A Surrendered Heart | Pr Alvin Keng

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Today.

We're gonna talk a little bit about fasting. I'm want

to go deeper a little bit into it. When I

was young, uh well, when my first I remember the

first time I fasted. It was right before SBM and

then someone told me that, oh, you know, if you

want something from God, you fast, right. So with my

simple understanding, I like, oh, okay, then I will fast

and I'll be serious about it. So I decided on

a two month fast white two months, I don't know,

maybe because I'll say young thing, I could do it.

And then I decided on a Daniel fast you know,

means I don't see Daniels anyone. Daniel here, right, go on, Daniel, Okay,

It means I have to avoid Daniels. Don't know Daniel

fast basically means it's like, ah, you know Danny and

the Bible, he fastered, you needed vegetables and grew better. Unfortunately,

doing grow better during that time. So two months, you know,

and I fasted for my SPM because I wanted to

do well, you know, you know, because I wasn't really

an a student. You know I was okay student, not

a students. All my other friends or A students and

you know I only get a so I fast. But

I tell you the interesting thing about fast Thing, even

though it started with such a desire, was that as

you do it, you learn different things. So one of

the things I learned during fast thing is that you know,

the moment you say you want to abstain from something,

somehow the temptation is more one. For example, I said,

you know, I'm going to do it, Daniel fast and

then suddenly, suddenly I don't know why. Out of all

the years you get invited for birthday party, is more

often during the fast. You know in the past you're

doing you know why must during fast and write? And

then I invite now mine know they only have KFC.

I tell you, I was like, oh, tough band, how

do you how do you fast? When so I went

for the birthday party because you don't miss out but

don't eat long. And then when they ask you, you're

like and then you know you know when you were younger,

so teaser like, hey, you know if you first don't

have away fast thing, you know you know because you

know God, don't order that then with my little understanding

like oh, I don't say, you know, maybe shared some friends.

But let me tell you the interesting thing that came

out of the two months I started fasting for my

SPM results. I ended the fast getting closer to God

and realizing that the results was not the main thing.

Not to say it's not important, but it wasn't the

main thing. So it was very interesting journey that I had,

you know, because I mean, this is the wonderful thing

about God that I'm realizing now is that even though

we may have started our journey, whether it's our fast

or to do something, and we might not we might

not have good intentions get I would say, might not

have the best intentions or might not have the most

how to say, holy intentions. But if we do it

earnestly with our hearts, if we really commit ourselves to

the Lord, the Lord will change our hearts. And that

is something we know about U turn. You know, of course,

we we share the testimonies about how people will experience God.

You know, in fasting, you will experience God's hand in

your life. You're praying for something, you're believing something we

always say, you know, so it sometimes feels like, oh,

you know, you mean I want to get something on it.

I first, yes and no, I would say yes and no.

You know, you might start that way, but you might

end in a different path, and you might end in

a path that God wants you to be in the beginning.

You get what I mean.

So I say it's wonderful because we are human beings

that are full of flaws. We we think about things

you shouldn't think. We do things you shouldn't think, you know.

Just now, I know during the prayer it might seeing

a bit serious, and then I don't know, maybe it's

something you think that I'm asking for, you know, people

to repent. That's why nobody come up earlier on you know, repent,

you know.

And you'll be safe.

I just want to give you the heart behind what

I shared, because when I read the scripture, it says

that God's hand is not shortened, meaning that he can

reach where you are at right now. And it also

says that his ears are not here. It means he

doesn't close his ears to your Christ. But what's stopping

the blessing from happening, not him, you know, if he's

not stopping the blessing rapping. Then what's stopping the blessing happening?

Can I give you a secret? And that's a secret.

Sometimes we are stopping the blessing from happening. Sometimes we

are the ones who who I don't know, haven't committed

ourselves to God. Sometimes we are the ones who treat

him like Santa Claus when he's not. We are the

ones because we are flawed. Friends, God is not flawed.

He never makes a mistake, He's always perfect, he's always good.

He wants the best for us. The question is us

most of the time. That's why the commitment is us.

You know, if you study the Bible, if you read

when the first covenant was made, do you know that

God made a covenant with If I'm not on the

second Abraham right or no, Jacob, he made a covenant

with himself. You know He didn't make a comment with

Jacob because you know Jacob will fail.

One.

That's the God we serve. Do you know that? Do

you know that the God we serve knows that you

will fail? And because he knows that I will fail,

you will fail and all of us fail because we

are flawed. He he he gives us a sure fire

plan on which is Jesus, because Jesus never failed. Isn't

that wonderful to have such a God? But then I

always think, then what is our response at the end

of the day, what should we be the one to do.

I love Elisha's testimony, Okay, nothing against not going to

see doctor again.

I will say, go see doctor.

