Draw near to God | Pr Sandra Chin

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

To me is, hey, guys, come, let's draw near to God. Amen.

What's the first thing we want to do? Draw near

to God? Amen. So I want you to be able

to see this. All right, all right, okay, all right,

draw near to God. And I've taken this scripture James,

chapter four and verse eight. James, chapter four and verse eight.

You're all familiar with this. You can turn to your

bibles James chapter four and verse eight. You can turn.

It says, draw near to God, and he will draw

near to you. Is that fabulous? With you draw near

to God? He doesn't draw away from you. He actually

draws near to you, Amen, which means he likes you. Ah. Yeah,

God likes you. He draws near to you, but you

like him. So you draw near to God and He

will draw near to you. Amen. And so I want

to encourage us to come near to God this year.

And I think we sang about it. We worshiped a

lot about it. Just now now song a pass canna

shed also, not not in the same words, but the

similarity of you know, really coming to the lot. So

let's come to the lot. Let's draw near. Because friends,

if you are not drawing near to God, you are

drawing near to somebody or something. All right, it could

be your pet. It could be your pet, right pet, lizard, crocodile, cat. However,

draw near to something, you can be drawing near to

your world. You'd be drawing near to you know, your

spouse great, but more importantly, drawn near to God. A

man as we come. And if you haven't had time

to reflect, Malaysians to have this habit of reflecting. I

don't like to reflect. It's just too painful. But it's

good to reflect and think over over last week or

last year or I mean, you know, just to know

where you're at and when we are. Why do we reflect? Church?

The reason why we reflect is to bring self awareness.

We have to be a bit more self aware about

these are my habits. Sometimes we don't reflect, but we

just cannot bear to see the bad things about eyes

Like you did that, I said that. Oh my goodness,

I did that? Oh my are you? I cannot be

I cannot bear to reflect. But if we did reflect,

then we have to We can write it down and

say to the Lord and signing it here. I'm sorry

I said that I did this. I didn't do that.

I should have done that. And when we are more aware,

maybe it will help us to be more awakened to

being more you know, aware in the next time when

we see somebody. I make the same mistakes as well,

sometimes not being quick to remember, you know, to speak

more gently. Okay, all right? So drawn near to God

and he will draw near. Why I mean we draw

near to God. We have more. We send his presence,

we send his love, we send his urgency about something.

It can because we are made in an image of God.

You can draw near to God. Please don't draw near

to some big lit or some cow or some I

don't know what you know. Come on, drawn near to God.

Drawn here to God, drawn near to a chair, and

drawn here to a system. Drawn near to the Lord

God who is living. You wanna look like God, Come

on your maid in his image. So drawn here, and

He promises to draw near to you. Even when you

felt you couldn't you come. You come because He will

come to you. Amen? All right? So why do we

even want to draw near? Why? I mean he wants

he drawn? No, but we take that effort. Right if

we want to know somebody. We take that effort to

go to somebody, even if you get disappointed that they

didn't respond. But we always take that step to be

the bigger person. But I tell you, God already is there.

He's already there. I'm saying you draw near. He would

drawn here. He already is here. You just taking that

step nearer. He took ten steps to you already. That

is the promise of the Lord. And you know every

time when I have failed, when I have sinned, or

when I have done something, I feel so right and

you want to run away. The thing is, we just

cannot bear to face God because he is holy. He

is a holy God. But if you just say no,

don't let the condemnation stick. You just come. You just

have to come and face your fear, your sin, and

just face it and the Lord. And you say, Lord,

I am sorry, for give me. You're full of heart repent.

He already has forgiven it. More importantly, to draw near.

I don't want to be near to something else that

will kill me. I want to draw to the Lord

who will give me life. Amen. And now when you

draw near, Jesus said this in John chapter fourteen, verse

twenty three. Listen is amazing. You know this, John chapter fourteen,

verse twenty three. Don't your bibles? You can see that

verse John chapter fourteen, verse twenty three. We have bibles.

Let's turn it. And it says that Jesus answered and

said to Peter thing he said, John chapter Yeah, if

you got it, I've written it out. I'll just turn

the pages anyway, Here we go. Jesus answered Judas, not

to scary it. Not is scary it? Now? He said, Lord,

how is it that you will manifest yourself to us

and not to the world. In verse twenty three, he

says Jesus answered and said to him, if anyone loves me,

he will keep my word, and my father will love him,

and we will to him and make our home with him.

Come on, are you reading it? Hey? Look, if anyone

loves me, he loves Jesus, he the person will keep

my word, and then my father will love him, and we,

the Holy Trinity will come to him, to us and

make their home with us. Whoa, come on, Prince Charles

will make his home with you. Oh come on all right, yeah, yeah,

at Rosie won't make their home with you, all right,

But the Holy Trinity will make their home with us.

