Journey of Faith & Obedience | Pr Stephen Kong

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

We hope this message will light up your.

Day journey of faith and obedience. Okay. And I'm gonna

take this message from the passage in the Bible of

Abraham okay, in which in that chapter he was known

as Abum Okay. And most of us be very familiar

with this passage, okay. So let's all turn our bibles

to Genesis chapter twelve, verse one to nine. Okay. And

so this is quite a familiar passage. And I'm sure

at least most of us, if not all of us,

would have at least read this chapter once, okay. And

if you haven't, then you can read it today, okay.

So Genesis chapter twelve, verse one, and it's a story

about Abram okay, which eventually was Abraham. For now I'm

gonna call him Abram okay of his call to ministry. Okay.

So if you're there's a yeah, okay. So let's go

Genesis chapter twelve, verse one. Now the Lord has said

to Abram, get out of your country, from your family

and from your father's house, to a land that I

will show you. I will make you a great nation,

I will bless you and make your name great, and

you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who

bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.

And in you all the families of the earth shall

be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken

to him, and Lord went with him. So Lord is

his brother's son. Okay, so is his nephew. Okay, Lord

is a Abum's nephew. So Abum was seventy five years

old when he departed from Haran. Okay. Then Abram took

Sevah his wife, and Lord his brother's son, and all

their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom

they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go

to the land of Canaan. So they came to the

land of Canaan. Now Abram passed through the land to

the place of Chacham as far as the turban tree

of More, and the Canaanites were then in the land.

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your descendants,

I will give this land. And there he built an

altar to the Lord who had appeared to him. And

he moved from there to the mountain east of battle,

and he pitched his tent with battle on the west

of Aye. On the east. There he built an altar

to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. Amen.

So I'm sure, as I said, most of us would

have read this portion of scripture before. And it's a

beautiful portion of scripture in which the Lord had called

Abram to leave his country. That sounds like missions, right,

you know. And we are still in the in a

man of not the amount of missions per se, but

the missional lifestyle continues. The lifestyle continues, right even though

we're no longer in the missions month. The mission's mana

is just to remind us, to help us to get

back on this momentum and this lifestyle. But it should

be a lifestyle really, And so Abram theoretically ran on missions.

He left his country, he left his family behind, and

he went on a mission. But I want to go

with this deeper. Okay, I'm gonna do like a Bible

study with us, and I assure you that we may

not have seen this scripture the way I'm going to

present it to you today. Okay, how many of you

think that the Lord spoke to Abram at Haran and

he left from Harran. What do you most of us

would think so, because the scripture actually says that. Okay,

But today IM going to show you a different perspective

in which actually a lot appeared to him earlier than

what was mentioned here in Genesis. Okay. So we're gonna

do some flipping of scriptures and I'm gonna show it

to you. Okay. So why didn't you turn with me

to Act chapter seven? Okay, Acts Chapter seven New Testament.

So we go all the way to Act chapter seven

and verse one. Now give a context. This is where Stephen,

not me, but the Stephen in the Bible. Okay. This

is where Stephen in the Bible was going to give

the defense before the council, Okay. And he had just

been selected as one of the deacons, right. He was

full of wisdom, full of the Holy Spirit, and he

came out of the anointing I mean, I came out

of that place where the apostles anointed them, and he

started to preach, and somehow he got into some argument

I'm paraphrasing. He got into some argument with people, and

so they got some false accusers to accuse him, right,

and then he was brought before the council to give

a defense. Right, So the high priests asked Stephen or

he said to him, are these things so okay? So?

What what things so? Right? They actually accused him of

blasphemous words? Right, they say that Jesus Nanzo is going

to destroy this place and the customer of Moses. Okay.

And so that's why the high priests ask him, are

these things so now here? Carefully worse? Two says and

he said Stephen, And he said, brethren and fathers, listen.

The God of Glory appeared to our father Abraham when

he was in Messaport. Somebody said messopotemaa okay, before he

dwelt in Haran and said to him, get out of

your country and from your relatives, and come to a

land that I will show you. Okay. Then verse four says,

then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans

and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father

was dead, he moved him who was the he the

lord capitol h he okay, God moved him moved Abam

to this land in which you now dwell, which is

we call it as Canaan, the promised land, and God

gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to

set his foot on. Okay. But even when Abram had

no child, he promised to give it to him for

a possession and to his descendants after him. So there

you go. Where did the Lord appear first to Abam

in Mesopotamia? Or more specifically, it was actually in Earth

you are, okay, which was where Moses Moses Abum Okay,

Abram and the father wasn't far as name anybody, come

on fess name Terah, yes, okay. Where Abram and his

father Tara the house, his house, That was where they were. Okay.

