The 7 Churches | Pr Matthew Chang

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Then I'm gonna share a bit of things dealing with

our Christian lives. Uh. And there's there's there's a few

things mainly about worship and prayer and about our hearts.

But I'm gonna turn to Revelations chapter three. I'm gonna

speak through an example from a church, Okay, from a church,

and then I'm gonna and then I'm gonna minister from there.

So let's start with a world prayer. Okay, Come, let's pray.

Thank you, Lord, Father. We thank you that you are

a good, good God. And Lord that we are here

with our breath, some of us with our families here

as well. Lord. All these are held by your goodness

and your grace. And so Lord, we ask Father today

even in your house, that Lord, that you will speak

to us, that you will guide us, that you will

grant us your wisdom, your discernment, a world of knowledge, Father,

the Lord, that our hearts Faloga will be equipped with

every truth and every tool that we need. Father, goa

to live righteously and in fear before you. That all

the things that we do will prosper Father, and that Lord,

everywhere we go we will be met with favor. So

that we asked that you will be with us today

in Jesus my name, we pray, Amen, Amen, come turn

with me to Revelations. Revelations Chapter three from reading here,

from verse fourteen to verse twenty two. Okay, Now the

title here reads to the Church in Laodica. Because I

don't come as often normally are places that I go

a bit more often. I will do a series on

the churches, but today I will just do one particular

church with you guys. Okay. Then last time when I

came here, I did one of the churches. But today

we're going to focus on this last church, called the

Church in Laodica. Okay, Now, pay attention verse fourteen. It says,

here and to the Angel of the Church in Laodicia,

right the words of the Amen, the faithful and true

witness the beginning of God's creation. Okay, Now this verse

is very important to start with. Okay, when you study

the Bible, one you you've got to understand that every

sentence is very intentional. Now, this first sentence here is

an introduction of the author. Okay, So Jesus is in

this first three chapters here is writing seven letters to

seven churches, and in every letter you're supposed to introduce yourself. Now,

it's very interesting that Jesus didn't introduce himself as Jesus Christ,

you know, the fisherman, the carpenter, the teacher. But he

introduces himself as the words of the Amen, the faithful

and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. How many

of you like to write emails and letters introducing yourself

like that one? You know, I'm not Joseph. I am

the guy who met you at the Copitia. I mean

this time. You know, I'm the one who is always

staring at you from the third row of the church there.

You know, you introduce yourself like that one, the guy

who sleeps at two o'clock at night. You know, it's

kind of a weird way to introduce yourself, isn't it.

But Jesus uses quite a lot of adjectives and superlatives

to explain to introduce himself to a particular church. And

you if you go through the other earlier churches, whether

it's Saudi's efversuts in the Philadelphia. As you read it,

you realize that Jesus introduces himself with a different title

on a different description to every church. Okay, is in

a coincidence? No, it is intentional, Okay. Jesus introduces himself

with these specific things to what to either always two

things to either to give a warning or to give

a hope, okay, Or to give a warning or to

give a hope. And sometimes in a certain way as well.

You can apply this into your own life as well.

How many of you have a lot of dreams. How

many of you remember or you have a gift of

remembering your dreams? Hands up? Like me, I remember my dreams,

not all my dreams. I remember my dreams quite well. Okay.

When you want to remember dreams, you want to learn

is that you put a book and a pen beside you.

The first two minutes of your dreams when you wake

up are the most important. Every detail when you can remember,

you write it down, the color of the door, the place,

the temperature, the person you see in or the write down.

I'm not teaching you how to interpret dreams, but I'm

teaching you to write to journal. Okay. If you want

to remember, God speaks in dreams as well. Actually, God

speaks a lot in dreams. Okay. Nowadays if you go

to the Middle East, so many of our brothers are

seeing Christ in dreams. God is speaking in dreams. Okay.

It's very, very, very powerful. Even in the other faith,

they actually have a dictionary of dreams, you know, to

interpret what dreams are about as well. You know, did

you know that the other faith they have because they

believe that God speaks to dreams to them as well,

they actually have a dictionary, so they take dreams very seriously. Okay,

So now what are you're talking about. You can talk

about dreams, right, So it's important to understand that dreams

are very power. I'm not saying every dream is from God, Okay,

not every dreams from God. Dreams can come from your

own desire. Dreams can be spiritual and spirit realm can

come from God or come from from very dark places

as well. If you watch a very dark movie, you

open spiritual doors into your life that you're not supposed

to Okay, you realize that that they're very nice. You

dream things that you're not supposed to be dreaming into

as well. You get mean, right, spiritual doors that you

open as well, things that you're not supposed to open.

You open as well. But dreams are very, very, very powerful,

and so sometimes when you go into dreams, sometimes God

may speak to you. And sometimes when you see God

introducing us himself may not appear as God, he may

appear something else, maybe like a father figure, may become

like a lion, and things like that as well. So

you take all these signs and you have to pray.

You don't simply ask God online and check the horrors.

Goo ey, what does this mean? You know? Or ask

GPT how can you interpret my dream? Oh it's about

blessing you with a job. Oh, thank you. I'm going

to leave my job right now already. No, there's not

how you do it. Okay, that's not how you open

up your heart to and sell your dreams and your

desires to the world. Thet's know how you do it.

