Your Trials - Your Testimony - Your Catalyst | Dr Daniel Kong

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Today.

I'm gonna be speaking from Second King's uh chapter five.

Uh.

And I've actually spoken about this, uh, this this particular

uh person before uh his name is name and early

this year in uh in I think March. I've spoken

about it. But let's jump straight into the word. I

will then pray. If you can just flash up the

two verses up on screen. You should see Second Kings

versus five. Yes, are still ringing so you can hear myself.

I'm talking it loud. I'm so sorry. Okay, let's read

the word together. Right, So let's you have you have

a Bible, so I break a Bible incause you get

a Bible. You don't have a physical bible, come and

see me. I'll give you a Bible. How about that? Okay,

I'll give you a Bible if you don't have one, right,

but for those of you have a Bible, or even

even if your e Bible, that's fine.

Turn to Second Kings.

I'm reading from the N I V version uh, and

we will just read from from chap sorry, verse fourteen. Okay,

So he says here. So he went down and dipped

himself in the Jordan. This is the river Jordan seven times,

as the Man of God told him, and his flesh

was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Nayman and all his attendants went back to the

Man of God, that's Elishah. By the way, he stood

before him and said, now I know that there is

no God in all the world except Israel.

Okay.

So this is again a reminder that there is no

other name about the name of Jesus and God. And

this is exactly the declaration of as I mentioned to

you before in March. This is a pagan general or

pagan's soldier.

Okay.

So let's just pray before we begin. Father God, I

want to thank you for you for you being in

this place today. Lord, we open up our hearts and mind. Lord,

we lift up your name as we've sung earlier. Maybe also,

you know, just allow you to move in this place

through you know the word today. Thank you Lord, and

and me pray amen Aman. Okay, Now welcome to church again.

My name is Daniel. For those of you who do

not know me, uh and really uh. I first is

quickly say hi, from Pasta Kenneth and Sandra every time,

every time I share it nervously, I actually send a

long email to Pastor Kenneth okay, giving him my draft.

So normally what he says is that you know, please

send my love and uh and and blessings to the church.

And he's done that again. So he really liked to

join us. And I know he'll be here one day

and tomorrow actually so so you know, as we mentioned,

it's Malaysia Day. H and I always thank Pastor in

my email said thank you for Malaysia Day because also

his birthday, thank you for holiday as well. So if

you know Paster canev do do say hi to him. H.

And tomorrow is actually his his data is cele bring

his birthday as well. So let me just begin and

H and I also to begin with a very lighthearted

approach to this before we go straight into the word.

You know, James talks about, you know, the idea of

us coming close together as a community of believers, that

is the church right we come. And if you read

first John, it talks about you know, this whole thing

about if you confess our sins, H. Then you know

he is faithful and just and then he will forgive

us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

That's the passage there.

And I really believe when James mentioned this has this

idea of people coming together, not so much to just

talk about you know, sins and all that, but talking

about the comfort, the comfort of being able to share openly,

so that again not so that people can can judge you,

but so that you know, we can also share the Lord,

share the burden and get somebody to also help us.

We all know we're not perfect.

We all know that we are not we're all without

not without sin, and we but we can do all

this together and overcome this together as a church. So

I'm going to start off by doing something a big

candid by just confessing, okay, something and of course it's

a very light, hard to confession.

Okay.

When I was studying in undergraduate this many moons ago,

I used to do this thing. I was sorry abroad,

so I did squash, okay, and squash is one of

those sports back then was a bit popular in the Malaysians,

in the Malaysian scene, Okay, but I didn't pick up

squash until I went over to Australia, okay, and I

was I got quite okay with it. Okay, I was

a bit young, but I remember Jess, my wife, had

a friend, an older gentleman who migrated to Australia for

quite some years. And he was this I think at

least twenty to thirty years older than me, so a

retired kind of guy.

Okay.

He used to work in New Street's Times just cause

to do industreet Times a long time ago as well.

His name is Casey Boy. Okay, and I knew so

we knew sha the true jazz. We had a few games,

and Squash on of those games you can play with

just two people. So I, I, you know, punk thought

I can, I can kick hiss bum behind uh and

and uh. And I did that. You know, I try.

I I was quicker, light on my feet. But as

you know, this is one of those games, just like

similar to tennis. It's a game of endurance, and so

mine okay. And he a lot of times I celebrated

victory beating old men. I know it's not something that

is this before I was sitting a lot loud, okay,

beating old men. But you know every time I do that,

I start to celebrate. He actually comes back because you know,

he's also a bit better in terms of his skill set,

and he uses patients. He makes me run more even

though I can run. You know, we can do it.

