Into the promise land series (Part 3) - Are you doing right? | Pr Steven Soon

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I've been on a series called Into the Promised

Land and Today's Patry and the final part of the series, we're gonna come

to a close of this series. How many of you remember what was the

first one? Oh? No, what as you do better next time?

Ah? Yes, what was the first one? Wow? Well do Leane

little Leona remembers? Are you seeing right? That was the first one?

And we are you seeing right? Basically, what we were talking about was

what we permit ourselves to see. We shape our perception, and our perception

well shape our decisions. So sight is very powerful. And we also talk

about how what we want to see we'll see more. When you have a

certain perception and you desire certain things, you will start to pick up more

of that thing, all right. And we spoke about how we are because

of our sinful nature naturally our flash desires to see certain things that may not

be holy, may not be what God wants. And sometimes when we are

not careful and we just go like, oh yeah, this is what I

like to see and I want to see it. What happens is that it

will really change our perception in a way that is not desirable by God.

Right, we talk about how only true walking by faith where we see God.

Right, If you talk about sight, we want to see thrue the

lens of God's eyes. Right. We want to do things as you know,

desired by God because God is holy, God is good, and we

want to please him. We want to be like him. Therefore, the

only way for us to be able to see God and to see how it

works is to walk by faith. And when we are shaken by situations that

in front of us, whatever that's happening around us, you know, bad

time has happened. You know it's it's normal. All of us have bad

times. Right, If anybody tells you, any Christian, any believer,

says that, well after I accepted Jesus, I've never had a single hard

time, I would really question that person's faith, because when you believe in

Jesus, actually things don't get easier. It's just that you have a more

abundant life. Right, you experience the fullness of life. I always believe

you can't experience the fullness of life if you only experience joy. I believe

that you need to also experience the tough times. It's only in the tough

times that you will know what's a good time. It's only in seasons of

sorrow that you recognize seasons of joy. And that is what I believe.

When God says I want to give you abundant life, That's what God meant.

It's not I want to give you a happy life. I want to

give you the fullness and abundance of life that you will experience the fullness of

God. And the good news is that when we journey with God, no

matter what time we go through, God will lead us through it. You

know, there's something that baffles a lot of people about believers, is this,

How can we, even in the midst of tough time, still smile

and say it is okay, and still say it is well with my soul.

I think there is something precious that God has given us that our joy,

our peace, our hope is not determined by our circumstances. It's determined

by God. And when God is with us, we experience joy, we

experience goodness. So that is part one of are you seeing right now?

What was part two? Are LeAnn was the first to raise her hand again?

Just now are you listening here? Is that your aunt Celien? Yes?

So? But two is are you listening right right? I forgot to

mention. Of course, the scripture that we drew from is from numbers where

the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, not really about to forty

years then, but they were brought out of Egypt. God was leading there

into the Promised Land and they were there about you know, they were the

top spies. Was sent to sort of spy out the land, to come

back with reports and how the land is, you know. And I believe

when they went to spire the land, it wasn't to come back with whether

it's a good place to go or a bad place to go, because God

has already said go, so it has to be good, right. God

has promised that this will be a land flowing with milk and honey. And

this is the land that I've given you. I believe in God asks Moses

sent top spies to go to this place. The top spies being leaders of

tribes, right to go into this land to spy. God wasn't interested in

the good or bad report. I think what God was expecting is come back,

have a layout of the land. Know how to go in. It's

not even an option of whether we should go in. I think the top

spies are the twelve ten got it wrong because they saw things that they weren't

supposed to say, meaning God said I'm going to give you that land,

right, They they didn't. They forgot about what they saw about God's promise,

and then instead saw giants, which were true. The people that inhabited

that land were much bigger than they are, right. They saw fortified cities,

and the worst thing was they saw themselves as grasshoppers. How ridiculous is

that? Right? They saw things. That's why I said, what we

see, we will perceive. Right, So they perceived because they saw the

giants, they saw the fortified cities. They forgot that, forgot about God.

They perceived that they were grasshoppers. Right, So it's important. So

and then we talk about the second part Part two was are you listening right?