Harley Luyah. When you drawn here, he will drawn near

to us. And there's my prayer even this morning, last night, praying, preparing,

just like wow, God, I forget because you're so busy.

Then you actually live here. This is his home. This

is his home. All of us is the home of

the Holy Trinity. When you're drawn near to him, holiness,

What has God called you to? God has called us

to holiness. God did not call you to be only

a doctor. He has called you to holiness. You're not

calling you only to be a man or a woman.

He's called you to come unto holiness. He's called you

to holiness. He not called you to be a victor champion.

He's called you to holiness. So when we why because

he is abiding in us? Why because he's homelessin us? Ah,

Then you think, are you very hard lettered? No, it's not.

It's not. He doesn't have to be hard. It's just

recognizing that the Holy Father God, a holy God, wants

to even dwell with us in the hearts of flesh.

So we're so thankful that the Holy Lord God wants

us and he's willing and wanting to dwell with us.

He's not afraid of our mess. He's not afraid of

the dirt. He's not afraid of my past, he's not

afraid of my current sin. That God is not afraid,

but he is going to want to redeem me when

I draw near to him? Amen, what does that mean?

Drawing near?

Meaning?

Lord? I need you? Why do I draw near to

somebody because I find strength in that person. I find

acceptance in that person. Why do I come to you

because you receive me. I know that you will comfort me.

I know that I can't do this. I come to

you for help, for advice. I want to be with

you because I feel loved. I want to live in you.

And that's why we say to God, when we come

to the Lord, we draw near to him because he

is such a pillar of strength, a pillar of hope.

He is out everything. Really, so you know what I'm

so somebodys you know so iurs have lived long enours

believes you know it's song.

You're all I want. You're all I ever needed. Help

me know you are near to all the single people.

Is Jesus really all you want? Because I was just

talking to some single people recently.

Oh, I get married. I'm thirty eight.

I said, you are single, and you are powerful. You

have got freedom that I don't have. I have to

ask permission for my husband. Husband won't gonna go to Nepal.

He just told someone, say my wife didn't ask me

permission to go to Nepal. I say, submission, treat baby.

But yeah, yeah, I said you you are powerful, you

have freedom, you have a great career in all Jesus,

all you want or what else do you want? A man?

It's too low? All right? If it comes, it has

to be from the Lord. Done picking up from the

basket of apples. No, let it be from the Lord. Amen?

So do do we want to draw? To go? Marriage

is great if you're very important to God, bring that person.

Don't simply jump on anybody and just you know, no

good marriages. Marriage takes a lot of work. You want

to work? Get married? All right? Okay? And all the

married people say yes or not. It's true. You wanna work,

you get married, you don't wanna work, don't get married.

All I gotta wash, you gonna clean, you gonna take care. Yeah,

we got you got three children? Know you got four?

Older brother, older brother? Okay, all right, But that's it.

That's that's how life is. God is so colorful. Amen.

So who do we draw on you? I think whatever

we are at, and I sat there last night, I said, Lord,

no matter what it is, I need to draw near

to you, no matter how I have embarrassed myself, no

matter how I failed, no matter how I may have

broken a promise. I need you. I just need you,

and and my reputation is tannished. Whatever, I still need you,

and God, you will just have to redeem me. No

matter what it is we've done. We failed our spouse,

we failed our friend, we failed our system. Whatever, I

need you. So let's draw near to God. Let's draw

because I need him. You and I need him. We

draw here, and when we draw near, he will draw near.

He will accept us and receive us. I want to

share just a few verses before I quickly move on.

Hebrews chapter four, verse sixteen. I think it's on the

slides Hebrews chapter four, verse sixteen, ESV. I'm reading from ESV,

and he says, let us then with what cont be done?

We confidence, friends, have a little bit of confidence in God. Okay, okay,

let us then with confidence drawn near to the Throne

of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace

to help in time of need. We have some confidence

that God will reject your lay. If there's one person

who will never reject your ill is our heavenly Father Jesus.

You might not think so, you might not feel so bad.

I'm telling you, in my loss and in my most broken,

in my most failure life, I just said, it's the Lord.

I just have to come forgive me Lord, and so

have this confidence to draw near to the throne room

of grace and receive mercy. The Lord will. His mercies

are new every morning and grace. This is what we're

living in the grace of God today. You and I

are living in the grace of God. Really, we know,

paying for our sins, we already got out. If you

say yes to Jesus, you receiving me made His home

in you. Your name is written in the Lamb's Book

of life, and you must continue to walk with him.

We want to continue to walk in that grace of God.

And when you don't have that, you know, how do

how do God? New? We can't keep all six hundred

and thirty six commandments. That's why Jesus came to fulfill

the law and the prophets. And therefore we walk in

that grace with thankfulness. I can't I will feel, but

God new will. He said, I know it's tough, but

let my son do it for you and fulfill it

for you. Now walk in Christ. Now walk in the

spirit of God. That he will be that strength. So

find that that that that confidence. Let us, then, with confidence,

drawn near to God, draw near to the throne of

Grace and receive mercy, and then find grace in the

time when we need help, come to Lord. A man

come to him. Another verse is Hebrews seven twenty five.

