Stuck In Transit | Pr Julian

You're listening to a message to go from. We hope this message will light

up your day. The title of my sermon or word today is stuck in

transit. Stuck in transit? So how many of you feel like you've been

stuck before? I think Jason shared a testimony of how when you're going through

a process, you might feel like you're stuck. You might feel like,

what is happening? I'm not moving forward. God is not answering my prayers.

Nothing is happening, and I'm stuck. I'm stuck. I know the

next light is about this person? Who can we go to the next light?

Yeah, I don't know why the slights are like smashed, but it's

fine. This guy is a terminal man. His name is Marin Carrim Nassai.

You might have heard about him before, and I'll read a little bit

about what he went through. So Nassai spent almost eighteen year yes living in

the departure lounge of Terminal one in Charles de Gaul Airport from the twenty sixth

of August nineteen eighty eight to July two thousand and six, eighteen years eighteen

one eight years, eighteen years stuck in an airport. You can tell it

from his face. He's had enough of the airport. The other pictures are

sort of where he lived. He sat on this bench, he had like

a living room where he was Why why was he stuck in an airport?

So he was originally from Iran, was given refugee status by un HTR and

claimed that his documents was stolen in Paris on route to the UK. So

he was on a route from one place to another. And then he claimed

that his documents were stolen, but that also was questionable right, and he

was refused entry and declined new papers due to changing his own name and placed

of birth. And at the French airport he was unable to prove his identity

or refugee status and so was detained at the waiting area for travelers without papers

for eighteen years. Come on, guys, how many do you like airports?

I've been going to airports. John works for ages. I don't know.

He always gets called out we're talking about airplanes or airports. But I've

been to the airport quite a few times for the last few weeks and months

because I've been traveling as well, and I've been telling Laura, like I

don't like planes. I don't like airports, like like I have to when

I go in Asia, I have to order a meal, you know,

I pay extra because I just need that break in the middle of flying because

it's just so like ah, the plane noise and the smell and the people

and the airport and the Yeah. But this guy was stuck there for eighteen

years. He wanted to go somewhere. He had he had a destination.

He had a vision of where he wanted to be in the UK. He

had an idea and imagination of what life could be right and for some reason,

because he didn't have any documents, he was stuck in the middle.

He was stuck in transit. And I think if you watched the movie I

think it's called The Terminal, it was largely based on this person's life with

Tom Hanks and Catherine Zetta Jones. Yeah, that movie. So it's kind

of like based on his life and how how some people can remain a long

time in transit, not reaching the destination. And sometimes I find myself in

that place like many of us, some of us are there right now or

have been there before. And today I want to encourage us from the world

of God, how we can live in revival even in that place. So

you go the next light. How do we survive, thrive and leave revived

when we seem to be stuck? Can we be fully revived in God's presence?

Can we be fully living in fullness even when in the middle of the

process, not seeing the finish line? So I want to just give you

another pin and a picture the next line. Okay, you see all these

small little images, right, it's if you can tell, it's basically steps

on how to make an are gamy aeroplane. Right. So if you're if

you're a leader here, remember like last salt, salt is our Saturday act.

Lead this training, right, So our leaders go to training, they

are here equipped to lead all of us our church. And I had the

privilege to facilitate this training. And in fact, the leaders have not even

seen this because at the start of this training I had all the leaders closed

their eyes, so they were fully blind or they were fully in darkness.

They couldn't see what was happening. And all I did was read instructions which

you can see in the small little words. So imagine, imagine he Mede

this morning, all of us living in darkness and hearing only instructions of what

I need to do, right, holding a blank piece of white A four

paper, not knowing what I'm supposed to do, not knowing what the end

result is like, and just listening to instructions. Right. So we were

in John and Elie's house. There were like fifteen children running around, going

crazy, shouting, and there I was, my little, small, little

voice trying to give instructions to all the leaders. Listen to me. Full

the paper into half and then and then the instructions are very, very complicated.

