The Church of Pergamon | Pr Matthew Chang

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

So come and turn with me to Revelations chapter two. Okay, Revelations.

All right, Sadly, I feel a bit more, you know,

like gospel like you're you know, like Southern Baptist Church radio. Okay, No,

I feel like No. I shall not change my exent Okay,

No I will not, Okay, So turn with me into

a Revelations chapter two. I have been preaching in different

places on a series on the seven churches in the

Book of Revelations. Some of you, if you have followed me,

you probably will catch some uh. And I think the

last time I spoke here, I covered at least two churches.

The first church, okay, was in the church in Ephesus. Okay,

it's called the Loveless Church. Oh okay. The second church

is called the Church in Smyrna. It's called the Persecuted Church.

And now today we're going to go through the third church,

the church in Programas and the title writes here is

called the Compromising Church. Compromising Church.

Okay.

So let's uh, let's read the scriptures, and I might

pause a bit here and there, and I will highly

encourage you to open the Bible and then if you

can underline or you can highlight, do that as well.

Okay.

Now it says here from verse twelve, okay, and to

the Angel of the church in programs right. Okay, for

some of you, you might not be familiar in every church.

You know, Jesus tends will address a particular angel in

the church. Okay, So there is some people believe there's

there is a teaching that for every church there is

an angel assigned not just to a church, but even

to someplace, an angel as a sign as well. But

he's saying here to the Angel of the church in

programmas right, these things says he who has the sharp

to edged sword. Now, when you write a letter a

lot of times, how many of you still write letters.

Really handwritten letters to who? Oh?

To him? Should I continue?

Now?

Wow, you're a classic man, old school naic.

How many of you still write letters? Here only for schools? Oh? Wow,

I like that? Okay, he is. I haven't written letter

for quite a long long.

Time, maybe last year, but more to the government okay,

to apply for something.

But that's the only time.

But if you remember when you write a letter, you

need to introduce who you are. Okay, there's a very

there's a formality, and it's typical here as well, to

the person you're addressing to. And he says, now to

the person who who is writing the letter. Now, if

you read through the first two churches, okay, we know

from from from from from the entirety that the author

ultimately is Jesus. Okay, there's no doubt about it. It

is Jesus.

Okay.

But the way that Jesus describes himself or the way

that Jesus introduces himself to the churches, they're all different.

So he might come to in Ephesus, the Church of Ephesus,

he introduces himself not as steridly as I'm in Jesus.

He introduces himself with a specific title or description of

the title. Like say, for example, he will say he

I am he who hold the seven stars in the

right hand, and he who walks in the midst of

the seven golden lampstems.

Why so mysterious.

It's like instead of saying I'm the doctor, I introduce myself.

I am the one who wears a statoscope and wears

a white long rope and walks in the mid in

the corridors of this hospit. So you're a doctor, yes,

So Jesus introduces himself specifically differently. Now there is a reason, okay,

there is a reason why Jesus what they call it,

introduces and describes himself differently. Okay, because he is always

trying to address the problem, the need and the hope.

Of the church that he's talking to. You wanna say

what I'm selling.

So if I say, for example, if I'm a doctor

and Benji is my good friend and my housemaid, I

won't talk to him Benji. You know, Hey, I'm your friend,

and you tell you you need to stop doing this

and there, Okay, it's gonna hurt you. Okay, No, I'll

come to you. I want to talk to you right now.

I'm a doctor. I got my PhD. Permanent head head damage. Okay,

I'm talking to you. I'm a specialist that what you're

doing is wrong. And when I start to exert myself

with my profession, it carries a different way, isn't it.

You're just I'm not just your friend. I'm a doctor.

I'm telling you this right now. So this is what

Jesus is doing as well for every church. He introduces

himself differently. Okay, I tell you no writer can write

this by my imagination. When okay, it says Jesus reveals

himself with revelation and with prophetic power to the church

as well. So how did Jesus review himself? He reveals

himself to the church in Programmas he reveals himself as

someone who has the sharp two edged sword.

Wow, this is very interesting.

Why because most Christians have won only one version of Jesus.

You know, It's like in look look at that Spotify

playlists are there's only one song, and that song is Jesus,

Lover of my Soul. You know what I'm saying. The

only look at Jesus is the one who loves and

loves and loves and loves, and he was He's like

a cudly beer.

He will cuddle me to sleep, you know, Jesus Lover

of my soul.

But the Jesus there is describing the Bible is far

from that, far from that.

He s doesn't just have one.

You know, Jesus is the one who talks about sin

and judging more than anyone else in the Bible.

Did you know that? But the world only talks about Jesus,

lover of my soul. Jesus is love. You wouldn't do this,

you wouldn't do that.

But Jesus appears to his church, you know, not to

the rest of the world, to the church, I mean

the believers. And as what as the one who holds

the sharp to edged sword? Wow, he appears to his

own people with a shop to edged sword.

