And God tented

If you were to look at the Jewish calendar, they're celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles right now.

I think it started on Saturday, which was the 9th or 10th,

or Friday evening, and it goes on till next Friday evening.

So I just thought it would be a good idea to revisit the Feast of Tabernacles, which we touched on in 2011.

So are we getting Jewish? No. We're just

choosing this time when they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles to see how it figures in the

church today. So that's why I thought we'd look at it, because when we looked at it in 2011, perhaps some of us weren't here.

Hey Prashan.

So let's turn to Deuteronomy 16.16.

Deuteronomy 16.16.

Thanks, Diana.

Thanks, Diana.

Deuteronomy 16.16.

It says there,

three times a year,

all your males shall appear before the Lord your God. Thank God that's removed, eh? Where males and females can come.

Three times a year, all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose,

at the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, which is the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths,

which is the Feast of Tabernacles. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has

given you. Hey guys, do you want to try something? Next week when you come,

don't come empty-handed. Bring something, a poem, a song,

a little ode written to God, a painting,

a dish. Bring something next week.

Not as a potluck. Bring something that you

crafted for God. Bring something.

Your little thing. Maybe it's a drum solo.

Whatever you want to bring. Bring something.

But it should be your

presenting and offering before God.

It doesn't have to be money. It can be any of these things. Maybe

bake a cake with tremendous love.

Or do whatever, but bring something.

Try not to bring a cow or a pig or something because it's difficult. I didn't bring a pig.

Try not to bring a cow or a pig or something because it's difficult. Did I tell you once I received a goat in Kenya?

Yeah, they gave me a goat as a gift and

and they asked if I could bring it and then I had to explain how customs would be a problem

because it would be hard to explain to Canada, hand to customs in Canada that I got to get this goat through and so

it doesn't have a passport yet and so

we decided to eat it and I didn't name it but I took a photograph with it.

So don't bring a cow or a pig but other than that

bring something next week.

Can I have a slightly more enthusiastic response or is this not a good idea?

It's fine. Remember.

Thank you.

You know, I know I'm back in Vancouver. People see me with great respect outside.

That's a brilliant idea, sir.

Thank you.

So bring something, a song, a poem, an offering. Bring an offering too. I'm not saying don't but bring something and we'll see how next Sunday, how we'll craft a service where there'll be a time.

Perhaps we'll have lunch together and Heidi can figure that one out and let me know.

So look out for an email from Chris

if there are any changes but bring something next week because again, let me read that.

Because again, let me read that.

Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he'll choose at the feast of unleavened bread

which was Passover, at the feast of Weeks which was Pentecost and at the feast of Booth

which was

the feast of Tabernacles. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able

according to the blessing of the Lord your God,

according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.

Remind me to

make some announcements regarding stuff to pray for before we leave it.

Okay, so guys the feast of Tabernacles was the last feast of the year

and it usually occurred at the end of harvest time. In fact, the feast of Tabernacles used to happen in the seventh month.

It was the seventh so-called

celebration or

seventh convocation that God had ordained for all of Israel.

Why am I stressing on the seventh? Because seven is the number of completion and perfection and it was fascinating that this feast

was the seventh of all the convocations God had ordered that fell on the seventh month, lasted seven days.

And it is important because as we go over some of the things that we're going to talk about today regarding the feast of Tabernacles,

it is the place that the church is supposed to dwell at guys.

And we'll see that. I mean Leviticus 23,

33 to 43 will give you proof that it was

the last

so-called convocation after the day of atonement, after the feast of trumpets, after Pentecost, after Passover,

after all those things would come the feast of Tabernacles.

33 to 43. I think it might be on the on the top of your page.

So guys what would happen is they would stay in booths.

When I say booths, it sounds like boots, but live with it. So they would stay in booths or huts.

They would live in booths or it's not there. Okay, it's Leviticus 23, 33 to 43.

Leviticus 23,

33 to 43.

That's where you'll find it. Find this, the fact that the seventh month thing.

Yeah, they would stay in huts.

Made of leaves and branches.

And that would be what they practice. In fact, even today orthodox Jews will take a week away

from either their homes or build it on top of their

houses on their

terrace.

