An Opportunity In Every Obstacle (Part 1) | Pr Kenneth Chin

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

will light up your day. I want to share with you, all of

you, my precious, precious ex partners and leaders. The message, very

simple, is going to be broken into two. Today is going to be

a shorter one. Let's see how we go. But the topic is really

to see an opportunity in every obstacle. I want God to annoying all of

our eyes and the way we see problems and the way we see trials and

testing will be different from today onwards, that we will see it actually as

an opportunity and not an obstacle. We will see that God loves us and

has a plan for us, know that he hates us and wants to destroy

us. And I pray that even as Christians and believers in Jesus, we

will be able to see life like this no matter what comes our way.

Let's find a way to give God glory, Amen, praise the Lord.

So see every problem as an opportunity to work the works of God, to

testify. Approach every problem as an opportunity to reveal God's power and to declare

God's testimony. This is the way I would like us all to live.

Okay, so let's look at the slices again. Opportunities are often disguised as

obstacles, and that's why so many of us miss them. They are actually

opportunities, but we just see the problem. We just see the obstacle.

From today onwards, we want to see every obstacle as an opportunity for God.

So let's not miss the opportunity because of our attitude, our wrong attitude.

We want the right attitude. We want God's attitude, and we want

to be able to turn every darkness into light, every ugliness into beauty,

every impossibility into a possibility. Can someone say, amen, let's look at

the next line, seeing every problem as an opportunity to work the works of

God. So this is really the target and the focus of our teaching this

morning. All right, to work the works of God. Next Light says,

approaching every difficulty as an opportunity to reveal God's power. And one more

slight, maybe before we read the word of God to glorify his name.

All right, let's read. I'm going to turn now to John chapter nine.

Turn with me, please, because it won't be on the screen.

John chapter nine. If you have your Bibles, whether it be printed or

digital. Please do turn to the Word. It might be the only time

you turn to the Word of God this week. I hope not. I

hope every day you turn to the Word of God. But sometimes, at

least on Sunday, one time you turn to the Word and get a teaching

that will change your life. Let's read the Word. John chapter nine,

verse one. Now, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who

was blind from birth, and his disciples ask him, saying, Rabbi,

who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind. Jesus answered,

neither this man nor his parents sin, but that the works of God

should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent

me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of

the world. When he had said these things, he spat on the ground.

Some of us don't understand why he had to do it. I'll explain

to you next the next few verses that we're reading. He made clay with

a sliver, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with a clay,

and he said to him, go wash in the pool of Siloan,

which is translated sent. So he went and washed, and came back seeing

Hallelujah. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind,

said, is not this he who sat and begged? Some said this

is he? Others said he is like him? He said, I am

he. Therefore they said to him, how were your eyes open? He

answered, and said, a man called Jesus, make clay and anointed my

eyes and said to me, go to the pool of siloam and wash.

So I went and washed, and I received sight. Then they said to

him, where is he? He said, I do not know. Now

we will save the reading of verses thirteen to twenty five or even more next

Sunday, God willing but suffice is the reading for today's teaching and hopefully a

revelation, hopefully and encouragement to all of you. So we want to work

the works of God. This is very very important. Let's now read again

verses one to five, and I want to bring you five points that I

pray will encourage you a lot. Now, as Jesus passed by, he

saw a man who was blind from birth, and his disciples ask him saying,

Rabbi, who's sin this man or his parents that he was born blind?

Okay, let's put the first point out to be able to work the

works of God. Jesus already said that this has happened so that the work

or the works of God might be done. So the first point are five

points I want to give you, and really I pray that it will.

It will change your perception and even your attitude about things that you go through

in life. The first point or the first thought is to tell you that

a theological problem is how this whole story started. What was it? Lord,

who's sin? That this man was born blind? Is a theological question

because it's a question about how God thinks. That's theology, how God works,

how God feels. So every time you say theology, it just means

a theology means a study of God like biology. Right, it's a study

of you know, biological stuff and stuff like that. Right. Every time

you add a word logy at the back is a study of So Theo is

God in the Greek theo theology. So you want to study how God thinks

from his word, how he acts, how he feels, what he says,

and all that Okay, how he works. So it's so good that

a theological question was asked to God himself Jesus Christ, and so only God

could have answered this question, and he answered it so well. And I

want us to be able to catch something from here before we move on to

work the works of God, before we move on to see God's power,

before we move on to see God's glory. What needs to happen is that

we need to have a proper theological understanding. And when we don't have a

correct proper theological understanding, or I want to say it again in Layman's words,

if we don't have a proper perspective perception understanding of how God thinks,

how God feels. Right, we think, oh God is like this is

when we sin, he slaps us. If that's your thinking, if that's

your theology, then that's how you're gonna move every day. You're gonna move

very carefully. Don't push the pulpit less he smite you with a with a

lightning bolt. Please don't sit on past his chair. Oh you just put

your bible there, and he moved it. He moved it because his theology

said, better move it less the Lord comes and spits on his face.

