Devotion - Fasting | Elder Wong Kien Yiak

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

will light up your day. If you have a Bible, I'm just going

to share devotion with your Isaiah fifty eight. All right, you, this

scripture is about fasting Isaiah fifty eight, Verse one to I'm going to read

one one to eat, but I'm going to take verse one to words tree

Fort shouting aloud, don't hold back, raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declared to my people, they're rebellion, and the descendants of Jacob their scenes

for the day after they seek me out. They seem you goe to know

my race as if they were a nations. And that's what's right. You

know. It's very interesting that, you know Isaiah wrote this chapter because they

were describing about the people of Is. You're seeking the law on the daily

basis, seeking the Lord. You know. The word is that they were

very religious, right going into this contact, going to church, one prayer

service, whatever the church declares, they take it up. And the words

to say. Day after they they seek me out, they seem eager to

know my ways as if they were as if they were nation. And that's

what's right. You know, something is not right there already, and have

not forsaken the commandments of his God. They asked me for for just decision.

This is and every version. I'm sorry I copy and paste that I

thought was KJV, but you know, uh so it's slightly different from so

they asked me for just this. They seem eager for God to come near

them the worst tree. Why have we faster? They say, And you

have not seen it? No, after everything, you know, friends,

after everything, after your Bible study, after your homes, after attending everything.

Worse three comes about. We have done all this, they say,

why have you not seen? How many people know that? You know?

Just by doing everything that's right, doing everything that's right, sometimes we do

feel empty, and most times we can leave church or not live church after

church, going back feeling empty right, feeling empty, feeling that something is

not They didn't connect and the Lord this morning reminds me of I was doing

this when I was reading the Bible about this chapter that everything. Sometimes we

can get everything right. That means afterwards it comes automatic. For example,

Sunday is automatic for you to come to church right, not you wake up

ready something you'll feel like you automated. You still drive to church. Just

say to uh, depending who speaker of one half hours to two hours?

Uh, maybe claim record is two point five hours? Right? You see

to the motion. Then by then you finish the service. There's a bend

diction given there's a short fellowship of there and you got you're back in your

car, right, and you when you're back in your car, something you

just feel like what just happened? You know? And it feels something there

is something that connect in your it's something that didn't connect in your spirit.

And worst to happen. We have done all this, they say, and

why have we not seen it? We have humbers that if you have not

noticed a right worse four yet you're fasting ends in quarreling and strife, in

striking each other with wicked faces. You cannot fast as you do today and

expect your words to be hurt on high so wors for it's revealing, it's

going deeper into the person's heart that after you have done everything, after you

have faster, after you have seen the law, you delight in God's word.

Worse for reviews. Really, even calling for fast it is no change.

You know. When we are fasting, friends, there is a change

in our appetite, right, I mean, for examples, how we are

faster one meal lunch for example. Therefore you don't take lunch. So there

is a change in your lifestyle, really obvious change. So we are fast

in canfin there's an obvious change. But the Bible is asking us to go

deeper than not just a physical obvious change, but look at our how are

we living our life? Because there's even more revealing, because that's what spiritual

fasting is all about. Twenty one days is not a one days of intermittent

fasting. It's not a time for you to Yeah, I can hear five

kilos less these twenty one days while we rejoice in that, that's not the

whole aim of it, all right? So verse five, is this the

kind of us I've chosen? The Lord says, only on the day the

people hammond themselves, isn't the only the one borrowing to one hit like a

read lying in cyclothe in ashes? Isn't the day you call a fast day

acceptable? Due to the Lord? Now, point of one is we have

to guard a heart against empathy in different very critical, very important. You

can read from as fifty eight one to three. Really you and I have

to guard our heart against empathy. We must because in Christianity it's not a

sprain, it is not a one hundred meters spain. Year. I've accomplished

this. I checked this. But it's a journey until the day the Lord

causes home. So therefore, how do you sustain yourself? To word is

to be excited all the way until the Lord calls you home. You know,

when we are younger, it's a love of excitement. It's a love

of adventure with the Lord. It is love journey with the Lord. But

as you grow older, the excitement is manifested in another way because our strength

becomes lesser. Right, our strength becomes less as you grow older. It's

true ours we expressed our love for Gods slightly different from the way we were

where we're a youth. Right, So therefore, how do you sustain yourself

and say, Lord, I will still follow you all the way until you

call me home because we have to, because you know this is our journey.

Right unless some of us say older for me just coming to church on

Sunday, that's by Christian devotion. Good for you. But I think for

some of us there has to be that was that was I'm trying to say

that there has to be that that some more. Journey with Lord doesn't mean

much. You pass forty that the rest of our Christian in life for the

next forty years, it's just coming to church or giving money. There has

to be more than that. I was watching an interview about missionary who is

in the eighties eighties to Japan in the eighties, and this interviewer asks,

what will you tell the young people right now? And how do you live

up? How do you conduce, serve the law all the way until you're

eighty plus and this be sure you just say that, you know, I'll

tell the young people that love the Lord your God with all your heart,

so and mind everything, don't hold back, and you be consistent all the

way until the Lord calls you home. Because sometimes we make the words that

if you don't got the heart, we make exception holp. Many of you

know that no one starts off that journey with the Lord right by doubting one.