Why would Jesus do that?

If Jesus was here, he introduced himself, I am the

one who has the two shop edged sword. Oh how

would you feel? Are we off to a great start?

But it is necessary and we're gonna explore why. Okay,

We're gonna explore why. Well, everybody looks very serious already.

But I'm teaching truth here, Okay, I'm teaching you truth. Okay, Okay,

his shop okay? But why what does it mean? Is

Jesus going to war with us with the two shop?

And just what is it gonna look?

Look here?

And then you're not gonna cut things. Let's explore a

bit more, okay. And immediately in the next verse, he says,

I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's

throne is Okay, the first thing after he introduces himself,

he says, what I know your works. I know what

you've done in public, in secret, what you did, what

you did not do.

And not only there, I know where you dwell. Not

just saying like, oh, I know your address.

When he says that he knows where you dwell, he

is saying he knows your circumstances, what you are surrounded with,

what you can control, and what you cannot control. You

gonna say what I'm saying that how many of you knows?

How many of you know in your heart that Jesus

knows where you dwell, where you stay, where you are

surrounded way it can control.

I cannot control what surrounds you, what overcomes you. Okay?

And he says there. Not only that, he says, where

Satan's throne is. Wow, how many of you staying place?

Staying in the place where Satan's throne is a big

throne there? What does it mean?

Okay?

And he says they In the next next verse, and

you're hold fast on my name and did not deny

my faith even in the days in which Antipas was

my faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satane

else okay, so time for slides. Okay, So can I

have the slide? The first few slides up? Ah, So Pergamum.

Pergamum is a really really beautiful city. The city sat

on a hill, and there are and I want to

let you know that in ancient times, especially in the

Roman times, there are, of course, there are a few

major groups of people. First, we have the Romans, the

ruling and the most powerful kingdom at that time. And

we have the Greeks, philosophers, the people of reason, you know,

like to reason, very highly, very intellectual philosophers. There as well,

we have the we have a lot of the minorities

which are comprised of Jews, people from Asia, people from Africa,

from parts of our Middle East as well. And also

we have the new emerging Christians coming from among them

as well.

Now Perlmum is the next.

Night, okay, In actual fact, in today, you can go

and visit the ruin, and it's seated on a hill,

very beautiful, very glorious from a far or five ten

twenty kilometers you can already see in very perched up.

And when you go there, you get excited when you

know it's like Roman Rome is on the five fields here,

So program is like that as well.

But you can see it's very beautiful.

They have the emphitheater and the stairs there, and so

people will normally have grather around the emphi theater and

we speak, they go up. It's very it can be

hurt very clearly. And on the top where the city

is the structure is that the top is where most

of the administration building and the religious buildings are.

Now happened.

What happens is that a lot of the times, the

center of the entire city comes from the religious buildings. Okay,

it's come from the religious buildings. We go to the

next slide. Okay, this is the famous altar of Zeus.

Okay alters.

It is the.

Main platform by which they conduct the sacrifices.

Okay.

So what happens is they have a concept. Okay, nowadays

when we go and buy food, right where you go,

huh stop up nsk okay village grocer, Jaya grocer. Now

don't have Tesco anymore. Okay, now we're gonna have a

on Okay, we can go to supermarket and buy At

that time, they don't have such thing. So how did

they get food to the masters what did they do that?

So what they did a lot of times is that

they will get all the food and carry it up

to the top there, and before they distribute to the masters,

they were cut up and they will place it on

the altar and there's a big labor there and they

will burning as a sacrifice, and then pass it down, okay,

to the rest of the cities to eat. Very normal

one okay, because we must understand that this is a

very pagan society. This is what they all did, okay,

So it will normally do you have the next night's

is there?

Ah? Okay?

So this is the top of this is how the

top is how they will look like all the administration.

You're at the temple of Diana. There's a temple for

pagan gods, and there's a temple, okay, for the emperor

where we call the emperor worship temples Whi's emperor worship

is called imperially imperialist cut where on top of worshiping

pagans like the gods of Zeus, they worship another god.

The god is called the Emperor God, where Caesar declares

himself to be God as well, and you worship him

by taking an incense and then dropping into the charcoal

Korean barbecue.

Sh caesar is RW.

And when you do that, you can enter into the

marketplace and take meat for your family. Okay, not all

places and to different places have different slightly different rule,

but they already started implementing that as well. So at

the bottom there you will see the altar of Zeus

and the rest of their there are administration and religious buildings.

So from there there worship. They will take the meat

and then distribute to all the different parts of the city.

Now the Satan's throne is addressed to the altar of Zeus. Okay,

you look at can you go back to the previous

line that want the altar of Zeus. It's quite glorious,

isn't it. So if you're surrounding around that that that

that that altar is all the struggles of the pagan gods.

You can see.

