Love Your Enemies | Pr Alvin Keng

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

will light up your day. The title of my message today is love your

enemies. Love your enemies, okay. The subtitle is preparing our heart to

be of heavenly use. Okay, So love your enemies and preparing our heart

our heart. Everybody say our heart, our heart to be of heavenly use.

Okay. And the key verse Luke chapter six, verse twenty seven to

forty nine. Okay, before that, before that, I want to bring

us to Matthew twenty eight, eighteen to twenty And basically this is the time

where Jesus was gonna be sent up to heaven. Really, he's done his

job. He was resurrected. And if you're familiar with this scripture, it

says, hey, okay, so Jesus came and told his disciples, I

have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. It's very important,

okay, that we understand he has been given all authority. Therefore, go

and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey

all the commands I've given you, and be sure of this, I am

with you always, even to the end of the age. So I'm going

to make some assumptions this morning that all of you here believers okay, can

or if not, most of you here believers, meaning most of us here,

we are followers of Christ. Event means we proclaim and profess that Jesus

is Lord over our lives and we follow him. And if that is the

right assumption, I'm using the word assumption, so that wouldn't incriminate you,

guys if you're not. Jesus gave us the last commandment, and it's important

for us to note that right. Being Christian is not just about Okay,

I accept Jesus as my personality savior. He'll bless me. That's it,

full stop. It's not just oh, I come to church and that's it.

It's not just that. It's not just okay, I play myself in

the church. I go to homes, I come a Sunday on a Sunday,

I pray every day and that's it. No, that's more to it

than that. Right, Why did Jesus say I have all authority has been

given to me. It's significant. We have to understand that it's significant when

he says that because he wants us to understand that when we pray in Jesus'

name, Amen, we are praying in his authority, not our authority,

right, and there is power when we use the name of Jesus, not

to swear. Our guys. Hollywood has used it the other way. And

if we have been using that word to swear, you gotta stop. Because

the authority that God has is the authority over all things on earth. That's

why we are confident when we pray. That's why we will go to a

person that is dying of cancer and asking the person, can I pray for

you for heal? Because of this line, all authority has been given to

him. Do you understand that It's not because I'm a Christian, It's not

because I come to church, it's not because I fast and pray. It's

because the authority has been given to Jesus. That's why I have the confidence

to pray in Jesus' name. Your cashier or not important. Note. This

is why maybe sometimes we don't get it as believers. We don't understand,

we don't fully understand our faith. We just practice, but we don't understand

the significance of the power of when we pray in Jesus' name. It is

not just a good ending line when we say grace. The name of Jesus

is powerful. We've got to learn as believers as we follow again assumption.

Now, guys, I'm being strong because I'm assuming. Okay, I'm assuming

all you here believers, so you can take it if you can. I'm

sorry, you know, but he said this and what else he say go

there for make disciples of all the nations. He didn't say go and attend

church and be happy. No, he said, go ahead, make disciples.

Know what the serber ship is not, you know, choos. You

are very very on the cyber sheep. We got hard ole system, we

got home system. You know. We reach out to people. Some of

you are scared, like, oh man, if I come to ex Cyberjaya,

they're going to be you know, shaking my hands saying hi when you

come to see me in my house. No no, no, no,

no no no. If I'm a believer, I just want to be Christian

and stay at home and that's it. Me and Jesus. That's enough.

Guys. Welcome to the Family of God. Welcome to being messy, welcome

to getting getting messy people, because all of us are not perfect. Only

Jesus is perfect. So we're called to go and make disciples of where everywhere.

Wow, cyber Jaya, you guys, are you know, fulfilling the

last commandment? Look around you, guys, look around you. In PJR.

We only got a few, you know, a few people from well

a few people from other nations. But Cybergai is like multi national. You

know, you're doing such an awesome job, way better than us. Well

done, and what what what else must happen? Teach these new disciples,

Teach to obey all all, not summer, not some, all the commands

I have given you. And be sure of this. This is the confidence

that we need to have as believers. And be sure of this. I

Am with you always, even to the end of the age. That is

so so so important to understand. You gotta understand it. You gotta understand

it that Jesus will be with you. Oh but what if I fail,

what if I sin? What if I do something that I'm not proud of.

He's still gonna be with you, guys. He is still gonna be

there no matter how you feel, you know. I was just talking to

a young person, and a young person told me, oh, you know,

Pastor, I'm so ashamed of what I've done, you know, and

I don't know how to face my my my leader. I don't have to

face God. And I told the person, I said, don't worry,

You're already facing God. He's omnipresent. You know. All you need to

do is come clean. You know. It's like how you know in the

garden you don't got asked Adam, where are you? Right? He really

know Adam is why did he need to ask him? Because he wants Adam

to come clean. So, guys, no matter what you've done, no

matter what you have experienced, no this, you cannot run away from God.

The Bible says nothing can separate you from the love of God. Right,

so why do we Why do we kid ourselves? Oh I did not

face God. I don't not come church. You didn't got Nonely in church.