Or some of them even go and live out in the desert where they build these huts made of leaves and branches.

And what was the intent? The intent was

to remind themselves

that there was a time when their ancestors wandered

in a hostile desert,

but were supernaturally sustained by the presence of God in their midst. Let me say that again.

The intent of this feast was to remind

Israel that listen guys, there was a time when our ancestors walked

in hostile terrain, in wilderness, in desert when we left Egypt. But we were so, Maurice you're right up front man.

Good to see you.

You never sit here.

Okay.

Thank you.

I feel very close now.

So as they wandered through the wilderness, they were supernaturally sustained by his presence in their midst. That was the intent of this

feast.

And that he ultimately brought them to a land of rest. That he ultimately brought them to a land of rest.

That's what the intent was.

There was also this future expectation guys that

even though these are temporary boots,

this is not our rest.

But there is a rest that our forefather Abraham had spoken of. There is a rest that our leader

Joshua had spoken of that is yet coming. And these temporary huts are just momentary.

There's a time coming when we'll enter into actual rest.

And what the church has done is the church has forgotten that that temporary rest

is not where we are supposed to live. That God has created this thing called rest that we can enter into now.

And perhaps this week and next week we'll talk about it because we talked about in 2011.

And so much more has been added to it since. If you go to Hebrews 4.8, you'll see that. Hebrews 4.8.

Hebrews 4.8.

I love this verse.

8, 9 and 10. I mean 8, 9 and 10 is where the church should live or where you and I should live.

Verse 8, for if Joshua had given them rest,

God would not have spoken of another day later on.

So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Read it again.

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.

So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever has entered God's rest

has also rested from his works as God did from his own. Guys, one of the things that distinguishes Acts 29 from many other churches,

not by any stretch are we the best or even the 140th best,

but one of the things that distinguishes Acts 29 from other churches is that

there's very little works here.

Most of the things happen because God directs and we don't know how it's going to work next, but we

either stumble along or run along.

Very little works here. This is why you can interrupt and shake hands with Maurice. You can have children screaming.

You can have comments from Chris and Kamal

because it doesn't come from a place of works.

Remember that because that is how the rest of our lives can also be

lived. Where we live only by one simple thing. What is the father saying and try to do that?

And increase, increase.

Man, I've

I keep coming back to the theme consuming fire, fan into flames a passion for your name. Increase, increase.

The name, his influence and character is already present. We need to increase in it.

And we increase in it by this

becoming less and him becoming more. That's our constant tussle here on earth, isn't it?

Guys,

so on the last day of the feast of tabernacles, so it's a seven-day feast. On the last day of the feast of the tabernacles,

here's what had happened and some of you know this.

There would be a priest who would head a procession and they would go to Siloam, which was

a little pond and they would scoop water or a Siloam and they would come to the altar in the temple and they would be singing songs from Psalm 113 to Psalm 118.

And at some point when they would sing Psalm 118 verse 25 and 26 where it says, oh god, would you now bring prosperity upon your people?

Psalms 118:25

Would you bless Israel? As they sang that, the priest would empty the water from the pool of Siloam onto the altar and the other

rest of the people in the procession would be waving the very branches that would be used to build these booths. And this was on the seventh day.

And it is at that moment, go ahead.

Psalm 113 to Psalm 118 and at Psalm 118 verse 25 and 26 when the priest would sing that or speak that, that's when water would come out.

Psalms 118:25

And it is at that point where they were saying, oh god, bless Israel. Let your blessing descend.

And at that point when he's pouring out water, that this lone magnificent figure who we know as Christ today is standing and watching.

And there's this cry that comes out from the corner of the temple and he says, come to me all that. No, out of you shall flow.

John 737 to 39. John 737 to 39. What does it say? I read it this morning.

Yeah, John 737 to 39. On the last day of the feast, which day are we talking about? We are talking about the feast of tabernacles.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, the great day, Jesus stood up and he didn't whisper.

He didn't say it matter of factly. He cried out, eh? Because he knows what this feast means.

He knows what this feast means for the rest of eternity. This is a momentous occasion, guys.