They were in Earth. Okay you are, which is the

land of the Chaldeans. So let me now show you

the map. Maybe you can show the map region okay,

so if you look carefully, uh, this is where they

were dwelling at. Okay. So the Bible she says that

they moved from the land of the Chaldeans, okay, right

up all the way to Haran. Okay. And we read

this now in Haran was where Tera the father passed away. Okay.

So the father died in Haran, and then after the

Lord moved Abram out of Haran into Canaan. Okay. Now,

if you continue on the store, you know that that

Abum didn't stop a Canaan. Now, Okay, he also went

to Egypt. Okay, but I'm not gonna go that far

because of time. We're gonna stop just at Canaan. Okay.

So Abum journey from the land of the Kaldians all

the way up to Harran, and they stayed in Haran

for I don't know how long, but long enough, Okay,

long enough, because after that then only Abum actually left

his country and went to Canaan. Now hear this, Abum

actually received a call to ministry, okay, or a call

to missions, I actually call it. Okay. There's a difference

between Abum and Noah's call. Noah, when he built the

ark right, he was called he had a call to salvation.

That's why you find that in Noah's calling, he was

to bring his entire family, eight of them, okay, his

entire family into the arp right. But in Abum's calling,

he was meant to go alone. Okay. The Bible actually

says the Lord told him to leave your country and

leave your family. I'm getting I'm getting somewhere. Listen here,

I'm getting somewhere. But when you really carefully, you will

know that Abum went from Earth to Haran, not alone,

but he went with his family. Are you following me?

So Abum actually didn't leave the land of the Caldens alone.

He actually went with his father and with her father's house. Okay.

And you may be wondering where I got that from her? Okay.

Now let's look at one more personal scripture. Let's go

back to Genesis Chelth. Okay, why don't you all feel

the Bibles? Back to Genesis Chelf, and I'm going to

show you where was the part that he departed? Okay?

Are you a Genesis Chelf? Okay? Now look back just

at the passage of Future before Genesis child. All right,

just back check the Bira few versus bag Okay, Verse

twenty seven says, this is the generalogy of Terra. Tera

begot Abram Naha and Haran and Haran begot lord. And

Haran died before his father Tera in his native land

in Earth of the Kaldians. There you go, So they

were in Earth. Okay, then Abram and now who took

wives the name of Abam's wife was Sarah, and the

name of Nawo's wife Milka, the daughter of Haran, the

father of Mirka and the father of Iska. Sorry I

can't get the names Vairan, but forgive me. But Sarah

was barren, she had no child. And Tarah took his

son Abam and his grandson Lord, the son of Haran,

and his daughter in law Sarai, his son's his son

Abam's wife and who they went out with them from

earth of the Kaldians to go to the land of Canaan. Right,

So the whole family of Abram or Tara, with the

father alongside, was going from the land of Earth to

the earth, the land of Caldeans, to the land of Canaan.

Right did you find as a corelation which was the

command given to Abram. Right? So they were going to

the land of Canaan, and they came to Haran and

jewel there. So it's a pit stop, Okay, it's a

pit stop. So the days of Tara were two hundred

and five years and Tara died in Haran. Have you

ever seen this part of the scripture of this faever?

So think about it. Actually, the call of ministry was

given to Abram. He was supposed to leave his family

and his country behind and journey from the land of

the Caldians all the way up north to Haran and

down back to Canaan. Okay, I'm not sure about the

geographical land of it. Whether you can go cut across,

I'm not sure. Okay, But I suppose they actually go

one round. Okay, of course it's a healing between. Okay,

maybe you can research that. But suffice to say, the

call was given to Abum. But the Bible says, actually

Terror was the one who moved the family, not ABLEM right,

and most of the time we would remember Ablem as

a father of faith, right, the father of nations. He was,

he had full of faith, his obedience to leave his

family behind, his country behind. But think about it, it

was not Able who will move his family. It was Terror,

the father who moved the family from earth of the

Kaldians to the land of Canaan, which they had a

pit stop in between called Haran. So the call was

to Ablem. So I suppose he told his father, and

the father said, let's go. So the father took the

whole family and went. And I suppose we can say

that Tara got comfortable in Haran, and he said, maybe

we should be site here. And they stayed there long

enough until Tara the father died in Haran. And that's

where God had to move Abum again. It's time to go.

You're not meant to wait. You're not men to stay

here in Haran. I need you to get to the

promised land, Canaan, in which he was going to give

to the insul lights. Amen. So did you know that

the name terror actually means delay? Now you know? So

the name terra you're gonna find it actually means delay.

So he actually delayed the journey of Abum. You know

where he was supposed to go to Canaan. But they

stopped at Haran, and they stopped long enough, stop too

long in fact. And so when when we answered the

call by faith and in obedience, fans, you and I

have got to go all the way. We can't stop halfway,

because if we stopped and take a break too long

and get too comfortable somewhere else, we may have missed

the promised land. You will missed the promis land. And

thank God in his mercy, fans, in his mercier. Even

though Abram took quite a long time to answer the call.