I will be like Jahan and say worried if my

wife is in trouble and say please.

But the amount of faith to say is okay.

And I'm sure Alisha has wisdom to say if next

day she's still paining, she will probably go and selah right,

I'm sure, I'm sure, Okay, I don't see she the

next twoman She's like, no, I'm still you know.

I think she's a wisdom.

But the mount of faith to say, okay, God, I'm

gonna try you. Knowing that God would come true for

her is amazing. And now she has the testimony right

because faith is the substance right of things hope for.

But faith is also the thing that pleases God because

I remember sharing it before that faith. When we talk

about having faith, we are not just having faith in

the situation. We're not just having We're having faith in

a person. We're having faith in a God. That's why

it's powerful. That's why we need to remember that we

are not just living in the natural. We are living

in the supernatural. Friends, We're not just Yes, all the

problems we face are natural. That's reality in life. All

the challenges we face natural. Not enough money, I'm not well.

You know, my parents don't like me. You know, my

parents don't agree with the things I want to do

in my life. You know, I'm not famous enough. You know.

Everybody's these all natural things, friends, But we believe in

a supernatural God. We believe in a God that can

and snap finger literally and give you all your house desires.

That's the God we believe in. I want to give

us that perspective this morning. I want to give us

that perspective as we take on our you turn prayer

and fast, because the call for you turn prayer and

fast is not just a call to receive things. The

call for you turn prayer and fast is the call

to turn back our hearts to God.

We're going to study a bit about it today, you guys.

Okay, So the title of the message is a surrendered

heart As I think about fast things I think about,

you know, this period we're in, what is the most

important I always try to think about things this way.

What is the most important thing for me? Because sometimes

there's just too much, too much things to think about,

to complicate that, you know, I want to live life simple, right,

don't want to overcomplicate life, you know, because there's just

too many things ready. You know that, Lah, you know

everything Lah is too complicated? Friends, are you tired? I'm

very tired. Sometimes I get really I just don't keep

things simple. And I always think about what is the

bottom line?

You know.

The people say, if you ask this question when they

have problems, what is the bottom line? What's the most

important thing? Think about it. You're stuck in this situation,

what is the most important thing? Because we get worried

about a lot of things are unimportant. We get stressed

out about a lot of things are unimportant, which waste

our time. When we can actually think about what's the

bottom line and work towards settling the bottom line. And

once you work towards settling the bottom line, everything else

will be fine. Does that make sense?

So?

Isaiah fifty eight. When I was doing my first fast,

a lot of people advice. You want to learn about

fast out read isa fifty eight. And I remember reading

it when I was young, and I thought they don't

understand it. Now a bit older, understand a little bit more. Okay,

we're going to read, are you guys. Okay, So Isaiah

fifty eight says, cry a loud spare not lift up

your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people their transgression

and the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet they seek me daily, and they like to know

my ways.

As a nation that did righteousness and did not for

sake the ordinance of God, their God, they ask of

me the ordinances of justice. They take their line in

approaching God. Why have we faster? They say, And you

have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls? And

you have taken no notice. In fact, in the day

of your fast, you'll find pleasure and exploit all your liberals.

Okay, I'm gonna pause here. So it's very interesting.

It starts with this. It starts with very positive stuff.

It start saying, Hey, the people are doing their thing right.

They are fasting, They're following God's ordinances, They're seeking God.

Isn't that good? Isn't that what we're doing here. We

are all doing. You turn, most of us at least right,

and we say we're seeking God. Very interesting. And yet

there's a complaint. Right turn and say, don't complain. I'm

not complaining. They say, why have we fasted? And you've

not heard? How many of you feel that way this morning?

Why I fast?

Ready?

Are nothing happened? One huh, my brother? Here, every you

turn God testimony.

Right.

All you need to do is first one day and

then circlet thing. Ready, you know, every turn testimony. But me,

I fast so many yesterday I do it? What is wrong?

Am I doing something wrong? Am I not? Do I

need fast?

More? Do I need to go? You know? Do or

for the day? Fast? Maybe twenty one day? It is

not enough? That was the question that came right.

So the one thing that we can understand from this

that the lot revealed, and let me read on it

says here number four okay verse for indeed you fast

for strife and debate and to strike with the list

of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this

day to make your voice heard on high.

Okay. So God revealed what he got revealed.

God, you didn't reveal the practice got revealed what is

in their hearts? You fast for strife and debate, and

you fast to what do you say? You fast to

strike with the fist of weakedness? And God said, don't

fast this way. So you realize already really quickly when

you read these few scriptures that first it's not just

about the act. It's not just about or in fasting.

So infast thing that you should see, right, it's not

about the act, friends, it's not about the act. Because

the people they fasted as an act, they suffered and sacrifice.