It says, consequently, He's able to save to the utmost

those who draw near to God through him, since he

always should be capital. Hitch to keep from the Bible

Bible get way, Okay, drawn near to God through him,

since he capital, he is Jesus always lives to make

intercession for you and me. Amen, don't ever say nobody

praying for me. I want to tell you there's one

person praying for you, and he knows your name, and

that's Jesus. He stands before the Father making intercession for

you andvy. Sometimes we get so angry, and he say,

nobody's praying for me. That's why I feel No, No,

Jesus is making intercession. You might not feel it, but

he is. That's why you are still under the grace

of God. You are alive. You may be broken, you

might have gone through really heavo, but you are still

standing because Jesus makes intercession for you and for me.

And so don't ever feel like nobody's praying for me,

nobody's thinking about me. Now, it's have to remember Jesus

is thinking about me. He knows me by name, the

real name that you know you, he calls you. Sometimes

we give ourselven new names. You know no longer Jack,

I don't know what Peter. I ever change your name

now from you know I don't and you changed to

all I want to be Jack. You know. No, he

knows you's ADAMMLA, okay, whatever. And he knows you because

he knows your name written at the palm of his hand.

He says, will I forget you? Your name is imprinted

on the palm of my hand. Isaiah, all right, forty nine?

I think so. Consequently, he's able to save to the

utmost if you those who draw near to God through Jesus,

he always lives to make intercession for us. Amen. Again,

Why do we draw near he Brews eleven six Favorite

verse right, For without favorite, it's impossible to please God.

And for whoever would draw near to God must believe

that He exists and that he rewards those who seek

him faith. Without faith, it is impossible. So you want

to say, I want to please God? Right? I got

a lot of young couples, right, They think, I want

to please God? How can we please God? You know,

they think like, oh, when you're married for thirty ways,

we're like, oh my word. Anyway, I said, you want

to please God? Really? You want to please God? Can

we please God? God? Date by faith? Favor? It's impossible

to please God without faith? So do you have faith? Yes? Okay?

Then by faith you would just have to live your

life by faith to please him first please the lot

how having faith in him that he exists and that

he rewards those who seek him. Faith is how we

please God. Without faith, we cannot please God. If you're

gonna do anything, it has to be done by faith,

not because I saw you do it and I also follow.

I have to do it by faith. Hemen, all right,

Because we our fath we cannot please God. And if

we want to please God. We all want to please God,

but we seem to try to find ways to please God.

And oh God asks for us. Is the currency of heaven,

which is faith. Now we can't use Thai bad. Sorry,

can't use the British pound, I can't use the American dollar.

But faith is the currency of heaven. Let's use it

in order to you know, trade to walk by faith though,

that we may please God and that we may see

what God is working as we ask of him by faith.

Our Christian faith is this thing called faith. See, the

thing is you can't see God. And because we can't

see God, it's hard to keep quiet time because he's

not there, Like I don't see a face. But if

you had an idol, you had to see that. I

do see it. And then you will go and pipey

there or whatever you do because something because we're so

used to one your seat. But he says, if you

even believe without seeing, your faith will be rewarded. But

so you have to set your time alone with the Lord.

I mean, I know what it is. Sometimes I set it.

I wake up every day I matter what time, it's

six o'clock, then shower and then go do quiet time. Right.

But because you cannot see God's face, you're like, you've

wait a little world. God gona make my mind, Lofer,

you know the Lord is there. He never moved move

the cheese. Nobody nobody move God. Nobody moved the cheese.

He's there. So because we can't see. And that's why

this faith element is so important. When you draw near,

you're drawing near to a God who says, I love you,

and I gave my son for you, and I want

all that I have for you. So setting your drawing near,

how to talk about that later is because you can't

see that, so it's hard to keep your quite time.

But when we were not yet believers, we were very good.

Every morning, I'm going do all this, you know, put

the joy stick and I don't know what I'm saying, nothing,

just putting the joystick. But we were so fervent as

pre believers in Christ. Now that I have, that's the feeder.

I came and pray from my bed. I could be

now underwear, guys, you just don't roll out of bed.

You're not didn't brush your teeth it's just you know, bets. Yeah,

you talk to Jesus and he's dear, thanks you right right,

oh my word, this is the great right. But when

you want to honor the lad say I'm going to

meet me God. I I now I will wake up

for the last time. Change pleans ready, Now wake up,

I shower, I get dressed, and then I go and

do my quiet time so that I'm fresh fall asleep.

