What do we do during U Turn - Preparing ourselves towards victory weekend | Pr. Yvonne

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The first checkpoint I am going to get us to

read as usually, Right, you guys are okay with the

MIC's being passed? And uh, we'll be three scriptures here.

The first one I'll start with is some one tree nine,

verse twenty three to twenty four. Some one Tree nine,

verse dony tree to twenty four. Oh where's the mic?

Oh?

Is that? Okay? We can start the second roller? So

is that all run so far? So you just pass

it down? Yeah, Some one hundred and thirty nine to

twenty four. Those of you who do not have a Bible,

you can turn to your neighbor. But if you have

your digital Bible you can bring it out as well.

Can just switch off your day? Tell maybe it no

notifications are coming to distract you, okay, hundred and one

night twenty four. Ye right, okay, let's.

Go search me, Oh God, and know my heart, test

me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is

any offensive way in me, and lead me in the

wayever lasting.

Amen, Thank you. Then the next scripture is from First John,

Chapter one, verse Night, First John is before second John

and second John's before third John.

Yes, First John one night reading from n IV. If

we confess our sins, He's faithful and just, and we'll

forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Heymen, thank you. And then the next scripture is efficient

chapter four, verse thudy two. Ephesians is before first John.

There is a few books to the front way way

way to the front, somewhere in the middle of Okay,

Ephesians chapters four, verse thirty two, two thirty two Ephesians,

Chapter four, verse twenty two.

Be kind of compassion to one another, for giving each other,

just as in Christ.

God forgive you all right, thank you. So I'm going

to just sum up this tree versus to one over

arching thing verse. For the first point is that you know,

during this time of uh drawing towards the victory, and

it's a very good time for us to check our

spell selves spiritually, uh and also for us to repent. Okay.

The first verse, which is someone three nine right Saysian

God searched my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, uh,

and see if there's any offenses who weighs in me

and you know, help me a lot to go into

the path of everlasting. So it speaks very much of us,

you know, as we reflect, as we have our spiritual reflection,

right to examine, like asking God, God, is there any

area of my life that you know there are blameashous

that it has to come out? You know? Is there

any you know, spiritual cancer that's happening that needs to

be dealt with? Uh? And and examine examine ourselves, okay.

And the first thing, the powerful examination that can happen

is the word of God. Right. Well, God says that

his word is a great mirror to our soul. So

that's the first examination that we can it can happen.

But the next one is to ask the Lord God,

what the areas in my life that I have? You

all failed you I have you know? Uh, you know saddened?

You you know God? And all, what areas in my

life that does not give you glory? You know? Check

me and and and help me overcome it? All? Right?

Anxiousness as well, it's not from God, right, you know,

says right and know my anxious thoughts. We are anxious

because there isn't Sometimes you know, it's like lacking of

like you know, God, I know You've got this and

and the assurance and faith that we have in Him,

so we have the kind of place. You know, God,

I'm sorry that I was anxious. IM sorry that I

doubted you. I'm sorry that you know I have not

given you in our space to ward in my life

and not letting faith to arise in me. So check

ourselves first, John right, chapter one, it says that we

have to confess, all right. Uh. And as we confess,

you know, asking God to forgive us. He is faithful

to forgive. So confession and rebundance comes to other and

that helped us to reconcile with God. All right. So

for example, you know, when we have you know, frictions

and each other, right, the only way for the relationship

to be re concile is to confess before each other

and to ask for forgiveness. So like wise itself with

the Lord. You know, we should do that all right.

Uh.

And then from efficient chapter four, even as we reflect

as well, uh, it says, you know, we have to

let go of bitterness, all right. People that have hurt

you hurt you badly. Uh. And you have all the

right you know, you're not the Uh. You know, you

feel like, hey, you know, I've not done anything, But

then why did I deserve this? But it's a good

time for us to check our hearts and ourselves. Is

there any areas that we have to let go? H

especially in the areas of forgiveness. However, people, you know,

I've learned from past us. Well, however, people that have

wrong against you, let's be the bigger person, all right, uh?

And and be kind and compassionate to another, forgiving each other.

Just have as Christ has forgiveness. And and how did

he forgive? How did he do it? He went all

the way to the cross, being crucified and dying on

behalf of the scenes of the people that crucify him,

the people that mocked him. I don't know how many

of us can do that. You know, someone who has

mocked you, God said about you, step you in a

back alcal I don't know, stole your boyfriend, stole your girlfriend. Uh,

you know, store your pet dog from you, you know?