Can you run so much? Even though we're young? And

I was very humble, okay, in the whole experience. And

the reason why I started off with this is because

sometimes we celebrate too quickly, and this is exactly what

I'm going to be talking about pretty much, a celebrations

why I'm going we're talking about as well, or sometimes

even we give up too early because we think that

victory is in our hands.

Uh.

And this just to wash my Linden about trashing trying

to trash an omen and I got I got trashed instead. Okay, anyway,

thanks just for introducing that guy. But yeah, here here,

here is a story about Nayman, a man who is

again in early March. I talk about the whole era

of obedience and how he uh you know, the faith

uh that that Nayman had, even though he's an unbeliever,

and and and we all know this faith is something

that we need, uh in every aspect of our lives.

It's a foundation of a Christian life. And in every season,

we always ask ourselves, you know, what do we do

when God tells us something and it was different from

what we see? We always go back to faith because

we know that faith is something that is related to

unseen right. So it's not just about how we see things,

but we also trust God and that is the faith

portion of things. But in reality, Uh, even as we've

learned from the stories before, I mean in March, Uh,

you know, it's always more than just the faithfulness, more

than just the obedience. But I'm gonna unpack a little

bit more about the power of uh of listening, of

the testimony, of naming. And I just like it how

today that we always have a powerful testimony, because testimony

is actually very important.

Uh.

You know we're so blessed by less a testimony. How

many are your blessed today? I was, Uh, And it's

really about God's timing to even secure a permanent position,

right Uh And and and and I like it how

that you know you have a praying mother. I also

have a praying mother. But we I've also caught uh,

you know, waining or sharing a little bit about how

the whole team also came together to pray, thank you,

to pray for uh, you know, for this this to

come to pass, and and of course throughout the time,

uh you know, I mean it did come to fruition.

And then now you've got a permanent job on Wednesday.

It's amazing. I remember the church used to have a

lot of testimonies.

Remember that.

But you know, as of late, sometimes for us, the leaders,

we're hunting out for testimonies in the church. You know,

how come they are not so many testimonies?

Okay?

And again it's not that testamonies are not there. It

is actually there. It's just that whether we choose to

share the testimonies or we choose to uh you know,

put again, humble ourselves, put God first, because testing is

all about God anyway, it's not us, right, But you know,

I think the element of coming back to share testament

again is very important. As you can tell here, the

story of name and is also testimony. But what more

is a testimony of something that happened in the in

the in the in the historical context. But what more,

if you have a history, an actual current testimony that

is fresh, that would really encourage people to go on further.

And then of course you'll build the faith, you'll build

more obedience, et cetera. But today's topic or title would

be really about you know, your trials or other people's

trials as well. Okay, these are things that we all

go through. Really is the start of your testimony, right

and because of that testimony, and if you share it

and you've risen above it, it will then become a

catalyst for something beyond that. And I interest you used

the word catalysts if you know what if you are

all the England English people highly ens kidding, you know,

catalyst is something about starting something, sparking something, and then

having it take it to another level. It's not to

you know, do it in different but just to get

something going. And that's what catalysts are about. For those

of you who know science, you know they're talking about

catalysts of creating something beyond that. And you know in

this story naming this catalysts, and every every testimony that

has been shared in all platforms, it's always a catalyst

for somebody else, not for oneself. Okay, so this is

the focus of today. Uh, And of course I'll still

be using uh, you know, name and story, but I

hope you you know, you caught a glimpse of what

we're gonna be sharing today. Okay, So let's go back

to scripture. And you know, he did it for Nimon,

he did it for Azilia. He can do it for you.

He can do it for me. That's the main thing here.

And we know, as cliche as it sounds, this is

the truth. Okay, as cliche as it sounds. But we

are to not rob God of testimonies.

Okay.

Now let's go back to the story of Naman. Okay,

second king is second king. Here, I go back to

verse one, all the way up there. Now, Naeman was

a commander of the army of the king of aram Okay.

He was a great man in the sight of his master.

This is his earthly king Okay, and his and highly

regarded because through him the Lord, he had given the

victory to aram Okay. And he was a valiant soldier.

Now let's just stop here for a while. If you

look true here, you know he's highly regarded. The adjectives

that use here I purposely highlight some of the big

things that you know, commander in other words, leader, right, leader,

You've got words like great man, Okay, highly regarded, you know,

given victory, so he's he's also given or you know,

given the the ability to to to victorious. He's just

a valain soldier. Very big words here to describe you know,

how he is in the I guess in the positive

side of things. Okay, very positive words there. But then

you see are using use the word but there's a

butt in the in this whole picture, right and this

this three let the words unlike us agency use the

the other three like the word right, the ie, No,

it's not that, but it's it's the beauty is also

a very dirty word in that sense that usually robs

us of what we can do. Okay, so you can

see a lot of good stuff, then suddenly one most

like you click the next one. Then but he had leprosy,

so it's almost like a limitation of what he can do.

