The Lord will provide | Pr Kenneth Chin

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

All right, let's read the word of the Lord.

We're gonna read maybe about let me see seventeen eighteen verses.

So bear with me. This is the word of the Lord.

Now it came to pass what one says after these things,

that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and

he said, here I am. Then he said, take now

your son, your only son, Isaac, oh, Isaac Okay, whom

you love, and go to the land of Moriah, not

Mariah Carey, but Moriah Okay, and offer him there as

a burn offering on one of the on one of

the mountains of which I shall tell you. So Abraham

rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and

took two of his young men with him, and Isaac

his son. And he split the wood for the burn offering,

and arose and went to the place of which God

had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted

his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham

said to his young men, stay here with the donkey

the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and

we will come back to you. So Abraham took the

wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac,

his son, and he took the fire in his hand

and a knife, and the two of them went together.

But by Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said,

my father, And he said, here I am, my son.

Then he said, look the fire and the wood, But

where is the lamb for a burn offering? And Abraham

said yu la, no, no, he didn't say that, sorry,

just thought I will have some Malaysian moment there. And

Abraham said, my son, God will provide for himself the

lamb for a burn offering. So the two of them

went together. Then they came to the place of which

God had told him, and Abraham built an altar there

and placed the wood in order. And he bound Isaac

his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife

to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord

called to him from heaven and said Abraham, Abraham, wow,

call him twice, I mean his urgent. So he said,

here I am, and he said, do not lay your

hand on the lad or do anything to him. For

now I know that you fear God, since you have

not withheld your son, your only son, from me. Then

Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him

was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.

So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it

up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

And Abraham called the name of the place.

The Lord will provide as it is said, as it

is said to this day, in the mound of the Lord,

it shall be provided. That the Angel of the Lord

called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said,

by myself, I have soorn, says the Lord, because you

have done this thing and have not withheld your son,

your only son, blessing.

I will bless you, and multiplying.

I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the

heaven and as the sand which is on the sea shore.

And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies

in your seed. All the nations of the earth shall

be blessed. Because you have obeyed my voice. Praise the Lord. Now,

I want to start with the first point. I know

that time is not always on our side, and we

are so close to lunch, I want to make sure

that I beat the hunger.

Pangs and gnas going.

But here in verse one, it says, now it came

to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and

said to him, Abraham, and he.

Said, here I am, and he says, I want your son. Okay.

In short form, I want to say that every giving

is a test.

I've lived by faith now, by the grace of God.

Someone told me many years ago, don't say live by

faith past the Kenadeth, because all of us are called

to live by faith. And he taught me many years

ago it says, I think it's better you say you

live by the Gospel. And I think there is a

you know, sort of a term understanding to that that

those of us who live preaching the Gospel live full

time serving the Lord without a salary. Not just to

say that we live by faith, but we live just

you know, being provided for by the living God. But

as I've been doing this without a salary for thirty years,

I just got a few thoughts to share with you,

because I am, by the grace of God, very blessed

in many ways. And I'm saying that with humility. Okay,

it's okay to say you're blessed, all right, and just

don't be proud about it. Just say thank you Lord.

Because of you, I'm blessed. I'm blessed with a great

wife who is who is not unequally yoke with me,

but she loves the Lord like I love the Lord.

She's on fire for God, like on fire for God.

And you know.

She she submitted to me, although she's a very very

strong woman, and those.

Of you who work under her care or know how

she works will know it. But she loves the Lord.

She loves the Lord.

And we have a house which I bought without money,

and it will take too long to share the testimony

with you again. I think I share with you before.

But the Lord says, I'll give you this house. It

costs about a million ring it at the time, and

I didn't have any money, not even for the ten

percent deposit, not close to it, not even one percent

deposit that did I have at that time. And the

Lord just moved people's hearts and the deposit came, and

then you know, the money came. And then the banker

was Christian, and the banker said, you know.

You know, let's pray and it was approoved.

The bank approved my loan the end of ninety percent

of the loan without any collateral.

So God has been just very very good to me.

A nice, beautiful.

House Barssendra and I have a car each and we

find ourselves very blessed. Sometimes I might take it as

a curse, you know, because I don't get to spend

as much time with my wife. Last time when we

were poor and only one car the cor same age

with me, you know, that old at that time, at

least it was twenty seven years old when I was

twenty seven years old. And we call it the most

anointed car because it left oil everywhere when and it shook,

you know, every time he ran above one hundred kilometers

an hour. So there's a lot of shaking, allelujah, and

a lot of oil. But you know, it was our car,

and it was beautiful in the sense that I got

to spend a lot of a lot of time with

my wife. You know, surpis in life, you get so

affluent and get so blessed that you lose the very

simplicity uh and the blessing of once upon a time

when you had nothing but each other.

Uh.

And so there are days where I purposely go back

to that. I say no, saying you're not driving your car.

Other day we're going say no so inconvenient, you know,

because of convenience, sometimes we lose the closeness. And so

I said no, no, no, I need us to be

in the same car. I need to be talking to

you for an hour in the car. I need to

be like old times. Okay, Okay, I get what you're

trying to do. So we get into a car, then

we talk right and last time, you know, it was

automatic gear. So you know, I put my hand on

the gear, she can put her hand on my hand.

And well, all right, So uh, it's okay to be blessed.

It's okay to be affluent in the sense, but just

don't don't forget the simple things that God has blessed

us with, you know, and sometimes just go back to

those those things, you know, because sometimes being rich can

have its own problems.

Okay.

Anyway, So I'm blessed and and and and the the

way I want to share with you today, you know,

I even even church we are blessed.

Right.