All the different athena and all the different errors, all

the different gods and all the struggles and stuff like that,

and all they're surround there as a council and also

serving Zeus as well. And there's where Zeus is seated. Okay,

And this is where we call it Satans frown, okay,

And actually a lot of people even until now, there

are many famous people who love to go there and behold.

I don won't say who is it, but there's actually

someone who is vertually very fascinated with this particular thing

and one and actually use it to commemorate something very

important as well.

So I'm not going to spread conspiracy.

Theory, so I'll leave it to you guys to go

and research on your own. Okay, But interesting, isn't it. Okay,

So this is what it's referring to. But it also says,

let's look a bit for the in the scripture, and

you hold fast to my name and did not deny

my faith even in the days in which Antipas was

my faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satan dwells.

I told you before already that because they started implementing

what they call it imperial worship. Right for you to

be able to have food, to apply for a house,

to get business permit, to be among the community. You

have said, the community is very powerful one you want

to do anything in life, it's the community in our

In my early years, earlier years, in the eighties and nineties,

in Malaysia, clubs and societies were very very powerful. I

don't know some of you like hockey and society. The

Chinese society different. You do a lot of things. Right now,

people got their business from there one on because from

connections one and nowadays you don't. You just sell everything

on Instagram and then a shoppy okay. But back in

the time, society was huge. If people even get married

from the clubs one and all, it was very very

very very important, okay. So to be excluded was to

be cut off from the society. But at that time

so and a lot of them had to pay home

muche and respect to the Caesar by burning the incense.

But the Jews were exempted again because they cannot worship

any other God except their God, okay, because they are monotheistic.

But the Christians were abandoned by the Jews okay, because

they disagree, and not only disagree, they feel like they

are spinter cells. So the Christians were alienated from their

own brethren Jews. And they were also blamed by the

Greeks and the Romans for any misfortune their comes upon

the city as well. If you have a very tough

crop year, Christians were at fault. Okay, if there were

some calamity, Christians were the one because you did not sacrifice.

Everything was according to that. And when then and when

the Empress Strett came straight to came straight down to

the city, Antipus, which was the leader, was eventually martred

from there as well. We can go online and read

how he was that how he was killed, very brutal.

I shall not share it here because they are children here,

very very brutal. But you can figure until now they

still celebrate the remembrance of Antipus in there as well.

In case it's very very brutal. So I want to

talk about it. But Jesus says here, I remember my

faithful martyr. Okay, verse four things. Okay, let me before

it got in the verse fourteen. So what does it

mean God coming back that Jesus introduces himself as the

one who has the tool sharp edged sword. Okay, what

does it mean that Jesus has the one who has

a two shop edged sword. Jesus is introducing himself as

the two sharp edgesort for two reasons. Firstly, the Christians

were being killed. He said that I do not fear

those who kill you.

In the flesh.

But fear those who can kill both your body and

your soul. Okay, sad they can kill your body. But

ultimately Jesus is the one who holds the sword. But

not only there is one. But the true meaning of

the sword is not just to kill. The true meaning

if you read the Bible, what does the sword do?

Not just one edgent but two edged sword. The two

edged swort functions for one on one main thing, to

cut and to divide. Always, sword always means to cut

and to divide, to separate. That is why the title

is called the Compromising Church. Sword means to cut and

to separate. That's why Jesus begins by saying, I know

your works and where you dwell. So my question is

when we begin twenty twenty five, do you know how

to cut and to divide?

Things in life? So important? You know? See, Yeah, the

ability of men is not just to know a lot

of things.

You can know a lot of things. It can be

very highly intelligent, but you have no wisdom. Wisdom is

one not just knowing everything, but the ability to cut

in your life what is right and.

What is wrong?

That is my message for twenty twenty five. Are you

able to cut between things? You see when you look

into the beginning of creation? Right, how did God began

the seven days? Let there be light, and light was

separated from darkness. Second day, what happened the heavens Between

the heavens is the firmaments? It was separated, isn't it?

Third day the waters and the land separated. And only

after that then the trees and the and that bears,

the seeds and the fruits start to sprout out as well.

Then after that birds in the air, then the animals

and human beings.

So what does that mean?

Creation begins when God divides, divides.

Before God even created, what was over the.

Earth nothing, chaos, formless you know all you see? I

mean when your life is formless, chaotic, there is no

clear right and wrong. I can do whatever I want,

whenever I want, I feel whatever I want. What does

it mean? It means your life is in chaos, formless.

There is no light and dark. And when there is

no clear light in that, there is no foundation. When

there's no foundation, there can be no life.

Makes sense?

My question is my challenge to all of us. Here

are we able to cut and to divide? So when

Jesus says, I coming to you with holding a two

shop a shop ed just so he's not just trying

to condemn you, but he's telling you what you must do,

what you must do, what you owe it to yourself,

the wisdom to cut between what is right and wrong,

to cut it in what it's light and that in

your life so that you prosper. Tell me if you

want to prosper the day. Tell me if you want

to have wisdom this year? Yeah, don't you think that's

a great direction for twenty twenty five?