God's at home with you, you know. Do you know that when

you're sitting at home, God is there. Sorry? Yah, I kind

of messing it for you, right, No, So you got to come

to this place and say, Lord, you are here every day so no

matter how I feel, no matter what I am, please come and help

me. Please come, because I'm not perfect. I'm not perfect, right,

so you know even my message, that's the jack got annointing here.

Okay, So Jesus ask us to go into all the nations make disciples,

baptizing them, you know, and baptize is basically a significance of Barier in

New life. New life. Okay, I'm not gonna go to dip me

to that. And we gotta teach people to obey, right, friends,

Can I give you this statement when we fulfill our mission here? You know,

sometimes we think about conversion only or convert, you know, get people

to believe in Jesus, you know, appreach them, teach them, and

then that's it. No, do you know that when we obey Christ's word,

when we pray for people, when we extend a hand, we are

expressing God's love to them, not your love. Okay, our love is

not enough, you know when when he's saying the word nothing can separate us

from the love of God. Is the love of Christ that compels us,

as believe us to be nice to one another, to be smiling and one

another, even though some of us don't feel like doing it now. I

gotta tell people before know their days are. I don't feel like I'm in

chess on Sunday, but I'm here smiling people. Why because the love of

God compelsely, not because my role nor the love of God comperes. We

always say, help me, right, help me? I don't feel like

it. I had a bad day, I had a bad week. But

the love of Christ compels me. And when I obey, not how I

feel, But when I obey the word of God, I'm extending his love

to the people around me. I'm encouraging someone no matter how I feel.

Right that does it make sense to you? Guys? It makes sense?

Right? So we're expressing God's love when we serve and when we fulfill our

mission. What time did the worship didn't have to come up this morning in

PJ quite early at six am? What what time? Seven forty? Okay?

Some for the what time you guys wake up? Six forty six thirty

five thirty five thirty six thirty ex CYBERJAYAZ starts at ten o'clock. That is

four and a half hours earlier. Why do you'll do it? Why just

come thirty minutes before let me tell you why they are extending God's love to

all of you here when they serve when the slights come up. I don't

know whether we know we preach it this way, but they're extending God's love.

Why do they shake your hand. They're extending God's love to you so

that you can experience God's love, so that those of you who are not

involved you are, you are experiencing the comfort of being here. That is

a power that God has given us. For God's sou love the world.

He gave his only begden son that whoever believes in him should not perish but

have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to

condemn the world. There's no condemnation here. Guys. I'm not preaching this,

you know, don't worry about it, okay. I just need us

to understand this right that the world, the world true Him might be saved.

So when you sign up to serve as host, when you sign up

to serve an x TV, when they sign up to serve all these things,

fine, you might have other reasons, but notice one of the significant

things that you're doing is you're extending God's love true serving when you go for

community, you're extending God's love to the children because right, guys, you

don't know their background. No, they are really less watunate. And that's

to me very sad right about how the world is becoming. The worldst becoming

worse and worse. Right the news we hear this morning, well I found

out this morning on Lilah Care. What happened is horrible. It's horrible.

So the world needs love. But friends, even as I'm sharing the purpose,

okay, I get it. Yes, I know we are extending God's

love, but I still, oh, still very difficult. No one nobody

said life it's going to be easy. Okay. That's why the message is

titled preparing our Heart to be of Heaven. Use there has to be a

preparation. And I'm going to go into the note SKay, just to help

you because this is something that helped me. Right, So, knowing the

purpose, knowing that God has called us for days to serve, do you

okay? Now it's self. Now I join next, you know, and

that's it. No, no, no, no, no, guys.

The wonderful thing about Christ is that there is a transformation of our lives when

we follow him. Okatch. The wonderful thing about Christ is that when we

follow Christ, we are not the same. We are not the same.

We change when we say yes. The more we say yes to the Lord,

we are not the same. I know passaject for many many years.

Ready, he has changed tremendously, right, I got some stories, ay,

teller, but he has changed tremendously. Okay, okay, yeah,

sorry, I got Mike here, yeah, yeah, and it's in a

good way. Okay, I have changed. I think he's also known me,

you know, we got we got that or each other, you know,

And I have changed. I think I have grown and I have changed

as well. Right, So we need to prepare our hearts. Friends,

Yes, understanding of us great, but we need to prepare our hearts.

Right. And the wonderful thing is Jesus actually teaches us how to remember I

said teach them. That's in Luke chapter six. Okay, so what does

teach us? Jesus teach us to do? Right. So even before we

talk about like okay, go and serve, Okay, all these things,

well we've got to learn now, right, We got to learn Jesus,

can you help me or not? Right? You tell me that I need

to do all these crazy things. You tell me that you've got authority,

but we're all fallen. And then Jesus teaches us this. This is what

he teaches us to do, as believe us. Okay, First, love

your enemies. Do you know? Can I give you a secret? Do

you know that when you start loving enemies, it's easier to serve them.

So the wonderful thing about Christ is that even before we do the stuff,

he deals with our heart. He doesn't just deal with a Hannah, but

he teaches us how to deal with our heart. Let me read further.

Okay, But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love

your enemies. So some of you hear you might not be willing to listen.