So but it's again, just set it and say in

that chair that's where God sits. Even if you were

going to have coffee, have it with Jesus and you

put one cup for you, just so, because we use

our imagination, we use our how we think, because we're

so used. So I want to say, you don't know

how I can't see him. No, then make that chair,

make that you know, speak to him if you have

to put the coffee there, or your cheese cake there, whatever,

and draw near to God because we need to get

to talking with him. Amen. So moving on quickly these

other verses. Write it down, go meditate on it. It's

encouragement to me that in the ESV uses the word

draw near, So how do we do that? It's good,

it's good. So how number one, Hey, we love Jesus

like everyone here way I love Jesus. We love Jesus,

we do, We've experienced his love. So how do we

love him? We just keep loving him? And things I

wrote like how do we love Jesus? Well, I think

something that Buster said that. I don't know what they

said it here or in another time. He preached Fear God.

Fear God means when God, if you can't see God,

but you want to do what pleases godh whatever that

pleases God. Fear God. I will not be talking a

bad about Olivia because she's not here. Do you know

what this woman? But she's she's not here. So because

she's not here, I dare say. But if she was, yeah,

I can't say same thing. Fear God meaning whatever we're

gonna say about someone else, guilty God have said, because angry,

because upset, because disappointed, because whatever. And we may say

our heart, but if we fear the Lord, therefore what

I'm going to say about the other person, if it's

not going to glorify the lot, then better not continue.

So fear God as if he was there, and I'm

sure if he's there, we won't say if the Lord,

God was there, You're We're like, no, wet not say anything.

So maybe sometimes we have to decide how do I

live my life? Fear God, keep his commandments. Fear God

is not I'm afraid of God. Is the honor? That's

how you honor someone, isn't it? When you honor someone,

you you honor them, you you welcome them, You go

how do I? How do I honor somebody? When I

see you, I go up to you, I shake your hand.

If I see you like I didn see you, I

cannot lie. But when I see you, I do that right.

Or when you go for a wedding dinner, sometimes you

see an old friend, or you see your you know,

your pastor from a long time ago, or auntie from something.

You go up to that person and you say hello.

You don't like what the right like? I don't know

what don't know? I don't know either because we're shy

or you. I don't think they'll remember me. Maybe just

take a step of faith and go say hello. And

even if and I've done that many times, people who

are you? I changed that my chi okay? But even

people don't remember or don't give you the warmth that

you expected. Just know that you've honored someone older than you,

someone who has been your pastor before, someone you know,

I don't know, some older sister or whatever. That to

love Jesus is how you love people. I suppose yeah, yeah,

and so I and I walk into so many. Now

I'm older, I have to say. I have to admit

I am older. I am in my fifties. Like when

my older pastors were in the fifties, we were just

young and you know, cool, right? And do we even

go up and say, you know, hello, pasta, shake the hand?

How are you do we do that? Sometimes we just

about ourselves. But if you I love Jesus, how does

people see I love Jesus? Not because I'm saying I

love you Jesus. It's true how we live, isn't it.

We fear God. We learned to speak careful about people

like or we can help each other and correct you

just say better not go there? All right? I love Jesus.

I love Jesus because just now, John chapter fourteen, verse

twenty three says Jesus said, if anyone loves me, if

anyone loves me, oh, I love you a lot, then

keep my word right. So if what's my first step

of loving Jesus. I fear God. I want to honor

the lot first man. Then I learned to spend time

in his presence. We are busy beings, busy bees. That's

why setting sometime and I find it. If I don't

do meeting Jesus in the morning, like early and it's

still dark, I lose it. That's the way I make

my makeup is this. Once the sun comes up, I

cannot really. I'm like, my brain is like, I gotta

meet Jill, I gotta see Sory, so I gotta do this.

I gotta cook the head, I gotta wash that because

the sun came up. So I'm really bed at doing

quiet time when the sun comes up. So before the

sun comes up, aragh to my quiet time. So there

I can maybe God before the text comes because my

phone the text will start coming by seven o'clock. I

don't know who texts me like okay, I sorry. I

served the Global Church. So I got people who's sleeping

at twelve, which is twelve UK still only six forty

five or seven. And then I get this text coming

from Pasinigi pers this morning they were texting you, So

I'm like this is very five still do so it's

just my way of me. But you could be different.

But I feel that if you can give that time

before the business and you know, baby start wanting to

be baby, speit anytime, Lou okay, but I had to

say the moms okay before whatever time that gets busy.

You you lock in with Jesus first, So spending time

in his presence talking to the Lord if it's a

good reminder for you. Talk to Jesus like you talk

to your friend. Tell him your woes, tell him, praise him,

exhalt him, Thank you, Lord, worship you. I do that

as well. Every day I say the same thing. I say,

sorry a lot. I say the same thing to you.

I say some one hundred and three all the time.