But he had leprosy. And these but can be anything.

Okay, not talking about the behind, I'm talking about the

but word. Okay, there's always a butt in our lives.

Okay.

It doesn't matter what cultural contexts come from, what background

you've been raised in, what geographical location you live in,

what skin color, how much resources you have in your

bank account, et cetera. There will always be a butt

in your life that would hold you back to the

next time. Okay, No matter what, there will always be

a butt. And I've put up this cute picture over

here for goat the butt in our lives. No matter

how good life is, we will always use the word butt.

Isn't true, right, no matter how successful, there's always but

my business is good, you know, but my marriage is

not doing so well.

Okay. You know if a.

Calling to pursue this in my life, God has put

me in this place, you know, but my child's mixing

you the wrong company, et cetera.

You know there's a butt, all right.

You know Jason Martin has sometimes shared regged openly and

he's coming next week. So Jay Man, is he coming

in next week?

Now?

He talks about how he's uh have different things that's

happening in his church. You know, his ministry is all thriving,

but there are certain things that it also happens within

the church which is not so positive.

You know, there's always a butt. Uh.

And again, I know what you're thinking. You all this

but can be can be if you want to particize it,

it's a blank Okay. You can feel it whatever that

holds you back. But we must also understand we we

ought to know that the problem is something that you

need to deal with as well. Okay, Otherwise all those

things that we just talked about, all the positives, will

be negated by one small almost like a black dot

in a you know, in a big white paper.

Okay.

And if you read true Naman, you know he's all

these things in the public's eyes, okay, but in the

private and this is what happens. You know, at home,

people will know him, will see that he is having leprosy. Okay,

a problem.

Okay.

And now this is what I will call a privacy

of the struggle, because only he will know the unseen

because he's still doing what he's called to do. He's

still a general, still leading I he's still winning victories.

And you know what leprosy is, uh, it's it's it's

something that involves I guess, uh, you know, some some

disorder where you even lose some limbs, come some pictures

later on. But I'm not sure first because I think

I'm make it a bit more child friendly for now.

But you know, it's all about perspective, right, because if

you actually sometimes catch a glimpse of a personal struggle

of a person, even leader. Let's say, if you know

my inner darker secrets or the skeletons in my closet,

you probably see me a bit differently, right, And we

all know that we're not perfect, Okay, so the butts

in my life will probably make you lose maybe a

bit of a respect or even change a perspective of

somebody like myself or even other leaders. I'm using myself

because it easier to talk about myself, right. So the

question is if you allow somebody to come into your

life and actually know you in a personal level, what

would they discover and will your perspective change that person?

Okay?

You know all of us are best dressed now Sunday best.

You know, some of us brush our teeth, you know,

we shave right, and this is our best. It's an appearance,

you know, put on our jackets sometimes on Sundays, and

that's our best. But there's always things that we struggle

in the unseen, okay, and and sometimes you know, uh,

you know, I know we could be tearing my head out.

I was just talking about my talking about my son, uh,

you know, just sharing a little bit about here. And

I've never heard my my my wife raise a voice

before for a long time. And last week there was

a bit of raising your voice, and you know, just

as a very patient person. And and it's because I

think just some things that happen, I guess between a

teenager and you know, his mom, like, wow, this is

really something that is a bit different. And again, if

you hear that or you see that, you might even

change the perspective for someone like Jess. Okay, you know

we we you know when we tear our hair and

that's a reality, right, things happen unseen, the struggles at home.

Uh.

And and sometimes you lose our hits and we're driving.

Use the the four letter word, okay.

Uh.

And it isn't love, by the way, just in case

you're wondering, No, I'm talking about p R a y

okay joke, joke, Joe, Okay, yeah, because you know, we

know we need to prayer more prayer whenever we go

through those kind of things. And it's crazy as it sounds.

I'm trying to make this a family show, becus, so

it's all clean and all that. Okay, you think it's

something else, come and talk to meulated our pry for

you as well. Anyway, let's back to this, Okay, so

I put this light here the next one. The struggle

is real, and that's the reality of things. The true

burner actually often resides in the secret or in the unseen, Okay,

aspects of the behind closed doors. And Nayman was like this,

he was secretly struggling. Really, Okay, all those things that

we read about in the first verse is all the

public stuff, but he had leprosy, and leprosy is something

that is happening behind closed doors. The struggle that means

how he treats himself, how he goes through it.

Uh.