Every dreams and everything it belongs to the Lord. You

got to really pray, say God, is this why it's

speaking or is it coming from another spirit? Or is

it coming from myself? You gotta take your dreams with

a lot of seriousness and the fear of God. You

get me in right. And so in the same way,

when we see Jesus. When you see Jesus introducing himself here,

it's very specific, okay, that either God is giving a

warning or he's giving a blessing. And in all these things,

when he gives a warning and he gives a blessing,

one thing we know for sure is that God examines

our hearts. God examines our hearts and he knows our condition.

That is why he's like a doctor. If he can

examine your heart and your condition, he will only give

you two things. Maun. You had to say, oh yourt

your health is perfect like you're not. You may be

seventy year old by you know your age is like

your health is like a twenty year old. A good blessing,

but you may be a twenty year old by your

health is like a seventy year old. Now that's a warning,

isn't it. A person can only give you a blessing

and a warning where he knows you and examines you.

So when Jesus comes and gives either a blessing or

a wanting to a church, he's telling them something. I

know your words, I know your heart, I know every

single thing. That is why I'm equipped to tell you

to give you either a blessing or a warning, and

so the type of warning and blessing are very specific

to what the church is going through, very very specific.

Now we say, heyah, you say the way that Jesus

introduces himself. He says, the words of the amen. What

does amen mean? Huh? What does amen mean? Anyone want

to try? You always pray? Amen? Amen? Right? Amen? Huh? Agree? Okay?

What else? What? Let your will be done? Who else

is it? Amen? Amen? Amen? Amen? Okay, we'll real on later, Okay.

He says that the Amen the faithful and true witness

and the beginning of God. Amen means God everlasting in

the name of God, everlasting, always true. Okay, there's a

few weeks ago. Okay. Now, Jesus introduces himself as the Amen,

the one that is faithful, the one that is true,

and the beginning of God's creation. What it means in

the summary of all is that God, God asks, God

is can God will always be of all things that

happens in life, whether you go through trial, whether you

go to tribulation, whether you have you have much, you

have poor, God will always be there. He will be,

He was always there, He is there, and you will

always be there. Okay now verse fifteen, that's right here,

he says, yeah, I know your words. You are neither

cold nor hot. I told you ready. God sees everything. Again.

That's always the way. The God examines whether you're coming

to church, how you feel, what you're going through, everything

that you're there is happening in your heart. God sees everything.

And then God immediately says, what you are neither cold

nor hot. Wow. Again, let's read on would that you

were either cold or hot? Since I wish that you

were either hold or either heard or cold. So because

you are littwarm and neither hot nor cold, I will

spit you out of my mouth. For you say I

am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not

realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me, go refined by fire,

so that you may be rich, and white garments so

that you may be clothed. You may clothe yourselves and

the shame of your nakedness may not be seen. And

salve to your to anoint your eyes, so that you

may see those whom I love. I reprove and discipline,

so be zealous and repent behold, I stand at the

door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens

the door, I will come to him and eat with him,

and he with me. The one who conquers, I will

grant him to sit with me on my throne, as

I also conquered and sat down with my father on

this throne. He who has an ear, let him hear

what the spirit says to the churches. Okay, how many

if you have read the scripture before, quite familiar with it, right,

can now let me explain some of these mysteries what

these are? Okay? Now, first of all, Jesus says you

are neither hot nor cold. Now I learn't my slights here,

but I'm going to explain a bit about this city

called Leo this year a bit more, okay, of context

you need to understand. Then, once you understand the context

of the city, you begin to understand how to appropriately

apply the situation of the city to yourself or to

the life of a believer as well. Okay. Or in

this case, Loldicia is a you know, imagine like I

am lol this here okay, I mean the middle here,

and Loldica is a very wealthy city. They are mainly

wealthy because they have a lot of trading. People come

and trade with them. They are passing by, okay, And

they are known for one more thing apart from trading.

They are known to be able to find to be

able to generate a special kind of medicine or self.

They're annoying their eyes one so later when you see that,

I ask you to annoy your eyes yourself, okay, But

they are known for it. You can actually go online

and you can type lil Dica and you will see

one of their coin. It's actually a coin of an

image of a person putting their hand on the eye

as well. So people from all over Asia, from you,

from even all the way to different places. Whence you

come to Loo Dca to buy this special ointment for them.

They are known to be able to heal and so

people love to come there because once when they are healed,

they can see the beauty. Oh Lildica, so beautiful, so rich.

Everyone everywhere comes to see you as well. So the

people in Leodica are very rich. Yeah, you know in

Malaysia called like maybe like Bangsawan, you know bangs you know.

So they are very well, quite wealthy. And because they

are wealthy people from everywhere. They come to trade buy

things from them as well. Now, although they are very

wealthy city, they have a problem. And what's their problem.

The problem is they don't have their own water source. Ah,

they don't have their own water sauce. Most it's not

like we suddenly have India water suddenly called water come

our eyes lung or hey it just open god water. No, no, no,

no such case.

Man.

A lot of cities depend on natural water sources or

in Roman times, if you don't have they will take

the water from the ecuaducts you know now as equeducts.

If you haven't been to Rome, you know all the aribons,

you will see tall like you know, not drainage coming

down from the heels or either that or pipes okay,

pipes made from accurately or sometimes lead Okay, from underground.

