WEBVTT 00:00:10.777 --> 00:00:16.316 There's something I've been thinking about recently - 00:00:16.316 --> 00:00:17.817 we have to check our hearts 00:00:17.817 --> 00:00:21.888 because in a world that's ever increasingly divisive, 00:00:21.888 --> 00:00:25.558 polemic, do we find our hearts slowly slipping 00:00:25.558 --> 00:00:28.228 into being judgemental? 00:00:28.228 --> 00:00:31.064 Divisive? finding it difficult to forgive? 00:00:31.064 --> 00:00:32.899 finding it difficult to be compassionate? 00:00:32.899 --> 00:00:34.601 judging people? 00:00:34.601 --> 00:00:36.202 And I think that's one of the greatest 00:00:36.202 --> 00:00:37.504 temptations that we face, 00:00:37.504 --> 00:00:39.606 to put ourselves in the position of judge 00:00:39.606 --> 00:00:42.909 whereas that's not a position that God gives us 00:00:42.909 --> 00:00:45.178 as children of God. 00:00:45.178 --> 00:00:46.613 Whilst we're on this earth, 00:00:46.613 --> 00:00:49.015 it's not our place to judge 00:00:49.015 --> 00:00:50.383 because God is the judge. 00:00:50.383 --> 00:00:52.252 And I think so many of us, 00:00:52.252 --> 00:00:55.989 maybe consciously or subconsciously find ourselves slipping 00:00:55.989 --> 00:00:59.025 into that judgemental position. 00:00:59.025 --> 00:01:00.927 What can you say about this? 00:01:00.927 --> 00:01:03.663 What is judgement? 00:01:03.663 --> 00:01:07.000 Well, when we judge someone's motives 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.969 or think that we know the reason why someone does something 00:01:09.969 --> 00:01:11.771 and say whether it's good or bad. 00:01:11.771 --> 00:01:13.873 Thank you for saying motive. 00:01:13.873 --> 00:01:17.210 We need to understand when it comes to judgement, 00:01:17.210 --> 00:01:19.379 Jesus' standard of judgement is different 00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:22.148 from man's judgement. 00:01:22.148 --> 00:01:25.785 That the Lord does not judge what we say, 00:01:25.785 --> 00:01:29.055 what we do on face value. 00:01:29.055 --> 00:01:31.291 The Lord always looks at our heart 00:01:31.291 --> 00:01:35.829 to judge the motivation of why we are doing this. 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:39.599 And that's the purpose that brings God's approval 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:42.068 or the reproof of God in our actions 00:01:42.068 --> 00:01:44.304 and decisions every day. 00:01:44.304 --> 00:01:47.307 As you said today, 00:01:47.307 --> 00:01:49.309 God is all about relationship. 00:01:49.309 --> 00:01:51.845 We should not forget that the heart 00:01:51.845 --> 00:01:55.315 of the matter of this Bible is to restore 00:01:55.315 --> 00:01:58.418 the relationship between God and man. 00:01:58.418 --> 00:01:59.452 And that's the love relationship. 00:01:59.452 --> 00:02:00.587 Absolutely. 00:02:00.587 --> 00:02:01.855 Not only between God and man, 00:02:01.855 --> 00:02:03.857 to other fellow human beings. 00:02:03.857 --> 00:02:05.191 I say mankind. 00:02:05.191 --> 00:02:08.228 Today relationships are under repair, everywhere. 00:02:08.228 --> 00:02:09.229 Not only towards God, 00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:10.630 but towards our neighbour, 00:02:10.630 --> 00:02:12.532 towards our brothers, towards our sisters, 00:02:12.532 --> 00:02:15.301 towards our friends and towards those who are not our friends. 00:02:15.301 --> 00:02:16.803 Why we are saying this. 00:02:16.803 --> 00:02:20.073 Jesus said, ‘you should love the Lord your God, 00:02:20.073 --> 00:02:21.207 with all your heart, 00:02:21.207 --> 00:02:23.643 with all your mind, with all your strength and? 00:02:23.643 --> 00:02:25.245 Love your neighbour as yourself’. 00:02:25.245 --> 00:02:27.714 Good - as yourself. 00:02:27.714 --> 00:02:31.484 That love starts first with the love of God. 00:02:31.484 --> 00:02:33.920 And that's the love of God in us, 00:02:33.920 --> 00:02:35.555 as the Bible says ‘it’s poured 00:02:35.555 --> 00:02:36.723 by the Holy Spirit in our heart’. 00:02:36.723 --> 00:02:40.894 Romans 5:5, that overflows. 00:02:40.894 --> 00:02:42.695 If I have a cup of water, 00:02:42.695 --> 00:02:45.365 you cannot quench my thirst with a cup of water. 00:02:45.365 --> 00:02:47.767 You share it with me, that's why Jesus said. 00:02:47.767 --> 00:02:49.669 If you know who is speaking to you 00:02:49.669 --> 00:02:53.573 and what is the gift of God in John 4, 00:02:53.573 --> 00:02:55.775 you would've asked me and I will give you? 00:02:55.775 --> 00:02:56.910 Living water. 00:02:56.910 --> 00:02:58.077 Living waters. 00:02:58.077 --> 00:02:59.979 And the water I give you will? 00:02:59.979 --> 00:03:01.181 Well up within you. 00:03:01.181 --> 00:03:04.350 Will well up, overflow to everlasting life. 00:03:04.350 --> 00:03:05.251 Oh my God! 00:03:05.251 --> 00:03:07.020 God has set a table before us 00:03:07.020 --> 00:03:10.023 and He wants us to be blessed abundantly 00:03:10.023 --> 00:03:14.060 so we can have something to share with others. 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:17.030 It means our request, when we come before God 00:03:17.030 --> 00:03:18.831 should not be self-centred. 00:03:18.831 --> 00:03:20.667 If we ask for God's sake, 00:03:20.667 --> 00:03:23.102 the blessing will overflow. 00:03:23.102 --> 00:03:24.537 If you ask for God's sake, 00:03:24.537 --> 00:03:26.372 God knows you are not asking just for you, 00:03:26.372 --> 00:03:27.540 but for your neighbour. 00:03:27.540 --> 00:03:30.143 That means one of the major obstacles 00:03:30.143 --> 00:03:31.844 is actually selfishness. 00:03:31.844 --> 00:03:32.679 Absolutely. 00:03:32.679 --> 00:03:35.148 And that makes us also want to judge people. 00:03:35.148 --> 00:03:37.350 That is a problem we have. 00:03:37.350 --> 00:03:38.751 That's why James says, 00:03:38.751 --> 00:03:40.053 when we come into God's presence, 00:03:40.053 --> 00:03:42.889 we ask and we don't receive because we ask- 00:03:42.889 --> 00:03:43.723 Wrongly. 00:03:43.723 --> 00:03:44.557 Wrongly, why? 00:03:44.557 --> 00:03:48.695 We ask for selfish, classic, and material reasons. 00:03:48.695 --> 00:03:50.196 The motivation God approves 00:03:50.196 --> 00:03:53.333 is when the reason behind the action is for God's sake. 00:03:53.333 --> 00:03:55.935 And it is only God that can see that motive. 00:03:55.935 --> 00:03:59.339 We can't see people’s motives. 00:03:59.339 --> 00:04:00.707 God can only see it 00:04:00.707 --> 00:04:01.741 and that's what is important 00:04:01.741 --> 00:04:02.575 because we are not asking man, 00:04:02.575 --> 00:04:04.577 we are asking God. 00:04:04.577 --> 00:04:06.346 You want God to hear you. 00:04:06.346 --> 00:04:07.981 We want God to answer our prayers. 00:04:07.981 --> 00:04:12.752 So remember, when we come to Him with our lips, 00:04:12.752 --> 00:04:15.088 He listens to our heart. 00:04:15.088 --> 00:04:18.791 Can we go to Matthew 15:8 00:04:18.791 --> 00:04:22.128 that will lay down the principle of this message. 00:04:22.128 --> 00:04:24.264 Matthew 15:8. 00:04:24.264 --> 00:04:25.965 Let's listen to what Jesus Christ, 00:04:25.965 --> 00:04:27.467 the righteous judge said. 00:04:27.467 --> 00:04:30.370 But don't forget the Bible calls Jesus, 00:04:30.370 --> 00:04:32.338 the judge of the living and of the dead. 00:04:32.338 --> 00:04:33.940 Let's listen to the judgement of Christ. 00:04:33.940 --> 00:04:36.476 "These people draw near to me with their mouth 00:04:36.476 --> 00:04:37.910 and honour me with their lips, 00:04:37.910 --> 00:04:40.680 but their heart is far from me." 