

Any questions before we go on?

Okay.

Next one.

Next one.

By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Guys, some of us have to embrace our responsibility just as Moses did.

Imagine what Moses is doing.

He's heard.

Look at what he's heard.

Hey, Moses.

This is me, God.

Yes, God.

I want you to cut a lamb.

Yes, God.

And then take the blood.

Yep.

And then go put it on the dopo this way and this way and this way.

Sure.

And what's that going to do a lot?

Oh, there's an angel that's going to come and he's going to come with a sword and start just killing every one of the firstborns in Egypt.

And what will this blood do?

The moment this angel sees this blood, it will not enter your house.

And don't for a moment think that this angel was necessarily a God angel.

That's what our minds think when we say the word angel.

Psalm 78 tells us differently, but we won't go there today.

The point being, Moses takes the blood of some bulls and goats and puts it on every door.

And he is telling Israel, listen, I heard God and God is saying, put some blood on your dopo.

And tonight all the firstborns of Egypt are going to die.

But you don't have to worry.

You'll be safe.

He's responsible now for almost a million people.

And he has the audacity to say this.

But the Bible says by faith, he instituted the Passover so that the destroyer who went and killed every firstborn in Egypt did not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Guys, embrace your responsibilities.

Husbands, embrace your responsibilities.

Pastors, embrace your responsibilities.

Mothers, embrace your responsibility.

Because as you hear, believe, act and speak, you will find that you suddenly are keeping under guard, under a canopy, those that are in your charge.

Grandmothers and grandfathers, embrace your responsibility.

We have the privilege.

Older brothers, embrace your responsibility.

For the younger ones, even though they sometimes don't understand.

And I'm not talking about anybody in this room.

Embrace your responsibility because just as Moses saw, believed, spoke and acted and saved an entire nation.

So when you install God's desires and will through faith, it becomes a wall.

It becomes a shield that protects and delivers those in your charge.

Your faith keeps them.

Hallelujah.

I don't say that too often.

Feeling particularly Pentecostal today.

My faith keeps others placed in my charge.

This is very biblical.

You see that with Elisha.

So there are some Syrians that are attacking Israel.

What does he do?

He says to his servant, hey, don't worry.

There are more for us than against us.

And he opens the eyes of the servant in chapter, 2 Kings, chapter 6.

2 Kings 6 · chapter mention

And he sees the chariots of heaven, chariots of the horsemen of Israel on the top of the trees.

And he delivers Israel.

And the Syrians go blind.

Another time, 2 Kings, chapter 2.

2 Kings 2 · chapter mention

Elisha is with this king called Jehoshaphat.

And the enemy is huge.

And Elisha says, don't worry.

By this time tomorrow, there is no water in this river.

This river would be full of water.

And all those enemy guys will be attacking each other.

There will be blood flowing like water.

You will not have to do anything.

Stand and see what God will do.

One man's faith delivers the nation.

It's happened again and again and again and again.

You think one man's faith can't deliver your family?

You think one man's faith can't deliver this church?

You think one man's faith can't deliver this nation?

What are we talking about?

We're not talking about a puny man's faith.

We are talking about a puny man's humongous God

who sits on a throne in the heavenlies,

king over the entire universe.

And that same big God actually lives personally in this puny man.

Slightly big man.

That's how this works, guys.

You can keep those that are in your charge.

So rise up.

Because some of us have to embrace our responsibility.

And if we don't, then hand it over to somebody else.

But for God's sake, don't keep it and not use it.

If I can't do what I need to do for Acts 29,

I need to hand it to a Marcus or a Derek or a Heidi or a Mark or whoever.

But I should not hold on to it and not use it.

Any questions?

Guys, there's a pecking order in the kingdom and in the satanic kingdom.

And if you are in the pecking order up here

and you don't want to do what you want to do and embrace your responsibility,

then hand it over to somebody who's here saying,

at present I'm not in a place to.

I give you authority and I cover you the best way I can

because I don't seem to be able to.

But don't stand here and not do nothing.

We'll talk about that another day.

The other thing is guys, train your mind to obey the Holy Spirit

and then sustain your obedience with faith.

Train your mind to obey the Holy Spirit.

Learn to obey as soon as you hear Him.

And then sustain obedience through faith.

Don't wait for faith to happen.

As soon as you hear God, train your mind to obey Him.

Once you know it is God, then you can do it.

And if you don't, then you don't do it.

And if you don't, then you don't do it.

As soon as you hear God, train your mind to obey Him.

Once you know it is God, once you've verified it is God,

train your mind to obey Him.

After you obey Him, you'll go, oh shucks man, what have I gone and done?

Then sustain it by faith.

First obey, then get frightened, and then sustain it by faith.

What do you think Peter did?

Jesus said, come so he stepped out.

You think he thought for a second?