If we go to archaeology can see as well. Okay,

all these underground lads so well. But Leo said, don't

have their own water sauce. So I'm Diodicia, I'm stuck

in the middle here. And there are two water sources

that actually come to me with pipes, two types of pipes.

One pipe comes from the hot springs. Okay, it's a

hot from the area from the hot spring, and the

hot spring is very very hot, and the hot spring

is like the water could be like anywhere from seventy

eighteen ninety degrees okay, hot springs there will you flow

from the pipes all the way to Leodicia. And these waters,

you know, sometimes in Rome ws go as well, and

if you can preserve it well, they can go straight

into the Roman baths, which are very very famous in

Rome as well. By Leoticia. They got one pipe coming

in and another pipe. They come from the mountain springs

not very far. We're probably about five to six km away.

They have a pipe coming down and this one is

coming from the hill and are icy cool waters like

mountain dew, really like mountain dew. Okay, So they will

come down from the pipes coming down as well, okay

to Laodicia. So Leolicia is very dependent on water sources

from both sides. Okay. But the problem is the water

when they come along the way is change. The water

comes it's neither cold, and it's neither cold as well

to the people who are very rich, you know, they

don't have control over the temperature of the water. Okay,

it's kind of funny, isn't it. In control? You know

what is little warm water? How many have you got water?

Right now? What you okay, don't do it after mena? Okay,

imagine that you open the water, you put entire hand,

you put it inside your hand. There Google Google, gole

go Google. For like five minutes, you take off your hand.

You drink that water. That's look warm water. I mean

I would like to drink that water. You're like, it's

not just the idea of a hand, but the temperature.

You can imagine like it's like you know that it

does very It's like did somebody put their hand inside

their water? You know what I mean? Right, it's I

don't like it, you know. But that's the temperature for

a litke warm water. Okay, that's the temperature for a

lit warm water. Now, now you when you when you

hear all these things, right, let's go back to the

scripture again. Okay, give you the context right now. Okay,

Now it says here you will neither I wish that

you would that I would that you were either cold

or hot. So because you are lit warm, neither hot

nor care I will speak you out of my mouth. Now,

Jesus is not talking about the city physically. He's saying

that what the city is experiencing is exactly what you're

experiencing inside your heart, I mean inside your heart. Okay,

for you say that I am rich, I have prospered,

I need nothing, not realizing that you are a rechipediable,

poor plant and naked. Okay, I told you they are

very rich. Okay. So now, how is it possible that

water can become lit warm on the way? Hot spring,

mountain dew when you come along the way. What causes

is to become the warm? Think about it? What causes

water from all these places to be lit warm? Not?

They had to think about it, know, they had to imagine,

you bring water from Afar? Is it? It won't because

of one? Is it because of the pipe? Because the

surrounding begins to change the water? Isn't it? What is hot?

As you pass by the pipes one k m, two km,

three km, the different temperatures changes the water, and then

when it arrives it's different ready as cold as you

are as well. Sometimes you can pass through to certain

places you are warmer and comes down when you arrive,

you change. The thing is in life. As you pass

by in life, have you changed? That's the theft thing?

You know? As you pass by? And sometimes when you

are very hot you get things very cold, things begin

to change you. And when you're very cold and things

that are very hot changes you. When you're very rich

and become poor, has it changed you? When you are

poor and suddenly you receive riches? Can you handle prosperity?

Did they change you? You know what I'm saying. You know,

good things and bad things? Did they changed you? So?

If over the people and the believers, you know in

the church and level this year, they were not that

rich to begin with. They only when they when they

believe in God, they only had the Gospel. But suddenly

prosperity comes. Have they change? And Jesus says why they

have changed? Because they begin to say in their hearts

what Jesus knows. They begin to say that because they say,

I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.

You will never say it, but in your heart you

believe it. Scarier, scarier. This is how exactly you become

your own when where as life passes by, as you

expe and the different things. I don't need anything. Sometimes

it could be the opposite thing as well. But when

things are good, you believe God. When things are bad,

you say there is no God. God doesn't care. God

would no, no, no, will never do that. You know

you lost faith, and you know, you know, and that

is why it's happening. But in this case, you know,

for the Laodicians, it is the inability to handle prosperity

that has affected them. They you know, they say that

they will rich, they prosper they need nothing, but in

fact they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. In fact,

we say the water, it's like, you know, maybe like

if you go to my right here to the hot spring,

everybody wants the water. What is so nice? You know

I can bathe in it. When you go to the mountainside,

the water is so cooling, everybody wants to drink on it.

But at the same water, by the time it arives

in the middle, nobody who wants to touch it. The

point of the people in the old year, they really

dreaded the water. They hated the water. People from everywhere.

The rich people say, oh, you've got so many riches.

You know, your eyes aw your medicine was so good.

But why your water is so bad? You haven't been

to a city that's water is really really bad before.

I know when I go to other places, sometimes I do.

The water feels very heavy because it tastes a bit different.

Some people come to Malaysia from Europe. They're like, oh,

I know, I only want to drink Evian water. Only

you notice or not because it tastes different. When you know,

you don't believe me going by Evian water. No, I'm

just kidding. Okay, even water tastes different. It tastes a

bit heavier because of the difference in alkaline and SCDD

as well. But by the time when all these good waters,

when they arrive in the middle, nobody wants to drink it.