We always start off excited, just like any race we start with.

If you have been I'm sure there's the money, have low expert You see

people who are very new to raise the first one two kilometers, they will

spin right. If it's a marathon, they will show that they can do

it right. And many times sometimes our journey of Christianity is like that.

We spring were like I wanted it for almost everything I can find because I

got time right. And if you're not careful, sometimes you burn out al

rather, we lose strength too quickly, too fast. While this is a

journey for life right, So if you express the commitment to the law by

seeking him daily, they likely look God's way deep almost right. So that

was they begin to fill up the whole schedule. They fill up the whole

schedule with the things of God, which is true, which is great.

But filling your whole schedule with the things of God right, well, it's

good. Doesn't un the answer the deepest longing of your heart if you don't

allow God to work in your heart, if you allow God to go deeper.

No matter what we are doing on the external, something's too missing.

I was asked a question one day, so the eldest right now was tasked

to lead the homeless ball will I was asked the question on the elder why

are you gonna do something about home notes? Home notes? Now, there's

a lot of debate about our home notes of your Some people say it's too

deep. How many you here think it's too deep? Too many questions?

It's okay, I'm okay, I can I can think it raised up your

head. Too many questions? Really explain, not many questions? I got

asked, okay, by naturally there too many questions? And another sh would

ask me our there too many questions? Too long? Can we get simplify

it? Not right? I was this one can say it is too too

long? Hey, too deep? Right, this week's home notes is like

a big pages. Okay, just let y'all know. To too deep,

too many questions. Therefore it's hard to teach. I met another person outder

this is too shallow, too shallow. More give us the Hebrew, the

Greek and every commentary you could fire out there. But I will want to

be a Bible study every Friday with me for homes got I got people telling

me that. Now, ask how do you balance it off? You know,

really at the end of the day, like do I go deeper?

Do I go shallow? Do I find a middle ground? Take a measure,

a measuring? Okay, this is chiefly okay, it is good enough

for everybody to swiam. I just this how I explain the people. You

know, I have to go back to the vision. What is the vision

for homes? Because if the homes was run by a Cande mission, I'm

trying to work correctly, my wife will. If the home was rather by

theologians, you'll get ten questions, right. If the home was run by

evangelists, you get one question right. So I have to go back to

the vision of the homes. Pastor, I asked past what is the vision

for homes? He then explained to me. Then he used this like I

thought, it was very good. Simple doesn't have to be shallow, he

said, you can give if a person with John three sixteen, and I

know the scripture verse, we can go it deep if we want to.

If you allow God to speak to us, right, I can give you

five questions. It can still remain shallow. So deep doesn't mean difficult.

Okay, Deep doesn't mean I can give you very difficult notes that it's deep.

You know, sometimes you go for exam right, and those questions we

cannot answer. We say it's very deep, very cheap, very hard.

But sometimes the simplest question can be deep enough. If only we allow God

to work in our hearts. That's why Isaiah it says that they have done

everything, but I'm not allowed God to work deeper in the hearts. Will

go deeper in the heart. Sometimes we are not guarding what's really important,

like say again, things of the Lord. We start off by loving God

first. All. None of us here except the Christ say that we don't

like God, we hate God, and maybe we just hold back. I

just only want a salvation. I just only want to get to heaven.

I'm not interested with the things of Lord. I truly believe everyone who accept

Christ in their journey really want to know more about God. Right, really

want to know more about God. And that's why they starts off that way.

But true their journey as they fifty eight reveals to us they kept the

religious riture, but not guarding their heart. They kept everything correct, but

never God the first live. So this morning, when encourage you really fairs

religious ritual is good. It doesn't be changed unless we allow God, unless

we see the way God sees value, what God's value because we don't do

fast for our self. Wan, friends, if given an option, would

you fast enough? No that we want to unless of course, again,

you're targeted. You want to lose weight, right, we won't fast.

I'm trying to say the things of lot causes deepot and so in my devotion

loss begin to speak to me, say that, don't just fast because the

choice asking you the first Okay, don't just fast because the choice. One

day, if you don't faster people and you felt pure pressure to fast,

don't do that because there is no power in it. Right, there is

no power in it. You want to fast, fast properly and to the

lot. Right, it's not just about keeping up aout keeping. A lot

of times we by showing up, we are just keeping up. But the

real thing is that doing things out of conviction. That's why guarding our heart,

guarding our conviction is so key. If we can be tempted by everything

I was talking to pass the cajan, passa cajan, our pasta and karawachi.