Okay, okay, I don't know what your theology is, but there are

many Christians who go around with theology that it sounds right, it even sounds

religious, And maybe you came from another religion before, and so some of

the teachings of those religions come to you as like, uh you know inila,

you know uh a chara tu han, this is the ways of God,

and you know what will happen. Right. If you have the wrong

theology, you will be blinded and bound forever. You be bound because you

can never feel the freedom of just being a child of God. You will

always feel like I'm just a subject, I'm just a creation that he can

step on, you know, stuff like that. And I don't want Christians

to go around with the wrong perception of God, the wrong theology. So

the theology started first, who's sin this man or his parents? That he

was born blind? So that means that even for the Disciples, they had

a theology that he must have sinned or his parent and sin. And where

they're from, they're from the Jewish culture. They have been taught by the

Pharisees for years. So you can be going to a religious school and not

really learning who God really is. And that's the problem. Jesus came to

show us who God really is, how he thinks, how he acts.

Jesus is, you know, the reflection. He is God, and he's

the reflection of other God, to show you how he loves, how he

forgives. You're with me and thank God for Jesus, because then we can

see a model, we can see an example. This is how God is,

that he will go to the cross to die for our sins even though

we don't deserve it. That's the kind of God weserve. He's not waiting

until you deserve it. Then only he gives you. He gave you even

when we don't deserve. He gave his life for us. I also do

with me. So when you look at Jesus, you get a glimpse of

God. And so the Jewish thought was probably from the Old Testament. The

Jewish thought was like sin means blind, so someone had to sin. Lord,

just tell us is it him or is it his parents? Then the

theology was wrong, and if you continue to live that Chara theology, you'll

be bound and blind the rest of your life. You could be even religious,

and you could even be coming to church every Sunday, But you will

never be free. But once you get your theology right, you will see

and you will be free. If not blind and bound, but if correct

view of God, you will see it and you will be free. I

want all of you to live like that, you know, I desire to

live like that for my own life or my own family. I don't want

to come under just religious thinking. I want to come under truth because only

truth sets us. No, religion doesn't set us free. Bible schools so

doesn't set us free? Is truth? And who is the truth? Jesus

is the way, the truth and the life are you also with me?

So God always wants us to deal with the theological problem. For us,

it always starts because when we can have the right answer, we can then

move on. If we don't have the right perspective, perception, view of

God, we can never move on. You fast, also, you first,

or I fast because I want to force God to work for me.

You see wrong, and that's why even the first thing was wrong in many

cases, and course says this is not the kind of fast I want.

You know, you make yourself look so sad. Long Papa, your face,

you think I will move because of that. See people think of that

I just had to suffer, and a lot of religion and that I you

know, I've seen it on a documentary. Some people whip themselves, all

right, the more scars and they can put it in the back, the

more they hope God will listen to them. But Jesus already put the scars

on his own body so that we can come to him directly. Why do

you need to put scars on your body where He has put scars on his

body. I also do me this is it's so important. So everywhere people

are trying their best, by their own strength, to get God's attention,

and so be careful because you can. He will even have a seven day

prayer not eating, and they'll find no answer because your perception, your view

of God itself was wrong. I'm not saying that it's happening in this rumor.

I'm just saying that it happens everywhere I go. It's happened to me

as well, and God usually deals with our theology, and then we are

we will be free. Let me tell you the story. My father,

many many years ago had a band boy. So some of you know my

dad my dad was in the entertainment industry. He was a manager of Suderman,

manager of all these top artists in the country, and then he moved

on from Sudarman and the know he brought in all these top artists, including

Michael Jackson into the country. So my dad was well known in the in

the country. But after he knew Jesus, he gave his life to preach

the gospel and bring people to church. One day there was a band boy,

a Filipido band boy, staying in Ekotorio Hotel quite near way your office

is, brother, but no, it's called Ecotoria. It's called something else

right now. What the hotel is that next to your office in PNAd,

So Ecotoria Hotel. The band boy, the Filipido band boy, tried three

times to jump out of the window of the like I think he was staying

on a sixth floor or something like that. Okay, tried three times every

time his friend pulled him back in. Saved by his friend. Okay.

Finally the friend said, I've got to send you somewhere. Found out that

Mike Bernie was a Christian all right and telling people about Jesus, and so

let's go see him. So they took a taxi all the way to Taman

Pramatta where our office, my dad's office was. So I remember Dad called

sos to his home fellowship leader, his home sell Rubida and Uncle Siping,

who's now with the Lord. He called me. He called me. He

says, Kenneth, can you come follow me. Your dad just called me

and it seems like there's a man who wants to commit suicide. And he

says, you know, he says, your dad said he's like a zombie

and he hasn't slept and your dad can't get through to him. So I

was only seventeen years old, and I went into the car with Uncle Siping

and we drove to from Ampangjaya to Tama Parmata. Took probably about half an

hour to get there. As I was waiting for Unker Siping to come pick

me up, I prayed. I say, Lord, I don't know.