In the same thing as well, with believers, you may

start off gold, start off hot and redical. By the

time when you arrive where you are right now, you

are not recognizable and all God. When God save you

where you are right now, you say you are you

a Christian? You don't look like a Christian, you don't

sound like a Christian, you don't live like a Christian.

Oh is it possible? Can I share a testimony? If

you guys are and I share a story, how to

exemplify this what it means? How many of you know

Pastor Stevenson? You know pass I had a dinner with

him or I think you read the last Spio retreat.

I was sitting with him and with my wife and

then we're talking and sudden we were talking about our upbringing.

And you want to know more about me? Right? You

get to know me now? So I grew up in Cebu.

How many of you from Sarawak, sib Sib, Sibul? Anyone

from Cebu? No? I see the hand just gave up

byes Okay? Which part of Sarawak? Oh? Very nice? Who else?

Who else? Brunei? You can minor represent? Some represent Okay?

I come from Sebu. You know why? Sebu known for

call on me courate? What do? What else did you say?

Comp Some of you have no idea what we're talking

about here. You have no idea. That's where you gotta

don't get out of the city and travel a bit.

Okay has quite a lot unique food Okay that you

will never find here. Okay. I loved Okay, but Sebul

is known for comp on me. But we're also known

for gangsters. Okay, Unfortunately, we're known for having a law

of churches. We have one of the most we have

the high one of the highest density of churches because

you sall have a revival that you go to every

corner that there's a church, that's church. Everywhere got church.

But we also have the most gangsters. I don't know why.

You know, it's time together. It's kind of sad. But anyway,

we were talking about our upbringing and then mine said, oh,

how did you grow up? And I said, yeah, I

grew up in Cybul. I don't really speak English at all.

And I was like, oh really, yeah, I'm I don't

really speak englishman and most of the time, but from

a very young age, my dad's and my family sent

me to English tuition school. It's called International School. In

International English School. Yeah, come out, come out with a

better name. Come with international you know, athas Lie, you know,

they call themselves International English School. So I learned from them.

So in that class, there was a particular teacher and

his name that I remember until now. It's a guy.

His name is mister Thing k T I n G okay,

and it's the thing. It's a very unique teacher. When

he teach his style is like, you know, I not

go through the textbook, just like give everybody a book.

You can read book, and then it's quite difficult. I

want you to write down all the book keeps you

learn and when you show me and then you write

an essay about it, very interesting. Okay, But but I

I But because of his teaching, I was one of

the two students in the whole of Sebul who got

first class in Triplet one nine, one of the two

only okay, how many have you got first class? Inch?

And because of that, I got a scholarship in Melbourne,

Australia for tailors, you know, for my triple one night.

But I didn't go because okay, anyway, there's another time.

So he was my English teacher. He was very funny.

But what I remember the most about him is that

he actually shared about his conversion in intuition class. Nowadays

you do that and you get fired ready most of

the time. Ready, Okay, these people would say it's very

unprofessional and stuff like that. But we were young, we

were like primary students. He went there. He was a

banker and he had a light changing experience. God showed

him and God knowing he had a dream that he no,

he was very sick and he was dying, and God

gave him an image and he saw a door with

a big question mark, and we opened the door. He

saw hell and then off the day. You know, he

he do believe God. You know, how vivid can you be?

You know, I mean one tyle of vision to your

life and you see hell, then you say, okay, I

give up everything. There fo Jesus. You know. Then you

read that you had the comfort in the church. You know,

listen to a nice song. Yes, I want Jesus. Okay.

But he had a different path. So when he shared

that with me, right, I tell you, when I was young,

the way I come to know Jesus, it's either people

scare me to death. One. You know, I got scared

to Jesus one a lot of time. My teacher was

scaring me to Jesus. My brother was scaring me to Jesus.

My brother when I was young, when he asked me

to believe in Jesus. You know what you say, you're

coming mad. No, you don't come in mad. He call

me a okay, Juan, come here, come here, come here.

Why is it my brother used to bully me a lot. Okay,

so I scared, like I know he can hit me again.

Then he's like, you know, Jesus is God, you know.

I say, Okay, Jesus is always calling one. You know.

I said, okay, you know he's calling you right now?

I said, oh is it? Yeah? You calling all But

one day he'll stopped calling one. You know. Do you

want Jesus? That's it? You know, that's it. You know me,

it's a young word. It's like, I mean, God is

calling and one day's going to stop calling. I better

hands a lot, you know. So I quickly answered, I

I got scared. You know what you got and call

me again? That's it. I missed the boat ready, you know,

so I got scared. Yes, I want Jesus. So that's

my conversion early conversion story. So everybody tried to scare me.

And you know when your Chinese are and your young

eye everything and how you convince someone is scaredetic scare you,

scare you, scare you, you know. Okay, So my brother

tried scaring me, but I mean I responded by I

didn't believe in my heart heart and my teacher came

along as well, Hey, you see my life stories. That's

why I'm a teacher. Right now, you want Jesus on

I want Jesus or so I'm scared because of that,

you know, I said, Okay, I began to grow closers

as a group, you know, get to know him, uh,

and then from him I got to learn a bit

about things about about Christianity. Although I was still skeptical.