Uh?

And and and when you find out it's actually that

person and you have done nothing wrong, but God saying

that now I want you to die for this person.

How would you feel? All right? But Christ did that.

God did that, and that was the greatest example for us. Uh.

You know, who are we? You know, not to forgive

each other? All right? So that's the first uh. And

and you know the second actually the first thing. You know,

I talk about fasting and praying already, so you know,

fast and pray, But the second one is actually reflecting

and repenting. Okay. And and why I just want to share,

you know, why do we need to fast? Okay? It's

actually from this verse Matthew, chapter six, verse sixteen to eighteen.

Can the next person read it? Matthew, chapter six, verse

sixteen to eighteen. Okay, try to get.

When you fast, do not look somber, as the Hypocrates

zeal for the disfigure their faces to show others they

are fasting. Truly, I tell you they have received their

reward in full. But when you first put oil on

your head and wash your face so that it will

not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but

only to your father, who is unseen. And your father,

who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

All right, So fasting it means for us to abstain, naw,

and especially you know it first comes in a form

of things that would entice us to give us all

nice pleasures in life, you know, abstaining from that so

that you know, we can fully put our focus and

attention uh to to to prayer, to reading his word uh,

and to meditation of God's words as well. Uh. And

Matthew that chapter twenty six, verse forty one, and then

the next person can read.

It, Matthew, twenty six forty one. Watch and pray so

that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing,

but the flesh is weak.

Yes, So watch and pray so that we don't not

fall into temptation, because you know, many times we want to,

but sometimes we get tempted, all right. And and and

you know one of the things that you know during

you don't got challenge me too fast from is uh noodles. Okay,

I really love my noodles uh. And also Rise sometimes

okay I can. I can't live without Rise, but it's

very hard to live without noodles. Uh. And it's I

don't know somehow super noodles entice me so a lot

of times. And during a fast every time I see

even Meggie me right, I know, is like super unhealthy

instant of that super unhealthy. But during this fast, I'm like, ah,

I can't imagine how delicious it is in my mouth.

So and every times I get that, like God, you know,

helped me help me stay away. Uh And And I

realized this time when you know, I am fasting from

different Uh that was once I couldn't live without social

media and and it because the habit of active just

scrolling without on the phone. And I remember that every

time that sparkert of time, you just take your phone

and just scroll. And God did challenge me for ninety

days to fast fast from social media and mindless scrolling

on the phone, right, And I realized in that ninety days.

So what I had to do is to replace that

with the reading. And so every time I'm tempted to

just got the phone and scroll, I have to seis

the Bible and read a portion of the Bible. And

I realized in that ninety days I finished a Bible

from cover to cover. So imagine how much time has

been wasted. Imagine how much time, right, sometimes we waste

on mindless scrolling. Uh And And and they're a bit

of TRII but not so because I think it's a

habit for some I know, toilet sometimes right, like hey,

nothing right, so scrolling. I saw a lot of pockets

of time waiting in car traffic as well, you know.

So and just ninety days cover to cover and I'm like, God,

now I know why you wanted me to fast and

to prove a point that I became too reliant and

depended on my phone. Uh And and it was a

very bad habit. I was developing min mindless grolling. Uh

And now it's so many platform I your TikTok, yourself home,

so your Facebook ig or sometimes there's no message coming

or so yeah, the habit is just chat and see

whether there were messages. So God might be challenging you

to do that. So abstain. And when you realize after

the ninety days, I realized that it has no hole

on me anymore till now. So you know there's some

habits as well. During yourton God will challenge you to

overcome all. Right, okay, next point is doing even this

this time of fasting. But it's not limited because you'll

know why it is the reading of the word of God.

Okay does not mean okay for twenty one days, I'm

reading extra that after them, Like, okay, don't it maybe

once a week, but you know, for a habit to develop,

it takes twenty one days, right, And I don't know,

you know, even for myself as well. You know, sometimes

it's like, oh, so tired the whole day already, and like, okay, God,

I don't want to read anything anymore. I just want

to shut off, and you know, watch next flicks, la,

watch some real brainless stuff so I can unwine and sleep. Right.