We're just talking about rich people. Okay, it might be you and

I know that a lot of rich people in clanging. Right. We talking

about really like the top five percent, right, how they carry themselves off

and we just exchange. I'm not talking about about the money, but how

they present themselves one of the things that we discover that they like to show

you who they're connected with. They like to show you who they're connected with,

or rather who they have dinner with and stuff like that. So yeah,

my boss, his boss is one of the so he's working for a

company. I think it's one of the four few families, the rich family

in Indonesia that owns anyway, just doing research anyway, So he just said,

his boss like to show, Yeah, I just had dinner with the

president of China, show picture and everything, like I just had I just

had the meal with this prime minister, that prime minister, this big time

entrepreneur, that big time entrepreneur. They was saying, yeah, someone just

showed me that he had dinner with Jack mar that day. I mean,

like, it's just the normal that we show pictures of who we have dinner

with, trying to convince us and stuff like. And sometimes it can can

just say this, if you don't guard our conviction, we can be tempted,

come on, we can be tempted to say, hey, can you

introduce that, can you can you can you connect this or not? We

can be tempted to the word is let go of a conviction? Because of

this, we can still keep out the words that we can still keep our

Bible reading. But if there's no change, then So when I was in

the meeting, someone just said, I know the Prime Minister of Cambodia,

the son and the father stay in my house. Come on, how many

primaristers stay in the house? I come on? Huh if yourn, says

Michelle. But you're not all right. M okay, our internal job,

but how many primariesters stay in your house? So the premisters stay in my

house and stuff that it's so tempting just to say, hey, next time

we stayed, just bring ask me come over. I'll come over. And

because if I'll come is not strong. Friends, we will be tempted.

The word is that we neable one time, two times and three times.

Slowly, but surely our conviction will be lesser and lesser and lesser because something

else is more exciting, something else is more tempting, something else is more

alluring. I met a person that in January. The person say, you

know, I own the or rather he's related to someone who owns the whole

shop in front Jean and the old buildings. Manarik out there, come over

to my place for a lunch, you know, on me and this stuff

like that, you and your wife just come over. I look at the

person, I say, thank you so much for invitation. I don't think

so I will go and stuff like that. But it's very the word that

if you forget your purpose, if you forget what you're calling a you can

get sucked into that world whereby wow, did you did you know? I

know so and so so? When I was sitting down, when the person

was telling me he know those Prime minister so and so, I went like,

yeah, good for you, but that doesn't change my life, lafe

right. And when I was driving back, the Lord just spoke to be

I just be rare honest with you. Are the reason why sometimes the Lord

allows doors to be opened in our life. There is nothing happened, by

Chancellor. The reason why the Lord opens the door for you is because he

wants you to use it for his glory. He wants you to use it

for his kingdom, your kingdom. Come, you will be done. And

I I was driving back, and this is what I was just thinking.

I could have said. I should have said, will you know the prime

minister? I know the King of kings. You know what I mean.

He knows I'm from a church, so he knows I'd be preaching Christ to

him and stuff like asking him to give the churches and not sure I be

asking just hey, come on, you got so much money. What's that

like? Just give the churche. We need we need we need this,

we need that. Right if I have been just like house, yeah,

it doesn't just give you the door for you are to something. We are

showing off a door owner, then you know I know this doll or not.

But the door is for you to walk in with confidence to tell people

of Jesus Christ, the Savior of our soul. A person have everything yet

have nothing. So the confidence comes are not because I know so, and

so the confidence comes because you know God. So if with God, the

conviction that God has given in the first place, God can place you anywhere

and you be rare confident and say, well you have riches beyond like until

the sixth generation. I have the King of Kings in my heart. I

know where I'm going. I will pray for you. When I sat down

with the owner, I told the owners you become and of may I returned

back the place to you. DBCC Some we didn know nightclub, but nightclub's

read. But even our own contractors say that this part in our church.

I don't want to run away because they say they feel even presence there.

I told the owner there, I said, you know what, I should

be giving you a cleaning bill. We cleanse your place for you. You

know, I say, you know, matter how how many cleaners you come

and cannot cleanse your space, rutually, we as a church clean the place

for you. We turn back to you a nice place, because even the

chewing can play in the corner. I should be giving you a bill for

restoration. I really we laugh about it. It's true. Sometimes you actually

forget the value we have because of If we don't guard our heart, our

look against epathy, everything else will be very attractive except the things of the

Lord in our hearts. Right now, let me just go on with this.

That's why second Timothy treets one to five. But know this again,

in the last days, perilous times you come, friends, We are living

in last for memory, believers of themselves. Everything is about them, lovers

about money, bolso problems, bless blessed, famous, This obilient to parents

and thankful and holy and loving and forgiving slenderers. We also have contributed traitors

hit strong hearty lovers or pleasure rather lovers of God having the form of Godliness

but denying its power. Fast having the firm but denying its power. Having

the firm but no change. Has your life change ever since you know Christ?

Or have you stopped changing? If we were to exit any place,

let's say, for example, extend design the Lord lets you out from premier

right, have we left a mark here or not? Please stavis? Ever

since you came here right with sense of presence? Or ooh you're going up,

Praise God, We'll say, praise God, Oh thank you for leaving,

Please go. We must always leave a mark. Having the firm.

The Bible says that don't just have the form of Godliness, but also have

the power. Don't just have a I'm a Christian family, but there is

no power in that. We must have the firm and power. Friends.

In other words, your firm comes from the power sometimes in our in our

lives, friends, we forget that we actually do have power in Christ.

Really we do. We can actually forget. So when I was driving back

the day after my meeting with the older DVCC, you don't mind just sharing

a lot of stories with your so. Driving back, I got a phone

call from the uh uh every the big boss himself called me up. They

say, hey, I heard you guys are leaving. I heard you guys.