And you know you can we can you know, just

give some uh I guess more more normal contexting. Or

you can be doing very well in your your work.

You seem to be, you know, the best at what

you do, but secretly you're struggling with alcoholism. Okay as

an example, Okay, that's the bute in your life.

Okay.

You can be really you know, influential. You know, sometimes

we choose what we post on social media, okay, so aw,

it's the good stuff. Nobody posts the not so good stuff.

And yet you know you might be really struggling with

things like depression. Okay, that's a real thing, right, And

what you're wrestling with is similar in in in this

context where he's really struggling. So the burden is really real, okay.

And I know that everybody when we go to burden,

people will not understand from the outside because all they

see so far is just the exterior.

Okay.

And this is exactly what Name is going through. You know,

when he commands an army, because of his all the

adjecties that we used earlier, he will the army will

follow you. They say move forward, they will move forward.

They say jump, they will he would hear me, He

say jump, they will jump. Okay, he say rests, they

will rest. And that's exactly the respect that they have

because he's a respected border his one battles, he's got

a lot of I guess h experience to know what

he's doing. And even the King of Syria liked him, okay,

and that's why he's given uh, you know, favor, and

the weight is really on him. And I can just

imagine this, you know recently, you know, Joe, you're talking

about bad brothers and all that kind of stuff. You know,

and soldiers. You know, whenever soldiers they marched past their homeland,

people will actually be cheering for them because these are

the guys that are going out there to win battles

for the nation. Okay, little boys would probably be you know, yeah,

I want to be a you know so and so

one day I want to be like him because there's

honor in that. And you can see that probably this

general is exactly that people are probably chanting its name

as he's marching past, whether it is children or people, fellows,

so just alike, they're probably saluting him, et cetera. And

this is exactly what it is. But he is hiding

and suffering in silence because why the scripture is very clear,

he was a leper and he's going through leprosy. Okay,

just to give some context. Leprosy still exists today, by

the way, It's not some thing that only happened in

the past. I put one safer kind of a photograph

not to not to out there. If you can just

share the photograph, and that's what it may look like, okay, leprosy. Yeah,

and that's I found probably the easiest or the gentlest,

uh photograph.

Do I have it? Here, Yeah, I think I have

here yep.

So this is where uh, you know, it's a chronic disease,

and it's it's something that's even incurable, okay, where you

will start to have attack your muscle tissue and then

sometimes you have little limbs fall off.

Okay.

And of course probably for him, he's started putting on

things like you know, his armor, his gloves, et cetera,

to hide all this and still allow him to do

what his task to do. Otherwise problematic because he he

still has a lot of responsibilities and he cannot do

his responsibilities if he doesn't get this thing sorted out.

Okay. Again, this just to paint.

A picture of what the what the real scenario is

and to help you appreciate understand the desperation in him

for him to do what he's he's uh, he's he

he wants to do or he actually did. And you

can see this in the scriptures that we've uh that

we're going to be reading. Okay, So he was a leper. Now,

so there's extreme suffering and he's suffering in silence.

Uh.

And sometimes we are like this in the public, you know,

we're addressed, well, we speak a certain language we say

our amens.

We we sing about victory.

Uh, we we talk about uh, you know, all good things.

But what is the things that we're saying? What is

the leprosy in your life? In your heart? Because we

actually all go through that, right and sometimes it comes

to the point that we cannot take it anymore. And

this is where we start to then break down and

then we regress. We we we go into our shell,

we high and then nobody understands what I'm going through.

So what is your secret struggle?

Okay?

And what is your leprosy in your heart?

Okay?

Not not not the physical let proceied, but you know what,

what is the thing you're struggling with? Because you will

probably feel conflicted like Nayman when you're going through this,

and the conflict is really between what is happening outside

and what's really happening inside, because it's going to eat

you up inside. And I tell you, when you are desperate,

just like him, you know this this, like I said,

it's incurable. No hospital, no antibiotics, no medication can actually

solve the problem, can fix it. So it's incurable. It's

another way to put it. It's like sometimes we hear

of some of the big chronic diseases out there that

has no cure. You know, you only know that there's

only one way, which is meeting your maker very soon.

And that's similar in this context. So it was desperate, okay,

but it was hiding because why he didn't maybe he

didn't even lose his reputation, maybe because there's a lot

at stake. But whatever it is, you know, you know

that he's a guy of high stature, but he's struggling. Okay, Okay,

here's the next verse. Okay, let's do it. The next verse,

verse two. Verse two reads, now the band of raiders

from Aram had gone out and taken captive of a

young girl from Israel. So if you don't undertand this

human traffickinger by the way, you know, they took a

young girl, right, and then they brought her in as

to become a slave or a maid's lady for Nayman's wife.