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:41.648 "And in vain they worship me, 00:04:41.648 --> 00:04:44.784 teaching as doctrines, the commandments of men." 00:04:44.784 --> 00:04:46.152 In vain we pray, 00:04:46.152 --> 00:04:49.289 in vain we ask when we come with our mouth alone, 00:04:49.289 --> 00:04:51.224 but our hearts are far from God. 00:04:51.224 --> 00:04:52.825 How sad that is, 00:04:52.825 --> 00:04:54.861 that people think they're worshiping 00:04:54.861 --> 00:04:56.429 but actually it's in vain. 00:04:56.429 --> 00:05:00.833 Yes, because our heart is far from God. 00:05:00.833 --> 00:05:03.436 Means when we come to God, 00:05:03.436 --> 00:05:06.139 we should bring our heart first before our mouth. 00:05:06.139 --> 00:05:08.107 We should not be too quick to speak. 00:05:08.107 --> 00:05:09.108 When you bring your heart, 00:05:09.108 --> 00:05:11.044 when you engage your heart before God, 00:05:11.044 --> 00:05:13.179 the scriptures say we don't know what to ask. 00:05:13.179 --> 00:05:14.280 We don't know what to pray for. 00:05:14.280 --> 00:05:16.382 Romans 8:26-27. 00:05:16.382 --> 00:05:18.117 That's why the Holy Spirit intercedes. 00:05:18.117 --> 00:05:19.185 Absolutely. 00:05:19.185 --> 00:05:21.120 In words we cannot... 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:22.355 Yes, go ahead. 00:05:22.355 --> 00:05:23.189 Those we cannot. 00:05:23.189 --> 00:05:24.390 We cannot comprehend. 00:05:24.390 --> 00:05:25.558 Thank you. 00:05:25.558 --> 00:05:26.993 When the Holy Spirit comes, 00:05:26.993 --> 00:05:29.529 He will take you to God's presence first 00:05:29.529 --> 00:05:30.330 and then He will help you 00:05:30.330 --> 00:05:32.365 how to pray and what to pray for. 00:05:32.365 --> 00:05:36.235 We often hear that prayer changes things. 00:05:36.235 --> 00:05:37.737 That's not entirely true. 00:05:37.737 --> 00:05:38.571 Yes. 00:05:38.571 --> 00:05:39.405 Prayer changes us. 00:05:39.405 --> 00:05:40.907 Prayer changes us and? 00:05:40.907 --> 00:05:43.509 And faith changes things. 00:05:43.509 --> 00:05:44.977 Faith causes things to happen. 00:05:44.977 --> 00:05:46.746 Let's break that one down. 00:05:46.746 --> 00:05:48.114 Prayer changes me. 00:05:48.114 --> 00:05:50.450 Because it takes our focus off ourselves. 00:05:50.450 --> 00:05:52.452 We all enter God's presence because we have trouble. 00:05:52.452 --> 00:05:55.455 Because nobody comes to Jesus in comfort, am I right? 00:05:55.455 --> 00:05:57.557 Very often we come because of our burden. 00:05:57.557 --> 00:06:00.593 But the Bible says don't be too quick 00:06:00.593 --> 00:06:01.961 to ask for solution. 00:06:01.961 --> 00:06:05.698 Try to find out what God is saying in the matter. 00:06:05.698 --> 00:06:09.335 That's why we bring all burdens before Jesus to God 00:06:09.335 --> 00:06:12.605 and ask Him to know God's opinion on the matter. 00:06:12.605 --> 00:06:14.273 This is God's opinion on the matter 00:06:14.273 --> 00:06:16.909 that will reveal His will on the matter. 00:06:16.909 --> 00:06:21.280 Jesus walking towards the cross was not for Himself, 00:06:21.280 --> 00:06:23.683 it was for you and I, for humankind 00:06:23.683 --> 00:06:25.985 because He said, "Nobody takes my life, 00:06:25.985 --> 00:06:28.454 I lay it down myself. 00:06:28.454 --> 00:06:31.157 I have the power to give my life and to take it back. 00:06:31.157 --> 00:06:33.459 That's the command of my father." 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:36.863 So it is the motivation that is important. 00:06:36.863 --> 00:06:38.865 When Peter heard what Jesus said, 00:06:38.865 --> 00:06:40.433 "I'm going to Jerusalem, 00:06:40.433 --> 00:06:41.701 they will arrest me, 00:06:41.701 --> 00:06:44.771 they will spit on me and they will kill me. 00:06:44.771 --> 00:06:47.273 On the third day I will rise." 00:06:47.273 --> 00:06:49.275 Peter said, "What? God forbid. 00:06:49.275 --> 00:06:50.410 It will never happen to you." 00:06:50.410 --> 00:06:53.045 Why? selfishness. 00:06:53.045 --> 00:06:56.082 Peter was focusing on himself, on the natural side 00:06:56.082 --> 00:06:58.451 with emotion, with love for Jesus. 00:06:58.451 --> 00:07:01.621 But Jesus was thinking the thoughts of God, 00:07:01.621 --> 00:07:02.789 not the thoughts of man. 00:07:02.789 --> 00:07:05.024 So when we judge situations 00:07:05.024 --> 00:07:07.293 and others from a human point of view, 00:07:07.293 --> 00:07:11.964 it's actually a selfish attitude, is that right? 00:07:11.964 --> 00:07:13.833 Absolutely, because very often 00:07:13.833 --> 00:07:17.470 we judge people because we have a mindset, 00:07:17.470 --> 00:07:18.938 a negative mindset, 00:07:18.938 --> 00:07:20.606 pre-judgement against others 00:07:20.606 --> 00:07:22.008 and that is not good. 00:07:22.008 --> 00:07:24.710 Remember in John 8:11, 00:07:24.710 --> 00:07:27.814 when they brought the adulterous woman before Jesus. 00:07:27.814 --> 00:07:30.683 The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the teachers of the law 00:07:30.683 --> 00:07:33.219 who brought that woman to Jesus for judgement. 00:07:33.219 --> 00:07:34.821 That's why they brought her for judgement. 00:07:34.821 --> 00:07:36.189 Because the law of Moses said, 00:07:36.189 --> 00:07:38.825 anybody who committed sin must be stoned to death. 00:07:38.825 --> 00:07:42.595 So their decision was made already. 00:07:42.595 --> 00:07:45.097 They had a prejudgement on that woman already. 00:07:45.097 --> 00:07:47.467 They judged her in their hearts already. 00:07:47.467 --> 00:07:49.035 They just wanted confirmation. 00:07:49.035 --> 00:07:50.236 And when they brought her to Jesus, they said, 00:07:50.236 --> 00:07:52.738 "Master, the law of Moses said, 00:07:52.738 --> 00:07:57.510 if we catch any person in the act of doing adultery, 00:07:57.510 --> 00:07:59.745 that such a person should be stoned to death." 00:07:59.745 --> 00:08:00.913 That's what the law of Moses said. 00:08:00.913 --> 00:08:02.315 They were trying to trick Him. 00:08:02.315 --> 00:08:05.117 You, what do you say? 00:08:05.117 --> 00:08:07.987 So when we take the situation on literal senses, 00:08:07.987 --> 00:08:11.657 on the letter, you are going to stone the woman. 00:08:11.657 --> 00:08:12.492 That's what the letter says. 00:08:12.492 --> 00:08:13.392 That's why even a judge, 00:08:13.392 --> 00:08:15.261 when you go to any court today, 00:08:15.261 --> 00:08:17.396 no judge will go by the face value. 00:08:17.396 --> 00:08:20.533 They do investigation to find out 00:08:20.533 --> 00:08:22.435 what was the motivation of the person. 00:08:22.435 --> 00:08:23.970 You will never condemn any person 00:08:23.970 --> 00:08:27.139 if you learn the person has a psychiatric problem. 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:31.010 The first thing is if the person has his own mind. 00:08:31.010 --> 00:08:32.745 Has he done this act wilfully, 00:08:32.745 --> 00:08:35.114 consciously with all of his mind? 00:08:35.114 --> 00:08:37.116 That's when guilt can come. 00:08:37.116 --> 00:08:39.552 Because if the person is out of his mind, 00:08:39.552 --> 00:08:40.987 because he has a psychiatric problem, 00:08:40.987 --> 00:08:42.922 you cannot say he expresses will. 00:08:42.922 --> 00:08:44.624 He doesn't know what he's doing. 00:08:44.624 --> 00:08:46.993 So rather than judge him, and take him to prison, 00:08:46.993 --> 00:08:48.728 they would take him to hospital for treatment 00:08:48.728 --> 00:08:50.897 and that was the right judgement, right? 