So important?

You need it for your studies, you need it for

your marriage, You need it for your family.

Isn't it you need for your business? God? Can you

show me not just understanding.

I need wisdom so that when it comes to my life,

I know how to what is right and what is wrong.

You see, there's nothing more unattractive to a lady when

a man doesn't know why it's right and wrong.

When you got mean right? So what should we do?

I don't know that up to hula, I tell you,

going okay.

Benji, you feel me?

And so the most important quality of a man is

not that he has six packs and abbs in all,

it's not that he has a good certificate, and it's

not even it's not even his humorous Although being humorous

is very important. The most important quality of a man

is that does he fear God? Does he know what

is clearly right and wrong? So when the crunch time comes,

when life hits, you know, when when.

The robber meets the road, will he make the right decision?

You know I'm saying, you know, no matter what, we're

gonna stick together, No matter what, we will not cross that.

You say what I'm saying, No.

That is what is expected of a man and a leader.

Ladies agree, It's true.

Not there's nothing more, nothing, nothing more discouraging to uh,

to espouse and to the children. Now, when the mother

or father just sit there, I don't know what to

do if they're discouraging one. No, they're just sitting there

and just rotting there. I've seen that in my own

family before. Trust me, I know how. I know what

it does to your children.

I know. But what you student, We want to see

our parents work. You get yeah, you get down, but

stand up again. Make a move. Wrong is wrong, right

is right.

We don't make no compromise, so that there is a

clear direction you know makes sense, right, and Jesus is

coming into the church and tell you you need to

stand up right now. You need to cut between say

right is right, wrong is wrong, even if you cost

your life, you know what I'm saying. Oh no, it's

very very important. Now let's move on verse fourteen. Okay,

but I have a few things against you. Oh I

have a few things. And it says because you have three.

They're those who hold the doctrine of Baalim, who taught

Ballack to put stumbling block before the children of Israel,

to eat things, sacrifice to idols, and to commit sexual immoralities.

Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of

the nicolatus. Which thing I hate, repent or else I

will come to you quickly and will fight against them with.

The sword of my mouth.

Oh wow, let's pause that for a while.

So what is happening? So Jesus he knows.

He says that he knows your words, he knows where

it dwells, he knows the good stuff. Okay, but is

it great? Yes, you're done well. But he also knows

those things that are hidden.

In the dwn.

So what are the things that hidden in the down.

He's saying that there are those of Hugh who have

hold to a doctrine that I am against. And what

specific doctrine is that it's called the doctrine of Baalim.

And this is not the first time that the Bible

is mentioned mentioned about the doctrine of Bailim. How many

of you are familiar with the doctor Baylim?

Yeah? Heard before? You know who is Baylim or not? Okay?

Some of you yes, some of you know, no, okay,

Baalem okay, let me okay, Baalem?

Okay? What's the prophet of God?

And he existed in this time together with Moses? Okay,

So Moses who was leading the people from Egypt. They

came out of Egypt ready, but they are in the

wilderness for some time. And in the wilderness they met

with some enemies that defeated some enemies, okay. They settled

in the land there, okay. And there was one particular

king okay, Ballack is the king okay who really disreally

hated the Israelites. Okay, but he knows they're very powerful

as well. So Ballack knows the Jews, but he also

knows that he can't defeat them. So he's of another

guy because he's spiritual as well. He hurts up Bailee

them and Balem is a prophet and he is has

this anointing and this gifting that whatever that he says

has power. And so Ballah is trying to recruit Baylorm

to curse the Israelites, even though he knows that Baalam

God his anointing because he serves God of Israel. Okay,

they serve God. He serves the God Israel. He tries

to recruit here using what wealth power? How we know

that because he sends a huge envoy to meet him. Okay,

if someone comes to meet you with Rose Royce, you

know it's a huge onta. He's trying to flex li

you know, trying to trying to tempt you things as well.

But Baalam actually was cut in between. He's actually divided.

You know, he's actually divided. He serves God, but he

also loves the world. I'm saying, can serve God, but

you love the world. It's a very difficult position of

serving God and loving the world. Okay, he but he

serves God, he fears God. But in one part of

it lie he loves the attention. He loves the money

as well. So he says, he tells me, he tells,

but I can't curse them because God told me not

to and God and God is God is with them.

I can't do that.

If I do it, I'm done, no matter how much

money you said to me or so, I can't do it.

I can't curse them.

So he tried to curse them two times, but he

said instead of cursing that, he blessed them.

So ball I hire you to curse them instead, you

bless them? What is going on? You know?

She got frustrated, But then Balem continues to get so

conflicted that eventually what did he tell Ballah to with

how to win against the Israelites?

This is very important.

