Heaven Rules | Samuel Kong

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

will light up your team. We are still on the series of Heaven Rules.

That is our team for this year, in case you didn't realize yet.

Um. And this team called Heaven Rules actually is taken from the Book

of Daniel, right. Uh. And I'm sure you've heard the story about

you know, the the Lions. Then you've heard the story of the you

know, the four the three fans were thrown into the into the five the

five furnus, you know. But today I'm gonna take on from Daniel chapter

four, okay, which is uh nebukends us or King nebuchandsus second dream okay,

Uh that that he had, um. Okay, So if you have

your Bibles with me, I wanted to turn with me into Daniel chapter four,

okay. All right, So I'm gonna take us through this chapter of

Daniel chapter four. And uh, you know, there's there's so much to

learn just from a single chapter of Daniel chapter four, okay. And you

would have realized by now that this King Nemo Canizer was Babylonian king. He

was great, very very great, you know, and he had you know,

some some men who who took captives from Judah who served under him in

the king's palace, and one of them was Daniel, right, the Book

of Daniel. That's why the book is called Daniel, which is the main

character of Daniel. And you would find that the Book of Daniel is field

with the team of Heaven rules. Okay. Even though only one time was

it mentioned the word heaven rules in this book, right, but you will

find many, many times repeatedly it will say that God rules, or you

know, there's a ruler, you know there, there's there's the God's kingdom

rules. You will find that repeated time and time again, okay, or

in many other ways, just not written as Heaven rules. But the team

is there. Okay. So there's really no other better book to preach about

heaven rules than than the Book of Daniel. Okay. All right, So

we're gonna go to worse by worse, and let's see where the Lord takes

us through this chapter of four. Okay, here we go worse one.

So never can asa the king. Okay, this is the baby learning king.

He's saying to all people's nations and languages that dwell in all the earth,

peace, be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the

science and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. Well,

what does that sound like a testimony? Right? Okay? How great are

his signs and how mighty he's wonders? His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and

his dominion is from generation to generation. That sounds like a heaven rules team

again. Okay. So in these first three verses we see a babby learning

king, or we call it a pagan king, who is so mighty,

so great, his kingdom is is so powerful, you know. But in

these first three verses of chapter four, he begins by declaring God's sovereignity.

Remember this is a pagan king, okay. And pagan king worshiped many gods.

Okay, he has many gods. Later you will see one of his

god is Bell Okay, which was the name that he gave to Daniel.

Okay, was actually a name after his God. So this pagan king begins

by giving God glory and giving God praise because he actually experienced or he was

a witness of the testimony that God had given him. Right because he had

witness of how you know, m Daniel managed to interpret his dream in the

past. By the way, this is his second dream. Okay. If

you go back and read the book of Daniel, you will know that this

is his second dream. Okay, what happened? Anybody can remember? You

do you remember the first dream? Right? The first dream? He called

his wise men before him, you know, the magicians and everyone before him,

and he asked them to tell him his dream and interpret it. Okay,

So the first dream was the first request from the king was absolutely ridiculous.

Of course, you know that the wise man and the astrologers and the

magicians answered, no one on earth can tell the dream can tell what the

king dreamt? Okay. Maybe you can ask your parents whether and whether does

your dad know what your mom dreamt last night? As dad? And see,

right, does he have any idea? And believe it, even a

husband and wife can't tell each other's dream or they can't tell what they dream

at night? Right? Uh? And what more, this king asked the

wise man and the and the magicians to tell what did he dream at nine

like in the world? Right, that's impossible, okay, And of course

the wise answer, that's impossible. No one can can say that, right,

Only the gods can can can can interpret that? Okay, So this

is that was the first dream and this is the second dream that never can

as a head okay. Um, So before the dream he was giving God

glory, giving God praise, giving God all the honor um. But how

many of you know he only had hit knowledge. Right. He started off

by declaring that God was great, but later on you realized that his heart

was not converted. Maybe his mind was convinced, but his heart was not

converted because he still did not fully believe in this God. Okay. And

you and I must learn that we cannot just have hit knowledge. We need

to have hard knowledge a man. It must be applied because the word of

God would demand a response. So King, King Nebu or his name is

so hard to pronounce. This king already experienced God's power right, God's miracle,

but yet he still do not fully believe. And let me begin by

saying that the Book of Daniel is actually a conflict between two kingdoms. Okay,

generally the kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God. Okay, because

time and time again you will see in the entire Book of Daniel. If

if if you have opportunity, go back and read it, okay. Read

the entire book of Daniel. You will find that there is always a conflict

between man's kingdom and God's kingdom. Right. Man are always trying to establish

their own kingdom here on earth, and God is trying to establish his kingdom

here on earth as well. So I've been asked this question before. So

is God's Kingdom already here or is it coming? What do you think?