So she served Nayman's wife. Okay, And then in verse

three says there she said to her mistress, as in

the lady girl, sorry, the servant girl, the captive girl

talking to the wife naman, if only my master would

see the prophet this is her prophet, one that she

knows who is in Samaria. He would cure him of leprosy.

Okay.

So again again to give you some other context. You know,

this girl is probably just about you know, ten to

fourteen years old, pretty young teenager, I mean, not much

older than Zach kind of age, Okay. And you must

understand there is so much faith in this particular person.

And sometimes we always say right, the children's faith, right

is another level. I was actually unwell, I think mid week.

I had you know, some some body omens and I

was I think out for twenty four hours. And then

Zach will come to me faithfully every night and every

morning to pray his prayers, you know, very very very

simple child like faith and pray that he will get well,

et cetera. And this is exactly the kind of faith

that this servant girl actually has, right Why because even

though he's she's forced into this situation, she still believes

that there is a cure for something that's incurable. And

all you to do, the girl says, see this particular

not doctor, but this particular profit, and you'll be healed.

So there's power in that faith, and there's power even

an adult cannot stand. So it's amazing, right, So don't

do not despise or do not take for you know,

take children for granted, because sometimes their faith is where

what we really need. Okay, and let's let's talk about this.

What does it actually mean to prophesy okay, because it

talks about prophecy over here, prophesy in a simplicitystem is

actually talking about speaking life in the things. And this

girl is actually speaking life into this situation to say

that all she has to do is just point to

the right person, the prophet, and then things will be fine.

That's all she did.

She's not the one that is doing the healing. They say, Okay,

I think I know the guy that's some less. You say,

oh I think I know of a good place for

chocolate there. You just send the person there and that's it.

Just do your part, all right, And and he did.

Let's read that's let's read worse for okay. Nyman then

went to his master and told him what the girl

from Israel has said. Okay, And they said, by all

means go. The King of Aram replied, I will send

a letter to the King of Israel. So Namon left,

taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shackles

of gold, and ten sets of clothing. Okay, so this

is what he actually did. Now, even before I go

any further, the solution to Naman's problem is actually found

in house. Mean to say, this servant girl is part

of family.

Right.

Sometimes the solution that you have, the promise you have

in your life right can be found in house. In

house can be you know, your family, your your core

family at home, or even the house at large, the

church at large. Okay, so sometimes you don't look too

far because if you actually share somebody your problems, you

may have a solution in house before I go to

the next one here. Okay, Now, now talking about this

to give you some context, name is actually bringing or

taking wealth to come and fix the problem. And this

is something very relatable. You know, large or wealthy people

sometimes believe that money can fix everything. Right in a

medical sense as well, I believe that if even if

I've struggled with anything, as long as I can afford

medical fees, I will get a solution. But harmyos also

know that she needs one hundred percent true, no matter

what it is, money cannot fix everything. Okay, but the

amount that he brought here. Right, some scholars have actually

tried to tabulate and did the counting thing and figured

out that it actually is about, roughly, you know, about

ten million, ring it withth of today's money to this currency.

That's how much boadler of money he's bringing in to

the best hospital in town to get himself fixed. Okay,

And this is the thing. And again, like I said,

it's very similar. They think wealth can fix things. But

of course if you look a bit further, all money,

all credit cards, everything that is earthly cannot fix the problem.

And he read verse six other days says the letter

he took to the King of Israel. With this letter,

I'm sending you my servant name and so that he

may cure you of leprosy. It's a bit strange, right,

coming to him, and then we already found established that

leprosy is not curable. Why is he going to somebody

and still saying that this is solvable.

So it's like.

It's defying logic, right, It's like, if you're doomed to die,

why even go that, you know, see that person? Maybe

just maybe some people say, oh I don't feel more comfortable,

but no, it's talking about clear cut here he will

fix the problem, cure him of his leprosy.

Okay, let's read verse seven.

As soon as the King of Israel read the letter,

he toys ropes and said, am I God, can I

kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow

send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy?

See how he's trying to pick a quarrel with me.

This is the probably the most drama part of that

scripture if you can, probably not a good, very good

drama king, but this particular Uh, it's a drama queen

moment for this King of Israel over here carrying his

robes and all that. You know, no pictures here, but

you get the idea.

Okay, it's a.

Sign of money, because why it is showing that the Okay, politically,

the kings are already have some political in fighting between

the Aram and the King of Israel, so fighting stop,

fighting stop, and then now they're at peace. So to

try to bring this up, or to go to the

other side and try to bring this up may actually

cause a political turmo to begin again. So that's why

he's a bit more drama then this. You know.

Then how you reacted.