Now, although I can't mean I as a prophet as

much as power, I am restrained from cursing them. But

I can teach you about that. How to get the

Christians the Jews to curse themselves. Oh that's the doctrine

of batim. I can curse you, but I can help

you or mislead you to curse yourselves. Yeah, I'm saying, no,

I can't. I can't do it directly, but I'm gonna

get you to curse yourself. So this is and this

is where I'm gonna eventually end. How can we avoid

twenty twenty five from cursing ourselves?

You see her? You know how?

How is it possible? What I always thought that it's

always the attack of the devil. The devil is trying

to attack me in ah, No, a lot of times

the devil doesn't have to curse you. Now, the devil

just has to get you to curse yourselves. That's how

they attack you. But how does that actually work? It's

more common than you think. Okay, it's actually way more

common than you think. Let me explain to you how

it actually works. James Chapter one. Okay, from verse thirteen,

let's read there. James, Chapter one, verse thirteen to verse fifteen.

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am

being tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted with evil,

and he himself tempts no one. But each person is

tempted when he is lured and enties by his own desire.

When desire, then desire when it is conceived, gives birth

to sin, and sin when it's fully grown, brings forth death.

So Balem.

Wants to help the king by defeating the Israelites, but

he can't do it directly.

So what does he advise the king to do.

He says that the reason the Israelites are blessed because

God is with them makes sense. The reason they are

blessed because God is with them, make no mistake about this.

So there's the first theology that you have to get

in your mind. They are blessed because God is with them.

You can look at how why is it?

They're not that huge, they are not that many, but

yet they don't hyper lendin. They're in the middle of

the desert, wandering and can still defeat You will know

if you know in any country in this world like that,

one just roaming around the world taking a cruise and

then suddenly can defeat a nationian one and no such

thing going on. They can still The reason they can,

they're so powerful and still a lot because God is

with them. So if you want to defeat them, you

have to separate them from their God Ah.

You have to make them turn against God, not against you,

the Seacod, that's their strength.

And so how does he do that to get the

israel to be separated from God?

So what he doesn't at the border.

There's a border, okay, Okay, this is your land and

this is their land. I want you to put your

women there. I want to put your women there. I

want to put all the Instagram photos and all the

Facebook profiles, the Tinder profiles, all the things there. When

they wake up, they open the tent, they will see you.

When you wake up in the morning, you open your phone,

they will see you everything. You'll see the first thing

they won't. They will see you in.

Your glory, you know, glory, Okay.

And when they do, they will draw near to the

border where they're not supposed to, and they will intermarry,

and they will begin to give their sons and their

daughters to your sons and to your daughters. And when

they marry, they will start to take your gods.

You know what I'm saying. You know this is what

they do. So I don't have to curse you. I

just put things there and tempt you, and when you sin,

you curse yourselves.

You know what I'm saying. No, it's always been that case.

One no, no, So in that turn. So the question

is are we cursing ourselves as Christians? Not looking at God?

Looking at the devil, we yourself always been the case.

We are cursing ourselves. It's very evil abour course. Eventually

we know that bail them eventually was judged by God.

Ballad was judged by God as well annihilated. But Israelites

will also effort because they sin against God and curse themselves.

Get me in right.

So that's a very very important teaching. So as I

come to a draw to a closer, I'm going to

give some examples. Okay, what are some of the things

that we do in our lives that we are draw

We are drawing to the border so near that we

are trying to play with fire. We're asking God, God,

how close can I walk to the fire before I

get burned? How close can I walk to the edge

before I fall off and hurt myself?

You know you're playing every time.

You know you're playing with it, and not because you

want to serve God, but yet you also love.

The world as well. You come saying no things like

like you know, let me put up the slide here?

What's the slide? Oh?

Drink and drive? That start with a simpler one out

he drink and drive. You can handle your alcohol better

than most people. You won't get into an accident one.

You know what does that mean? There is the tactic

of removing consequences. I am who I am. I do

whatever I want, no consequences.

I decide.

And when you start to remove consequences from your life,

everything becomes possible, not just permissible, and possible and inconsequential.

If you go back to the garden of Eden, how

did the serpent deceive Eve?

You shall not surely die?

So in our lives are we intentionally cursing ourselves by

removing consequences. God will not punish one. God will not

see you wanna, God will not judge wanna. But then

Jesus comes to the church and say, I am the

one holding the two sharp edged sword. This is the Bible,

and not me preaching. This is the Bible, and all

you don't believe, you really again and all.

But we deceive.

Ourselves, and we curse ourselves by thinking God's otherwise, you know,

by removing consequences. You know, you try to do parenting

without consequences. I think it'll be it'll be crazy. I'd

be a parent too.

Kids.

We always don't do that. It's gonna happen to that

but sometimes we do too much. We scared technic too much?

Do you drink so to become you? Not darker skinner?

It's like, ah, that was white. I was talking with

you on nonsense. You know it's all this scare tactic.

You know, Okay, get them plain.

You're on winning streak, keep going, your ads will always

the odds will always be in your favor.