I say met you four nine right, I say the lot,

spray I have some twenty five, I say, I declare

these scriptures. I'm sorry, law I say this every day,

but that's how I feel about you. I really want

to bless you a lot. So do that or be

in communion with Jesus. Acknowledge his lordship, love him. That's

how you love him. Acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ. Amen.

So to love Jesus. Come on, people, he already loves you.

You don't do anything. Also, you don't do nothing, he

will still love you. Just loves you. He just that's

how he is. He made you. He loves you. And

as for us to respond, I love the lot, and

in loving the lot, I want to spend time. Anyone

you love to spend time. It could be your best friend.

You know, best friends love spending time together and they

always make time for each other. Ah, and you just

want to be they're talking yet, So do that with

the Lord. Amen, doctor Jesus, come to him. Just keep

that time with him, all right, whatever time that works

for you. For me is before the sun rises, because

once the sun rises, my life starts that. So I

want to give my first part of my life, the

hours to the Lord. First two hours whatever, to the

one hour, two hours. Okay, Next, keep his word, oh,

because he said, if you love me, keep my word.

So how to keep? Before you can keep, you got

to know the word. If you don't know the word.

So that's why we've launched out again. Read read your Bible, right, mamma,

read your bible. Bring your bible. Read your Bible. Because

we are not reading. And when we are not reading,

we cannot keep And I find that in this season,

not just just everywhere, many people are not reading the

word of God for themselves. Listening to a message on

YouTube on your favorite preacher is not reading. Come on,

it's not reading. I can listen to a YouTube message

and I love the message, but I'm not reading God's word.

How then, can I keep God's word? Because what I

will be keeping is an opinion? Like now I share

with you. If I don't refer to the scripture, I'm

not giving you God's word. But good Shepherd, says Jeremiah.

Last week you taught in that chapter three or two.

It says good Shepherd's need to teach the word, bring

knowledge and the truth of God's Word. So we can

take opinions. But you must refer back to the Word

of God. But you must read it for yourself. So

how do you keep the word? You must know God's

word by reading God's word. Amen. Some one one nine,

verse eleven. Many of you may know this verse. Memorize it.

What did David say? He said, your word have I

hidden in my heart? How do you hide God's word

in your heart? That I might not sin again. So

every time we're about to sin, Alamah, you remember the

word of God is drawn out and say, don't go there.

A voice will speak to you. Hallelujah. Amen. One of

my passes, my long time ago passes, not here anymore,

his overseas now he's before he became a Christian, he

was top top management with Leo Burnette, top guys in

advertising before he became a Christian. They had two kids ready,

a lovely wife, and he was about to get into

a wrong act of infidelity, infidelity. As he was thinking

off his pants. The Lord does reminded he is not Christian.

Yet God said stop it. Someone was sharing wife, probably

praying children, probably praying just God. Just the word just came.

So I don't know. He may not know a lot

of God's word. But whatever his wife has been saying

Jona been saying, it came back and he had to

stop writing his tracks, repent and went to find Jesus. Im,

you want to do the wrong thing already? All right,

no go this way, walk away? Walk away? All right,

walk away? Because some God brings some word the word.

That's why you keep reading God's word, even tell people

God's word don't tell your word. Tell people God. I'm

telling you God's word. This is someone one night your word?

Have I hidden in my heart that I might not

sin against you? It's practice, friends. Memorize is it's like

a generational thing. A season in time. We were generation.

We memorized scripture, We read the Bible. We didn't have

e Bibles and all that carrying around, but we carried

our Bible. So but perhaps there's a new thing going on,

but we but some things remain the same. Who carrying her?

But I have a Bible, all right, memorized scripture. I

write it down and still write my notes are not in?

My notes are written? Then this one is only the slides. Okay,

still have to do this double work these days, those

days when my pastor Bridge got no slides, he just wrote,

right now I have to do slides. That's double time. Okay,

it's more time. Now I'm gonna find the background, gotta do.

I do my own slides. Okay, I didn't give my

pa to do my I do my own slides. I

think I do better than my ba Okay, all right,

I got picture, Okay, not clear what were doing my

own slides? All right? So keep his word. Friends, read

God's word, keep it and because it follows to practicing

his word, next one practice his word. We are all

given a chance, and I think we are good accountabilities

to tell each other. Remember past, you're gonna say a

bad thing. Remember okay, okay, get off my pat but yeah, okay, okay,

practice the word right too quickly? Or give to love

to There are things in God's were to you know,

the offense and remember the offense and the widows. Why

do we go out for community? Because word of God

said so, Remember the offense and the widows, widows who

have no children to take care of them. Remember the

offense and the widows. So we do community work. We

go out to the poor posses. It's better to give

than to receive. So we give our time, our give

our talent. We go to the angsana or whoever you know.

We go and do stuff as a community. Once once

in three six months. Are you once in three months

six months of your life to just go and teach

maths to our community kids? Is that so much? No?