Are you listening? It's very important to listen right because at that time

the twve spies came back. Majority of the spies, which just ten of

them, came back with bad reports. Andy bit, you're gonna see that

actually said those were just bad reports, those were evil reports. Oh,

my goodness. Right. So they came back and the Israelites listen to the

ten. Even Moses and Aaron, the leaders of the time leading the Israelites,

fell on their face in fear of the Israelites. They forgot to listen

to God. They listen to the reports of the ten spies that were reporting

on something that wasn't of God. Right. So we talked about the importance

of listening, right, because be careful of what we want to hear,

because our heart is deceived too, all right, And how we listen,

we'll also poison our thoughts. Right. And we talk about gossip. You

guys, remember that analogy example. Its gossip is sweet. It's very nice

to talk about people, right, But when we allow gossip to take place

and we partake in that gossip, it affects our perception of the person being

said. This is this is right, normal, common sense, right,

normal, as in, we know how it feels, and we know that

this happens all the time, and we know that gossip is sweet and it's

very It feels very good to talk about people. It feels very good to

be part of a conversation that's talking about another person, right, And we

mentioned that how when we start talking about that person, regardless of whether it's

true or not, it changes our perception towards that person. Right. I

remember I was, you know, using painting a picture. John was here

and we were talking and we were like, you know, you remember that

guy? He like that one that they didn't say hello to me? And

then yellow Yallo didn't say hello to me. Immediately, you know what happens

in our brain if, let say, Passes Steven didn't say hello, was

the one that didn't say hello, Passas siven? It's not kind, not

friendly, it's not a good leader. Right. You see what how when

we listen wrong, how it poisons our thoughts. Right, So it's very

important to listen right. And Scripture says this right and Hebrews to one Therefore,

we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we

drift away from it. If we have heard from the Lord, hold on

to it, pay colors attention, remember it, and don't drift away from

it. And Romans time seventeen says so, then faith comes by hearing,

and hearing by the word of God. The only way to listen right is

to constantly hear the word of God. Read the word of God. Then

we will be able to discern whether what we are listening to is right or

wrong and to enter the promised land. That's the need that God has for

us. We need to listen right right. We are to do as the

Lord indirect and instructs, just like how God told Israelites, go and take

the land right. And God has promised such an amazing land for them,

right Canaan. Yet, because they grumbled and all that, I believe that

was why God had to bring them through forty years. I mean, Bible

never explicitly say why they were in the wilderness for forty years. They were

actually a week away. The journey is actually, if I'm not mistaken,

a week, if not just a few weeks, definitely not forty years.

They were going around in circles. But I believe God was trying to address

their heart, and this was a sign that their heart wasn't ready. Right.

I've already promised you this place. I brought you out slavery. I'm

going to give you a nation. You're going to become a mighty nation.

Yet you're telling me, Oh, the people there are scared, cannot lie,

cannot do it. Their forty five cities. Right, So it's important

that we pay attention to what the Lord says, follow his direction, and

we will be able to enter the destiny that God has promised us or prepared

for us. Amen. All right, so we're gonna go into pottery.

Wow, that took a while of Part one and two. Okay, but

yes, that's just a recap. So pottery we talked already talked about listen,

you know, seeing right, talk about listening right, the pottery.

We're gonna talk about doing it right, right, are we doing right?

Share their story of me last time. When I was a little kid,

my parents always tell me the iron, that thing that you use to straighten

your shirt, don't touch. Parents have always told me that, right,

like especially my mom I remember, or my grandma and the freshly iron clothes.

They will say, don't come near. What did I do? I

go near? And then what I do? I go and touch? And

then what happened? Pay? I cry, exactly that was what happened,

and he actually happened. Actually, I still I have that clear as day

memory. I remember that moment of me. I still remember how the iron

was angled and I was like this touch I regretted. I ran, I

ran to the freezer, put my head eyes, I took the check climb

up the freezer. So that was ian was the first incident. See that.

Every time my grandma finished cooking, she say, a boy cost me

a boy, don't come, don't touch right. My mom will always also

say after she boil water, don't touch painful. What do I do?

I doud exactly I touch. So children, don't do this, okay.