It's okay, God he loves you. I pray that he will come

and he will envelop your heart and you will come to this place where you

realize. Okay, Lord, I finally surrender my all. Right, But

to those who are willing to listen, love your enemies. Do good to

those who hate you, Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who

hurt you. If someone slapts you on one cheek, offer the other chick

also ah, God, how can if he wake me on this chick out,

I will wake him back and I will kick him. Also, you

want me to turn the other way and let him cannot ad Jesus cannot cannot.

My mother also never s let me. You know, how can you

teach me to do this? Jesus? If someone demands your coat, offer

your shirt or so what? Hey? My coat is expensive? You know

I pay so much money. The person got many many courts and he want

my court and you're asking me to give my shirt? Then how are we

cold give to anyone who asks? And when things are taken away from you,

don't try to get it back. Oh okay, maybe I can give

my cot away. Maybe I can let someone slap. But if somebody takes

my thing without asking me, I'm gonna get it back right right? How

many? If you feel me right? Some you feel me right? Yeah,

we'll go get it back right. Do to others as you would like

them to do to you. This last time is to be confusing. You

mean, if I let him slap my left chick also and right chick,

I will be a better slap both chicks. Now, Sometimes we think away

right, that's the way we think. Remember again, guys, it's a

preparation of our heart for heavenly use. Okay, So it says, what

do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray

for those who spitefully use you, and give to everyone who asks. Right,

let me read. Or if you love only those who love you,

why should you get credit for that? Even seeners love those who love them.

Does it make sense? Kind of makes sense? Okay. And if

you do good to those who do good to you, why should you get

credit? Even sinners do that much? Kind of makes sense, right.

And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should

you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

But it says here love your enemies, do good to them, lend

to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from where heaven?

Hey, the exchange used to be just between me and the other person.

How come heaven is involved our God? Why are you saying that heaven is

involved in this regard? Then your reward from heaven will be very great and

you will truly be acting as children of the most High. Wow, Hey,

this is this another dimension? Are unpacked with you. Guys, what

I mean by this? For He is kind to those who are thankful and

wicked. You must be compassionate as your father is compassionate. Let me give

you this thing that I caught when I read this. When we do this,

we are different than the norm. Right, doesn't make sense. We

are different. Okay, do all this and expect nothing in return. That's

what God is asking us to do her. But he added this perspective,

for we are sons of the Most High God, well sons and daughters of

the Most High God, and God sees what we do. Friends, I'm

gonna share this statement, and I hope you catch it. You know,

I'll try and unpack with you. When we, as believers understand our birth

right, you understand what the birth right is. My sons are both My

sons are entitled to an inheritance. Of course, if give them right will,

But they are entitled to an inheritance from me as a father. And

in the Bible it says a good man leaves an inheritance for his children and

his children to do. That's in Proverbs. Okay, that's my aim.

I hope lah, Okay, fingers c that you'll happen. But do you

know that they are entitled to it because they have my children who and God

is telling us that we are entitled to our birth right as his children.

Right, when we understand our birthright as children of God, it won't be

so hard to do all the things I just mentioned. No, love our

enemies, bless those who curse us. We got to understand sometimes that we

are children of God and not high links. What's the difference an employe versus

a son? So God sees what we do and he will reward us.

Let me try and unpack this because when I read this and I caught it,

it really changed my well, my perspective, and it really changed the

way I approach things. Right, you remember the Parable of the Prodigal Son?

Do you all remember that? Okay, if you don't not, go

and read it, give you homewor go and read so in the Parable of

the Products, and it talks about a son who asks his father for the

inheritance. Do you know that when a child does that, Now, the

child's basically saying that, yeah, I want you to die, give me

half of what you own. That's very bad now, And the father loves

him so much that he actually gave him. Right, it's again just a

story, but Jesus trying to explain God's heart. So he told inheritance,

he squandered it. He came back, his elder brother was still around,

right, and of course the father welcomed the son with open arms. Praise

God. While we love that story right now we know a story or second

chances and all, but a lot of us or maybe Mila, Yeah,

I use myself for example, I feel a lot like the elder brother because

I'm serving church fratefully. I'm here, I'm doing I'm working at you know,

six am every morning. You know, but go you never bless me?

Go why you never? You know, cut off the phaton car for

me. You know we can feel that way. One of the AMD,

or AMD puts one of the AMD's right, I tell you, explaining ution

is awesome. Guys, you gotta go for it. Doctor go Chileong Shedley's

perspective, he said, you know, when the when the eldest son spoke

to the dead that way, the eldest son was having the perspective not as

a s but as an employee looking at the dead and saying that my boss,

why you never bless me? Why you bless this guy and his and

then the father's shot. No, I tell you, for many years I

didn't understand this. I thought I had the eldest son of problem, you

know, and the dad was like, son, you are my son.

All I have is yours meaning, ah, you are not employee. You

know I'm not treating you like employee. If you want to take up the

milk from the fish and drink it, go ahead. I'm not gonna score

you. If you want to fetter calf, you could have carried yourself.

I didn't know you want the feta calf. You you get what I mean.