Is god God's Kingdom already here or is it coming? It's already here,

some say earlier here, some would say it's coming. Right. I would

say, I believe that God's Kingdom has already come number one, God's Kingdom

is here, number two, and God's Kingdom is to come. But three,

all three of them. Because God's Kingdom is already here, we are

already living in it. Amen. We're already living in the days of God's

Kingdom. Amen. And it's being established and it is to come as well.

Amen. So the Book of Dane is a conflict between two kingdoms,

Man's kingdom and God's Kingdom. You will find that that's always a conflict.

Okay. So moving on verse four, and I never can as a was

at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace while he's having he's having

a good timer. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the

thoughts on my bed and the visions of my hege farbled me. And let

me stopped there for a while. So how many have you know? We

can be at rest at home, but not really at peace. We can

be because this king was still was resting at home, but he was troubled.

Right. In other words, I can say he had false peace.

He still didn't have the peace of God because there were still things unsettled in

his heart, which you will see as we go on. Okay, so

he saw a dream and he troubled him. He was afraid, he was

terrified, right, and D six says therefore I issued a decree to bring

in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known

to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the astrologists,

the Chaldians, the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream,

but they did not make to me make known to me its interpretation. Let

me stopped there for a while. So this time the king brings in the

wise man, the astrologersts the Chaldeans, the magicians, and he tells them

the dream. Okay, not too difficult as compared to the first time.

Remember, I said the first time, the first time the king brought them

in. You tell me the dream, and you give me an interpretation that

sounded absolutely ridiculous. The second time the dream came, he told them the

dream, but they did not make it known to him. Um. Now,

when you read this sentence, we can say two things. Number one,

either they knew the dream but they were afraid to give the interpretation.

Or number two, they did not know what the dream meant. Okay,

um. But let's continue read and then I'll tell you why I say that.

Okay, so was it okay? So so so none of them could

make the make known to him the interpretation and worse it. But at last

Daniel came before me. His name is according to the name of my God.

In him is a spirit of the Holy God kept the g and I

told the dream before him, saying, Berta Shasa, chief of the magicians,

because I know that the spirit of the Holy God is in you,

and no secret troubles. You explained to me the visions of my dream that

I have seen, and its interpretation. These were the visions of my head

while on my beads. So now this is the vision. So I was

looking at behold at tree in the midst of the earth, and its height

was great. The tree grew and became strong. Its height reached to the

heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the earth, of

all the earth. Its leaves were lovely, its food abundant, and in

it was food for all the beasts of the field found shaped under it.

The birds of the heavens dwell in its branches, and all flesh was fed

for me. Okay, So I saw the visions of my head while on

my bad and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from

heaven. He cried aloud, and said, thus chopped down the tree and

cut off its branches, stripped off its leaves, and scattered its food.

Let the beasts get out from under it, and the birds from his branches.

Nevertheless, leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a

band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field. Let it

be wet with the duw of heaven. And let him gaze with the beasts,

watch that there was sudden, sudden, a change in the vision.

Ready from a tree, it became him. So he refrain to someone,

okay, someone, let his heart be changed from that of a man.

Let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass

over him. This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the

sentence by the word of the Holy Ones, in order that the living may

know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to

whomever he wields and sets over it the lowest of men. Stop there for

a while. Okay, So there was a dream that king never gets a

dram and he told it to Daniel. Now, before I talk about the

dream, right, did you notice that Daniel was the last guy or the

last wise man brought before the king. That's what was it says. But

at last Daniel came before me. So I began to wonder, because I'm

doing I'm doing a study on this book of Daniel, right, And so

I began to wonder, why was Daniel the last guy brought before the king?

By the way, Daniel was the chief magician, chief magician. So

let me ask you a simper question. Let's say, let's say awabing you.

You're running a company, right, and you're running a factory, right,

and something goes along in the factory flow? Who is the first person

you were called the manager? Right? If he owns a factory, the

first guy he was called is the manager the hit of the factory of the

operations flow? Right? But in this story, Daniel, who was the

chief magician, was the last guy called in. So I begin to ask

myself a question. Why was he the last guy who went in before the

king? Either he was busy the way to be found, or maybe the

king sought all the other magicians counsel before he went to Daniel because he realized

that all the others couldn't give the answer. Maybe, just maybe this Daniel

kent because he suddenly remembered that Daniel interpreted his first dream right. So so

I thought about it. Wow, sometimes you and I can be like that.