These are pictures to tell you not to do it, in case you're wondering,

oh, can I touch to No, don't do it, okay,

don't touch it if you are not sure whether it's cold or hot. Just

don't even think about it, all right, don't even touch it. So

I touched it, and I went to the fridge again, my eyes actually

happened. He actually happened, all right. My parents already said so,

they said, don't do it, and I still did it. And I

still remember. I had blisters on my finger from just touching the hot,

hot iron and hot stuff. Many times. We could see, right,

we can see that the iron is hot, the stuff is hot. We

can listen, right, parents telling us, don't do it. We heard

it, but we can still do wrong. That was me. So we're

going to look at We have the Israelites as an example from the Book of

Numbers, and we're gonna explore a little bit of Joshua's Book of Joshua as

well. How it's important to after you have seen, after you have heard,

to respond well. And there are two points. The first point I

want to share to respond well is this. We're gonna look at scripture numbers

fourteen thirty six. Is that the eight if you can go to that scripture

first. Yeah. Now, the man who Moses sent to spy out the

land, who returned and made all the congregations complain against him by bringing a

bad report of the lands, He complained verse seven, those very men who

brought the evil report about the land died by the plague before the lord.

Oh yeah, but just sure the son of Nan and Caleb, the son

of Jeffany remained alive. Of the man who went to spire the land,

all the twelve ten came back with evil reports. The ten died. What

they just came back with? What they see? You are like, they

also can die. Why was it said that their report is not just bad

but evil? You realize that it's started be bad. And then in verse

thirty seven, he goes evil report. They brought back facts right, talk

about how the land is filled with giants. Why is it ret in here?

What did God say? It's an evil report? Now I believe it's

because the Ten Spies knew what they were doing. They were speaking directly against

God's instructions. God already said, go, We're gonna give you this land,

and they came back and say, no, God is wrong. We

go in, we surely die. And beyond that, you know what's worse.

They stirred up grumbling amongst the people. The first point I want to

talk to us about doing right is firstly, speak right. We need to

learn to speak right. Some hundred and one, verse seven. No one

who practices the seed will dwell in my house. No one who speaks falsely

will stand in my presence. That was what happened to the Ten Spies.

They died of a plague. God's presence left them, so they were prone

to sickness. God's presence left them. Do you realize in the Book of

throughout the Old Testament, every time that Israelites falsick, it was when they

do something wrong. It wasn't because oh there was a storm, it was

cold every time in the book in the Old Testament, when the Israelites falcing,

when there's a mention of the Israelites falling ill, it was because they

went against God's will. My perspective, it's one perspective. Could it be

that it's because God's presence left them, therefore they no longer have protection.

That's just a perception. Whether it's true or not. There's something that we

can bring it back and pray. But that is just something I thought about,

like, could it be because of that that the tense spies died?

God's protection left them because they went against God's direction, They went against God's

instruction. Proverbs nineteen nine. A false witness will not go unpunished, and

whoever pause out lies will perish. They witness falsely. Right, they may

be talking about facts like there are giants in the land, there are fortified

cities, but they witness falsely because they forgot that they are first and foremost

God's witness that they should talk about. They should remember what the Lord says,

because what the Lord says is final. Situations are not final. And

I hope this can be an encouragement to us. Whatever we are going through,

it's not final. Whatever disappointments we have, whatever discouragements we have,

whatever state of life we are in, it is not final. Only what

God says is final. I've experienced that again and again in impossible situations,

time after time. It's impossible, it doesn't make sense. These doesn't make

sense that I can ban and move like this. But what God says his

final. God says, your heal, You're heal. I don't care what

the doctor says. The doctor says you have to take one man at least

to rest and recover. But God says, I'm here you and you're getting

healed. And he said what he says is final. I hope that can

be an encouragement to you whatever you're going through. Your situations do not dictate

the end result. It is God. But the important part for us is

to listen to what the law is saying and do as he says. Then

He's able to work in such ways. First bitter treatment. For whoever we

love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips

from deceitful speech. Now why do I talk about all this speaking right,

What does this have to do with the scripture that was just that we read

about in numbers? Right? We have to be very careful on what we

speak, how we speak, and we all know this it As Christians,

we believe that words carry power. We can speak death into a situation.