God still kept true to his promise in his mercy.

Just imagine that I told you right, it's gonna be

something different that you never saw it this way in

this in this scripture. In fact, when Abram was at

Haran with the father and the father died and then

finally he was ready to leave his family and to go.

Did you know the scripture says he brought a Lot

along with him. He brought a nephew, Lot with him.

What did what was the command given to Abam leave

your family? What did he do? Brought his family? And

if you read the scripture for the you will know

that Lord the nephew caused a lot of trouble for Abram.

He ended up getting conquered. He ended up getting captured

by one of the kings when they attacked Sodom and Goma,

and they captured Lot. Actually, and Abum actually pursued and

took Lot back. You don't have to rescue his his

his nephew back from the from the enemy. Uh. And

you read on further, you know that they went to Egypt.

They were so plentiful, so blessed in abundance. When they

went back to Canaan. They were fighting for the land

him and his nephew. Okay, read on you or no right.

Suffice to say, Lord caused him some trouble. So, friends,

when the Lord gives us and the Lord and when

God gives us a command or an instruction, it's best

that we obeyed all the way because there's a good

reason behind it. Because the nephew Lot actually caused a

lot of trouble to Abram. So what can we learn

from this story of Abram? Okay, I just I got

three points for you very quickly from what we can

learn from Abram. Number one, when God gives you a call,

never delegate your calling. Come on, are you listening? Never

delegate your calling. A pass has a cot. He says.

You may delegate a chaw, or you can delegate a task,

but never delegate your calling. I told you earlier, I

showed it to you that Abram received a call from

the Lord, the call to ministry. But who was on

who moved the family? It wasn't him, it was who

the father, Tever was the one who moved the family.

So that's the first thing. Never delegate you're calling to others.

You are called we need to do. We need to

answer the call ourselves, and we need to be the

one to fulfill it because the Lord will give you

the grace to do what he has called you to do. Amen.

That's the first thing. Second thing is, don't delay to

answer the call. Do it quickly. I don't even know

how many years you know Abram drewet in Haran. Maybe

you could research it and tell me. I don't. I

didn't didn't have enough time look it up. But I

would presume it's quite a long time that they drawlt

in Haran, so long that terror even died in Haran.

So long, okay, I would I would think it's safe

to say at least a few decades, okay, tens of

years they would have drought in in in Haran. Right. So, friends,

never delayed to answer the call of God, whether is

to missions, whether it's to salvation for a family, a

loved one, whether it is to bless somebody, maybe sometimes

a lot, but even give us an inspiration or or

serving in our spirit to meet somebody. Never delayed because

you don't know what they're going through. Maybe they could

be the last time you will see them. And the

Law was sending you to speak to them, right, So

never delay your calling, unsay, quickly answer it in faith

and in obedience. And the third one is this obey

The cause specifically, God was very specific, you know, very specific.

But even Abraham, which we know as the father of faith,

also had to go to a journey of learning. So friends,

my encouragement to us again, I'm actually not knocking ablem

but it's something that we can learn from his story. Actually,

Abum had a lot of faith and obedience. If you

think about it, it wasn't easy, right. In fact, the

Bible actually says, I can, I can show it to you.

The Bible actually says that when Abram left his country,

he did not know where he was going. Bible actually

says it, I don't know where I wrote it down, okay,

but you can, you can, you can find in the scripture. Okay,

it's actually said that he left his country and did

not know where he was going. The God had to

take Abram one step at the time, one step at

a time, leave your country, leave your family, and I

will show you where is it, one step at a time.

So even Abram went to a journey of faith and obedience.

He didn't start in a perfect place, because most of

us will look at Abram and say, wow, he was

justified for his faith. Right the scripture says that, but

we didn't know that actually even went through a journey

of faith, of being perfected. You know, he had to

go to a step of faith and learning one step

at the time. And because of Abum's obedience, the nations

were blessed and God's promise still came to pass. Did

you know Abrams step foot in Canaan, the promised land,

the Lord promise that will give it to him and

his descendants. The only thing that Abram possessed in the

land was the Burier plot. Nothing else. The sort of

skip just says he didn't possessive enough to even step

foot on it. If you're gonna read it, he only

had a Burwier plot in which the patriots were buried. Okay, uh,

if you're going to read it more carefully, you will

know that when Sarah or Sarah the wife passed away,

Abram went to buy a plot of land. Okay, even

when he wanted to buy the cave I think it's

called Milpaker, I think, or something like that, the cave

that's called Okay. Even when he wanted to get the

plot or the cave, because Abram was so well known,

the owner wanted to give it to him, he said, no,

I will buy it for the full price. And that

was the only plot of land he owned in Canaan.