And you know what? The church gives us opportunity to

do so many more things than if I were not

a believer. I gained so much when I came to Christ.

I gain as a seven sixteen year old coming to

No Christ. I joined more clubs than you could even

have before I was a Christian. I like everything, cannot do?

Mother say cannot do? Mother say you cannot, You cannot

became a believer, a child of God. Everything can. Mother

said to me, if you fail your Form five, you

did like, ma, I won't fail, and you just you

live your life. And I fell at sixteen and seventeen.

I lived my life because before that I was living

under a ceiling which the voice of my parents that

you can't, you will not succeed. You need the extracution,

you need to work harder than everybody else. Is true.

I do. I'm not that's but in Jesus, yes, I

can do all things. And I overcame those barriers to

go out to be a blessing, to live more than

just being a student. But I'm just I'm a Christian

student first. I'm a Christian first, and I'm a student.

And how can I be a blessing to my friends,

to my classmates. So my classmates, we are all in

our fifties today, they say, so, I asked them how

can y'all never They all became some of them became teachers.

I say, how can you apply? And became j Goula

where says Santra is just next door to our school,

our next door. I don't know. I don't know that

You're never in the class. I was never in a class.

I don't know where. I was somewhere, some club somewhere,

not club being but cloud science class cloud club. But

you know, God's word came alive in me, and the

one word that I kept was John ten ten. Jesus

came to give you life and life more abundantly. When

I read that scripture, it set me free. It set

me free from the cannot to You're not good enough,

you never mounted something to. I came to give you

life full stop, no life and life more abundantly. I

stood on that as a teenager and lived those years

with such energy. Energy, gave up all the cution, just

took one subject. We need basa because we always gar

you feel. So I was just serving in different things

school cf in school. I just lived a fruitful school life.

It really missed my school life so much fun. That's

what Jesus did for me. He restored what the enemy

was robbing from my life. He just restorted practice his word. Amen,

be a doer of his word. We can learn from

one another, we can remind one another because as we

hear the word of God every Sunday. Some things you

keep because it's not relevant, but as you keep it,

it will become relevant. And the other day. However, you

don't only rely on your Sunday messages. You need to

be reading this word on a regular basis. On a

regular basis. I can't say daily, because I know people

have different challenges, but regular enough that you here and

you can take that and you keep it, and then

you take that word out again as a student. You

declare that, you declare God help me, Amen, and He

comes true for us. Amen. So I want to encourage

you to practice that word. So the testimony, I've gone

back to school with passa Jack and elders Rose and

pasta Sarah ask me, why are we doing this? I'm

almost grand my age, you can't, I really am. I'm

going to be sixty soon. So and then this thing

opportunity comes for our school. We want to do better

for our school. And my husband and I did say

I want to do something more. And my husband's addenly saying, ah,

here here, I don't want to take exam. I just

want to play. I said, well, if you want to

take it or leave it. So I thought, okay, there

will be a challenge because with my lifestyle, it's just

really tough. Anyway, four first a classmates. Okay, so we

do it. We did it. We did our first one,

first semester finish. We're gonna start again. But I think

we all aced it. We all aced our first semester, right,

I believe we all not bad, not bad, not bad.

I'm not sure. I'm very problem because I am a professional.

I trained as a profession. I never went to university.

So when I got my CGPA, I was I didn't

know what it was. Oh my goodness, so little three

point seven five? Why sole little? I haven't seen it.

I just saw my my CGBA is like three point

seven five. I'm like, what's that? Because I saw something

as eleven point seventy five? Your total scolled. I'm not, oh,

just very little. So I asked my husband. I got

three points. It is very good. Really, I went to

somebody else. We've been to university and master and seven,

Oh very good, because my classmates the answering me or

quiet or quiet rose quiet? Only past seven? And I

ain't know, like how what we will do? So I

have to say I had to do it by faith

because I left school for thousand years. I didn't go

to university. I went to a professional papers worked and studied.

No need to do citation, no such thing as academic writing.

But in that last whatever month, we did it. How

do you practice God's work? So I eat back every

medicine I've given to every student, and I always tell

the student student, holy sp we will teach you, holy

speit were you're asking, he will teach you right. So

here my brain almost dying. I looked at one assignment

question for three weeks, three weeks and I was so

under pressure and told my husband. He said, you're not

gonna help you. He said, if you start your life

under pressure, I cannot help you. I'm like, I'm pressured,

I can't. I don't even know what this is? What

is this? Then one day hood pass the jack said

he put something in the check jippity, and he said

he prompted it. I'm like, oh his check chaplain jipity.

I don't know idea. What is it? So you know

I'm as old as the trees. And he said, I

put this on a wela, not cheg you be something else?

What is he talking about? And then I every day

I pray the Holy Spirit, please leave me, got me,

Holy please figure me? Nothing coming okay? And then the

Lord gave me a word as I read the ten

lepers that asked Jesus for healing, and Jesus said, what

do you want? He said, we want to be healed.