It's almost as momentous an occasion as when he said to Peter, on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It's that kind of an occasion where on the last day of the feast, Jesus stood up and he cried out, eh?

On the last day of the feast, as the water was being poured, Jesus cries out and he cries out and he says that if anyone thirsts,

and the water has just been poured out and he cries out saying, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Here they are pouring water from Siloam and he's talking about rivers of living water beginning to issue from you and I.

And then it goes on to say, and now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive,

for as yet the spirit had not yet been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Guys, what Jesus was basically saying was, listen, I'm declaring in what I'm crying out right now,

my intent to tabernacle in man.

Feast of Tabernacles, what did it represent?

It represented the presence of God dwelling in the midst of a people in hostile terrain.

And what is Jesus saying?

In this world you will have trials, but do not be troubled for I have overcome the world.

And that isn't enough Jacob, I want you to know now my intent to tabernacle in you and in the midst of a people.

At the feast of the tabernacles he's screaming this out, shouting this out and saying,

out of you shall flow rivers of living water.

The spirit of God who created everything shall dwell in you to such an extent.

Which is kind of what I'm assuming Marcus was indicating when he says,

we have all that we need inside us.

That's him who dwells in us now will pour out of us like living water.

What is Christ shouting there?

He's saying Jacob I have decided to tabernacle in you.

I have decided to tabernacle in a people.

This is the culmination of the feast of tabernacles.

No more temporary booths because I have come to reside permanently, permanently in you and in a people.

This is the magnificence of this occasion.

Speaking of a time to come which we are in.

Hey Travis.

Jesus was saying I'm the great Hosanna.

This is another time when Hosannas would be shouted and he was saying I'm the great Hosanna.

What does Hosanna mean?

Hosanna means one who comes to save and redeem.

I'm the great Hosanna.

I'm your Messiah.

I am here to give you the Holy Spirit.

You will never thirst anymore.

If you recognize me as the one who God has sent to tabernacle in you.

You're going pulling out water from a pool called Siloam which means sent.

Hey that represents me.

I am the sent one.

You don't have to go to a pool called Siloam.

The sent pool to pull out water anymore because I am the sent one.

I am the Messiah, the anointed prince, the son of God.

And I come to tabernacle in you so that you can go to the Holy Spirit.

I am the anointed prince, the son of God.

And I come to tabernacle in you so that water will come out of you naturally.

No one will have to go scoop it out for you anymore.

It will be in you and it will begin to flow because it's inexhaustible and it just keeps flowing.

I have come to tabernacle.

This is the culmination of the feast of tabernacles.

Everything that God does is so highly logical.

Highly logical and yet highly illogical.

And they exist in tension, not as contradictions.

Gosh!

Guys, understanding the depth of God's tabernacling in you.

God's tabernacling, another word for God's tabernacling is God's tenting or God's dwelling.

That's what the word tabernacle means.

Many churches had to change their names from Pentecostal tabernacle to Pentecostal church

because people have forgotten what the word tabernacle means.

It's a cool word but another word for it is tenting or dwelling.

And so if you understand the depth, and I don't claim to but I'm trying to,

of God tabernacling in you, it will shift the way you think.

Where we will begin to move from, in a sense,

guys in a sense Jesus does not give me healing and life.

He is healing and life that is resident in me.

Just little shifts like that will happen.

And remember I said this before and I say it again.

You cannot practice a truth till you inhabit it continuously in your thinking.

You cannot practice a truth till you inhabit the truth in your thinking.

As in, till you take your thoughts and plonk yourself in that truth saying,

this is where I will sit and this is how I will think,

then you begin to inhabit that truth.

You cannot otherwise do it.

So this whole idea of, Father, what does it mean to move even from,

you are not someone who gives me life, you are the life that is resident in me.

You are not someone who gives me healing, you are the healing that is resident in me.

I don't even know the length and the breadth and the height and the depth of it

but I know it's a reality.

Until I begin to inhabit this place in my thinking,

I will never inhabit the truth itself.

Why didn't people believe that the world was round?

Because they inhabited a falsehood that the world was flat.

Which is why they never sailed too far

because they were scared that if they sailed any further,

they'd fall off the end of the world.

You will practice what you inhabit in your thinking as the truth.