We can speak life, just like how I pray to God. I say,

God, I want my leg healed because I can't bear going around.

I have a lot of things to do. Spoke life and God worked all.

We can speak death, say God a dialel, I mean this situation,

then really die. A lot of times when we're in those situations,

how many times we realize that when we speak like that, it actually gets

worse, and then God like the reminder us, hey, they're not supposed

to speak like that, pray and then things start getting better. How many

of us have experienced that? I have, right, So it's so important

to learn how to speak right. The Israelites, man, tens and thousands

of them were speaking wrong in that moment when the dance spies came back with

the bad report, the evil report, all that were grumbling, weeping,

crying. Thank God, there was Joshua and Caleb who decided to speak right

saying no, we have to go into the land immediately at once were the

words use in scripture, we have to go in at once to claim the

land. Can you imagine if Joshua and Caleb also followed the crowd her base

israelized God, literally, they wouldn't have a land. They would have perished.

But they spoke right. And I want to encourage us as well.

For Christians here, please speak right when you talk about gossip. Don't partake

in gossip. Really, it's nasty, it's very sweet. And remember I

gave I don't know if you guys remember an example I gave right. Every

time someone comes up to me to talk about another person, the way I

keep myself in check is to always give that person, that said person the

benefit of a doubt. I would ask questions like, are you sure you

heard that? Did you see it happen? Oh? I heard it from

someone? Oh? Oh secondhand information? How sure are you that this happened?

Right unless and until I've seen it in my own eyes I know it

as something that actually happened, then only I would decide. But before that,

if I'm hearing from someone else, especially if it touches another person,

I'm very very careful. I don't want to bring judgment upon myself, right,

because in our past person is also God's beloved. So we have to

be very careful when we talk about other person and be very careful how we

respond to others. You know, this is an age old joke that people

talk about Christians. Whe It's true many times people say Christians Sun on Sunday

hallelujah, and then on Monday to Saturday is the opposite, right, the

words that come out of our mouth is the opposite. So I think that

that isn't such a nice testimony, right if we say God is good,

God is love, but then were not careful with the words that come out

of our mouth. Right, we have to be very careful. I'm a

very impatient person. Uh and and and and I used to like react,

then to respond, and I end up regretting what comes out of my mouth.

I And I've learned to seek the Lord and say, God, you

give me the fruit of spirit, Allow me to be slow to anger,

allow me to not be so fast to react and say things that will hurt

other people and bring down other people. We have to remember that how many

how many? This is also last time, I had a ex church causticker

on the back of my car, and now it's all spoiled because it melted.

Be able to remove it, but I had it. And after that

drive right. There's a warning, you know, like I beten't signal before

I cut. I bet the queue up and not cut que in traffic jam.

I better not do things that are bad at it's bad like that.

My intention is because there was a stickuler. But I think this serves as

a good reminder for us that when we go out, are we the same

as we are in church? Because God is the same when we're in church,

and he's the same when we're outside. So are we reflecting that right?

And this is my encouragement to us. Speak well in your workplaces.

Gossip happens, there's always drama, it's normal. But how you respond you

reflect who Christ is to you. Always remember that, So speak right is

the first point. And the second point I want to tell us is to

act right. In verse thirty thirty nine to forty five, it says this,

then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the

people mourn greatly. So this was basically the bad reporter right the evil reporter

came and then Moses said to tell the report to all of Israel, and

the people mourned greatly, I saying, oh, sorry, my bad.

Basically, he told the Israelites that the ten spies have died of a blakee.

They died right, and the people mourned. And at that point I

think fear started to creep in because they knew that ten people who died were

the ones giving the bad report. But you'll show and Kayler were obviously still

alive and kicking verse forty And they rose early in the morning and went up

to the top of the mountain saying, here we are, and we'll go

up to the place which the Lord has promised, for we have seen now

only they realized Verse forty one. And Moses said, now, why do

you transgress the command of the Lord, for these will not succeed. Basically

God, at this point God was saying, don't go. I won't go

with you. And yet now they're saying, we want to go. But

then Mosa says, if you go, you will not see it because the

Lord is not with you. Do not go out first, for these two

says less you'll be defeated. By your enemies. For the Lord is not

among you. For the Amlokites and the canaan Kites are there before you,

and you shall fall by the sword because you have turned away from the Lord.