Solitter right. But the promise was given to Abram. And

so Album really really had faith to believe, because even

when when he died, he had not seen the promise

come to fruition fully, not yet. But yet he believed.

And that is why the Bible act. She says in

Genesis fifteen six, Genesis chapter fifteen, verse six, and he

believed in the Lord. He believed in the Lord, and

he accounted to him for righteousness. You actually find that

threes forcial scriptures they talk about this. Genesis fifteen six,

Galicians three six, and Romans for three. Okay, all say

the same thing. Abram believed in the Lord and was

accounted to him for righteousness. Amazing the faith and all

business that abramhad. Okay, let me show you one most

future Hebrews eleven eight to ten. Hebrews eleven eight to ten,

it says by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called

to go out to the place which he would receive

as an inhabitant. And he went out, not knowing where

he was going. By faith, he drewell in the land

of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents

with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the

same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations,

whose builder and maker is God. So Abum waited for

the promise, and he actually didn't see it come to

pass fully. His descendence after him was the one who

saw it come to pass and inherit the land. But

Abum really had faith to believe, isn't it? And faith?

What is faith? Faith is really the substance of things

hoped for the evidence of things not seen. And Abam

had that. How many of you know, faith and obidence

comes hand in hand. In order for you to obey,

you're got to need faith, and in order for you

to exercise your faith, you got to obey. They come

hand in hand. And so, thanks me to God, we

have a story we can learn from from Abam, who

obeyed the call from the Lord. And because of his

obedience we see God's promise come to pass. And the

nations were blessed in and through the seed of Abam

waste the Lord. Okay. So just to give you another

how to say, like a Bible study. Right, Okay, So patriots, right,

I told you that Abram was buried together with the

patriarchs at the cave in which he had a plot

of land in Canaan. Right, So he may be he

may be wondering what was a patriot? Right. A patriot

is basically a founder of a tribe. Uh. It actually

includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the chielf sons. Okay, that's

what the patriarchs are. Okay. So just just sow you

so you know and you can follow me closely. Okay.

So that's what our patriot basically means. Okay, So they

will all buried in the in a cave, in a

cave in which Abram had bought for the full price.

Now I had these quotes from his inspiration. He says,

the devil isn't concerned about our opinions. He is concerned

about our obedience. And the second one says, obedience to

God simply passes the responsibility of our future back to him.

That's what obedience does. When the Lord speaks you and

I just need to have the faith to believe, to

trust him for it, and to just obey, and by albeying.

By by obeying, we are simply passing the responsibility of

our future back to him. So I want to share

you a little bit of a background story of our

church in someone so eight years ago we started today

we are about eight and a half years roughly, okay,

And how many of you know x Mania started by obedience.

It was a call from the Lord. We prayed for

at least a good nearly two years actually, I think

nearly two years or two years plus before we actually

launch a worship service. Just so you know, when we

church plan, we don't just plan out of ten air

because church planting is never easy. We've got a big

break ground. We've got to, you know, open the area.

We have to get people to come and be excited

to be aligned with the vision. It's not so simple, right.

Most importantly, God is the build of the house. And

then what does the Bible say, Unless the Lord builds

the house some hundred and twenty seven, Verse one, Unless

the Lord builds the house, the labors build in vain Okay,

depending on which version you read it from okay, so

it's a lord who built the house. So eight years ago,

actually Uni relige didn't exist yet. Did you know that?

When I was still a student here, this entire land

was just a for us. It didn't exist yet. We

wanted to plan at least about eleven years ago, okay,

but we couldn't find a right place. We went to

TTS shop lots to find us place we couldn't find.

We wanted to rent a hall in Nottingham. We couldn't

get it because of certain restrictions. And we continued to pray.

We prayed for a good two years, small girl prayer.

We continue to pray, press on and in the meantime

we continued to hire a bus to transport nearly forty

students to Nilai every Sunday. Neela is about forty five

minutes away by bus. If you drive a car, maybe

you can reach there in five minutes, but bus is slower, right,

So our bus is nearly forty five minutes to an

hour because you know, it goes to the winding road

and it's very slow, okay. And sometimes students come late,

so the bus leaves late and all sorts of things. Okay,

So it's about two hours journey going going back in

total right. And so we did that for a good

two years plus, right, uh. And one day we just

thought to ourselves, like, why not start the church here, right,

because we believe in not just bringing people to church,

but we believe in bringing church to people, and we

wanted to make it accessible for the students. And so

for two years we waited, We waited for the lotus.

We couldn't find the right place to do it, to

start the church. And after doing that two years, this

place was being built. Two years we waited, and after

two years later it was built. One day we walked

into the management and we told the management we're from

a church. We want to start a church here and

the fun Desk center, the fun the fund lady and

what you call it the fun desk reception lady. Okay,

reception lady said sorry, we don't have a space to

rent to you. And while I was still speaking, a

man inside the room heard my voice and he's like,

who's out there? You know what what do you want?