He's walking on substance he has no business walking on.

And as he's walking, he suddenly realizes I'm walking on water.

So he sustains it with faith for a little while more, till fear takes over.

Train your mind to obey the Holy Spirit as soon as you hear Him and know it is God.

And once you do that, sustain your obedience through faith.

Because there's nobody who can say,

there might be people here who can say I don't have the faith for it.

But there's nobody in this room who can say I don't have the obedience for it.

I don't have the obedience for it.

Too bad you haven't.

It's just a choice you make.

Sustain it by faith after.

Next line, two more lines to go.

Urged by faith, the people pass through the Red Sea as on dry land.

But when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned, although they were swallowed up by the sea.

Urged by faith, the people pass through the Red Sea as on dry land.

But when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

Guys, I love to say, faith constructs a realm that confuses demons.

Faith constructs a realm that confuses demons.

When you operate in faith, it literally constructs a realm in which demons are confused.

Because demons don't understand faith.

Demons don't understand your connection with God in terms of faith.

So what happens is, once you start operating by faith, demons can't see.

Once you start operating by faith, demons can't plan.

Once you start operating by faith, demons can't advance.

Hey Jeevan, church starts at 3.30, but you're welcome anyways.

Today it started at 2.30, I don't know, maybe you overslept or something.

Jeevan was in Vernon this morning preaching there, so he just got back from Vernon.

I heard it went well.

So guys, faith constructs a realm that confuses demons.

And so what happens then is, here is a story.

What happens then is, here is a situation that Satan has worked at for months to set up in your life.

He has coordinated his agency around earth, he has coordinated the demonic realm,

he's set everything up, and finally he thinks you're in the trap.

That the demonic can understand.

When you're in the trap, and here's what you start doing.

You behave as if you're not in the trap.

You are singing.

You are joyful.

You're trusting God.

You're speaking loudly about God.

As you begin to do this, a strange thing happens.

It constructs a realm around you, which is highly confusing to the enemy.

Because in this realm, he cannot see.

Because he operates as someone who sees plans and advances based on human responses.

He's a created being.

He's not God.

He's not creator.

And he's unable to see your next move.

He's unable to predict what you will do next because you're not operating according to logic, your brain,

the worldly way of doing things, experts.

You're doing nothing right.

You're operating by an invisible thing called God and faith in God.

He's unable to see.

Now he's unable to plan.

He does not know what to do.

Should he go forward? Should he not?

Everything he's set up is beginning to collapse.

Do you know how long it took for Satan to set up Haman to slaughter the Jews at the festival of Purim in the book of Esther?

Do you know how long it took to orchestrate that?

And what does a girl called Hadassah do?

She decides to take up a fast and decides that this is not going to happen.

What do you do when the king wakes up in the middle of the night and sees a dream in which he is supposed to go to the library and pick up a book and read it?

What do you do when he reads the book and finds in the book the name of a man called Mordecai who had saved one of his ancestors from trouble?

What do you do when the same Mordecai who's supposed to be hung on the gallows now sits on a horse, on the royal horse, decked in royal attire and goes through the city?

What does the devil do then?

What do you do when Haman goes up to dinner with the king and stumbles and falls upon Esther, the king's wife, and the king is enraged that he dared to fall upon my wife?

What do you do when the gallows that were set up for Mordecai now is set up for Haman and he hangs there?

What do you do when the very king that said all the Jews shall be slaughtered now gives another decree saying every Jew has a right to bear arms and combat anybody who comes?

Combat anybody who comes to slaughter.

What do you do?

What do you do when the devil cannot see, cannot plan, cannot advance because you live by an invisible principle that defies logic, defies the ways of the world called faith?

We don't understand what a powerful weapon we have in our hand.

It's not a realm that the devil knows how to operate in.

He doesn't know how to operate in Israel.

You see that in Numbers 14 where Pharaoh and his chariots are coming behind you, the weasels, you can hear the weasels, and ahead of you is the Red Sea.

And Moses says, the people start complaining and God says, Moses don't look at me.

Just stretch out your staff.

I mean that's what God says, why are you looking at me?

Don't look at me.

Do what I told you to.

Stretch out your staff.

The sea opens across on dry land.

And Pharaoh and his army, here symbolic of the demonic, who want to destroy the people of God, now say, we will chase them too.

And now read the rest of it.

I mean if it was a comedy movie, it would be funny.

Go read it.

Exodus 14.

Exodus 14.

Verse 23 to 28.

Exodus 14, 23 to 28.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaohs, horses, and chariots, and horsemen followed them into the sea.

During the last watch of the night, the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and clouded the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

He looked down and threw the army into confusion.

Look at what happens next.

I mean, he made the wheels of the chariots come off.

I love the way it says, so that they had difficulty driving.