The Lord will not be with you. But they presume to go up

to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the art of the covenant of the Lord,

which represents the presence of God, nor Moses departed from the camp.

Then the Amelkis and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked

them and drove them back as far as Horma. Now, right, this

shows me right that really it wasn't the mind of the army of the Israelites

that will give them the land. He has always been the Lord all along,

and they forgot about it. They focused in on the natural, and

they forgot this God that is leading them, that was leading them, was

the one that's going to deliver them and save them. They turned away from

the Lord. And I also believe that in that moment when they said let's

go take over the land. Now, it wasn't because they wanted to obey

the Lord. It was self preservation. They were scared to have to share

the same faith as the Tense Spies who died. So it wasn't obedience to

the Lord that they were after. It wasn't honoring and loving the Lord that

they were after. It was selfish. Their intentions are now wrong. Therefore,

I believe this is why Moses said, the Lord is no longer with

you because you don't. It's almost like, can imagine you don't need me

anyways? Right? Cool? Because it was self preservation that they were looking

for, and it wasn't obedience to the Lord. Of course, I'm sure

when the Israelizes were driven back, there will be people who died. It's

war, right, the tan Spies died. Now when we don't obey the

Lord, where we face such an ending, You may be wondering, I

don't, I don't want. I don't think so. I don't think you'll

face such a morbid and treacherous and to your life like the ten space.

Maybe it will happen, but I think I believe God is merciful. He

gives chances. This may not happen to your physical life. But I believe

that when you disobey the Lord, when he asks you to go and you

don't go, what you are actually facing is the death of your destiny.

And there are many times even in my own life that God impressed upon my

heart to do something. And every time God asked me to do something,

I always believe there is a window of time he won't say, Okay,

you do this, take however long you need. Based on my experience with

the lot, there's always a time when He asked me to do something,

all right. I shared a few a few months ago that God asked me

to go back to when I'm begging to preach a gospel to my aunt's family.

Right, it had to be that day. God said, this Saturday

afternoon, take some time off from a speaking engagement, go and visit.

And I went, and you guys knew. A few months later I shad

this as well. My cousin passed away suddenly, but she got to hear

the gospel. Can you imagine if I'm like, Okay, God, I

have time, right, I need to go to the cam and speak.

What next time I go back to pen I will have missed it completely.

Share another example. On Friday afternoon, I was working from home. As

I was reaching back home, there was a cast stop outside my place and

there's the man looking a little bit like sweaty and friendsake. And he looked

at me. He said, ah, my car ran out of patrol.

It looked a bit dodgy, to be honest, right outside my house.

And I'm like, oh man, with this guy like followed me into the

house, or if you know, I drive him where. He put a

knife to my neck stail my car. I had all these scenarrowplane my hairs.

I'm like, I better be careful. So I thought the guy,

oh, petrol, you can walk straight down. There are some you know,

auto part shops. Maybe you can buy petrol there. H yeah,

maybe you can do that. Then I went back up nicely in my eccone

room working, but I just it barked me so much. Uh, and

I felt horrible and and I think at the time the Holy Spirit was telling

me, you know, Stephen, what are the odds of you working from

home this afternoon coming back to see this car park right outside of your house.

I send that man to you, oh man. And I was so

so disturbed that I I did that that I keep looking out my room indow

so I could actually see the gate, waiting for the guy to come back,

and When he came back, I ran down, say do you get

petrol? Yes, but it's not in the auto shop. I walked further

down to the petrol station. I'm like, oh my gosh, that's really

far. He walked all the way to petrol station to get one little patrol

and then yeah, and then filled out his car, and then his car

couldn't start. So I say okay, at this time a little bit more

confidently, because I'm like, if this guy meant evil, right, he

would. I went all the way to the petrol station to get one little

patrol. He drove elsewhere to find an easier victim, right, not word

of trouble. So I'm like, okay, this guy legit, legit.