But what was different the condition of their hearts. That

was the key thing. They did the right thing, They

followed the right the rules, but the condition of their

hearts was not there. Right, Let let's go a little

bit deeper into fast thing because first thing is not

a new thing in the Bible. When you read Isaiah,

the people have fasted many times and God has asked

for fast.

Right.

So in the Bible people fast as spiritual discipline. Okay,

that's what they fast asked the first to do a

few things, to humble themselves before God, to demonstrate repentance.

It's a demonstration of repent. Lord, we repent. We have

to see inside, right, so I do it outside. So

when they first they normally were set cloth you know,

sect cloth right, the ganni sect cloth they'll put ash.

On their head. Were drama.

It's a same aim bad you and uh cosmetics as

morning Okay, they fast to seek divine guidance and also

to show intense morning and reliance on God. See intense

morning and reliance on God. That's why they fast. Okay,

That's why they fast. So they suffered. Let me simplify

it for us. It means that they just did it

for the sake of doing it, and yet we see

their condition of their hearts. Unfortunately. That's why the people

did that. Why am I sharing this with us this morning?

As we go into twenty one days, Please check your heart,

go out. I cannot see your no, only you know

your heart. The actions cannot see you one. So check

your heart. Lord, am I am I? Am I doing it?

We got no point fast thing during the act if

you don't check your heart, Say God, am I surrendering

to you?

Am I relying on you? Amen?

Because like say, just now twenty one days a prayer

is a time where you turn back to God. That's

why I call it. You turn you turn back to God.

Maybe you know, may practice you've been going. Although we

might think, oh, but then aren't I serving God? Am

I doing the right right things? Yeah, that's why they're

all doing And so they were pursuing God, but where

were their hearts? They were doing the right things, saying

the right things right, practicing the right things, but where

were their hearts? So our twenty one days XPJ is

a time where you turn back to God and say God,

let's take a what, let's take a pit stop, let's fee,

stop all the plans, pe stop everything, and say, Lord,

I want to come back to you. Right, you turn

in what well in our lives? You turn in our decisions,

You turn in our love and commitment to Christ. Okay,

I'm going to ask a tough question your do have

to ask you just thing about it? How many of

you here can confidently come and say that the decisions

you've made since the beginning of the year until now,

majority of itna is God led.

Or is our own self?

Let something you think about right, can we can we

confident we got? I also cando commonly say it's God.

Let a lot of decisiones I make, you know, sometimes

led through experience.

You know, we just do we just decide, you.

Know, the kind of thing or hopefully it's not true

convenience only you know, but maybe maybe a bit hard

to say.

Maybe some of you here are great, you.

Know, you're like, yeah, you know, you know when I

wake up every morning, I ask what to do? You know,

then whatever he asked, you do just to praise the lot.

Please teach me how to do that, you know. But

that's life. Life is tough, and that's why it's important

to recognize a time and we can say, Lord, I

want to do a bit stop. I want to a

health check, I want to a touch base that you

cannot mean ideally we should touch base most of the time, now,

you know. Can I ask it even deeper question? And again,

think about just thinking about it. How many of you

us he are red confident to think about the major

decisions in our life that we have made or are

going to make, or are making. It's also God led God,

lets no not a sled, not parents, let not grandparents,

Let not what the market. Let I'm talking to a

lot of young adults and all and a lot of

people are telling me about the market, about the war,

about the patrol. Friends, I might sound fully saying this

by faith, God is still good. God is still in

control no matter what happens. God is still king of

your life.

Chill. Can you trust it not? Or do you trust

the news? Right? So think about it? You turn? What's

the significance of you turn? Friends? Be surrendered to God? Right?

That's what we did, right? All Christ are surrendered to you?

Or this song just came to my mind. Lord, I

offer my life to you, everything I've been true, Use

it for your glory. Lord, I offer my praise. Do

you lifted my.

Praise to you? With it as a living sacrifice?

Even to know the thing about living sacrifice that I

learned from Pascna, Living sacrifice will move from the altar,

and no living sacrifice the sacrifice living, you will run

away and to tie up the tie up the sacrifice.

And it's a concern binding. But friends, we didn't we

surrender our hearts to Christ? Didn't We didn't we surrender

our heart to him? So what is a strendered heart?

Let let's go deeper into that. What is the strengthed heart?

Okay? Right? What does it mean to strengthers something? Strender?

I give up blah. I think surrender is a little

bit different and give up. I think it's a little bit.

It is almost the same, but it's different. It depends

what you're giving up, but it's different.

Right.

Let me give you some scenarios, okay, like surrender, Okay,

like how you surrender yourself to your spouse for those

they are married, right, some of the people here not

convinced my spouse then was strendered to me or so?

You know?

Right?