I haven't counseled many people. I haven't prayed for many people. I'm seventeen,

I'm only two years old. Christian. Please, if you have something

to say about it, please say something. And the Lord dropped something in

my heart and said, it's his father, it's his father. It's his

father. I just felt things like that, it's his father. So I

went into the into the car under siping drove me and we got into the

office, walked in and my dad was really waiting head, please come faster,

you know. And so he walked in into the office and there's this

man who looks really I mean, if you've seen zombie looks on on on

screen, because he hasn't slept for I think it was ten days, hasn't

slept a wing for ten days. He was pale, he was down,

his eyes bloodshot red, and he was just looking down like that, like

no movements at all. He didn't even look up when I came in or

underside pinged in, you know, he said hello and no just no response.

Just death. Death was on him and his friend you know, started

telling a story. He says, has a sap, has a slapt.

Even when we took the taxi here, he was just a zombie all right.

I said, let's go see Mike Brady. He didn't even answer because

all he wants to do is die. So ungus I being started by you

know, opening scripture, opening scripture, opening scripture, opening scripture, opening

scripture, wonderful, wonderful would have God is powerful, but it wasn't getting

through. It wasn't getting through. So as they were done, uncus,

I've been just you know, after about forty five minutes of doing it,

that he said, let's just pray alla, you know, pray and then

go home. I know, not getting true. So a bordess came into

my heart, God saying, I told you something. You asked me and

I told you, so say something seventeen years old. If I have all

these older men. You know, we grew up with our parents saying children

are to be seen, not to be hurt. Right now, all children

want to be hurt. Different, different life we are doing. But that's

how I grew up. So I don't say anything, but the Holy Spirit.

Come on, Kenneth, come on. So I said, okay,

sorry, can I say something unus I've been what this is about there?

Oh yeah, Kenneth, Yeah, go ahead. I just wanted to ask

him a question. He's still looking down. Haven't looked at one one blink,

one sight, one look, no nothing, just looking down all the

time. I think he just wants to go home and die. So you

know, his death death can be seen on him, and I just said,

can I ask him a question? How is his relationship with his father?

And within about thirty seconds his body begin to shake. He was holding

back tears, and then he cried. He couldn't holdhim back anymore. And

then as he composed himself, I said, I prayed for you before I

came, and the Lord told me that your relationship with your own father is

blocking your relationship with your father in heaven. You had no real model of

what a loving father is. And so when someone says the Father God loves

you, Father God cares for you, he has no concept. And he's

done so many bad things in his life. He has he's only seen Father

God with a cane, because he's only seen his own father with a cane.

He's you know. After that, he said, how his father?

He only remembers disciplined, shouting, why not good enough? Your results not

going enough? So the whole time he only remembers negative things about the Father.

So when you say Father God, he can't. The theology doesn't work.

The theology is I think he's like that. Also, I had to

work hard for his approval, and when I'm down, he doesn't pick me

up. He steps on me when I'm down. He kicks me like my

dad us you with me, And then I had to just spend the next

twenty minutes. God is not like that. God is not like that.

Kind of long story short, he believed it. He saw it, that

his God is so different from his earthly father. And I'm not saying blame

the earthly Father. No, there's a different story. I always say,

forgive your earthly father, but I say, more importantly, catch a glimpse

of who this God really is? Do you know what? He was totally

set free, really know it. After that, as he cried all that

kind of stuff, he calmed down, the spirit of death left him his

you know, a color came back to his face. You know, sometimes

you can say a thousand scriptures and there's no change, because it's not just

about knowledge. It's about the ability to tell people who God really is.

You tell it from your own experience. And when they went back to Ecuatoria

Hotel, his friend called my dad, those days, I don't think there

was handful. So he had to go back and call from Ecatoria Hotel.

He said, Mike, this man slept like a baby from the time he

got into the taxi all the way to k l He slapt like a baby,

because when the peace of God comes, you suddenly just are able to

sleep. But how does the peace come? It comes by knowing who it

is. Who is the Prince of peace. I'm talking about theology. Some

of you might say, yeah, he forgives, but maybe he won't forgive

me. I know my God is kind, but maybe he's not kind to

me. I know my God is patient, but maybe he's not patient with

me. I know my God forgets my past, but maybe he remembers a

little bit. See, whatever you're gonna do to yourself, you can.

You can be the reason why you haven't broken Throughe are you all with me?

And I want I just want to share with you the truth. And

it's important. It's important to get these Jewish disciples to understand it's neither anyone's

fault nor no, his parents not him. And so they probably got a

shock. Surely there's somebody's fault. And I tell you what, Human beings

are always fought people and the fault blame it. We are always like,

hey, something happened, Who's to be blamed? Right? Plane fell?

Who's to be blamed, whether you know, change who's to be blamed?

You know, milk spill, who's fault? We're very fault finding people.

But God is not the first thing he does is not who's fault. God

is the God that wants to make a difference in the situation. He doesn't

just want to come and find out who's because I tell you what, sometimes

when we find out who's for nothing's nothing changes to So what if you found

out is past the kenneth that tip the glass of milk over? Okay,

so sorry, la, I made mistakes, So do you right? But

then what happens? Somebody has to wipe somebody's you know, to pick up

the broken glass or whatever it is. God is into solutions. He's not

into problems. We are stuck up on our problems and it can be stuck

up from for years. But God, I want to say to you,

and I'm giving you theology now, is into solutions. Amen, He sent

his only son. Isn't it a solution? He died on the cross?