I didn't really understand. But he made a big difference

in my Christian life. And as I explained to Pastor

Stephen right, he looked at me and he he was

like brave, shocked, You're not. Pastor Stephen right now has

a girlfriend and the girlfriend's name is Sharon. He said.

Sharon is from Cebu and Sharon's name is Thing. Sharon's

father is an English teacher. Are you all like you

don't know how I feel? Right now? Right, I'm not

looking at him like no way, no way, no way.

Then this just happened this year, I said, no, that's like,

you know, it's like you just dismissed up. Then the

like maybe, right, I said, uh, can you show me

his picture? Then he quiet call Sharon, you know, send

the father picture, and looking oh, that's him. That's definitely him.

And I said, and I saw Sharon's picture. I think

I've seen Sharon when she was three years old before.

Oh my goodness, what a small world, you know, Oh

my goodness. You know, when you think you're like, everything

just comes. I can't believe I saw you when I

was so she was so young ago, I saw you

worrying around in that pemples before. I think that that's you.

Was like, oh my goodness. You know, sometimes you are

just in disbelieve, you know, like, oh my goodness, I

want to go into the Hey, you know that you

student become a pastor, and but you know all these things,

you know, you can't believe it, you know. Then after that,

you know. But the sad thing is, but he told me,

he said, but you know that the father is no

longer going to church, no longer go into church. Oh.

I was like, oh my heart sank. You know. I

was like, wow, I was going to tell him, hey,

you know, hey, whatever you did for me made different.

But now he's not even going to church. I said,

what happened? He said, it's a combination of things that

you know, could be like a herd offense in church, disappointment,

and then with God with people, and now he's like,

you know, he's even questioning why Sharon even goes to church,

even hangs you all like your boyfriend with a pastor

some more and or irony? Right, So what did you

learn from this? Let me ask you, what did you

learn from all this? What do you think God is

trying to tell you? And I you see her. You

can't have an amazing life changing testimony and encounter with God,

but you can still halfway through lose it on you

say what I'm saying, how many you can? How many

of you have a vision now of hell that can

so vivid that you leave your job as a banker

one an and become a teacher? No, it's it's it's

life changing one. You know, you're so real to you.

But along the way, along the way, life happens like

a hit really really hard one. Know, either you become rich,

you become poor, become sick, you lose someone in your

life can hit you really hard on No, No, and the

devil does use these things more than happy. He doesn't

need to affect you immediately. Now he knows he's got

all the time to wait for you. To trap you,

to to to to put all these things into your mind?

Do you really want to serve God? You really? Now?

How about weeks? How about months? You want to come

to Excheris again? Next year, the year after twenty years,

forty years, fifty years? Do you really want to serve? Why?

One day you start to question your own purpose and identity?

You know what I mean? Right? That's how the devil

hits you hard. No no, no, starts to get you to

project the future where you have no controlling and make

you start to have fear, start to be angry, start

to you know, hey, think like the world, I got

to take charge on my destiny. You know, maybe I

got to move out some people we know in church,

you know, the moment day Overseesar, they disassociate with us.

Want to know, it's quite sad, you know, you know,

I don't know, you know, I know the different person.

I'm not talking about anyone here, Sorry, I don't know.

But I know people who are friends in militia their well, no,

but the moment they are Overseesar, they my greater. They

don't even want to meet us, you know, completely cut off,

you know, completely corl And I wonder like, is it us?

But the person is not even attending church or no?

And I was like, is it us? Or is everything

you're the faith real? I'm not talking about whether you serve,

whether you're a leader or not, but it's the faith real.

Is God's journey and touch of your life real or not?

You can't mean right? And sometimes you think you are.

It is real for a moment you experience it, but

when life happens, you start to being I never had victory.

Maybe my conversion wasn't even real. You see how the

devil does. You see all of us, we are all

called to be spiritual beings. You know, we were meant

to be spirit. God, our father, God is spiritual. Bible

says God is spirit and we're all called for a

spiritual worship. Okay, call for a spiritual worship. Okay, I

tell you what. We'll all spiritual worship. The devil has

no problem for you coming to church. The devil has

no problem with you having prayer, coming to sing songs,

no problem. He has no problem because you know why

all these things he has. He has a very practical

tool to attack you. And I how many of you

struggle to pray long and had two minutes, three minutes,

five minutes. Beyond that, you struggle. Your mind is always everywhere.

The devil doesn't attack your spirituality and my spirituality with

another spirituality, you know, he doesn't attack that. He doesn't

attack you. No, no, no. The main weapon, the weapon

of choice the devil attacks your spirituality and my spirituality

is with what practically tea How many of you have

read Have you heard this guy called C. S. Lewis before?

Have you read? Okay? Very famous author. He wrote this

book called the Screw Type Letters. Okay, and he said

that there's this guy in the in the in the garden,

in the in the park. He was sitting there and

he's thinking about life and God's calling and a meaning

of life. And he was thinking of going to church

or meeting a pastor. And he was like, oh, and

then there's little devil assigned to you know, to to

to to watch over him and to learn him, to

make sure that he never goes to the enemy's camp.

The enemy is godlive, Okay, it's little devils. Now they

talk from the from from the side, and they say, oh, no, no,

you don't, you don't learn him with spiritual with spiritual lives. No, No,

you're attacking one. No, a man sitting in the park.