Yeah, but no, but when.

You say, you know, in sickness and your health to

death to a spot, you know, you kind of strender

your life to your spouse, right, No, I only strender

my life to Jesus. Yes, yes, that's first lab first,

but after that it's your spouse, lave. Why do I

say that? Okay, I know people say this as a joke.

I don't say there as a joke.

You know.

Let me talk to the husbands because I don't know

about the wife. Okay, husbands, have you you've had this

experience before, right when you're like chilling your friends talking

and then someone suggested something like hey, you know, not

your friends like me and you fellowship in your homes

and then your wife not there, and then someone say, hey,

you know, let's go hang out, you know, let's go,

let's go play counters, right, bust the mat. And then

he's like, let me let me call my wife first.

Then one of the singers guys say, huh, asking from

the permission now, right, when you're a singer, you're more freedom. Actually, friends,

it's not asking for permission. We've committed our life to

another person. Really have to align like Cory not Cray not.

So don't see that way. Don't see that as a bondage.

It's not bondage, right, isn't that strender? You strender your

life to your spouse, right, sort of strender trying to

get connection here or maybe maybe just maybe for those

who are not married, you strender your life to your families.

I know some families here are very patriarchal or matriarchal.

Oh big words.

You know, whatever Grandma says, whatever mom says, whatever Dad says,

you know, that's the that's because they're like God like that. Okay,

I know I'm making jokes. I'm not need insulting anybody here,

but I just don't give you the perspective, the understanding

of what it means. By strender. Okay, you strender, you know?

Or that said is dola? Mom said it's good. I'm

not I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Please don't

go against your parents. But you know, when you are

thirty years old and you're a man, you still listening

to your parents.

Are sorry.

I'm not against parenthood, but men really all let the

sun in the thirty sideline, the really legal ash right.

They want to mess up there and mess up then

they learn now, you know, but yeah, strender or maybe maybe.

During this sign you can get we strender to our boss's.

My boss say it means I have to I surrender

my boss, my boss, my boss said this I have

to do.

I have to do. Friends, let me give you a perspective.

Wish someone shared me a long time ago, and sometime

people come complain about work to me and I'll say, actually,

if you think about it now, if you quit your

job today, right, all these problems that.

You're having now will not be a problem career.

If you quit your job today, all the problems that

you have your boss doesn't affect you any more.

Correct or not?

I mean, yes, of course you'll create other problems like

no pay and all that kind that is a different problem.

But the boss problem. No, Mama, bring perspective. But we surrender.

We strender, or maybe I hope not some of us here,

we strender to our situation. Oh I'm like that, Lah, forever,

You'll be like that. I surrender to my situation. I

surrender to this thing that I didn't choose to. So

sometimes I surrender. Can I give you another alternative? Besides

all these things I just said, you guys kind of

understand what stander means. Right, And maybe for those who

are still young and you haven't had much life experience,

you surrendered to your parents' lah. Right, that is one

way of surrender. It's not bad surrender. He's just surrender, okay,

because you're under the authority and all. But despite all

the challenges freends that is happening, let me present this way.

God is good, right, God is good All the time

I saw a real that they is so funny, so

very funny.

Real he's a thief going to the house.

And then he was like, you know, looking for the

owner because you want to kidnap him. And then he

saw a cross and I couldn't find the owner. And

then he said God is good. And then the owner said,

all the time then caught him.

It's quite funny real.

If God is good, if he died for all sins,

if he's all powerful or knowing, if he is the

creator of the heaven city earth, if he's the author

and the finish of faith, if he's the cat, the

owner of the ket of a thousand. Hey, I'm using

all scripturenal you know if he is, you know his

mercies on you every morning. All these all these words

are means something on our friends. It's not just it's

not a mantra, it's not a positive.

It means something. Right. They were not just strender to.

Him, but I really strangded to Yes, you did. You

made a decision to follow Jesus. But do you know

that strender is a daily thing. Do you know that

you're not there yet? That's why we have problems.

We worry. That's why the Bible can.

Teach Menthew six City three see ethers the Kingdom of God,

and all shall be added unto you.

That's why i'm you need to do you turn every.

Year, because if we're all perfect day, then don't need

you turn. We just go heaven now everywhere we want God,

you know, leelujah? Every day everywhere it is like that,

no right, life, right is tough?

Right?

Why not surrender to God? Let me make a proposal.

Why not surrender to God today? Why strender to the worry?

Why strender to the hey? Why strender to your own personality?

Why why strender to your past?

Oh?

I'm like that one heaven, you surrendered to yourself. When

we say things like that, why not surrender to God?

And why not trust him? Let's read scripture a guys, Okay,

is it a fast that I've chosen verse five?

A day for men to afflict his soul?