We've got fifty five churches now in eleven nations coming

from the place where by twenty five years ago we

started with only three people myself and two others.

And so how does three three people a three member

church become what we are?

So I just want to say to God be all

the glory. But there are secrets that you can also

take and apply in your own life and giving, giving

not just of your money, but of your time, of

your service, of your talents, yes, also of your.

Treasure usually usually the treaties.

Right treasure, talent, uh, you know, the giving, the spirit

of giving, the spirit of generosity, the spirit of being

able to let go, just let go and trust God

is a very very powerful thing.

God loves it.

And no matter how rich we get, in fact, sometimes

that the richer we get, the harder we let go,

harder to let go, you with me, the ritual we get,

or the more we have. That's why the rich young

rulers already know just very hard, right, very hard. We

just we just love the fact that the balance in

our bank is you know, ten digits, so to give

that he goes back to nine, down to nine. And

for rich people, you need to understand that we love

looking at our bank balance. It's just it's just just causes.

Wow, you know now one hundred thousand more. Wow.

We just love looking at the numbers there. And then

sometimes the Lord just test us. He will test us

who is God? Right is your bank account?

God? Is your houses and your cars? God? Or is

the Lord truly the God of our lives?

So I call it a te And as the Lord

tested Abraham, he will test us.

And every giving is a test. When is it really

a test?

Because you see possibly, Actually I just gave a bad

girl yesterday and I didn't feel anything. I just gave it,

touring it. Uh and uh I just gave somebody a cut.

I didn't feel like it was a test. Well, when

does it become a test? It becomes a test when

we start to give God what he wants and not

what we want. So this is, this is this is very

important to understand about giving. How many of you in

this rumor you like people to give you gifts of

what you want? Uh? Yeah, I see how's going out? Halleyah,

praise got okay? All the courses I was kidding? Uh,

you know, and not just what they want?

Uh?

This is very important. Now there is a statement. Sometimes

it's true. Sometimes it can be taking for granted. But

it's the thought that counts.

You know. It's a very nice sentence, thought, the thought.

And yeah, yes you're right, but listen, you cannot just

take it for granted, you know you can. I remember

my my auntie in this a funny story. She received

a gift from my cousin. Uh, you know, cousin's lock

on the door. I was with her, and Auntie opens

the door and cousin gives her a present, and my

Auntie's face changed from smiling too sad And I'm thinking myself,

who actually becomes sad when you're you are faced with

a present and uh, and she then says, hold on.

She tells my cousin hold on, and she goes inside.

She brings my cousin's president out, and my cousin's presidence

looked really really good with bau and ribbon and all

that and beautiful rapper. Okay, Then only I realized, without

my Auntie saying anything, she was disappointed because my cousins

gave had Puckson written.

All of it, you know, the free rapper. Now this

this shouldn't be. I thought to.

Myself, my Auntie is too much raha, too much your

niece coming with a present. But then of course Auntie

knew Dad, it must have been last week in my

Auntie you that it was a cheap rapper. But you know,

for a lot of us we go like you just

say thank you, right, and then we go in there

and we open the give and go like, oh, you know,

who do I give this to?

You know? Someone? Us don't. Some of us don't even

bother and wrapping it because you gotta.

We just give it to somebody, change the name, right,

How many of you have been there before?

Whereby you just recycle gifts?

Come on, no, no, no, don't put don't put their hands

because because you might head just we've seen it for

your friend last Christmas. Yeah, yeah, it's true. It's true.

So the gifts just get recycled. Yeah it's okay, don't

be so hard on people. Thank you for the give.

But you understand what one trying to say. And we

can treat God like that or so God, here it is,

you know, firing it and God says, fifty right here, God,

you know I'm here on time. When God says I

want you to come earlier, you know, here, God, I'll.

Finished your service. What time he finishes because.

I was started looking at my watch when this preacher

is too long, and God says, no, I want you

just for just once, because you were on your handful

for three hours last week, last last evening. I canna

say last week, but you know who you are. You

can give your TikTok three hours, but you can't give

church two hours.

You know.

So it's not so much what this is. What we

want to give is what God wants to receive. Many

of you know the story because I've said it so

many times, even even around the country. When I was young,

seventeen years old, I was only two years into Christianity,

and I really wanted to hear God's voice, you know,

at fifteen, I want that hear.

Got his voice. Uh, And the Lord spoke to me.

One morning I was in a church like this in

my old church, my first church actually FGA Food Godspel's Emily,

and the chairperson came out. It was about giving time,

which we also had earlier giving offering time, and uh,

chairperson said, would you pray ask the Lord what what

he wants you to give now? I never usually pray

one about giving, because just give give whatever I feel comfortable,

all right, uh, the Bible says, give hilarious lima. So

I'm very hilarious and very cheerful, and I give a

little you know what I'm trying to say. Uh, let's less

is mad, you know, because we get very happy. Ma uh.

And so I thought the scripture was that give cheerfully

means you know, give by your own convenience, give you know,

by your your own joy, your own freedom.

Okay.

So we usually never asked the lord, Lord what you want?

We never asked a lot what Lord, what you want?

We say, uh, okay, here you go God, whatever I

have for you. And uh so the chairperson said, uh, pray.

So I decided. I decided to pray because I wanted

to hear Gou's voice. But I really didn't know what

he will say. Okay, so I said, I just put

my head down and I said, okay, God, if you

do speak, just tell me what you want, and I.

Tell you what.

It was a beautiful thing, although at that time I

didn't think it was the lot immediately, but hindsight, walking

with the rot over the tears, now I realized that, wow,

you know, God did speak because you desire him to speak,

he spoke and all he said was he didn't even

put a mound. He said, give me your best, give

me your best. I heard that voice, give me your best,

an impression in my heart, give me your best. It

didn't come from my mind, it just came, give me

your best.