What you're attacking with. You're attacking with lunch. You're attacking

with late busses. You're attacking with the long walk. You're

attacking with all the inconvenience he has to go to

make it there to the church. And when he does,

and when he started realizing that it's too high a

price to pay, you want gamana, the greatest tool that

you see. The devil will never let you know that

he's the devil. He will always seem as the most

reasonable person. Trust me. That is why you all are

very reasonable people. And you wonder, oh I think so smart,

so good, so reasonable, But you have no idea. It

is the disguise of the devil, some of you. You see,

I'm saying that the devil. Remember this, you want to

write down. The devil always attack our spirituality with practicality, always, always,

even right now, I can tell you what's your mind

thinking about lunch? How long this pastor is going to

go on and talk right now? He speaks in English

that I don't understand, and maybe he jumps here and

there I don't understand. Also, you probably critic me more

than anything else, because I'm saying, you know, ah, I

prefer pastor Gloria. She's so much nicer and pleasant. You know,

at least she dress not the same theme, not not

like me and white and black. No, she dressed one

one seamless theme. You know, I'm like, Oh, it's this

guy man, you know, he cat you criticized get and

then when you come out to your criticism more than

anything else. Why these guys speak so long? And I

don't hungry. I got children, and oh you get me

in right, always attacks us with practicality. There is why

most of the time that reasons people believe the church

are almost always to say, always the same attack, true

or not? It makes sense. And now I'm spelling all

these things because this is how along the way we

become warm. When you have prosperity, you think that, oh God,

bless my business. When my best my business, I will

give tides. Oh Lord, this is this, I will help

this all. You assume all this, but you don't realize

it's your pride talking, your pride talking speaking, boasting and

boasting and boasting, and before you know it, you start

to tell to your wife you tell it to your children,

you tell it to your home, you tail it to

your everyone. Every day. I'm not saying anyone, I'll tell

you these things are in my mind. Also happens when now, okay,

it's not the pride we lie to ourselves. You know,

it's very deceiving you realize where these thoughts come from.

The enemy is we call it very intrusive. Stock Once

sometimes you look at a sister, okay, but intusive. Last

full thought comes to, Oh no, I'm married, really, but

I don't know why I'm asking for her phone number.

Very quiet, now, y quiet, requiet, nobody. We're not asking

for number, just for mini streaming. When you realize how

you grow older, if you are really spiritually honest, you'll

realize that at our base levels, we are animals. We

cannot have confidence in our flash. We cannot I don't

have I cannot have confidence in my plass. The day

that I do is the harmed I'm done for. I

am done for the thing. Very thing that I tell

myself not to do I will do. It's very scary.

That's what happened to my You know, I'm assuming I

don't know what was a story with mister thing did you.

I feel very sad. The daughter feels very sad. You

never imagine this guy did so much great he impacted

me like twenty plus years ago, such an amazing testimony,

but yet can leave the faith. But I'm hoping that

we can pull him back. I'm really really hoping that

we can pull him back. You know. It's like you

all my heart goes out, you know, And I hope

that doesn't happen to any of you guys, whether you're

offended by me, anyone or someone. Maybe somebody owe you money,

maybe someone you know, maybe they didn't treat you the

way that they should. Maybe someone said something to you.

You cannot see eye to eye, but never allow these

things to separate you, or to pull you away, or

to start losing faith. You know, life, this Christian life

is a lot of endurance, true, honestly, is a lot

of ab parents. You can know something so much nonsense

about someone and can still have to love them and

bear them. That's loving all. I can know someone about

someone so much, but go you have to love him.

I was like, oh so hot, But that is the

Christian life, you know what I'm saying. This guy this picture,

Oh I know that he goes so the pride I

got to. But it's like, but I would choose, I

choose to see the best of him. I choose, I

choose to give the benefit of the doubt. You get mean,

I choose, I choose, I choose? Do you get men?

Because anything else of this? I know if I say, Lord,

you place a fear in my heart that it is

not right and godly? Before you talk about prayer, how

many have you struggle with prayer? And I mentioned before,

how may you struggle with prayer? You pray when you sleep?

How many if you pray when you sleep? Lying on

the bear? Lord? So the long day, my caddle, my

new pillow, you know, my new egonomy pillow. You know

I just got egonomy piller. Okay, thank you for today,

thank you? Oh it's oh it was yeah. I pray,

you know ray spiritual moment. You know, I rested in

the peace of God. You know we lie ourselves. This thing,

you know, is it? Should you pray like that? Just

pray a spiritual what's the enemy of spirituality? Practicality? Bibles

say say you're supposed to love the love with all

your heart, with all yourself, all your mind, with all

your strength? You know, do you pray just in your bed?

Sometimes people are I'm doing my business, I pray there

and people do that as well. You love people do

that too? Many people do that, you know, people, many

people are by the way I scrow, oh, by the

way whatever? Right know, I s grow I see something spiritual. Okay,

I pray that when you're doing business. Well, that's my worship. Ready,

think you get thank you the Lord, Lord is my strength.

You cannot do that, people, I recommend it start if

you really are into prayer that really blesses Okay, you

should start reading prayer books, especially written by famous people

like some of these like George Muller, the old classics.