And Jesus said, go your way, you're healed. You know

how they got the healing. They walked as they went,

they were healed. And then I went like, you mean

I need to start first? But where why is that?

I don't know? Go okay? So right, did my preparation

one day and then still pray early morning, pray Holy Spirit,

just leave me in my the right thing. I tell

you one hour before I left for work because it's

a day of presentation and I have to record my presentation.

I'm not going to be around. And then Holy Space said,

you did the wrong thing. I ran off the whole topic.

Oh no, how I don't know what to do. Then

I remember the voice he prompted. So I said, okay,

I'm gonna use this thing, this thing, this thing called jectivity,

which all the students told me just do it, But say,

are you sure this is not wrong? So I have

no choice. One hour I leave the office and then

I have the record, so I'm like, hello, how to

do this or something like? And then okay, okay, I

had the right thing, but I forgot an area and

I needed to do so I had to add that.

But if I didn't leave, if I left that, I've

lost marks. So bedad in hour, I read everything, did

the lights, and then came to office and then recorded

it and sent it off course this last day already,

So I tell you, who's going to tell you that

if it's not the Holy Spirit? Because remember I'm not

a clever person. Yeah I'm not not. And going back

to school. First, I look three weeks to look at

an assignment. Question didn't do nothing? Our friend? No, what

did I've already done? Yeah? I pressure, you know, thought,

where is my husband making me do all this work?

I got to study? She's done ready, fool you? Thank

you can see what you did. I cannot cop here

same assignment, but you know, oh, my goodness, there's some pressure. Media.

I don't pressure me. Everybody pressure me. I'm like, I

can't do this right. You practiced, got Swetler can know.

I think better because I did it as a student.

I remember, only be prompting me again. I aced certain

subjects I was about to fair. I aced the school

book receiver or price winner. All right, So I say, okay,

I'll do the same thing I did. I'll say to

the students and have practiced it, Holy Spirit really quick

and really quickened, really quicken. Amen. So you keep the

word and then you practice the word. Amen. That's how

God works with us. He needs something in there for

it to bring it back out again so we can

do his word and not just preaching it. Friends, I

have to live it now as a student. How many

students in house here? Any students? You just try it?

Try it? You say, Holy Spirit, teach me. He will

teach you. He seriously will. Because I was going off

the engine all the whole way. And you know that's

why I took three weeks to look at it, look

at it, look at it and still, and God said

start start where and his academic language. I'm writing like China,

like preaching even the size, I thought, that's cool, right, easy, right,

Just like when I'm preaching. No God, this godpends on

the Holy Spirit will prompt you. And last week, as

you practice God's word, as you live it, you make

him known, make the lot known to others. Share about him, Amen,

share what God has done, their witness because you have

been with Jesus. Hallelujah. When the people in the Book

of x saw John and Peter and they raised the

blame man, they said, silver, gol ive nan, what did

they say? They have been with Jesus. They look like

they've been with Jesus. Something changed. These fishermen are no

longer fishermen. They've become the bearing witness of the Lord.

So how can we make him known? So John fifteen

twenty seven, after the Lord Jesus was speaking to the

disciples in John fifteen, the whole of John the true Vine,

abiding in the Lord, and just making your stand for Jesus.

In the last verse of chapter fifteen, he says, and

you will also bear witness because you have been with

me from the beginning John fifteen and verse twenty seven.

John fifteen twenty seven, he says, So if you read

about the vine. Yes, you spoke Jabagna. You know the

Jesus the vine, abiding in the vine, and the Lord

carried on sharing about you know, how he loved, how

God loves him, and how he loves us keeping his

commandments and write the end. Verse twenty seven says you

were bear witness because you have been with me from

the beginning. People will know if you've been with Jesus. Right,

you've been in your quiet time. You've been, you know,

spending time with the Lord. With the believers. Faith is

absorb So people you walk out and you share with them,

and they say, something is different. You've been with Jesus. Amen.

And I want us to read some seventy three. Let's

go to some seventy three. Turn some seventy three. All right,

So some seventy three and verse twenty five. I love

this verse. I love the song that comes with it

as well. But let's read it. You know sometimes you wonder,

oh man, it's so tough. So here it goes some

seventy three and verse twenty five. All right. It says,

whom have I in heaven but you? There is none

upon earth that I desire besides you, my flesh and

my heart fail. But God is the strength of my

heart and my portion forever. So verse twenty seven. For indeed,

those who are far from you shall perish, and you

have destroyed all those who desert you for holler tree,

verse twenty eight. But it is good for me to

draw near to God. I have put my trust in

the Lord God, that I may declare all your works.

Look at that. It is good for me to raw

near to God. Amidst all that's difficult and challenging, I

draw near to God, and I put my trust in

the Lord God, that I may declare all your works. Amen,

that when you have been with Jesus you're walking in

his word, that we may make Christ known through your life.