Okay.

So I took my wallet out, and some of you

have heard this story before. And in my wallet there's

only two notes. Two notes, okay, two are blue in color.

One is one ring git have you seen the one

ring kit is blue? What is the other blue color?

Note? Fifty ring? It both have the same album, the

same king. Okay.

So I remember looking into my water and we're like,

what of all times?

I've only got two choices? All right?

And I remember the lossaid give me your best. So

I began to pray God, which one.

Is the best? How many of you?

How many of you as Christians? I have ever prayed obvious?

Should I come early Lord to church? Should I serve you?

When I go to church? You know you'll be prayed

obvious and we expect an answer. So I went, which

one is the best?

You know? I tell you.

The Lord didn't answer me For about three minutes. I

was asking for a sign from heaven and tell me,

wondering git fifty in gid which one is the best?

Lord?

Help me with this amazingly tough decision, And I tell

you what to make it worse. I was hungry, however,

you know that wondering kit cannot feed this body. I

need fifty at least plus dessert. So of course you

know it's almost like, well, du right, And so I

pulled out the fifty boy in the fifty DoD you

want to come up my wallet.

Some spiritual attack was happening there, you know.

I was praying Tana Baba shanda, and as it came out,

I held the fifties. How many of you hold on

to the things in your life so tightly? I was

holding onto my fifty rings so tightly that I'm gone,

was crying.

I felt something like a drop of well, it wasn't tears.

I was you know how you sweat when're holding up

things with tightly. I'll go. Was great, you please let

me go? And the bag was coming. You know, it's

a big church. It's a big church.

Those of you ever been to fg KL, You know,

one sitting can saider about a thousand, one hundred people.

So the bag was coming slowly but surely, and finally

I just in my spirit say God, I am very hungry,

but I believe this is the best, and you deserved

the best, not what I want to give up, what

you want, right, it's the test, is a real test.

And to make the test even more difficulties. I was

really hungry. Anyway, the fifty went in right, and I

decided to fast. I said, look, God, I've never seen

a miracle. I've never seen a miracle until that time.

And then as I said, okay, Lord, i'll fast. You know,

I'll go back home quickly, right, and maybe drink water

in my house, doing as much water as I can

to get full. And then I get out to the foyer.

And as you know, after church, foyer usually is packed.

Right.

People don't may not like to be inside the church,

but they like to be outside, and so it's packed

this packed. They may not be sleeping outside, but you

know they was to be so so so outside.

The heavy while they come alive. Everybody comes alive in

the foyer.

And and uh, a guy at the end, he saw

he saw my face, and you know, he shouted my

name across about two hundred people. Okay, maybe even it

was three hundred Kenneth, because he was afraid that he'll

miss me, because he's been trying to look for me

for two weeks.

Two weeks. He came to me. Actually, I went up

to him. I shook his head.

Brother whether better go to him quickly because he might

shout my name and he'll be very embarrassing.

So I said, how are your brother? How are you?

I said good? He said, Kenneth, I've been trying to

look for I've been looking for you for two weeks.

Has that been here? I have been. Do you know

that when your eyes are closed, you.

Know, the guy could be standing right in front of

you and you won't be able to see it.

But I want to tell.

You that giving that day, that the power of that

giving that day opened people's eyes because he's.

Trying to look for me for two weeks. I'm saying,

I've been here.

You know, the power of giving, the power of the

kind of the kind of giving that is the test

kind of giving. You know, there's a lot of giving,

but there's some giving you can remember, and that some

giving you totally forget, and there's some giving you one

to forget. He says, I've been looking for you. I said, actually, brother,

why why have you? Why have you been looking for

me for two weeks? He said, I got a bonus.

I said, speak on, you got my attention. I've got

a bonus. And I asked the lord Lord, Wow, he's

a very good bonus. Who can I bless? And your

name came to my mind. I said, that's great, and

I've been wanting to invite you for lunch. You got

cool outside line, but inside was holylujah. And then he says,

is it okay if you go for a really good

team some buffet?

I said, let me pray about it. No, no, no,

no no. I already prayed inside. I already prayed inside.

You know what I'm say, saying the kind of giving

that really makes a difference.

So we went for a team some buffet, and I

think at the time, even at the time of sixty

ringit buffe. Okay, So he's stand ring it more. But listen,

I didn't even have to spend the one ringit in

my wallet. I should have gone home and framed the

one ringgit and tell the world. He doesn't even need

your wonderingit. He doesn't even need Sometimes you think I've

got so small. He needs you, he needs your time,

your ti No, really, seriously, listen, he needs our obedience,

he needs our heart. He's testing us because he loves us.

You know how many of you are. I'm gonna go

into another.

Point. Let me get there as we get there, okay,

but let me just move on. Okay.

Look twenty one, Wonder four. You don't have to turn

to it. Don't have to turn to it, because I'm

just gonna rush through it, all right. This was the

woman who put in two copper coins two mites. You

know the scripture, look twenty one, and Jesus was looking

all the people giving, and everyone was giving out of

their plenty, so it didn't touch them. It didn't test them.

It wasn't nothing to them, even though it was just okay.

Donation to the church, like donation to the car park

attendant you know who says jay time you reach you know,

you open your window and give him. You know, one

dollar coin or two dollar coins is nothing to you.

And sometimes we go to church and it doesn't touch us,

it doesn't test us, it does nothing to us, and

then we go like a why I don't see miracles

in my life? And then Jesus is looking at this

woman who put so little, less than everyone, and yet

he says she's putting more. You're talking about that kind

of giving that has power to it. What's the next scripture?