You read their prayer books and you start to realize

that a lot of them struggle with prayer. You think

that prayer is easy. Prayer is simple. It's not easy.

Prayer is very simple a lot of people, which is confusing.

You know a lot of the times of people things

that prayer is very very complicated. Not prayer is very simple,

but very difficult. Simple but difficult. Why is it simple

and difficult? Because prayer ninety percent of prayer is emptying

your self. Prayer ninety percent is about you being empty,

And so when you come to pray, you realize how

it's very hard to pray because you have not emptied yourself.

You cannot hear God. You because before you pray to God,

you wrestle. Will God hear my prayer? If I pray?

That is it pleasing before God? Am I being selfish?

Am I being prideful? Am I preaching the right way?

Why God answers me the wrong way? Why don't like me?

You get me?

Right?

You see a thousand and one thoughts? You know? Should

I pray? Standing out Praillier? There are a thousand and

one thoughts that they are conflicting you and all. What

if I pray and God gives me, it shows me

a path that I don't want to even think about.

You know, you know, I never imagine I have to

give up everything. I'm not ready. So there are thousand

and one things that you cannot solw You are so scared,

You're so scared to even pray. That's why prayer. Ninety

person of prayer is actually emptying of yourself. That's why

George Miller, you know, you know George Miller, Jeorge Miller,

he started off an age in Bristol. If you go

to Okay, you know this called Bristol. People see balloons

and stuff like that. It's not known for balloonsa it's

known for George Miller, who started one of the greatest

orphanages in uk Okay. He say, he said, I realized

that ninety percent of my prayer is realizing sorry to

hear God's voice. Ninety percent is about emptying yourself. So

if you spend three hours, you will realize two hours

and forty five minutes is spent on emptying yourself. If

you spend fifteen minutes to pray, you will realize fourteen

minutes is about emptying yourself. When you come before God pray,

it's very simple one and he's like, oh, Heavenly Father

in Heaven, hallow be don you can pray like that.

Or it's like, oh, on the prayer that pastor can

have for someone, and oh like pray for Malaysia like that.

You know, very deep, very bold. You don't need Thank God.

I'm sorry. Yeah, help me help me, simple just like that.

You know I pray like that? Why now help me?

This is to help me sometimes just two words on

you help me and then repeating God help me. And

then when you sto that it's your emptying is God.

I'm weak. I know I can't. I can't. You just

say I don't know. There's nothing else, not nothing but

on all God. And when you pray, when you pray,

I get I courage you to have a place you

don't have. If you don't have a prayer, that's fine.

Just go out to your living room just by yourself.

Don't lie down, put your hands together. I'm not asking

you to be a monk or anything. Okay. You know

why do people do that last time? And then they

have their prayer beats? You know why, so that their

body begins to focus to one single point or prayer.

You see, your mind is everywhere, but when you leave

with your body, your mind will slowly follow as well

the beat. And when they pray is to focus into

one point. That's what they understood. Devotion. You understood. Your

hands is not doing something else, not divided, whether there

is a plane flying by, whether you're where you forgot

your you know your your washing machine already needing time?

Ready you get me. There's one thousand and one things

all go a new Netflix movie you want to watch.

Your hand is focused on one thing. So when you

put your hands together, you focus on one thing, your mind,

your heart, your mind. I don't you don't have the neil.

It's fine, but sit properly and focus your mind and

your heart to want to God. That is how you pray.

Never you never, guys, never learned before you understand what

I'm saying. You know that is how you ought to pray.

It's not because I know the way you pray. Do

you look like Jesus in the portrait? Okay, there is

a reason behind it, one and all, because you point

to a single point and it'say God. And most of

the time when you pray like that is when you're desperate,

when you need keep it simple. But your whole body

has to begin leading. You lead with your body, because

that's why I said. Then the devil will attack you impractical.

You look like some holy religious men. Are you really

praying or not? Like I said, the will always attacked

with practicality. Where can you find a place people look

for you? Funny? Hey, if you kneel down, what's so painful?

You got so much time there? Tomorrow you cannot wake

up early? You know all this is what you want

all the thousand and one and there is when you

start to practically they hit that. You know you are

in a spiritual battle. Spiritual better is not you suddenly

see a dark figure. You know. The spirituality is when

the practical, the flesh attexts the spiritual at the at

the very at the very early level that at least Now, okay,

this is a way, so it's set a time. Don't

seem a thing of any time. Okay, you want to

pray in the car find I think high is fine

when you right anywhere else? Off everything sit there. Lord,

I'm going to keep it simple. Law. Today, I need you.

I just want to do a lot today that or

whatever that I do, whatever that I say, Lord, help

me not to say it. I don't want to say

and then regret it. Lord. Today, even if I go,

I pray that you will give a smile in mind heart,

even though it's been very challenging, perst mind my heart,

that I will remember if I'm not living for myself,

I'm living for you. Help me God, that you know

when I go out it will not just be about

myself and me and myself, But Lord, help me to

think about other people help me to be more kind.

You start to pray like that, simple simple prayers, simple prayer,

and you verbalize it. It's very important that you verbalize it.

A lot of people put in your heart, not verbalize it.

There's power as you point to a single focus in

your hand. Your mouth is the focal point of your confession.