So they were going through this process as many different voices, children,

distractions, noise, toys falling down, and I was trying to give instructions

to them to reach an end result, which is that paper, that aeroplane

paper at the end. And because I had the privilege to facilitator, I

saw the whole process like from the start at the beginning. At the start,

everyone's really excited, like yes, like the Asian children, we are

right, I'm gonna nail this. I'm gonna like reach the end and you're

gonna get one hundred percent. So everyone's super excited, folding, keeping their

ears peeled to my still little small voice amongst the noise of the children.

And then there was probably like fifteen steps. So step two okay, quite

easy, can follow? Step three okay, can can follow Step four?

More noise coming, and then can I really understand what I'm They couldn't understand

what I was saying. They were closing their eyes. They don't know whether

they're folding it correctly. And I slowly saw people like slum their shoulders,

like with their eyes closed. Some of them like crush their papers and just

throw it. I give up, um. Others others just lost interest already.

UM. Some are very fervent to keep going, to keep to keep

at it, payful attention. And the gist of it is if we are

in a process, and if you don't let the process go true towards the

end, and if you give up, because there's going to be a part

in every process where we feel like, oh, it's too much like what

you isn't hid. I want to resign. I want to resign. I

want to resign. No one values my work, no one understands what I'm

going through. God does not answer my prayer. I feel like I'm alone,

and I want to give up. I want to throw in the towel.

But we need to remain, we need to keep persevering, right because

us God brings us to a process for to refine us, to help us

get better in our character. So that's that's the word we're gonna go through

today. Is that? Okay? Right? We're gonna see how to be

revived being a stuck in transition pass I cannot say this. I would like

to see ex church excuse proof and exploits packed. Right. He shared this

message during our conference slash Anniversary in February, and and I really believe it's

a word for all of us for this year because many times the excuse us

or excuses is a very bad word. Sometimes it's like the reason for us

to not persevere or the reason for us to not keep believing and living out

revived. It is very valid, is very very valid. But Pasta is

encouraging us to not look at the reasons or the excuses, but to leave

out great exploits and to be a church that has many testimonies, many lives,

many fruits of how God is faithful in every season, and then we

are able to overcome and be more than overcome us. Right, So how

do we do that. How do we do that? Okay? Um,

Let's turn to the Bible. My key scripture this morning is chapter one,

versus five to twenty five. So there's a whole lot of verses. Um,

so it can can follow true with me and I want to just read

the full story together, can can? Okay? Cool, let's do it.

Let's do it. So look chapter one, verse five. When Herod

was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest name Zachariah. He was

a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife Elizabeth, was

also the priestly line of Aaron. So these are the two key people in

this INLOK chapter one, Zachariah and Elizabeth. There are no Zachariah's and Elizabeth's

here, right, yeah, Zach because zach okay, so not very popular

names now, maybe well training in the next generation. Okay. So Zachariah

and Elizabeth. Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey

all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was

unable to conceive and they were both very old. Next slid. One day

Zachariah was serving God in the temple for his order. Was on duty that

week, as was the custom of the priests. He was chosen by lot

to enter the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. So he was just

doing his duty. While the incense was being burnt, a great crowd stood

outside praying. While Zachariah was in the sanctuary, an Angel of the Lord

appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense alter. So I'm

trying to play to you how this would happen many times, Like imagine all

of us here this morning, where in the sanctuary of God, in God's

presence right and suddenly an angel of an angel of the Lord appears. I

don't know how it happens, Like does it slowly comes into form or like

someone just drops, or like a hole from the ceiling. I don't know.

I mean, it's quite shocking, shocking. And we see that Zachariah

was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angels say,

don't be afraid, Zachariah. God has hurt your prayer, so we

know that he has been praying for what for a son? Right our children?