I say, yeah, I expect so this hour. Explanation is that

you know, the only one to sell and stuff like that. Yeah,

but what can I do to make you say? I say, why,

you add a lot of value to our more Now I do go and see

this, we are feeling proud. I've been trying to get him to say

this statement every time negotiate with him. He do want to admit it.

He doesn't want to admit. For the longest time, the church has been

blessing to the shore all right, every time we have a combined gat doing

all the right staurants are very happy. In fact, they are praying for

more combined services for us. They're very happy. Way you coming. You

understand the columnics behind that, right. For the longest, every time we

negotiate the least, we never you know how much you add? So every

other tenants the shopping more as well. I say, no, we are

the only one here that brings that x amount people to your more, so

be fair to us, like I'm not trying to be fair to us for

the longest time, never made this time. Say yes, we want to

acknowledge that you add a lot of more. I say, finally, after

nine years of being here, finally I just get the stamement. It's like

it's like asking the wife ask please say you love me, Please say you

love me. You know what it does? Everything else I do dishes for

you, I give you and stuff like that. That that's enough, redewer.

No, I just want to hear you say I love you, I

love you. Is it so hard for you to say I love you?

Like, oh, just just say if you're wrong, I'm sorry. Us

when we have to say I'm sorry, I know because you know because you

are the head of the household, my riot, every every every every every

hit, always say that someone is done wrong. Sorry, I get stone

here right. But so he said that to me, and I was I

was studying. Finally, finally you're saying this, and yeah, what can

we do to make you stay? I say, well, you reduce a

rentaler and we have another place belong to and we reduce a rented Okay,

there can be there can be a range. I'm like, now when need

you say there can be a raged. I just signed my my renewer.

Lisa, you want to increase, now you want to decrease, easy for

you say it by anyway, Our listen is up next year. Go next

year. Yeah, I'll be saying November next year, two years man,

So next year is two years radio. I'm sharing this only because if we

don't got a heart against apathy, don't cut the heart right? We get

so drawn in? Do we get so sucked in that world? We reveal

and deal al though there is no God. Come on, we make decisions

because you know what, power can be very seductive. Power can be very

seductive. You can actually sell you out your family for power. One and

every time this got a conversation, I just give glory to the law because

it is not me, not my negotiations. To nothing, I say,

God, is you to open every door and every person that deal with us

is to know that we belong to Jesus Christ and no one else. Just

that all right? Now. Secondly, this is that we have to got

our first love or our conviction. Come on, we have got our first

love? Very important for us. We have to guard our first love.

Right, we'll be very tempted. Okay, worst isai If they were to

say, day after they they seek me out. They seem eager to know

my ways. Come on, day after they people seek the Lord, eager

to know my ways. Right, as if the nation that's what's right,

has of a sacred Come on, you can follow everything, but not in

love with Christ. It's like school. We can follow all the rules in

school, but not love the school. We can follow everything, but not

so this one is reminding us again. That's why fasting is all about coming

back to our first love, which is God. Come on, coming back

to our first love, because he loves so much. If I can only

have more time beyond my take up toosh the t if I share your how

much the Lord loves his people, not just the building. The Lord loves

his people, people who come to outdoors, no job found, job found,

wife, blessed, turn around. People came in with a heavy heart,

heavy heart, burden, money, take our own life, prey visited,

prayed, help the person, pick up the person, trash and stuff

that turn around change now went up. You understand how much it Lot loves.

It's not not because we are more intelligent, more educated that they are.

Do not love people. We need to guard back our first love because

if we forget our first love, we're actually living a life with our compass.

If we forget our first love, we are actually living our lives with

our compass. You can do everything right. Worst three say Why we are

faster, they say, and you have not seen it? Why we have

humber always have not noticed yet the day we're faster, You do as you

please. So fast thing reveals, friends, what our love is. Come

on, fast thing, reveal. It's not about full I'm talking about fast

saying, reveal what our love is. Because many times in our life,

friends, God is after a lifestyle more than more than, more more than

our just our just coming out to church on Sunday. He's interested in our

life because many times in our journey, if you're not careful, well pick

our lifestyle. That's what we think. That's right in our old eyes,

but not maybe not the perfect one from the Lord. Lord. This one

wants to again. I keep saying it remind us only because we live in

the times whereby everything is so uncertain and we need the Lord. We need

the Lord. I was in one church, plant one day, I just

say that, isn't it true that we put the responsibility of a Christian growth

to the church better than than ourselves. So I'm just going to say this

because next year I won't see you. So back in the days where by

in the eighties and nineties, selth you remember the shop caused ourvation? Remember

you have been there before? All right? You remember something you've got membership

with called praise id right, were very very important or that that that that

that piece of people right ten percent of all the cities and bybles you buy

right? And I know back then right things don't have internet, So we

always buy books to read to improve our Christian faith. So I was asking

you a question to a girl of Christian in a church plant and say,

hey, we always say that the church is not preaching deep enough. Could

I just ask you in your library of libraries, in your books, how

many books that you have on Christianity like these are total silence? Right?

How many books you have about Christianity? But other every days or e work

every day is online? Great cry, just see how much time you spend

reading that? Because the responses couldn't be back to us to keep your fire

man think about it. The responses shouldn't be back to the past or the

elders or the leaders or home leaders to keep your fire, because if you

don't spend, Lord, how are we going to spend? We only I

only see you fifteen minutes. The fifteen minutes aren't going to survive after lunch,

right, So therefore we must the word said to God our first love.