He saw me and say, come come, young boy, what

what do you need? That time was very quite younger.

How how old was I? I was twenty two years old.

Around there, twenty one twenty two. Around there? Okay, yeah,

around there twenty one twenty two years old. So you

call me, young man, what do you need? And I say,

we're from a church. We're looking for a place to

start a church. Do you have a hall in which

we can rent? And he's like, you want to start

a church, Sure, I'll give you a hall. I'll give

it you for free. And you and if you know,

as believers are, we don't take things for free scripture, right,

I just told you. Even Abram didn't take the cave

to bury his wife for free. He's ow buy for

a full price. Even David, you know, David, when you

wanted to offer a second vest of a lot at

a stretching floor, what you say, I'll buy it for

you at a full price. So we, of course we

took the favor. We got it free for a couple

of weeks, maybe even months. And and but but right

from the start I told them we're gonna pay for

the rent because paying for renter speaks about commitment, right,

and speaks about our seriousness. So we had a lot

of favor with the management. Uh. And eventually this guy

who gave us favor eventually got promoted and he went

to the HQ. He's no longer here. So a new

manager took over and we continue to be able to

rend the space. So it was really a faith journey,

you know, really a faith journey. Wasn't easy. And so

eight years eight is a number of new beginnings. Friends,

eight is the number of new beginnings, because there were

eight of them who went into the art speaks about

new beginnings and effect. Today is eighth of September twenty

twenty four. Eight years eight is not number of new beginnings.

Today is eight of September. Praise the Lord. And so

if you want to build anything for the Lord, friends,

you and I, if you want to build anything for

the Lord, you need to make sure you hear from

him clearly. Hear from him clearly. I can safely say,

before we started exe money, we prayed for at least

two years. Two years. It's not a short timer. Two

years we prayed. And so I want to bring you

to our journey in which we took this space on. Okay,

so one year ago, one year ago, the management came

out to me and offered us to take up this

space as long as a tenancy as a long term tenant. Okay. Now,

if you know, we have been renting the space on

a weekly basis, so we just come in. We went

the space from eight am to about twelve noon, and

then we pack our bags and we go off. And

that's why it is like, right, we just ran a

space on a Sunday basis. So the management came to

me and said, one year ago, we've got that space,

would you like to take it up as a long

term tenant? Okay, of course it's a business move. But

yet they wanted someone to be permanent there. Okay, And

they even told me that there's someone else who wants

to take the space. They're also looking to end the

space as the permanent tenant to make it events hall.

So I got a bit nervous, Gotta be honest with you,

gotta beit nervous. I took my team, Hey, guys, you

gotta take it for them. So we prayed, we prayed.

We prayed for at least six to eight months. Actually, okay,

I told you I got to offer more than a

year ago. Uh and October last year in our SPO retreat.

SPO stands for our Senior Passes Office in our Senior

Passes Office retreat for the year. Every year we have

two retreats, okay, our National spo UH in which we

plan for the world for the church, white events and

and and and initiatives. Right, So I presented the idea

for the first time last year in October to the

National spo here in kl And of course the time,

our church was actually trying to cut some budget because

we realized our spending was was way a lot. It's

really really heavy on our church, okay, because we have got

so many church plans. You're venting so many spaces. It's heavy.

But as I presented the idea past I kind of

said this one thing to me. He said, whatever I

shared the open door that was given to us is

it sounds like it's from the lot. And he said

to us, right, most of the other church plans are

trying to cut budget. But he said, if I if

one year later I've not taken this up, we should

be asking us what happened? Why didn't we take it?

Because if you know the background story in it, we

are not paying that much more to secure it as

a long term tenant as compared to what we are

renting on a weekly basis. It's actually just a little

bit more. Of course, I can't reveal the amount to

you because there's a lot of favor in it, right,

it's a lot of favor in it. And we give

got all the glory and all the praise, amen, lots

of faivor. I would say, Okay, of course the journey

is not perfect. It's not perfect. We have had a

lot of struggles along the way as well. And so

so I'm gonna be honest with you as as as

we're going on with the negotiations come this year, we started, yes,

we started with the negotiations. Scenes about me, okay, since

maybe've been negotiating on the on the figure and things

like that. It took quite the process was very very long.

And as I was going through the process, right, to

be honest with you, I had a lot of doubt

with me, Okay, I had a lot of doubt, and

I was I was fearful in some in some ways, right,

And to confess to you, I actually I can't pinpoint

an exact location or event where the Lord said to me,

this is it. I couldn't, right, And I started by

telling you, if you want to build anything for the Lord,

make sure you heard from him clearly, right. And so

I said, Lord, I need a definite answer now, because

we are about to sign this deal, uh, And I

need to know whether you are with us on this

and whether this is your plan for us, because I

really believe that in our lives there are two kinds

of will. One is the perfect way of God and

the other is the permissible will of God. Right. So

for example, h let me put it plenty this way.