More than just you saying it just hey, you need Jesus, Jesus.

But as you make Him known to others through your life,

because you're going through this, they will say something about you.

They even they may love. And you, I know you

prayed your God. My guiny told me. You know, he said, oh,

this is your problem many years back, and I said,

I'm going to pray with cheese, prave with Jesus, pray

to Jesus. And he said, hah haha, Okay, you're going

to pray. And I said, yeah, I'm going to pray.

And I prayed, and I came back and they couldn't

find the cists after that. Amen. Then he said, hey,

no more zes love. Yeah prayed. You laugh again at me.

But you make him known, make Christ known to him

to those who around you. And and when we are down,

when we say who have I in heaven? I'm so

lost this situation. That situation could be your work. Even

sometimes you are you're ahead of department. You have to

hit certain you know scales, et cetera, certain you know targets.

And then you say, are your Lord? It's so difficult

in this trying times, this when you say whom have

I in heaven? There's nothing on earth that I would

desire Lord but you. And as I desire for you, Lord,

you are my strength. Amen. And you are my strength,

and therefore you are my postion forever. And then as

you experience that, you practice God's you love Jesus, you

keep his word, you practice his word, and then you

live your life every day. And then there comes a

time when you become a witness, a bearing, a bearer, witness,

a witness bearer, for Jesus, and they will ask you

you will share not in pride. Never, never share in pride.

Never say because I'm Christian. No, I'm grateful that God

has helped me. Jesus God. Everybody believes God. Jesus has

helped me. Never a pride thing. Yeah, because I know.

I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful that Jesus has come

through for me. He healed me, He brought me through.

And give glory back to God. And whether they laugh

at us doesn't matter. You make your step and so

bear witness, make and declare all God's works over your life,

how you have, even if you have succeeded, or whatever

it is. Even when you say, yeah, I also went

through this trial. It has been tough, but my hope

is in the Lord. It's not a bad thing to

even say I am going through the tough time, but

I am waiting on the Lord God. Whether to our

believers or to our believing friends, but a few where

we are too proud. You, God does not like people

who are proud. He opposes the proud, but he gives

grace to the humble, And so we remind ourselves to

be humble, to walk humbly before the Lord, to love mercy,

a man, to do justly. That is what God requires

of us a man. So even as we want to

make Him known and become a witness bearer for Christ. Again,

you find that you yourself have found God to be

your strength, your anchor, and that you have trusted in

the Lord a man, and you draw near to God,

and therefore you know He's with you, even to the

trials or to the challengers a man, whatever that challenge

may be. Some different people groups are going to different

challenges a man, but God is able to walk with us.

We think our life is so tough, right, but when

we had our colleague who's a refugee from Pakistan, I

think their life is even more total because they don't

know what tomorrow. They don't have a they don't have

a citizenship, they don't have anything, they don't have work, nothing.

If you think my life is bad, or if you're young,

persons say oh, I can't buy my you know this,

this thing, this thing, and can't buy that thing that

they imagine. Some people have don't know what they will

face tomorrow. They don't know whether they will go to

school tomorrow. They don't have shoes for school, you know.

And I've been to places where the students just stand

and study without shoes in the cold, you know, in

the Baltic when I was out in the missions, out

in the Baltic, Eastern Europe, no shoes, no cold, in

the cold. They are going for classes how And I'm

thinking my life is super thick. You might always have

a perspective and gratefulness and thankfulness. And as you experience

even in your life, let your trust be in the lot.

Draw near to human and ask God to show you

and and and to feel you, and and Lord help me,

Lord provide for me when he does, give him glory,

and and share in such humility that it is the

Lord who has done it for you. Amen. Truly passed

for semester, but truly the Lord did it for us.

One of our papers was so bad. Pass ejector we'll

never make it. We went down to see yeah, our

three papers, one paper, say I knew it, Say yeah, yeah, yeah,

I know. He helped us most. And yet I don't

know how we all istd I don't know. I really

don't know how. We see a A and suddenly everything

a all right. We had a c we had a

c again. Okay, praise, praise unto Jesus. I don't know now.

Second semester got two subjects were we are. We're so busy.

I don't know how to do this, but by God's

grace we'll still do it. An So I just want

to encourage just Church John, near to God. Whatever you're

going through. Sometimes we're drawing nearer to other things that

distract us, that set the life out of us. But

before we draw to any human, let's draw near to

the Lord God, Almighty John, near to Him in our lag,

in our pain, in our even if you're angry, you're upset, disappointed,

or you've been rejected, you just come. Just draw near

to God. Amen, this morning, that's what we want to pray.

Or maybe there are other needs and we want to

open the altar so that we can pray with you,

and you know, just seek the lot together. Amen.

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God bless