Your wife Elizabeth will give you a son and you are to name him

John, you will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at

his birth. So this John is John the Baptist. Right, And we

see later there was such a great promise of what John the Baptists will do,

for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must

never touch wine or alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit

even before his birth, and he will turn many Israelites to the Lord they

are God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah.

He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will

turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those

who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. Wow. Crazy,

what a prophecy. You know, both Zachariah and Will just praying for child.

But God gave them a promise, not just any child, a son

named John with such calling upon his life. Right, So we know that

John the Baptist were contemporaries with Jesus just shortly after Jesus was also born,

prophesied over and born. And then you know, it's just amazing, amazing

testimony. Okay, what happens now, becauzacharaid to the angel, how can

I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my

wife is also well along in years. So he heard that great testimony and

answered prayer. But his response immediately was this, how can I be sure

this will happen? I'm an old man now and my wife is also well

along in years. Again like valid reasons, valid excuses, right, but

let's see what happens. Then the angels said, I am Gabriel, So

not just any angel, Gabriel, I stand in the very practice of God.

It was he who sent me to bring you the good news. But

now, since you didn't believe what I say, you will be silent,

and I'm unable to speak until the child is born, For my words will

certainly be fulfilled at the proper time. Next we'll jump to verse to my

intrigue. When Zachariah's a week of service in the temple was over, he

returned home. So he continued to serve, and then he returned home.

Soon afterwards, his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for

five months. How kind she said this, How kind the Lord is?

She exclaimed, he has taken away my disgrace of having no children. Wow,

Wow, wow, amazing. So the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth and

the birth of John the Baptists, and I've been just going through the Bible

and look was one of the chapters of books I've been reading through right now,

and this story just jumped to me. And I want to ask this

question because I will start with this, what's the promise? What's the promise?

God's promises? What's the promise God's next, Like God's promises or God's

word usually goes a birth and beyond what we can imagine, and I think

I want to start with that. I wanted to start with what's the problem.

Well, let's look at what God's promises is first right efficient street to

any now to him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that

we can ask or think, according to the power that works in as amazing

scripture. Look chapter one thirteen to seventeen. He went through that earlier Zacharias.

I think Zachariah's imagination of what a son or child could do was nothing

compared to what Gabriel said about John the Baptist. Right, God's promise us

are both. So let's start be that, what's the promise of God in

all our lives? And we'll go through a bit more later about how it

will look like the word of God. But all of us hold on to

God's promises, all of us hold on to that world, whether it's a

rama world or a logos with in our lives. And I want to say,

keep that in our hearts, keep that in our minds even throughout this

message, look to what God has said to us. Next. So,

so what's the problem. There's the promise of God, but there seems to

always be a problem. Right, what's the problem life? We had a

problem? And I want to say that I want to acknowledge that nothing in

life is smooth sailing, absolutely nothing. Like if if anyone promises you smooth

sailing investment, opportunity or like yeah, or a perfect easy job, just

take it, high salary, no problems, no issues, just sign on

the contract. Or they say have children, it would be great, right,

great inheritance, the promise of many more children to come. All eyes

all scams, because there are I mean, it's part of the process.

But there are always problems in our lives right, there are always problems.

I love this statement by Rick Warren. Life. Life is perceived as a

series of problems. Either you are in one now, you're just coming out

of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. So like

a new role, a new job, I don't know, a new child,

I don't know. I mean, like, okay, they're not problems,

they're all blessings. But if we know, we know they are opportunities

and challenges. The hte right of each of them. And I didn't put

that down here, but let me keep reading. The reason for this is

that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. So the reason

for all these problems, like why did God bring the Israelites through the desert

for forty years before the Promised Land, Like you know, they did a

big detour. It would it could, it would have taken them just days

to reach the Promised Land Canaan. But God brought them to a process.

God brought problems you do their lives to refine them. The reason for this

is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is

more interest in making your life holy, then he's making your life happy.

We can reasonably be happy here on earth. But that's not the goal in

life, right. Their goal is to grow in character and in christ likeness.