Isn't it a solution? Very very important. Your theology, how you think

God thinks, is really important because before that, before you get the right

theology, you can't take the second step. So the second step is important

too, and I'm going to share it with you in a bit, but

let me just make sure I nail this first. The first point is so

important. Your prayer life depends on it. Your breakthrough, you're blessing,

your healing, your future depends on the right perspective of your father. He's

a good God even in bad times. He's a faithful God, even when

I'm faithless. He is the God who forgives, even when I can't forgive

myself. Nothing changes him. Even if I was the only person on the

earth who sin, he would still have died on the cross because he doesn't

want to see anybody go to hell, so he would have still come for

me. That is a God we serve. Somebody say amen, So let's

let's let's move on, Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents that

he was born blind? What did Jesus say? Number three? Or rather

number two? Ess actually verse three and point two. Let's look at point

two. Now, when you have the right theology, you have to face

that problem with a God perspective. Not who sin but why has this?

Has this been allowed by God? Is very important? So no matter what

trials and testing you go through, whatever problems you go through, whatever hardship

challenges, always try to put God in the picture. That is my encouragement

to all of you. Bring invite God into the picture, because he can

turn anything into something beautiful and something that will be used for his glory.

Are you as sly with me a God perspective? Many of us sometimes fail

or forget to do that. We fail or forget to do that. I

told you the story before of how I come from a broken family, and

I won't repeat the whole thing. You know, my mom left the family

when I was one and my dad was on drugs, and okay, this

a lot, but from a broken heart family. And I can be very

bitter with my mom. I can be very very bitter with my dad.

And I can be very bitter that you know, we were poor, right.

The joke is we were so poor that when the robber came to rob

our house, we robbed him instead. And I can be very bitter.

I can be very bitter. But when you when you put when you invite

God into the picture, you say, God, why do you allow this?

Why do you allow my sister Lynette to commit suicide? When she was

only twenty going on twenty one. Now all this has happened, and I

look into my life and now God is using all of it to minister to

other young people. And I actually find my calling in the darkest moments of

my life. I find my calling in the painful places. And when that

pain can be healed, and when that brokenness can be repaired by God,

he actually uses some of my most miserable past to become miracles for my future.

That sounds like a quote. Some of my most miserable past and pain

is turned into miracles for my future. Amen. And the reason why I

can minister to young people better than other people can. I'm not the best.

I won't claim that, but it's because you come not from just Bible

study. You come not just from Bible school. You come from a place

where they call it the school of heart knocks, and where you had to

taste God's grace and forgiveness and love and healing in a very personal way.

And so when you sit down with somebody who has a suicide in their family

and you listen to them, listen to them, listen and said, yeah,

I totally understand what you're saying. Do you see how my sister you

know, and it totally changes the atmosphere and they go like, oh,

you know, and it could you have been a thousand counselors speaking to them

and then suddenly you speak to them and because of your past, they have

a future. Because of your past, they have a future. Are you

als doing me? Very very important? Not to reject your past, Not

to reject because God can turn right dirt into diamond. He can. He

can turn your dirt into diamond. So get a right perspective of God.

Number one. Number two, invite God. See Jesus answered like this,

neither this man nor his parents sin. So that's theology. Okay, sorry,

your theology is wrong. Please get it out of your brain because I'm

going to tell you why things happen in our lives to work the works of

God, but that the works of God should be revealed. See Jesus brought

in the God factor into this theological question. And sometimes we don't and that's

why we haven't seen the result of why things happen in our lives. But

Jesus says this, abandon sin parents in sin. Let me just put that

aside. But God is going to be glorified. Now, if all of

us can say that, no matter what you go through, you say,

yeah, but why this happened? Why did that happened? Why? Oh,

you know I didn't get the application, I didn't get my visa.

You know my wife got her Australian visa in one hour. I got my

Australian visa in three days. And you got to hey, why you know

you got so many questions, why and how you are still waiting for your

visa after three months? And why? Right? And then we if we

don't get the right perspective, we go into a spiral of why me,

poor me, pity me? Right? And yet the Lord says, if

you could include me into the equation, I will bring you back up,

and you will spiral up and go right now, I know that God is

going to be glorified in this story. He is going to be glorified in

this pain and in this problem. So a God perspective God, the works

of God should be revealed in him point number three. Knowing our purpose,

knowing our purpose? Where do I get it from? From verse four?

I must work the works of him who sent me. I love it.

Jesus actually hasn't really fully answered the question. Although he did, he number

one said, no, don't keep looking people's fault. It's not about sin.

God is not like that you seen he makes you blind, He's not.

He's trying to teach you. I'm answering the theology. But I'm going

to go beyond that. I'm going to now say, hey, it is

all for the glory of God. Keep your eyes on that. Keep your

eyes on the fact that God is about to work a miracle. Okay.