So, actually, why do we believers sometimes live like we're employees of

God and not you of God? So if we if we know our birth

right, actually not so not so hard to do all these things? No

love our enemies? Why? Because God? I know, if I love

my enemy, You're gonna bless me, Thank you Father in heaven. And

that's the truth, because he will. But many times this world teaches us

a different kind of principle. You know why, Because this world do not

know who God is. They have to fend for themselves. God is not

in their life they have to fight for themselves and for themselves because no one

else is looking and taking care of them but we children of God. That's

why Jesus is so confident. Guys, don't get trapped in that. Understand

who you are our father in heaven, Caesar, So you know I may

give you this this on you might understand. Okay. So I said,

I got two sons right, and they're entitled to whatever birthright they have for

me if they behave, like do you know that? Do you know that

if they don't behave, I have an option and option when I say,

don't behave me to do stuff that you shouldn't do. Okay, Uh,

you know get I'm not gonna feels okay, basically mess up their lives.

You know, take stuff that they shouldn't take. You know, do you

start doing do and you know, maybe gamble the money away whatever if they

had at last hole, I'm not going to leave inheritance for them. I'm

the father, right, so they have to behave right right then they deserve

it. If they behave, they deserve in inheritance. Friends, Can we

as children of God behave ourselves? I'm reminding myself, Okay, I'm not

the most you know, I'm not the most holy angelic person. Friends,

love our enemies. God is in the picture. Do you have a boss

that you hate? Do you have a lecturer that you don't like? Do

you have a teacher that you don't like? It's not between you and them,

my guys, it's between you and them and God. How comforting it

is to know that we have a father in heaven that takes care of us.

And when we are stuck in a situation that, like you feel like

you are, you got Hey. God can do anything, man, he

can You have a boss that's ridiculous? Prayer, I setrend the this to

you. You know how how I have been misused, mistreated. God.

I'm your child, right, teach me what to do. And God ask

you to love your boss, whether you like it or not, because you're

his child. Because you're his child. If you're not his child, you

can don't love him. Really, that's what God is trying to say.

If you're not a child of God, do whatever you want. But because

you are God's child, then we got to love our enemies. Amen.

Next, don't judge others. This is a very half for me. Okay,

let's go Luke Chapter thirty seven was for it. I hope you guys

are catching something. He says here. Do not judge others, and you

will not be judge. Do not condemn others, or it will all come

back against you. Forgive others and you'll be forgiven. Give and you will

received. Your gift will return to you in full. Press down chicken together

to make room for more, running over and poured into your lap. The

amount you give will determine the mount you get back. Then Jesus gave the

following pustration. Can one blind person lead another? Won't they both fall into

a ditch? Students are not greater than their teacher, But the student is

fully trained will become like the teacher. And why worry about a spect in

your friend's eye when you have a law in your own? How can you

think of saying, friend, let me help you get rid of that spect

in your eye when you can't see pass the log in your own eye?

Hypocreate, First, get rid of the lot in your own eye, Then

you will see well enough to deal with the spec in your own eye.

Show what does this scripture say? Well, first line, don't judge others?

Okay, brother's sister who got younger sibling, younger sibling who got other

older brother sister. Don't judge your brothers and sisters. Don't condemn them,

okay, don't condemn. Instead, what should we do forgive? Wow?

I tell you, forgiveness is such a powerful thing. It's such a powerful

thing. Friends, It will set you free. Your circumstances will not change,

But with forgiveness are everything will change. I got story after this to

share. You give and you'll be given to us. That's a promise from

God. Okay, for the same measure we use, it will measure back

to you again, driving the point across. This is a promise from men.

No, it is a promise from God. It is not a promise

from men. So when you expect, who are you expecting from your boss?

Oh? If I don't judge and I love my boss, my boss

will be nice to me. Right. Sorry, If your boss is a

horrible persona, he won't be how nice you are? So so please don't

expect anything from your boss, expecting from God. Expectation from who very important?

Right, expectation from God. Oh, but then God might not Then

I will say, well, maybe you need to experience it more because my

God will. I have gone through many, many situations where I don't expect

from me. I expect from God, right, because he is the one

he's asking me. I'm following his I'm not following man's word. No,

I'm following God's words. So I expect from God. I don't expect from

men. Sometimes we expect from the wrong place, right, sometimes we do.

It's not something we can claim from this world. Do you know that

we can't claim this from this world? So don't try and think that we

can keep claiming or if anything happens, I can claim from this world I

can get a better No, No, guys, you can't, right the

claiming when this happens, The claiming is not from this world. The claiming

is from heaven. The claiming is from God. That's why you say Heaven

rules, right. But something that God assures us that when we do this,

he will be the one that pays us. He is the one that

redeems us. Do you know that? So it is not man, It

is not your boss. If you expect from that person, then you're expecting

wrongly. Really, then you will be disappointed. But if you expect from

God, he will redeem you amen. So we are not doing it unto

men, but we're doing it unto That's important. It's an important note to

realize. Okay, we are doing unto the Lord. We are not doing

it unto men, right, and sometimes we dont men, so we expect

from men. Oh I do to pass? Pass? No Passajet cannot do

anything for me, guys. Maybe it can be nice to Mila and maybe

wants to want to kill my kids. But beyond that, if I'm expecting

him to, you know, move the sun in the moon and know only

God can do that. But did God asked me to you know, no,

God asked me to be nice to everybody. God asked me to love

everyone. That is my job, right, So remember the promise from who?

