Passport Please | Joel Loi

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Of My message is, uh, I can't remember the title.

What is it that past sport? Please passport please? Standard

question when we go traveling to different countries. Passport please

passport please. So we're gonna look into a couple of

portions of scripture. But I want us to with the

background of one of my favorite TV shows for the security.

We want to try and understand, right how the world

that we're living in, why got places here, and how

all these things interact with one another? Is that? Okay?

All right? Okay, seven of you are okay, all right,

So we're gonna go to three c's. Someone say three c's.

Three c's okay, first c all right? But see is

that the Kingdom of God is about citizenship, not geography.

Citizenship not geography. So you can live in the same city,

the same company, attend the same school as your friend,

or even be in the same family with your sibling.

But yet all of us can have different sets of

value systems. Yes, all of us have different sets of

value systems. See John Maxwell, you know some of you

may know him. He's a famous author. He wrote many

Christian books and then he uses his faith to work

in a marketplace. He speaks to CEOs, you know, big

companies invite him to do talks around the world. He

wrote a book called There's No such thing as Business Ethics,

because he says the same governing value should exist in

both our business and personalized Because someone asking before, hey,

John Maxwell, what's the difference between business ethics and non

business ethics? He say, ethics is ethics, business or not,

there's no difference. So we want to try and understand

this morning that whatever there is of Kingdom value, it's

not just on Sundays. It's not just for church, it's

not just for ministry, but it's for every day life.

It's for wherever and wherever God brings you to. Citizenship

is the Kingdom of God is about citizenship, not geography. Everyone. Okay,

let's look at Philippines, Chapter three, verse twenty. What does

it say for our For our it's in our citizenship

is in heaven, not here, not any state you're from,

in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippine, Chapter three, twenty reminds us

that our citizenship is in heaven. So the issue or

the challenge that we have this morning, it's not location

but loyalty. Who are we loyal to? Because the value

system should not change where we're located. The location doesn't matter.

The loyalty matters. Wherever God plays you. Your loyalty should

remain the same. Are we the same person wherever God

places us? Or it's our faith dependent on location. Maybe

I'm not just talking about physical location. Maybe I'm talking

about online, you know, because maybe online we got a

different persona you know, we post certain kind of pictures,

we write certain kind of quotes, But in real life,

maybe we're a different person. We got to be watchful.

Are we the same person? Do we share the same

value system? Now? Do you know what's the Let me

share like sound the great advantageous of being the citizens

of Kingdom? Now, if you think about citizenship, right, let's

say in the worldly sense, wherever you go as citizens,

you have certain I would say, maybe privilegious Yeah, maybe power?

You know, power privilegious. So like a traveler with a passport,

being citizens of a country gives you power or permission

you can enter some countries that others can't. Like for example,

in Malaysia is written there where we can go, you know?

And then in other countries. You know, whichever passport that

you hold, certain countries you know you can't go. So

the citizenship that you hold gives you permission to enter

certain places. Yes, but God is reminding us this morning

they were not just citizens of this world, but we're

ultimately citizens of God's kingdom. And in Matthew chapter sixteen,

verse eighteen, he says to Peter, you know because Peter

was like like, because Jesus asked the disciples, who do

you say? I am? And then Peter said, you know,

you are Christ, son of the Living God. And then

Jesus says to Peter, Peter, you are the rock, and

from you you build the Church, and the gates of

hell shall not prevail against it. What is Jesus referring

to the church? So wherever the church goes, the gates

of Hell cannot prevail against it. Who mix up the church?

Who mix up the church? You and I citizens of

the Kingdom of God. Friends, this morning, wherever God tells

you to go, nothing can stop you. No one can

stop you. Amen. That's the kind of power that your

citizenship gives in the world. We understand that our passport

can only bring us to certain countries. But if we're

citizens of the Kingdom, our heavenly passport allows us to

go anywhere God tells us to go. Amen. Now what's

the other advantage of being citizens of the kingdom some countries?

You know, whatever citizenship you're from, it gives you immunity.

It gives you immunity. Like for example, if let's say

you know, I'm traveling in Europe, something happens, then you

need immunity. Where do you go? You go to your embassy. Why,

because your embassy it's a little representation of your country.