Is it to down his head like a bulrush, and

to spread out sack cloth and ashes? Would you call

this a fast and acceptable day of the Lord? Is

this not the fast that I have chosen? To lose

the bonds of weakness, to undo the heavy burdens, to

let the oppress go free, and that you break everyal?

Is it not to share your break with the hungry,

and that you bring to your house the poor you're

cast out when you see the naked, that you cover

him and not hide yourself from your own flesh. Then

your light shall break forth like the morning, while we

all love this, and your healing shall spring forth speedily,

and your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of

the Lord shall be your rad God, Isaiah chapter five versa.

Only it tells us.

That the fast that God chose, it's not the fast

that we should like or we should think about selves.

It's not the kind of fast you know. This the

fast in the beginning, it's already selfish.

One me me, me, me, me, me, me, me me,

I want this, I want this, I want this.

But no, the fast that God has chosen is a

fast that aligns to his heart.

Why do I say that? Because he said this reg culearly.

To lose the bonte of weakness, to undo the heavy burdens,

to let the oppress go free, and that you break

every yal you want to experience that now.

Any of you here.

Still dealing with fast addictions, any of you here still

dealing with change in your mind? Friends, you can break

free today. That's the power of the God that we

you know, our God that we serve. You don't have

to live like that anymore. That's what I believe in.

It is a fast that aligns to God's heart. And

what is God's heart. God's heart is always about others, others, others,

not self, but others. Think about it. God doesn't just

think about himself. He doesn't think about hisself. He always

thinks about others. That's how God works others. He wass

thinks about us. He wass thinks about the loss he was.

Things about others, right, That's what he was thinks about.

And this is another promise. God always wants to meet

the needs of his children. Who is his children? Look

at a neighbor, I'm his children. Look at a neighbor,

I'm also his child. You don't sound convinced. Come on,

let's do that again. Look at the left neighbor and say, hey,

I'm a son of God. I'm a child of God.

Look at an say I don't believe you. You're not convinced. So, friends,

can I make the argument to say that a strendered

heart to God will display God's character.

In your life?

Because if you strender your heart to our Father in heaven,

wouldn't you look more like him? Think about it? Think

about it? Okay, think about it. And the wonderful thing

is that God also promises a few things.

Let me read on.

Okay, he says here verse eight again, Then your light

shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring

fall speedily, and your rightchesters shall go before you. The

glory of the Lord shall be your red. God means

your friend is taken care of you, and your back

is taken care of You know, that's less powerful, you know,

you know what means by your back is taking care

of your red God means that now all the things

that you cannot predict, a god.

So couthy really for you. Isn't it cool?

All the stuff that you know plan haven't planned yet,

God as accounting for you. You know, as I think

about the time where I had to go for a stand,

and that's like twenty two in three, right, there are

a lot of things I couldn't predict and I could

have lost my life, honestly, like I've not been here ready, right,

But as I think about it, I tell you it's

just God's mercy on my life that I'm still standing here,

you know, And I think I'm sure before that, you know, Oh, no,

per Sevy, what you well, I can tell you my

own foolishness are basically eat to no abandonment, okay, And

you if photos a norm last time, you know how

chab I was? Okay, Now let's chub right, wife not

so happy? She said, can or heart, It's okay there,

I'm gonna live longer. Okay, let's read on. Then you

shall call and the Lord will answer. You shall cry,

and he will say, here I am. If you take

away the yoke from your midst the pointing of the

figure and speaking of his friends something, you'll need to

listen to this verse nine.

I'm gonna read it again.

Then you shall call and the Lord will answer. How

many fe you like that? Whatever you pray God or say, yep,

what's up? I'm listening, Jeff, I'm listening, Seling. I'm listening, Cheryl.

You shall cry and he will say, here I am powerful. Right,

But what's the condition if you take away the yoke

from your mist? Hey, I'm going to be here, But

you can see your life a lot burden, right, because

your eyes are looking at the burter, not in me.

The yoke is here in your life. You've got to

let go of that. Right, It's still there, it's still there.

I can't help you with you. I'm here, really, but

but the yog is still there. But you're still looking

at that the pointing of the finger and the speaking

of wickedness, right, pointing a finger just means not taking ownership.

Speaking of wickedness means well weakness, wickedness. La say things

that you shouldn't say. Lah, you know something I think

my mom did well, uh to a fault? Okay that

my mom taught me. When you got nothing nice to say,

don't say it until got a lot of things not

nice at all. I just keep quiet and take another key,

which is not good or so, because if there's injustice,

as believers, we need to speak truth.

Right, that's what that's our role.

Don't keep quiet if that's injustice, that's the that's the

thing about what we need to do.

Right. Let me read on.