Right, we go and find solutions among other places, first among men

first, and then we leave God as the last resort. Have you been

there before? Friends? I prayed that you and I today will put God

as our first resort, not as our last resort. Because Daniel was the

last guy brought before the king and he could give the interpretation. So truly

the king knew that Daniel had the spirit of God in him. He could

have called Daniel first, and you've got a job done very easily. But

yeah, sometimes you and I we have that as well. Right. We

tried to avoid hearing from from some people, maybe because we don't want to

hear what what we are about to hear. You know, you and I,

friends, we need to hear what we need to hear, not what

we want to hear. There's a difference in that, you know, um

and most of the times we don't want to hear what we need to hear

because most of the time what we need to hear always hurts, and it's

a tough thing to hear. Right, And so the king knew that.

The King knew that, Um, here's the thing. Even though Daniel was

the last wise man brought before the king. Daniel needed to have the answer

to it. He needed to have an answer. And I strongly believe that

Daniel had had answered because the spirit of God was in him. So I

want to encourage you today, friends, You and I we need to be

ready in it our season because when your friends call call you, and when

they come to you. Maybe you are the last resort. Maybe they asked

everyone else did, and finally they realized, Hey, I remember this guy.

You know. His name was you know, Linus, and no he

has not the spirit in him. You know, he can speak wisdom.

And after people ask everyone else, they come to you. They ask you,

liners, I have this problem. I payed the you and I we

would have the answer to it. Amen, because the spirit of God is

in us. And so in order for us to have an answer in seasons

or times like that, right, we need to be rooted in the world

of God. We need to be feeling on the world of God every day.

We need to receive his wisdom, his daily wisdom, so that when

your friends ask you, you have the answer to it. Amen, you

have the answer to it. So Daniel had an answer to it, which

you will see in a while. Okay, So let's let's not reading worse.

Uh Okay. So that there was the vision, I said, I

spoke, I read the vision already and verse eighteen. So this dream I

king Nemercans have seen. Now you declare it's interpretation, since all the wise

men of my kingdom are not able to make it known to me the interpretation.

But you are able, for the spirit of the Holy God is in

you. Holy God, Capita, the Holy God is in you. Wow,

such a confidence. The king knew for sure that Daniel could give the

interpretation. He said, you are able, You are able to give the

interpretation. So then Daniel, whose name was belta Chaza, was astonished for

a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke and said,

Beltaaza, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you. So

Beltasha answered and said, my Lord made a dream concern those who hate you,

and it's interpretation concern your enemies. Wow. So here now Daniel,

standing before the king, has to give the interpretation. And he knew that

the tree which was in the vision was referring to King Nebuchanizer right, And

it was so difficult to give the interpretation because he knew he was talking about

the king, right. And you and I know, in those olden days,

if you're stand before the king and you say something that the king don't

like, your head could be on a chopping board, right, Your head

could be be hated. So Daniel was trembling because he knew that he was

referring to the King, So he was troubled. He was scared, I'm

sure at the moment. Right. In fact, he actually said, my

Lord, let the dream concern those who hate you. Wow. So he

started by saying, King, I hope, I don't wish this dream upon

you. I don't wish that you were the one in this dream. I

wish it was to your enemies. Right, because it was hard, It's

going to be a tough message. So he said in verse twenty, the

tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to

the heavens and could be seen by all the earth, whose leaves were lovely,

and its food abundant, in which was food for all, under which

the beasts of the field drought, and in whose branches the birds of the

heaven had their home. It is you, old King, who have grown

and became strong, For your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens,

and your dominion to the end of the earth. And inasmuch as the king

saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying,

chopped down the tree and destroyed it, but leave its thumb and roots in

the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass

of the field. Let it be read with the dew of heaven, and

let him gaze graze with the beasts of the field till seven times passed over

him. So the seven times actually refers to seven years. Okay, seven

years uh. So this is the interpretation old King, And this is the

decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord, the King.

There shall drive you from men. Your dwellings shall be with the beasts

of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. There

shall wed you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over

you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men

and gives it to whomever he chooses. And in as much as they gave

the command to leave the stump and rules of the tree, your kingdom shall

be assured to you. After you come to know that everybody say heaven rules.

Come and say down one time, Heaven rules. This is where we

get Our team was for x this year heaven rules. But you will find

that team repeated many many times, even though the word heaven rules only appeared

here once. Okay, Therefore, old King, let my advice be acceptable

to you. Break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by

showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.