Wherever you are in the world. Coright not. You run

in there you get immunity, You get protection. Everyone following

me so far. So being the citizens of God you

have immunity as well. You know why because when I

read true scripture, when I look at all the different

men and movement of God, power or not power, famous

or not famous, God keeps him immunity. Look at Daniel

thrown into the lions, then never get eaten, thrown into

the fire, never get burned, correct or not? Being citizens

of God you get immunity. Paul was given poison, trained poison.

You know, did he died? He didn't die? Come on,

who else was thrown Jonah was thrown off the ocean,

never drowned. You know, got saved by a fish. No.

I mean, we say he got saved by a fishler,

but he don't. He doesn't think he got saved by

the fishaler. He think he got eaten by the fish

All right, now, how how how about you? Do you

know that you have immunity as well? Being citizens of

the Kingdom of God? Do you know what immunity you have?

Do you know what immunity you have? I'm here to

remind all of us this morning. Even as I prepared

this message, God has given all of us immunity because

you don't know right what the enemy and the world

throws at you every single day. You know, you don't

know what kind of curses people throw at you. You

don't know. But God gives you immunity from me what

protects you from it? Sometimes I will get a little

bit hurt and they be like, God, you never protect me.

But then I got shielded you from a thousand other arrows.

You know, you don't see it only you don't see it.

But God gives us immunity because we are citizens of

His In them people can curse you, but God will

shield you. That's protection, that's favor, that's blessing. When we

have when we are citizens or the Kingdom of God,

it comes with immunity everyone, Okay, So being citizens of

God also means we are only passing by. We're not

citizens of the world only, we're citizens of the Kingdom

of God. Okay, passing by? You know, we've even there's

also a famous book, uh, I can't remember so famous.

I can't remember the title now, but it says that

we are we are just like so generous you know,

in this in this world, we're only passing by because

we're citizens of His kingdom. So why do we behave

like settlers when we're called to be ambassadors? Why we

behave like settlers here? Why we're so overly concerned with

the things of the world. You know, A couple of

weeks back, I talk about like the straight of hormones,

straight of hormones. You don't remember we're talking about straight

of hormones today, nobody, you know. I mean, we are

feeling the effects of it. Maybe in a couple of

weeks time. But is anyone still talking about it? No?

Everyone now is talking about why anti virus? Guess what?

Next week? Probably something else. Next next week, probably something else,

so many things. You know, we get caught up with

all the things of the world when God only wants

us to focus on one thing, your salvation. Do you

know where you're going when it's time to go? Citizens

of God's kingdom? Everyone? Okay, yeah, because when we're citizens

of God's Kingdom, we should not be overly concerned with

the things of this world. Let me show you a story.

I know someone right who has moved to the wonderful

land of Australia many many, many years ago, decades long already,

but up until today, right, this person still catch us

up with the Star news Portal, still catch us up

with the Star News Portal, still like every other day,

Like oh I miss Malaysia food. I miss Malaysia food now. Friends.

I'm not saying nostalgia is better, It's okay, But after

being there for decades, right, and you are still wondering

and missing the things of the old, then the things

that you're presently in, Then I say that something's not

aligning your heart. Because if we are followers of Christ,

if we are called to be citizens of His kingdom,

what are we focused on? What do we miss? You

know what it sounds like. It sounds like, uh, you

know the Israelites when God brought them out of Egypt?

What were they missing Egypt? So when God callers are

like the day we say, God, please enter my heart,

I will now be your follower. I'll be a believer.

I'm a Christian. And then every other day, you know,

I miss sing La God seeing so nice? You know,

I really enjoyed seeing her. Wow, you know, smoking, wow nice?

You know pornography? Oh God? You know? Telling God about

the things you miss of the old When God has

taught you to be a citizen of His kingdom, why

are you still missing the old stuff when now you're

a citizen Australia? Why you miss things of Malaysia? Focus

on the country, Focus on where you are citizens of

amen citizenship. First sea, well, first se so long aday

bear with me, you guys, everyone, okay. Second ce to

help us to be more prepared for God's kingdom. Second,

see customs and declaration. Customs and declaration border security are

so after you you know, check your h no, after

you check your passport, you know, and stuff like that. Right,

you go to this part where the officer checks your

back and stuff like that. That is the customs and Declaration.