And who do we claim it from God? So you've got any problem,

I'll complain to God. Okay, that's the best person to talk to.

The next part talks about humanity and submission. Right can a blind be

the blind? It talks about humanity. Okay, we we think that way,

but he also talks about submission. We are submitting to God's word.

Right, I'm not here just showing you something that Oh you know, guys,

if you do this, you'll be happy. No, no, this

is God's word and when we do it, we can expect the human move

in our lives. So we as humans this myself as well. We have

a tendency to see others faults, but unfortunately, really it is very tough

to look at yourself in the mirror. We are blind to our own faults.

Right, we are right? But guys, can I encourage us before

we point finger and say hey, why like that? Like that? Before

we do that, retract the finger, look at the mirror and take a

long, hard look at ourselves first? Do you know that when you do

stuff like that you will stand to be blessed? You know why? Let

me let me share something I've experienced, maybe in the past three years.

Self awareness. And when I talk about self, I'm not or I'm finding

self aware like the AI. No no, no, no. Self awareness

as in our own self awareness will allow us to know where we're at and

where we're moving. When you don't have self awareness, are and you don't

know where you're anna, you don't know where to go, you're just chasing

after something and chasing after something. But when you're fully self aware, meaning

fully aware of your own weaknesses. Fully aware of the things that you've done,

then you can start making proper progress on adjusting things. Right. One

of the weaknesses I have, and I'll be honest with you, was that

I well behavioral traitlar okay, I'm not the time that will say and listen

to people one okay, And unfortunately my wife have suffered many years because of

that. When I realized this thing about self awareness, I taught myself,

oh my goodness, oh my goodness, lord, I think I need to

start listening to my wife. And all wife say, you know, I

think I need to start listening to my wife, right, you know.

And when I say listen, I'm not just I'm just saying just sitting there

and listening to her. So I remember, once I realized that I bot

my wife, we had a too to treat our conversation. I just shut

up and listen to her. Very hard to do, okay, very hard

to do. Okay, you can see. I love to talk. But

guys, looking at how my wife opened up softened my head as a husband

and made me realize I want to keep doing this. I could only have

done it if I have self awareness. But if you keep thinking No,

you should do this. No, you should fix that. No, you

should you know. I know it all, I know it all, I

know it all. It's a lot of pride there, guys, and when

we don't have self awareness, very hard to move forward. That's why if

you feel stuck, can I encourage you? If you feel stuck in your

life right now, maybe you should pause and reflect on how have things has

been? Don't just point finger point finger point finger Everyone's a problem. You

know. You know what they say, right, if everyone's a problem,

maybe you are a problem. Oh so hard. Don't worry. Jesus will

help you. Okay, let me let me share this story which cay say?

Good time? Okay, doing good time? Let me share this story.

Right my second year of university. Okay, I'll tell you sorry future,

but yeah, this is this guy. This quite cool? What do

you here? And uh so I studied MMU okay, same same course with

puss eject. He's like senior one year senior. Okay, we did like

creative Mali media And the first year they kind of allowed you to stay in

a hostel, right, but the second year they kind of kick you out

so that the new students can stay in a hostel. And I was so

confident because I followed the law, you know, I'm faithful. I was

so confident, right that I can get a place to stay. Okay,

so confident, so much soul that come the last one right of shifting out,

I still got no place to stay, right, And I'm like,

okay, and so happened again. I don't know that if your advice this

and so happened. Oh yeah, and so happened. I managed to find

a house with people that I'm not very close to, right, but I

have one friend that I was close to close to, and we stayed in

the house, you know. And it was in uh South City condominiums the

time. It was new and happening, okay, and I think passaject was

staying there. Yeah, a lot of people are from CFU and we actually

had like a care group that was there, so every other week we'll meet

together. I don't even remember this, sorry, but yeah, So I

stay in that place, and uh, you know what, you know,

excited staying out. You know, South City is like thirty minutes from Cyberjaya.

I said, housemaids. Okay, let me let me tell you what

happened now. So one thing led to another. I won't go too much

into detail, but after two months of staying in the house, there was

this one housemaid that I hit with all my guts. Can I clarify this.

I'm not a person that hate people easily. On Okay, I've gone

through a pretty tough childhood, right, and I think when you go through

tough things, okay, you know you deal with difficult people and all.