And so someone has to come along and change it,

that listen, the world is round, explain it scientifically

and then take the great risk of sailing out and coming back to prove.

That's one of the things kingdom people do.

We prove to the world and to the people who belong to the church

that this is how the kingdom functions.

Look at our lives, see how the kingdom functions.

This is part of our doing.

So if you are a pioneer who is starting a new thing,

understand what you are trying to do.

You are not trying to do God's work.

You are trying to present who God is to a people who need to see it.

Evidence, evidence, evidence.

I mean you think that 19 year old, if he keeps going this way,

20 years from now imagine what he'll be.

He'll be better than all of us, man.

Because something was modeled for him.

This is when you will enter into the life of another, guys.

Enter into the life of another.

Read Colossians 2, 8 to 10.

Colossians 2, 8 to 10.

Colossians 2, 8 to 10.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit

according to human traditions,

according to the elemental spirits of the world, not according to Christ.

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

and you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority.

Or in other words, guys, don't be taken captive by all these worldly ways of thinking.

Because remember that in Christ dwells all of God,

and in you dwells all of Christ.

Doris, in Jesus Christ dwells all of God,

and in you Doris dwells all of Christ.

Frightening, man.

We have got to inhabit this truth to understand it better.

Therefore we are complete in him.

We are complete in him.

We are complete in him.

We have got to inhabit this truth to understand it better.

Therefore we are complete in him.

I had a strange conversation with God on this trip.

I'll just read it as it is. If it doesn't make sense, don't worry.

I just happened to ask him on the leg from Dubai to Seattle,

here we go, Abba, how are you?

This was just a casual conversation.

Here we go, Abba, how are you?

And his response was, I am complete, son.

And so my question was, what does that even mean, father?

Because if you ask somebody how are you, they don't say, I'm complete.

You say doing well or doing really good or not doing well.

But how are you, father? And his response is, I'm complete, son.

And my response is, what does that even mean, father?

And then this is his response, and if it doesn't make sense,

I'm not even going to explain it because I don't understand it fully myself.

His response was, when I say I'm complete, it means you are whole and well.

You are unspeakably joyful. You are at rest.

You are inexhaustibly replete. You are blazingly holy.

You are fearless. You are kindly loving.

You are wisely counseled. You are divinely enabled to speak and shape the impossible.

You are spirit manned. Everything my son was, you are.

His completeness now is my completeness.

When I asked him what do you mean when you say you are complete,

he responds by saying, Jacob, because I'm complete?

You are complete. You are blazingly holy.

You are inexhaustibly furnished with everything needed, replete in every good thing.

You are spirit manned.

Let it be. It's a selah.

Guys, so if you were to sum up the Feast of Tabernacles, it would sound like this.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a place where we are sustained by his presence and by his proceeding word.

It's a place where we are sustained by his presence.

It's a way of living. I don't even want to call it place.

It's a way of living where we are sustained by his presence

and by his proceeding word, as in the word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

I thought winter had come and I'm sweating.

Where we are sustained by his presence and proceeding word. That's the first thing.

Guys, and if you are sustained by his presence, it will show.

We can't say we are sustained by the presence of God and nothing shows.

There's always evidence when God does something.

There's evidence in terms of words and in terms of manifestation.

So we are sustained by his presence and his proceeding word.

Second, the Feast of Tabernacles causes us to seize from exertion and self-generated means of sustenance.

That's the second thing the Feast of Tabernacles represents.

We begin to live lives where we seize from exertion and self-generated means of sustenance.

Because why? Because we are depending on and are sustained by his presence and his proceeding word.

Thirdly, we let the covenants and principles of God go to work for us.

We let the covenants and the principles of God go to work for us.

As in, I know you've heard this example many times before, as in, God has established a principle called Gravity.

We let gravity go to work for us.

God has established a principle called Sowing and Reaping.

A farmer lets sowing and reaping go to work for us.

God has established a principle called Every Baby Will Grow Up.

We let that go to work for us.

God has established a principle saying, if you open your mouth and exhale and allow your cords to have air pass over them, sound will come.

So we exert that. God has established principles, covenants, mechanisms in the world.