Amen. The goal is to grow in character and in christ likeness.

So when you think about your promises and your problems, I think that God

has actually bringing us to a process refining us, to refine our character.

Amen. All right, so let's get into what what I have learned and

what I also what I'm so speaking to myself and what I feel God speaking

to me. When we find ourselves stuck in a situation, all we seem

to be stuck because actually we're not stuck, but it looks like we're stuck.

It looks like nothing is going on. It looks like God's not answering

my prayer. But the reality is God is bringing us to a process.

Right. So, so I want to say that both Zachariah and Elizabeth,

um, they they did a few things right and they did some things not

right or more Zachariah, so you learn from them today, uh, and

learn from what they didn't do so well and what they did well. Okay,

So I have three pairs of ours, right, I gotta I gotta

follow Jason Martin and use use this like, but I doubled him like,

it's like if they don't three hours, I got three pairs of ours,

so I got six hours today, right, double portion, Here we go,

what's the first pair of ours? What's the first next light? Recognize

and realize? So it's something that we all, I think we all know,

and maybe it's just more a reminder this morning, recognize and realize,

So Luke Chapter one two twelve to thirty. In Luke Chapter one thirteen,

Zachariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angels

say it, don't be afraid, Zach, God has hurt your prayer.

I want to say this morning, we need to know, identify, distinguish

God in a situation and what he is saying. Right, Um, yeah,

that's in the next light again, No, identify distinguish God in a

situation of what he is saying. Very basic reminder. But when we are

stuck in something, often what we listen to me the distractions may become louder.

Right, Because sometimes when we are stuck, other voices become louder distractors

from God's voice, and we need to hang on to God's promises and God's

world. So like like a person running a marathon, right, it's a

very I mean when Paul uses this example, when you're running a marathon again,

the start, it's always like, yes, I'm in it to win

it. And then when you're like mile twenty one maraton's forty two forty two

miles right, forty two km km tow any one, you're like what Then

the electric acid starts to kick in and you cannot breathe properly, and you're

looking for a water station. But it's not dead. The voices of everything

else become louder to tell it to quit. Quit, quit, resign,

resign, resign, drop it, drop it, drop it, right,

So you've got to learn to recognize what God is seeing in those situations.

Learn to recognize so very simple. We see this in scripture because because Zachariah

actually couldn't recognize that the angels of the Lord will speaking to him, right.

And it's kind of weird because I would think you would expect that if

you're praying, or expect that when you're in God's sanctuary, right, But

he could have recognized that that was an angel, Okay. John ten verses

twenty seven, twenty eight. My ship listened to my voice. I know

them and they follow me. We're all God's ship, right, and we

know God's voice and we follow him. I give them eternal life and they

will never perish. For a promise, God gives us eternal life, You'll

never perish, and no one can snatch them away from me. So if

you feel like you're gonna fail, this is God's promise for us. Nothing

will snatch us away from His presence. Amen, So recognize and then realize,

realize, become fully aware and discern. Get the picture, get the

perception and and view of what God is doing. Right, Realize that God's

ways and timing and methods are beyond ours. His plans are to bless many

more people through us is usually bigger than what we can imagine. It's not

an answered prayer for ourselves, but an answered prayer to bless many more people.

Right. So realize that really God's way, timing and methods are beyond

ours. Again, very very simple reminder, but it's something that we need

to realize and recognize in every situation when we feel like we're stuck. Look

at a bigger picture, Look at how God sees things. Look at look

at the perspective of God's eyes. That situation you're in. Zooma a little

bit right. Roman's offers to do not conform to the patterns of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be