So I said, okay, let me you know, let me help you

check your car. So I checked. I found out the battery died.

So the battery died. So and the funny thing was, my car is

a hybrid car. You cannot jumpstart cars. I'm like, God, you

gotta be kidding me. Wind me here, right, I got jump I

got a jumpstart cables. So I went to the neighbors thing, no,

not home thing, I got a guy outside my house. Car died can

we borrow your car. This jumpstart, the car became jumpstart and all that

and uh. And eventually, thank goodness, the car was okay and he

was able to drop drive off. Uh. And at that time I actually

had a nudging feeling. Actually, before he walked back with the patrol,

there was already a nudging feeling to say give him some money. But I

don't know why, I just keep pushing that away. Uh. And I

didn't. And then it was later that I reflected upon the whole situation he

away, everything was okay, that I realized, wait, he came from

a put So the story is he came from outstation to meet some customers and

actually the car died once in the morning and at the time, fortunately he

was near the petrol station, so he pumped. So then asked HI the

question. At the time, I said, why didn't you pump more?

Then he was like, oh, I thought you would be enough. So

I took it as that. But later I realized that the only person who

do this is because they're show money. They don't have enough money to pump

more, right and uh, And then it hit me why the Holy Spirit

prompted me to give him money? And the amount that the Holy Spirit put

into my heart was fiftyering it. It's not a lot, honestly, but

it could be a tank of patrol for this guy. And I did not

obey. Guy drove off. It may seem something small to you, but

I don't think I have the time to share more details. But I think

the Holy Spirit revealed certain things about the person's life that he was at a

state of probably crumbling really, But all I was looking at was making sure

the car can move. I missed the mark. I felt horrible, honestly,

and I was very confident that with the money. Again it's not about

the money, but it was obedience. With that, I was pretty confident

it was opened to an opportunity of the Gospel. I missed it. I

repented. I felt really horrible. Why I share this, and this is

a fresh thing that just happened. I still feel it, honestly, I

still feel it. Like man. Of course, I can take it as

like okay, a lesson learner next time, just be more sensitive. But

the truth of the matter is I missed it. I missed the opportunity for

this guy. Why I share this is because every time God asked us to

do something there is always a window. If you miss it, you miss

it. Will there be other opportunities. Yes, God is a god of

second chances, but I also believe it will not be the same. It

will be probably another person, but it will not be the same for this

guy that I just missed. I pray, I pray hopefully I get to

meet him again. But I also pray at the same time that God will

allow other people to be able to have an opportunity to reach out to him.

But my heart broke. I really felt horrible. And it's so important

that when God asked us to do something, for us to go on to

the destiny. And of course all of us want to leave a life that

is the best life we can live. That's very natural. We want to

live a life that is like I want to be by the end of the

day look back and go like, well, what a good life I've lived.

I've not wasted my life away. All of us want that, But

do you know, in order to get that, it's very ironic, is

to actually not obey our own thoughts and our own desires, but it's actually

to obey God. It's very ironic. But I've come to recognize It's true.

Every time I take away, or rather push down my desires, especially

on days when God asked me to do things that are against my own desires.

Every time I obey, I recognize that what I want I thought I

can get through. This was given when I followed a lot. It's very

odd, but it's the way the lot works. And the Israelites missed the

mark. In this very moment, God said, go, you know you

have I give you. I believe God gave chances. Let me point out

to you the few chances they could have repented before God finally say like,

you know what, forget it. First, when the ten spies came back

with the bad report talking to Moses and Joshua and Kaylorb already told us by

guys, and then you come back with the big grapes, isn't this what

the Lot promised? The spies did not listen. Strike one. Then the

Israelites, tens and hundreds of thousands of Israelites, not one of them remember

the Lord's promise. They could have spoken against the dense spies. You know

what, They could have gone like, no, the Lord promises this,

Let's listen to Joshua and killob none of them did strike number two. And

then finally when the dance spies died, only they decided, Oh, to

save our own lives, let's better go into the lad And we can see

here that they missed the window. They missed the window. And I want

to share this also in other point, is this when God asked us to

obey, it's only obedience because it's I believe the word obedience is because it's

not something we want. That's why you use the word obedien, right,

That's why you say obey your parents. And most of the times we say

that is because you are doing something your parents don't want you to do,

and we say obey your parents. Obedience have a negative connotation to it.