So the answer to the iatological question is a very powerful answer. But Jesus

goes on. He says, I must work the works of him who sent

me, knowing our purpose, knowing our purpose, us a lot of us

are are just into the knowledge. We just want to ask the question and

then we hope Jesus will say, yeah, you're right, your theology is

right when you say you get blind, Okay, I think maybe mean my

name of his parents in la because he cannot be his saying and then be

born blind man, Okay, because he hasn't been born, how can you

be saying. So let's say Jesus answered like that, Okay, that must

be the parents. I thank god Jesus didn't answer like that, because then

we all doing ah God in case, according to Russelle Gode case okay,

that's how Malaysians said. Okay, so he could have answered that. But

even if he did answer like that, what is it for? What is

it for? Yes, you're right, the parents in full stop. Let's

go have lunch. Where's the change. Jesus is not interested in knowledge as

much as he's interested in transformation. Human beings are very interesting knowledge on.

You know, these days you are living in a knowledge economy. Everybody wants

to get, you know, another certificate, another degree, masters right now,

everywhere you turner there's a master's degree somewhere, and then making it cheaper.

You know who. One of the cheapest master's degree I heard it was

thirteen thousand ring. Maybe there's also cheaper, and then there's PhDs and then

you know, I mean hello, I was challenging the people at eight fifteen

that these days you don't even need to go to university. This Google.

Yeah, yeah, I mean you can you can learn a lot. No,

come on, somebody asked me a question. I went to medical chechup

the day and the doctor didn't explain everything to me. But there were a

few things highlighted. So I went into my car and I asked doctor Google,

I say, what's this? Or it has something to do with your

liver not having enough water? Okay, I better drink more water. And

it was this one or this one is no. No. I mean,

if it's all about information and knowledge, we're good. So no need to

go to university. But then university is not just about knowledge. It's about

friendship, spending time with people, learning to be independent, making decisions on

your own learning. Are you with me? That's why some people say,

oh, if it's only about no, if church is only about knowledge,

people can just watch online. But then you won't have fellowship. And when

God never allowed that, he said in his word he Brews ten, verse

twenty five, do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, especially when you

see the day coming. So Jesus is coming soon, and because it's coming

sooner, we need to be able to have a community. But a lot

of people still say, no, I can't watch online. Now. Online

was a permanent solution. It was temporary. Are you also do with me?

That's like all those temperature stuff they're checking, this all temporary. Can

you imagine they're still heavy now, you know, I mean, I mean

it made traveling so bad, so tough by the thank God that you know.

They even the world understood that it's temporary, but some Christians haven't understood

that online messages are. It's also temporary. We should come to a church

and be rooted. Somebody say amen, oh halleen. A lot of you

say amen. I thought I wouldn't get one or two. But because you're

here, that's what you believe in a halleeen. Those who haven't said amen

are there watching it. And it's not to say it's wrong to watch it.

You know, the circumstances where you watch it, but do not forsake

the assembling. So I want to just say to you, it's not just

about knowledge. It's about life. It's about change, it's about development,

it's about growth. It's about mixing with people, talking, eating, you

know, helping, loving. You can't do it on screen. And the

more of these screen time that our young people have, I tell you what,

they're becoming very awkward socially. You know, ah, they only know

this one when this one is honor, Hello, how are you what?

They talked for three hours? And then when this you face to face.

They can't say hello, No, hello Auntie, No hello Auntie, Hello

Uncle is the thing of the pastor those days? How we are thought?

Hey in Chinese, moke you younger, well, moke you young You mean

you didn't you didn't call auntie uncle? You know you didn't? You know

greed? You see, but if Auntie and uncle's face was on the screen

there, maybe you can greed. So maybe all the auntiles and uncles come

to church. Let's come, okay, as long as against see okay,

your face on the screen. Ah, I recognize this real life. Don't

recognize must be honor screen. I'm just joking, but I'm not because you

know, right, typing away messages And then at the table, dinner table,

put down your phone? Please quiet? Why so quiet? Now?

Hey, are you under conviction of where? It's real? It's real,

It'srael, it's not excuse me. Not only about knowledge, come on,

it's about life. Jesus knew his purpose. I must work the works.

So earlier he said God's works. But now he brought it home. He

said, I must work the works of God. Okay, share with you

a testimony just happened. So we set condolences to Pastor Gloria because her mom

just passed away. Her mom is Pastor Chitra Paul, a wonderful woman of

God. I got to a chance to meet her once because Pastor Gloria invited

me to their new apartment. Not that they bought it, their rented it,

but it's a beautiful apartment. And uh, Pastor Paul cooked Martin Curry.

Yeah, she knows my language. And so I got a chance to

meet Pastor Chitra Paul and she shared with me for about two hours and how

she served the Lord, and you know how tough it was and how poor

they were. And then she mentioned the church that she is part of,

and I know that church. I even know the pastor. The pastor has

passed away a couple of during the pandemic. He passed away Robert Judah Paul

Ministry in chowd Kate Ministry among the dog Edicts ministry among the HIV people,

prostitutes great work. And this woman has been with this ministry for longest time.