Wow, so there you go. Danill gives the interpretation to the king.

He now tells the king, all, King, this mighty and great

treat is actually you right, uh and and it will be chopped down,

and you will be like the beasts. You will eat like an animal,

your your thoughts will be like an animal, you know, and you will

be humbled, you know, until you recognize that God rules and gives the

kingdom to whom whomever he chooses. Right. And so this is really,

really very a humbling moment for for King Nebuchaniser. And at the end of

it, Daniel gives the king a solution. What's the solution? Repent right,

repen break away from your sins so that maybe your prosperity may be lengthened.

Maybe God will be lent right. God will give you a second chance.

So Daniel gives the solution to the king. But you and I will

know that the following verses we read the king yet did not this to his

command or even the advice that Daniel had given to the king quite said.

Sometimes people will give us an advice, we hear it, but yet we

understand. But yeah, we don't know what to do. And the king

here did not act on it. Okay, So I'm gonna I'm gonna continue

reading, and I'll give you three points after this and if you're close,

okay, quite a short one, right worst to an eighth. All this

came upon a king, Nebuchneza at the end of the twelve months. He

was walking by the royal palace of Babylon. Fans chelve months, chelve months,

a good one year. King Nebuchaneza was given a chance to repend,

but he didn't. That's a long time. In fact, I would say

that God is very patient with us. Chelf Miners was given. The king

spoke and saying, is this is not this great Babylon that I have built

for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty.

While the word was still in his king's mouth, a voice fell from

heaven, King Nebuchanezer, to you, it is spoken, the kingdom has

departed from you and there shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall

be with the beasts of the field. There shall make you eat grass like

oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, seven years until your until

you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it

to whomever he chooses. There's actually the third time. You're reading that three

times with you. It's been mentioned to the king that very hour the word

was for field. Concerning Nebuchaneza, he was driven from men and ate grass

like oxen. His body was wet with the dual of heaven kill. His

hair had grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like bird's claws. And

there is there there we can see Nebuchneza's humiliation, and he's humbling a moment.

And at the end of the time, I, Nebuchendezer, lifted my

eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me. And I bless the

Most High and praise and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is

an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. All the

inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He does according to his will

in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, no

one can restrain his hand or say to him, what have you done.

At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory

of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and

nobles resulted to me. I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty

was added to me. Now I never can as a praise and extol and

honor the King of Heaven. All of those who works are truth, all

of whose works are truth, and his ways justice, and those who walk

in pride. He is able to put down Lord bless the reading of his

word a man. So that was that wraps up Daniel chapter four. And

we can see that ned as a truly had one very big thing in his

heart. And I think you know the answer by now. That word was

fine fright. So that's my first point today, h haughty heart, starting

me, h haughty heart, How many of you know that God resists the

power? He was humble whoever that is frightful in their hearts. So King

nebuchand Azer actually had a very very tight pot fool and pride was ruling in

his heart, because if you think about it, the dream was actually very

obvious he was to the King Nebuchadnser himself. If you, if you and

I read the verses again right, you will know that most of the time

it's quite obvious actually that the dream was referring to himself. Because if King

Nebuchandzer sat down there and thought about it, is there any other greater greater

kingdom than than him during that time? Maybe? Yes, maybe not.

King baby lonon Rain was one of the greatest at the time, and King

Nebugadza would have known that the tree he was referring to him. But how

many have you known? You and I? Sometimes we also have the spirit

of Nebuganaza in us. That's called pie. What do we say to ourselves?

No, it can't be me, right, I think that someone else.

It can't be me. It can't be referring to me. And then

is why King Nebugadzza didn't realize that actually he was the one in the dream

he was refracing to him, right, because had already blinded him. How

many of you know that applied fright or blindness? It were fight for blindness.

The Bible says in James Chapter four was six. God resists the proud,

but gives grace to the Humber. God resist the poud, but he

would give grace to the Humber. So King Nembugassa was in a very fright

full place because even when he stood before his Bbylon kingdom, what do you

say? It is me? It is I. I did this. You

know, look at how I build this kingdom, you know, and if

you go and repect the history, a lot of the of the you know,

the buildings and the kingdom of Babylon was credited to King Nebuchadza. He

was the guy. And so he when he stood, you know, in

front of his palace, maybe looking down on all his buildings, all his

creation that he has done, whatever that he has built, he could have

said, it is I right, I did this, and and and sometimes

you and I can come to the place as well, we will say it's

my hard work. You know, it's my dedication. I did this.