We let it go to work for us.

What causes your child at a certain time to begin to roll over and start crawling and then walking?

God has established it. It goes to work.

All that we have to do is make sure that the child is not wound up and bound.

It goes to work for us.

We let the covenants and the principles of God go to work for us.

Guys, it's in difficult situations that we can try this.

In normal situations, we are not aware of it.

You are never aware of gravity while you walk.

We would be aware if it wasn't there.

If it wasn't there, yeah, you would be aware.

I mean, one of the things they're training astronauts for,

there's this American astronaut who's going up to stay for one year at the Mir space station.

And the thing that they are most worried about is for one year,

when there is no gravitational pull on your body, your body begins to react differently.

And that's what they're focusing on.

It is in difficult times that we get to test this out, guys.

The covenants and the principles of God going to work for us.

That is when you know that you need something to go to work for us.

And you go into rest.

We'll talk about it some more.

It's only 11.10.

Don't worry, I won't go to 11.45.

And the fourth thing is, guys, you labor to enter into rest.

You labor to enter into rest.

Because it's not natural for you to enter into rest.

Man by his very nature wants to do things, wants to self-exert, wants to manipulate,

wants to come up with machinations that will help, wants to strive, wants to control,

wants to enter into war and conflict so that things can be straightened out.

Cannot wait to straighten out things.

Half of us want to fix the mistakes we make as soon as possible,

because even looking at the mistake reminds you of how badly you're doing.

One of the things that I've had to fight for many years in my life was the urgency to fix mistakes.

Three years, maybe three years ago it stopped.

But otherwise if I saw something that I was wrong or that I did wrong or someone did wrong to me,

it was important for me to go fix it.

Because to keep seeing it not fixed would bother me.

Now when I see things, I can let it be and wait till the right moment to fix it.

Sometimes two years. So be it man.

You enter into rest.

This is what today the Feast of Tabernacles represents for us.

Guys there was a man whose name means rest.

Noah. Noah means rest.

What a cool name to give him.

Here is a man who's come out of great turmoil.

The whole world. I mean Noah is symbolic of Romans 8.19.

What's Romans 8.19?

You can say it in Greek if you want Jason. What's Romans 8.19?

Creation has been groaning because it's been subjected to futility.

It's been groaning for the revelation of the sons of God.

In a sense wasn't that what happened with Noah?

Creation was groaning. It was subjected to futility.

It was subject to futility.

It was subject to futility.

It was subject to futility.

It was subject to futility.

Isn't that what happened with Noah?

Creation was groaning. It was subjected to futility.

And then everything is undone.

And then rises one man.

And he is named rest.

Something new is supposed to happen through him.

But he screws it up immediately.

But he is symbolic of the revelation of the sons of God who can walk in rest.

He is given the name rest.

And it all longs for people who can live like this.

And you are one of them.

I mean one of the levels we should ascend into is this level of being at rest.

That's one of the levels we should ascend into.

Jesus Christ was rest.

Completely at rest through everything.

And then Hebrews 1.3 says,

And then when he had finished everything,

He went and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

In Hebrews 1.3 he talks about that.

He was at rest when he was on earth.

He is at rest now when he is in heaven.

That's why Hebrews chapter 4, verse 11 says,

Hebrews 4:11

God has entered into rest.

Mohini, come, you enter into rest too.

I have entered into rest, God is saying.

So Jacob, you come and behave like me.

Enter into rest while you are living here on earth.

Guys, we have to show this.

We have to show this to people.

A man of rest lives out of the life and works of another.

A man of rest lives out of the life and works of another.

Let me give you an example.

Why is everybody at rest when there are weeds outside?

Because we can live out of the works of Joan who will go pull out those weeds.

But not everyone has to worry about it.

Why is it that no one has to worry about how the barbecue is going to work out?

Because we live out of the life and works of Heidi who organizes the barbecue.

Why is it that you don't have to worry about flipping patties at the barbecue?

Because we live out of the works and life of Maurice and Wayne.

Why is it that you don't have to worry about preparing a teaching and seeing the order of songs?

No one has to worry about that.

Because you live out of the life and works of Jacob.