able to test a proof that God's will, He's good, pleasing and perfect

will. Because sometimes when we are so stuck in the patterns of the world

or the rhythms of the world, we can have a different perception and perceive

and recognize things differently. But God is calling us to be renewed in our

mind, in his presence, to be refreshing in our minds. Amen,

all right, So that's the first pair of ours. What I do recognize

and realize. Okay, let's go to the next set of ours. Receive

and rely, receive and rely again remind us. But we see that Zechariah

also sort of failed to do this right because he heard the angel Gabriel speak

the word of God and the promise of what his son John the Baptist would

be amazing, amazing prophecy, but he couldn't receive it, right, He

couldn't receive it. And and I want to ask these two questions at the

start, how do we receive when when we are still stuck in the middle

or stuck in a new situation? Right? And further to that, what

do we receive when when the prayer is still unanswered? Right? If you

think about it, how do we receive like we are still in the process.

God hasn't answered me, God hasn't given me. And and I want

to say that we still need to be able to receive from God. And

these are the two things we need to receive. Number one, yeah,

next light receive God's promises in faith and number two, receive God's training to

grow in faith. Amen. Uh Zachariah. He he couldn't grasp this part

and in fact, because he couldn't receive it in faith, right because remember

the angels said that it was because of his unbelief and because he did not

believe God's word about his son, and he would God had the angel to

silent his lips. And why why did the angel cause him to to not

be able to speak? Um, I believe. I believe it's because so

that he will not use his words to go and like tell Elizabeth or no,

it's not possible. God said this, but I have unbelieve we are

so old already. You know, it's not going to be happy, it's

it's not gonna happened anymore. And I believe it was for him to experience

and learn that God is able to do anything beyond beyond. And he needed

to receive God's worth in faith while being sill, while working on his faith,

while working on what's on the inside, receive it and internally before externally

being able to say it as well. So he was actually silent all the

way from the prophecy until the birth of John. The Baptists right, So

we need to receive God's promises in faith, and we need to receive God's

training to grow in faith. What is God's promises to us? Can we

really receive it in faith this morning? Can we really say yes, God,

you are the answer? Can we say yes, God, my trust

is in you. I rely on you. And that's our next are rely

and trust because rely equals to trust equals to depend on And when everything seems

to be falling apart, when you are stuck in the middle, like our

friend who was in the airport, no other authority would want to listen to

him. His documents were lost. He had nothing to rely on, He

had nothing to put his to depend on, no other foundation he can stand

on. What do you do in those situations? We need to rely trust

and depend on God. Right, I want to tell a little testimony and

a story of what we went through, uh with Jayden. This is Jayden

j D and um. Jaden is about eight months now. Um and I

think it's probably about a year ago. Right about a year ago when when

we found out that we were expecting another baby. And no I would say

it, but Laura, Laura wanted to go. But then okay, but

God gave us three boys, So God give a three boys. Um and

and we were I mean yeah, we were both very uh thankful and grateful

for for this gift, I mean children, a gift from God. So

we're really excited. Um and no yeah amen, um and and uh yeah

and uh about a year ago so this was like probably like week week twenty

into the pregnancy of week fifteen, so so you know, confirmed the babies

growing and and and when you have a third child, right like she she

would Laura would go to the doctor's visit alone really because so bad so um,

I mean yeah, yeah, I mean, everything's in God's hands,

man, so like, yeah, I I trust, I trust go out

to bring her to the pregnancy. Anyways, So so one one of those

doctors visit, I think it was like this fifteen week, so this was

like, you know, one third of the of the there's three trimesters,

right, so the first trimester. Um, she wanted to see the guyanee

and it's our usual guyanee and she came back after with some bad news,

um she shared with me. And the bad news was this, like there

was some down syndrome markers um from when the guyane did scanning. So there's

some indications early indications because of the modest age and also some screening, right,