So but Elisha he is trying to say, calm down,

ro chill, take a chill pill, you know, slow down

a little bit. And you can see him when Elishah

the man have got hurt. The king of Israel had

torn his robes. All right, say why have you torn

your your ropes or your your clothes. Calm down, relax, okay,

Have the man come to me and he will know

that there's a profit in Israel. Oh that's like might

drop moment.

You know.

All he said was relax, just send to me, send

it to me, I will I will fix it. So

it's like if you can imagine in the movies Hollywood Setinger,

the guys like problem said Sendhimon, I'll see him. I'll

fix the problem. That's the man confidence that the prophet.

And again we're talking about a major incurable disease, right,

majoring incurable disease. Okay, So then of course Nayman, you

know he he in verse nine, he says, so he

went with his horses and chariots, you know, stopped at

the door of Elishah. And I think I've shared a

bit about how he came. You know, it's all grandeo

like police escorts, et cetera. Probably one hundred overcasts coming

and then and here he is at the door, and

you know the story, he gets turned away, right and

then he's like, huh, you actually come and see me?

And then no, and then you're being turned away. So

there is this part about and you know he received

healing eventually, right just in case you don't you fast forward,

But he before he could receive healing, he needed to

have some humility first. Why because often we're like this,

we assume that we come in with all this cash,

all this politics, power and all that. We assume that

the person needs to then do us a favor or

respect us and then do the way we see it. Okay,

And you know for a fact it can't be you

have to wait for God's leaving. This humility can only

happen when you do it true humility.

Okay.

So this is the first, one of the first few

points that the path of healing or breakthroughs okay is

only can it can only happen when there is humility

and when there's obedience.

Okay.

So the question is are you willing to be vulnerable

for God to God? Rather, are you willing to be

honest with yourself. It's a dire situation. You know, you're

not in the position to demand right, it's incurable. Are

you also willing to obey God? It's the question here, right,

because sometimes we are looking at things the wrong way.

We think that you know, because of what we have,

how we do things, you know, or you know, all

the all the casts you own, all the cash you have,

et cetera, will not be able to heal you of this.

Uh.

You know, even if you ticket of vacations and all

that multiple times again, you cannot afford this because we

know this incurable. And this what I wanted to share

here is that name and in a very desperate situation

that he will actually say that, Okay, I put myself.

I trust you, even though you're not my God, I

trust you. So that's why I mentioned to unlock that

power of healing is when you then start to say

you have to be humble. Everything I've tried thus far

will not work. So will you put your trust in God?

Because you're desperate? And sometimes that's why sometimes God I believe,

puts us in a desperate situation because otherwise we will

always think that we can do things through our own control.

It's very logical, right, I've got insurance to cover this,

I've got this to do that, I've got extra resources,

and therefore I don't. And you see, people that are

always closer to God are those that maybe depend on

God on the more active capacity every single time. So

the question really here is how desperate are you? How

desperate are you? Because this is why if you understand

how testimonies are birth, it's when you are going through

trials or when you're going to replace trials with desperate situations,

and the testimony is born right, and when the testiny

is birth, you give glory. And of course we know

that there will always be something sacrifice that may have happened,

may take taken place, and then God delivers you and

then it, like I said, there will be a catalyst,

is something greater, Okay, So this is exactly that. So

sometimes when we take on different things, we do whatever

it takes, right, even if it's something like oh you know,

it's a long weekend, I still want to give got

my best. I want to come to church wherever you are,

even when you're traveling, come to church. Right, I'm not

going to short change myself or God I want to

give God my best as well, but it's your finances,

your time, et cetera.

And this is exactly.

Uh you know what what what is happening here? Let's

read on further of Elisha's responses. Okay, he's surprising responses

in western Okay, Elisha said a messenger, go and wash

yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will

be restored and you will be cleansed. But nayman when angry.

He's angry why because it's not how he sees it.

I shed before this guy came, probably expected to go

to some hotel to get cleansed like water baptized, you know, equivalent.

But this is the equivalent to Klang river. Okay, it's

not the cleanness.

Okay.

And he thought, and he could do it seven times, okay.

And I thought he would surely come to me and

stand out and calm bean by call me on the

name of the Lord his God, wave his hand on

the spot like a magician. Okay, hocus pocus, be healed,

you know, cure me because he was promised a cure.

He just did see the person. But when he saw

the person, the person not mean not come out and

see him, the person who asking me to do something.

It's like asking him to like put up the lakes,

you know, hop five times and then you'll be healed.