First King's eighteen twenty three twenty five thirty eight. It

speaks about Elijah on Mount Camel and how he put

the bull. Right, he already chopped the bull as a sacrifice.

He was actually generally accepted by everyone that the bull

was sufficient. But you know what they did. They took

water and they poured it out, not once only, but

twice and three times. Why is this important? Because they

poured out water in the time of drought, and so more.

And greater. Then the bull was the sacrifice of water.

That commodity was even of higher value than the ten percent.

The ten percent of their day was one bull. Put

it on. Go ahead, bo put it on. And I

will put all my mind on. But not enough.

I am here not just wanting to give God the

normal and the expected, and everybody does.

The same thing.

I want to. I want to go further. I want

to go to second mile, to bless God's heart, to

please him.

Are you with me? That's why towards the end it

says when God came down, he licked up the water.

He licked up the water means it sounds like this.

Maybe the BIB doesn't have the the end, but all

of us know when we lick up water, that's how

we sound. The end it means you're pleased. So here, Gods,

I pray to go, come up with your life.

Today and go thanks Steven. That's good.

And I love how the scripture, you know, when he's

trying to teach us something and tell us something, he

goes very detailed.

All right.

I think he enjoyed the water water, he enjoys the

bull because the Bible really says that you don't need

any bulls. You don't need any of these things, right,

you don't need any of these things.

But what he wants is a.

Hearts and and and and Elijah saying not just one time,

come on, be generous to God.

You know, do you?

I can imagine everybody who's not having a cup of

water because it's drought. Right, What is so precious?

Right?

You have you ever been in a home whereby you

turn on the time and don't water? What is very precious?

Even one one drop two drops? You know, have you

ever treated water like it was so precious when we

didn't have any? And he said pour it twice, it

three times? I'm thinking of people are licking their lips

nice they're boarding.

Why this waste? Have you ever been there before? You

give got your best and your family? Me mersic? Why

this waste? Your friends? Why the ways? Why leaders of Xbu.

You keep serving the Lord Sunday after Sunday wearing a tie,

wearing your best giving? Why this waste? Who wears a

tie in suit in Malaysia in the hot weather doing

for you? We're doing for the Lord. But people are

going to come up?

Why? Why so dumb? So never be discouraged.

If you know that you're giving your best to God,

don't worry about what other people are saying.

Because there's power? Are you always me power? Okay? What

a test for? And is what I want to get into.

What a test for? Why?

Why are you testing us? How many of you here

can answer this? Any teachers here? Well, students? Any students here?

Ah?

Okay, at least one? Why why teacher tests you?

I see.

Most of us don't understand tests. We go like because

my teacher is cruel. See the young man just went yeah,

I mean, is there any other reason.

Teachers are wicked? No, they're not.

A teacher will never test you what she or he

hasn't taught you. God will never allow us to be

tested beyond what we have been taught. If a teacher

tests you what she has never taught, that she's wrong.

And when the test comes, it tests to see whether

we have listened. It tests whether to see whether we

have learned right. I've been taught two times to his fall,

so you know it will be tested. Do you really know?

Two times to his fall? And then you go like, yeah,

you know, and so you pass. And every time you

and I passed, we get graduated, We get promoted, don't we.

So what is the real reason? Well? Number one? To

know where we really are? Where are you? Where's your heart? Really?

You say you love the Lord? But really you say,

Lord Jesus, I'll die for you.

Really?

You know, many years ago someone said, don't say i'll

die for you, Lord, say i'll live for you.

You know, because somebody's living for the Lord.

It's harder than dying for him. I want to live

for you, Lord, But the test will come. Are you sure,

you want to serve God the rest of your life. Uh,

And whenever God you say go, I will go. He

will allow tests to show where we really are. But

it's not just that he wants to promote that. Somebody say, amen,

he really because I've not seen anyone finished and the

five or year five and go back to year four,

I'm yet to see someone finish pm R.

Is that what they called it in my time? Was

s r P I no more? No?

I know, I know, of course we used to sing

s r P k E y M or U s

E mickey mo so so don't pell that way, but

you know we just we just sing. That's because it

was so fet up with s r P okay PMR,

and it was it called now.

No more already he's called no more already n m

A okay, so just no more.

So now in this life we believe in, don't test them,

don't test them because to be stressed.

I'll tell you, I don't know what generation we're building now?

Why why is that so quiet? Yeah?

In fact, the Sarroqune premier said, what your man, Jney,

You know, I seem.

Like, why don't you want to test our students?

When they're going out and they're growing up, you're talking

about all these or you know, tension, last stress, last

suicide tendencies.

Hey, what generation are we building them?

You know? And of course he's saying, I thought you're

building a resilient generation one day. You know, if you

don't test them now, you think the world won't test

them later?

Are you thinking that as soon as they're out.

Of your care, they are in the world and if

you don't teach and train them now to be strong?

Anyway, it is totally different messages.

I'm doing my doctorate now and I'm one halfway through,

have a proposal defense to do and then finally a

viva voce and and so they like the so far

my proposal the first three chapters, and you know, the

professors in this university are very kind and say, I

think we're going to publish your work and hopefully use

it uh to to speak to the government, especially in

raising young people in Malaysia. Because I'm writing how I've

got thirty five years of experience in raising young people

in Malaysia.

So I'm writing the thesis on that.

And so, you know, preferctly the government doors who open

and get to speak to people, policymakers, et cetera, et cetera.

But listen, uh, the Lord. The Lord wants to promote

us after every test. The Lord wants to promote us

after every test. All right, okay, let's move on. Let's

move on number two. I got three points, so number two.

