The Final Countdown | Pr Yvonne Chong

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

will light up your tea. Palm Sunday, all right, today's Palm Sunday.

And I'm gonna get us to turn to Matthew chapter twenty one. Um,

and that is the key verse for today. Okay, So today I

just want to title this message as the final countdown. Okay, the final

Countdown. That's the final countdown. Okay, Chapter twenty one, verse one

to eleven, all right, and I'm gonna get um our lead us whoever

they're sitting on the first row to be reading the verses. And I think,

uh, yeah, there's a micro radio stand by, so as you'll

read, you can read from whichever version that you all have, all right,

it can be Tamil as well. You can go ahead and read.

Uh. Each person will take two verses each, okay, and we will

start from verse one until verse eleven. The matter Chatter twenty one, verse

verse one and two, all right, okay, the triumphal entry. Now,

when they when they drew near to Joy Salemon, came to Bethage to

the Mount of Olive, then Jesus the two disciples saying to them, go

into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey

tied and a cult with her, and tie them and bring them to me

verse three. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say,

the Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them. All

this was done that it might be foulful, which was spoken by the prophet

saying what was five, Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your king

is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey, called the fall of

a donkey. So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They

brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set

him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road.

Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, Hosanna to

the son of David. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the

Lord, Hosanna in the highest. And when he has come into Jerusalem,

all the city was moved, saying who is this? You can continue to

eleven finish it. And the multitudes say this is Jesus, the prophet of

Nazareth of Galilee. Wow, thank you you can just hang hang the mike.

Yeah, I think it's fine, not hang but um, yeah,

can keep it with you all right. Um. And and so as you

can see here right, uh's the journey where Jesus, you know, he

was on the way uh, entering Jerusalem. And you know Palm Sunday,

right, I mean growing up in pinninth that she had quite a few chure

just that do celebrated big. You know, they actually do bring up palm

leaves and and and and they celebrated on the street. They have procession.

So you were supposed to happen today then apparently I saw, you know,

it was reigning really heavily in Pinnane, so they didn't manage to do that.

And you know something about um even just building up from Palm Sunday till

Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Sometimes as a church we not we some some

yeah sometimes we or as Christmas as well, we put a lot of focus

on Christmas, but actually we should be celebrating, you know, the death

of Jesus and because of his death we can have life, right uh.

And and because he is resurrected. Now we reserved, and we worship a

true and leaving God. And and and you know then just you know,

celebrating the birth of baby baby, which is good, but it's actually not

on a twenty fifth of December as well. But all um um, but

celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. And and and what this this triumphant uh journey

that he ran through so that you and I we can experience this freedom and

live today. All right, So if you can see her, you know,

the journey from verse one to verse eleven, right it all um,

we can clearly see there is a celebration of Jesus entering Jerusalem as a savior

and king. And when he entered right why he did what happened it?

All um? He wrote a donkey right into the town of Jerusalem, and

a large cow actually gathered to welcome him. And and you know, um,

they know, raised up palm branches, they took, took off their

garments and they on the street. Garment was put on the donkey as well.

Uh. And then he wrote in and different ones you know, started

cheering, and and you know, saying, right, Hosanna to the son

of David and blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord Hosanna

to the highest. And if you can see here right, it is a

full feeling of fulfillment to the prophecy. There was prophet side way before Jesus

was even um born. And and and Uh it is actually from the Old

Testament, Uh, from Zachariah chapter nine, verse nine, and Isaiah UH

chapter sixty two, verse eleven. So I did a bit of research.

When was the book of Zachariah written and when was Isaiah written? And today's

text. I mean we took from Matthew, but there were different accounts uh

in the gospel, which is Matthew, Mark Luke John of Um Uh this

this uh Palm sunday as or the Passion Sunday. And and you know Jesus

just writing into Jerusalem. And I realized, right, the time frame was

actually quite far apart. Okay, zach a Riya was actually written in a

sixteenth century before Christ. There they used to use bush. Isaiah was eighteenth

at the eighteenth century before Christ. Uh and at the partent time right,

Um, if you're realized or you're they don't know yet, right, there

wasn't like you know, allow you have your cloud storage. You know,

you can write your whatever paper your upload and people can just easily access and

compare notes. I am sure at a part of time there's no such technology.