But I didn't know why after two three months, right, I really hated

this guy with all my guts. Okay, let me tell you one thing

that this person did. I use guy the guy already. Let me tell

you that one thing that person did. So I came back home, well,

to the condo, I went to the toilet and wanted to use the

toilet. And then and then there's this sign on the toilet that says in

bhasa out of order. He says ROSA nicely a for paper written stuck on

the toilet and I'm looking at it, and I'm like, I'm not in

a public toilet, I'm in a condole. Nobody said anything in the duol

and I'm looking at the door. I'm like what So I went and I

think I'm quite handy. Okay, I'm a pretty handy person. I opened

the toilet ball and I look at what's inside, you know, because can't

flush, okay, basically can't flash. I look at what's inside and I

noticed. Okay, if you're familiar with plumbing, i'll just give you a

bill. There is basically a hook that hooks the pump with the handle,

and the hook just dropped. I rehood the thing and Ca'm frustrated, and

I'm like, man, this person that did they love Okay, never mind,

it didn't happen once, It happened many times. Okay, I tell

you another story. There was. There was one time where I went to

the kitchen, uh, and you know, the kitchen cabinet was on the

floor. The kitchen cabinet handle door was on the floor, and the sign

out of order was there on the kitchen the floor, and I'm looking at

it. I'm like, you know, by now we kind of know who

or what you know, and we were like oh, and I took it

up. Nothing broke, guys, nothing broke. And basically I rescrewed the

kitchen cabinet, cut the door back and it was working fine. I hated

this person. I really there were a few more things that happened, but

because we have kids here, I won't go to it. Let's just let

me tell you that. Yeah, yeah, it was tough. And you

know, when you really don't like something, most I was you really don't

try something everybody knows your circle of friend no, because you will tell everybody

about it. You know, your CF members will nonect remember this. Your

CF member will know how awesome this person is in your life, what impact

these persons do in your life? Right, because you keep talking about the

person again and again. I tell you, Wow, the hit that consume

me. It was so bad and I didn't realize. So what happened was

that after two three months, I remember, we had a cadgroup meeting and

we met in I think puss dejects, you know, unique and if you

always sitting, you know, and you know, like homes right after you

share the chair worship and then you come to about oh, you know,

what can we pray for you about? Right? You have that you know?

And I went on my tiradler, Oh this guy, you know.

Basically it was an opportunity to just release and they were all listening. But

I went quite long and I think during that time, puss A Jack I

remember because he was the CD leader. He I tell you had a very

good heart. He very good heart, awesome leader. You know. He

actually stopped me and say, I mean, can you can you be stopped

for him? Stop from you know, you keep complaining about this guy?

Right, Maybe you are the problem. Maybe he's offended by you. Okay,

the last I checked, Right, he's a problem. Lad, Okay,

he's a problem. The last I check. I had to bossle and

think about it. No, no, no, no, he's a prob.

You know. No, But let me tell you what happened after that.

I kept quiet. Of course, you'll be like, how can you

say that? Right, you're like a CF leader. You know, I

respect you. How can you say that? But I can expect it from

buss Jack. You know, I believe God was using him, because you

know what happened after that, I actually kept quiet. I went back and

I thought about it. I reflected, and I asked God, God,

I'm here. Oh God, I ask God God, I mind a problem

and ask him the question. No. But but that triggered a thought,

what have I become? I don't like the person that I become. I

don't like the person I become. I'm come. I had to stop myself

and say, oh my goodness, I become such an awful person. I've

never hated anybody before. I've never complained before. I've always learned, Toro,

you know what have I become? And I prayed and ask God,

God, please come over, take over. And then the word came forgive,

forgive. Right, you talk about loving your enemies, you talk about,

you know, not judging people. Forgive. So from the work from

the unit to my unit, this is what happened. Okay, let me

show you what happened from the work from my need to wish. About five

minutes, I prayed and I said, God, I don't want to be

this person anymore. Please help me. And I said God, I am

going to ask for forgiveness. So I'm actually acting on what pussons I said

that I might have offended the person, okay, and I do like love

your enemies, right slept here slept here. So instead of going to the

person and say say sorry to we right, I went I knocked the person's

door. It was literally I not a person's door, and I told the

person, I say, hey, you know, I just want to ask

for your forgiveness if I did anything wrong, and if I really you know,

and of course the person's chocola like, uh no, you didn't do

anything wrong, and okayla, So of course the person was just not affected

at all. But do you know what did for me when I did that?

It was very humbling. I asked for forgiveness. I asked God for

forgiveness, and I felt peace, total peace. Let me tell you what

happened after that. You by now be expecting, right, like, oh,

suddenly the person change. God spoke to the person, right, and

then the person came to c F and then you know, you got to

say, you know, you probably think about all these things, right three

months, I still had to stay in their house for another eight months.

Nothing change, nothing changed. The out of other sign came out a few

more times, nothing changed. A few other things that happened, which I

won't go into detail, didn't change. But you know what change I change?

Nothing changed, The situation didn't change. But that eight months was great.

I'm not being sarcastic. I didn't hate the person anymore. I was

at total peace. I could serve the person by still fixing all the things

in the stick happily. Oh Lord, nothing changed, Nothing magical happened.

In fact, we had a change of housemates and another housemate that was a

younger kid and now not also had to experience with this person. And the

personally came to me to confide in me and say, oh my God,

I can't take this guy, you know, And I'm like, uh,

you know, speak like that. Nothing change, but I change. Why

does God teach us these things? Is it so that we can you know,

yeah, sort and lie? But is it so that we can be

the savior of the world. No, Jesus really did that. We don't

have to do that. God teaches these things so that we can be set

free. Because when we understand forgiveness, when we understand how the love,

when we understand that it is not an exchange between me and the person,

you know, the person who changed still the same. I think today someone

asked me that they do you know what the person? I said, No,

I don't want to know, you know. But there was no hate.