It is a test of our hearts, tests of our hearts.

You say, pastor is the test. We take it as

a test, But what is he really testing? It tests

our hearts? What we truly treasure? Says the next slide,

where your treasure is, the Bible says, there your heart.

Will be Also.

I remember there was a very rich man who for

about five years in the same church, he could never

ever support any missions work, as in, give a big sum,

sign a big check to another country, or the work

in another country. So you don't know, he didn't know

what the problem was until one year.

He was so frustrated.

He just I don't have the heart, I don't have

the feeling, you know, I just I'm just not let

I don't feel late, he said. Until one day one

conference when people were just giving, you know, giving to China,

giving to Mongolia, giving to Myanmar, giving to you know

wherever okay, because they were led to give. He was

so fed up because he said, Wow, I'm a rich man,

but I have never made any big sum to missions,

and I believe it's important. But I don't know why.

I just I just can't get over this. You know

what the bustard did as the man approaches past the

passes helped me, and the passer said, I'm going to.

Heal you today. I'm going to heal you today.

And wow, Bustard very very confident that, yeah, you got

your check with you. Yes, I brought my check with Okay.

He says, choose any country? Can just choose an country? Yeah, yeah,

just choose the countries that we have listened down, okay,

all the countries that need help today, missionaries need help, Okay,

et cetera, et cetera. Just choose one. So I don't

know which one he chose. I can't remember now. It

could have been what was I think it was Afghanistan okay,

one of the toughest places.

So he says, uh, what do you want to write? Uh?

He said maybe a thousand? I said, come on, a thousands.

What you had for lunchyesterday?

Right? And he said oh yeah, that's true. He said, no, no, no, no,

write something that will test your heart a little bit,

hurt you a little bit.

Okay, you'll feel it. So anyway, he I think he

should have written one hundred thousand. He didn't because he's

a multi million are. He wrote ten thousand, ten thousand,

so it wasn't even ring. It was in Australia, so

ten thousand Aussie dollars. And the pasta said okay, and

you want it for away again Afghanistan and said I'm

going to heal you.

And the pasta put in the envelope.

See you right, Afghanistan outside afghanisaid you know how to

spell it? See most of us don't't know how a Ghanistan. Okay, cool, yeah, passa.

Do you fear anything?

No, keep put it into the back, bring the bag.

Do you fear anything No yet, baster okay, tell me

when you feel something.

And so the next morning he wakes up and he

has his shower, has his breakfast, takes his newspaper and

lazy like he every he does every day with his

uh softmare eggs and bread and tea.

He usually, you know, reads the newspaper.

And he said he knew what his paster was talking

about when all his eyes could go on and fix

it on is a story on Afghanistan. And he says,

pasta after a week, and he went to church on

Sunday's pasta for the whole week. Anytime the news, whether

it be on television or the newspaper, benches Afghanistan, I

am especially interested, he said, I'm here. Sometimes the feeling

doesn't come first, it's faith that goes first. And he says,

now every time Afghanistan is mentioned, I have a heart

for it because where your treasure is. Many of us

are not invested in the things we should be invested in.

That's why he hearts don't move.

I want to.

I want to encourage all of us. Y amen, What

does it really do to our hearts? When we get tested?

It tests what we truly treasure? It tests where or

who is our priority? You know, I got a cute

story tell you.

So.

When I was young, maybe about five six years old,

my Auntie came to say hi to me and my cousins.

We were playing and Auntie said something like who do

you like? You know?

And all the.

Rest is, oh, you know this girl in the kindergarten

that boy in the kindergarten, and I said, I don't

have anyone. Okay, six years old, I don't like any girl.

That's probably how I sound like. And then she looks

at me Auntie, who is now today, I think she's

about eighty two years old. She says, Kenny. Cause with Kenny,

you wait and see. And I, at six years old,

we toalt it back with a lot of confidence.

I will never like anyone. I tell you.

That's why I really believe in kids ministry are because

you can really make a life changing decision at six.

Because for the.

Next fifteen sixteen years, I have not liked any girl

purposely so that I can keep my vow.

Can imagine that I didn't even know how powerful it was.

So when all my guy friends in the school I

was from Aminudinbaki and all the guy friends that will

whistling the girls passing by, I purposedly turned.

Because I just I just couldn't break my vow six

years old. Wow.

And when I turn twenty one, twenty two trade three, uh,

I was studying law and I graduated as a lawyer

from the University of London. Uh And and even in

that whole time in that university. I just didn't want

to look at any girl. There was one really pretty.

I confess, you know, I can differentiate between the pretty

and and very pretty. But and then and they said,

this girl likes me, you know, because at that time

I was quite good looking. Now I don't know what happened.

I don't know what happened after. I'm very idea. I

just all it loose, like just you know, be chubby. Okay,

uh so just you know, no. And then I go

to church fg KL and lo and behold there is

this worship leader on stage. The name is Sandra. She's

only good looking on the outside. I just could feel

a heart a heartbeat for God. I love God. She

loved God. And I thought, I said, wow, that was so attractive.

I don't even sounds too spiritual. But I'd say, the

looks as good as all are. But there's something else

that was just drawing me. But I couldn't. I just

couldn't say no. I'm telling my own heart, no, no,

stop it your vow right. And then the Lord said

to me, Kenneth, pray about it. Pray about its okay, Lord,

I surrender send her to you. And I was about

six months of doing that, the Holy Spirit said, no,

hold on, hold on a minute. It's not just surrendering

her to me. She's a remind Let me ask you

a question. Do you like her or not? I said yes,

but I cannot get into this relationship. He says, why, Kenneth.