I always always find it very funny, you know, every

time I travel, right, not like very often. Uh, we

may be reach the customs and Declaration, and whenever the

officer asks her do you have anything to declare? I

always want to, like I want to declare that I

love Jesus, you know, like clear that my wife is

the best, or you want to declamer. Then never say

what you want to declare, and we declare anything. The

world has a custom or the world has a culture.

All right. We are taught to achieve different things in life.

There are ways to do it. Yes, follow these steps

and then your career will be guaranteed. You want success,

you have to be cut through. It's a dog. Will

be charming with your boss, lower your ship, hire your skip,

you know all this kind of thing. Yeah, this is

the world we're living in. You know. You have to

to try and like get attention now to try and

go up the ladder. You gotta do all these kind

of things. You gotta like you gotta play golf with me, okay, boss,

play golf with you, like gotta stay late tonight. But

I got homes chums or career, career, career, you know,

and then you gotta stay back and do this kind

of thing. The world has customs. Yeah, not just career,

you know, so many other things are but we'll get

to it. Isaiah fifty five, verse eight to nine. Isaiah

fifty five, verse eight to nine. For my thoughts are

not your thoughts. No are your ways my ways? Who

is saying this? Who is saying this? God? My thoughts

are not your thoughts. Your ways are not my ways.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so

last I check, right, heavens are still higher than the earth. Correct. Yeah,

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, still

higher than the earth. So are my ways higher than

your ways? And my thoughts than your thoughts? Whose ways

are higher? God's ways? God's ways? Can I share some stories?

I share some stories, and then we'll we'll wrap up.

Is that okay? So when I was a student, which

is not too long ago, I I don't know when

I when I when I entered school, I studied graphic

design and advertising. And for the first few years you know,

of studying it was Uh. I would say I had

a lot of challenges. Yeah, I did my part. I studied,

not really studying assignment assignment graphic designer. Yeah, we both

touch it, Okay, don't study, don't read. So a lot

of assignments. So I do. My assignments are but somehow right,

I'm not hitting the scores. I'm just not hitting the scores.

I don't know why. I keep trying. I work very hard.

I worked late nights to finish the assignments, right, but

my scores are always like averagely you know, I'm not

getting the a's. I want to aim for the a's,

but I'm not getting it. So midpoint right. I also thought, like,

you know what, I will set up with AASLA. It's okay.

I can still find a job after this, no problem.

So I did what I did, and until one year, right,

I realized that as I was doing my assignment, one

of my lecturers, which I befriended, lam okay, uh, he

came and tell me, Joel, no point working so hot

this semester for this subject. I'm like why, And then

he said, I don't know why. So he was swear truful.

He just said, I don't know why, but the lecturer

is something against you. And I'm like, huh, I like

I don't even speak to her that much, you know,

maybe that's why. So so he said, he said, uh,

you you can try her, but I think you will

only pass. I'm like what and I'm and here I

am and true enough long story short, that semester I

only uh like past, and I got like very frustrated

because I look at my classmates right, I'm like, man,

and my work definitely better than they asked, Like, how

am I getting like lower grade than you know? Never mine?

Next semester comes and I found out she's my lecturer again.

So you know what during the semester break. Semester break,

I I I actually went to the lot. Okay, I

don't know how already exhausted all how many of you

are like that, You exhausted all your attempts, everything you try,

and like, ow can I try God last? Try God last?

You know? Terrible? She try God first? So never mind.

I went to God and then got and and God

told me because he's the semester break man. Next semester

is gonna starty. So he say, write her thank you note,

write her thank you note for failing me? What and okay,

long story short, I'm like, all right, you know what,

I buy a cart. I went and buy a cart,

and I wrote, Hey, thank you so and so for

you know, all your sacrifices, you know, for being patient

with you know, the kind of not just Mela. All right,

so everyone passed my burden, you know. And then and

then I think one of the things I mentioned in

the cart was if I did anything wrong, I apologize.