You can date anyone there is within the permissible will

of God. He's a believer, why, I said, you shouldn't

be aunequally yoke, right. So that's a permissible will of God. Right.

But there is the perfect will in which God has prepared. Right.

So I asked the Lord, Lord, I need to know

and I need a definite answer. So I fasted and

prayed for at least one week, and on the Sunday

when I walk in to this church building right here.

And I walked in, it was a stirring in my spirit,

and the Lord said to me, open your eyes and see,

open your eyes and see do you still need an

answer from me? And then from that moment I knew.

I knew that the Lord had prepared this place for

us to take on this tendency. So I opened my

eyes of faith. I look at the space. I opened

my eyes and look across the campus to Nottingham. And

if you didn't know, this year, that intake is huge,

really really huge. And I believe that many more students

will come to know of Jesus Christ Amen. So I

had to confirm it. I had to confirm it because

there will be a lot of challenges that come away.

I'm going to share you right now, okay. So then

it continued on with the negotiation, got everything signed and done,

and finally I had to apply for our TND meter. Okay.

So in case you didn't know when you went the space,

you need to apply for your TNB meter. TNB is

our electricity okay. So when when dealing with government agencies

or with TNB is never easy, okay. So I got

all the all the documents ready. I had to take

some time off on my work. I drove on a

Monday morning from my work in Kapong all the way

to TNB in Bangi. It's about one hour drive, okay,

one our drive. I drove all the way, got all

the documents ready, done, and I got to the counter.

The first thing, the counter said this form that you

just feel out you need your company chop on it.

First thing. Second thing, the authorization letter given from UNI

Relation to me did not specify that I can apply

the ten meter early in advance. Okay, long story shot.

Our our tenancy starts in September, first of September, but

I wanted to apply in August. Right, So the MB said,

your letter must specify that you want to have early application.

So two things didn't check out all day okay. So

I had to drive all the way back to Subang

to my church office in HQ and meet my elder

or our admin to get a job. Okay. In the meantime,

while I'm driving, I'm calling the management here, can you

please author this letter for me? I need this letter

now and the letter must say that I want an

early application for August. Okay, So that's that's done. Okay.

So I reached my church office. When I met with

my elder or edmin to get a chop, I say, wait,

hang on and new piece forested this blank piece of

form for me and chop twice shop on two different

blank forms just in case, right and I'll tell you

why later. So I had extra form okay, and then

after I got all all the way dance at third,

I drove all the way back to G and B

Bungy to apply it. Okay, this time I got to

the first counter to go to the second counter for

the application. Doing the application, the officer said, I'm sorry,

you need your director's I see. I'm like you tell

me earlier. So I called my office again. Please I

need this. I need this director I see. Can you

send it to me over? Okay? Fine? So she got

a septer to mein for in five minutes, right? Uh?

So I got three things sat thirty. I had a

form with a chop. Now I had a director's I see,

and I had the new letters sent by the management

to me. All the letter all done in half a

day okay, And finally I managed to apply it. But

there was something a bit change that happened. So you know,

when you applied ten me meter, you need to pay

the deposit. Okay, you need to pay a deposit. But

the officer told me that your bill has an outstanding payment.

So I told the management the outstanding payment and they're like,

what can't be it shouldn't be something is not right,

but now my will check it. Set to the payment

first and then just apply the KNV first. Okay, fine.

So I had an arrangement with the management. I managed

to set to the payment the outstanding payment and applied

it and it was done. Set the praise the lord jah.

So I replied, my team is done the TNB set.

We have now secured the tn meter and uh and

and and the electricity is running frase a lot. And

so I went back and I haven't paid a deposit yet,

could pay a deposit online. As I was about to

pay a deposit, I realized that I could pay you

my credit card. For those of you who are very

safe with credit cards, you will know that you've got

benefits you credit right now. I'm not I'm not saying

that you. I'm not encouraging you to get credit cards.

If you can't handle your finances, please practice wisdom. But

for me, I use credit card okay because I can

manage it. And so I got a big care So

I wanted to pay my pay the deposit on a

weekend to get certain benefit with a credit card, right,

a big care seer. But you know why later? So

I didn't feel good to pay the deposit on the spot,

so I waited. I waited, so I caught MB a

few times. Can you please confirm for me that this

Sunday actually was last Sunday? Last Sunday. Can you pleas

confirm for me that the electricity is still running even

though I don't pay the deposit yet? And after many

many times the pastiving, they confirmed, yes, don't know the

depusit you still can pay a later on. The electricity

is still running. Okay, pass a lot. It's done. So

I thought, okay, I'll close the case and we are good.