And the Egyptians said, let's get away from the Israelites.

The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.

Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.

The Egyptians were fleeing towards it, and the Lord swept them back into the sea.

The water flowed back, covered the chariots and the horsemen.

The entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea, not one of them survived.

The wheels came unstuck, and so they had difficulty driving.

Understand what faith does to the realm of the demonic.

Any questions?

Okay, last one.

Exodus 14, 14 actually says, Moses says to the people,

Hey, the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again.

The Lord will fight for you, and you will only have to be silent.

Crazier, the Lord will fight for you, and you will only have to be silent.

Because the Egyptians you saw today, you will never see again.

That's what he says to them.

Last verse, verse 30.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

Guys, here's a sad thing.

Between verse 29 and verse 30, there's a 40-year gap.

Between verse 29 and verse 30, there's a 40-year gap.

Hebrews 11, 29 and Hebrews 11, 30, between those verses is a 40-year gap.

Where not much of faith happens.

That's an indefensible position to hold.

You had a people in whose midst God dwells.

And there were no incidents of faith between verse 29 and verse 30.

40 years of faithless living.

Scary.

Our position, if we have had one year or one and a half years of no stories of faith, is indefensible.

Indefensible.

Because there he used to dwell in the midst.

Here he dwells not in our midst, he dwells actually in us.

The same who rules from heaven and is king of the universe and sits on a throne next to his father,

is the same one who actually personally is present in me.

It is indefensible for Jacob to continue even three weeks without acts and stories of faith.

Indefensible.

Not even three weeks.

Any questions before we move on?

If our life is not a life of faith, then what is it?

It is a life that is saved, that is living by its old ways of living.

It doesn't have to be a resounding testimony, guys, but it has to be a life of faith.

Where there is this reckless dependence and trust upon the Father for all the things that he has already provided us

before we were born by grace that we are highly dependent on through every situation that we go through.

Be it an ailment, be it something that has upset us, be it a threat, be it perceived danger,

be it, I don't know, millions of things.

Opposition is indefensible if we do not have, if there is a three week gap between one instance of faith

and another instance of faith in our life, then all that we are doing is living lives as ones that are saved

and nothing else.

And may this church never allow you to survive here with that.

May this church make it so difficult for you to continue if that is how I live.

It may not be possible.

And so they now have come to Jericho and they've been in this part before.

Forty years ago, twelve spies went out and the twelve spies had gone out and they had gone past different places

exploring what the land was like, the promised land was like, and perhaps they had come across Jericho

or come across other walled cities like Jericho.

This was a city, a city like this must have frightened the spies and the people forty years ago

where they said the people looked like giants and we were like grasshoppers and it's a great land but impossible to take.

And now here they are again forty years later with no acts of faith to show.

And they are once again at that place where they cannot inherit the promise without conquering Jericho.

You cannot inherit, once again in that same place where you cannot conquer Jericho without,

you cannot inherit the promise without conquering Jericho.

Guys, right now in every life here there is an area where you have chickened out from exerting faith.

What does chickened out from exerting faith mean? Meaning you are hesitant either because you failed in the past

or because you tried it and nothing happened or because you can't trust God in that area.

And so in that area you always come to Jericho and say, this promise I'll inherit in the sweet buy and buy.

Live without it here. I'm saying refuse to stop at Jericho's in your life.

I want to push past my present boundary without stepping into presumption.

Push past my present boundary in every area, every area, be it finances, be it my ability in some other area where I'm scared.

Got to push past. Whatever it be.

Because there's no inheriting the promise in that area without conquering Jericho.

And many of you have, eh? Many of you have.

You've gone into a place where things you never used to do, you do.

And you've done it not out of bravado but out of faith.

So here's what we can do if you want to live like that.

One, start afresh by, start trusting God afresh. Start trusting God afresh.

And if you do, here's what will happen.

One, your measure of faith will be uncapped.

Guys, Romans 12 verse 3 says that everybody sitting here, if you're a believer, you have received a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3

There is nobody here who does not have a measure of faith.

And I would suggest to you that all of us receive the same measure of faith to start with.

Because God won't give one extra faith and one less faith.

We all got saved by faith.

There is a measure of faith that is appointed to everybody here.

There's not a single person here sleeping or awake who has not...

And all the sleeping ones woke up.

There's not a single person here sleeping or awake who does not have a measure of faith that has been given to you and has not been given to you.

And that we share in common.

The only difference is, as you start trusting God afresh, your measure of faith will be uncapped.

Will be uncapped.

Second, you will please God.

Hebrews 11 6, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hey, Finn and Aerie and Tate are Mark and Rhonda's kids, regardless of what they do.

But there are days when their children please them and there are days when they are just children.

With God, we never stop being sons and daughters.

But the one thing that God says really pleases him, and without which it is impossible to please him, is faith.