Go go go. Some people say, oh, they start saving,

going for it. I don't know.

Some of you may go for online trading. Yeah, you

think you win one day after day, you win after day.

Then you start to sell everything, ask your spouse and

your family members for money to go into it as well.

Go and then you ask for prayer.

Meeting God, you will grant my annointing on my hand

and my intellect as I click. Then you lose everything

as well. Don't quit now because you start losing right

then that. Don't quit now. You're going to win back all.

Your losses next round.

Trying to sounds like from casino, and isn't it You're

gonna win a batter bad?

You're gonna win it all bad.

I mean you know that I found out my dad's

you know, having some gaming problem in the early days.

I heard it because he told me personally. He said,

don't don't ever drink, don't ever smoke, don't ever gamble,

no and no drugs. I was like, okay, okay, mean

there's the four key vices. I never Then then he said,

you know why this one time I he played my

jongk he you know, he went with a car.

He came back without a car. Then my mom, yeah,

I just went brasilk. Okay. Then after that he never

touched it. Okay.

So in drugs it's just one time. You never get ridicted.

You never get addicted. People never.

Then what happens.

And I'm not just talking about that and on it's

that have we not? Twenty twenty five is not a

year where we go about just making new goals. No,

some people want to be healthier, good, you want to

learn new language, good, you want to do.

This and that.

Great, But I think that the wiser approach is to

really reflect and ask ourselves God, is there a place

and a line that we need to draw. They will

be very clear that we do not continue making the

same mistake this year. It would have been so great

if we would stop cursing.

Seeing ourselves you.

You see what I'm saying, we will stop cursing ourselves,

that we will have the strength and the fortitude to

begin fasting and setting ourselves apart.

So important.

You know a lot of people want the beginning the

year with resolutions. I think it's great at the begin

the year with fasting, you know, to be able to

tell your flesh no, certain clinicians, no, so that you

know in your life there is a person who is able.

To help you cut. Right is right? Wrong, it's wrong.

You see what I'm saying. It's not making new resolutions.

You know, it's always to cut no, yes, no, yes.

That's why I'm glad you guys are here this morning

because regardless whether it's a very nice to stick you choose,

it's so important, so important, And I want to let

you know, like making the right decision is it's hard.

I'm gonna show you with you close this with a story.

Are you guys for a story? It's it's not a

great story, okay. And I say this like being able

to cut between.

Right and wrong.

And I talk about relationships, you know, and I always

tell people that really choose your spouse right, and it

begins from your first date. It begins not just even

before your first day. It begins with where your eyes

look at before even you get the guy or the girl.

Don't be unequally yoked. I'll say it right out now.

Don't be unequally yoked and not me. I might say

that I will be poppy and be unpopular, but don't

be unequally yo. And I say this from my experience. No,

when I was younger, I like young Okay, when I

was a campus student, there was a girl that came

in my second year.

I fell in love from first sight. I was like, wow,

and this is nobody had heard before. Okay.

I was like, oh, I wanted her more than anything else,

more than anything else.

The fact that she's short.

In church, I feel like, God, you check all the

boxes already, she's a Christian.

Ready, immediately she's a Christian. Thank you God.

You know it's a sign from heaven and everything. Yes,

I don't have no idea who she is. All the

box checking. You know, when you're in love and you

check all the boxes very quickly, you want yeah, right,

even if she's not a Christian, I'm going to witness

to her.

People.

There's a saying, ah, don't witness to people you are

tempted with.

Never Never. You cannot witness to someone you are tempted with.

Never never. I will tell you straight to you right now. Never.

It's not just me.

A law of passion and leaders know this famous quote.

You cannot witness to someone you are tempted with. You cannot.

You are not doing God a favor. You cannot no

such things because you are compromised, you are conflicted.

No such thing. Don't do this favor with God.

You see, when I like that girl, I was like, whoa,

I'm gonna connect with us.

So I asked all my Christian friends, so hang out. Hey,

I'm gonna cook for her. Oh it's going all out.

I wouldn't care less. Hey, you know, we've got to

think of different things.

We're gonna go to church, We're gonna have families and

stuff like, oh, all the things. Justification just a righteous pursuit, okay,

righteous pursuit. And then you know what's worse. I found

out that she has a boyfriend, and I did not

give a care. You know, I honestly tell you, you

don't give a care. I was conflicted for a while,

but I said they are in long distance relationship.

Nah, they're not married.

You know. You see, when you like someone and you're

really in the flesh, you will bargain with everything. You

will compromise with everything. I've been there, done there, or

some of you are hurrying for the first time. I've

been there, down there. I'm as guilty and more guilty

than you. Guys are more guilty. You think I'm guilty,

you are. I'm more guilty than you more.

Okay, I got permission for my wife to share.

Okay, I tell you all sort of things I don't

care sah. And I can tell she is also reciprocreating

as well, reciprocating. And all my friends are like you,

sure you probably know who you know? It's like, yeah,

I know her more than you at least you know.