Later there I know. One hour later, the mention called me.

Guess what. Management said, I'm so sorry, we made a mistake.

The lord that you have just applied to TNB is

not the right lot number. It's not the correct lot number.

We were now tenants of the gym opposite, so I thought,

my team, wow, the load speaking to us. If you

need to work out our favors, go to the gym.

Believe it or not. We were now official of the gym.

What a journey are so immediately I have to now

terminate the TNB application, which I just did. So the

next day I was supposed to drive all the way

to Banging to terminate again, but I said in my

office for one and said, Lord, I can't do this.

It's it's it's hard, you know. Can you please tell

me what I should do? And I felt sturving to

court NB, so I caught NBTNB. Can you please work

out something for me? Can you please help me the

terminute this line, we're not having to go to the office,

and it told me, sure, just sign an email. So

immediately I sign an email and I terminated it first

a lot. It was done in half an hour. So

the TNB application was terminated in half an hour, and

the management had to get the new tendancy out with

the correct lot number okay, and to get it stamped again.

And finally they got it stamped and they gave it

to me, and look at it this way. This time,

I had an extra form we had I had already

chopped earlier. I didn't have to go back to my

histque to get a chop again. So two things that

saved me by the mercy of God. Number one, I

had an extra form. Who would have thought to shop

an extra form? I give credit to the lot because

right at the moment I had the inspiration give me

an extra form, a sense like something wasn't quite right there,

give me extra form. First thing. Second thing, I have

the deposit. If I didn't hold a deposit, it will

be even harder to permitute it. This this this DNB application.

So just to tell you, it's not easy, right, the

journey is not perfect. Right. It takes faith, it takes obedience,

but it's not perfect. I had to go to some

hiccups along the way, and so I thank God for that.

And so this time and I went again the third

time to the to TNB and buggy. It was sorted

out really really smooth because this time is this time

is correct? Praise a lot, it's correct this time. And

so on the spot, I paid a deposit because this

time I had the piece in my heart to better deposit.

This is it. I paid it. It was stilled, it's done.

And now that the TNB has been resolved, you know,

I got really nervous because I need to make sure

that this Sunday we have power now, because when they

roll over the meter, we won't have power. So I

had to apply on this the previous Tuesday and asking

them I can't asking them, when can you? When can

you for me? When can you do it? I need

to make sure this's got power, you know, it's it's

it's quite quite nervous, you know. It's quest carry you know.

And so I learned, h I learned how to rely

on the Lord. The day before I applied the Geni meter,

I prayed on my knees. I said, Lord, tomorrow, I'm

about to tomorrow, I'm about to apply the meter. I

don't know what's coming ahead of me, but I know

that you are with me. And I prayed the prayer,

and then he praid, Lord strengthened my hands when he

built the wall. He said, Lord, strengthen my hands, right, uh,

you know, And and I prayed, Lord strengthened my hands.

I don't know what's coming. And the next day that's

what happened. And so I knew. I knew for the

fact that God was with me and with us. Amen.

And so that's why I had the courage to just

push you and get it done until it's finished. And

even after even and when the first herder hit me.

I remember quote a passa cannot say it. Prayer is

ninety percent praise ten percent petition. So I court you.

Praise the Lord. Lord. I know that you are with us.

Sugars may come away, but this will be done and

it will be settled. Praise the Lord. Amen. Matthew eleven

twenty eight to thirty says, come to me, all who

labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for

I'm gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find

rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and

my burden is light. So every stop away I've been praying, Lord,

show me so that I work. I can find rest

in you, so that I don't have to run and

and shugger around, you know, looking for what it's right.

Just show it to me so I can find rest

in you. Amen. So we we need to take a race,

even renting this space. We took a race. You saw

this now past the balance said no raste, no blessing.

I want to say it is if you don't come

to a place where you stand to lose it, or

you haven't really lived at all, we need to take

some risks. In fact, the Bible says take up your

cost daily and follow him. Did you know that's a risk.

Take up your costs daily and follow me daily. You

know daily, Take up your cost daily and follow me.

There is a price to pay. There is a price

to pay. But one thing I believe in paying the price.