Something ridiculous, you know, the seven times dipping something like that. Okay,

So so as you read further and not a barner,

not far far. The rivers of the Mescus better than

the rivers of Israel. Couldn't I wash there them and

be cleansed? So what happens? He stormed out? He was enrage. Okay,

he took offense. Now, if you put yourself in a situation, right,

all his stature, all his political connections, think of him

like maybe the prime minister of a country of somebody

who's in power. All right, do you not know who

I am? Come to the best doctor, the best surgeon

in town? Do you not know who I am?

Right?

I should be given special treatment. In fact, it should

be giving me your your best suite in town or

you know your your my mind?

So you know ing, sweet? But no, no simple thing,

sweet is the hospital suite.

Okay, it's a anyway ready to sleep, but anyway respect

to this, it's like you going to the prime minister's

office in Putu Jaya thinking that you have an audience

with him, okay, the healer, Okay, but then you're told

to go to some small little office or some small

warehouse or or shop lot in Batuti.

I'm just making things up.

Okay, Right, you've been sent away and he's come in grandeur, right,

a grand treatment execting a grand treatman. He's like, excuse me,

do you don't know who I am? Do you not understand?

I'm quite sure it's deeply offended. Now let me just

show you what the River Jordan looks like. Okay, I've

taken a photograph from actually it's it's an article from

the Guardian. Okay, this is what it looks like. It's

not the cleanest, by the way, this report talks about pollution.

Uh some people say this even like fish hits washing

by the river Jordan. So yes, Biblically, it's very historical,

very nice. You know, Jesus baptized there, there was miracles,

the it's rights across the across the river, et cetera.

But actually it's no better than our you know, clean

river equivalent. It looks like milo, Okay, would you want

to be baptized there? Seven times. No, no, not baptisma,

but imagine that. Okay, uh speaking Batism, we had baptism

last week, clean swimming pool, coline water. H but people

still go baptized there by the way in the Jordan River,

those that do the pilgrimage, they would and this is

an example of it. Okay, anyway, but imagine that, you know,

dip down seven times, seven times and you'll be cleanse cleanser.

It was as dirty then, you know, by the way

you read the Bible. Okay, So he was upset. You

can see he's upset by the muddy waters's estate in

the Bible.

Okay.

So, and I I really believe that God is teaching

us something here.

Okay.

We are to humble ourselves and also understand that even

true the unclean, muddy brown water that you will see there,

you know, a miracle can still happen because this is

God's way. It's not our way, is God's way.

Okay.

So the importance and the power of humility is what

we need to understand here. I mentioned when were long,

and then I'm gonna start winding. Nowaday, let's read the

next verse again. My father, if the prophet told you

to do something great. Who you not have? Would you

have not done it? How much more? Then when he

tells you to wash and be cleansed. So again, if

pride gets in the way, you will rob yourself off

a miracle. So what happened to name? And fortunately for

us he humbled himself. He still went ahead and did it.

He was determined to wash every bit of it, even

if it looks disgusting, Okay, even through the muddy waters.

He still did it. He humbled himself.

And again, if you remember a few minutes ago, I

talk about this name and the great name and all

the justice that I was just read earlier, all the titles,

and if you think about all the stars and all

the high ranking stuff, he still did it. So question

is if somebody like him, at his stature can humble himself,

what about you? Sometimes you think, you know, I'm like here,

I should have to go to this lord?

Right?

Why do you? Why do I have to? Right?

Why do I have to? So?

What makes you special? What makes you think that you're

above this guy?

Right?

So, really, if you really want to see God move,

talk about obedience. Before you want to check out the MPTG,

go look at the the march MTG. That's the obedience

talk about humility. But really, you know, we say, whatever

it takes Lord, this exactly whatever is really practicing, whatever

it takes, whatever it takes God, I will do it. Okay,

So let's look at verse fourteen. So he went down

and dipped himself in the Jordan's or is the action part?

He really dipped himself how many times?

Seven? You know, not ones?

You know, you know baptism at the time, you know

it's once seven times, you know, seven times in that

water that you just saw earlier.

Okay.

Now, for those of you who likes numbers like myself,

what is the number in terms of the Bible significance?

What does it signify? Usually seven the number of perfection.

And that's also a reason why I believe seven was

the instructions Okay, because it is the representation of completion

and perfection because God knows best right.

So imagine this.

He wouldn't be restored if he didn't hit that perfection

number or that completion number. Okay, I get extreme to

come up already. I'm gonna start to to to wind down.

So he dipped again. First time he dipped his start

every thinking huh is this a joker? He probably looked

at himself. Hey, no healing as Oh, I'm still seeing

all these these things here. You know, nothing has changed.

He dipped again. It's getting discussed that I really taste

it in my mouth, taste it. It's ridiculous. Lord, Why

are you making me dip again? This is the second time.