So I mean it's uh, it's news that nobody would want to get

as parents, as expecting parents, and very difficult to process. So obviously

she was crying and I'm like trying to Laura was crying, um and and

I was trying to like just process it, you know, what do you

do? So so there were a few options moving forward, you know,

and and the options were to do either a very detailed scan or do what

do you call it? Some some tests, some blood tests to confirm right,

Uh. And I want to share just how in that process is very

challenging to rely on God's word because we know from God's word that He forms

us in the modest whom He sees every part of us. When when we

wait in our modest women and even Jayden, when we couldn't see anything like

doctors can do scans, but God has the best scan, right, he

can see every single detail or these babies physical formation and more than that,

his life ahead of him. And we trust that God, seeing all that,

has the best voice for this child, only the best. No matter

what what physical weaknesses us humans may see that this baby might have, God

still has a plan for this baby. And that's God's word. And I

was trying to grasp and recognize that perspective and rely on him, but it

was difficult. It was difficult, um. And and through that process,

I want to say that that, Um, we saw God's grace, We

saw God's grace, and we knew God was speaking to us through that process.

And there were many voices that came in the next split Guiney, we

saw I mean, we love all the doctors. Yeah, Um, it

was very to me. He was very rude and like zero bitsie bit side

manners. Um uh and uh. It was. It was like one of

the worst experiences I had. La. I mean, we were in that

consultation room and then he was like completely silent after he gave this is the

second person that said, okay, you know quite confirmed. I mean from

from his view from the screening that very high risk of down syndrome. And

then Laura started crying. And then I'm like the doctor just sat there silently

for like two minutes, like do something, You're So these voices are there.

Everyone had their opinion on the situation, what to do, how do

we process it? But how do we rely on God in that situation?

So I know, it's very challenging and I and I'm I'm not aware of

all the different things we were going through, and I believe someone's are going

to even more challenging situations in our lives and in the middle of it all,

how do we perceive and receive God's world and depend on him? Like

depending on is like you depend on a chair. When you sit down on

it, you can put your full weight on it, every single burden,

every single kg of excess weight that you have, every single challenge that you

have. We can fully rely on God. And I'm just saying that that

we had to go through that because there's no way else we can we can

go through that process and come out surviving. Right, there's no way.

And you know that Jayden is well and he's right there a testimony of how

good God is. I think I'll share a little bit more towards the end

about what happened. But but God is good. So point two point two

is received and rely and the third are a pair is remain and remain.

So that's five hours. That's five hours remain and remain. And and if

if you don't remember anything today, I want us to really remember this last

point because this is the only thing I feel that Zachariah did well in this

process. Um, And I'm not better than as Ya. I'm just someone

that has lived two thousand years late and analyzing what he has done. Okay,

but the thing he did was he remained in Heaven's rule. He remained

in Heaven's rule. Our team for this year is Heaven's rule. Heaven rules,

Heaven rules, and for us to be in our situations, we want

Heaven to rule right. We want God's kingdom to be in charge and the

authority of every situation in our lives, over sickness, over darkness, and

for that to happen, we need to remain in Heaven's rule. We need

to remain in Heaven's kingdom. We need to remain in Heaven's covering, God's

covering. We need to remain in in his favor, in his freedom,

in his promises, in his words. We need to remain there. So

that's why Zachariah, we see that in the beginning Luke, chapter one,

verse six, Zachariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey

all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. Right even with the unanswered prayer.

We know that he's been praying, because the angels say God has hurt your

prayer with his unanswered prayer. He's still was counted righteous in God's eyes,

careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. And I want to

encourage us this morning to remain in that place, and all of us you

are already, but to remain in God's rule. And what what does it

mean to remain? What does it mean to remain? What does it mean

to be counted righteous? What does it mean to obey all his commandments?

And to me it's just obeying his rare mint and Lord God's word. Right

to to obey the word of God as we read it every day, as

we read the word of God, to receive the world of God into our

lives, and to also receive and obey His spoken word to us what we

perceive and believe. The Holy Spirit is speaking to us in all our difference

tuitions, right a birth and beyond the other voices. Because when there's no

end in sight, no view of the finish line, and seemingly no hope,

when the storm is raging, when the task is too difficult and the

pain too much to bear, we may be tempted to go our own way,

to play on our own rules. Right, when the storm is raging,

the task is too difficult and the pain too much to bear, you

may be tempted to go our own way, to play on our own rules.