It's all my glory is me. It's me. It's me. But friends,

how many of you know the life it's not about you or me.

You know. One of the toughest lessons I've learned in my life over thirty

years. Now is this that life has never been about me, has never

been about me. It's not about me, and it will never be.

I said it again, Life has never been about me. It isn't and

even never be. It's all about him because God rules in our hearts.

Amen. So King never can say. At that moment, he was saying

that everything that he has done was all about him, because his glory,

his hands, his power, it is him who did it. And friends,

I can tell you one day, when you become successful, when you

become wealthy, remember who puts you there. It is God who gives us

the power to make wealth. The Bible says, God gives us the power

to make wealth. Even then, is God who gives us the power to

make wealth, not ourselves. Amen. When you get there one day,

it will be very, very tempting to say that it is I I did

this. It's my my heart work. You know. I take fight in

it, and I tell you you and I will learn it the hard way.

God will have to humble us. So four up, Chapter sixteen,

verse eighteen says, fight goes before destruction. Wow, fight goes before destruction?

And a haughty spirit before or four. So you know, for sure,

fans, if there is a frightful spirit in us, if there's a

haughty spirit in us, you know what's coming next. Destruction or four is

coming next four up sixteen verse eighteen, that's what it says. And another

one fower us twenty one verse four. You know, I realized there's so

many verses in the Bible that talks about fight. So many right twenty one

was four a haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the

wicked a sin. So the Bible actually even says that a proud heart or

haughty heart haughty look itself is also seen that can be very dangerous. You

and I don't realize that we have there. So I'm gonna share a very

personal story. I think I shared this before you know. In in in

those days when I was in my high school days, right, I used

to play on the band on on as a musician. Uh, and I

used to play electric guitar. I think some of you know this story I

shared before you know, um, and I think I think if you were

there at Easter, you know how how awesome sounding electric guitar sound. You

know? Uh? This what was his name again, Angela. I think

angel you know, presented a song and Easter and he was he was he

was just whipping the lectric guitar, you know, and he was sharing it,

you know, and it sounded amazing, you know. And he had

his solo moment, right um. And as all electric guitaries also would say,

they have those moments, right, which they really enjoy, you know,

sharing the guitar and and and sounding great. Uh. And I two

hit the moment when I was younger, uh, somewhere in my teenage years,

I used to play like a guitar on a stage, right and um.

And I've played in big stage before over a thousand people. Uh.

And and and you know, and you know, in most Christen songs or

any any songs for that matter, there will always be a solo in the

song, right, and you will play the solo it sounds amazing, and

then people will come up to you after the after the session and say,

wow, you played amazing, that sounded great, right uh And And to

be honest, even girls came okay, so wow, so sore there was

so I was. I would say there was a moment that there was a

lot fight in me, right, um and, and I realized that,

man, I can't live like this, right, I can't take it anymore,

you know, like, uh, you know, it's it's it's it's

not what worship is supposed to be, right, uh. And I can

tell you it can happen to the best of us. It can happen to

the best of us. That fight can take over um and. So I

think me and my brother, my twin finally we sat down and said,

hey, I think we can't. I can't take it anymore. I can't

take this this you know, this glory or this praise too much. So

we decided to stop playing Letigita. And that's how I moved on to playing

at Costicuita. So I started playing Costicuita because Costicuita is more humbling, I

know, like, yeah, you don't really hear the sound as much compared

to Letrigita, you know. But when I first came the extra guests,

which ministry I went to. I went to the sound ministry, the so

called nobody because it's very behind the scenes, you know. I have this

one a very funny saying about the sound team. The only time we get

appreciated or the only time we get looked upon. Is when we make a

mistake. I say the XV right, yeah, of course hearing somebody in

the sound team and XTV is at the side right. You can see them,

you know, you can still see them smiling. You can see that

chess faces. You know that what song we this? You know that there's

going for the lyrics and you can still see them. In some churches,

or in most churches, the technical team is behind right, so you don't

see them right, you're just looking forward right, and so um. You

know. The only time you will have hates turned back is when there's no

lyrics going on going on. Last time, so I served in my own

very traditional church, also got the same thing. Every then the lyrics that

will go up, the hates were turned right. That's the only time the

hates were turned And acknowledge you because is sitting at the back very humbling service

to God. But I want to encourage the XTV and sound cool and the

rest of your sitting here. Even then, God still sees your serving.