I'm sorry looking forward for the semester. I hit regards sincerely.

I don't know why. I rule that yours truly, Joel.

And then never Mind wrote the cart. And I'm like, okay, God,

I will mainly to her, but God said personally give

it to her never mind, So I say, okay, God,

you want me to personally give. I personally gave. So

one day I drove to campus. I went to the

staff room, like I said, you know, I be friends

like some of the lectures or they're like, hey, Joe,

come on what you're doing, And I'm like, oh, I

need to like past something. So I went and found

her desk. Thank god she was not there. I put

the cat, I ran away, I ran away. Okay, next

semester came, and I remember distinctly that when that semester,

first day of that semester, right, I stood in front

of the campus, like I said that, I exhausted all

ways to try and score well by I couldn't. I couldn't.

And that semester, somehow I felt led from the Lord

and stand in front of the main entrance okay before

I went in, you know, probably looking like a weirdo.

And then I just say a prayer. I say, God,

this semester is your semester. Every subject it's yours. Every

a I get this semester, I will give you gory.

Nothing in this semester is my effort in Jesus name. Amen.

I went in. I went in, and somehow that lecturer

became like good friends. You know. I tell you, I

don't think it's the tat. I think it's God. I

think God has always called us to live by another

set of custom and culture, not by the world's standard.

Long story short. After years of working and doing all

my assignments, I graduated as valedictorian. I graduated top of

my class. I don't know how, because in my final

year was the year I said yes most to God.

When church needed a design, I did the design. And

when classmates of mine had one month to do assignment,

I had one week. I scored better than them. I

don't know how. My classmates had like a whole semester

to study for this subject called marketing. It's the only

subject that you need to study. Everything else is assignment,

you know, only such a new study. And I only

had like maybe two three days to study and I

scored higher than them. I don't know how. I can

only give God glory because if we've follow God's ways,

God's instructions, he will set you up for higher things.

It's only possible because of God. Can I share another story?

After I graduated? After I graduated, of course, in my

final year, right, all the Kassou's classmates of mine Kiasu

is what in English skep to loose, sket to lose.

All the Kiasu classmates of mine, I start sending out

their cvs, you know, in the last semester before we graduate,

all of them asking Joe, you send out your CV,

said to who? Who do you send to? What? Is CV,

you know, and all of them are preparing your CV

and sending it out. They're sending out like ten twenty

thirty companies or you know, and I haven't even written

my CV. I didn't even know what cvs stand for

at that point. But I asked the Lord. I say, God,

I'm looking at my left and right all my classmates

are writing cvs and sending it out. What should I do?

And then God just look just told me simply, what

are you now? I'm a student? What is the student

supposed to do? Study? Then study? Because are you working? Ready? No,

you're not. If you're not working, why are you worried

about working things? I'm like, all right, keep point. So

I finished. I graduated. Upon graduation, I'm like, okay, God,

graduated all how Then I either got a text or

a call and pastor said, hey, yeah, you graduated. Church

needs some design help. Then I'm like, oh, since I

haven't found work, because I haven't go and find her, like,

I will volunteer. I will volunteer. Okay. So I volunteered

at the church office for I think about six months,

six months I was there in that six months, right,

all my classmates, So it's like, hey, you found a

job ready. Now you found a job ready? Now you

found a job. I found a job Readay, I found

a job ready. I'm like, all right, good for you,

all right, happy for your Happy for your And then

I'm like stressing out laud Well, if everyone is already

getting a job, then what is left for me? But

you know what the world's customs, it's not kingdom custom

what the world is doing. What your friends around you

are doing doesn't mean you need to do it unless

what is telling you to do it. My ways are

my thoughts are higher. So at almost the sixth end

of six months volunteering, I got a phone call heel

and I'm like, hey, Hi, Like hey, uh her name

is Susan Okay, and well I still remember the name.

And she she want was my lecturer. She's like, hey,

are you working at uh? No, not yet? Like I

heard theself opening in this agency and I thought of you, Okay,

do you have a CV? No, prepare your CV? Email

it to me like today, I'm like, okay, long story short,

One CV wrote, one CV, send in one email, one email,

got back, one phone call, went for one interview, and

I got the job. It's only because of God. Why

does why do we need to stress? Why do we

need to stress? If God has it for you, God

has it for you. Kingdom custom Kingdom culture is a birth.