So remember Abraham and Sarah. They were promised the sun as well,

but they chose to play by their own rules, although God was merciful and

gracious to lead them along the right path. Remember the Israelites and the golden

calf. They were born down there waiting for God to speak spoken word.

God has really spoken, but they wanted to hear something else, right,

and they went and calf out their own God, a golden calf. So

I want to say this, um, when we remain in Heaven's rule,

Heaven rules. When we remain in Heaven's rule, Heaven really rules in all

our lives. Right, we're under the covering. We're under the covering of

all of God's goodness, mercy and promises. And that's the position and place

I pray all of us be found at this morning, that we are in

the covering of God's goodness, mercy and promises. Let me share with you

just one one promise. There are many promises in the Bible, but if

you just go to the Book of Psalms and the first chapter Psalm chapter one,

I'll read it. Blessed is the man who walks into who walks not

in the council of the ungodly, nor stands in the part of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scornful. So this person is counted righteous.

This person, this hypothetical person, which is all of us. We don't

walk in ac council of the ungodly. You don't stand in the path of

right of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scornful. But he delights

in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and

night the word of God, right, reading the word of God, meditating

on it, receiving it in our hearts. He shall be like a tree

planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also shall not wait, and whatever he does shall prosper. That's

the promise of God in our lives, when we accounted righteous, when we

are counted and being found in Heaven's rules. This is the promise. Right,

we shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings

fruit, brings thought its fruit in its season. So there's a season where

it will be fruitfulness. When the season is right, the fruits will come,

the prayers will be answered. Right. And I love this who's leaf

also shall not wait, and whatever he does shall prosper. I want to

show you a picture. Um, I've got this plant in my house.

This is blood. This, Oh my God, this blood. This,

this is only taken like a few days ago and I was in coaching and

I usually do the watering or plants in the house, so that's my responsibility.

But this particular plant, right is like really like I feel it's corns

at me or go back to go backness, go back, go back,

okay, likes car even I don't water it. If I don't water it

for like five days, right, it just becomes like this. So it

was a night when I when I when I landed back home, and I

knew it because I didn't water the plant. So I knew in the plane

buying back in the plane, right, this guy is gonna give me like

a bad look when I rich home on in the car on the way back,

I was like, okay, confirm, confirm, confirm. Then I

opened it all it was dark, thrown the lights and then this look at

this guy. It's like all curled up. It's like the leaf the leaves

have been with it. It's like sound chapter one right, um, so

very dry, not connected to God, not in God's kingdom. This is

what you get. So but I know, right, I know that I'm

gonna water it, like in a few hours. He will be like whoa

happy days. God is good. So I immediately like like water the plants.

I think even before they put putting the kids to bit, I just

wanted to give him it's drink. Yeah, yeah, this guy is well.

So so the next morning, Um, this is how it looks like.

Yeah, next life? Right? So what difference? Right? Like

crazy? And I say, this guy, this planet is really it's got

a it's got a mine on its own. But only the only difference,

right, is everything exactly the same, same part, same place, same

person taking care of it. Okay, I didn't do my job blah,

same soil. Right, the only difference is water. Right. So God's

promise is like this, we when we when we are found in his rule,

we will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Right,

And that's all we need in our lives, that source of God.

When we remain in him, we are connected to the sauce, and our

leaves will be like this. Maybe there's no fruits yet, maybe we haven't

seen the answered prayer yet, you're looking, how tea. At least we

have a testimony of glowing greenness and big leaves. Right. So there's God's

promise some chapter one. There's so many other promises in the world of God.

Right, go read it yourself. Okay, So I thought I'll just

put that in and remain and remain. So what is the second remain?