If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy

the afflicted soul, then your light shall shall dawn in

the darkness, and your darkness shall be as nunda. Are

you guys reading this? You want to experience your briackthruth,

You gotta you gotta minister other people. You want to

experience your grid truth is other people first. He's surrender first. Friends,

you want to experience your breakthrough all these other things first,

and the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your

soul in drought and strengthen your bones. You shall be

like a watered garden, and like a spring of water

whose waters do not fall.

Those from among you shall build always places.

You shall raise up the foundations of many generations, and

you shall be called. Wow. This is not quite cool one,

you know, Ja won Ward like this title repair of

the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. So

God promises all these promises. Let me break it down

one by one. God also promises that after we surrender

an aligned to him, then we will be a few things, okay,

Isaiah fifty eight vers eight. He promises that we will

be fulfilled and all our needs to be met. You

guys like that we will be fulfilled. That means whatever

you're doing right now in your life, you will be fulfilled.

What's so film for this very powerful thing? You know?

I realized that when you work in a company and

work somewhere right after a while, there's no fulfillment.

Now your equipment don't care how much they pay you.

You won't stay there long.

Because we've been made unique in a way that we

need purpose in our life. That's the wonderful that's the

crazy thing about God. He has made us all unique

in a way that we need to seek for purpose,

you know. And when there's no purpose, we get very frustrated.

But when we follow God, we will experience his purpose

and then He will fulfill our purpose and then our

needs to be met. That's why if your career is

your God, you will never be fulfilled. If money is

your God, you will never be fulfilled. If your family

is your God, you will never be fulfilled. God has

to be God. Everything comes after. Then you'll be fulfilled.

Then your need to be met.

Amen. The second thing is Isaiah.

If you said verse nine, the ability to speak to

God and he will answer, What does it tell you

when you read that? It tells me something very simple. Relationship.

We have relationship with him. It's not just a oh God,

your so far. No, it's a relationship.

You know.

Only someone who has relationship right when you say something,

they will say, yeah, I am you know?

Do you know that? Do you know that?

None of you here If you don't know the person

will help, the person willingly or be there for the

person unless your relationship.

Do you know that.

Do you realize that? Do you know that God's practical

that way as well? He won't see me help anybody

want to know. But if you're a child, he will

be there for you. Does that make sense to you?

It makes sense to me, you know, I mean, okay,

I mean ministry. Can I be honest us? Because you're

my sheep, I'm obligated to at least be there for you, right, Uh?

You know?

But I also must tell you that I'm a human.

If my wife called me, right, I'll be there for her.

If I have to choose, my wife comes first. It's

very simple one because we've got relationship and a lot

of us ye are the same. And there's nothing wrong

with that, right, there's nothing wrong with that?

Or is it wrong? No, it's not wrong. It's normal.

It's spectacal. Right.

But of course, for those of us who have been

called to be leaders, we don't just think about selves.

We think about other people as well. That's constantly in

our minds.

Right.

But when you think about that, when you sort of

like put yourself in that situation with God, it tells

you that God has relationship with us. That's why when

you ask, you're confident or what you're asking for, and

he will answer right.

You'll get that. Well's still talking about strengthed heart. Okay.

The third point here is that our situation will change

from dark to light when we do the things that

God cares for, right, the things that He cares for

Isaiah fifty eight ten to eleven.

Let's let's do that again.

If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfied

as click the soul, your light shadown in the darkness,

Your darkness shall be as noon day. The Lord will

gut you continually in and satisfy your soul in drought,

strengthen your bones. You shall be like water garden, like

the spring of water whose waters do not fail.

So our situations will change, friends, from duck to light.

And God, with the care of you, he gave the

He gave the example of a water garden. It's very

interesting when you think about water garden. Have you seen

a garden? There's not What have you seen? Okay, I've

seen lun Actually one of my plants die. Actually just

want my plants. I have a pundan plan outside my

house and uh panda plus quite easy to care. Right

for those said no, okay, so you don't know. Okay,

everybody look at me. You don't spun done.

Okay.

Apparently pandam plans are easier to care of. You just

need to water it. But I have not been watering

my pun plan and is dying lack. So my mom

in law actually saved it for me. But my puna

plant looked really really bad. Lah okay, But before that

it was well watered because I inherited it and my

mom in law did.

A really good job. It looked really good, smell really good.

I can cut and make desert, but then when it's

not watered, looks barren. So when you strender to God,

you will be like water garden, never barren, always fresh,

always fruiting, not dry.

Right, and God wor the care of you. He'll make

sure you water you.

And the fourth point I have is from Isaa Fifa,

and I love this, you know, because it says that

God get my interpretation of shall build always places, you

shall raise up foundations of many generations. That speaks about

us being established in our purpose in life.

For God, and he leads us to our destiny.