When you when you confess, you realize, Oh, very hard

to pray. You know, you realize because you are you

are summarizing and agreeing with your with your mouth what

you agree in your heart. It's the next level. You

know what I'm saying. You demonstrate what you believe in

your inner heart. It's very very important that you verbalize it.

While you start that why you why are you verbal?

And then again the where you're practical, where you're verbalizing, God,

no says you. But then you're like, no, no, no.

If you with your heart you believe, the Bible said,

with your heart you believe, and with your mouth you confess. Say,

now the Bible comes out. With your heart you believe,

and with your mouth you confess. Is that how many

you feel? Like? Everybody touch your hand, We don't want no,

but we confess, We lay up and we confess, we

realize that this is the opportunity and the medium of

spiritual transfer spiritual power as well. You are saying what

I'm saying. No, so everybody, can we up our prayer level? Huh?

You see? You know we don't want to be live warm.

We don't want to be live warm. We don't want

along the way that life changes us. But we don't

want to be on fire. Yes, things will affect our

lives and stuff like that, but that is why we

need to pray more. We need to fast a bit

more when we worship our hearts and realize that worship

has never been about songs. Worship is only one about

one thing and one thing only. What is it about? Yeah? God?

But what does God want from you? Surrender? Okay? Why

is it surrender? You know? The third temptation of Jesus?

What did what was that? What was the third temptation?

The devil took Jesus up to a high place in

me and see the whole kingdom. Look at all this glory.

I will give it to you if you will bow

down and worship me. What did the devil wanted? Song?

Did he wanted a song? I need a treatment? Song? Okay,

behind you Jesus, I mean just start stinging right now,

here's my heart lay. No, he doesn't need that. I

just want you to bow down and worship me. I

want your surrender, you know, I mean right, that is

what the devil wanted. What do you think God wants? You?

See me? Your heart? How surrender? It's the emptying of yourself.

So when you come to worship, it's not just about

this song. You know. Sometimes I don't judge people when

you're quiet, But most importantly, your hands are off the

handphones and everything. Your mind's something worship. Raise your hands,

not because like, oh you look great, No, because you're

saying God, even my hands see that empty is for you.

This empty longs for you, Lord. I'm here. When I

come to church, I come early. Why early? I can

spend another five minutes catching out on my Netflix. You

know why early? I know. But if I come early,

I miss my favorite tam someplace. Ready. You know, if

I wake up early means the night before I to

sleep earlier already. You know all these things you have

to pay, But these are all worship. Worship begins last night,

not now. No worship begins last night, last night, was

your priest have his prayer you at night when you

before you sleep, when you choose to sleep early, that's

your worship. Ready, people, did you realize that that's your worship? You? All?

Worship of Abraham was not on the next morning? Worship

was when God told him bring your son. And the

night before was the worship already began? Should I wake

up and what the Bible sayd he woke up early

in the morning, gathered everyone, and what that was the

worship of Abraham? I'm saying, you know that's the worship.

You worship is dressing your best. You know you think

dressing makes no difference. Again, I tell you the devil

of practicality. Why are you dressed like that? God honors

everything you dress my you west like that? Also? Also okay,

But when Jesus appears, why did Jesus appear you? Oh,

white and golden rope, you know clean, and he asked

for the priest to dress in specific things. You know

you're dressing is not because for anyone you're dressing is worship.

If you go to Indonesia right now to missions, you

cannot enter some of the churches if you wear non

proper shoes on, you know, the holy Their esteem got

so high that even the poorest people when I come

to speak, when I come to speak, they put my

picture there. I feels that's all wrong. You know, what

is the picture doing there? If it feels like a

running for election that you know that you know, I

don't be any election. And know, like the why am

I face? I love? You know, put extra line not

for my face, but they are and oh, you know

it's like they never heard of me. I don't know

this guy can speak broken bahasa, you know, like you know,

I look like, you know, like tw twenties. You know,

I got They say, I got a young face and

I got there. And then you know, but then the

ladies they come and they're dressing their personal really beautiful.

They wear their embroidery, jewelry. Of course not they look

like they're going for a wedding. You know, some of

us we come here with dress less than the wedding.

You know. Yeah, it just woke up and all you

wear your shirt and a v car can see the hair,

and ah, it's like, no, that's my mandliness. You know,

I'm like nobody, you know, you're dressing. It has never

been about you never ever been about you. You dress

for God because that's the worship. That's the gathering of

the fire sticks, that's putting your son on the thing.

That's when you climb the mountain, you know, Mount Moriah,

and then offer your eyesec You know everything, you everything

about wash It is about dying to yourself. Everything. It's

never about the church. It's all about God. It's dying

to everything, and you're coming to church. You think I

like to wear jackets? Are people? I hate wearing jackets

people every chance I get, I don't want to wear jackets,

but I wear it because every day, even if I

don't feel like it. Some days I fight with my wife.

Sometimes my children annoys me the crap out of it.

But I still say God, I will still worship. You

know what I'm saying. You know, you know what I'm saying.

Some times I had a lousy breakfast, I still have

to wear like that. So you get what I mean, right?

If you like it? I know sometimes people say, hey,

you're dressing ay, your jacket doesn't match. Still I still

I still wear. Don't care. You know what I mean? Right?

You still wear because it's not about me anymore, never

about me. It's always about God.

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

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I hit for you. God bless