00:08:50.897 --> 00:08:53.332 But in the case we're talking about, 00:08:53.332 --> 00:08:55.434 when they brought the woman to Jesus, 00:08:55.434 --> 00:08:57.570 Jesus looked at them and said, 00:08:57.570 --> 00:09:00.907 "If any of you has never committed sin, 00:09:00.907 --> 00:09:04.443 be the first to throw the stone." 00:09:04.443 --> 00:09:07.446 I just love that word that Jesus spoke 00:09:07.446 --> 00:09:09.282 because it just shows 00:09:09.282 --> 00:09:12.151 that Jesus is the father of every heart, 00:09:12.151 --> 00:09:16.289 every heart from now till the end of the ages. 00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:18.891 And everyone has to answer to Him, 00:09:18.891 --> 00:09:19.959 whether we understand it or not, 00:09:19.959 --> 00:09:21.160 or we realize it or not. 00:09:21.160 --> 00:09:23.095 We do have to answer to Him 00:09:23.095 --> 00:09:25.331 and that is why He knew 00:09:25.331 --> 00:09:27.333 what had happened in each person's heart 00:09:27.333 --> 00:09:29.068 because He knew the motive. 00:09:29.068 --> 00:09:32.138 And that's why only He was in the position 00:09:32.138 --> 00:09:34.507 to say that judgement. 00:09:34.507 --> 00:09:40.046 Rightful judgement is to get into the heart of the matter. 00:09:40.046 --> 00:09:41.847 And you can't do that without the Holy Spirit. 00:09:41.847 --> 00:09:43.449 No, because the Holy Spirit 00:09:43.449 --> 00:09:45.518 always gets into the heart of the matter. 00:09:45.518 --> 00:09:49.655 He never judges a situation by face value, over hearsay, 00:09:49.655 --> 00:09:51.223 or by what a situation looks like. 00:09:51.223 --> 00:09:53.259 He looks beyond, to the heart 00:09:53.259 --> 00:09:55.761 to find out the motivation of the person 00:09:55.761 --> 00:09:57.063 behind that action. 00:09:57.063 --> 00:09:58.731 And we should not be quick to judge. 00:09:58.731 --> 00:10:01.133 Not be too quick to judge. 00:10:01.133 --> 00:10:02.702 If the rightful judge who sees the heart 00:10:02.702 --> 00:10:04.570 does not rush into judgement, 00:10:04.570 --> 00:10:06.439 why should we rush into judgement? 00:10:06.439 --> 00:10:12.244 That's why many relationships have been so strained 00:10:12.244 --> 00:10:16.015 because we judge people on today 00:10:16.015 --> 00:10:18.017 and we don't know what tomorrow brings. 00:10:18.017 --> 00:10:19.285 Husband and wife. 00:10:19.285 --> 00:10:21.287 Today we have many. 00:10:21.287 --> 00:10:23.556 If I ask, if we are honest, 00:10:23.556 --> 00:10:27.226 we have so many marriages, relationships, 00:10:27.226 --> 00:10:29.595 marital relationships that are strained today 00:10:29.595 --> 00:10:32.999 because of this mindset. 00:10:32.999 --> 00:10:37.203 Marriage is a unity of heart and purpose, and mind. 00:10:37.203 --> 00:10:39.205 The heart agrees, right? 00:10:39.205 --> 00:10:40.606 If our heart agrees, 00:10:40.606 --> 00:10:43.376 we should not have any division in our hearts. 00:10:43.376 --> 00:10:46.445 And that's why God said in the Book of Malachi 2, 00:10:46.445 --> 00:10:47.913 "I am the witness of your wedding." 00:10:47.913 --> 00:10:49.382 That's what God said. 00:10:49.382 --> 00:10:52.418 "Be careful that in your heart you will not betray 00:10:52.418 --> 00:10:54.053 your wife or your husband." 00:10:54.053 --> 00:10:55.955 The heart, that's why Jesus say, 00:10:55.955 --> 00:10:58.090 ‘if a man looks at a woman 00:10:58.090 --> 00:10:59.825 in his heart without saying any word, 00:10:59.825 --> 00:11:01.761 but desires to have relationship with a woman, 00:11:01.761 --> 00:11:04.730 he has committed adultery in his heart’. 00:11:04.730 --> 00:11:07.266 Jesus always gets into the heart of the matter, 00:11:07.266 --> 00:11:09.602 the heart, and He said, 00:11:09.602 --> 00:11:11.937 "If any of you has not committed any sin, 00:11:11.937 --> 00:11:13.773 be the first to throw." 00:11:13.773 --> 00:11:15.908 He just demonstrated with just that sentence 00:11:15.908 --> 00:11:17.076 that He's the father of every heart. 00:11:17.076 --> 00:11:19.278 Absolutely, by saying this, 00:11:19.278 --> 00:11:22.114 the motivation, what brought that woman to that act 00:11:22.114 --> 00:11:24.350 however sinful it is, 00:11:24.350 --> 00:11:26.552 the same temptation everybody's faced with today. 00:11:26.552 --> 00:11:29.121 The hierarchy of sin can only be determined by Jesus. 00:11:29.121 --> 00:11:30.156 Sin is sin. 00:11:30.156 --> 00:11:33.059 Lying is sin, killing is sin. 00:11:33.059 --> 00:11:37.630 The sin of Adam, just disobeying. 00:11:37.630 --> 00:11:40.700 The sin of Adam that disobedience of eating a fruit, 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:43.669 I say, How can this bring death to him? 00:11:43.669 --> 00:11:45.538 Not only to him, but to the whole world. 00:11:45.538 --> 00:11:47.840 What matters is not the action, 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:49.975 but the motivation behind the action. 00:11:49.975 --> 00:11:52.645 We'll have time to talk about it in depth. 00:11:52.645 --> 00:11:55.381 But if you see.. 00:11:55.381 --> 00:11:57.149 Yeah, because he wilfully disobeyed God 00:11:57.149 --> 00:11:59.318 and he had chance to repent and he didn't. 00:11:59.318 --> 00:12:00.686 Good. 00:12:00.686 --> 00:12:02.788 If I see you doing something 00:12:02.788 --> 00:12:05.491 which does not seem right to me, 00:12:05.491 --> 00:12:07.626 which does not seem, 00:12:07.626 --> 00:12:12.098 instead of me praying over it or asking you, 00:12:12.098 --> 00:12:13.733 I come to a conclusion 00:12:13.733 --> 00:12:16.235 because I expect you to do the right thing. 00:12:16.235 --> 00:12:20.139 So I say, "Ah, what she did it seems strange to me." 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:23.142 Instead of enquiring from God or finding out, 00:12:23.142 --> 00:12:25.044 you come to a quick mindset and judgement. 00:12:25.044 --> 00:12:27.379 That's why mindset is a problem. 00:12:27.379 --> 00:12:28.380 Negative mindset. 00:12:28.380 --> 00:12:29.715 Negative mindset, 00:12:29.715 --> 00:12:30.850 bad feeling towards others. 00:12:30.850 --> 00:12:34.086 Prejudgement which is fed by pure ignorance 00:12:34.086 --> 00:12:36.322 can come to a judgement, wrong judgement. 00:12:36.322 --> 00:12:37.757 That's why I was thinking of, 00:12:37.757 --> 00:12:40.626 well, I said at the beginning that we as believers, 00:12:40.626 --> 00:12:42.628 we are supposed to be with a difference. 00:12:42.628 --> 00:12:45.197 We're in this world but not part of it. 00:12:45.197 --> 00:12:51.170 So we should refrain from allowing our hearts 00:12:51.170 --> 00:12:57.576 to be drawn to division, to judgement, 00:12:57.576 --> 00:12:59.311 to anger, to bitterness 00:12:59.311 --> 00:13:02.782 when we see or hear things that are happening around us. 00:13:02.782 --> 00:13:04.517 And rather we should do what is good 00:13:04.517 --> 00:13:05.618 to change the bad we see, 00:13:05.618 --> 00:13:06.852 be a force for love. 00:13:06.852 --> 00:13:09.088 Judgement is a double-edged sword. 00:13:09.088 --> 00:13:12.424 You can judge what is not right, 00:13:12.424 --> 00:13:14.727 but you must have a sense of judgement to do what is right, 00:13:14.727 --> 00:13:16.896 and that is what I want to say. 00:13:16.896 --> 00:13:18.230 If I have judgement, it’s not just to say 00:13:18.230 --> 00:13:20.666 "This is bad, this is bad." 00:13:20.666 --> 00:13:22.501 But rightful judgement says, "This is good, 00:13:22.501 --> 00:13:24.370 This is what we should do." 00:13:24.370 --> 00:13:26.739 Yes, it is double sided. 00:13:26.739 --> 00:13:28.140 What I mean. 00:13:28.140 --> 00:13:32.144 Okay, when I enter into a relationship with a person, 00:13:32.144 --> 00:13:33.479 what is the motivation to say 00:13:33.479 --> 00:13:36.115 this is the person, this is this. 00:13:36.115 --> 00:13:38.918 Before you go, the Bible says, ‘Enquire from God’. 00:13:38.918 --> 00:13:40.186 When you enquire from God, 00:13:40.186 --> 00:13:42.855 you have the rightful judgement of anything you do. 00:13:42.855 --> 00:13:44.723 You will know the right place to go, 00:13:44.723 --> 00:13:46.225 the right type of people to meet, 00:13:46.225 --> 00:13:47.626 the right type of job to have. 00:13:47.626 --> 00:13:48.460 That's rightful judgement 00:13:48.460 --> 00:13:51.230 we need to have the positive side of it. 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:53.332 If we have rightful judgement 00:13:53.332 --> 00:13:56.902 and that cannot happen without enquiring from the Holy Spirit, 00:13:56.902 --> 00:13:59.839 then we should guard against judging people. 00:13:59.839 --> 00:14:02.541 Because no one is righteous, not even one. 00:14:02.541 --> 00:14:04.143 Without the Holy Ghost we cannot get 00:14:04.143 --> 00:14:06.245 into the heart of the matter. 00:14:06.245 --> 00:14:09.014 If you ask anyone who is honest and sincere, 00:14:09.014 --> 00:14:11.383 what type of person they want to marry, 00:14:11.383 --> 00:14:12.518 they want to live with, 00:14:12.518 --> 00:14:14.987 they will mention criteria 00:14:14.987 --> 00:14:19.925 that are all based on the outside. 00:14:19.925 --> 00:14:22.328 Beautiful eyes, beautiful nose, 00:14:22.328 --> 00:14:23.996 beautiful body, tall, whatever. 00:14:23.996 --> 00:14:25.531 Everybody has his own, 00:14:25.531 --> 00:14:28.601 How do you call it? Preferences. 00:14:28.601 --> 00:14:29.768 But, 00:14:29.768 --> 00:14:31.403 The most important is the inside. 00:14:31.403 --> 00:14:32.538 Who will talk about the heart? 00:14:32.538 --> 00:14:34.540 A man or woman that fears God. 00:14:34.540 --> 00:14:37.209 That's the heart. 00:14:37.209 --> 00:14:40.546 Our heart does things before our mouth. 00:14:40.546 --> 00:14:42.882 That's the motivation. 00:14:42.882 --> 00:14:43.716 That's why the Bible says, 00:14:43.716 --> 00:14:46.952 ‘When you think negatively, 00:14:46.952 --> 00:14:50.990 you are bound to speak negatively and act negatively’. 00:14:50.990 --> 00:14:54.994 That's why the Lord warns everybody in that Matthew 15:8, 00:14:54.994 --> 00:14:59.198 ‘That what defiles us is what comes from our mouth. 00:14:59.198 --> 00:15:01.834 All our motivation, anger, 00:15:01.834 --> 00:15:04.503 resentment, divorce, separation, attack 00:15:04.503 --> 00:15:08.507 always comes from the heart of a person. 00:15:08.507 --> 00:15:10.009 That's why, remember when Peter said 00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:13.612 to Ananias in Act 5, 00:15:13.612 --> 00:15:15.948 that's a clear example of judgement. 00:15:15.948 --> 00:15:17.917 Let's take the example. 00:15:17.917 --> 00:15:20.753 At the early church in the beginning, 00:15:20.753 --> 00:15:24.356 the disciples were selling all their properties 00:15:24.356 --> 00:15:27.192 and bringing them in common to the Treasury. 00:15:27.192 --> 00:15:29.862 So, anybody who was in need received help, right? 00:15:29.862 --> 00:15:30.896 Yeah. 00:15:30.896 --> 00:15:33.933 We have Ananias and Sapphira, 00:15:33.933 --> 00:15:35.768 they came to the apostle, they sold their property. 00:15:35.768 --> 00:15:37.202 It was their own property. 00:15:37.202 --> 00:15:38.904 They had the right to do whatever they wanted to do with it. 00:15:38.904 --> 00:15:40.706 They sold their property. 00:15:40.706 --> 00:15:42.908 Let's say the house was 1 million. 00:15:42.908 --> 00:15:48.847 They said, "Let's tell them (disciples)that the house was half, 500,000." 00:15:48.847 --> 00:15:51.884 They came and said, "Okay, our house was sold for 500,000. 00:15:51.884 --> 00:15:53.152 This is the 500,000." 00:15:53.152 --> 00:15:55.387 And the rest, they kept it. 00:15:55.387 --> 00:15:56.455 That's what they did. 00:15:56.455 --> 00:15:59.024 It was their property. 00:15:59.024 --> 00:16:01.860 They could have said, "Okay, I give you 500." 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:04.330 If they said to Peter, the house is 1 million, 00:16:04.330 --> 00:16:06.498 I get 500 and I give. 00:16:06.498 --> 00:16:07.933 Nothing would've happened I really believe 00:16:07.933 --> 00:16:08.767 because you're free. 00:16:08.767 --> 00:16:10.669 It's your free will offering from your heart. 00:16:10.669 --> 00:16:13.305 But they were trying to, they lied. 00:16:13.305 --> 00:16:15.140 They kept that entirely from Jesus and said that 00:16:15.140 --> 00:16:18.777 the house is sold at this price. 00:16:18.777 --> 00:16:21.580 Peter was a man led by the Holy Ghost 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:24.116 with rightful judgement. 00:16:24.116 --> 00:16:25.317 He enquired from the Holy Spirit, 00:16:25.317 --> 00:16:26.385 And the Holy Spirit revealed him the truth, 00:16:26.385 --> 00:16:28.921 that the price of the house is not what they said. 00:16:28.921 --> 00:16:31.123 This is the real price. 00:16:31.123 --> 00:16:34.059 When Peter heard this, what did he say? 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:36.362 He said, ‘You have sinned against the Holy Spirit’. 00:16:36.362 --> 00:16:39.298 Why did you allow satan to fill your heart 00:16:39.298 --> 00:16:42.001 so that you can lie to the Holy Spirit. 00:16:42.001 --> 00:16:45.871 You have not lied to man but to God. 00:16:45.871 --> 00:16:46.839 That was the judgement. 00:16:46.839 --> 00:16:48.307 And when we read the Bible they got scared 00:16:48.307 --> 00:16:50.042 by the judgement that came. 00:16:50.042 --> 00:16:51.777 And immediately what happened to them? 00:16:51.777 --> 00:16:54.079 they fell dead. 00:16:54.079 --> 00:16:55.014 Anytime I read that passage, 00:16:55.014 --> 00:16:55.914 I get extremely scared. 00:16:55.914 --> 00:16:57.883 I say, thank God, we don't have this. 00:16:57.883 --> 00:17:00.853 But there was a sense of judgement, rightful judgement, 00:17:00.853 --> 00:17:04.256 which was extremely clear on the motivation of actions. 00:17:04.256 --> 00:17:06.158 And also knowing that the Holy Spirit is there 00:17:06.158 --> 00:17:08.060 in every single decision that you make, 00:17:08.060 --> 00:17:10.829 every single thought in your heart, 00:17:10.829 --> 00:17:12.798 the Holy Spirit is witness to that. 00:17:12.798 --> 00:17:14.466 Thank you for saying this. 00:17:14.466 --> 00:17:17.102 Now, if you have awareness, if I have awareness that 00:17:17.102 --> 00:17:20.339 the Holy Ghost is inside of me, 00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:23.108 I should be extremely careful of my thoughts 00:17:23.108 --> 00:17:26.378 first before I talk about my words, 00:17:26.378 --> 00:17:30.249 because everything starts in the thoughts. 00:17:30.249 --> 00:17:32.551 That's why as a Christian, a believer 00:17:32.551 --> 00:17:36.055 should be careful of what he looks at, 00:17:36.055 --> 00:17:37.623 what he sees, what he touches 00:17:37.623 --> 00:17:40.225 that can influence his thoughts. 00:17:40.225 --> 00:17:43.362 Bad feelings, negative thoughts start from here. 00:17:43.362 --> 00:17:44.296 You don't need to express it, 00:17:44.296 --> 00:17:45.864 but God hears it 00:17:45.864 --> 00:17:47.766 and it matters to the Holy Spirit. 00:17:47.766 --> 00:17:49.668 That's why when we have the sensitivity 00:17:49.668 --> 00:17:52.438 of God's presence in our heart through the Holy Ghost, 00:17:52.438 --> 00:17:54.506 anytime our mind begins to drift 00:17:54.506 --> 00:17:57.376 towards something that's not right, 00:17:57.376 --> 00:17:59.144 your conscious will judge you immediately 00:17:59.144 --> 00:17:59.978 because of who? 00:17:59.978 --> 00:18:01.880 Because the Holy Ghost will prompt your heart 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:03.549 before you step into action. 00:18:03.549 --> 00:18:05.818 That's why we need to always be sensitive 00:18:05.818 --> 00:18:07.119 to the voice of our conscience, 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.188 because that's how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. 00:18:09.188 --> 00:18:11.323 Absolutely, that's why James said, 00:18:11.323 --> 00:18:13.358 ‘Nobody can tempt God, God cannot be tempted’. 00:18:13.358 --> 00:18:17.096 But sin is when we are attracted by our own desires, 00:18:17.096 --> 00:18:20.499 by our own will that we are enticed 00:18:20.499 --> 00:18:24.436 to fall into the temptation of pre-judging others. 00:18:24.436 --> 00:18:26.972 The question is, the person you are judging today, 00:18:26.972 --> 00:18:30.909 no matter how bad the person may seem 00:18:30.909 --> 00:18:34.446 or look to you on human judgement, 00:18:34.446 --> 00:18:39.351 ask yourself, what does Jesus think about that person? 00:18:39.351 --> 00:18:41.120 Because we're not God. 00:18:41.120 --> 00:18:42.988 We have to keep reminding ourselves that. 00:18:42.988 --> 00:18:46.058 God's standard of judgement is different from our own. 00:18:46.058 --> 00:18:47.960 God tests our heart to reward us 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:53.298 because His focus is the motive behind what we do. 00:18:53.298 --> 00:18:54.833 Exactly. 00:18:54.833 --> 00:18:57.836 Saul, you know Saul? 00:18:57.836 --> 00:18:59.171 Who was Saul? 00:18:59.171 --> 00:19:01.173 Well, Saul was the one 00:19:01.173 --> 00:19:03.275 who was persecuting all the Christians. 00:19:03.275 --> 00:19:06.445 Yes, terribly in a very harsh way. 00:19:06.445 --> 00:19:08.714 Forcing them to blaspheme, persecuting them. 00:19:08.714 --> 00:19:10.883 Yet God said he was His chosen vessel. 00:19:10.883 --> 00:19:14.019 Yes, though when he was going to persecute the people 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:16.755 in Damascus having letters of recommendation 00:19:16.755 --> 00:19:17.890 from the teachers of the law with full force. 00:19:17.890 --> 00:19:21.126 Even Stephen, he stood there as Stephen was killed 00:19:21.126 --> 00:19:22.294 and stoned to death. 00:19:22.294 --> 00:19:24.563 Yes, that was his zeal. 00:19:24.563 --> 00:19:26.865 But he had a zeal for the law of Moses, 00:19:26.865 --> 00:19:32.271 but zeal marked with ignorance of spiritual things. 00:19:32.271 --> 00:19:34.606 He judged the situation on the letter. 00:19:34.606 --> 00:19:36.875 He judged the situation on the letter. 00:19:36.875 --> 00:19:38.810 For the Word of God, when we approach it in the letter, 00:19:38.810 --> 00:19:40.579 we have the wrong judgement. 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:44.616 There's the letter of the Word, There’s the spirit of the Word. 00:19:44.616 --> 00:19:45.584 Wait, say that again. 00:19:45.584 --> 00:19:47.286 There's the letter of the Word 00:19:47.286 --> 00:19:49.087 and we have the spirit of the Word. 00:19:49.087 --> 00:19:50.689 The divine meaning of the Word. 00:19:50.689 --> 00:19:53.358 So you can be very committed, 00:19:53.358 --> 00:19:56.261 zealous towards the letter of the Word 00:19:56.261 --> 00:19:58.230 and yet completely missing the point. 00:19:58.230 --> 00:19:59.865 If it's not in spirit, it's not in truth 00:19:59.865 --> 00:20:00.699 and so it's all nothing. 00:20:00.699 --> 00:20:01.900 That's what Jesus said to them. 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:04.236 If you know that I delight in mercy, 00:20:04.236 --> 00:20:06.572 you'll never condemn innocent people. 00:20:06.572 --> 00:20:07.639 That's what Jesus said. 00:20:07.639 --> 00:20:11.743 Jesus met Ananias, one of the disciples 00:20:11.743 --> 00:20:15.247 who knew who Saul was in the dream. 00:20:15.247 --> 00:20:17.115 And when Jesus mentioned the name of Saul, 00:20:17.115 --> 00:20:21.787 he said, "Hey Lord, this man is a wolf. 00:20:21.787 --> 00:20:22.621 He's a terrible person." 00:20:22.621 --> 00:20:24.723 No, I mean just think about it in today's society, 00:20:24.723 --> 00:20:29.528 if someone who's publicly persecuting people 00:20:29.528 --> 00:20:31.463 that believe in Jesus, 00:20:31.463 --> 00:20:33.565 and then suddenly God reveals to you 00:20:33.565 --> 00:20:36.301 that, ‘Oh, this is actually the one I want to use 00:20:36.301 --> 00:20:38.503 as my chosen vessel’. Wow! 00:20:38.503 --> 00:20:39.605 And that's what happened. 00:20:39.605 --> 00:20:41.707 And I mean, yeah. 00:20:41.707 --> 00:20:46.345 The motivation behind the action of Saul was pure ignorance. 00:20:46.345 --> 00:20:48.347 He had a zeal without knowledge. 00:20:48.347 --> 00:20:52.517 And he even said it in that Book of Timothy 1. 00:20:52.517 --> 00:20:55.387 But now, what was the answer of Jesus to him? 00:20:55.387 --> 00:20:56.788 He's my chosen vessel. 00:20:56.788 --> 00:20:59.424 God does not consider our now, 00:20:59.424 --> 00:21:01.660 our past to determine our future. 00:21:01.660 --> 00:21:03.695 We need to understand that. 00:21:03.695 --> 00:21:05.864 Because Jesus is a tomorrow thinker, 00:21:05.864 --> 00:21:07.065 He has vision. 00:21:07.065 --> 00:21:08.000 Thank you. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.102 Jesus is looking at your tomorrow. 00:21:10.102 --> 00:21:10.936 Thank you. 00:21:10.936 --> 00:21:12.771 Even your 10 years from now. 00:21:12.771 --> 00:21:13.605 Thank you. 00:21:13.605 --> 00:21:14.439 Your 20 years from now. 00:21:14.439 --> 00:21:15.707 This is what matters to Jesus. 00:21:15.707 --> 00:21:18.377 But we are so concentrated on now, now, now 00:21:18.377 --> 00:21:19.878 and even not now but yesterday. 00:21:19.878 --> 00:21:21.847 The pain of the past, 00:21:21.847 --> 00:21:25.617 the betrayal of the past, 00:21:25.617 --> 00:21:27.519 the disappointment of the past, 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:30.422 the scars of the past we're so full of all these scars 00:21:30.422 --> 00:21:33.592 that we find it difficult to even live today, 00:21:33.592 --> 00:21:37.963 let alone trust our tomorrow in the hands of Jesus. 00:21:37.963 --> 00:21:41.466 And yet Jesus knows what we can become tomorrow 00:21:41.466 --> 00:21:43.468 if we fully submit to Him 00:21:43.468 --> 00:21:44.836 and that's what he's looking at. 00:21:44.836 --> 00:21:48.006 I always remember Prophet TB Joshua 00:21:48.006 --> 00:21:49.207 was such a man of vision. 00:21:49.207 --> 00:21:51.510 He looked at us, a situation where 00:21:51.510 --> 00:21:53.612 when we came so many years ago, 00:21:53.612 --> 00:21:55.147 there was no way, 00:21:55.147 --> 00:21:56.548 all of this was in our mind. 00:21:56.548 --> 00:22:00.519 No, we just wanted to not miss salvation. 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:03.789 Yet God knew, God knew because God knew the plan 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:06.458 He had for every single person. 00:22:06.458 --> 00:22:11.463 Jesus never, never, never considers your past 00:22:11.463 --> 00:22:14.499 to determine your future. 00:22:14.499 --> 00:22:17.436 Jesus came to change our lives, 00:22:17.436 --> 00:22:19.171 to change our focus. 00:22:19.171 --> 00:22:24.242 We humans, we keep record of the offenses of the past. 00:22:24.242 --> 00:22:27.579 We keep a record of every wrong done to us. 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:31.016 That's why we find it so difficult to forgive. 00:22:31.016 --> 00:22:34.753 ‘Ah, you have done it again, again’. 00:22:34.753 --> 00:22:36.521 We keep record of the past. 00:22:36.521 --> 00:22:37.389 But the Bible says, 00:22:37.389 --> 00:22:41.126 ‘Loves keeps no record of wrong. 00:22:41.126 --> 00:22:43.462 When Jesus looked at you and I, 00:22:43.462 --> 00:22:45.330 as He did for the Samaritan woman, 00:22:45.330 --> 00:22:50.469 His purpose is to give you a new focus of the future. 00:22:50.469 --> 00:22:52.838 Satan the devil we all know, 00:22:52.838 --> 00:22:57.976 always speaks about our past, our unworthy past. 00:22:57.976 --> 00:23:01.880 No one was born righteous, no one. 00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:05.016 But Jesus has come to remove that past 00:23:05.016 --> 00:23:06.251 and give you a new future that can change. 00:23:06.251 --> 00:23:07.085 And He can do it for you, 00:23:07.085 --> 00:23:08.920 He can do it for someone else as well 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.857 that you are currently looking at with the eyes of judgement. 00:23:11.857 --> 00:23:14.860 If Jesus can remove our past 00:23:14.860 --> 00:23:16.928 and point us to the future, 00:23:16.928 --> 00:23:19.097 then he can do it for everyone. 00:23:19.097 --> 00:23:21.800 That is why we shouldn't judge anyone on account of today 00:23:21.800 --> 00:23:23.602 because tomorrow is a mystery. 00:23:23.602 --> 00:23:27.539 So, when the Pharisees brought that lady, 00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:29.408 they were considering her past. 00:23:29.408 --> 00:23:31.543 But you say rightfully, 00:23:31.543 --> 00:23:33.578 tomorrow is a mystery that only God knows. 00:23:33.578 --> 00:23:37.149 When Jesus is correcting you and me, all of us, 00:23:37.149 --> 00:23:39.851 it's because of the future. 00:23:39.851 --> 00:23:42.854 When God says, "Don't do this." 00:23:42.854 --> 00:23:44.356 You may not do it today, 00:23:44.356 --> 00:23:46.425 but you may do it tomorrow. 00:23:46.425 --> 00:23:49.628 Correction, judgement, everything God has spoken 00:23:49.628 --> 00:23:51.530 through the mouth of the prophet as a warning 00:23:51.530 --> 00:23:53.165 is for the future. 00:23:53.165 --> 00:23:54.966 When God said to the prophet Jeremiah, 00:23:54.966 --> 00:23:58.236 ‘Tell them that if they continue to do this, 00:23:58.236 --> 00:23:59.905 I will send the enemy. 00:23:59.905 --> 00:24:02.307 Nebuchadnezzar will come, He will burn the city. 00:24:02.307 --> 00:24:03.642 He will kill everybody’. 00:24:03.642 --> 00:24:07.512 But God was saying this to trigger a sense of repentance. 00:24:07.512 --> 00:24:10.148 So they can say, “Hey God, sorry, we come back, 00:24:10.148 --> 00:24:11.783 we stop doing evil, we come back to you." 00:24:11.783 --> 00:24:13.952 That's true, because it's how we respond 00:24:13.952 --> 00:24:16.321 to that correction or that judgement 00:24:16.321 --> 00:24:18.690 that is actually what Jesus is looking at as well. 00:24:18.690 --> 00:24:20.926 That will determine your future. 00:24:20.926 --> 00:24:24.162 Your response to correction determines your future. 00:24:24.162 --> 00:24:25.597 And when we talk about correction here, 00:24:25.597 --> 00:24:27.699 we mean correction in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:27.699 --> 00:24:28.500 Absolutely. 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:30.235 You know, when you read your Bible 00:24:30.235 --> 00:24:32.571 and something comes to your heart, 00:24:32.571 --> 00:24:35.407 that can be God correcting you 00:24:35.407 --> 00:24:38.176 because the Word of God has power. 00:24:38.176 --> 00:24:40.812 Power, for converting power, purifying power. 00:24:40.812 --> 00:24:41.980 It's a double-edged sword. 00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:44.483 So, you mentioned correction. 00:24:44.483 --> 00:24:45.450 How do you do correction? 00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:47.018 Correction is not judgement. 00:24:47.018 --> 00:24:50.255 There's a difference between correction and judgement. 00:24:50.255 --> 00:24:52.958 Judgement is a mindset, 00:24:52.958 --> 00:24:54.793 a preset judgement in your mind already. 00:24:54.793 --> 00:24:57.062 You have decided to judge the person already. 00:24:57.062 --> 00:24:57.996 But correction 00:24:57.996 --> 00:24:59.364 is to help someone. 00:24:59.364 --> 00:25:01.833 Is to help the person to change. 00:25:01.833 --> 00:25:03.635 How do you correct a person? 00:25:03.635 --> 00:25:04.803 Don't say, "Hey, this is bad. 00:25:04.803 --> 00:25:05.637 You are this, you are this." 00:25:05.637 --> 00:25:06.905 That's condemnation. 00:25:06.905 --> 00:25:09.841 Do what is good in the sight of the person 00:25:09.841 --> 00:25:12.677 to change the bad you see, 00:25:12.677 --> 00:25:15.113 That's why the Bible tells us in Galatians 6 00:25:15.113 --> 00:25:17.349 that we should be gentle 00:25:17.349 --> 00:25:18.183 in our correction. 00:25:18.183 --> 00:25:20.018 That is be a leader by example. 00:25:20.018 --> 00:25:23.021 Example means let your character show. 00:25:23.021 --> 00:25:25.290 Let the person see in the way you speak, 00:25:25.290 --> 00:25:28.927 act, a reason to come to you to say, "I'm sorry." 00:25:28.927 --> 00:25:31.396 Do what is good in the sight of God 00:25:31.396 --> 00:25:33.798 to change the bad you see. 00:25:33.798 --> 00:25:37.135 If the person is an angry person, be gentle. 00:25:37.135 --> 00:25:39.037 Let him see your gentleness. 00:25:39.037 --> 00:25:40.238 So, he can say, I'm sorry. 00:25:40.238 --> 00:25:41.973 If the person has pride, 00:25:41.973 --> 00:25:43.441 we don't respond by pride. 00:25:43.441 --> 00:25:45.143 Let him see humility. 00:25:45.143 --> 00:25:47.412 Let your humility convince him to say, 00:25:47.412 --> 00:25:49.981 "I'm sorry." 00:25:49.981 --> 00:25:52.117 Two wrongs cannot make what? 00:25:52.117 --> 00:25:52.951 A right. 00:25:52.951 --> 00:25:53.919 So, what do you do? 00:25:53.919 --> 00:25:56.321 The weapons of righteousness. 00:25:56.321 --> 00:25:58.189 The Bible says, when we see a situation, 00:25:58.189 --> 00:26:00.659 don't be too quick to judge. 00:26:00.659 --> 00:26:02.694 You should find out from God's perspective 00:26:02.694 --> 00:26:05.297 what is the mind of God about that situation we judge. 00:26:05.297 --> 00:26:08.600 Today we arrogate the position of God to judge people. 00:26:08.600 --> 00:26:10.035 Correction is our duty, 00:26:10.035 --> 00:26:11.736 but judgement is God's duty. 00:26:11.736 --> 00:26:13.238 Correction in love. 00:26:13.238 --> 00:26:14.072 In love of course. 00:26:14.072 --> 00:26:15.373 And with the right motivation. 00:26:15.373 --> 00:26:17.375 Correction, not to see someone fall down, 00:26:17.375 --> 00:26:18.510 but to help someone. 00:26:18.510 --> 00:26:22.347 In fact, I really really appreciate all those 00:26:22.347 --> 00:26:23.515 throughout my journey 00:26:23.515 --> 00:26:27.852 who took time to correct me for God's sake. 00:26:27.852 --> 00:26:30.088 I really see the product of that, 00:26:30.088 --> 00:26:32.657 the consequence of that, the result of that. 00:26:32.657 --> 00:26:36.094 And that's why the Bible says in the Book of Proverbs, 00:26:36.094 --> 00:26:38.597 if you are wise, you should not despise correction. 00:26:38.597 --> 00:26:40.065 You should appreciate correction 00:26:40.065 --> 00:26:41.566 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:26:41.566 --> 00:26:43.868 When you say the power of Holy Spirit, it means 00:26:43.868 --> 00:26:46.104 judgement leads to punishment, right? 00:26:46.104 --> 00:26:47.839 But correction leads to amendment, 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:50.442 repentance and reconciliation. 00:26:50.442 --> 00:26:53.678 There are two ways of approaching this Holy Bible. 00:26:53.678 --> 00:26:58.249 Jesus, His attitude was constant correction, 00:26:58.249 --> 00:26:59.250 showing God's standard of doing things. 00:26:59.250 --> 00:27:00.685 showing God's standard of doing things. 00:27:00.685 --> 00:27:03.622 When the Pharisees were opposing Him, 00:27:03.622 --> 00:27:05.323 asking Him questions, 00:27:05.323 --> 00:27:08.827 Jesus responded with the wisdom of God. 00:27:08.827 --> 00:27:11.663 He spoke what is right in the sight of God. 00:27:11.663 --> 00:27:14.566 When you think right, speak right and act right 00:27:14.566 --> 00:27:15.734 in the sight of God, 00:27:15.734 --> 00:27:16.968 you are correcting everybody. 00:27:16.968 --> 00:27:18.937 People are reading you. 00:27:18.937 --> 00:27:22.941 We talk about Prophet TB Joshua, well you are right. 00:27:22.941 --> 00:27:27.679 His lifestyle was a constant correction to everyone of us. 00:27:27.679 --> 00:27:28.613 Why correction? 00:27:28.613 --> 00:27:32.751 You will see the way he attended to the simple people, 00:27:32.751 --> 00:27:36.021 to the poor, to even those offending him. 00:27:36.021 --> 00:27:37.555 His reaction towards them. 00:27:37.555 --> 00:27:39.891 You would never see him fighting people, 00:27:39.891 --> 00:27:42.394 answering back, never. 00:27:42.394 --> 00:27:45.096 His attitude, humility, doing what is right 00:27:45.096 --> 00:27:47.899 in the sight of God to change the bad you see. 00:27:47.899 --> 00:27:50.335 So now the weapons of righteousness 00:27:50.335 --> 00:27:52.771 are the fruit of the spirit. 00:27:52.771 --> 00:27:55.440 So, exercise the fruit of the spirit 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.308 in the face of the fruit of the flesh 00:27:57.308 --> 00:27:59.377 and that's the change we're talking about. 00:27:59.377 --> 00:28:03.481 Let your character reflect Christ’s character. 00:28:03.481 --> 00:28:06.718 If people insult you, don't insult back. 00:28:06.718 --> 00:28:09.254 If you insult back what's the difference? 00:28:09.254 --> 00:28:12.857 Jesus said, "If you love only those who you love, 00:28:12.857 --> 00:28:15.260 even those you say are unjust, they love the children. 00:28:15.260 --> 00:28:17.529 Anybody can do it, but love your enemy. 00:28:17.529 --> 00:28:19.798 Pray for those who persecute you. 00:28:19.798 --> 00:28:21.166 Bless, do not curse. 00:28:21.166 --> 00:28:23.702 That's the weapons of righteousness we're talking about. 00:28:23.702 --> 00:28:25.303 And that will actually disarm those 00:28:25.303 --> 00:28:30.175 who have a bad judgement of you. 00:28:30.175 --> 00:28:32.644 This does not mean correction will not take place. 00:28:32.644 --> 00:28:34.879 Correction is our duty. 00:28:34.879 --> 00:28:39.184 If we see something wrong, correct in love 00:28:39.184 --> 00:28:41.820 by telling the truth, by showing the truth. 00:28:41.820 --> 00:28:43.121 Leadership by example. 00:28:43.121 --> 00:28:45.123 That's what brings change. 00:28:45.123 --> 00:28:46.858 You know that person will now 00:28:46.858 --> 00:28:48.727 listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in their heart, 00:28:48.727 --> 00:28:50.495 prompting their conscience to know that 00:28:50.495 --> 00:28:53.164 what they're doing is wrong. 00:28:53.164 --> 00:28:54.365 Christian means? 00:28:54.365 --> 00:28:56.167 Christ likeness. 00:28:56.167 --> 00:28:57.068 Okay, the question. 00:28:57.068 --> 00:29:00.739 Anytime you face a situation of opposition, 00:29:00.739 --> 00:29:06.711 ask yourself, how would Jesus react in such a situation? 00:29:06.711 --> 00:29:09.848 Somebody embarrasses you, insult you. 00:29:09.848 --> 00:29:13.585 Remember, Jesus was embarrassed, 00:29:13.585 --> 00:29:19.624 constantly insulted, constantly opposed, constantly. 00:29:19.624 --> 00:29:22.560 They even said he cast out demons by Beelzebub. 00:29:22.560 --> 00:29:26.030 They even said He was demon possessed, He was demonized. 00:29:26.030 --> 00:29:29.167 There's nothing they did not say against Jesus. 00:29:29.167 --> 00:29:31.836 But how did He respond? 00:29:31.836 --> 00:29:34.339 He responded with forgiveness. 00:29:34.339 --> 00:29:35.707 And when the truth was ignored, He was silent 00:29:35.707 --> 00:29:37.742 Because He knew the people were ignorant of the truth. 00:29:37.742 --> 00:29:39.444 Truth is hidden. 00:29:39.444 --> 00:29:42.947 Truth is not intellectual; it needs to be perceived spiritually. 00:29:42.947 --> 00:29:44.349 So, your integrity, 00:29:44.349 --> 00:29:46.718 no matter how good you are on the inside, 00:29:46.718 --> 00:29:48.586 can never be perceived intellectually. 00:29:48.586 --> 00:29:49.888 It has to be discerned. 00:29:49.888 --> 00:29:52.957 Integrity cannot be understood, 00:29:52.957 --> 00:29:54.993 perceived intellectually but spiritually. 00:29:54.993 --> 00:29:56.928 Meaning you cannot know the heart of man 00:29:56.928 --> 00:29:58.296 if you're not helped by the Holy Ghost. 00:29:58.296 --> 00:30:00.131 Ask God to help you to get into the heart 00:30:00.131 --> 00:30:02.901 of the matter of a situation before coming to judgement. 00:30:02.901 --> 00:30:04.869 Ask Him to show you the heart, 00:30:04.869 --> 00:30:06.638 the motivation of the heart of the person 00:30:06.638 --> 00:30:08.873 so you can have rightful judgement. 00:30:08.873 --> 00:30:12.143 This being said, we have the avenue, 00:30:12.143 --> 00:30:13.545 the weapons of righteousness 00:30:13.545 --> 00:30:16.781 that can heal your relationship with everyone. 00:30:16.781 --> 00:30:18.116 Service your relationship. 00:30:18.116 --> 00:30:19.784 Absolutely, service it. 00:30:19.784 --> 00:30:21.386 We will talk about that, 00:30:21.386 --> 00:30:23.488 do you service your relationship? 00:30:23.488 --> 00:30:26.758 You have to take care of each relationship. 00:30:26.758 --> 00:30:28.760 You should not take it for granted because- 00:30:28.760 --> 00:30:32.797 Because what gives us joy, 00:30:32.797 --> 00:30:35.633 wealth, health in life 00:30:35.633 --> 00:30:36.734 is all about relationship. 00:30:36.734 --> 00:30:38.436 How do you service your relationship? 00:30:38.436 --> 00:30:40.071 How do we service it? 00:30:40.071 --> 00:30:41.840 It's true, but how do we service it? 00:30:41.840 --> 00:30:44.843 You know your vehicle, you drive your vehicle 00:30:44.843 --> 00:30:47.979 and you have a computer to tell you in 100 miles, 00:30:47.979 --> 00:30:50.181 you have to take it to the garage. 00:30:50.181 --> 00:30:52.450 A computer will help you to take it for service, 00:30:52.450 --> 00:30:54.552 to change the oil, to clean this, 00:30:54.552 --> 00:30:56.020 to keep it, to maintain it. 00:30:56.020 --> 00:30:59.390 Relationship needs to be maintained. 00:30:59.390 --> 00:31:05.063 You don't wait till situations emerge to act. 00:31:05.063 --> 00:31:09.133 Love never waits for a situation to come, it anticipates. 00:31:09.133 --> 00:31:10.401 That's why we need to service. 00:31:10.401 --> 00:31:13.238 Don't wait for the person to ask you to do this, to do that. 00:31:13.238 --> 00:31:16.174 Do it spontaneously for God's sake. 00:31:16.174 --> 00:31:18.042 Don't wait for someone to ask for help. 00:31:18.042 --> 00:31:20.478 Do it spontaneously from your heart. 00:31:20.478 --> 00:31:23.214 Ask God, what can I do to help somebody? 