In fact, it was a lesson that I believe God wanted to teach

me to learn to forgive others, you know. And my late mom actually

gave me this advice. I said, Now everybody around you know your problem.

Right. She actually told me this, She said, you know what,

Elvin, you got to get over it because when you go and work,

you meet people ten times worse. Right, And she was right.

I met people ten times worse after that when I worked. But because I

overcome the point one times ten was okayla, because I knew what to do.

Ready forgive damn Lord, for they don't know what they're doing. You

know, friends, we got to prepare our hearts. It is not just

coming to church on Sunday. It is knowing the power that God has given

us, you know, And it's not just my testimony. Different ones here

you would have experienced forgiveness as well. And maybe some of you here you

need to forgive someone, you know. The perspective has always been this person

wrong me, this person wrong me. Yeah, the person wrong you.

That's why we're living in the fallen world. Ask God to come and redeem

you. Don't rely on that person to redeem you. You're relying on the

wrong thing. Amen. So what do I share? Love your enemies?

How do we prepare our hearts? Love your enemies? First? Second,

don't judge others you see, when the Lord deals with your heart, a

lot of other things will be easier and know right and finally bear good fruit.

You know, if you can forgive someone, it's easier not to judge

people. After that. You know, when you don't judge people, after

that, it's easier to love your enemies. Do you know that When it's

easier to love your enemies, it's easier to make disciples and to teach people.

So it's a progressional If we cannot overcome that, it will be very

difficult to do the rest God wants us to change. Amen, So we

got to bear good fruit. Okay, look chapter six for the treat of

forty five. What does it say? A good tree can't produce bad fruit,

and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by

his fruit. Fixed are never getted from torn bushes, and grapes are not

picked from bramble brousches. A good person produces good things from the treasury of

a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of

an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

So, friends, a tree is known by his fruit. Okay, you

are known by your fruit, whether you like it or not. You are

known by your fruit, Okay. You are known by your track record and

actions and decisions that you make and continue to make. And you cannot pin

that on anyone else. I am responsible for my own actions. I can't

blame it on my parents. I can't blame it on the people around me.

Right, And a good man, out of good treasure in his heart,

brings forth good So do we have good treasure in our hearts? Do

we allow God to change our hearts? Ready or not? Or is it

stinky trash inside? You know? I heard this from Pascana, he said,

I think there was a There was this saying. You know, when

you squeeze an orange, what comes out? Is it apple juice? No?

What comes out from the orange was already inside it. So when you

squeeze a person, pressure right, putting, you know, out of other

signs everywhere in the house, when you squeeze a person, what comes out?

Yeah? That's correct? So what is our value? What is the

treasure in your heart? Amen? Let's have God's love in your heart.

Let's allow God to move. Yes, I'm not saying it's going to be

easy, guys. It is a process. For me right and God use

different people got us pass the jack. You know, he probably don't remember.

I remember. It was a significant moment in my Christian life. Like,

wow, Lord, I finally understand and it was quite cool, you

know, so friends, Finally, the last point is to build on the

wrong Amen. Why do you keep calling me lord lord when you don't do

what I say? I'll show you what it's like when someone comes to me,

listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a

person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.

When the flood waters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because

it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey, it's like

a person who builds a house right on the ground without a foundation. When

the flood sweep down against the house, it will collapse into a heap of

ruins. Why do we call Jesus lord but we don't know what he says?

It's our faith and identity as little Christ just for show or face value.

Do you know that Christians didn't come from Christians? The name Christians came

from other people. They had to find a way to say or to name

this group of people that look like Jesus. How powerful is that? No,

now, it's very easy to be Christian just way across then you're Christian.

Just have an English name, then you're Christian. You know. But

those days are they're like who are they? They're just living their daily lives.

There was no branding. They didn't go around saying praise the Lord,

nothing. They just live their life and people are like, hey, we

have to name these people or let's call him Christians because Jesus is in them?

Is it? Just face value our faith those who follow Jesus words and

not just listens, but that then builds his foundation on the wrong and not

saying what does that mean? Are you going through a storm in your life

right now? If you're feeling shaky, where is your foundation? It all

starts with the foundation of Christ. Remember, I say I started sharing a

few with the assumption and all of us are believers. Means I'm starting sharing

you with the assumption that all of us are building our foundation on Jesus,

not anything else, Not on your family, not on your career, not

on your identity. As know, I don't know in this nation, no

on Jesus Christ. My foundation is on Christ. And when the floods come,

when challenges of life come, when problems come, whatever you can think

in your life that signifies flood. Lat Okay, flood comes suddenly, right?

You know, when we follow Jesus, not just listen, not just

come here and listen, but really follow, We're building on the rock.