We need to make investment. Come on those we are married in love?

Really right? Like about this being married for one more year? Sometimes

it's America. It is American. Marriage is expensive. I have not seen

any any story. Do I have spent money? One happy and three?

Yes? Do the dishes we're gonna eat, Meggi bee. Every wife is

going to complain and kill their husband he made right now you're it is your

fiftieth year and you're celebrated. Now. Nothing wrore with Meggie, me and

my cup? Okay, nothing wrong? Please please do stow me right?

Nothing wrong with that? All right? I wish my wife we here.

This's nothing wrong with that. Okay. But if if it's out the boy

said he just treated like common like that, then what happens is this that,

just like the Bible, we just lose our first love. So we

have to god our heart against all form of temptation. Very easy to be

tempted, very easy to be tempted to forsake our first love. Nobody starts

off for sacking the first love on the first day one friends, today you

get married to morow you're foresake very abnormally like okay, friends they want really

got out from behind the right very rarely, w youtudy you accept backs like

very rarely on friends that mess. You accept the Christ without without you know

if you're in love in the first place, and then it will go on

afterward. But the words that we get tempted to foresay because after a while,

the words become routine. When things become routine, right, weapons stale

low whitepards like that law, wiepards, nothing changed law. When I have

to do a premiure counter with someone who actually dated for eight years, nothing

dating for eight years eight years, first question we asked, why do you

want to get married like that? Eight years? They take real the next

next progressional Now, no, seriously, this answer like the data for eight

years already data for eight years, like that law. If you're the fiance,

say come on, come on, ladies, if you're hearing this,

okay, if this your your your, if you're if we're gonna get married

to a guy who just think this to your husband right saying that I did

for eight years, just marry I'm not sure how many ladies are very excited

to hear the husband say that like that law? No right you you realize

it. Come on a bit more excitement. Come on, eight year street,

I had for eight years. I can't I can't wait to marry her

already. I have to marry her, right at least show a bit like

that lot of friends. Then after after, after you said the paper said

you're eight years ready, kid, we have to go a couple of explain.

We have to got our first love, which is the Lord. If

you're not if if if not friends, we get the worst seduced by the

dark dark side, which is not gast favoroits seduced by the dark side,

we get tempted by everything else except the things of the Lord. That's why

the Bible is reminding us again in the fast thing in Isaia fifty it was

five isn't not the kind of fast I've chosen? Or fasting is the act

by choice, friend, to say no the food. Right, it's a

physical act to say no the food. It's a physical the food. But

it's also a choice, Frans. It is a choice. Every day you're

presented with a choice whether you carry the cross or not. Every day you're

presented with a choice whether you want to live out your Christian conviction not.

Every day you're presented with a choice whether you want to live for God or

not for him. You're always presented with a choice. So fast it reminds

us the next you're hungry, Fans, I really feel like giving up the

faith not carrying the cross. Remember fast thing, because it reminds us against

of our Christian conviction. It's not because that we cannot eat, it's because

of commitment. We'mit to the Lord. What it's easier to say in terms

of like, yeah, elder, you're right, you know it's our choice.

Some dismen when we don't have when we're presented with the choice. That's

where the rabble meets the world. That's where it really counts. I'm sharing

a personal story.'ll I know of somebody who give up chrich leadership?

Right, give up Chris leadership, not not for our church. Don't worry

this ship, give up leadership because found love again, found love again,

but that was found love again, but the the other party not Christian.

Now Christian found love again because different values, right, different values. So

I'm going to say this FECh does's not X rated. Different values. Basically

you understand that, right, say that really different values. So therefore they

want to they want to do certain things that there was only man for marriage

or framous. So nicely they all those certain things only men from marriage.

And therefore the only the only thing that's stopping this individual is the chic leadership

and commitment to the Lord. Now, if you are alone for the longest

time and this opportunity came up to you, that's where it really really counts.

But we can say that we've got our first love. You know,

we resist the temptation while we say no, this is real, it really

counts because it is not. It is not. Let's say, for example,

it's not just another meal you're looking for. Is the very point whereby

you just feel like giving up, forget about commitment, I will just being

shop all the blue face I can. It's that that very moment that's where

we need to guard our hearts friends. So this individual said, it's hard

I love the other person. It's it's a long time single already that it

feels good to be in love. And he's asking for premier to sexual Yma

and my adult already consenting adult with Yma. What's strong weed, it's my

happiness we're talking about here. The individual choice live, live, left,

left church, left the ministry, everything to be with that just because like

say again now it's I'm not banging the person saying make wrong decisions or anything

like that, but I'm trying. I'm drawing off from this story, is

that guarding our first love friends is not just about like today, I can

gut it, but it's really at the point in time, at the one

very point in time whereby your the word is tempted, beyond tempted. It's

like something you always wanted, something that you you were missing out in your

life, and it was just right in front of you. It's just a

matter of saying yes. That's where we need to get our first lift,

which is God. Because many times in our journey we can we can we

can see easily say no to things that that doesn't appeal to our hearts.