It's higher, it's different. It may not look conventional. In fact,

it may not look safe. It may look risky. But

sometimes faith is spelled urisk. Why that's why we need

to trust God? Everyone, Okay, catching something God's way, follow

his way, not be It may not be safe in

how we see it, but it's his hands, his customs,

his culture is always better for all of us. What

is the world's culture that we're looking at right now?

The world's culture that's around us relationship according to the world.

You know friends who come and tell me, hey, you know,

before you marry the girl, you must test strive the girl, right,

you know, how many have you heard that before? I've

heard that. I've hurt people who say that about other people,

but I've hurt it with my own ears. You know,

I never thought i'd hear my own I actually heard

it right in the same table I'm at. You know,

before you marry the girl, you need to test drive.

Before you buy your car, you must test drive the

tama You know whether you like the car and I'm like, yo,

a girl's cars. No girls, please stone. The world's standard

is like that, but God's standard is different. When do

we allow the world's custom to be God's custom? Okay,

I'm working it out for anyone here that's working, anyone

that's thinking about your career. Can I give you one

verse that always hold on to Josha chapter one, verse eight.

Joshua chapter one, verse eight One creature always want this

Book of the Law shall not This is Joshua addressing

the people but also telling God peace. Book of the

Law shall not depart from your mouth. But you shall

meditate in it day and night, that you may observe

to do according to all that is written in it.

For then you will make your way prosperous. And you

will okay, only three of you believe that, and then

you will you want to have good success. Sometimes you

look at Bible, Bible not relevant in this day and age.

Bible is this is ancient writing. You know, like, hello,

you are successful? You what God? I remember we are?

But you go to not no, yeah, but Joshua wan

It says meditate and two and then you will have

do success. Friends, It's not that difficult. You know, it's

not that difficult. Guys. You want good success. No one

here wants good success. Meditate on the word of God.

Kingdom culture, kingdom culture. All right, Can I share one

more story? Okay, well, stay good time. Can I share

one more story? You know, I grew up in a

time where Salist's uncle. I grew up in a timer

where evangelistic and healing rallies were very, very common. Yeah,

so I remember I shared this story in homes before. Okay,

in homes before there was this speaker from our hand

Argentina came and speaking bok Jalio Stadium. You know his

name is carlos Ana Kondia. Okay, I remember the name

for racle. It sounds like anaconda. Carlos Ana Kondya. You

can google him, all right, legit, guy, he came and

speak healing Rarey. So never mind. At the end of

his message, Okay, I didn't pay attention because it was

translated half the time and he was right echoing, oh yeah, yeah, y'all,

so I can don't. But at the end of the message, right,

he called for healing healing. All right, So people with

crutches and wheelchairs start coming up. You know, he prayed

for all of them. The move of the Holy Spirit

was in that hall so much so. On the right

side and the left side of utra stadium now it's

called Unified Arena. On the left and on the right

hack full of wheelchairs. Abandoned people got healed. Walk out

of the wheelchair, don't whel chair. Dy left it at

the author and then he made a specific call. He

made a specific call. He said, I feel the move

of the Holy Spirit. Okay, I'm sorry, I'm translating her.

I feel the more the Holy Spirit right now, specifically

for the people with short sightedness. Sightedness, all right, So

if you want God to heal you from your short sightedness,

take out your spectacles, put it on the floor, step

on it, break the chain that binds your eyes. I

was sitting there with shut tins, ha what my mother

just paying for my spectacles very expensive way that. He's like, yeah,

you want to be sacke free. You are healing spectacle

on the floor, step on it. And I'm like no,

But you know what, around me, there were people who

did it. You know, there were people who did it

because it's like it's Jesus name there I can't here

around me, around me, and guess what. People started like

shouting Hallelujah, praising God because they will heal from your

short sightenedness. You know, they could see without specting. I

didn't do it. That's why I'm still wearing spects. But

it was during a time where I felt and I

saw that the move of God was so common in churches.