When we build a rock, whatever happens in our life, we will not

be shaken. That's the truth. That's the truth. Someone who knows who

his God is, someone who knows who her God is will not be shaken

because they will nowhere to go. They will know who am I standing on?

Right? Who am I relying on? That's important. So, friends,

even as I end a few questions, have we built on the rock

of our salvation Jesus Christ? You see? You know the commission is so

great. Loving the world is so great, But you got to realize that

you've got to build that first. So if this is not there, how

are you going to love your enemies? If this is not there, how

are you going to not judge others? You know, we got to start

here first and then build up, and then build up. Maybe we need

a shaking because we don't know where the foundation is. And if you're going

through that shacking right now, let me tell you God is interested in you.

He want Do you know that God will not allow us to be too

comfortable? He won't know. He won't because he wants to know her or

wants to at least remind us who to hold on to. Because sometimes when

we're comfortable, we will hold on to a lot of things are that will

follow away. But when we know who to hold on to, Wow,

you will not be shaken. So if you're not ready, it will be

hard to love others. That's honest, true. Let alone go and fulfill

missions, go make disciples. It will be hard. Do you know that

doing all these things MESSI do you know? People are messy. I've had

the privilege to be doing this for a while, not just ministry and preaching,

but you know, we really believe in working with people doing white people.

It's messy. You know, people can change their minds, people can

point fingers and you and you know say you don't care. Man, I've

gone through betrayals before also, right, but we still do it. Because

even Jesus went through Judas is carried and he was still one of the disciples.

So if Jesus can, I cannot because my foundation is in is in

Him. Let me leave you for scriptures just to encourage you. I hope

you guys are I'm gonna end soon. Okay. First, romans Child wanted

to says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of mind. What's happening today today, as

we are studying God's word today, as we are listening to you know,

the rima word of God. Right, our minds are being transformed. Our

minds are being challenged right to say, okay, I have revelation today,

I understand act upon that revelation. Don't just leave it aside. Right that

why you may prove? What is that good and acceptable and perfect will of

God? If you are here and you say I want to follow God's will,

that's clear. When you follow his word, you are the one proving

it daily that it works. I'm here proving to you that it works because

I followed and it works. Right. Second, Coridians Tree eighteen says,

but we all, we unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of

God, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory,

just as the spear of God. How all, how young you are,

how learned you are. Here, we are constantly being transformed. So don't

reject his word, don't reject it, don't reject change. Don't think that

we've arrive. No, none of us here have arrived. We've only arrived

with me reach heaven right, We've not arrived. But allow God to transform

you. You'll be surprised. Oh you know I've been. You know I've

been so already. I you know they say you can't teach all dog nutrixs

I totally don't believe in that. Yesterday we were at the Mental Health Awareness

and uh and what happened was we had a networking session. Uh. So

for those of you who don't know, I'm just gonna make it real quick.

So my youngest son is sorry. My eldest son has my autism.

And we've been going through uh this journey for a few years now. And

one of the things that I've learned is that there are many families, especially

those that don't really know, they come to a place where they will sort

of like give up and just keep their kids at home, right, and

then of course they grow up to be like thirty fourty years old. But

can I share with you and encourage thing that I've somehow found out and discovered.

I believe that, however, all that person with especially so with learning

disabilities are there is still a chance for the person to progress. So yesterday

I asked this person, and this person was, I learned a new developmental

psychologist okay, and basically specializing in behavioral change in people. So they do.

What this person does is uh you know she does she helps drug addicts

or different people with addiction come out of it human behavior right in terms of

their psychology, in terms of like you know, different programs. So it's

quite interesting. So as this person is, I said, based on your

professional opinion, right, an individual twenty thirty years old didn't get any occupation

or therapy, didn't get any help, maybe stay at home has does this

person have a chance to progress in life? So of course the person said,

hold on before I answer you, I you clarify something. When we

are adults, we are set in our ways, right, So it will

be harder, but it's not impossible. It will be harder, but it's

not impossible. Do you know how many families need to hear that? That

you have a thirty year old young man or young woman who's at home.

Maybe don't. It will be harder, yes, because they're already when they

are younger, then we do early intervention. Then is easier. It will

be harder. It might take ten years, it might take two years,

but it's possible to have behavioral change and to help the individual. Do you

know how revelational that was. It's just that we are not willing to take

the ten and twenty years and then we come to a place many people to

say, I've accepted my faith and I will just live with these friends.

Can I encourage you today? Don't assert your faith. Yes, it will

be easy for some. Yes, it might be a difficult journey. Yes,

it might take ten years, twenty years. Don't give up. There

is hope. There is hope, and God will be able to help us

because we you know, through Him we have grace. Through Him, we

have all sufficiency. Amen. Last scripture will give to you Romans eight twenty

six. Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. I've shared a

lot of things today. I know something you might feel like, Oh man,

I'm doing in this area well, gog news. The Holy Spirit will

help you, for we do not know what we should pray for us we

ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be

uttered. You might catch different things. You might not remember a lot of

things, but whatever you catch, I believe the Holy Spirit will want a

minister to you. Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message.

For more information on our church, please visit exchurch dot org. We are

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be a good week, a hit for you. God bless