And then you know, I had to admit that it

was a vow. And then the Lord told me, this says, Kenneth,

whether or not you end up with Sandra, your vow

is wrong.

And I want you to break it. Wow.

You know, a lot is after some things where we

put priority in our lives. You know, sometimes it can

look good, but it's not God. That is not off God.

And sometimes we vow I'll be the richest man in

Malaysia and then you go like all your family members

will say, oh that's good, but it's.

Not of God.

I'll be the best preature. You know what is best, best, highest,

hopefully most good looking.

I don'tice.

There's so many things that sound right, but you know

the drive is wrong. Drive is not of the lot,

and you will drive you crazy and you will drive

people away from you. So just just surrender your drive

to the lot. So surrender all your vows your priorities

and make him your highest priority.

Amen.

And so finally I said, Lord, forgive me. I cried no,

for I don't know how many hours. I just cried

because I saw the ugliness of a man who had

made a vow and made the vow bigger than God,

and got used as sand to break that vow. And

still told me, even if you don't end up with her,

it's fine. But He sometimes uses a door to bring

you to a place, not to end up with that

person or to end up. Sometimes it brings us to

our country and it's not about that country, but it's

about us. It could be a company. It's not a company.

Somebody you start, you know, applying for this. You go, oh,

the Lord showed me, and the Lord told me it

will be this company.

No. Sometimes the Lord uses the journey.

To do some things in our lives, and then you

end up not having that job, or not having that girl,

or not having that migration approval. But it got you

on a journey. It is a journey that God wants

to show you things. And then he closes the door

and says, okay, not that one. But at least I

got you walking at least I got you going because

there's something else better for you.

Can I hear? Good?

Amen, very very important to understand that. But thanks me

to God. I remember that I said, you like Sandra.

I said, yeah, God, I do. So, uh, you know,

just just lay her on the altar. You know.

That was the famous saying lay her on the altar.

All right, lay her on the altar. So I thought,

many guys. I think the guys who's these days are

are praying okay Lord later on the altar. The only

thing with living sacrifice is are they move? And so

I come to church and pass addresses to me. Let

me introduce you to my friend boyfriend. All right, I'm like,

what this is, I'm praying No, in my mind you

go praying not no, simply boyfriend girl friend boyfriend girlfriend.

But anyway, because past addresses and this is my very

good friend. We were friend zone only friend zone me

and past friend zone. So let me introduce So I

shake that guy's head. I remember at least two guys,

you know, over the course of five years, two guys

because person is so good looking. Right, guys are all

I need up taking a ticket like going to bank

and so Bisandra says, this is my very good friend.

So I shake his hand.

As I'm shicking his hand, I'm praying my spirit made

the best man win. No, I didn't do that. I

thought maybe I did that, but I don't. I don't

think I did that.

And I'll go home and I'll be on my knees again.

I'll be in tears. Said, Lord, you keep laying. I

was giving you a layer on the altar. And she

keep moving. And then finally I get.

To be a leader of a group to a mission

trip to Thailand, and lo and behold, Pascendra signs up.

And I'm a leader now.

And I be very careful because feelings she chat on

the ceiling, you know, so I remember, just be careful,

kend Of. Don't use your role as the leader of

this mission triper to you know, exercise any authority on her.

You my woman, you know that. Just don't say anything

like that. Don't don't don't push it. Just just trust

the Lord. Trust the Lord. While I've been praying for

her for three and a half years, three and a

half years, keep putting her on the altar.

She keep moving, you know.

Finally, at almost on the final day of the vision, triple.

The Lord says, I give you permission to tell her.

I didn't tell her all three and a half years.

And then we were in the talk Talk together because

because you know, we want a budget, they put three

people in one to and she's sitting in the middle,

touching my leg. No no, no, no, no, she's not touching

my leg like that, but she's sitting so close.

That her leg is next to my leg and next

to hers another girl.

So I said, Lord, lead me not into the vision,

but deliver me from the evil one. And then I'm

looking because I cannot look anywhere else is so I'm

looking and this wheel at the talktook wheel is speaking

to me. You check out easy Cut chapter one. The

wheel can speak to you and tell her tell her now,

I say, be quiet. And finally we got to the

bus station, and I don't know how we got to

talking and past past and say something, uh, And then

I say something And the words I remember saying was

would you no, no, no, even would you? You won't

go out with a guy like me, right you? I

tell you we all know the tricks now. We all

know the tricks now. But you know I didn't know

how because I've never said to a girl I like

you before, never in my life, so it's very hard. Okay,

So so the wheel that is it tell her how

to tell her I like you, you like me?

Not? No, get on, you know you would never do

too simple.

And then you know, said, I don't know why her

reply would be there, but she said, you never answer,

so who Then I said, you know all the meals,

I took you out and paid for it, and poka

those who are my way of saying it. And we

went out on the busa and for seven hours we're

seeing together, just talking. Right then she said, I actually

am Maria in a relationship and the guy actually is

really blocking me from doing ministry. He doesn't like me

to serve the Lord. Da da da da da. And

I'm rethinking that maybe we can't go together. But Kenneth,

we must do it right. I must do it right.

I must go back to him and talk to him.

And if he was a continued this relationship blahlah blah.

So anyway, it was a long talk seven hours. But

I want to tell you this. I'm very honest.

I'm gonna tell you this because part will laugh and

she when she hears it, and she heard it many

times a day. I have surrendered Passandra so often to

the latter that she's no longer mine.

Have you ever done that before?

You surrender it so much that that decision to my

grade is no longer even your priority. You surrendering it

so often the that that decision to get that promotion

is no longer your priority because you surrendered like you

like you know, you surrender something long and hard enough.

It's his now, not even yours.