You will find this code in the transpiration. Imagine Jesus

saying this to us, or you and me. For you

to accept me, I had to pay the price. But

for you to be used by me, you have to

pay the price. Isn't that deep. Jesus first had to

pay the price so that we could come to him,

and now for us to be used by him, you

and I would have to pay the price. So we

are really paying the price here. It's a step of obedience,

it's a step of faith. It's not easy, but I'll

let you know. We're doing all we can in our power,

in our mind, with the heal of the Holy Spirit

to get this project underway and running. Now, look, we

have to finish this renovation in this in this hall

by the end of September, no matter what happens, because

we only are allowed to use the study hall downstairs

only for the month of September because the students are

not back yet. Once all the students come back October,

we cannot use the hall anymore. So, no matter what happens,

we are working tirestly to make sure that we get

this renovation project done by end of this month. We

only have three more Sundays to go and we haven't

even come from the contractor. So pray for us, Pray

with us, pay for us, because the pricing is really challenging. Okay,

really really challenging. But we are working hard. Pay for

God's wisdom upon us. Are you excited to know what

we're gonna do? Amen? Okay, come let me show you

to you. I think it's important for the church to know. Okay,

So suffice to say, we work really hard, uh, and

we need here is if you don't know, she's a modeler,

a modeler in the censor. She models buildings, right, Hanna

model models buildings. Okay. So with her help we are

able to draw plans out and even a treaty perspective. Okay.

So what we're gonna do in our renovation is that

we're gonna partition the hall, okay. And you will find

that there will be a partition here of the hall, okay,

in which we will called it our training room okay.

And then the room at the back will be our

ex kids room, or eventually they may be able to

use both the rooms if they have two different age

groups senior and junior. Right. So we are extending the

space for the kids room, and this will be our

main hall or our main set. Okay. We're gonna do

a stage here. Now. You may ask me why a

stage is important. It's because our hall is big. When

your hall is big, when you see about one hundred

and fifty all the way to the back. A stage

does help because of the elevated platform. So we're working

on that to have a stage. And then we're gonna

have some paintings on the wall here. The colors will

change okay, and we will also do a fluted panel okay,

or it's like it's like a decorative panel on the

size of this wall. Okay. And you will find that

it will look much nicer after that, amen. And we're

also going to brighten up the space. If we can

turn the next next photo and from that anger you

should look like this okay, from from this anger here

where I'm standing at Okay. So the work is heavy

and we have found contractors, but the price has quota

to us has burst out budget. So now we are

coming back to the team. We're looking to do some

things on our own. Yes, right dy, they say do

it yourself. So we're gonna put our hands to work. Amen.

And when we do a rally call, if you have

good hands, I mean not good hands. If you have

handy hands. You can handle a hammer, you can handle

a pain brush, let us know because we will count

you in. Okay. Right now, our plan is that our training,

training room and our kids room we're gonna pay ourselves.

We're gonna pay it ourselves. The main halt because it's

very high level. We need to get a contractor. It's

very dangerous. Okay, So we get a contractor to do

it for us. But whatever we can do, we do ourselves.

In fact, right now, as of today, the stage, your

plan is do it ourselves. We have been researching and

looking if we can build it ourselves. And so that's

a lot of work, you know, because we are doing

everything that we can to be wise in our spending,

to get the most value out of the money that

we're spending, because it's not cheap, right, And so when

we make a valley call, I pray that you answer

the call. Amen, let us know if you can, if

you can help, if you're interested, you know, and come

and join us. And I really feel when the church

comes together to build a project together, it will take

us to another level. It will really take us to

another level. Amen. And that's what I'm feeling disturbing in

my spirit these days. I feel the Lord it's about

to take us to another level. The Lord has told

me myself to set my house in order because it's

about to take us to another level. If you believe it,

say amen. So as I close, I'm going to read

this scripture to us, and this is my last scripture

for today, and I'm going to declare this over us.

In Isaiah chapter for the three verse eighteen to nineteen,

he says, do not remember the former things, not consider

the things of all. Behold, I would do a new thing.

Now we shall spring forth, shall you not know it.

I will even make a road in the wilderness and

rive us in the desert. Amen, God is about to

do a new thing. As I look at the intake

this year in our campus in Nottingham, in fact, you

need village this year, the occupancy is about eighty to

ninety percent, really very very high. I really believe the

horvest is plentiful. Will you partner with us church to

reach the loss and that all may know of the

saving graces of Jesus Christ. House indeed is really plentiful.

And I believe that Lord it's going to do a

new thing here with us in some money if we

are willing to pay the price and to serve him. Amen.

You know, for this project to even take off, I

had to really labor a lot in in praying and

seeing the vision in order for us to see the

vision come to pass. The vision first has got to consumers.

It has got the consumers. Ah. And you will know

that the vision is from the Lord when you are

constantly caught in thinking about it, praying about it. And

that's where the Lord will reviewed you to us, You

and I the different parts of the vision, and the

vision will become clearer and clearer and clearer as we

go on. And that's a journey that myself and the

team here had to go through. We had to explore

different options before we can come to a conclusion what

was the best approach. And we have worked really really

hard to get us necess Amen. So why don't you

partner with us? With us because the work is great,

The work is plenty, the house is so plenty, and

we need every help and every partner that we can

we can have to build this house together for the

glory of Lord. Amen.

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

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

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that this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you. God bless