I literally saw my friend right who he came in

with tooth decay, you know, tooth decay. This speaker came

healing healing in the church. Anyone needs healing. I feel

someone here and needs healing in the tooth. My friend

went up, okay, raised his hands, came back. Guys, my

tooth feeled up, feeled up, and we all look, Oh,

my goodness, it's hell. Hell, the cavity is gone. The

teeth all looks so nice. I'm like, darn it that

you have gone up. I saw the move of Gonda

that people started seeing like gold dust in the hands,

people being healed. I've seen videos of people who were limping.

And then at the end of the service, God told that, oh,

your lake need to be realigned and lengthened. The lake

gets stretched and then they start walking normally. Again, you

think these things are ancient things, you know, you think

these things are only nineties Kingdom culture. Yeah, only nineties.

We're in the year two thousands. God, don't move like

that anymore. Can I share a story? Last Sunday, I

was standing here passa kenna came and speak, and then

during prayer time he came and pray for me. Pastor

last Sunday spoke about the mind and the mouth needs

to be aligned to receive the miracle. I don't know

why I did that morning. All right, Okay, I don't

know why I did that morning, But when Pastor was

praying for me, I somehow just you know what, Let's

have some alignment. Yeah, God, I believe you will heal me.

And Pastor prays specifically for my life, my family, and

then he prays specifically because he passed the notes that

I've Achilles ten the nineties, I've been like limping, you know,

walking differently, you know, and stuff like that. I walked

up and down the steps hurts a lot, you know.

I wake up in the morning from the bit I

have to stretch my feet before I take my first

few steps. Very painful. Ben knows. Ben has prayed for

me many times at homes. The morning passed, I prayed

for me. The next morning I woke up. I didn't

think too much of that prayer. Can I be honest?

The next morning I woke up, I got off my bit,

and then I realized, Hey, wait a minute, I didn't stretch.

Wait a minute, there's no pain. And then Monday came,

Then Tuesday came, and then Wednesday. I decided, Hey, the

one pair of shoes, right I haven't worn a long time,

Maybe I should wear I couldn't wear, you know why,

because my achilles swell up so much. Right, I can't

fit so all my shoes have to go one size up.

So shoe I haven't worn a long time, you know,

decided to wear it. Hey fits nicely, no pain. Okay.

I haven't told Leona because I was still I was

still like son, so bad if I say it. I

haven't told you because I'm like, you know, maybe it's

a fluke, so bad. God forgive me. But every morning,

right when I woke up and I felt no pain,

I say God, thank you. The miracles still happened today. God,

thank you, thank you, thank you. Friends, Come on, miracles

still happen. You know, I never knew right that instantaneous

miracle can still happen to a person like me, you know,

like after like seeing God move like for so many people. Right,

I never thought like maybe God will do it for me.

But God did it for me right here last Sunday,

and until today, I still feel no pain. I may

I may still walk a bit weird because I've been

walking like that weird for many months already, so my

brain needs to attune it. But you know what I mean,

zero pain, you know, guys, zero pain. Wow, it feels

so good. Guys. Customs, customs are you guys? Okay, We're

gonna wrap up soon. We're gonna wrap up soon. Right

when did miracles signs and one to stop being our custom? When?

Sally we got used to not receiving miracles, Sally, we

got used to God not showing signs anymore. Sally, We're

used to Uh, maybe the move of the Holy Spirit

is only for a specific bunch of people. Maybe the

move of the Holy Spirit is only on Sundays. Come on, friends,

when did that become a normal? Which custom has overtaken

that for us to think that way? How's our lingo?

Sometimes our lingo right, like, uh, very common. No SOMETI

I catch myself doing it, but I stop doing that. Really,

you know, sometimes we feel a bit feverish, and then

we start telling ourselves and our friends, So you know what,

I think I'm gonna be sick. When has that been

our lingo? When has that been our lingo? Because you

know why, I don't think When you enter your car

first thing in the morning, you're like, you know what

I think today I might get into an accident. You

don't see that way. You don't say that about driving.

What you say that about your health? Stop it? Stop it?