Said give me six months, Kenneth, if you can't give

me six months to pray, because I also need to

hear from the Lord. I need wait it for twe

and half years old. But really I told her, I

say no, it's okay. So I'm just I just because

the will told me. You tell you, so I just

tell you. But really, even if I didn't end up

with you, it's going to be okay.

And a lot of people.

No three and a half years right. The Lord wants

when he tests us, who is our priority? What is

our priority?

Next?

Light says, do you have money or does money have you?

That's I mean, if you talk about money now, why

can't you give it up? Do you have Isaac or

Thates Isaac, have you who who's holding who? Who is

lord of who? And since we're on this topic, I

want to also encourage the people here in this room.

Christians can have pain. I mean Christians here in this

room have had pain before. I think all of you

put your head. Christian can also be sick. But following this,

I want you to catch a truth that although I

and you can have pain, pain doesn't have to have us.

We can be sick, but don't let sickness have you.

Don't let it dictate things in your life. You can

be poor. Also, there are times that were so poor,

so poor that when the robber came to rob us,

we robbed him. You know what, Yes, there are days

where you're but you don't have to let poverty have you, Chris.

Poverty is not in your pocket. Poverty is your mind.

We don't want to be and some people are so richer,

but it's still poor up here. You with me, we

don't want that. You know, some of you can be down,

but don't let downness get you.

He come on.

Christians can also be discouraged one yes or no, but

don't let discouragement have.

That's it's a difference.

So when God tester, he actually wants to break us

out off the bondage and the chains that hold us.

It's okay, we hold money, but don't let money hold.

And when the test comes to give it helps us

let go and be totally free.

Can I hear a good amen? So be gone?

We might have, but don't let like have you? What

else do we have here? Let's read it so I

don't forget. No one can serve two masters. Either he

will hate the one and love the other, or he

will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God amendment. The first time I spoke

this message, I spoke it in the translation. So the

guide who translating into Basa for me, Basa Malaysia, uh,

he said, And then he says, serve malayany too? Hand done?

Ibliss I said, no, no, no, hold on a minute. What

does your your Malay or Basa Bible actually translate? He said, well,

let me look, and he said, oh yeah, Bassa, he says, uh.

Ibliss Or satan I said no. I said, the actual

meaning of this is money. It's not that you know.

There are times I've I've been through this for many

years now, and I've seen money has always been bigger

than the devil.

We don't do things for the devil one nobody. We

do things for money. Of course, behind it is the enemy,

we know it.

It is the love of money. Not money, but the

love of money that is the root of all evil.

And the devil will use money. You see how the

last tepition he said to Jesus was he showed him

the kingdoms of the world, and he said, all these

things I will give to you if you are a

bow down. He's not saying serve me first, you know,

he's saying he's using possessions because he knows how we

are caught up.

With things like that.

And then only he says, and the only way to

do that is come, you know, just about down, simple one,

not just a bow down, and see you are you?

I give you everything else. No, this is this thing

about money and mammon, and and and and the possessions

of this life. It is really really powerful, and the

enemy the devil uses that. It is Mammon, you cannot

serve God, and mammon, let money be your servant today.

Don't ever be a servant to money.

Everybody.

Okay, okay, what or who is our greatest fear or

this is very important. The test that comes when we

have a test to give to the Lord is to

test what is?

So who is?

And God said to Abraham, now I know that you

fear me. Now I know that you fear me. You

don't fear what other people say. You don't fear losing

your son. You don't fear you know that you don't

have offspring or inheritance. You fear God above all else.

This is very very important. Finally, it is a test

of our faith. It is a test, so I said,

it's a test, but it's a test of your heart.

It is a test of your faith. Okay, Now do

we really believe? Says the next life, show me your faith.

The Bible says, without your works, and I will show

you my faith by my works. Faith without works is dead.

So whenever you get a chance to be tested, don't

reject the test. In fact, in James chapter one, verse two,

the Bible says, counting all joy when you fall. Wow,

you can count as a joy when you fall into

various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces

patience and let patients have its perfect work that you

may let So how do we we usually reject tests

we are Please don't pass it. Don't talk about giving.

Giving really makes me upset. Please don't talk about missions going.

You know the tests, Oh, I don't like. I reject

as far as as possible, I will run away from

the test. And yet the Bible says counted joy because

there's something about the tests that is good for our hearts. Everybody, okay,

good for our hearts? Do we really believe?

Now?

As I draw it to a close, I want to

show you what giving really shows a I I when

I give to the Lord, I'm saying this, I know

where this came from and who gave it to me.

That's what you're saying. I know God, where all these

blessing came from. As I give it back to you,

I know it came from you. I know you gave

it to me. Be I know that he who gave

it to me can and will give it to me again.

And even more.

However, you know that Abraham and that even better at

the end of Genesee twenty two, that he did at

the beginning he gave one son away, and the Lord

God promis him descendants as many as the stars in

the heaven and as.

On the sea shore.

So you're you're showing confidence and trust in the Lord.

We read what we saw very important. See, I know

what please him, and I'm willing to do it. I

know what pleases him at the end of the day,

being tested in our area of giving, in the area

of generosity to the Lord is saying to God, God

is all about pleasing you. I understand that, and the

Bible says without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word. Let

me share one last story and then we'll close. I

remember quite a few years ago I was supposed to

renovate my house. Already didn't have money to buy it

by when the Lord provided, I bought it, and then

came the time to renovate it. When the project manager

calculated it came up to be about fifty five to

sixty thousand ring it and I didn't have that. I

didn't have that, and it came time. Just about a

week later, after I knew how much it would cost

me to renovate my place, the Lord gave me an opportunity.