Right and the and the plus point for this when

you think about many generations. You're not just thinking about

us and ourselves. We're thinking about our future. Nicholas, Selling,

Lucas and Joanna. Now they will start changing the way

they think to think about the future. You know, the

moment you get a child, right, it changes a lot

of things on because when when you don't have a

child yet, you know, let's say you're not even married yet, right,

you only think about today tomorrow, right, And it's not wrong,

it's just not a lot of people think about retirement

and all. Then maybe later you get older, you think

about retirement. But there's a different kind of thought process,

right when you have future generation to consider, very different

thought process. You don't just think about yourself, don't you

think beyond that? No, you think like when I'm not here, how?

Right?

You always think when I'm not here how And it's

a different kind of thought process.

I would argue that it's an even more mature.

Thought process when you start thinking about future when you're

not around. I tell you one of the things that

I'm thinking of I'm not around, Okay, let maybe a

let me share a little bit what's going on in

my brain.

XPJ. We've been here for the teen year city.

I think the ten this year, fourteen around there, twenty twelve, Right,

I've got extras longer, right, And I do think like

when I'm not around then how.

Would the church be? Would they still continue? Right?

Are the leaders ready? It's our young people ready to

still trust God? Or are they going to be starry

eyed and jump after the new shiny thing that comes

their way, whatever it is. Or are they going to

be faithful to what we have as a church? Am

I going to be faithful with the young people? These

are thoughts about future, No, right that What must I

do now so that people will continue, not just continue

build a church, but continue in their faith?

What can I invest now?

These are a lot of big questions, right, But this

is the wonderful thing about God. When we surrender to him,

he will raise up the foundation. He will cause us

to raise up the foundation of many generations. And when

he talks about repair of the breach and restore of

streets to dwell in, it is very nice to inherit

something that is already perfectly one. Right, very nice buy

a new car, But what about if you have a

junk car or house or they say do flips, right,

but you make it beautiful. That's the ability that the

Lord has for us. Okay, last lap you guys, Okay,

everybody like falling asleeberty.

First thing, another side. If you turn okay, that's the thing.

If you turn your food away from the Sabbath, from

doing your pleasure on my holiday, and call the Sabbath

a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and

you shall honor him. Not doing your own ways, not

finding your own pleasure, not speaking your own words. Then

you shall delight yourself in the Lord. And I will

cause you to write on the high heels of the

earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken once again. It's

a reminder of God. Do not surrender to our own hearts,

but to strender our hearts to Him. To not strender

to own flesh, but to strender to Him.

Amen.

And the wonderful thing is the promises come after that,

not before that, after the surrender. Right, everything happens after something.

Everything happens after.

Right.

Let me give you this perspective when I when as

we bring this son, uh, and I'm thinking, oh God,

you're good. Right, Why must it be after Why is

it conditional?

Okay?

Let me let me give this perspective. Of course, as

I'm praying, he gave me sway. We thought it was

quite cool. How many have you hear Dad's your dad's

that's fatherest father's in the house?

Okay? How many of you.

Here have a father maybe past late father?

About God? God? Godfather? Can you remember you're dead? Right? Okay?

Let me ask you a very simple question.

Now you think about it now, A father would reward

his children after or before they.

Follow his instruction? Think about it? After? Who say before?

Before you follow? Hereward? Your ready? None? But nobody here right?

Nobody here? Right? If we understand that? Right? What about

father in heaven? Why we are asking?

You know?

And normally our kids will you know push us boundary?

You know normala isn't it doesn't sound like a relationship

between us and Father God that we push Brownie?

We say, he seeh I do? Ready? You know? And

that's you you?

I think you can't understand, even if you're not dead

and you are a child, right, you can't understand that

sometimes you just want to do things so that your

father can see, so that you get a reward.

You don't really care whether you learn anything or not.

You just want to fulfill the wishes of the dead,

you know, so that you can be rewarded, because the

reward is the most important thing, correct, right? Do you

know that your father in heaven is not interested in

the reward, but he's interested in your maturity? So this

thing is not unfair. In fact, this thing is for

our good. Making the choice first to surrender to him

is for own good. Yes, God is good, but he's

so good that he doesn't want us to be foolish

and destroy ourselves by pursuing after things and asking for

rewards and gifts and all these things, and then later

your destroyers. Do you know what happens to a child

that has no consequences and only have reward, that don't

need to work hard? And what happens to a child

all of us no sport? What a word do you

use on a child? Know that they're spot quite? Say

it right to get that? So let us not be

sport kids. Let us be mature kids. Amen, Let us

experience God and have a relationship with him. Because God

is not just interested in blessing us, He's more interested

in a transformed life.

That is what He's interested in that problem.

You are going through today, the challenge you're going through today,

the different things that is irking you.

He's interested in your transform life.