00:31:23.214 --> 00:31:24.549 Everybody wants to change somebody, 00:31:24.549 --> 00:31:26.251 they don't know how to go about it. 00:31:26.251 --> 00:31:29.287 But did you yield your heart to be a servant? 00:31:29.287 --> 00:31:32.223 For the Holy Ghost to use you to bless others? 00:31:32.223 --> 00:31:35.059 Remember what makes us human is what, is not? 00:31:35.059 --> 00:31:37.829 Our ability to think, but our ability to love. 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:40.598 Which kind of love, everybody has somebody to love, 00:31:40.598 --> 00:31:41.566 but everybody has somebody to say, 00:31:41.566 --> 00:31:42.567 "I don't love this person." 00:31:42.567 --> 00:31:43.701 “I don't like this.” 00:31:43.701 --> 00:31:45.570 When you look at a person on the outside, 00:31:45.570 --> 00:31:47.972 it will not take long to see something you don't like. 00:31:47.972 --> 00:31:49.641 Nobody's perfect. 00:31:49.641 --> 00:31:51.743 But it takes a lifetime to see 00:31:51.743 --> 00:31:53.778 the beauty in the heart of the person 00:31:53.778 --> 00:31:55.480 beyond what you can see. 00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:57.949 You say, "Don't reject anybody because of today, 00:31:57.949 --> 00:31:59.150 tomorrow is mystery." 00:31:59.150 --> 00:32:03.254 Okay, when Ananias was saying Paul was a bad person, 00:32:03.254 --> 00:32:05.490 but Jesus saw the future, the future apostle. 00:32:05.490 --> 00:32:08.126 He said, "He's my chosen vessel." 00:32:08.126 --> 00:32:11.896 God is not looking at our kindness, our obedience now, 00:32:11.896 --> 00:32:15.133 but obedience in 20 years, in 50 years to come. 00:32:15.133 --> 00:32:16.801 Somebody can be good today, 00:32:16.801 --> 00:32:21.272 but tomorrow (it’s a mystery), can be bad. 00:32:21.272 --> 00:32:23.474 You can pretend for a long time, 00:32:23.474 --> 00:32:24.509 but eventually the real- 00:32:24.509 --> 00:32:25.443 Somebody cane be bad today and be wonderful tomorrow. 00:32:25.443 --> 00:32:27.278 The real character will come out. 00:32:27.278 --> 00:32:29.013 That's why we should not rush into decision 00:32:29.013 --> 00:32:31.549 to judge too quickly. 00:32:31.549 --> 00:32:34.385 People judged Jesus on the outside. 00:32:34.385 --> 00:32:37.822 In John 7:12, some said he's a good person. 00:32:37.822 --> 00:32:41.025 Some said He's a bad person, He deceives people. 00:32:41.025 --> 00:32:42.927 Even those who said He's good 00:32:42.927 --> 00:32:46.064 and welcomed Him on Palm Sunday, saying hosanna, hosanna - 00:32:46.064 --> 00:32:47.131 the same people said - 00:32:47.131 --> 00:32:49.701 Crucify Him, crucify Him, crucify Him. 00:32:49.701 --> 00:32:50.902 So, we shouldn't, 00:32:50.902 --> 00:32:51.903 Yeah, that's another thing. 00:32:51.903 --> 00:32:54.739 We shouldn't be so concerned about 00:32:54.739 --> 00:32:56.541 people's opinion about us, 00:32:56.541 --> 00:32:58.176 even people that we don't know. 00:32:58.176 --> 00:33:02.013 What should matter to us is God's opinion about us. 00:33:02.013 --> 00:33:04.282 And God tests our heart to reward us. 00:33:04.282 --> 00:33:06.818 The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:33:06.818 --> 00:33:09.087 The purpose of salvation, 00:33:09.087 --> 00:33:11.055 the purpose of the Holy Bible, 00:33:11.055 --> 00:33:14.459 can be summed up in one word, righteousness. 00:33:14.459 --> 00:33:15.860 What is righteousness? 00:33:15.860 --> 00:33:19.063 Right standing before God, 00:33:19.063 --> 00:33:21.366 not right standing before man. 00:33:21.366 --> 00:33:25.837 Right standing means rightful judgement for God's sake. 00:33:25.837 --> 00:33:29.474 God said to Abraham, "Walk before me blamelessly 00:33:29.474 --> 00:33:31.342 by doing what is right." 00:33:31.342 --> 00:33:34.946 Thinking right, speaking right, acting right 00:33:34.946 --> 00:33:36.581 according to the mind of God 00:33:36.581 --> 00:33:38.049 every single day of our lives. 00:33:38.049 --> 00:33:40.685 We are made to be like Jesus. 00:33:40.685 --> 00:33:44.355 We have to behave like Him and the task is huge. 00:33:44.355 --> 00:33:46.591 That's what Jesus said, "Carry your cross and follow me." 00:33:46.591 --> 00:33:47.658 What is your cross? 00:33:47.658 --> 00:33:48.926 Your cross is not the wood, 00:33:48.926 --> 00:33:50.928 your cross is your body. 00:33:50.928 --> 00:33:52.663 The cross is myself. 00:33:52.663 --> 00:33:55.433 Self-will, self-will. My will, my self-will. 00:33:55.433 --> 00:33:58.736 That's always wanting to go opposite to what God wants. 00:33:58.736 --> 00:34:02.240 Absolutely, if my flesh is crucified 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:03.508 and I carry the cross, 00:34:03.508 --> 00:34:04.942 asking Jesus to help me. 00:34:04.942 --> 00:34:08.012 I will walk in the footsteps of Christ in righteousness 00:34:08.012 --> 00:34:09.247 every single day of life. 00:34:09.247 --> 00:34:10.615 If you do so, 00:34:10.615 --> 00:34:13.551 you will have capacity to bless people around you. 00:34:13.551 --> 00:34:16.888 You will never destroy any relationship beyond repair 00:34:16.888 --> 00:34:18.923 for tomorrow is mystery. 00:34:18.923 --> 00:34:20.992 There will always be room for forgiveness 00:34:20.992 --> 00:34:23.694 and your marriage, your relationship, your friends, 00:34:23.694 --> 00:34:25.063 you will never lose a friend. 00:34:25.063 --> 00:34:27.498 You will never destroy any relationship beyond repair. 00:34:27.498 --> 00:34:28.666 People may leave you, 00:34:28.666 --> 00:34:30.168 but you'll never leave anybody. 00:34:30.168 --> 00:34:33.237 But Jesus will service that relationship. 00:34:33.237 --> 00:34:35.039 Thank you. Amen. 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:36.607 So thank you so much for joining us 00:34:36.607 --> 00:34:40.044 and how to service our relationship, 00:34:40.044 --> 00:34:43.481 how not to judge on a human level, 00:34:43.481 --> 00:34:45.917 but correct in God's love. 00:34:45.917 --> 00:34:48.886 We can't do any of this without the help of the Holy Spirit. 00:34:48.886 --> 00:34:50.755 So, let's continue to ask the Holy Spirit 00:34:50.755 --> 00:34:54.859 to give us more of Him and take more of us, 00:34:54.859 --> 00:34:55.693 in Jesus’ name. 00:34:55.693 --> 00:34:57.595 Thank you, that's the right prayer. 00:34:57.595 --> 00:35:01.132 Take more of me and give me more of you, Holy Spirit. 00:35:01.132 --> 00:35:03.801 Take more of my lies and give me more of your truth. 00:35:03.801 --> 00:35:06.104 Holy Spirit of truth forgive my lies, 00:35:06.104 --> 00:35:08.072 help me to be truthful. 00:35:08.072 --> 00:35:10.074 Holy Spirit of humility forgive my pride 00:35:10.074 --> 00:35:11.309 and give me your humility. 00:35:11.309 --> 00:35:12.276 Lead me to humility. 00:35:12.276 --> 00:35:15.513 These are the things we should pray for, 00:35:15.513 --> 00:35:18.983 to put on Christ as our righteousness every single day. 00:35:18.983 --> 00:35:19.951 And by doing that, 00:35:19.951 --> 00:35:21.486 you're servicing your heart 00:35:21.486 --> 00:35:22.787 and if you service your heart, 00:35:22.787 --> 00:35:24.789 then definitely your relationships are serviced 00:35:24.789 --> 00:35:27.892 because you relate with others through your heart. 00:35:27.892 --> 00:35:29.260 By doing so, 00:35:29.260 --> 00:35:31.395 you are asking the Holy Ghost to fill you. 00:35:31.395 --> 00:35:32.763 And when He fills you, 00:35:32.763 --> 00:35:35.766 He will fill you and that love will overflow to others. 00:35:35.766 --> 00:35:37.135 In Jesus’ name. 00:35:37.135 --> 00:35:38.102 Amen.