But when something is so close, somebody that we don't have, and just

saying by saying yes, the doors open, you walk through it and you

enjoy it, that's where it really really counts. Smile friends, not talking

about extra, not talking about any right, So this is the worst five.

This is the first I've chosen only for what a day for the people

to hummer theself. So what it's got after guarding our first love means there

has to be a change in our lifestyle, friends, a permanent change in

our lifestyle, because it's not just a one day event. Your your first

off is not a one day event, but it's really a reflection of your

commitment to the low in your journey with the lot. We can be tempted

in every way friends, even Cristianity, there is all a temptation to be

like other church, to be like the models and stuff like that. Can

be tempted to own your own building, to maintain your own building, the

nice architects, everything can be can be so appealing. Cristianity can be so

appealing to be like that. Because that's why this I was listening to a

podcast. The podcast is spent like no small churches you know how to small

churches to big churches. And and while that's very interesting, but the reality

and the truth is there's nothing wrong being small. There's just remain small in

terms of like this is that's this congression. Don't grow right, you know

what happens, we become very depress. I spoke to a pastor one day.

I gave him another church. Please, I'm making making reference to that.

Please don't think I'm serving any any people leadership. I also know other

other church pastors. Okay, I will show you a picture of my dinner

with them. Vide for her. So I was talking. She was leading

a Chinese church, senior fellowship Chinese church right, And after a while I

discovered that she decided to give up rather let go of the position and the

ministry. The church shows down. I said, why do you do that?

You know how depressing this when the church is not growing? I say,

what when you are doing a church for senior people right, one by

one, the log calls them home. No, seriously, I'm doing more

funerals than both days. I understand when the church is going, I'm doing

more funerals and birth days. You know, one by one, God calls

them home, and I don't be the last persis standing there. So therefore

it's better for me for my mental health to resign and look at life and

better be the just after Bye bye, say hi to Jesus for me,

right, T Tell Jesus I did five more years. So I pray friends

that you'll got our hearts. Okay, I got to move on. I

got to end sooner readily. I believe all right now Zachar seven verse five,

say to all the people of the land, and do the priests,

okay, when you fast and mon on the faith and seven months during the

seventeen years, did you fast for me? Did you fast for me?

For me? So when we do our industry giving, friends, don't don't

just give because the cheapers is asking you to. Don't do anything with the

Christian world just because somebody is asking you to do because the lot has led

you to It's all right on, friends, do it because a lot let

you too. If you don't do it because the lot let you tom you

hit a problem or situation, you exit, you must allow the Lord to

lead you. You must allow the lot to lead you to a place.

That's why sometimes when couples break up, you know again doing premierure counseling.

Why do you come together or the lot letters together? That's come on,

even you're in the Christian when you're in the Christian environment, that's what they

have to say. Why you want to get married? Or the lot brought

us together? What do you like the person that everything is a lot on

your friend? When when everything about you, when you want in your way,

everything is about the lot one. I'm just being very honest with your

friends. I hope you don't mind. So everything when when you wanted your

way, everything is a lot. The Lord give us confirmation that we should

date. The Lord give us sign that she's the one for me or he's

the one for me. It's that's what. And when we walk through the

person through divorce, I say, where's the Lord. I mean, we're

spanning right now, but it's it's we have to bring back because if the

lot leads you to get married, then the law has the Lord will lead

you off a marriage. That's what I'm trying to say. And that's why

sometimes that we do things because it's actually our own selfish reason reason and I

want to encourage you. Uh really, it's to just go deeper. Ference

when we do of devotion, don't don't know of devotion, because if you

know the devotion and then people like you and no do your devotion because you

really want to know the lot. Praise because you really want the sikest face

right, give because you really don't gifted the lot. That's that's how you

live a life without so much burdened. At the end of the day.

If we want to be part of the program, help us to start home,

be a part of help with the start homes because we need as many

home leaders as we can get. We want to become a movement. We

totally believe this is a strategy of God has given us. Be it and

just do that, friends, don't just be I don't know why about Monday

approached me, come and self. I went in there. You know what's

going that? I got sucked in and stuff like that. All my Saturdays

are gone, all my Sundays are gone. Let's say, I know my

phone is vibrating on because of becoming messages. Jeez, I want to take

a break. Nothing wrong with taking breaks, Okay, friends, please,

I'm not hitting out with anybody, but I just felt the Lord doing worship

saying that this meanings to accept, because many times we can actually forget our

first live. Come on, in the Revelations chapter two, they've done everything

correct. But you know the scripture right, You forsake your first live,

never forsake your first off because that's where your conviction comes from. That's where

your compass comes from. That's where life comes from. Friends. Nothing can

give us life, Accept the Lord. Come on, nothing can give us

life and purpose. Accept the Lord. Nothing can give us life and purpose.

Accept the Lord. Remember first help us reminds me remember our purpose while

we're here on earth. I want to encourage you to really remember your first

love and with that, Friends, that's how you're going to have a fulfilling

life, not just life living for my self. So when I talk to

somebody, no, first I remember having conversation with you. I won't bring

it up to explain. I'll go there another tally to say it. You

must say elder like you talk about you know. I begin to observe,

friends, because yeah, I say, you're in your seventies. What do

you still have to work? Nothing? Not because I don't need to.