But I believe when it comes to the Lord, obedience to him will only

bring good things. So I would say obey and trust the lot. Trust

that God will be with you, whether it's overcoming the enemies in front of

you in the land of Canaan or protecting you from even those who sick to

pull you away from God's plans. Why do I say the numbers fourteen,

ten to twelve, and all the congregations say to stone them with stones congregation.

Basically all the Israelites them being just showing Caleb. So all the Israelites

say stone, just showing Caleb with stones. And then you know what happened.

The glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernaca of meeting before all the

children of Israel. Then the Lord said the mostes, how long will these

people reject me? That means it's not the first time, And how long

will they not believe me? With all the signs which I have performed among

them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I'll

make of you a nation greater and mightier than they. God was ready to

wipe them out, man. And you know the amazing thing was that Joshu

and Keleb were actually at the bring of death. You're talking about hundred thousands

of people against two who will listen to this too, right, And that's

why we mentioned about hearing right right, listening right, because are you listening

to the majority or are you listening to the Lord. But when Joshu and

Keleb did what was right, the Lord himself came to defend them. His

glory came down and everyone was shocked and stunned, and Joshu and Keleb were

preserved. So I just want to say this. Many times, when we

be the Lord, it may seem like we are on the shorter end of

the stick. It may feel like we are at a disadvantage. It may

feel like, but this person did this to me, hire I'm supposed to

forgive. I'm supposed to be the first person to say sorry. But that

was what That is what the Lord says, be first to forgive. Love,

love your enemies. Loving people who love you back is natural and easy.

But the Word of God says, love your enemies is hard. But

this is what I want you to do. But every time we do this,

even though we may feel like we are at the shorter end of the

stick, God always comes true. You know this furthers and sisters, I

don't have to appreciate this again again because you have experienced it yourself. And

my encouragement to you is, let's not be like the Israelites that they experience

and they forget. Let's remember what the Lord has done for us. Keep

a journal of testimonies. I try to do that. My journal is my

phone. I note it down when things happen because there will be tough days

that the enemy on Satan will used to draw you away. They strike you

from remembering what the Lord did for you, and Satan will whisper in the

ear. See this is the God yourself love. If yourself God so well,

why would all this still happen to you? But we all know every

time that's testing and trial, it bursts forth testimonies when we obey the Lord.

All right, I'm gonna come to the last scripture for this point James

one twenty two. But be doers of the world and not hearers. Only

deceiving yourselves. If you're only listening right and you're not doing right, you're

deceiving yourselves. This is what scripture says, faith without action? Is there

there is another scripture that is not in year, faith without action. There

So, if you call yourself a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, you

call yourself the sons and daughters of the amazing, mighty, holy, living

God, then we've got to live like it when we face situations where it's

tough. What what would a sign or the daughter of a mighty, holy,

powerful, living God respond? Oh, the lady, if you think

about it, that wouldn't be the right response. Right. If you watch

movies, movies or read books that have these kind of characters, you go

like, this silly character, he doesn't know the power he has. Do

you know the power that you have? Do you know the authority that you

have? Do you recognize who your heavenly father is and what he can do?

Because when we remember, it changes the way we see, changes the

way we hear, it changes the way we act, and we will start

seeing ourselves doing right before the side of the lot, just like Josha and

Kayler, let's go at once take over the land because the Lord has promised

us this play. He's gonna give it to us. And you know this.

Years later that happened, Joshua and Caleb led the Israelites and establish a

nation. So, now that we've learned how to see right, to listen,

right, to do right. As cliche as it sounds, it's gonna

sound a bit cringey, it's time to move into the promised land. It's

time to move into your destiny in Joshua one tree and this is you know,

of course, after numbers, there was Levetticus, and then there was

sorry. After numbers, it was it was a Deuteronomy. Yeah, man,

I'm getting my sequence wrong. Yeahteronomy right. And after that it's the

Book of Joshua. And in the Book of Joshua, chapter one, and

you see that Moses has passed on, died, and Joshua took the helm

as the leader of the Israelites, and they went forth into the land.