But you know, reading, I realized, the reading on the

Word of God helps refresh you know. Sometimes I'm like

super tired already, but it refreshes me. Okay, And I

will come to the next one because the next one

is closely related to reading and so all. But the

reading on the Word of God. Right, what you could do,

even just this time to just revisit the four Gospels

of the Bible. So what the full Gospels of the Bible,

Matthew Mark, look, John all right, because why this four

Gospels actually details the ministry of Jesus, what he went through, uh,

and and you know how he actually taught and disciple

from all the different parables, how he guided the thoughts

of the people. We could draw out from there. But

it also uh focuses on on on. You know, this

whole gospel actually leads up to his crucifix crucifiction. How

is it crucification. I don't know why crucifixion. Uh, him

being crucified on the cross. Uh. And and you know

his batterial and as there's no other person who have

died and reason again uh in three days, no other

person in history. Uh. And he has proven that Christ

did rise again, and and and so uh it's very

important to read through and to reflect on it, and

and to meditate, and you know, talking about meditation of

the word. Uh. You know, sometimes we just read the Bible. Okay,

now you know, uh say that can can read the Bible,

I should be reading that you just read and you

speed read to you know, I have I don't know.

Friends write novels, you know, like for example, the Trilogy

or The Lord of Rings whatever. Right, they can just

see like a few days to three days, and they're

done with the whole series already. But the Bible is

not that we're not just reading through. But it takes

us to meditate, all right.

Uh.

And and meditating it's not like you take the Bible.

Now it's like, okay, first I want to say meditate.

I'll take the Bible, find a treat in nothing here

union and and sit down under a tree and and meditate.

Not it's not that, but in the Christian meditation right

what uh? How it does it? It's like us Okay,

I'm not calling you a cow, but it's like how

cow digests. Okay, Uh, it's food, right. It goes through

four stomachs, right, and and and how we meditate the

Word of God, it goes through different processes. Okay. And

what is the process? Okay? You can actually uh, you know,

note it down if you want to. You know, the

first one is the way that we meditate is grounded

in God's scripture, in his his word. Uh. It is

not out of thinking of something in the air and

and think over it over and over again and it becomes,

you know, something that makes sense to you after Okay,

it's grounded and it's word. So that would mean that

you have to read the Word. And a lot of

times we encourage Christians to start your day by reading

the Word of God. Why uh so I will go

through with that with you now, because right, if we

don't start our day with his word, we are going

to be easily just distracted. Sometimes we wake up right,

I'm like, especially like doing pixees and I think the

last pixe is and that it was pick pick for us.

It was the aniversary weken twenty fifth anniversary. And every

time you wake up like okay, well there any messages

got sometimes at night and not actually a victory cameras

or the youth cameras, so a lot of messages go

go flying right chuff am one am still planning messages

as I time you wake up like okay, what message

do I miss? Uh? And and and it was very

bad at one part. I got I crushed myself waking

up and reading and because it's still blurry right, then

I missed a lot of messages. Also, then try the day.

I was like, hey, did I read something in the morning.

Then I tried to read it, I was like, oh no,

I missed messages. So it's good to slow down, ignore

what you have to do the chill for the day,

but start by reading and and and as you read

the Word of God, what do you do all right?

Ask these question?

Is right?

What is Scott saying to me through this chapter that

I'm reading to don't have to speak read through, but

it all digested. God, why are you saying to me?

And ask yourself, as saw, how does this reveal his character?

You know what I'm reading from this chapter? You know,

for example mark chapter one? What does this reveal about

God's character? And how can I apply it to my life?

So as you start the day by by the word

of God and shore the day as you go through

the day, reflect like, Okay, you know, God, I face

this situation now if my assignment group makes a face

decision in my office, saw you all the project I'm

working on. God, you know, help me to see how

I can apply what I've read this morning into the

situation now. And you realize that you know a lot

of times when God leads you to read a passage

for the beginning of the day, right, it's always that

scene for the day that He will use that passage

to help you overcome the different challenges. So you know

and and and you know, for example, you know one

of the verse it says you know some for the

six ten it God reminds to be still and know

that he is God.

All.

There is a very very short verse, but if imagine

you start that the day we've got reminding you with

this verse and the craziness of the day, right, God say,

be still, be still shakin know that, and God in

this it is okay, I would see you through this,

you know. That's how God speaks to us, all right.

And and the word of God as well as we

read it, as we meditate on it, it will transform us, right. Uh.

And it's a roman ITAs you know that will really

no longer are conformed to how this world operates, how

this world, uh, you know, functions, but we will be

transformed by the renewing of our minds. Uh. And as believers,

you know, we will live on a separate uh quite

a separate dimension, you know, how the world functions to

go about to settle things. For example, if you know,

projects hit the roadblock and sometimes the world like, okay,

you know, let's let's try under table. Let's try to

pull strings, you know, to get this project true. But

the word God says, you know, and for example, and

the other table stuff involves bribery, uh, pull strings, you know.