You know, even a host who stands downstairs, you know, at the

parking or at the at the basement parking, or at the staircase, the

escalator even God sees that little serving that you do. God sees and he

honors that. Amen. It is very very humbling. I want to tell

you, okay, And so I went to the journey right. The Lord

had to teach me to come to that place of humbling. And we will

have those those seasons in life that you will be on your on the mountaintops

where pride will come in, and then God will humble you, or he

will take you to a journey of humbling, and then you will come back

to your lowest moments where you realize that God, I need you right,

I'm not thinking without you. No, take this pride away. I rebuilt

it, I bind it, and then there will be times that you will

come back again. You know, It's always a cycle, you know.

Um. So God will he will humble us if we are if we have

fight in us and so can you imagine twelve months a king Nebucan has had

time to repend. He didn't repend. Chielve minds a long time. God

is really really very patient, and so pride will blind us right causes us

to do everything we can in our mind, in our own strength, before

finally seeking God as the last resort. That's exactly what King I did,

right, because Daniel was the last wise man brought before the king, and

so past Cane had this one court he said, he said this right,

bring everything to God before you bring anything to men. Amen, bring everything

to God before you bring anything to men. Because I pray the you and

I today we will put God as our first resort, as the first answer,

not as the last answer, Amen, because He wants to be involved

in our lives, even with the simplest of things, even with the smallest

of things. God wants to be involved, and he has the best for

us. Amen. The second h first today is humbling experience. Humbling experience.

So so three things happened in this story. The first one was haughty

heart which happened to the king, humbling experience which also happened to the king.

And the third one was hoped for redemption. Okay, but go there

in a while. So the second one is humbling experience. Matthew chapter twenty

three. Worse child says, okay, let's alten. The Matthew chapter twenty

three was chelf that's practice flipping our bibles. Matthew Chapter twenty three worth chelf

If you're using the NKGIV Bible just like mine is on page eight hundred and

seventy. Okay, okay, Matthew, Chapter twenty three was chef, Are

you there? Okay? He says, and whomever exhorts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted. So whoever who exhausts himself

will be humbled. That's exactly what happened to King Never chelve months to heat

the command. He didn't do it, he didn't repent, he still took

glory for himself. And and this is where oftentimes we really know what to

do. We know exactly what we need to do in our minds, but

we just don't do it. You know, That's what happened to you.

See, God does not humble us to make us look bad or put us

down. I want you to know that. Okay. Remember that God does

not humble us to make us look bad or put us down, but rather

is to lift him up to the rightful place in our lives. Think about

that. Because God is not against us. Amen. God knows that we

need him. That's why he needs to be placed in the rightful place in

our hearts so that he can be enthron and so that he can lead our

lives. Uh, you know in this life. Amen. So he does

not humble us to make us too bad. He does not humble us because

it's against us. Is how he is humbling us so that he can be

lifted to his rightful place. Because God has good thoughts to us. Cheremian

to the nine verse says, for I know the thoughts that I have that

I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of

evil, to give you a future and a hope. So I know for

sure that God has good thoughts for us. So when God humbles us,

it's not because he's against us, right, It's because he needs us to

recognize that God rules over heaven and on earth and in our lives, and

he needs to be the rule of our lives. Amen. The third h

verse is this hope for redemption. How many of you believe that God is

a god of second chances? God of second chances? Did you know in

the story or the dream when the watcher came down, he chopped off the

tree, He left the s thumb and the roots in the ground. Think

about it? If you are doing gardening right, if you want to get

rid of a tree, or if you want to get rid of a grass

or wheats or anything for that matter, what would you do? You would

You'll pull the roots right, you will pull it completely. Okay, So

if you have done gardening before, I'm sure you have done. Maybe some

of you have done gardening before. If you when you pull wheats weeds out

of your grass, right, you don't just pull the top and snap.

You cannot. You will always reach down into the earth and you will pull

the roots out with it. You actually see earth and roots of the wheat.

That's how you get rid of the beats of the wheats. Right.

Um. But if you see in this story, if you realize God or

the Holy Watcher actually left the root and the stump in the ground, what

does that tell you You still got a chance to grow. God is a

god of second chances. Amen. And that is why in the story the

Watcher had already told king. And you recognize that God is ruler over the

kingdoms of heaven and men, your kingdom will be restored to you. So

indeed, God had so much mercy and grace to king Democads, even in

the midst of teaching him. He had given demucand as a second chance to

be restored because the roots and the stumb was left in the ground, it

was not removed. Indeed, God is a very merciful God. Amen.