And you know what was the encouragement that came Joshua one tree. This is

what the Lord said to Joshua. Every place that the soul of your food

will tread upon, I have given you as I said to Moses. Sadly,

Moses missed the mother on this part. I mean, it's sad,

but it's true. But he said this to Joshua, and Joshua took it.

And this is why I don't want to tell you. If you don't

obey the Lord, the blessings that come from that obedience will not come to

you. You go to the next person that will obey the Lord. Right,

Joshua one nine? Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of

good courage. You do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord,

your God is with you wherever you go, wherever we go. The

Lord has already determined the result for us. Really, it's not for us

to worry you. If guys asking us to go somewhere, we are not

to worry what the enemies that would be. If you're not to worry about

Oh man, if I go there, sure or not, work or not.

I believe that the Lord will lead you, and every step of the

way he will give you answers. He'll tell you what to do. And

I've experienced that over and over and over and over again in my own life,

and you can experience it too. I have received it back that Ah.

You know, Stephen, you experience all these good things because you're a

past man. I have been receiving all this even before I was a pastor.

And I want to tell you that all of us, the moment we

accept Jesus, we inherit. We inherit such authority from him that we can

speak into illnesses and cast it away. We can speak into demons and ask

it to live, and it will leave. That's the kind of authority that's

given to us. That's why Jesus told the disciples when he was about to

ascend back to Heaven, you say greater things, you will do than me.

He has given us such authority and we get to experience the fullness and

abundance of life. We can speak into situations and say, whatever this situation

may be, I pray that you will turn well. We can speak into

cancer and cancer can be healed. We can speak into depression, depression and

be taken away. You've heard me share those testimonies with you before happened in

my own family. You can experience the same and beyond that. You all

know that our theme for this year is that all may know is to share

it out to others. Right, So, the same way that you're hearing

from me, share it to those around you. Share it your our friends

and your family. Share the power of God to them. It's not about

conversion. It's not about the numbers. It's about people experiencing the power of

God and they see transformation. It's experiencing the love of God that cannot be

offered by the world. It cannot be offered by by our parents, it

cannot be offered in marriage. This kind of love can only come from God.

This kind of love can This is the only type of love that will

fulfill our hearts. Friends, and we know this and it's not enough that

we know it. Only people out there need to know this. And as

a closing, I just want to say this when I talk about the destiny

of God. When we think about destiny, we always thinking about wh we

are the hero and we do amazing things. But the thing about destiny in

God's eyes is this, when it comes to our destiny, when we go

along the destiny God has prepared for us, it's never meant to only benefit

us. Our destiny always will have an effect on other people. That is

God's plan, and that is the great commission. And trust that as the

Lord is leading you. If God is allowing you to be successful in your

workplace, do you know it's not just for your own benefit. It's not

just so that you can earn a very comfortable living for you and your family.

Only do you know God has given you such influence so that you can

share the good news wherever you are students, or you know you're working wherever

it is, even within your family. I would encourage us this when we

go to the Promised Land. God has already given us this your workplace.

God has given you your workplace your family, even though you don't get to

choose. But God has given you that and there is a purpose there,

There is a destiny there that God has for you. Do not miss out

on it. Do not miss out on it. When you go to another

workplace, you hope, to another company, do you know that you solve

like lost the window already in that company, the previous one. I encourage

you to think of it in that perspective, think about the eternal consequences.

And that's my encouragement to you. And I just want to just encourage us

to again. I remind us that the few points see right, see it

from the eyes of the Lord. Listen right. Don't listen to what the

world is saying. You don't listen to what your own flesh is saying.

But listen to what the Lord has been speaking to you. And after you

see right, you hear right. It's not enough be doers of the world.

You gotta do right. You got to speak right. We hope you've

been blessed by this message. More information on our church, please visit exchurch

do org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week, a hit for you. God bless