But a lot of people have left because not many can continue in such

a high stress environment. You know. He told me that sometimes they will

walk the streets of Talcate and as they're walking, you know, they'll see

a guy who has a wound on his arm that you can see to the

bone, and maggots will be chairs coming out of his wound. And so

I think the guy washed the wound, put him to a cafe, a

cafe that we many years ago gave them, because God says, give him

your cafe, so we gave it away. And he used a cafe all

our places, all our spoons and pox to feed people one last, one

last hot meal. They don't have hot meal. They drink the water from

the chalclate drain, okay, and that's why maggots and germs. So God

loves these people also, and so to show them love, Pastor Robert,

Judah Paul and the ministry goes there and one last hot meal, Daniel,

because they die the next day. The maggots are coming out of their base,

especially their bodies already dying, decaying. And so after the last hot

meal and Jesus loves you. The next day, most of them die with

saying I believe in you, Jesus, because they saw the love. Some

of them don't get to because they're still at the adamant, maybe angry with

God. Theology again angry with God because I think that it's God's fault that

they're like that anyway. So sometimes he said to me, as we're walking,

someone will come out with a park and they will all be running.

I said, you didn't send there and say in Jesus name, you know,

said no last run? Now run you think why we're hero I know.

So sometimes they're walking, sometimes they're running. This kind of mystry,

and the kind of mystry A lot of people do one year, do,

two years do, three years sown they go, they go, they leave.

She has been there for I don't know, maybe forty years, seventy

one years old. She died two days ago and we rushed over because passa.

Glorou said, past the kenneth. I don't know how I'm going to

live with myself when my mother dies, because she's so close. I called

them, is there a joke? I say, you are the trinity,

Mom, Gloria and Sonia, and she laughs. What I mean by that

is that they're so close. My godfather got the son hop are so close

they are one, and now they lost part of that trinity as it were,

and she couldn't she couldn't imagine how I'm going to live. In fact,

they got their apartment for mom, and so Mom got the master bid

room. And you know, they every day Mom will call them Mom every

day, are you coming home for tea? And the shad? Remember for

you know, I got tea ready for you. Why don't you buy some

curry pop? And so every day they will have time with mom, walks

with Mom in the park. They said, we lost our best friend.

So we rushed over. He rushed over. I actually had something else to

do, but no, you know this is important, so we rushed over.

I saw her the first time I saw Pastor Gloria breaking down, and

of course, naturally, Sonia, my wife, ran and huged Sonia.

I hugged buzzad Gloria, I think for a good three minutes because I just

felt, you know, she needed, you know that consolation and comfort.

And when I hugged her, I hugged her on your behalf as well,

like, hey, X changes with you, we are with you. Why

am I telling these stories because I want to get to a point. So

you know, after the comfort, after the good words and encouraging words,

she got to smile a little bit. And after about maybe twenty minutes of

hanging around, he had to do some you know, the all the logistical

stuff and all the feeling out performs. And we know that those of us

who have lost family members, we know that. So then I saw them

sitting down still like the mortuary, you know, sitting down, and now

their faces changed to like worry and concern. So I walked into the mortuary.

And earlier she was just smiling, and now she's down. And I

turned to her uncle, which is also your well it's your uncle. More

is he's a pastor as well. Pastor does and actually when I saw his

phaser without the master, I said, he looks familiar, looks at me

that your dad are so pastor does? He whispered to me, He said,

pass Kenneth. They're they're talking about doing the funeral in the apartment,

I said, apartment, you know, in the Malitian style, is where

can right? I said, because the apartment management is not going to allow

you to bring a coffin up the lift and into your apartment. You're with

me, right, I mean, we can't even have a funeral in DVCC

because the management will never allow you right to do that. That's why I

stand alone buildings and all that kind of thing is better, you know,

those like methodistatures, Catholic churchures. I did just drive in there, bring

the coffin in, That's why. And also of course all these professional places

and n Irana celt and so I said why and the past I said,

it's just been told to her that it might cost eighteen thousand ringed. And

another uncle said, hey, it's not just about the dad, it's about

the living. You guys have to cut you living, so it cannot be

in debt. Don't be in debt just because of a funeral. So I

could see that. Now, why am I? Why am I saying this

to you? I went with my wife to console them, to comfort them,

to speak words of encouragement. You know. I was careful, not

even just to say our condolences, because sometimes I don't know what that means

though, and we feel like our condolences speaks a lot. Actually it doesn't.

I feel like it's saying something like I'm sorry for your loss is better

than saying condolences, because it's an English's a big English word, thank you?