Dip again, Lord, and something you replaced herself with this,

pagan king, pagan king, pagan general.

He did again.

And what does it actually mean for us? Is like

believing God again, trusting God again every dip you do, Lord,

I believe again. Lord, I pray again. No matter what, Lord,

I will give again. I will tie it again. Lord,

trust you again. Lord, I will serve yet again, even

though it's tiring, even though it takes on my time.

I will love somebody again. I'll forgive somebody again.

Lord. I'll do it. I'll do it.

I'll dip one more time. Lord, I'll show up if

you call me, I will do it.

I just don't.

I'll trust you, Lord, And every time you do, it's

a step closer. It's another test of faith is to say, God,

I trust you one more time. At his sixth dip

was he Hell, Nope, still there still a problem. And

you know what the number six right actually represents man.

And you know, man, man, we are we sung A Levey,

are sinful, we are frail, we are you know, we

are fragile. So imagine if you stop at six, it's

just what we can do as men. See, if it's

the power of the number, we will not see it

to completion. We will not see the miracle. You will

not see the perfection because it's our our max our number.

So what do you do? One more time?

And then poof complete transformation, complete healing, perfect healing. And

you read the scriptures, he says, yeah. Then Namen and

all his tendants went back to the man of God.

Now I know there is no God in all the

world except Israel. And you read further. Of course it

talks about him then declaring, even though I do not

know this God, I know his God. Now I know

he's the one and true capital G God, not as

small letter G God. Okay, so let's read on one

more verse and here verse seventeen, it says, if you

will not please let me your servant talking the eliashare

here be given as much earth as a pair of

mules can carry, for the servant will never again make

burn offerings and sacrifices to any god but the Lord.

So again, this is the turning point over here, guys.

You see he even want to take earth. If you

do not, Earth is as dirt, you know, soil Danah

as much as the donkeys can carry. Why did he

do that. It's because he wanted to bring in that.

In those days, they really believe you can bring a

piece of soil back to wherever you are, you can

still continue to worship in the same power of where

you stand in holy ground.

So that is his belief.

A pagan guy is believing so much power he even

want to take a bit of it and go back

and continue to worship God and contue to trust God

and going to pray because I'll never pray for another

God again. That was a turning point because why he's declaring,

now I know who God is, Now I know how

I must worship. Now I know that this is the

real God that deserves all my devotion or no other

small letter g God except this God of Israel. And

that's all we are talking about here. This guy has gone.

If you did not the miracle of this or the

main thing about this obedience. Yes, abeditence is important. Faith

is important. But really the bigger key here is that

when he knew, he then became the catalysts he reached

many more. Oh and this is true, just the testimony

that he's received, right, And sometimes your life speaks more

volumes than any church message can can can speak. That's

why I say testaments are very important because some of

the people that you rup shoulders with they will only

see your faithfulness. They only see your testimonies. Wherever your place,

they were not a way even be in church, but

you take a little piece of church to go out

there and share the good news. Why so that all

will know like what we have behind it, all will know.

So your problem has a purpose, your struggles, your trials,

starts and sparks a testimony, and that testimony will eventually

be that catalyst for somebody else beyond yourself. Right, So

sometimes when you go to say, oh God, why, it's

not because of for you. Really it's for somebody else.

So that is the main key thing that I wanted

you to catch from today's message. I put all the

summary in one page. I'm so sorry. Take a screenshot.

Get gave to send it out. It doesn't matter, but

I just want to quickly summarize what we say here,

what the public sees, and what happens in inside. It's

really you need to start looking at what the problem

is from within.

Do not let cripple you. Right.

Also understand this miracle is really within our miss right.

There's always a solution in house. Don't always look too far.

Just like in this story, the solutions are in the house.

Name and servant girl has the solution, you know, can

find it in the house. But humility only is the

start of the breakthrough, right before the break can happen

before or even if you didn't take the first even

the first dip, because of his heart, he's not humble

even never come into the prousion. But understand this the

last bit. There is greater purpose than the testimony than

for yourself. And that's why we always encourage people to

share testimonies here at church or in your small groups

or with your friends. Even it doesn't have to be churchy.

In that sense, testimony has a greater purpose than to

just just writ because his healing became a catalyst really

for more people to know him. People that have not

access to Him are access to God. Rather, in Syria,

because of his transformation and his testimony, many many more

came to witness and no Christ, So like, why is

it earlier? I think it's amazing. Not company A, not

Company B. But Boss C is the key thing here

because of the trust in. If you don't know what

she is, Jesus, bossy.

I'm so sorry.

But anyway, trust God right, share and know that in

His timing things will be all right.

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

information on our church, please visit aschurch dot org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless