The Voice of the Father | Pr Alvin Keng

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

will light up your day if you've got your Bibles with you, not if,

but I hope you've got your Bibles with you. Please turn to First

King's chapter nineteen. Okay, First Kings chapter nineteen. I'm trying to turn

into right now. Oh my goodness, why didn't go in First Kings chapter

nineteen. And we're gonna be reading a little bit about the story of Elijah,

right and you know, I'm just gonna rely on XTV. Okay,

it's a story of Elijah, and we're gonna pick up from If you're familiar

with your Bible, he just had an awesome, wonderful God moment where you

know, the prophet Elijah is one of the powerful prophets in the Bible because

in the Bible, and of course in Jewish culture, they recognize certain key

prophets. Okay, I say key, because somehow God's power in their lives.

Okay. They recognized Moses because Moses let them out of Egypt, and

true Moses, God did all the miracles. Okay, and from then on

you've never really seen any other miracle after that. Ready, you know,

the seventh plagues, you know, and then after that, I think,

if I'm mistaken, Elijah was another great profit because he did quite a lot

of great things. He called on fire from heaven. How many of you

love calling the fire from heaven? You know, I know that mom's here.

You can call down fire from heaven. You know, my mom constantly

called down fire from heaven, and I of course constantly get scotch. You

guys didn't get a joke as well. It's good too many that jokes today

near mine and and yeah, that just happened because the people of Israel,

you know. The one team I noticed, or the one thing I constantly

read in the Bible is that somehow God's people are and maybe there's just people

are Okay, I wouldn't say Goste. I think people in general. God

can do something awesome for you, but you can forget about you and because

somehow another problem comes or somehow we get you know, either too successful or

we think that we know better, and then we start thinking about other ways.

But we forget the times when we were we had nothing. We forget

the times where we had to we had no other choice but to rely on

God. Because your bank account not going to help you, your connection isn't

going to help you. Nothing's going to help you. But then as you

progress in life, somehow suddenly you grow up and then we have more connections,

we have a bigger bank account, we have different things, and then

we have a tendency to forget God. And then we hit a situation in

our life that none of these things that we have can help us, or

we can try, but it's futile because we're relying on our own strength.

And then it comes to a point where God has to come true for us,

and for those of us who know God, thankfully, we will go

through him. Nah, you know. But even then sometimes you know,

because sometimes when you're older, or when you are more mature and more wiser,

we think that we know a lot lah, but the realities we don't

know much la, you know. And that's what happened to the Israelites,

you know, and God called well, God created a femine and the drought

in the land to wake them up, to wake them up, to say,

hey, you know what awesome that you're being successful, But you kind

of forgot where it came from. You kind of forgot that I was the

one that put you here. That's God. Okay, So I kind of

got to remind you, lah, right, because they turned their hearts to

other gods. They turned their hearts to bale, They turned their hearts to

different gods, saying not just that even the king and the queen of that

time, they were like the key influenced people when it comes to other gods.

And it was a big fight on between the God of Israel, the

original god that brought them out of Egypt, versus this new God that maybe

a bit more happening on. Maybe there's more things happen. You know,

sometimes happening may not be good. What's the latest trend, guys, because

it's more exciting, you know, So then you look for excitement, right

because church is boring. Coming to church on Sunday is boring. Doing worship

is boring. You know, singing old school someone is boring. But what's

the latest exciting happening thing that will stir my hantsan and caused my heart to

skip a beat? Okay, I hope there's none of you. And that's

what happened to the israel like sadly, but thank God he always provides an

answer and Ilanjah was the answer. Elijah came and he you know, he

spoke to the king he and he said, he challenged them outright, he

said, hey, people of Israel, let's see who is the real God.

Right, I'm like summarizing the story because we're not gonna talk really talk

about that today. Let's see who's the real God. And then what happened.

And then he said, okay, bill an altar, you build one,

a bill one. And then they had more people, know, they

had like the three hundred, three hundred, well three hundred threet elia just

one man. Do you know that God doesn't need numbers to prove a point.

God doesn't need it was Elijah and the whole kingdom, well not really

loud. The people Israel were watching us us to release you who were And

of course sometimes you may feel intimidated because you're alone. I'm the only Christian

in my company. I'm the only person that's saying let's practice it the right

way. I'm the only one. But God might speak to you because God

spoke you. Look at how brave Elijah was. He challenged them and say,

because they try that and they had time, no just chilling. He

was just chilling there, and he said, okay, you do first laugh,

you call upon your god first. And the first God that called fire

from heaven and burned the sacrifice, that's the true God. And he was

so confident. How many of you love that confidence? So confident? No,

maybe your God is sleeping. Why don't you cry louder? And then

they did, and then all Elijah would say it was And sometimes can I

encourage you Christians? Sometimes you don't have to prove it for God. No,

he will do himself. You just need to be the conduit. Because

Elijah's prayer was not, hey, Lord, you look at me, and

I look at me. You know if not, I'm alone. No,

it's not about him. He's like, God, you need to prove that

you are real. You ready spoke to me. Really, I'm obeying you.

I'm being the conduit. Now it's your turn. Can you show them

that you're real? Fire came down from heaven, burn up the sacrifice,

burn up the author, burn up the water, everything burn up. And

of course people's heart turned to God. Awesome testimony. Right. But then

after that, of course the king and the queen not so happy. La

right, and he was queen Jezebel, you know. And of course nowadays

you hear passes speeching about the Jezebel spirit, you know, the spirit of

like you know, rebellion against God and stuff like that. Demonic's okay,

okay, I won't go into that, but I don't know what this queen

did to him. Apparently she was quite cruel and she was actually the mom

of the king and end up being the wife k A being messed up black

kid the family dynamics, and and she threatened him and said because it was

her prophets, it was a concho concho, and then she said, I'm

going to kill you, and he ran. What happened to the guy that

called down fire from heaven? He ran, no, and he hid.

And this is where we'll pick up our story, you guys, okay,

wow, I mean I should do that in five minutes. So we're gonna

read here from verse eleven to verse fifteen or maybe yeah, verse eleven.

Then he said, go out. So what happened was let's yeah, okay.

So Elijah escapes from Jezebel, right, and he ran and he hid.

Okay, He went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and ate

and sat down under a broom tree. He prayed that he might die.

He didn't just run away, he wanted to die. Hey, what happened

to this guy? Hope? The first makes the heart sick. You know

what that means? Not be very careful of discourage man. Be very careful

of discourage man, because discourage man can cause you to forget about the testimony

that God has given you. Discourage man can cause you to not believe anymore.

Discourage man can cause you to give up on what God has plans for

you and the promises that He has for you. Not anything h just discouragement.

So be very careful on discouragement. The devil comes and roars like a

lion. You cannot wanna. You're not good enough. You see all the

mistakes you've done. You know, who are you to believe in such a

thing? Who are you? Discouragement? And that's what happened to Elijah.

And when he hit Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree,

suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat. Then

he looked and there by his hand was kick bait on coals and a jaw

water so in and drank and lay down again. How many you feel when

you're disguised, you just want to sleep. But thank God, God knows

us. Thank God, he cares for so much that he will come.

And he didn't even come and say, Elijah, why are you like that?

You know, he fed him first, he let him rest. That's

what God did. God knows us, right. And now, of course

the Angel of the Lord came back the second time and touched him and said,

arise and eat. I'm reading from verse seven because the journey is too

great for you. Huh, there's a journey. This guy just wanted to

die. So he rose and ate and drank, and he went in the

strength of the food forty days, forty nights, as far as Horap,

the Mountain of God. So yes, he wanted to die, But because

of meeting the angel, I think he continued his journey because he's probably figuring

out, Lord, I'm really stuck in this place. What else can I

lose? And he continued in their journey. And then he went into a

cave and spend the night in that cave, and behold, the word of

the Lord came to him and he said to him, what are you doing

here? Elijah, such a weird question. Now, what are you doing

here? God? Don't you know I'm doing here? I'm discouraged. I

believe in something and didn't happen, or I did something great, and then

suddenly, why why something bad happened? Why are you doing here? And

he said, I've been very zealous for the Lord of Lord, God of

Hosts, for the children of Israel, have forsaken your covenant, torna on

your authors, and killed your prophets. With the word I alone, I

am left, and they seek to take my life. And sometimes when you

reach this courage man, it can come to this stage where, oh who,

it's me. I'm alone. No one else understands, right, no

one else understands. I prove God, you showed up. So it was

from God to become me, you know. And he said, you want

to kill me, so I rather die. Blah, I give up,

I give up. But God was having a conversation with him, right,

and then he said, go out on the mountain before the Lord, and

behold the Lord passed by, And a great and strong wind tore into the

mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord. But the Lord was

not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord

was not in an earthquake, And after the earthquake a fire, but the

Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small

voice win earthquake fire. I think that's where they got their title earth wind

fire. Right, m Are we looking for a big event? Are we

looking for something huge in our Christian life? Then? Only, oh Lord,

you show me big big things. They only I do. Many times

God speaks in a still small voice. If I can remember all of the

milestones that is significant in my Christian faith and walk, it is the steal

small voice. Yes, I remember the concerts. I remember there was a

concert, but I kind of don't remember what happened during the concert. I

just remember there, and I have to use pictures to remember. But a

lot of times the still small voice moments are until today, I can remember

where I said, where I stand, who said? What? What is

the exact words? And that is a form of encouragement to me. Right,

the title of a message today is the voice of the Father. Well

tie into Father's Day. Right. Elijah was used by God for something great.

He was discouraged. He came to this point where he wanted to give

up, but thank God he knew God's voice. You know what prophets are.

No prophets are messengers of God. They have to hear God's voice and

know which is God's voice, and then they ago Desaia. All the prophets

all know. Happy on Jonah didn't like what God wanted to do, but

he had to do it anyway because you know it's God. How many of

you here want to hear God? Do you know that if you hear God,

you have to listen to him even though you don't like it. You

read a prophet, Oh, not happy? How can these people? But

I have to listen now? So the issue with profess is not about can

they recognize or not the voice? They can't, Thank God, they can't.

Thank God they knew, Thank God, they know God's voice. Okay,

thank God. The issue was always obedience doing it right for us here?

Today? My well, my message I hope you will go back something

right is that how do we hear God, our Father in heaven? How

do we hear him? How do we hear God? I hope after today

you will at least learn a little bit on how to how to recognize what

is God's voice, how to also experience in yourself? And some of you

I believe have already. But maybe because we are either not not constantly into

it, then we later a good deeper into it. Then we are not

sure? Right, I don't know what that is? Gods? No,

I don't know what is my wife don't it's the devil's voice. I don't

know what this is? My friend's voice. A lot of voices now even

now, even more voices last time when I was younger, less voices,

no internet, no TV, no extro, so astro expensive, so can

afford? Right? So how do we hear God's God, our father in

heaven? Because he is father? He is father. You know the question

what are you doing? Elijah? I'm imagining as a father if I have

a son like Elijah, and I do have a son like Elijah, and

he's supposed to do something, and he did something great, but then somehow

he was the skyashaff away and he went and hit. I would immediately like

what are you doing here? That is the way the question was asked,

what are you doing here? I thought you knew what we were supposed to

do. And remember I'm with you, No, you're not alone. That

was where the question came from from Father God. Not from not from God,

you know no, but from Father God. Hey, son, what

you're doing here? You asked me to help I help bady and then sonn

you run away just because this lady was That's why our guys be careful.

Okay, with an angry woman, be careful, very very careful, be

very careful. Once they are angry at you and the man you are that

sila, only God can save you. I give you some tips. Okay,

and actually, if you hear the times you be like, ha,

this is the secret. It's all repractical. Yes, it's all repractical.

First point is we need so how do we hear God, our Father in

Heaven's voice. The first thing you gotta do is to listen actively. Let

me go deep a little bit. Okay. Why do we encourage devotion?

You know what the word devotion is as believe us devoting time and setting apart

a quiet time to pray, to read the word and to connect with God,

our parig heaven because he wants to have a relationship with us. Okay,

that is what devotion is for. It's not so that you can be

a Bible scholar or you know more, or you check the box. No,

it's so that you can build your relationship with God, because the more

you do devotion, the more you know him. Husbands here, fathers.

You speak to your kids every day right from young until now. You recognize

your voice those who of you here who are in love? Right? And

you got boyfriend, girlfriend? You speak to your love one every day?

Right. Imagine if you one day call and then the person goes, who's

this? Wow? The girls will be so angry. How can you not

recognize my voice on the phone. We are so sensitive to the point that

the way we text us so we know whether this is the person or not

because of some of the little nu answers that they do. Right, what

does that tell you? Familiarity? But when you strangers once, how did

you get there of being familiar? How what do you do? Investment of

time? You'll get that there's no shortcutner, guys, to be a relationship

it next time I cannot go up to one of you here, let me

try and find someone that I don't really know. Okay, Nicole not actually

no, Nicole, very bad example. Uh, I'll find somebody you know,

Kevin. Let's say I met Kevin first time, right, And I

just go up to it and say, Kevin, I'll see you in your

house later, and he's like, who are you? I'm pastor ma can

I I just go okay, please prepare enough for me, right, And

then he'll be like, I'm not free. You know. It's so weird,

but sometimes we expect that of God. Right. God wants a relationship,

not transactional relationship. Once a year, I go sit down and send

the claus lap and ask him, tell him what I want. That's not

the relationship with Bill. How many of you will love to have the current

relationship with your kids? They only see you once a year, and every

time they see you they want things only you love that. We don't like

that. Those no kids one your boyfriend, girl friend. Every time they

see you on the winger is to ask you for something. It's not to

ask how your day is. It's just to say, hey, you know

what I need this from you? Please give it to me. And if

you don't give an I'm gonna get angry. You don't love me anymore.

Kids, Let me turn the tables. How many if you like a father

and mother, they'll only go to your and say If you get are,

then only you can come into the house and sleep. If not, I

don't even order parents. If something are like that, please repair now.

If that has come up from your mouth, love your kids no matter what.

We don't like that, right even in one another? How about God?

That's why we need devotion with him? How do I know God's woics

are? You can talk to him or not. You don't talk to him,

you won't know his voice, honestly, in honestly, that's how it

works. If I don't spend time with my wife last time, I wouldn't

know who she is. Right, Yeah, So it's the same with God.

So why do we encourage you to do the evotion because it's focused time

on God? Right, it's time with God. Oh, read Bible.

You know the word says meditation on God's what Joshua says, this word shall

not this law and command shall not depart your mouth. But you should keep

in your heart daily and you will prosper. Right, we got to draw

and understand God's word. Why why do we need to do that? Because

you know, I know some preachers say it's a love letter. It's a

love letter from God. Girls who love this love letter. Guys a,

I cannot connect with that phrase. Huh love letter from God? I cannot

connect to me. I look at the Bible ass yes, instruction, yes

what, but it's God's journal for me, it's my father in Heaven's life

lessons. I love reading proverbs because proverbs give clarity if I go out and

I listen to the wisdom of the world. Oh, you know, if

you want to be successful in life, you want to do well in your

finance, do this, do this, do this ABC. You know you

if you want to get a good career, do this. It's all men's

wisdom. Does it work? Yeah? Kinda? But why can't we dig

God's wisdom and save us the hassle? Do you know that God teaches you

to honor your parents? Do you know that God teaches your parents who don't

provote your kids? We will stalk about our parents, but we never remind

parents that, hey, you gotta provote your kids. Now, what does

that mean? You gotta make your kids life difficult or not? You know,

we quote the Bible why submit your husband's but we kind of forget that

husbands need to lay down their life for their wife. That's a higher calling.

Man The Bible teaches us all these things, but we have to go

and rely on a book, to a relationship book to tell us how to

fall in love. The Bible is God's menu for life. You want not

succeed, you want to go through challenges. Go and read the Bible.

Amen, prayer. What is prayer? Engaging with God, having a conversation.

Right, that's why we pray, you know. And again sometimes maybe

we pray according to our personality type. Those of us who are quiet like

to be silent in the Lord. Ah, friend, you don't talk.

God don't don't know. Oh no, God knows. My hussire are speaking

to you in my heart, yallah. But you need to practice talking to

God or so. All right, but can I tell you a secret that

all the quiet people don't like one or me, you know, not agree

with me. But it's true. As quiet as they are, the moment

they see someone they like, Oh my goodness, non stop, ah,

non stop correct not quiet people not agree. And for those of us who

are very structured in our devotion, we will on music, sing the song,

read the Bible, follow scripture, pray, and then I have to

rush off forward. Ready, you need to be still and know that God

is there. Okay, God, I wanted an okay, see you guys.

Bye. Imagine he's such a phone call already. Hey, okay,

hell Hello, Hello, hello Jason, Hey, you wanted your answer for

the prayer? Right or he put down phond. I was gonna tell him

what to do. I was gonna tell him that if he talked to this

guy, he don't have to worry anymore. I was gonna tell him,

son, just wait for me. It's gonna come in two months. I

was gonna by God done. We need to learn how to engage God.

No, do you know that God put us on this earth and we are

no longer you know? Seriously, if engaging God is just us being her

means and going to the mountain, now, we won't have community and church

really right, that will be the structure of Christianity. We get safe,

we go to the mountains and stay there. But why do we need to

have church? Why do we need to have to break and break? Because

we are practicing here. Blessed are those who see, But even more blessed

are those who do and believe and don't see. Where's your practicing round for

building relation God? The church? Because If you cannot talk to your homies,

you cannot talk to your leaders, you cannot talk to each other.

How are you gonna talk to God? You cannot even talk to his children,

his people. Know? How can you talk to God? He's a

good practice, you know for us? Actually? Can I give you a

secret? Do you know? Well? I think the more you interact with

church people, and the more you interact with you know, the church,

the more you will talk to God. You know why? Two reasons why?

One reason is the nice reason why Daniel receive testimony from the Lord.

I also want God. Then you go and talk to God. God,

if you can do for him, can do for me. That's the nice

reason. Let me tell you that not nice reason. Oh my goodness,

the day doctor Jason, Now he really piss me off. You no,

right, I wanted to do it this way. If I won't do it,

God, can you please stop your son? You know you're thinking about

yourself. That's why it is. I use the example, okay, what

I mean? Right? It's good both ways because the latter way we grow

and the former way we grow. Let's learn to look decide the Bible say,

rejoice in all trials and tribulations, And again I say rejoice, why

because no matter what we grow, how do we see it? Don't so

fast get angry until you've chesch Okay, God's not done with you yet,

amen, So how do we hear God? Well? You got to listen

actively, la. And the thing about building relationships, right is that you

got to constantly build. The more you build, the more you know,

the more. Have you seen how married couples joke about each other very casually,

not angrily. Yeah, okay, I don't know they need help.

Okay, but have you seen how marriage couple? You know, there's a

married couple in my homes. I won't say which one, but me and

my wife very very very we really like to talk to them because they're very

que one, making jokes you know, about being the lord of the house

and stuff like that. Yeah, every time we talk to them, were

very because and you see how they interage other and you're like, this can

only happen now with years and years of trust and challenges and trials together.

You don't see people who go through only happy times are be close one.

Only when you suffer together, you're a close one. And the more you

suffer together, the closer you become. That's the reality. I trust my

wife. Yesterday I was giving this example to a couple. Of course,

we were doing a pre marriage counseling and we were talking about trust because of

course they are new new and then they had their first squabble, and then

we were trying to tell them it sounds like you only to trust each other

a little bit more. And they felt bad. It's like, oh,

no, I love you. Say no, no, no, don't feel

bad. You will have the rest of your lives to practice this trust.

And I told them this, I said, I trust my wife fully.

You know, I don't know why she's here, I don't see her,

but anyway, I trust my wife. Or she said, okay, I

trust my wife fully. And I use this example. I say, if

someone, anyone of you here, come up to me and say, you

know, I saw Jessa with the guy that day, you know, and

then she was holding his hand, no, looking so lovely the way I

would even a look at the person and laugh at his face. I said,

that will never happened, not because I'm my wife is not pretty and

awesome, and nobody will fall for her. And know, I think many

guys will go for her, But because I trust my wife and I know

she will never do that to me. Do you know that there's not just

built off in ignorance. We have gone through tough times together, many tough

times together, and because of that we trust each other. And of course

vice versa. You know, of course for her less Worrila. Of course

the husband is not like handsome or anything at that. Yeah, so it's

fine, she's very she's very secure. No, you're not gonna help me.

When we have a daily practice for engaging God, we will be building

a relationship with him. Can I encourage all of us here, Let's build

a relationship with our father in heaven. Can or not? Let's do that?

Okay, there is no shortcut to building relationships, just time invested and

experienced together, building memories together, and spending time together. Let me tell

you why I'm so confident in my faith, and I can stand here with

you and share with you. It is true the times I spend with God

from young until now, the confidence I have when I talk to some of

I say, don't worry, God will come true for you, because He

has come true for me. That's why I'm confident. I'm confident because I

know who my God is. Do you or not? Maybe you need to

start getting to know him. Jesus engages his father, even Jesus. We

are called to be disciplants of Christ. Right, so let's say if you

cannot, I cannot relate. Hey, if you are a Christ follower,

follow Christ are because Jesus is so engaged his father. Five says now in

the morning, having reason a long while before, they like, he went

out and departed to a solitary place, and that he prayed to who his

father in heaven. Jesus constantly engages his father. And not just that Jesus

knows his father, right John fourteen seven to eleven. Right, you can

turn to John John fourteen seven to eleven. What does he say? It

talks about Jesus. Jesus came on this earth to introduce Abah father to us.

How God works, what God does, That's what Jesus did. And

in John fourteen he also is a very good scripture to read. Okay,

what does he say? He says here, if you had known me,

you would have known my father also, And from now on you will know

him ever seen him. I pray I will have such confidence that whoever knows

me will know Christ. When they see me, they'll see Ah, this

guy has worked with Christ. I pray have such confidence. Philip said to

him, Lord, show us the Father, and he is sufficient for us.

Right, And Jesus say to him, have I been with you so

long? Yet you have not known me? Philip, He who has seen

me has seen the Father. So how can you say, show us the

Father? Your get there? Not? Because Jesus and the Father are one.

Jesus only does things according to the Father's will. Right. Do you

not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me. The

words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority,

but the Father, who dwells in me does the work. Believe me

that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or I else

believe me for the sake of the works themselves. You know. I like

how Jesus clarifies that. You either believe me because you see me, or

look at what I do, look at the fruit of what I do,

and then believe. Right, because Jesus knows his father. How did Jesus

know his father? They walk together, they do life together. That's why

we in this church we believe in discipleship because we've got to do life together,

or can we? You know? Is it? Is it a procursy,

No, it's not procursyve, It's just a commandment that God said,

the be disciples. That's why we said, have someone to work with you,

right? Oh no, no, no need me and Jesus enough.

We are in a way, yes, la, but you don't get to

practice. You don't get shoppen iron chapping iron, and of course some of

us we can come to a place where no, I don't need anything.

Actually no, no can I can. I be honest with you. I

have learned right. And I'm not very old, okay, but I've learned

right. The moment I stopped learning right, I die. You don't get

that. I pray until I'm seventy years older, I will still be discipled.

Why you're so already? Yeah? Why not? Why not? Why

not? Because we know it works? Is it hard? Yes, it's

hard, And that's why we don't want because we don't want to be judged.

We think, guys, you gotta trust. Every relationship has a risk

of being hurt. Even relationship we've got you have a resk of being hurt.

Yesterday, we share the couple, it said. One of the questions

they asked as they brought up was like, we are worried that it will

happen again, and both me and my wife confidence say, hey, I

got two I said, I got two things to share with you, and

my wife totally agree with me. I said. The first thing is it

will happen again. But the question is when it happens again, what are

you going to do about it? Are you going to come out stronger or

you're going to go at each other's troths? Please come out stronger. Every

relationship have a risk of being hurt. So if you're afraid of that,

then go into the mountains and be a hermit. But that's not God's plan

for you, Okay? Right? Doing life together, walking together side by

side? Right when we walk together with God, we know him. Are

you walking together with God? Are you walking together with God? That's a

good question to ask ourselves. Am I walking together with God? It is

not about what people say about me. It is not about what happening in

the news. It is not about how I feel. Am I walking together

with my Father in Heaven? Can I give you something that hopefully will help

you in this. Do you know that your view of God also determines the

way you interact with him. I'll just give you three examples. I don't

know whether they are more. Okay, this is something I learned when I

was young, because unfortunately I didn't really have a good relationship with my dad.

I'm trying to build it up. I recognize that my dad being around

and me having take care of him. I recognize God give me a second

chance to try to build a relationship my father, right, But I didn't

grow up with that, and that kind of determine the way I look at

God. Do we see God as a celestial being that is far away,

so far sitting on heaven, not close to us, like a police every

time we do wrong on me, catch us, throw down thunder. If

that's how we see God, then that's how we will build a relationship with

him. That's the way we'll build relation to him. Do we see God

as a strict judge that's out to catch us? You know, someone us

have strict fathers. Everything is so wrong, Everything is so wrong, especially

if your dead is in the military. How basedline, that's how you see

God as a strict father? You won't see him as a God as a

dad that cares for you? Or do we see God as a father who

gives us guidance and has authority of our lives and one's the best for us.

How we see and sometimes how we see our earthly fathers will also determine

how we see God. So you got to evaluate. Can I encourage you

to evaluate? Please evaluate how you see God because that will determine whether or

not you do devotion with him. That's the reality. If God is far

away, if God is a celestial being, that then the only time you

have quality time with God is here in church. That's the only time your

qualitime with him because you came to see a deity that you know, we

put up here and then after they go back and he's not any money.

If God is a jot, then you were living fear all the time.

They say fear of the law. It's good right, but they can't fear.

It's also good everything, So they're not doing It's got your father who

when you're in trouble call and say, hey, Daniel, your care,

you O care? You know, I am very thankful to God to lead

me in this place right now where I am sensitive enough that when he asked

me to do something, and most of the time he's asked me to go

say sorr yoana okay. Most of the time because other things don't need to

ask me, I will do naturally want. But correction is something that he

asked me to do. And I shared a Brickfiel. Last week I was

at Brickfield shared brick feels that again. Another situation where I said something to

my son day I shouldn't say it. I said something to him basically just

to let you know that you know, he was acting up in the shop

and I did the typical Chinese parent thing did if you break something here,

I will leave you in the shop strict man. Next morning, my father

in Heaven spoke to me, you shouldn't have done that. Go and say

sorry to your son. I went and I apologize. And I didn't just

apologize to say son, I sorry. I said that I should I said

that, I said son, I'm sorry that I said that Son. I

didn't mean it. I was angry and I say things I didn't mean.

I will never leave you. I will always be there for you. You

know how our simple words can be taken. Now I'm sensitive in that way.

And when I say someday, I'm not like I'm just sensitive to what

God is telling me, not on devotion, not I will feel you or

no like this, like like yesterday morning, right, I was asking my

wife, hey, I got two messages the same message or testimony, and

I will end with a testimony. After this, we should sure I appreai

and my wife, being chiky, said preach bo flah. And then my

mom like, cannot lie. It's totally different. And I don't know how,

don't know how. Pray, pray, pray, sleep. Four am

in the morning, God drop a word. I wake up. I have

a long day. And then and then you start coming, you know,

speaking to me. All these things that I'm sharing you now come come,

come, come speak with them, like whoa, I don't get already.

Now I woke up, I went, I could watch my face. I

fusterrit it now and I constantly thank thank you Lord. I was waiting forward

from you for your children here. Thank you Lord for giving me the word.

Thank you for Lord for speaking to me. I prayed at you so

bless someone. This by no means my word. God speaks, guys,

God speaks. We need to know how to recognize God's voice. I do

have much time. I'll just go real quick. God's voice doesn't contradict his

word. There is a very good indicator. If you want to know whether

God is speaking to you, you need to know the Bible. If you

don't know the Bible, you won't know whether it's God's boice or not.

Because a lot of times we do things and we say it's God, but

we don't clarify. Can I Can I give you another thing that people may

not like? A lot of times God also uses the leaders that he plays

all your life to speak to you. So as you talk to your leaders,

please don't do this first land and again. If God really speak to

you, find have that conversation. But can I I know I'm a pastor

that I'm saying this, but catch me or where it is coming from the

moment you go to a leader and say God told me I cannot say anything

God, Tolola? Who am I to say that that's not God's voice?

Do what you want for those of you think that it's a cout, a

coup if you want to use the line against your leader USA, But know

that if God really didn't speak to you, and you're just doing it to

get out of that conversation. Now, very careful. You are responsible over

your action the moment you say God no, And if really God really told

you, I think God will confirm me with your leader. That is a

confirm. There are many times you alays told me stuff and they are worried

that how And I'll look at it and say, yeah, I also think

God is telling you that. But be very careful to use that line just

to do what you want to do and just to shut your leader up because

you're not happy. Be very careful. Understand where I'm coming from and speaking

out of love. Okay. So God's wife doesn't contradict to his word.

Okay, And you can read the scripture John Chapter seventeen, fourteen nineteen,

can gregory yourself. The other thing that you need to have confidence is that

God doesn't change. He doesn't know, he doesn't change. Revelation twenty two

thirteen says I'm the alphine, the omega, the beginning and the end,

the first and last. He doesn't change whatever he said last time, And

now it's still the same month. Oh now it's new, guys, Now

it's new. He's more in so let's change because God is more relevant today.

Hello, the word from last time I then I is still the same

as boring as it is. It is still the same. So be very

careful with what the world teaches you. I won't go too much into detail

on that. He doesn't change. His word remains and has no expiry date.

Meant twenty four thirty five says heaven and earth will pass away, But

my words were by no means pass away. Right. People have tried to

burn the Bible, change the names of the Viber, do all kinds of

things. But God's word will prevail, whether we like it or not.

God's word will prevail, and God confirms his word. That's another indicator,

or pase Alvin. When I receive a prophecy, how do I know there

is from God? You will happen? Now, prophecy is not for us

to do anything about or no, God's word and promise us. It's not

for us to okay, since now I'm supposed to you know, be rich

right now, let me go and learn. No, guys, it's for

you too. When the timing is right and it comes a God will open

the door. And then you know that you should make that decision. That's

why you receive in the first place. It's not for you to go in

cow your own thing. You know, cow, Yeah, you know that's

what can you say? You don't get it again of my mind, find

go and create your own business because you think, no, guys chill.

God's will confirm his word. Mark sixteen twenty says. And they went out

preach everywhere. The Lord was working with them. You see God working with

Goda, working with them, confirming the word through the accompanying science. There

will be signs. There will be things that will happen. Another thing about

the world of God. It will bring up faith. Romans Tands sevent Thing

says. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

And when you hear God's voice, you got to obey. Whether you

like it or not, you got to obey. But can I give you

an encouragement. The more you obey and the more you see the fruit,

the easy it is to obey. The first time the Lord asked me to

apologize my son, I struggle. I met now and he asked me to

do it. I do it immediately. Your heart changes because God is more

thing you to be the son and the daughter that he wants you to be.

That's the wonderful thing about obedience. Same what parents right. The more

your kids obey kids, the more you obey, the easy is right.

Especially if you know that your parents are asking you to do something for your

own good, right, then you're willingly do it. Just share with you

a few instances of my own experience hearing God's voice. There are two key

times. Again, it's not every day you know that I owe audible voice.

I think there are two really key times where I remember God's speaking to

me, right, Father, God speaking to me. One when I was

considering full time ministry and I was not sure that I was young and all,

and it was either you know, go out and earn your money or

so the church. And I remember us praying real heart in summit level two

we got four pillars. Thenk go here, no pillars, you know,

remember, right? Four pillars one, two, three, four. I

like to sing at that place, at that pillar where doctor j Say is

sitting right. No, actually not that maybe behind one more step behind that.

I like to see ah that pillar hidden by the pillar and can run

away anytime. And during worship, God spoke and says Elvin, don't worry,

I will take care of your family. Huh, I'm not married yet.

No, I won't, God girlfriend yet take abur family. And then

the scripture came metthew sixty three, seeking first again of God and all she

be added to you. The second time that I received a word from the

Lord was again gonna get married soon? Ready, Well, I have to

do it my wife. My wife is like a life changer. And I'm

like, oh, my family is so dysfunctional. How And he wasn't even

service again. I was driving back home from Cyberjaya at a very dangerous bend

because after I received the word, I kind of serve a little bit right,

and God said, pray for your family, just one word, only

you know, And I knew what he wanted me to do and started doing

that, and he restored my family. Two years after that, two years

he restored everything. I won't go into detail. I think I've shared about

this before. Two times that God spoke. You can't come and tell me

that there was not God's voice, because I saw the signs that happened after

that. God has taken care of my family really well. And God has

restored my family that time, Papa Sai Alvian. Sometimes I don't hear anything.

Well, can I tell you that sometimes God doesn't speak because he already

did, but you're not listening, or maybe you kind of should know what

to do alreadio according to his word. Lad Sometimes I wear bad nowadays.

When I ask you for a can you surfer? And they come and tell

me let me pray about it first, I will straight away look at it

and say no. The Bible says, surf the house. What do you

need to pray for? I know I'm somewha crueler, but it's true.

Why do we pray for something that we really know the answer? Do you

need to pray and ask the Lord whether or not he will forgive you for

your sins? You don't need to. You just need to pray for forgiveness

because it's in the world. So why forgiveness so easy but then other things

so hard? Sorry? If that's your please, I'm not trying to not

you. I'm just trying to give you revelation because we all need to grow

here. Right. God speaks, guys. I think sometimes it's whether or

not we want to hear or not. And I end with this testimony because

I know and you'll go ready, so you talk about God's speaking, right,

and I hope that you will catch hopefully that all that is happening.

So so in my work, I'm full time okay, I'm full time in

ay A, and I I manage the video department. Beyond that, I

also am right now taking care of you know, the Temy Society special needs.

Okay. By the way, we're doing a conference in July. Please

promote about it. Okay. We only got sixteen sign not so far is

be worrying, Okay, so please please please chair someone who needs to be

there. I think special specialists is still here. That here is still very

difficult, right. A lot of people might not want to to to be

open enough to come and join it all. It's fine. We pray to

God bring the people. But one of the other things that I have to

do in the office, despite me being so free being sarcastic here, is

I also take care of our volunteer and internship program. What you have one

yes yes means that I will sort of like uh uh every time someone wants

to volunteer or intern with our organization, whichever society whereas le nets or whatever.

They will come through Mila, we will have an interview, we will

have uh and that's what happens, and then we're getting me for a month

and all that kind of stuff. And again it's not a Christian thing.

We do get non believers. We do get people who because AOYA is a

youth development organization, we're not just Christian based, but we are a church.

So one of the things I will tell them is that I'll say,

hey, you know. Number one is non paid internship because you will come

and learn, and so far a lot of people that learn really gain a

lot of things. Number Two, we are very close to a church,

so we're going to do Christian things. You okay, not I will know

me. I'm fron to tell them, and if they're not okay, I'll

say, then maybe it's not based for you, because I'm not going to

not do it because you are not okay, you know, but I tell

you so that you know. And and most of the time they if they're

Christians, they say, oh, I'm also Christian. That's why I want

to join it. Okay, find out the easy okay, easier because we

have stuff devotion and stuff like that. But once in a while we will

have someone who is not a believer and they will be open and say yeah,

I don't mind, you know, and they're like like then I come

to church, you know, and do thing. But but they're okay one,

and we don't frost them. We don't. We don't like now except

Jesus, we don't do that one. Okay, we don't. We don't

do that. Okay, it's super chill right. In fact, the funny

thing is that they get to see how pastors are beyond church. We were

naughty anyway. So I had a mom contact me through VA. So normally

when we get sign ups, it's normally through like I don't know, like

not normally it'd be true like our VA students or the campus nominally is direct

one now. But a mom contacted me. Actually Joy contacted me and say,

hey, I got a mom asking me about, uh, you know,

whether we got any internship programm. And I say, okay, let

me talk to her. And then I spoke to her. And then she

said I've got a daughter, but she she's not part of VA. About

her brother studies in VA for those who you know, you know what I'm

talking about, and and and she wasn't even a student, but she had

like two months or one and a half months to do something, and she

wanted to volunteer. And I'm like, okay, let's just lie this,

mam lah okay. Sorry, yeah, just liyan lah okay, because I

also know that when God opens doors like this, I will normally pursue it,

right uh. And we interview her. She's okay, and she wanted

to join the nets and va uh and I said okay, and I think

DOCTORO is there and we interview her, and of course I laid down the

oh no, are you okay with Christian But we didn't really talk about faith,

so I don't really know whether or not she's a believer or not.

Right, And she came in. She joined the NETS and the first week

we actually drove down to for Chinut recording, right, And typically in the

car, you'll start with me, I will ask you and find out about

you la Okay. I don't know that as I was there or not.

But I was asking her, like, oh, what's her experience and all?

And I found out that she she understands she so she don't go church,

she understands faith. Her family based in Australia. They're all Catholics,

right, and that's her exposure. But she's not a believer, right or

pre believer. Uh. And that's why I found out. And I remember

telling Aza, you know, because she's volunteering. I say, Aza,

I found out you're not Christian. No, can you reach out to her

or not? Right? Yeah? Just joke, not joke line, I

know, reach I know you'll be cool. Cool if after she finished she

accept christ you know, and all that kind of stuff. But again we

joke about it, but you know, sometimes you do it, but it's

not like you are like every day as talking about Jesus. You're not doing

that live. We're still at ching. No, guys, we're not desperate.

Because got open the door. So she volunteered, and I think Michelle

works with her, and different things happened. They should have photot later later

show I will end with that, and different things happened, and then she

she was gonna end ready she joined us, and of course can see her

she don't lift up hands, I mean can see that that she like not

really there, but also can see that she wasn't pushing us away, right,

And of course I don't know what they were doing, and that start

cusse I was sing from the farm. So then next thing's cam came and

uh, and I was, and and I remember talking. I was,

and I was like, she's going out there? Huh, she's going,

why is she going? She's not even a being student, That's what I

say. You know of course that how can you be so little little faith?

And I'm like, great, and she's going. I hope she experiences

got there right, And of course she ran and uh, there want two

interactions. I won't go through them into it. Uh. And and we

we didn't know what happened basically, but she accepted Christ in camp m and

last week was her last week. H And when I heard them like,

oh, praise God. At first we were not sure. We had to

clarify because she didn't openly accept Christ and she didn't fill up the Salvation Pact.

And when different ones talk to her, it sounded like she know Jesus

long time today. But but we mentioned clarify. She accepted Christ in camp

and and on her line last week I told you, I said, hey,

I think we knew get her bible. Don't know what that she asked

her, and then she just said yes, we're gonna get her one.

And I said, he, I think someone needs to do start back with

her because she's going to fly to Australia and we might not see her.

You know, we don't know what what happened. And she said Jill said,

Jill, Jill plans to do it. I was like, great,

great, you know, and Jill did satur back and we found out when

she accepted Christ. She Accepteratris in camp Uh and she went up and he

was very clear that she's a new believer, right, and we gave her

a Bible. The picture is up there. Yeah, there's her. I

can only see. We gave a Bible, we get a startup pack.

I think Jill's going to do start pack with her. She's going to fly

off to PERF. One of the cute things she did we shocked me or

so was that on the last week we normally get the VIPs to share something

like you know. And before she ended, she and she asked us a

Chile asked us. She said, hey, passed us, I have one

question for your very confident girl. You know. She said, you know

I'm going to experth. When is experth going to start? And she said

new believer. In her mind, I can just imagine. And again some

people think she's gonna start. No, she said, hey, it's okay.

You know Jesus was right. But in her very innocent mind, she's

like, I've experienced God in X You'll be great. If we have an

ex dat, I can go. And of course we try to connect her

with the church there because her family is there. If not, then they

will normally go to a Catholic church, which not wrong but different. Okay,

And if you think that I'm just talking to her yesterday, actually call

her and say, can I share your story with XBJ friends. We really

don't know what God will do when we obey him. Uh, we really

don't know what God will do. And as we obey God. Really,

as we obey God, he will orchestrate things for His glory and purpose in

our lives. We don't know. For me, it was a job jo

joke. It'll be nice if she can get safe in VIP. I've been

running the VIP program for AIF for two years a day. It's not easy.

I'm not the freest person in the world. It's hard, but this

gives me encouragement to keep doing it, to keep being faithful, to keep

saying God, I will still do it, even for the one young person,

because I never know what God will do. It's not me. So

friends, can I encourage you hear the voice of our Father in heaven beyond

helping us in our lives. He will do great things for his glory,

and you will be bad, you will be blessed. Amen. We hope

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

visit as church org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're

believing that this week is going to be a good week, a hit for

you. God bless