Sam Chapter eighty six, verse fifteen says, but you, oh Lord,

our God, full of compassion and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in

mercy and truth. God is gracious and merciful. Truly, he is long

suffering. Another word for long long suffering is patient. God is very very

patient with us, and you and I sometimes really we go to this struggle

and God is still very patient with us, giving us grace and giving us

time so that we can change and soday we can hear from Him and repent

from our sins and follow him. Amen. And it's very sad that King

Demucads actually went to seven years complete the complete cycle. It was given to

him seven years and now of their suffering until he acknowledged that God is the

king seven years. So I want to share you this again. Another personal

thing that I always do. You know, when I go to tough times,

right, one of my most honest prayers that I will pray is God,

please review to me what you are trying to teach me and help me

to learn it quick, because I truly believe if King never can as a

head repented and acknowledge God as King earlier, he wouldn't have to suffer for

seven years the seven what was the word useder? Seven? Seven times?

Yeah? Right? And so when I go to tough times, I also

ask God this question sometimes, Lord, are you teaching me something? Is

there something I need to deal with? Is there is there pride in me?

You know? Search my heart and try me? Oh Lord, if

there's doubting me, if they fear in me, right and teach me,

help me to learn quickly so that I don't have to go to the suffering

for long. God's word is final. What he says he will do,

he does, So I paid it. We will never put God to the

test, friends, don't put God to the test. When God says he

will do, and God says he do, he will do it, don't

put him to the test. Don't test his patience. That's one thing you

and I would never want to do. Don't test God's patience. And so

I'm saying that God is such a merciful god. Right, we just came

out from Easter celebration, and it really reminds us of the hope that we

have in Christ. He has overcome it all, he has paid it all.

The work is complete, once and for all. And just last weekend,

I was just reminding myself. You know, the cross reminds us of

the price that God or Jesus had to pay for our sins. That's what

the that's what the cost reminds us. And empty tomb she reminds us that

salvation and victory is given to all who will believe. The cross and the

empty tomb both it's a reminder to us of the price that Christ had to

pay and the salvation and victory that we have today. Amen. Because the

tomb is empty, so there is hope for redemption. Even Kingdom Democaniser,

who was humbled, had a hope for redemption because at the end of the

story ended well. The kingdom was taught to him and he acknowledged that God

was ruler over all, that heaven rules, God is ruler over our lives.

Amen. So I'm gonna say a few things about being humbled in our

clothes. This is what humility means. Humility is the quality of having a

modest or low view of one's importance. Okay. In other words, the

Bible actually says, do not think of yourself higher than you ought to.

So the Bible actually says, I think it's in I can't remember efficience.

I think. Um here's a few quote for you about humility. Humility is

not a weakness. Somebody say, amen, come on, humility. It's

not a weakness. In fact, it is strength under control. That's what

humility really means. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of

yourself less. Okay. It's not thinking that, oh, I'm useless,

I can't do I'm I'm worth nothing. You know. You know I'm good

for nothing. You know I'm not as tall as the other guy. You

know. Uh, you know. That's not what humility means. Humility is

not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. So,

friends, I pray that you and I will stay humble, especially when you

come to the working world. You will finds to be very true. I

find that most of us in this generation who tend to jump jobs very quickly

in this time and age, because promotion is very tough in the in the

working world today, very very tough. I somehow find that today in our

working world, loyalty is not well rewarded. Loyalty are is not well rewarded

in the working world. That's why most people would jump companies. Everyone two

years to would jump companies to get a higher promotion, to get a higher

paying salary. When you get to the working world, you'll know that that's

a trend. But I truly believe in loyalty, and I stand for loyalty

for faithfulness. That's why my first job I stayed for six years first job.

Today I'm in my second job. I've been here now for two years

now, and I can tell you, working for seven eight years now,

I have not grown much in my career, not how I expected it to

be, not yet. But so recently I was tempted to apply job somewhere

else, you know, in a company that I really wanted that's coming to

Malaysia. I think some of you don't know, but uh, but I

was. I was very tempted, you know. I was very tempted,

you know. And then I'm still praying and thinking about it. But I

really felt in my spirit right that the Lord has had not called me to

go yet. He has not called me to change company yet or maybe not

not a lot, I don't know, And so I decided maybe I wouldn't

I wouldn't even apply because I think the temptation is great. And you apply,

you get a higher you know, offer, or you get a promotion.