When did that become a custom? When did that become

a culture that we feel feverish? First thing? You're like,

you know what, I might be sick? Are you sick? No?

Stop confessing you are? Okay? Sorry shouting? I love you,

I love you all okay, all right? Kenna, No, Kenna

Kingdom culture. The lingo is different. The lingo is different.

Some of us could be sitting here wondering God. After

I try and try and try, I feel and feel it,

I feel I find no success. I'm still stuck. I'm

still stuck. Are you listening to my prayers. Are you

listening to me? Are you still real? Are you only

answering prayers of leaders but not me? When are you

gonna answer my prayer? Maybe, friends, it's time to change

our customs. Maybe it's time to change our lingo. Maybe

it's time to remind ourselves whose citizens are we off?

You have to remember, you know, you're not the world's citizen.

You're God's citizen, kingdom citizen. You know, you have to

remember that lingo has to change. Mindset have to change.

So if you're feeling stuck, you feel lost. Maybe you're

sitting here and you have many questions. I don't have

an answer. I don't have an answer God, When are

you gonna give me an answer? I don't see a solution.

Maybe we need to remember again, right that they end

of the day, God has the answer for everything, and

even if he doesn't give an answer, right, we must

be okay that He's still God everything. You guys, all right?

Because the last I remember, when I read God's words,

God says that nothing is impossible for him. God's word

even reminds me that when I'm weak, he is See. Oh,

your Bible school people know, so Sunday School graduates. Oh, y'all. No,

when we are weak, he is strong. So when did

we allow the world's custom to change that? When did

we allow the norms of the world to change that?

Now we can say on a Sunday, Can we say

that also on a Monday? Can we say that also

on a Tuesday? Everyone? Okay? Last scripture? I think John

chapter seventeen, first four thing, I've given them your word. Okay,

this is Jesus speaking. I've given them your word, and

the world has hated them because they are not of

the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not pray that you should take them out

of the world, but that you should keep them from

the evil one. Jesus is saying, I do one got

to take us out from the world, but for the

evil one not to or harm us, for us to

continue to remain the world. They are not of the world,

just as I am not of the world. We are in,

but not of the world. We've heard this phrase before,

and this is where the verse comes from. John chapter seventeen.

We are in the world, we are not off the world.

We're in the world, not of the world, in the world,

but we don't need to practice the world's customs. We're

in the world, but we don't need to practice. We

don't need to apply the world's citizenship everyone, Okay, last

c last see, because I have to keep it as

a c is chop shop and tell your job past

the Dave, you know, past the Dave. When he first

went to UK to study, you know, so he met

some of the locals there and then like so they

started talking about you know, like traveling and stuff like

They're like, oh, so, how did you like get this

document uh stamp? Yeah, I got it chopped. You got

it chopped. They're like, yeah, I got it chopped. They're like, okay.

That's when he discovered that, oh the word chop means

different in UK chop. But for the sake of keeping

it to three c's, yeah, please forgive me stamp stamp,

you know, after going through customs and declarations, you know,

but thinking about border security, going through like hey, which

citizen you off and stuff like that, when we're done

with all this, right, sometimes, right, I come from a

time Okay, I'm gonna sound anger again. I come from

a time right that sometimes when you look your passport,

you get to see all the different steps yes, anyone

you remember that, I know now got all the electronic gates.

Really you don't scan all these things. But for us,

because we travel with children and we go to the

immigration as a family, we still get it stamped, we

still get it chopped. Huh. Okay, but no one is

more formidid than signon. Okay, her passport is full of this.

All right, we're very well traveled. Okay. So do you

all know why that's there's a stamp on the passport?

Do you know why? You know why? Why? Why? Simon? Why? Oh?

To show that you are allowed into the country. All right.

It's a proof of travel. Yeah, it's a proof of travel. Yeah,

proof of the cot from that country that you set

foot in legally, proof of inbound travel. Everyone familiar, right,

passport stamps. Yeah, some countries we go through steal stamp

the passport. Still okay, Now, what's the reason for the chop?

When you look back, right, when you look back, you

will realize that that chop or that stamp in your

passport is to remind us you are not from there,

and there's a specific time you're allowed there. You guys

catch me. Now, the question is I want to bring

to all of us here as we come to a close.