What does that mean? It's not a bad word can use, But

do you know what I'm saying, you want to be real to people in

their time of grief. So, ladies and gentlemen, I did not just

go there for knowledge and for religious ceremony. I went there to be there

for our sister in a time of real grief. I wanted to make a

difference. Jesus in this scripture wanted to make a difference. He didn't care

whose fault he was. He cared about what now. And so I tell

you what, I gather enough courage. I turned around to her. She

was still talking to a family members. Still want to do an apartment because

you know it was desperate moments, so of course you don't thinking right,

But that's what people like us are therefore to help you. So she turned

and she walked straight to my wife. She's under my wife's care. Everyone

in Exchich has a discipleship, a care with leaders. So I have twelve

men under me. Pasadenia's one of them, and my wife has child women

and her and Passa Gloria is one of them. So we we you know,

we care for our huddle how do we call it huddle members? Our

huddle members, we care for them. We just so she Gloria went up

to my wife. First, Uh, pass the idea of doing it that

apartment, you know, because it's costing. It's going to cost eighteen thousand.

I don't have that money. And my uncle told me, don't mean

that. Don't worry. Your mom is gone. She's with the Lord.

You know, we can do something very simple. So my wife, of

course turns to me and said, So I came up to them, and

I already heard the uncle speak, so I didn't even have to hear my

wife say say it because I already heard it from uncles. I turned to

Gloria and say it. And this is this is point number three. Know

your purpose? Why are you their friend? Why are you their family member?

Why are you in that funeral? Why are you there? Not anybody

else you? You are there, You are in this family. You got

to make the difference. Don't worry for somebody else to do it. So,

because I know how generous X Church is. You know, I've been

a pastor of this church since the day one, since day one, twenty

three years, I have never seen X Church not rise to the occasion,

never, not once, in fact, not even giving an overgiving. That's

the kind of spirit you guys have so with confidence, I say to Gloria,

I said, Gloria, I just heard. I said, go ahead

and call Selton. The van is coming to pick the body up. Go

all the way, said by past say eighteen thousand, I said, I

said, X church itself. When we are coming to the funeral, you

watch and see our people will give generously and the bill will be paid.

I say it there without fully knowing who will come on a Friday night,

all the way to chair us. But I see it from here. Are

you also do me? I'm pointing for those of you who are listening to

it on radio or on you know something that can't you can't visualize. I'm

pointing to my heart. I spoke from here because many people speak from here,

and it's all about knowledge. It's not knowledge. He doesn't even care

about knowledge. He cares about a life change. So what if you know

everything? Where's the transformation? Where's this change? So I said, Gloria,

it's going to be okay. She looked at me and she said,

thanks, Pastor. I will believe, I said, Lauria. If the

umpous are not enough, we don't call it unpouser. But you know,

you know what I'm trying to say in Chinese. Come, but you know

it's just an offering that comes. See. If not enough, I will

take it out from the missions fund of this church, because missions are supposed

to help the poor, I said, I will. I would you just

go ahead and do this. You've got to be an answer to someone,

a real answer, give them real comfort, not just words. And I

thank God that I could be a verse four and a point three. Know

your purpose. Maybe it's a small thing, but it's okay. Maybe after

you give, you don't have enough, no for a rainy day. So

what the Lord will see you, bless others and remember you when it's your

turn. I'm telling you right now, this how God works. So a

brightness came on her face. Then exchange people came Friday night. You know,

chare us the jam crazy, But they came. They packed the place,

and I was seeing our ex change people are writing their name, and

then they were supposed to also write their amount. So I saw, as

a passer I walked there, I saw two hundred, two hundred, two

hundred, two hundred, three hundred, two hundred. Usually we see twenty

three eight fifty eight, and sometimes we think that's generous. Really, that's

not I mean, unless that's the only thing you have than there is.

But I saw people really chest you know, God must have moved their hearts,

them move members, have moved their hands. By the end of the

night, they raised up something like twelve thirteen thousand already and of Friday night.

And what I heard was God even touched the heart of the person who

owns Celturn either owns a manager of sell and gave a discount. So he

dropped from eighteen thousand to fourteen thousand because she was a pastor and so so

I don't know, I don't know, sorry, I just know that they

gave a big discount. And then the next day Excious Mills. How do

you get Now it's not just X. There were other two other churches that

came. I'm sure they gave or so. But I could see my name,

I could recognize the names from my family, from my family, from

Exious family, and I was so proud of them, so proud of them.

By the next day, the funeral day, the box was still there.

People were still giving, and another five thousand came in. All right,

so bye. By now you got anywhere from like I don't know close

to eighteen. That means that even if it was eighteen got ticket against apply,

he didn't need the person's discount. Of course, I try to tell

you that now it was we it was eighteen nights. We can pay eighteen

problem. And then I realized all that was countered was cash, but there

was also a QR code, and people gave two QR code. And then

someone asked, Gloria, have you counted your court yet? She's just,

uh, not yet, because it's quite a lot. And so now for

the very first time, I asked if you have plans for the surplus?

She said, Pastor, when I buried my dad seven years ago, I

didn't bury him properly because I didn't have money. I didn't even build him

a tombstone. Now Mom is going to be ashes and I'm going to bury

it on Dad's plot with that, and I'm going to make them both a

tombstone and tombstone. That can be a lot, can go all the way

up through even two three thousand ladies and gemen. All I want to say

to you is you and I when we are facing problems, trouble, trials,

challenges, we can recognize point three, verse four. I must work

the works of him who sent me. You have a part to play if

you don't get so hooked up on whose fort is it? Or even why

am I a pastor die at seventy one? When she's serving the lot?