Why is it that you don't bring anything to eat to the Bible study?

Even when Dagmar is not there.

Because we live out of the works and the life of Ann and Kamal.

Why is it that you don't even bother asking questions in church?

Because we live out of the life and the works of Diana who keeps asking questions.

So even Thomas finds that amusing.

The point being guys, when you know that something is working well, you don't tinker with it.

You live out of the life and the works of another.

God to begin to live like this with Jesus' life.

He knows how to do things.

When trouble comes, that is when this is tested.

I want to tell you something.

The devil's attempt always is to bring you out of rest.

This is the thing that the devil thrives at.

Can I bring this people out of rest?

There God has entered into rest.

There God has invited them into rest.

There God says he is the Prince of Peace.

And he has even given them peace that passes understanding.

So what can I do to bring them out of this rest and peace?

What can I do to bring them into self and flailing?

What can I do?

What storm can I send that will cause them to ignore the one that lives in their boat?

And if I can do that, I can have them for a while and wreak havoc in their lives.

And make them feel lousy at the end of the day.

A man of rest has the capacity to resolve internal conflicts quickly.

A man of rest, this is how you test it guys.

This is not being an ostrich.

This is not even being smart.

Because there are people who can get into rest by being an ostrich.

You can get into rest by being an ostrich.

Bury your head in the sand and the world may be falling around you.

And you don't even know that your neck has been cut off because your head is in the sand.

And everything is fine.

So I'm not talking about that kind of rest.

Nor am I talking about smart rest.

Where we enter into rest by calling up this, that and other person to take care of it.

But not necessarily going to God as a first.

So that's another kind of rest.

The world does that.

Managing.

Coping mechanisms.

Management techniques.

That's not what we are talking about.

Because that's another way of dealing with it, eh?

Where there's always a medicine cabinet or a banker or a counselor or rich Uncle Harry that you can call.

But that's not what we are talking about.

We are talking about rest where in times of internal conflict we know how to come into a place of rest.

You can face the lion and the bear and the snake all in one day and still be calm.

That's how you prove this whole concept of the feast of tabernacles working in your life.

Not by saying Kesarasara.

I want to emphasize that.

Kesarasara, whatever will be, will be is not from the Bible.

That is a fatalistic attitude to life that does not trust.

But stands and says do whatever, what's the worst that can happen.

That is not biblical.

That is the antithesis of everything that the Bible represents.

Nor is it coping mechanism.

We have only one coping mechanism.

The Christ.

You know, perhaps most of you don't know this but on Saturday night, what's your name?

Derek.

Ask him about the girls in Kenya and Dubai who wanted to get married to him.

It's kept that quiet.

I thought he would show pictures on the PowerPoint.

So Derek and I on Saturday night we went out for dinner with Mushiri who was here.

And not this Saturday, I'm talking about Kenya.

And came home and we were working on his tickets and suddenly there was this huge feeling of sickness that swept over me.

Like for one instance I'm talking to him, the other instance I was so not in the game.

Went to sleep, got up next morning, hardly could have enough energy to stand up and walk.

And I'm supposed to preach.

So go to church and preach and I asked Derek to pray.

Derek offered me this colorful looking cake and I said no thank you.

The color itself was not edible.

But he ate all of it.

And so couldn't eat.

Went and somehow stood up and preached and it was bad.

He prayed a couple of times.

Went to the airport, got on the plane, went to India and by now on the flight every time I would exhale I wanted to throw up.

So at some point I began to ask the Lord, Father this has never happened.

You've got to help me.

What's happening here?

And at some point I felt the Lord saying start praying against witchcraft that has been practiced.

And I rarely pray prayers like that unless prompted because we don't live in the fear of the devil but we are aware of the devices of the devil.

And so I start praying and I hear the sound man, I'm not kidding you, like whoosh, literal sound of a drain being pulled on the water going down the drain.

And suddenly that feeling went away.

And then the Lord told me who to bless.

Certain people that I remember meeting in Kenya who to bless even if they had wrong intents.

And these were not people from the church.

Some other situations.

I told Derek about it much later.

Got to India and I didn't know that if you come from certain countries in Africa that you need a yellow fever certificate.