I use the word opportunity, but it's really is a tesla.

The Lord gave me an opportunity. It came in a

form of giving two missions in ex church and I said, again, Lord,

what do you want? What do you want? Tell me

what's on your heart. I don't just want to give

you what I want to give you. I want to

give you what you want. And so the Lord caused

me to look into my bank account and he says, Kenneth,

give this much to me.

I look at the bank account.

It was not nothing, very much left, but it was

a big sum to me. It was about eighty to

ninety percent of whatever that was left in my bank account.

And it was painful because already I need my need

to renovate. Now he wants the little that I have

that wasn't even enough to renovate anyway.

It was a struggle, I confessed to you. It was

a struggle. And finally I wrote that check and gave

it to the Lord. And this is what happened.

About three weeks to a month later, I go for

this invitation to Australia and I was invited by the

church called Planet Shakers.

Some of you may have heard about it before.

Planet Shakers, and I was to be their speaker for

the campus camp Planet Uni. And at that time there

was a passer cor Medfielder. He was a passer of

Planet Uni. And Medfielder said to me, Passa Kenneth, I

hope you are honored because you are our first Asian

speaker for Planet Shakers. We've never had an Asian speaker

before you. I say, well, praise the Lord. I hope

I do a good job. Then and I was speaking

for Planet Uni and there were five hundred campus students

in that camp.

Five of them were white, okay.

The other four hundred and ninety five were Southeast Asians,

mainly Malaysians and singapore I felt immediately so comfortable because

my law came out.

My may yes, may you know all came out. I

was so comfortable.

The other five who were caccasions, I think they also

learned the language every day and they were laughing along

and so about I think five or six messages throughout

a three day camp and the last day, you know,

I just I remember this. It was very special to

me to even see the pastor pasta Bedfielder come to

the front and the auto call as he also wanted

to be prayed for.

And then later on he told me that.

The message stirred his heart up to believe to come

to Malaysia and to help out with the work here

in Malaysia. Before that, he was quite reluctant because his

family was not ready blah blah blah. But the message

sturdy set up his heart and he was on the

on his knees uh saying Lord, I respond to this message,

and I will not fear, and I will go to Malaysia.

And you know just how Kingdom City became what it

is the grace of God. But a passa madfielder, as

he stood up from the authar came to the you

know a stage wiped away his tears and he says, okay,

Pasta Kennon is going to go back now to his

room to pack his backs because we've got to go

back to the city. Pasa Kennas is speaking at French

Shakers the next morning. I have to speak for services

in Black Shakers next morning. So as I went back

to pack my bags, passa badfielder, I could hear him

saying it. As I was walking out, he says, how

many of you are blessed by the messages that pastor

has brought in the Lord and has went up, but

I didn't want to look like just just walking out. Okay,

all glory to God. And then passa madfielder says, would

you like to put your money where your heart is?

And you all know that Pazza Kenneth lives by faith

doesn't get a salary, so your all campus students, and

this is the last day. I don't know even I

don't even know how much money you have left. Maybe

you have spent it on lunch or spend it on gifts.

But if you really really have been changed in this

last three days and you want to honor the men

of God, I'm going to pass the back around offering

back around, and you just give according to how you

feel that you know the value of what you've received.

And then later on passa madfielder comes to my room

as I'm finishing my backing. That's about May twenty minutes later,

and he knocks on my door. And as I opened

the door of my hotel room, bassa midfielder had tears

in his eyes as he held a big bag and

he says, Pasta Kenneth, I've never seen my campus students

give this much. They are obviously very blessed that I

think they emptied out their wallet. It was a free

wheel offering a passa Kenneth. As a pastor, we are

so joyful and we when we see our people generous

because we know what follows up the dead, we know

what follows up the debt. So I know my people

are going to be so blessed. But we want to

bless you, Pasta. And we counted the money and it's

twenty four thousand Aussie. I almost fell off my feet

and I'm like, I don't know I even dare receiving. No,

this is for young people, but insight that it's not

just Casher, it's their hearts.

Is there? Thank you? Is there? Our lives are changed.

I took it back and of course you know, UH

converted it and it was about seventy thousand ring it.

I needed about sixty for the renovations. I want to

tell you that God only has got so much more.

He's got he doesn't have less, He's got so much more.

You haven't seen anything yet. I'm not just even talking

about money. Only know talking about health. I'm talking about

relationship healing. I'm talking about reconciliation between a husbands and

wives and children and parents. Yeah, you're with me. I'm

talking about people getting saved in your families. I'm talking

about things that you never even thought possible. But with God,

all things are possible. And sometimes He tests us so

that he can promote us, so that finally you see God.

Even the very money you asked for it, and so

I reveal it to you.

Now.

The money that I first gave him was about seven thousand,

so he gave me back ten times more. But there

was a lot, because I think I was only left

with one thousand in the bank or less.

It was so hard. It was so hard.

But if if God told you all the secrets he

had in store for you are you probably will walk

differently and you probably will give cheerfully.

Ha ha ha, because you saw already.

You saw the seven thousand a day for the joy

that was set before him and during the crossman. That's

how the lot works, for the joy that was set

before him. I saw it, but because you don't see easy,

you can't see it. That's why it's called faith. Otherwise,

if you saw it, you will laugh. You will laugh

her because what you just gave us is puny. Com

back to what he has in.

Store for you. You will laugh. Comes to you again.

Hei, God, you t come back to what ten times more?

Ten times blessing member, Not Daniel Chapter one, verse twenty.

No other men, no other young men, were smarter than

Daniel shaddred mission the Medico.

They were ten times smarter.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as church dot org.

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that this week is going to be a good week

ahead for you. God bless