You know this all his theological questions. Couldn't God have healed her cancer?

You know? The story is that she had I think colon cancer. She

was so well one day, then the next day she had to go to

you know, cut that part of her colon, and then she never came

up. And and all of us who are praying, and then your theology

could be won't God heal a pastor? She she's been serving him for forty

years? But you know, God to go home because God said, my

home is better than the home down here. Right, So your theology right,

Your theology has got to be right. Because if your theology is wrong,

I hate you, God, I hate you for the then it's God.

No matter what else are your your life will continuously be in defeat.

But when you see God's way, and Gloria and and and Sonia and the

whole funeral service, I could see their face lighted up more and more because

they saw God number four. Knowing the times, Jesus says, I must

work the works of him who sent me. While it is day. While

it is day, today is the day? Contain your neighbor? Is it

today? So let me use the story again. Let me see he's Jesus

says, the night will come when no one can work. Let me use

make the storia. If I thought to myself, wow, why Gloria's face

so down, then the uncle said, or the pastor said, Pastor is

because they don't can't afford it and they need to do it. The apartment

as oh really, Oh well, I'm thinking that maybe extra cauportler. But

I better not say it. How it doesn't happen. They should be discouraged,

I did. I better not say anything. Uh, just prayer,

pray for my fa. She's sitting there. Just lit up my hands by

God, just bless her. Amen. And then maybe in three days time

I go up to Gloria and say, actually, three days ago he told

me that, right, But then she's already gone to the apartment and the

partma said no. And I don't know what she would have done. But

the truth is I could have made a difference. But it's not just making

a difference by speaking up, but speaking up in the right time. That's

how you work the works of God. You gotta know the time. It

is today that we need to act and speak and give and care and love

and forgive because we don't know whether we have tomorrow, and Jesus says the

night is coming when no one can work. Please, ladies and gentlemen,

you want to work the works of God, know the time. It's very

important. You know when I miss I will give something to somebody and I

don't take an extra day to do it. People who know me will know

me. If I said I'm going to help you, I probably would do

it even before the day ends. Don't be one of those you let me

pray about it first. In two weeks I come back to you, or

I'll give it in forget, or I'll give it in give only after the

need. Now the person doesn't need anymore, then I'm ready to give you

as to keep you money. You gotta learn to really maximize the time that

you have. I got only one more point, so please be patient in

me. It's very important message because I want all of you to begin to

see your troubles, your problems, your challenges, your obstacles as opportunities.

So past the glorious obstacle became my opportunity away and together now we have seen

God move for her. Remember the Filipino band boy. Can you imagine if

I spoke one week later, actually dead and he probably he's jumped down already

died, actually dead. I'm gonna tell you what that on that day when

Unguess I think was about the pray. I feel I should say something now

today Bible says, today is the day of salvation. Today, if you

would hear his voice, you don't harden your hearts as in the day of

rebellion. The Bible says finally, verse five, and we close. Verse

five says, as long as I'm in the world, I am the light

of the world. I love it. I love it. Jesus knew exactly

who he was and what his contribution was. Jesus says, as long as

I am in the world, I am the light of the world. I

pray that all of you, before we close, can also say that of

yourself, you know yourself, you know your giftings, you know your talents,

you know your strengths. I hope and pray that you be able to

say, as long as I'm mom, I will be mom. As long

as I'm dead, I will be dead. As long as I'm your daddy,

I will be your daddy. As long as I'm your husband, I

will be faithful. As long as I am your wife, I will be

carrying as well. You see, Jesus says, as long as I am

in the world, I am the light. I'm not talking about you,

mister A, you, mister B, you, mister C, you missus

D should do it. No, never mind, I'm not going to point

fingers at anybody else. The only thing I'm going to point is to my

own heart, and I'm gonna say I am the light of the world.

And the last point says, you got to know who you are if you

want to work the works of God, know who you are. I am

right now the pastor of X got the communing as well as the past of

X church. So I've got to recognize if a work of God is going

to be worked, if a glory, if a glory is due to God,

if a if a miracle is about to happen, then I've got to

know my place and I've got to know who I am, and I've got

to know what I have to contribute, because I have something to contribute,

and everyone in this room has something to contribute. Can hear good? Amen?

I said, everyone in this room has something to contribute. Amen,

hallelujah. And this is how the works of God are worked. This is

how a blind man received his sight. This is how problems find solutions.

God does not care how much knowledge we have. He cares about us working

the works of God, making the difference in somebody's life, bringing transformation and

change where it's needed the most. God is not after how smart we are.

He wants us with the right theology to have a God perspective and then

to know our purpose, to know the times we are living in. Now

is the time. Today is the day. Make a difference today. Don't

wait. Know your identity, know who you are, do what you can.

I'm not asking you to be like me. I can't be like you.

You can be like your neighbors sitting next to you. We are all

gifted differently, we are all blessed differently. So do what you can and

see the glory of God come to pass. We hope you've been blessed by

this message. For more information on our church, please visit as church 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