And now they even have a polio certificate you have to have.

An oral polio certificate.

So had you had the yellow fever certificate that wouldn't have been enough because in February of 2014 they've asked that you have an oral polio certificate.

And so I'm standing there and they're saying won't let you in.

And so I stayed at the airport for 20 hours.

My passports were taken away.

And I was taken to the health wing.

Not to be checked.

But because that's where they keep people just in case someone has polio or yellow fever.

And here is a situation and I don't feel like eating because nothing is going down.

And I'm thinking to myself okay father here is where I now begin to practice this principle of rest.

And people were surprised that I did not react guys.

Over the period of 20 hours I began to show such kindness to the ones that were involved in my situation that today the immigration,

the police and the health department at Cochin Airport are some of my best friends.

They're texting me guys.

Because at one point they started apologizing because they didn't usually patients or people who are passengers react and I wasn't reacting.

I had chocolates.

I started distributing chocolates.

Everything in my power to do because I knew that two things had to be practiced.

One rest and two to show them that there's a different way of approach.

So much so that God's favor began to descend.

The guy who was in charge of flights began to approach everybody involved so that I don't have to stay inside this room with two hospital beds.

And he began to take care of my tickets.

He began to take care of everything.

Had me removed from there within six hours.

Spent 20 hours at that airport.

Sitting there waiting.

I knew my meetings would now be canceled.

I knew I wouldn't be meeting my mom.

Somehow I got my bags through to her and waited there.

Nothing would go down.

Even when I looked at food, didn't want to eat it.

For five days I couldn't eat.

So five days I had one meal.

It shows a little actually.

I lost four or five pounds.

Yeah, what you can see the jawbone now.

So the point being for five days just couldn't eat guys.

And different parts of the body started being afflicted.

And when I would pray it would go and then it would move to some other part of the body.

And yet physically there was nothing.

I'm sitting in the health wing and they should know if something is wrong.

Outside you can see nothing.

Inside it was.

And kept combating it.

Called up a couple of people here.

I told Heidi I think.

And in India they were waiting because there was a meeting.

I had to cancel a meeting.

And they asked me should I go.

Do you want to sit in Delhi for four days in a quarantined room.

Or do you want to come back after the six day period.

I said I don't want to sit in a room in Delhi.

Because one of the immigration guys told me listen don't go into that room.

People come out with diseases.

So I decided to fly to Dubai.

I flew to Dubai.

Stayed there for two days.

It cost me.

So it cost me a hotel.

It cost me my airfare back and to and fro.

And when I was in Dubai I was asking the Lord do you want me to go back.

Or do you want me to cancel this trip and come back to Canada.

Because I didn't want to be in a place that I'm not supposed to be.

And I felt the Lord saying no.

I need you to go.

Someone came and paid my entire hotel bill.

When I went down to pay it.

They had paid it.

Which was mind blowing.

And later on someone else came and said we want to give this money towards.

Any other need you have.

And the air ticket was paid for.

An amount of $1100 was paid for by people who were not asked for it.

Not solicited.

Didn't even know at times.

The people who paid the hotel bill knew.

But the guys who paid the airline bill didn't know.

And at the end of the day after five days I come back to India.

And the moment I land in India.

And step into this conference hall where I'm supposed to speak.

Everything goes away.

Everything lifts.

No pains.

No.

I mean there was a time when I was climbing up.

Because in some of the airports they have steps that you have to climb up to get to the plane.

My joints would begin to ache to a point where I would be scared that my knees would buckle.

That was how it was.

But it's in troubled times guys that you can test out rest.

It's in troubled times that you can prove that you can enter into this place called rest.

And be an exceptional kingdom person who displays the kindness of Christ.

And nobody notices what else you're going through.

Except kindness.

I mean there were hugs man when I was leaving.

The doctor was hugging me saying I'm so sorry to see you go.

I hope we meet under better times.

The airplane staff, they were so kind to me.

And look at what they did.

I bought an economy ticket to Dubai and back.

And he comes a few minutes before the flight and he says.

I just think I should do this.

And he says I've upgraded you.

I said great to business.

He says no I've upgraded you to first.