Faith is the trusting, childlike response that I have towards God who has provided me everything and is willing to give it to me by grace.

I don't have to extract it from him.

Thirdly, you will inherit promises.

Who got these pens?

You are guilty of these pens.

No, I am not.

No, these pens are intoxicating.

Inherit promises.

Guys, it is impossible to inherit promises unless there is faith.

All that Christians inherit without faith are the very things that the world inherits, that comes from the goodness of God, and that the people in the world will give you.

Ouch! Just think of that.

Without faith, you will get what your boss gives you, what the world gives you, what the sweat of your brow will give you, what doctors will give you, what Donald Trump will give you.

These are the things you inherit without faith.

You will also inherit the rain, the sun.

You will inherit whatever your soul will grow.

You will inherit all the principles that apply to God's goodness to the world.

You will also inherit God's goodness shown to Christians and his children in general.

You will inherit that too.

But you will not inherit certain promises.

You will not inherit your God-crafted inheritance without faith.

You will not.

Israel would have continued living in the desert with water, with manna.

They would have to change their name from Israel to Manna Nation or something.

Because they would have been still eating manna.

You cannot inherit promises except through faith.

And lastly, this is, in my opinion, is an amazing thing.

This is what makes the world look at us and say, your God must be God.

You get to take down a walled city with seven trumpet-blowing priests and a silent army.

You get to take down walled cities with seven trumpet-blowing priests and a silent army.

And that is why the rest of the world takes note of your God.

You get to do things that are so ludicrous that people say, this must be God.

Daniel in the Dian lion's den. Your God is God.

Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego in the furnace. Your God is God.

Paul, when he raises up the dead in, your God is God.

Paul, when he gets bitten by a snake and the snake falls into the fire and he walks off free.

Your God is God.

These things don't happen.

Exploits of faith.

Elijah and Mount Carmel. Your God is God.

These four things do not happen without a fresh trusting of God.

God, these things won't happen.

Guys, isn't this worth it?

Christian life is very hard to be lived if we don't live it like this.

It's one of the most painful, boring lives to live if this isn't there.

Other religions have more festivals, there's more dancing, there's more colors.

The gods look more beautiful.

Pardon?

They're visible.

Our God is invisible, but without faith, life with him is so not fun, man.

Any questions? Please feel free to ask.

Is there a specific time for God to give us what we ask by faith?

He knows. I don't.

So I'm always acting in the assumption, in the good faith that he's my father, I'm his child, I trust him.

I will go ask and I will receive in perfect time.

And certain things Christ has already done, those things I expect to happen immediately.

When they don't happen immediately, I'll stand at four o'clock and expect it to happen immediately at four.

If it doesn't happen at four, I'll stand at five and expect it to happen immediately at five.

And so it goes on.

But things that have been accomplished by Christ already, I do expect immediately.

I remember talking about this ages ago.

Faith has this tendency to combine immediacy with patience.

And they are not contradictions, they go hand in hand.

This is why Jesus said, whatsoever you believe, whatever you ask for, believe that you have received it.

That's the immediacy.

And yet at times I've seen it taking a day, two days, six years, 13 years.

13 years is the max I've gone to for it to happen.

But did I receive it immediately in my spirit? Absolutely. Absolutely.

Yeah, sometimes it's because I slept with Hagar, sometimes with Bathsheba and sometimes with...

Who's the other woman? Delilah.

Delilah. That's one of the reasons.

Other times it's got nothing to do with that.

It's got everything to do with God bringing things together, coordinating everything together,

so that there's this crescendo at the end of the song.

And sometimes there's something that's been said, you know, behind it, that you want to be called.

Often. But I would like to ask why there's a delay.

I know there's a delay. I ask, Father, how come you're not saying? How come you're not saying?

How come you're not saying? And you keep going with it.

The moment you forget that he's your father, everything goes kaput.

Anything with God, you must remember you're dealing with a father.

The moment you forget that he is father and you think he is only God, you're finished.

Because I must never forget that he is father.

When he disciplines me if I think he is God, I'm finished.

When he heals me if I think he is God and not my father who is God, who is Delilah,

the next time he doesn't heal immediately, it bothers me.

When he doesn't provide and I forget that he is not father, I think of God as being my Zer.

When God doesn't answer and I think of him as a God who is silent,

and oh, I can't hear, I'm not very good at this, if I forget that he is father, I think of God as a silent God.

When I think he is a father, I think to myself, my dad who was imperfect used to talk a lot,

surely this God must be at least 10 billion times better.

May it not take us 25 years and 40 years and stuff like that because we don't live as long nowadays.

Thank God for that.

Everything's happened faster.

Imagine if your lifespan was 900 years.

Man, then 40 years is like nothing.

Any other questions about that?

Okay.