Then one day I was like going after.

It, but just the side of me was like, this

is wrong.

Wrong, not because to not according to other people's stand up,

but according to the beliefs that what I have before.

This is wrong in every aspect with me again, it's

wrong between me and God, between me and her as well,

and her and whoever is as well. I can't be

involved in this region. And if I start like that.

It will not just happen for this relationship. This will

set a precedence for the rest of my life. If

set a precedence for my life, how I make decisions,

how I think, how I bargain, how I compromise.

Right is right? Not right anymore? There is no clear cutting.

You know you mean right.

So either I overcome or I stumble. This is a

very important moment in my life.

So there was one particular night, so I was like, Hey,

I'm gonna tell her. I'm going to begin a relationship.

I don't care les's any money as well, So when

I was sending all her to the airport. Another advice,

don't send someone on your own, especially the opposite sex. Okay,

don't stay up late at night, don't stay each other's house,

don't drive because there's way more, way too many temptations happening. Okay,

way too many temptations. Don't just go hey, let's want

to come over and netflix and chill. No no, no, no,

you cannot netflix and chill. Okay, please don't.

Don't. If you're traveling overseas on your own, let your

hard leader know I do that. I do that.

Okay, you're going anywhere, go in Thailand, or even worse. Okay,

going to do anywhere, tell your leader, tell your pastor.

Out of fear. Okay.

There's been way more adultry committed when people are traveling,

whether married or not, more than anything else. Okay, I'm traveling, Okay.

So I was sending her off and I want to

tell her. I was like, hey, I want to tell

her to begin. She looks at me, and I looked

at her. I was like, hey, I'm pretty sure it's

gonna work. But then the back of my mind just

a loud ringing voice, run, run.

And got off.

So I'm like, tell you, this teaches me more faith

and obidence than nothing else in Lila. I was like, oh,

I will want nothing else more than this man.

And I look at her. I just said bye.

And I tell you honestly, at that moment, I wasn't

taking control anymorelready I wasn't taking control.

I was just doing right now. By my flesh, I

was just doing right.

I don't know what's gonna happen, man, I think I'm

gonna regret it, probably a lot. But I'm gonna say

bye and I'm gonna run. And the key is this

when you cut anyone here, you know, you cut the relationship.

Don't look back. Don't look back. You cannot look back.

You can't clean cat.

Don't say you want to be best friend. No cat,

clean cat. Guys and girls, clean cat. Then after years,

when you resorted with it, then maybe you can say, hi,

I tell you this.

One time, some of them didn't know.

I was having meals with some leaders in the churchy

Suddenly she appeared.

You know, what's that? But nobody knew. I was like, ha, ha,

my word, what do you know? Why you come here

and talk to me? You don't know another? The husband

was there, you know.

You see, the things are when you allow yourself to

go into it, you get bonded with one another, very

dangerous one and all. It still haunts you sometimes. But

I look at her that Thank god I ran, Thank

god I ran. You know. I am I being real

with you, guys. Yeah, I'm not telling you to be

equally You're not because I've been there. I've been there,

to the fire and back, you know, and even in marriage.

I tell you, these things are still haunts one and

I'm telling you and not. So the key is to

run and don't look back. Some of you like, don't

look back.

It's very scary. One don't and when you can't, you

move on. I can tell you that. So.

But in this case, in this in these circumstances, you

either stumble or you really break through another level. You

understand the importance of saying no, holding fast, you know,

and being separated from these things that are wrong now.

And once you are able to cross there, you find

the strength to begin to say no, even if you

cannot see it. You know, even if you cannot no,

so important. And for the Christians here there is why, yes,

says I am asking. He says, what repent or else?

I will come to you quickly and will fight against

them with the sort of my mom. The sword is

not to kill them, but it's to separate you. You

belong to me and you don't belong to me.

And it closes here.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the

spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I

will give some of the hidden manna to it. Even

though the world will not give you bread to eat

because you don't associate with it, I will give you

the hidden manner, and I will give him a white

stone and understone a new name written which no one

knows except him who receives it. The white stone represents

the invitation of God. Kay is an invitation?

Okay?

So what's your goal for twenty twenty five? Don't curse yourselves?

Okay? See something wrong? Bad? Right? You see some guy

or girl you like he's wrong?

Bye?

Okay bye? Some of you need to do that, ladies.

Some guys look fine, but you gotta say bye. Okay,

it's not a fine season. It's a bye season to you.