My children have enough for four generations already, and stuff like that. But

I like the tree of working. Just a bit more, just a bit

more, just a bit more, one more zero need that's one more zero?

I went like, yeah, But what I'm just trying to tell him

was like yeah, but after a while, that's not fulfilling anymore because you're

one more zero doesn't mean a thing for your children if you don't impact values.

For I how to multiply it values? Purpose? What's the one more

zero four? If there's no purpose? My final point is is that friends

fasting fasting is really a spiritual act. With this, I'm going to close.

Why do I start of regarding against eputhy your first live because if you're

not careful, we put plusters around everything else, but not dealing with a

real issue. Come on, not dealing with a real issue, James.

Chapter four reminds us and one you draw you to the Lord, for as

we have to ask all to cleanse our hands and profile our hearts. Come

on, cleans our hands and profile our hearts. You and I know this.

If one drawing you to the Lord, we have to clean the ways

that remusts come to the place. By God, I am not worthy.

I need you Lord. That's why the Lord's prayer says that forgive me of

my death, as I forgive those to trespass against me, forgive me of

my dad. That's why we need the Lord. The worst thing sometimes is

that we think we're all right just because we don't fall into the category of

doing bad. We don't smoke, we don't kill, we don't sell people

of the slavery right, we don't slender people. We're just living a good

life, an honest life. By living that life, we think we're all

right. But a love God to go deeper, because the Bible says our

hands sometimes picked up filth, our hearts sometimes is not in the right place.

Look warm. And if we continue to live out our life like that,

friends, we can. The Bible says that you can live out your

life like but you're going to miss out a lot. That's why fasting it

is more of a spiritual act than a physical one. Friends, Fasting is

more of a spiritual act than a physical one, because if if you and

I just think that it's just fasting, it's just another physical egg, and

then we miss out on worse six as if if they were six. It's

not the fast I've chosen to lose the bond of weakness, to undo the

heavy burdens, to let the press go free, and to bring every friends

the bond of wackness, heavy burdens of oppression, and and and and and

being in you. It's all spiritual. You and I do not go around

every day of life carrying a physical yo. No spiritual the friends. You

and I do not go around carrying bonds of weakness or carrying havory burdens,

physical heavy burdens. It's spiritual friends. So fasting friends reminds us that by

choosing this, you're going to undo certing in the realm of the spirit.

Come on, you've gotta do certaining that realm of the spirit. Worse six

reminds us again that when you choose the fast of Lord, something you have

will change, something in your heart will transform, something your have will be

replaced. Worse seven day is not to share your break with the hungry and

to bring your house to the poor who are cast out. Verse seven and

worse six are interrelated because Worse six has to happen first before Worse seven,

because it's the breakthrough that happens internally your heart. Transform your heart, change

your values change. That's why worse seven comes into play. Your external values

change as well. But you only if you begin to or just open your

house or the poor without a change in heart. Friends, that itself love

is a state that itself go long, that itself will not go far.

The end result of using is changinging heart. Come on, the end result

of ussing is the change in heart that we love God more that we loved

the lot more that we also know how much she loves us, how much

He loves us. Today, as I bring this to a close, friends,

I just felt just encourage you all, just remember how much God loves

you. Remember how much God loves you. You're not alone. You're not

alone in your journey. You're not alone in your life, your marriage.

God loves you. Fast thing is taking up a pit stop saying God,

I just take a time out for a while to be in you, just

to know you more, what's happening around me. We can again, we

can just go to life just like that. And really right and of of

March, next thing, you know, July, next thing you know,

November, next thing you know, we are celebrating one more year older in

our both days flies right. Your kids are all growing up ready to reach

your shoulder already southd doller than you life, but fasting just the pit stop,

saying God, I need a pit stop, I need I need to

refresh. Just the way is what's what's life all about? What's it all

about? Because it has to be more than just existing. I truly believe

that I'm a firm believer that that there's something more than just for us to

be here on earth. So I'm going to share this true story with you

all, and I hope bless you. So during the Global Passes Retreat,

there was a session of Q and A with the pastes qurent A the passes,

and the question came out like this Passa, what's the plan? What's

the end game? As a plan? Because most of us served a lot

for almost ten, fifteen, twenty years ready, and so what's a succession

plan? Right? So how like Passacajina, you know he's going to be

there for another ten to fifteen more years. Then he's he still loves Malaysia,

he will ultimately come back here. So what's a plan for X?

Karachi? So pasa Chad and the Passa asked anyone else wanted to add?

I knew nobody could really add to the conversation, because unless you've been through

their journey right, you can't really add to the conversation except for just baby

suggestions of maybe how to improve. So I asked passa pasca share, so

I did so. For the longest time since the church first started, we

were just out from just passion right again, Sometimes we do things a lot

of just passion first, faith first, then wisdom comes kicks in later,

much later, but just visit them all, just faith all the way.

And I was helping the church with finances for the longest time, again,

not because I want to do it, because no one else will do it,

just doing it. It's very simple in and now and this stuff like

that. We're not business, thank god. We did no x k you

nothing at all. Just see in and now and stuff like that. So

for the longest time we're just doing there, just trying to balance thing out.