Sometimes it goes by our human connection and strengthening. But

we have a great God, you know that has the

ultimate string that you can pull, and the ultimate person

that has that will provide without you needing to to,

you know, try to squeeze a person's heart to to

you know, grant you a certain favor, so it transform us.

And meditating on the world of God does that all right?

And so the next thing, you know, doing praying and

fasting as well, is from Matthew chapter twenty five, verse forty.

The next person carry this Matthew twenty five, verse forty,

and then they're yeah, the next person also okay, stand

by First John chapter three, verse eighteen. We read two verses.

Matthew twenty five, verse forty. The King will reply, truly,

I tell you, whatever you did for one of one

of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,

you did for me.

Yep, thank you. Then First John, okay, can pass it over?

Did job First John three eighteen. First John chapter three,

verse eighteen.

My little children that does not love in words or

in tongue, but indeed and in truth.

Yes, thank you so much. Let us not love with

words or speech only, but with actions and in truth.

So this next point it all just reminds us, and

you know it should also be a habit right to

leave out like how Jesus would Uh. And jesus ultimate

example to us is his love and his sacrifice. Uh

and and and know helping and giving to the poor,

helping those in need as well visit. Uh. You know

that's what Jesus' ministry was, you know in the gospel. Uh,

he fed the poor, he fed the hungry. He was

there for the needy. Uh, those who needed healing. You know,

he healed them those who needed you know, his visitation.

He visited them although you know their text collectors and stuff,

and but he was there, you know, having fellowship with them.

So uh it should also be in an example and

a habit for us. All right, So you know, talk

about calibration alignment, and so I just want to remind

us so you know that being part of a church community, uh,

it is very very key and help us with the

above growth, right, whatever points I talk about just now.

Sometimes like okay, I want to commit to that, but

you know it's a personal commitment between yourself and God.

And you say like okay, God, I want to work

on this area. You know I've not been reading your word.

But you know, sometimes personal commitment without accountability is hard, right, Uh,

you know you can share it those of you who

are in a discipleship relationship, you know, share it with

your discipler, like, hey, you know I've been lacking and

reading the word. Can you keep me in check? And

you know, but perhaps God is also challenging some of

you to attend church regularly and and and you know

it's it's a discipline that is non.

Non.

It's not that common for certain people, all right, And

and why I you know, I find it sometimes it

is some of us, right, it comes naturally, like Okay,

I just need to be there among this community of believers.

But you know, some of us take it like, you know,

I don't see the importance of being in church regularly.

But what does the Word of God says here? And

in Hebrews ten twenty four twenty five it says, heyah,

and let us consider how we may spur one another

and towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting

together as some are in the habit of doing, but

encouraging one another. And all the more as you see

the day approaching. Okay, the day is approaching when I

do not know, but we've got a homework to do

all right, and and the word of God, and the

Word of God has been written since Hebrews. I'm not

too sure. I'm sure it's been thousands of years. But

God still knows the challenge that we will go through today.

That is, we may like and spurring each other on,

you know, we may like and encouraging each other. And

the best place to be is, you know, at the

setting of a church. Right, church not just Sunday Church

can be in a form of your homes right, in

a form of your prayers office, in the form of

the small groups that you have in your campus. You know,

and it says here, you know, to spur each other

on towards love and good deeds and not giving up

meeting together. I've met a lot of students. I've been

in campus ministry for I don't know, eighteen years now.

I met a lot a lot of students like, Okay,

you know, as long as you know I am part

of a Christian meeting once a month is enough. And

I'm like, okay, you know, it's not just attending a

meeting or not. Just like you know, sometimes you go

to class just to take attendance, but you're not present

at all. I've been a student before, and because I

am in class, because I need eighty percent to not

you know, get kicked out of the course. Right, But

I'm not present, you know in class either sleep I'll

be you know, doing a lot of different things, but

not being present. So why I'm sharing it today, you know,

like it's not just a regular like, Okay, I came

to church already done. I can tell my parents I

was there for church. So you know your mama like

you you know your mama you know, slept with her

slippers or shoes, but uh some culture, right, mother's love

with the shoe. But you know, I want to understand

that by being here, by being in the council or

believer us, by being present, we believe us. It helps

us build off ah and it helps with accountability, right

and it helps you know, I talk about car alignment

and balancing and rotation.