And it was I mean the writers of the different books or the Bible's

they were all scattered. I don't think that's in a way archive like a

library as well, that they can actually go to and travel to h to

pull out and and somehow prophecy and we know the word of God is uh.

You know, the Bible is God's breath. Right, God inspired and

got inspired men to actually write an account different things. So, um,

sixteenth century, eighteenth century? How how many years is a century? Yeah?

So Zacha Raya Isaiah, that's like two hundred years apart, right roughly?

Okay uh? And and Matthew, the New Testament was actually written eighty

five eighty uh and no Domini so rachis eighty five yes, uh past Christ?

Okay, post Christ. So but you can see, um, when

this event happened. It comes from the prophecy that was already given that a

saving is gonna be born and and and later we're gonna go into Zacha Raya

chapter nine. And we're gonna read a little bit further. So as we

begin this Holy week, you know, um, and and it's very significant

for us. Acts I realized that because we are going through muton fast and

prayer and and and one more, you know, beginning the Holy week,

you know, in the posture and attitude and intro in our action as well

of fasting and praying and uh. You know, as we begin this Holy

week, you know, um, I just want why I want to share

this today because um, I want us to be reminded the significance and the

value of our lives today if even even if not for what Christ has done

across right, we wouldn't be here today as all. Uh and because of

what he did, it carries with all right, so that this week to

this weekend is the most important day in history, right and today it's the

start of that history making day that Jesus did. Uh and and and I

when I was actually when I was preparing the message to share today, I

thought of sharing us something else that realized a actually today is Palm Sunday,

and I should uh be talking about it. And and sometimes you can miss

it, you know, in our basically life we can miss important events of

what Christ has done. Um and and and may even today sharing be able

to help us to also draw closer to God, uh, to know him

more, to see that. You know, we're not just believing in a

religion, but we're believing in a God who is alive, a God that

you know. Um. This phase is actually borne out of a sacrifice and

our love even for us. All right, So a fight things about Palm

Sunday. The first one, if you read that eleven verses, right,

Five things that I wanted to just point out. The first one is our

attention to the donkey. So that's the first thing that was obvious to me

as you start the verse, in all the donkey um and and you know,

sometimes you use it loosely, my school of donkey um or not?

You like me okay? Growing up sometimes you're like ether, we call each

other pigs or donkey And I don't know why I like terrible. Okay.

So the donkey, Jesus chose to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. He didn't

choose to ride a horse. Uh. You all in our mind, you

compare a donkey or a horse. Right. A horse feels more majestic,

Right, um full of strengths and and choys and horses look more elegant.

Right, your donkey like whatever, I don't want want to walk? They

don't look so elegant in their stature as well. But Jesus chose to ride

a donkey, and it was a for few months. Just now I talk

about zacha Yah chapter nine, verse nine, right, probably Okay, then

now it's your turn. You can read us zacha Yah chapter nine, verse

nine and see what it says. Yeah, zacha Yah chapter nine, verse

nine. Rejoice greatly, old daughter of Zion, shout, old daughter of

Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and

having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey a quote the full of a donkey.

Yep, thank you for reading so right? Um. In Biliblical times,

okay, culturally speaking, it is actually really common for kings and important

people to go on a procession riding donkeys. All right. In a modern

times we cannot bring that because we know that donkeys is right hard to change

or so, uh, and they have slower and so. But at a

part of time, you know, important people actually wrote donkeys uh in important

events, and what does the donkeys symbolize sing. Donkey actually symbolizes peace,

all right, as opposed to horses people in olden times in that context and

a part of time, right horses, although they are strong and they are

pois, but usually they were right horses out to war when they need to

go war, horses are involved, all right. Um, So donkey there

is the opposite of a horse, and and in symbolizes peace. So by

Jesus riding the donkey into Jerusalem is a very symbolic ad and saying that I

can't. I'm bringing peace and coming peace, and I am peace as well.