Oh pass this man got extra many peris or put it extra next one?

No money take out? Why would we saved from last month, last

few months to pay off this month. That's how the church were operating.

One time a church passed came up to me, you know, can you

I want to let you know, I'll just got two years, Wolf of

f D two years, but I passed up, so sorry, I just

never had two years. Then passive just sit the statement. You know,

if ever the church rejoiced because of two years every year, I really wonder

why the Lord wants to give us extra money. Is not supposed we kept

in the Kingdom of God. Is supposed to fund the Kingdom of God freely,

we see freely you just give it out and you depend on the Lord.

They say there's a there's a character in the history because George Muller who

started often hees every month pray for provision to supply, not one month pay

for extra that have to tell people that here we have extra praise. So

hallelujah, look at earth. Yay we are rape. God said gif you

give, God says Soviet. So anyway, one day, as we're approaching

our nineteenth year, sorry, oh yeah, nineteenth year, passa set me

down and saying, yeah, I think it's about time that we form a

board for finance. Never easy, though, if you're one of the people

who understand throughout the journey, it's rare hard to let go and come on,

you understand what I'm trying to say, let it goes now, we're

easy, it's about time, and we had to had two separate retreat.

The retreat is entirely what happened if elder care is no longer here on earth.

Because again it's not because I heard it. It's because that's how the

the chest started. For the longest time, I was the one that you

know, attend to different things, the rand spot, bring the rental for

fakes, toilet clock, put your hands inside that, take out the trash,

everything like friends. So because you know everything, you know, you

know the keys of all, how the whole entire, the mechanism, how

it works. So because you're so comfortable with it sometimes also sometimes you're very

it's good to felt needed. If you know, I'm trying to say,

people call it wow relevant as you asish you still feel relevant. So there

was that was a that was the retreat name point. I'm no longer around.

I begin to beginning, I need to flip charts, to lose out

all my responsibility to make sure that someone else know about it, someone else

know about it, someone else know about it. So as you get the

least and begin delegate. No, I have a team. I really thank

God for a team. Seriously. But anyway, there was one year before

I have my heart, or rather the same year the earlier before I had

my heart situation. God knows my friends. God knows the needs for the

church, He knows the needs for the individual. He knows our friends.

And because I have to let certain things go and allow the team to do

it. Our friends that were easy to let certain thing goes because can like

saying it. You know it really because you can do it better than anyone

else. Come on, it's not because you can do it better better.

I explained to you, I finish the job ready right now. But I

explained to you how to do it. I'll finish the job ready somebody right,

But you have to you have to come on church, you have to

step up. And we were just talking about so I explain this to people

to the past. The global passes. You know, I have to let

it go while I love what I'm doing. After less, certain things go

because God has another plan, another plan, another plan. Come on,

some of us didn't let go of certain things. God has another plan.

Fast, it's freet your acts. We have to let go, let go

for another thing. And of late passes, be asking me just to talk

to like let me passes the hill of a house. So he lawyer by

training, so he knoww the negotiate the release and stuff like I no coffee

or food. If you ask me about food, I can talk to you

about food. I til kingdom come. These kind of things. I don't

know. I remember I messed up so much, But keep on doing it

to where I am right now, and I'll share you the passes. You

know, it's not retirement that goes after. He wants us to move an

uralm of dependency and allow other people to step up. If you hold the

place for too long, other people won't step up. Other people won't step

up with the place. Why I'm sharing this to you because first thing is

a spiritual act. It's a spiritual act of fasting. God is going to

reveal. God is going to reveal things that we need to let go.

Come on, thinks you need to let go. Some of you exercise book

textbook from primary school, Let it go, Please, let you go.

Maybe keep one for memory, famul up, but let it go right taple

wearest that you kept, say one day, one day, I'll use it.

Let it go. Because some other family can benefit from your tables.

Come on, I love my pots and pants a lot. I love it

I have. I have a lot of commercial stuff in my house. My

wife say, Aguila, I have a lot of commercial stuff, even commercial

ice cream maker. Have it because I found good good deal. Come on,

come on, good deal. Cannot let go ma, right, good

deal. Just have to buy it, buy first thing about it. Later

God's pay. If you don't use it, it's gonna get spoilt. Come

on, some of you are staying too long your Christian faith right now,

if you don't use your faith, you don't use the why deoss you even

debt itself the Bible say that you'll go on because you're not using it.

It's like close right now when the courage can come on, God against everythy

come on, don't don't grow cold. Remain your first love. Come on

only Martin. I'm talking about first love. Really. I'm not saying that

you forget, but I'm just reminding all of us here again. So part

of us and keep about first because you know our faith, our life depends

on it. And remember fastating it's not just a physical but a spiritual God

wants to go deeper. In the hearts, transformation and change. We need

to seek God, ask him what he want, that's what he values,

so that our lives friends have meaning and purpose here on earth. Not just

going to work, but friends going to work with a purpose. Not just

not just coming back from work end of the day. No, go back

to the old house, but even they also have a purpose that you're going

there and realizing that God, you are blessed with this for a reason.

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

our church, please visit as Church RG. We are also active on Facebook

and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be a good week

ahead for you. God bless