It's very hard to say no. That's when you start to pray and

then you we just had to pull out of reasoning into our mind. Oh

God, maybe you gave me this job. Then then I didn't ask you

to do you know, I didn't ask you to go right, uh yeah,

so so yeah, so I'm investing with that to know, because I

don't want to put myself in the temptation. And then after that, very

hard to say no to the tempted. So yeah, so really I can

tell you that humbly, I will say to you, for motion comes from

the Lord. For motion comes from the Lord. M As you and I

learned to trust the Lord, he will lift us up in due time.

He will lift lift us up in due time. It's very very hard to

stay loyal these days in our job now, company, maybe even in relationships

is very challenging. I pray that you and I will stay humble and look

to the Lord. Look to the Lord. Amen, James chepter four,

verse ten. Okay, let's altern the James Chefter four wars ten because this

is a very important worse and I think I'm going to close soon after this.

Okay, let me read the whole passage, James chapter four words.

Let's go from verse seven to verse ten. Okay. The title of this

passage, my Bible says humility chaos worliness. Wow, humility chios worliness.

It says, therefore, submit to God, we sis the devil, and

he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw

near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sin us, and purify your

hearts. You're double minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter

be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the

sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. Amen, Humble

yourselves in the Lord. In the sight of the Lord, and he will

lift you. How many of you know that humility actually is a requirement of

the Lord. It is a requirement. I'm going to show it to you

my car. Chapter six was it? My car? Chapter six? Was

it? Says He has shown you, Oh man, what is good?

And what does the Lord require of you? But to do justly, to

love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. So I'll say to

you and I today, even walking humbly before God, before men and one

another's the requirement of the Lord. Because God re seized the power he would

give grace to the humble. Amen. And so I read this. Now,

humble yourselves and aside of the Lord, and he will lift you up.

You know, I'm gonna give you one last interesting fact about the story

just now about you know Dinner chapter four. Did you know in Dinner chapter

four there's one particular words that stood out to me? In Worse seventeen,

it says, this decision is by the degree of the watchers and the sentenced

by the word of the Holy Ones, in order that the living may know

that the most high rules in the Kingdom of Heaven, gives it to whomever

he wields and sets over it the lowest of men. The Bible in Danner

chapter four they read earlier, actually said, look at the last line there

that says gives it to whomever he wiels and sets over it the lowest of

men. That itself speaks off humidity, humbleness, And I remember very clodly.

That's one of this message that pass I cannot preach about. Preach before

the men in the men's fellowship, he preached that you know, God uses

weak men. Yes, you heard that, right, I said again,

God chooses to use weak men. Why because only people who are weak in

themselves will humble themselves before the Lord and say, God, I need you.

I can't do this without you, because only then can God be insured

in their lives. Only then can God lead them. Only then can God

manifest his glory and his power in and tow them. So I have come

to realize that, you know, in life, I'm not saying that we

cannot be good at anything. Friends, we are caught to be ten times

better than the world. Right, That's what Daniel had. He had a

spirit of God in him. He was ten times better. Yes, we

can be good at what we are called to do, but never let fright

take over your hearts and your mind. Never remember to always stay humble before

the Lord because he will lift you up. God uses weak men because only

weak men will acknowledge that they need God. You and I really God,

and the moment we come to a realization and say that God, I can

do this on my own. I don't need you. God will eventually humble

less you, and I will go to very painful times that God will teach

us, He humble us, and cause us to realize that God truly is

the ruler of this earth. He is the ruler of our hearts. And

God is in heaven and Heaven truly rules. I've been meditating a lot about

these team Heaven rules, and I think two things came up to you know,

spoke to me very clearly about these two words heaven rules. You know,

the word heaven rules or the team actually is a very comforting words to

a believer because these two words heaven rules should give every believer comfort and peace

knowing with full assurance that God is in control and he rules over all the

kingdoms of men. That's the first thing. It should give us comfort and

peace as a believer. And the second thing is this, it should cause

us to live in weavens godly fear and honor to Him because God can raise

up people and can humble people as he wills. So there was two things

that really stood up to me when I was really thinking about the team.

Heaven rules, you know, and we're still talking about it. In this

year. You will hear many more messages about heaven rules, maybe in different

variations, but I prayed it today. You will number one, have comfort

and peace to know that Heaven truly rules like nothing surprises God in this world,

none of your problems surprises him, and that you can find comfort and

peace to know that God is in control. And number two, to realize

that we need to live a holy life before Him because if we are fight

full in our hearts, he will humbles, He will humbers, and he

can and there will be a very painful experience. Because I love each and

every one of you here, I prayed that you and I would never need

to go to that situation like that. As long as we stay humble before

the lawn, he will lift us up. Amen. We hope you've been

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