That you become more like Him, that you become more

I use Christian word first, and I use normal, more holy,

That you become more righteous, Okay. I like it, that

you become more patient, that you become more compassionate, that

you become more kind, that you become more like Christ,

that your minds change to be more like him. That

is what God wants, and then he will take care

of everything else. That is how far in heaven he's

so awesome. Yes we go through challenging times. Yes we

go to the difficult and something we don't understand. And

the only thing we need to do is say, is Lord,

I surrender to you. Lord, I surrender to you.

Lord.

Please come take over lot, Come help me. I don't

want to do things my own way. I don want

to decide things my own wady Lord, I want to

consult you. I want to understand. One more thing I'll

leave to you is maturity. The thing about maturity is

that when you are mature in a certain area, you

don't really need to go back to the already. Right,

once you graduate from being in your pants, very funny example,

you you kind of don't have to worry about it anymore. Right,

But as long as you haven't able to control your

bladder yet, you know, and just treally go, then you

still have to do it that.

But once you do that, you real finality. That's the

thing about maturity.

Or I was asking I was asking a young person

this question, asking me, hey, you know, ah, I'm trying

to think of the what happened, but okay, you might

even know who these same person, So I ask a younger, said, hey,

you know, when you're lifting a bench press right now,

how hey can you lift the bench press? And the

young person said sixty two point six kg. I'm like,

I cannot even left at heavy? Okay, I said, okay,

that's your that's the like record when you started. How

hey can you leave thirty kg? Still quite heavy?

Yeah?

I said, how long do you take you from sixty

two g g to sorry, thirty kg to sixty two

About two and a half years? I said, it gets easier, right,

that's like maturity. Once you overcome something immaturity, you don't

have to go back ready, But why do we The

question is why am I still stuck at the thirty

kg bench press? Heaven Matula's sma as that. So then

have to mature, then have to transform law, then have

to move forward, because that's what the stranded life would

bad food. Amen, thanks so much, very serious? Everybody like

so serious. So, friends, as we go through our twenty

one days of brand fast, there are a few encouragements

I have for us. First encouragement is repentance. Really friends,

don't fight id la. If really do something wrong, say

so reala. If really need to come clean to God's

come clean to him la Yeah.

Yeah.

If you need extra point and help, please ask your

homes ask your homes leader, ask your hole leader, get

support us, your spouse, get people to be around you.

Don't do it alone.

Second thing is don't trust yourself so much. First, repent,

come to him. Second, don't trust yourself because we don't

know a lot of things. You don't know, you don't know.

I also don't know a lot of things. I keep

telling myself. I don't trust myself. I rather ask or

advice speak. And of course I'm mature. I move forward

in life. I've grown to a place where I can

advise others, but I still don't trust myself. I still

don't trust my own emotions when it comes to my

own things. I still seek help, whether it's through my

discapperture relationship, whether it's constantly praying and asking God for

a confirmation.

I don't rush into things. You turn is a good

time to do that, to come back to him.

And I say, okay, God, I've been making decisions all

this while this area I say, don't touch this area,

I say, don't touch this thing.

No, I want to.

I want to strender all to you. Lot take over,

because I know when I strender to you, it'll all

be good. As you promise in the world. I know

when I strender to you, Yes, as fear as I

know when I streandered to you, it will all be good.

Our morning will shine bright like noon day. You know

you will cause us to be watered like got the

wear poet. Take okay, but you'll be good. And can

we take this utan to really go back to God

and say, God, come, let us take this spit stop

And Lord, I please do that surgery in my heart.

Please do that surgery my life. Please take over all

these things that I think I'm doing right and just

check it being scared because I can tell you, you know,

you know the cool thing about what God will do

something some worst we fear, and when we reveal ourselves,

God's going to pick up but everything and no, do

you know that He's going to be encouraged because hey,

you did that well, my son, Hey you did that well,

my daughter. Hey, this this thing doing, keep keep keep

it up. All this other thing you need remove it

la Okay, don't don't, don't, don't do ready, but the

other stuff please keep. We always think about the bad,

But our father in heaven is good and he wants

the best words. He wants us to experience him. He

wants us to grow, he wants us to be more

like him. He wants us to be transformed. But it

starts with a decision to strender.

Amen. That's why it's called daily bread.

Do you remember the prayer our Father, who are in heaven, Hello,

be your name, Give us this day our deliberate forgive

us our debts. As we forgive our debtors, lead us

away from temptation, and deliver us from the evil one

for yours. It's the power, the kingdom, glory, forever and ever.

Amen. It's daily bread friends, It's daily surrender.

So past happened, regular, Let's leave the past of the past,

and today's going to be a new day.

Amen.

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

information on our church, please visit as Church RG. We

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this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you. God bless