What's the second remain? Let's go Okay, let's go to some Let's go

to some. Verse says, yeah, he remains in you. So when

we remain in him, the Word of God says, he remains in us,

He remains in us. We're gonna look at two more scriptures, John

chapter fifteen, Verse fall. This is one of my favorite scriptures in the

Bible. John chapter fifteen. Remain in me, and I will remain in

you. For a branch cannot produce food if it is severed from the vine,

and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. He can only

be fruitful to remain in him. And the promise is he remains in us.

I love that God is there. He is there. The next scripture

James far eight. We all know this one. Draw near to God and

He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you see us, and

purify your hearts. You double minded. We need to be so focused,

laser focused on the promise of God in our lives and remain in him.

Draw close to him, and the promise is he will remain in us.

He will meet us where we are at. He will be there with us

through the process. So I got one last scripture Psalm twenty three, before

we close, Ye do I walk through the value of the shadow of death.

I will fear no evil, for you are with me. You're rot

and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the

presence of my enemies. You annoint my head with oil. My cup runs

over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, even though I

walk through the value of the shadow of death, even if, even if

you're like negative right, this is like the lowest value. And even if

we are in that place because of our own faults, this is God's promise.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. So I want to do one

last illustration, and I need the help of two people. Maybe I'll get

Colin and John Colin and John Chim. Just let's give them my hand to

welcome them up. I did not want them before, but they was wearing

black. So this is Colin. Colin is goodness, goody goody goodness.

And this is John. John is mercy, and this is me living my

life. So on you to stick together because you're a goodness and mercy.

Yeah, and I want you to follow me right as I go. So

this is me. I'm walking through life every day. I'm going through the

boring parts of life, washing babies, backsides, going to work on a

Monday, which is very difficult. I am going to school. I'm going

to surf on a Sunday at six thirty. I wake up in the morning

and these two annoying people just keeps following me everywhere I go. Goodness and

mercy they're there. And sometimes it's like who oh shucks. It's like I'm

on the higher life. I'm doing well. God answers my prayers. Guess

who's with me? Goodness and mercy? And when I go through the valley,

when I when I feel like God is not answering my praise and I

feel like, oh, it's so dark in my mind and things aren't going

well, and I'm getting sick and the people around me are getting sick,

and where is God in this situation? The value of the shadow of death.

Guess who's with me. Goodness and mercy. Goodness and mercy will follow

us all the days of our lives. Man, thanks guys, that man.

And wherever we are, wherever we are in every situation, remember this.

God has promised that goodness and mercy will follow us. They're just following

you, just following you. There. They're not gonna let you go.

They're just always behind you. God's goodness, God's mercy, it's there.

As you remain in him, he remains in us. You know, Shad

earlier about our testament any of Um, the that process and pregnancy of Jaden,

and and I kept looking for God's goodness and mercy in that situation because

it's a very difficult and dark situation. And we saw that throughout the process.

Um, there were many there were many testimonies of God's grace and goodness

and mercy even before we saw Jayden's face. UM. One of it is

like mind blowing like Joyce. Joyce was Joy's an excuse teacher, and she

all of a sudden, just like um. Basically she understood what we were

going through. And she's not a mom. I mean, Joyce is very

eligible, young working adult, but she she knew sort of the tests we

needed to go through to understand, to go through further and beyond that,

Like she even went a hit to get her company to help us, you

know, and to me, I saw that as God's grace, God's grace

in the situation. Like we did not ask for that, but we knew

just through different things that were happening, that God's goodness and his mercy was

there still there. And the prayer wasn't answered yet. We have not reached

the end of the process yet, but we still knew, Yes, God's

still with me in this situation, and we could only do that if you

remain in Him and learn to listen and look out for what God is doing.

At the end of today, I really believe that God's promise is just

so much more than what we could imagine. We hope you've been blessed by

this message. For more information on our church, please visit at Church the

RG. We are also acting on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this

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