Right.

By being in a community of faith of faith like community,

it helps us keep ourselves in check. But very well,

you know, I you know, I've been believer since nineteen

ninety six, you know, and I have been naughty different

teenage growing up life because I know, right, okay, you know,

by being in a community of believer. It keeps my

faith in chat. But I don't be in Chat. I

want to still do all the naughty stuff, so I

run away. So I really really hope that you know,

don't use this, you know, because you know the truth right,

and and the word God says you know the truth,

that you're free. But I really hope that the Holy

Spirit of convict your heart.

Uh.

You know he convicted mine. U because sometimes being long

a believer, sometimes you may be a third or a

fourth generation Christian, you know the works already of the faith. Uh.

And sometimes we try, as human beings, right, we try lookholes,

we try and find ways around it so that we

can avoid uh, you know, being held accountable for faith. Uh.

And it's not natural for humans right to be held accountable. Uh,

it's not comfortable. So because it requires you to open

yourself up to another person, it requires requires you to

be vulnerable, requires you to really you know, put down

every God on every shield that you have. Uh. You know, milaitia,

is it all the halal get that you have? Uh?

To remove it?

Uh?

And and just to allow someone into your life to

check and say, hey, checking, I gotta use that. Yeah,

you know, this in cool uh, and this in glorifying

to God. Would you like to come before the lot

and asking to help you recalibrate? Yeah, I'm not saying that.

I'm just using her as an example. Okay, friends in

the ministry for long ready that yeah, he is checking

up this. And the guy for you men, would you

like to reconsider? Yeah? And and so yeah, you know,

and someone that we trust, we allow the person to

to speak on our life. All right. So last I'm

gonna just close with this. Uh, like I say, you know,

you know, I started with reflection. I started with you know,

reading the word, and I talked about prayer as well.

A lot of times, with a lot of the things

that's going around in the world, it will always distract us, right.

And and it is good to always intentionally set a side time. Uh,

those of you who are very very good in administration,

right then, you know sometimes you have scheduled our friends

who have even schedule in time to drink water. So

the schedule for the day, it's like that, that's time

to drink water, that's time to take a h power net. Uh.

And and and yeah, I do know because it's it's

it's a known thing. You know past the joy she

she she affectors all those in Whens she was a student.

Uh.

Time to you know, to shower, time for recreation and

everything is it's all scheduled. But what it tells, you know,

is that if we are not intentional of our faith,

we will be distracted.

Uh.

And and and we don't intentionally talks about prioritization as well,

how you prioritize what's important in your life. So some

people will be like, okay, whatever you know already in

your d I s or as Okay, I'm just a

very very important to person. Uh. And you know I

just go by kah. Whatever will be will be. But

when it comes to the faith and it comes to

the word of God, you know, God is saying that

not whatever will be will be. But I want you

to carve up time and I want you to turn

off every distractions because I want you, I want your focus,

I want your whole the whole being of you, all right,

and I'm going to just if I extreme out on

stage right now. And and you know the other thing

about you know, a habit that we could develop in

even our coll time, you know, reading or the word

is journaling as well, you know I talk about meditation

just now. Uh, and you know it is good because

uh expression then and you know, I still feel it's

very relevant. It is a short pen is better than

a long memory because I've realized that now memory is

will feel what you have caught from God today next week.

You'll forget already one most of the time, because our

brains are like just bombarded with a lot of things.

There's a lot of information, Overlord and sometimes always te paople.

I need an extra brain, like external heart. This right,

extra cloud storage somewhere. Uh subscribe, right, and you have

to pay. It comes with a cost, right, But you know,

journaling now, writing down your reflections, writing down your prayers,

writing down what God has spoken to you, so that

when you face you know your down woman's and your

down times. Right, you look back and you will get

reminded again that, hey, you know God has spoken about

it already, you know, and you know God has helped

me overcome, and I can do this again, all right.

Uh.

You know it's actually biblical journally, it's actually biblical. It's

a say in high back Cook Habacook, chapter two, verse two.

It says, right down the revert right down the revelation

and make it playing on tablets so that Harald may

run with it, and and you know, write it down

and and you know, in ten years later, maybe whatever

you're written can be passed on to someone else, and

you know that person can can you know, be encouraged

by it as well. Write down your testimony? Is that's

why you know we encourage write it down, share it

because it helps and build another person's faith. All Right,

we hope.

You've been blessed by this message. For more information on

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week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you.

God bless