And and um, so those who write on donkeys culturally at that point

in time is to actually show that they come to you with peaceful intentions.

Yeah, I bring peace, uh and and and and the greatest of all

you know, which is Jesus, you know. Uh. He is also

referred to that he is the Prince of peace. Right, So he started

the Holy Week by bringing peace into Jerusalem. Uh. Second one, okay,

second thing that was obvious in these eleven verses for me were the clothes.

Um some version says garment. Uh. Some call it the clock clo

aks. So people actually took it out Uh, put you a donkey.

They spread it out on the road as Jesus entered, and you know,

the donkeys happily. I think it as a donkey, you were like,

wow, so clean. Today I get the clothes I don't know walking in,

I'm sorry, you know, I sometimes I love animals, So I'm

like, okay, what goes on in the mind of an anymore? Um?

But you know, get stepped on and then I'm sure at the point

in time there is no tower road, there's no cement. Wrote is really

dirty. So the clothes became dirty after being stepped on. And imagine you

know today, different ones of you here, you're asked to remove your coute

you know, especially our leaders are also looking leaders, or you dress so

proper, you're asked to remove your garment and to lay it down on the

ground so that, you know, maybe lay at the entrance as we walk

in. Right, we stepped on your garment, step on the your precious

clothes out of your might being wearing some zara or your g two thousand quote

right, uh, laid down and let people step on it. How would

that make you feel? Your precious Maybe you only have you know, I

remember when I first started in serving it next. I was a student.

So when my serving clothes, I only have one set and I use it

every time I surf, I wear the same one. So my son day

best. You know, some of us we call our Sunday best. Right,

Uh, what's really precious to me? So if I'm asked to lay

it down so that it can be stepped upon, how would that feel?

Um? I believe you know, they was more than just an act of

honor, but this is actually an acknowledgement and a declaration that Jesus is the

king of kings and a lot of flaws. I think if we know,

like wow, the King of Malaysia is coming in and you know somehow outside

this hall is just very muddy because it's rain and and you know we want

him to walk in and you know, wanting to clear shoes, right,

we don't mind. I don't think we mind even just using our G two

thousand al Zara's to put on the ground so that you all, he is

comfortable. Uh, and maybe he has filled with water. You do want

his shoes to be dirty as well, so we try to raise it up

to stack it up so he can walk on comfortable ground. You know,

it is definitely an act of honor because they recognize that jesu Us some of

them could have recognized. Or they are also declaring that he is the King

of kings and he is the promised Messiah. The word garmon here right uh

in uh Greek, right it is tar lit okay t a l l i

t uh it is uh some of it um or it's called a prayer shawl,

which it actually is uh similess Okay, it's a similess garment at the

part of time. So whenever they go their prayer, they cover themselves with

shawl. Uh so that it all in Malaysia requite that you know, different.

Their skin is not exposed. They cover themselves. And it has four

corners, okay. So uh it has four corners and it has a tassel

attached to each of the corner. All right. And and this prayer show

as it is a very symbolic thingy because it actually reminds the Jews of the

comments of God. Uh, this show that they have. So they use

it for prayer, but they use it to lay it down because I mean,

we don't have prayer gamments these days, right, but de side,

you know, we have our Sunday best. When we come to church,

we redress our best for God and upon Uh. It's color of this prayer

show right. Uh. It's actually written in Hebrew letters. It says a

lot of lords and king of kings and uh. And it's to actually remind

the Jews of the promise of the Messiah. All right. So by laying

down that tallets, you know, all the people were acknowledging that Jesus as

God's promised Messiah, and they were declaring that Jesus was the one worthy to

be called a lot of lords and king of kings. And also day today.

You know, it may not be the laying down of our clothes U

for for God. But what are the areas that you know that we are

laying down for Christ? Uh, so that we can acknowledge and say,

you know, God, I'm laying this down, this area in my life

down because you are the lot of my life. You are the king of

all my life. So what are we laying it down? Um? So

that God can be glorified, God can be lifted up, God can be

acknowledged in our life. All right. Sometimes it's very tough, it's very

tough areas in our life. Certain areas are really precious to us. Um.

But when we see the importance of God in our life, that it

gives us a little bit, it makes it a little bit easier for us

to lay it down. Okay. So the third one palm branches. Okay,

the people cut down palm branches and they wave in the air. Some

laid down on the ground as well before Jesus rode into the city. So

fun, some fun fact, okay for us to know this. Palm branches.

So they are from this tree called the date palmp date a dat uh.

And apparently this tree is a really majestic tree uh. And they grow

abundantly in the Holy Land, all right. So they're long and large leaves

are spread out from the top of a single trunk that can actually grow more

than ten feet in height. Okay, it's not like the palm tree you

know these days, it's just mini size uh that has long fifty feet in

height. Um. And and the in those times, in biblical times,

right, the finest uh tree, the finest palm tree actually grow grow in

Jericho, all right. And Jericho also is also known as the city of

palm trees. And and there's another place that are called at Garde e n

g d i Uh and those there's another area. And the other area is

along the banks of the river Jordan. All right, uh. And not

only that, but palm trees also represent Jesus bring worthy as the high priest

for all of us who believe. And palm trees takes thirty years to actually

start bearing fruit, longer than your Duran try. It takes palm three thirty

years to bear fruit. And a man cannot at the point of time,

cannot become a high priest until his thirty years or or these days in modern

age, it cannot be a pastor until his study years or And the ministry

of Jesus as well, began when he was thirty And how old was Jesus

when he died? Yeah, three years of ministry but powerful time, so

it was something significant as well. Um. And and what the palm branches

symbolize, okay, it symbolized goodness, well being, grandeur, step,

fundness and victory okay uh and and uh what they do as all right on

their currency because there were more one of the earlier civilizations, so they started

having their own currency, their own coins. There's no notes back then yet

but in coins, I know different parts are you know their currency was this

butter trait because they don't have a currency so on coins. So it's actually

palm branches. Palm trees are printed on coins and also imprinted on important building

cessor part of the architecture, so they have designs of palm printed on it.

And King Solomon right had palm branches carved into the wall and doors of

the temple and uh, and not just doors and wall, but it was

around the temple, both in the inner and outer courts. Some of you

are like, okay, why is that? Ask your leaders Okay, they

can explain to you the temple or modern day the Colledge Church, by the

temper, they have the inner court and alter court sessa and they carved it

on a cherubim cherubim Okay, c h E r U b I am.

You can ask your leaders what stead that's all um and and all these were

carved on it. You can refer to also First Kings Chapter six is accounted

there as all um and palm branches. Okay, now we're talking about the

branch is regarded as a token of joy uh and it's used customarily in festive

occasions all right, uh. And kings and conquerors were welcome with palm palm

branches as well. Um. And and it's being waved in the air also

as they you know, as they are being welcome in um. Those who

so they used to have in the Greek they used to have their games,

right, Uh, Grussian games. They all might not know it, but

you know, once they win the games, right, the victors actually gets

welcome with palm branches as well. Um. And as they return home with

you know, their victory, their trophy that they have won, Uh,

they get welcome by palm branches. So the triumph here that receive the palm

branches that people waved as they welcome Jesus in was the symbolic victory that soon

got. On Friday he died, right and about his death, that's where

he got to overcome death. So it was a symbolic act to say that,

you know, Jesus has already overcame he has overcame death. It is

stated in First Communtiance, chapter fifteen, verse forty five. I think I

get Bandary again that his first communtis chapter fifteen, verse forty five, verse

fifty five. Lima ploma all right fifty five, Oh death, where is

your sting? Oh? Here this is where is your victory? Yep?

Because of what Jesus has done a course death for us, believe us,

it does not have a whole on us anymore. Um and and and uh

and because Jesus has won it all out all right. So some of us

you may feel like, okay, it not just a physical death, you

know. Some of us may feel like, okay, there are situations in

my life that looks dead to me already. That's not what we read.

But just know that Jesus has won it. Uh. And because of him,

you're able to overcome the deadly situation. Uh. And we know that

eternal death, which is an internal separation where we die on earth right physically

when we die, Uh, there is going to be an eternal separation between

us and God if we do not believe in him. Um. So,

because of what he has done, there is a reconciliation. Because of what

Jesus has done, there's a reconsolation with a father now for us. So

for those believers, us believers here uh, believe us us believers here,

upon our death, now we get to have eternal life. You've got all

right. So if that just flew past your head, ask your leaders a

bit more. What does that mean? All right? Okay, okay,

the fourth one who will be Hosanna? All right, Hosanna. When the

people shout at Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna to the highest right, they were

actually healing Christ as king. The word hosanna actually means safe now, all

right, It means safe now. And in their minds, you know,

they could have been waiting for an earthly king to save them if you read

the history back in time and a part time when Jesus was walking into Jerusalem,

right, Uh, okay, I'll come to that letter. Sorry,

So Hosanna all right? And God had a different way to bring true salvation

to all those who trust in him. So, Hosanna save us. You

know now, when we're seeing us on Hosanna, Hosanna, all right,

we are saying God save us, save us, all right? Some chapter

one one eight, verse twenty six. Now you can reverse the linus again

and then someone one eight verse twenty six liners and Zoe can read the Romans

chapter ten, verse nine some Somes's one one eight verse twenty six. Less

it be he that come up in the name of the Lord. We have

blessed you out of the house of the Lord. Wow. That's like King

James version okay. And then Romans chapter ten, verse nine. Romans chapter

ten, verse nine that if you confess with with your mouth the Lord Jesus,

and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead,

you will be saved. Yea, by the confession of your mouth that Jesus

is slot, by the confession of a mouth to say that you a Hosannah,

save me God, you all you will be safe. All right.

So the fourth thing and not fourteen fifth thing that we can observe, I

just realized I accounted Raleigh, okay. Fifth thing that you can see here

is Jesus web okay. Um. In Luke, so I said, you

know, the different gospels accounted um the death of Jesus as well. So

in Luke it was actually accounted that Jesus wept all right. Um, okay,

Stephen, you can read Luke chapter nineteen, verse forty one to forty

two. Luke chapter nineteen, verse forty one. Now as he junior,

he saw the city and wept over it, saying if you had known even

you, especially in this your day to take the things that make you make

for you for your peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Yeah. So when he was entering the city, he saw it and he

wept. So Jesus actually cried, And what did he? Why did he?

He was weeping for Jerusalem? Right amid it all. Imagine you're entering

in Jesus Jesus position now the donkey. You know, everybody's like celebrating,

and you cry. Ah. And he because he knew in his heart,

Uh, it wouldn't belong that these people, there's these same people that was

welcoming him turn turned their back on him and betray him and crucify because it

was the same people that say crucify him, crucify him, right, Um,

and his heart actually really broke with the reality of how much they really

needed a savior. Uh. If you go to Israel, how you go

to Jerusalem? Right now? A lot of them are still waiting for the

coming of a messiah. A lot of them it's like, Okay, the

Messiah is not here yet, but Jesus already came. Uh. And that

really broke Jesus's heart because he knew in the future what it's going to be

like and and it could be for some of us as well, right,

Uh, some of us like some certain on certain days like wow, God,

you're so good. Certain days you're like God, why are you are

like that? Uh? I can't put it right nice? And sometimes you'll

be actually cursing him, like God, why do you put me in this

situation? Why? God? You know I hate you God. You know

I've said that before, Urselve when I went through Like God, you know

you say you're gonna deliver me, Why why am I here? Um?

And that really broke Jesus's heart. And know that, you know, God

knows what's going on in our life as well. Um. And and I

always, you know, make sure I got you know, no matter what

in the highest and the lows, in the mountains or the valleys, I

still want to choose to praise you. I still want to choose to lift

it out in my life. All right, So let's not make Jesus weak

again when he sees our life and our journey. Yeah, okay, the

last one sixth the sixth point. Uh, what I observed and saw as

well as that Jesus actually reigns. Okay, Palm Sunday today, Passion Sunday

reminds us that the reign of Christ is far greater than any man's mind could

ever conceive, could ever plan. All right, it's around this time that

Jerusalem was actually understige. Was just not I mentioned? You know, they

were looking actually forward to someone that can actually deliver them because if you read

back history, h Jerusalem was actually taken over by the Romans, the Roman

military, okay, the Roman soldiers, and the city was actually quite destroyed.

So outside, okay, I was just researching a bit more on history,

I realized that Okay, it was it wasn't a happy, happy era

okay, or that era that they were colonized, staken over and the city

was actually destroyed, including the Second Temple. Okay, you can go rid

up more what the Second Temple is. But not only did the Romans take

over the city or destroy the buildings, there was a mass massacre as well.

So there was mass killing also a lot of people were killed. Uh.

And I am sure you know now if you're gonna read back, if

you know history, and you're gonna read back, Matthew, Uh, the

eleven Versus Charact twenty six eleven versus Safe now has a different meaning. Hosanna

has a different meaning, has a different weight, as it's not a show

like yeah, uh Hosanna, but it was a desperate shout and a crowd.

God's safe, not God's safe. But you know we need we need

to be safe and save us now and and you know, um in this

present day and we're right. Uh, sometimes we look up to another person,

hopefully you know, uh, someone the authority, uh could fight out

on our behalf because you know we'll be marginalized. Uh, come on,

someone can speak up for us, someone can fight for the rights of us.

You know, hopefully the new government in or can stand out for these

people. You know, we always look, you know, look for someone

to save. But yet and and the point and that point in time as

well, they definitely needed deliverance. But at that point of time, UH

got new that he is the only one that is able to save them.

And his ultimate plan, okay, his uh end game, his ultimate plan.

It was to send his son, only a perfect person, his son

Jesus, could actually fight the final battle over death. Only Jesus could save

and deliver uh, even even for us here as all right, sometimes we

put a lot of faith and trust in you know, like Genera Nations or

some time back. Lad. But a lot of people are like, what

a new government, there would be a new Malaysia, but the new government

asself for example, the human beings also, um, only Christ uh can

fight the battle for us. Only can fight the battle for your own journey

in the life that you know, the journey are going through. Not your

leaders here as well. Stephen can't be fighting the battle for your order.

He's the church plank coordinator. So but Christ can look to him, you

know, look unto him. He is able and because he is the ultimate

sacrifice as well, that is why, and he's the perfect sacrifice. That

is why you're able to experience this freedom that you can. All right,

So John chapter eleven, verse thirty five. Let's say what Let's see what

Jesus said says here Okay, Shakina shakaina shooks either one. John chapter eleven,

verse twenty five. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and

the life. He who relieves in me, even though he dies, he

shall live. Yeah, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and life.

Though he may die, and though you may be in a death deadly or

death situation. You shall live. You will continue to live. And I

believe God is saying to some of you here as well, you shall live.

It's not a dead end for you, all right, you will leave,

You will have a tomorrow, and that is a future and a hope

for you because Jesus is alive. All right. Amen, So this week

I hope that you know, as we ponder, as we meditate, as

we do a daily devotion as well, let's mean it's not at the time

so that you're not so grateful. I'm not so grateful, but at least

in this holy bit, let's be grateful for Christ has done for us and

all. Let not let the enemy know that you're not gonna steal this away

from me. I am going to be grateful no matter what situation I am

through going through. Uh that Jesus means everything to me and he has won

it all, Okay? And me, you'll better keep quiet or the more

shut up for me is very harf a way to use this word. Right

now. I realized that when Christ changed me, right, Yeah, the

shut out words very hard to say. The sh i T word is very

hard for me. For a way to come up from a month fla.

But yeah, you know you just shut up, uh and and and do

not cast any more doubts uh and and let us not be distracted and and

and and be really you know, committing this week unto God, focused on

worshiping him, focused on thanking him. Second Corinthians, Chapter nine, verse

fifteen al away from the New Living Translator, New Living Translation. Okay,

sorry, uh not verse fifteen, but verse ten to verse fifteen. And

after this I'm going to draw towards are close. Yeah, it says yeah

from verse ten, for God is the one who provides seed for the farmer

and then break to eat. In the same way, he will provide and

increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. He

will increase your resources and provide a great harvest of generosity in your verse eleven.

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always

be generous. Yeah. So when God provides, God, God, I

need more God, you know, may you, you know, be my

Jehovah gyre, the Lord, my provider. God will provide so that God

and reach you so that he will give you more resources so that you can

always be generous. And and when we take your gears to those who need

it, they will thank God. All right, So as you are generous,

as you bless others, and when you bring it to them, they

will see God in you. They will see God's in you verse too.

Also, two good things will result from this ministry of giving. The needs

of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will be joy They

will joyfully express their thanks to God as a result of your ministry. They

will give glory to God for your generosity to them and to all believers.

Will proved that you are obedient to the good News of Christ. Wow,

how to be an obedient Christian? To give one of it? Okay,

that's why when we give of our time and offered to God, we are

giving because we're obeying His word verse fourteen. And they will pray for you

with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. And

thank God for this gift too wonderful for words. So this week, right

in this Holy week as well, because I always have this practice that in

this there's another message. As even as you fast and pray. Uh.

It says in a world of God to remember the oppress Uh. To remember

those who are in need and to give to them. Uh and and and

and and I hope you know as wee um embark on this week, as

we start this week, in this holy week, and all started by thanking

God, God and all, thank you for what you have done across Thank

you for your provision. Because now I know faster Ivan, just now I

know that you are giving to me because I can be a blessing to another

people. And because I am a blessing, they will see your glory,

you know, um, and and you know, ask God, you know

this week, God, how can I then be a blessing? And I

hope it's not this week? It becomes a lifestyle and a habit for you.

Uh. And I pray you all. Uh what ever that God,

sometimes God bless us so much that it becomes a really treasure pressure treasure that

we can't it's very hard for us to part um. When I first got

my car, I told God, God in all two things actually my house

and car. I told I told God, you know two things that you

have given to me really precious because it's really expensive. And my house,

you know, it's going to be a Parada nearly fifty years long. Yeah,

it's called a long type of load. Okay, by now I finished

being the day I was calculating on me about seventy so it's really precious.

But they tell God, God, I'm dedicating the two most price resource that

I have to you so that it can be used to bless many more people.

So hence that's why I know I do open up my house for different

ones. A bunk over my car initially very hard to do to part,

but I allow different students in Ely to drive it as I sometimes leave my

car over and Elie so that they can't drive, and a few times at

all. Um, you know, definitely there were accidents, scratches, I

get bumps here and there in my car. Then suddenly something false off.

But it's all good, you know, because I realized that if it's before

I had another car and it was stolen, so it really hurts me.

But now I realized that because I gave it to God first, I dedicate

my car and my house to God. Right, I mean, it didn't

pain me as much and my car came back like, hey, why does

it look a little bit different? Now? It doesn't pay me? Although

um yeah, I know, I have to spend to you get it repair

and stuff. And I realized because it was given unto God first. So

I'm not too sure whether the areas in our life, uh that you know,

God is challenging you to give unto Him it can be. You know,

I'm not talking about just material stuff, but even areas in our life

as a what has got given to you. I've ever come to recognize it

all the different resources I have in my life God and trust it to me

so that I can just be a safe keeper because it's not my uh,

this breath that I have, this life I have as all this physical body

I have. God entrusted it to me, so I just have to take

good care of it so that it can be used for His service. This

body that it's temporary, it can be used for His service. We hope

you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please

visit X Church the RG. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week. I hit

for you. God bless