So he takes me from, I buy an economy ticket he upgrades me to first.

Why?

The favor of God man.

And I wrote to him I said you've treated me beyond what an airline person would.

And yeah that's another story.

The point being guys in troubled times demonstrate rest.

Demonstrate rest.

I look forward to going back to that airport.

Because I want to meet my friends.

Demonstrate rest.

You're talking about policemen eh.

Who had to come out of their way to stamp me and clear me.

Demonstrate rest in whatever language you can.

I so encourage you to do that.

Let's stop here guys.

I'll just maybe say another one or two lines and then we'll do the rest next time.

Bring your offering next week eh.

Think about it.

Please don't, please don't.

Guys anything that you offer to God let it be of some value.

So try not to come up with it on Saturday.

And if on Saturday you still don't have anything to offer God.

Then come because you've made an attempt.

And just offer him your lifted hands.

But don't not come because you don't have an offering.

Because Jesus' parents came with a turtle dove.

That's all they could afford.

You come with your hands lifted up.

If you couldn't come up with an idea or something precious that you want to do.

Make.

Perhaps it's an alabaster flask of Hugo Boss perfume that you want to break over Kamal's head.

I just thought occurred to me and I'm sorry let's.

Yeah.

Hi.

Erase, erase, erase.

I take that back.

Guys what I mean is present to him something precious.

Present to him something precious.

And if you can't please don't stay away from church.

Come and give him your lifted hands.

And like Maya wrote on that little paper and gave it to me.

Ten thousand reasons to sing like I have never sung before next Sunday.

Maybe that's the best I can offer man.

Maybe maybe I can't offer anything like a cake.

My cake will stink.

And I don't want to do the little drummer boy thing.

So let me then just sing my heart out next Sunday.

But come with an offering.

And don't plan it on Saturday night.

That's the only thing I'm asking you to not to do.

Guys let's kind of stop.

Know this that Satan's attempt is to draw you out of rest and out of Christ into self.

Satan's attempt is to draw you out of rest and out of Christ into self.

That's what he always tries to do guys.

See rest essentially means that you are seated with him.

Rest essentially means that you are seated with him.

And so the demonic attempt, the satanic or the devilish intent is to draw you out of rest and out of Christ.

And it is tested only in times of trouble.

During times of worship it's easy to rest guys.

It's easy to rest during times of worship.

But what about times of trouble?

And sometimes intense trouble.

Your troubles are much greater than mine.

But when we go through anything, for us it's a big thing man.

It's a big thing.

You know how despite all that I'm saying to you about rest, I'm returning to India from Dubai.

And I realized that the doctor has allowed, wrote on a piece of paper which I didn't have,

saying you can return any time after the first.

Because the six day period would be over.

But when I go on the website, I check it, it says six days from the day of departure, not from the day of entry.

And I'm thinking to myself, now what's going to happen?

And as I'm coming in, I have to again go back into this place of rest.

Because there's fear rising in me saying, when I land at this airport, will I have to go through the same thing again?

And I see fear creeping up.

We have another language of intimidation.

Just as the devil has the language of intimidation called fear, we have a language of intimidation called worship.

And the language of intimidation called worship, when you begin to engage in it, the fear begins to...

The surge dies.

And now in worship, it doesn't have to be a song, it's a recognition of God.

Who said that he tabernacles with you?

Come to me, you all that are thirsty.

He tabernacles with me.

In the hostile terrain that I was entering suddenly, I knew the presence of God.

And once again, rest has to come in.

And then you walk up to the counter and you wait for what is going to happen.

And you know that your lines will have fallen in pleasant places and your portion is good.

Psalm 37, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

Despite my mistakes, despite my messing up, despite me being Jonah,

despite me being whoever it is that ran away from Tarshish, who was it? Jonah.

Yeah, same guy.

Despite all that, I know that ultimately the lines will fall for me in pleasant places and my portion is good.

Because my father is good.

And because anything that comes from him as an inheritance is good.

And then he stamps my passport and everything in my body lifts, lifts as if it was a dark cloud.

And my appetite returns.

Man, did I pick out the first night.

Yeah, I ate well.

So, remember the intent is to bring you out of rest.

I'm done with me.