That's our physical passport. How about our spiritual passport. This

is not a big girl, this is not theological. We

don't have a spiritual passport. Don't email Pastor and like, hey,

you know what you to WoT spiritual passport? Okay, but

please just stay with me. If we have a spiritual

passport this morning, what is stamped on it? What is

stamped on it? Today? You say God, welcome to my heart.

I am now following you. You are now my Lord

and savior. And God says, welcome to the Kingdom. Here's

a passport. This is the world that you're going to

be in. There's going to be a stamp. It's going

to say how many years are going to be there?

Only I can see you can. But that's all you

need to know. You are here as an ambassador of

my kingdom. You are not to call this place your

permanent home. But a lot of us, right me included,

sometimes right when we go to different countries for holidays, right,

we're really imagining you know how nice it is to

settle down in Australia, land flowing with milk and honey.

Huh oh, maybe just me, like, just me, just me.

All of you are very spiritual, not like that. You know.

Some of us go to different countries, you know, like

maybe in UK and like, whoa, the British town is

so strong. If I earn towns are so nice. Yeah,

we go to all these places and we think of

it as our permanent residence. Really, we are visitors when

we're visitors here. We're not caught to be settlersts here.

Our permanent residence is in, Our permanent residence is in.

That's why when you go for whig service and funerals

for Christians, right, they call it home, going homegoing going home,

going home to the law. I had a friend, you know,

when I was in campus. She went to UK for

two weeks. Yeah, and she came back with an accent.

All of us have friends like that. All of us

have friends like that. Yeah, they go somewhere and they

come back with an accent. And then I say that

you got to stop it, you know, and she's like,

I can't help it. It's stuck, it's stuck. Then I'm like, whoa,

it's so funny, you know. I don't know why when

I was preparying this message, this this situation came back

to mind. It's so funny, you know why, because some

of us behave like that, some of us adopt the

lingo of this world. And then God is like, why

are you talking like that? I can't help it. God,

it's stuck. It's stuck. Why are you so negative? I

didn't make you that way? Why why you keep doing

it your own way, your own way, your own way,

and then blame me. I never taught you that way.

I can't help it. God stuck. Yeah, but I never

told you to do it this way. Some of us, like

I said, when we accept the Lord, the lords put

a stamp on our spiritual passport. Mine says Born Again

nineteen ninety nine, belongs to God. No one else can touch.

What does yours say? Even if we think, if we

think back in our spiritual passport this morning, what is

shot on our spiritual passport? We bear the mark of Christ.

The next time, friends, the next time the enemy throws

something at you, the world throws something at you. I

think it's about time that we remind the enemy. Hey,

look at this stamp, citizen of God's Kingdom? What do

I say? Citizens? Give us immunity? Protection? Our we know

that when we're overseas, we run to our embassy. You know, correct,

You'll know that right when you're overseas, anything happened to you,

you run to your they're in spiritual things. Do you

run to the spiritual embassy? Or do you run away

from God? Do you take advice from people around the street, Oh,

run to your embassy, run to the Lord. We've been

on You know, we've been so accustomed to the things

of the world right that we've adopted its culture. We've

adopted its customs, we've adopted it's lingo. We don't even

look like we're citizens of Kingdom anymore. Sometimes I'm talking

about myself. Okay, I'm talking about myself because I when

I think about my friend who went to UK for

two weeks, and how ridiculous that sounds when the accent

is start after two weeks, I think about my conversation

we've got and if God would to talk to me.

Why are you like that, Joel? Why didn't you pray?

Did you forget? Why? I say it, but you give

up so easily. The accent sounds funny, But do you

know how it sounds funny to God? Also? Why are

we're so weak. You know, I'm talking to myself like you,

you're all probably very strong. What are we so? Why

do we give up so easily? Why do we not

try harder and go deeper we've got? And then God

is like host customs. Are you following? Have you been praying?

That's my custom? Have you been reading my word? That's

my custom? Have you been have you been following the

way the way I talk? That's my custom? Those custom

are you following?

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

information on our church, please visit as Church Do 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