Bye bye bye bye bye bye. Okay, come, let's stany

not together. Okay, halle lojah. I want to pray for

people today, or don't just want to preach, but I

want to pray for people that twenty twenty five will

be a year that you will see and experience a breakthrough,

not just God working his part, but that you become

a lot wiser, a lot more discerning. There is a

spiritual wisdom that comes upon you because twenty twenty five,

you suddenly feel empowered, bo wise, discerning, You understand how

to navigate. You're not just wishing and hoping. You know,

a lot of us are just wishing and hoping for

twenty twenty five. No, there's a skill that comes out

when you're driven for a long time and you see

a car, you're not scared anymore. And you're saying, if

you're never driven a car, when you look at a car,

you be scared. But if you've been driving for a while,

even it's a new car, you're not that scared. Now,

you know what I'm saying, because you drove before. So

I believe that God is going to give you a

skill and a wisdom and understanding, and I pray that

you will also be able to set yourself apart. Maybe

twenty twenty four, you make some wrong decisions. Maybe you

know that some things need to change. I'm not not

just talking about relationships. I'm talking about your lifestyle, your habits, even.

The company that you keep, the things that you do.

Maybe you play too many games, Maybe you indult in

certain gambling or trading or investment, or some thing that

is lacking in counsel that is not wise. But I

pray this this year that you will begin by saying, God,

it begins between you and me. I'm setting myself apart

from you. Light from darkness, land from water. Amen, everybody,

let's close our eyes, and let's just raise out our hands.

Let's begin by worshiping and praying right now.

I want you.

I want to invite you come. Let's pray, pray for yourselves.

Let's pray for one minute here, pray for yourself. Let's

open up, lift up your hands and pray for yourself, saying, God,

I want to commit myself to you this year, all

my plans, my hopes, my dreams.

Oh, I want to commit to you. Lord. I humble

myself before you.

Oh Lord, show yourself so really in my life, your world,

your truth. Lord. I open up everything, my schedules, my hobbies,

my relationships, my finances, my health, all Lord, I lay

before you, and so Lord, right now, I say, Lord,

speak and I will listen, teach and I will receive.

Right now, Come on, wherever you are, let's prayer for

pray for yourself right now. Call out to the Lord

right now, asking him right now.

To guide you to minister upon your heart.

And already some of you can are beginning to feel

there is a there is a guiding God is pointing

at one area. I want to invite you to open

up your heart to that.

Don't resist. God cares for you.

God loves you, and some of you said, wow, God,

I realized that it's not about doing something, it's about

cutting off something. Some of you, you may feel like

you need to begin a fast. Maybe some of you

need to fast from something. Maybe it's either food, it

is a drink, it is a habit, it is something

you are consuming, that you are attached to, something that

you're addicted to.

God is asking.

You to set yourself apart so that instead of just

doing a healing, he will do a revealing in your heart.

Many of us are just for asking for a healing,

but God said, I'm going to do a revealing, first revelation,

first revelation.

Hallelujah.

Continue raising your hands, Lord, I really believe you are

releasing a word to a word to some of us here.

Right now, God is revealing things in your life, revealing, revealing, revealing, revealing.

There is God speaking, There is the Holy Spirit revealing

and ministering right now. Thirty more seconds. Press on, press on,

press on. I see there's a relationship that some of

you here. God is asking you to review. Has that

person have you prayed about it? Is this right, this company,

this friend? Maybe it's a relationship interest are you putting

them before God?

But God is.

Asking you, will you review that It's not measured by

your own feelings or your past, but according to My commandments,

because I will never do you any harm.

I know what is what I know? What are the

plans that I have for you, My thoughts that are

for you. They are good and to give you a

hope and a future. Ah the Louyah.

I want to pray for some of you, even for parents.

Some of you you are I'm sure you're full of

anxiety as well. Parents, Just raise your hands, how the lujah?

Lord? Right now?

I ask Father, Lord, you touch them right now? Oh Lord,

I really believe that it is a season for parents.

I really believe twenty twenty five is a year for

parents to It's a call for them to worship.

Worship is a year of.

Abrahams carrying their isaacs up to that mountain of sacrifice.

That journey is hard, that journey is lonely, that journey

is full of doubt, and and and then and full

of fear.

By God is calling.

God has given his command, and you are not just alone.

You are called to lead your family, to bring your

children to the knowledge of Jesus Christ to know, to

bring to the knowledge of God, who says the God

who stands for truth and mercy, and you are to lead.

You cannot stay in the home and rest and not

be and just hoping for things to be. Okay, you

got the lead. You got the lead. You got the lead.

Your families are looking to you. Your children are looking

to you. Hallada, Lord, you grant them grace, You grant

them provision, You grant them vision. FATHERD I want to

ask follow a vision for parents. Vision right now? I release.

I asked my the Holy Spirit, grant the parents a

vision so powerful for O, a vision that they will

walk up that mountain with Isaac a lawyer. The next

ten more seconds and no after that, we're gonna worship

the Lord. Amen, come on pressing. Ten more seconds, pressing

in prayer, calling up for Gus, Jesus, you reign and

your rule, Come and leave in my heart and in

my life, take over be the center of my life.

Five more seconds, four, three, two and one.

Let's give praise to the Lord.

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

information on our church, please visit as Church Org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless