1 00:00:17,333 --> 00:00:20,433 Welcome to The University of God. 2 00:00:20,433 --> 00:00:25,533 We want to thank all of you who sent your questions in to us. 3 00:00:25,533 --> 00:00:28,433 As our mentor Prophet TB Joshua told us: 4 00:00:28,433 --> 00:00:33,333 If you are interested in the subject and are eager to learn, 5 00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:35,933 you will always strive to sit at the front, 6 00:00:35,933 --> 00:00:39,033 ask questions and engage with the teacher. 7 00:00:39,033 --> 00:00:42,066 Remember in the University of God, 8 00:00:42,066 --> 00:00:45,033 the heart, man's spirit is the workshop, 9 00:00:45,033 --> 00:00:47,333 and the Holy Spirit, the Divine Teacher. 10 00:00:47,333 --> 00:00:49,433 Yes, exactly and that is the promise of God 11 00:00:49,433 --> 00:00:52,966 that Jesus gave us in the Book of Matthew 7:7 12 00:00:52,966 --> 00:00:55,333 that if you seek Him, you'll find Him. 13 00:00:55,333 --> 00:00:58,600 If you seek Him with all your heart. 14 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,800 Remember, to seek the Kingdom of God 15 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,933 is to have the Kingdom of God. 16 00:01:02,933 --> 00:01:05,833 Yes, God doesn't mind, doubt or questions, 17 00:01:05,833 --> 00:01:08,766 as long as those questions cause us to seek Him, 18 00:01:08,766 --> 00:01:12,533 to draw closer to Him, to seek His Word, 19 00:01:12,533 --> 00:01:14,933 God’s Word is the final authority settling 20 00:01:14,933 --> 00:01:18,033 all questions and problems. 21 00:01:18,033 --> 00:01:21,533 Today, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 22 00:01:21,533 --> 00:01:24,466 we are going to examine some of your questions 23 00:01:24,466 --> 00:01:27,533 in the light of God's Word. 24 00:01:58,366 --> 00:02:00,233 Let me take you to the Bible. 25 00:02:00,233 --> 00:02:06,433 The Book of Psalm 115:4-7 in depicting idols, 26 00:02:06,433 --> 00:02:11,833 gives us a graphic picture of the five senses. 27 00:02:38,866 --> 00:02:42,433 God gave us the five main senses 28 00:02:42,433 --> 00:02:45,433 that enable us to interact with the physical world 29 00:02:45,433 --> 00:02:50,266 in which we live as human beings. 30 00:02:50,266 --> 00:02:55,433 The basic function of these five senses is to help us communicate 31 00:02:55,433 --> 00:02:59,433 adequately with the people around us. 32 00:02:59,433 --> 00:03:03,966 They also help us to locate, identify 33 00:03:03,966 --> 00:03:08,933 and apprehend the surrounding objects and navigate safely 34 00:03:08,933 --> 00:03:12,433 through our environment. 35 00:03:12,433 --> 00:03:14,233 These senses are all connected. 36 00:03:14,233 --> 00:03:17,566 I mean, they work together 37 00:03:17,566 --> 00:03:21,133 and send to the brain the input signals 38 00:03:21,133 --> 00:03:25,133 or information from the environment, 39 00:03:25,133 --> 00:03:28,666 our brain, the laboratory of sense knowledge 40 00:03:28,666 --> 00:03:30,833 processes all this information, 41 00:03:30,833 --> 00:03:35,366 identifies those signals through the database of our memory 42 00:03:35,366 --> 00:03:38,533 and provides the right response. 43 00:03:38,533 --> 00:03:42,533 All this happens in real time. 44 00:03:42,533 --> 00:03:44,566 So let's look at those five senses. 45 00:03:44,566 --> 00:03:49,033 With the sense of sight, we can see and identify the things 46 00:03:49,033 --> 00:03:52,533 God created, objects and the people around us. 47 00:03:52,533 --> 00:03:54,100 The sight is the main sense 48 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:56,166 to navigate safely through our environment, 49 00:03:56,166 --> 00:03:59,333 to drive, to walk, to read. 50 00:03:59,333 --> 00:04:00,933 With the sense of hearing, 51 00:04:00,933 --> 00:04:03,833 even without visual contact, we can have a clear knowledge 52 00:04:03,833 --> 00:04:05,966 of our immediate environment 53 00:04:05,966 --> 00:04:09,933 by distinguishing the specific sound they emit. 54 00:04:09,933 --> 00:04:14,633 For example, the sound of a bird or recognising a friend's voice. 55 00:04:14,633 --> 00:04:15,966 With a sense of smell 56 00:04:15,966 --> 00:04:18,933 we can perceive the odours, the fragrance, 57 00:04:18,933 --> 00:04:22,866 and check whether something is good or maybe the food is spoiled. 58 00:04:22,866 --> 00:04:24,166 With the sense of taste, 59 00:04:24,166 --> 00:04:27,700 we can assess the sweetness or bitterness of food 60 00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:29,666 before consuming it. 61 00:04:29,666 --> 00:04:32,733 With the sense of feeling or touch, 62 00:04:32,733 --> 00:04:35,166 we can sense the ambient temperature 63 00:04:35,166 --> 00:04:39,866 to know the proper clothes to wear to protect our body conseqently. 64 00:04:39,866 --> 00:04:43,533 We can feel the weight or hardness of an object. 65 00:04:43,533 --> 00:04:46,966 For example, this food smells nice. 66 00:04:46,966 --> 00:04:48,766 What's your favourite food, Racine? 67 00:04:48,766 --> 00:04:50,833 Jollof rice. 68 00:04:50,833 --> 00:04:54,266 This food smells nice - yes, I want to taste it. 69 00:04:54,266 --> 00:04:56,633 Or these clothes are beautiful - 70 00:04:56,633 --> 00:04:57,966 I want to buy them. 71 00:04:57,966 --> 00:05:00,733 Or it's too cold and windy today - 72 00:05:00,733 --> 00:05:03,633 I don't want to go to the beach anymore. 73 00:05:03,633 --> 00:05:06,533 You can notice how influential 74 00:05:06,533 --> 00:05:11,033 our senses can be on our choices and actions. 75 00:05:11,033 --> 00:05:12,533 Consider the use of our senses. 76 00:05:12,533 --> 00:05:15,066 For example, you are driving. 77 00:05:15,066 --> 00:05:18,433 All of a sudden, a pedestrian crosses the road. 78 00:05:18,433 --> 00:05:21,233 As a driver, you find yourself immediately 79 00:05:21,233 --> 00:05:24,833 with a decision, a response to take. 80 00:05:24,833 --> 00:05:26,733 Either you pull the brake, 81 00:05:26,733 --> 00:05:29,933 or when your speed is too fast, 82 00:05:29,933 --> 00:05:32,633 you have to steer away from the person. 83 00:05:32,633 --> 00:05:35,233 You can see all the senses work together. 84 00:05:35,233 --> 00:05:36,533 I see. 85 00:05:36,533 --> 00:05:39,333 I pull the brake; I turn the wheel. 86 00:05:39,333 --> 00:05:43,366 So all these actions happen simultaneously in real time. 87 00:05:43,366 --> 00:05:45,333 They are all connected. 88 00:05:45,333 --> 00:05:48,733 They work together. 89 00:05:48,733 --> 00:05:51,733 You can notice how influential 90 00:05:51,733 --> 00:05:56,333 our senses can be on our choices and actions. 91 00:05:56,333 --> 00:06:05,233 What we see, hear, smell, taste, feel can influence our thoughts. 92 00:06:05,233 --> 00:06:06,866 What do I mean by influencing our thoughts? 93 00:06:06,866 --> 00:06:12,533 I mean, they have an influence on our desires and will. 94 00:06:12,533 --> 00:06:16,466 Our thoughts can influence our action or inaction. 95 00:06:16,466 --> 00:06:17,566 Why? 96 00:06:17,566 --> 00:06:22,266 Because man exercises the will through his mind. 97 00:06:22,266 --> 00:06:26,333 That's the sense of discretion or reasoning. 98 00:06:26,333 --> 00:06:29,066 Human beings are different from animals. 99 00:06:29,066 --> 00:06:31,666 A human being is not a robot. 100 00:06:31,666 --> 00:06:35,566 He's a free moral agent. 101 00:06:35,566 --> 00:06:39,333 Because of all the interactive inferences from the environment 102 00:06:39,333 --> 00:06:43,633 that require the right response or attitude, 103 00:06:43,633 --> 00:06:48,333 God wants to have independent mind - 104 00:06:48,333 --> 00:06:52,733 a mind that thinks by itself. 105 00:06:52,733 --> 00:06:54,466 God has given to man 106 00:06:54,466 --> 00:06:58,866 the ability to think and choose between what is relevant or not - 107 00:06:58,866 --> 00:07:00,833 that's common sense, 108 00:07:00,833 --> 00:07:03,433 to choose between what is right or wrong, 109 00:07:03,433 --> 00:07:05,133 that's sense of judgment, 110 00:07:05,133 --> 00:07:09,833 to choose between good and bad - that's moral sense. 111 00:07:09,833 --> 00:07:13,166 That's the outcome of senses of reasoning and responsibility - 112 00:07:13,166 --> 00:07:18,766 necessary for life in community or society. 113 00:07:18,766 --> 00:07:23,933 Man depending on his lifespan, grows physically 114 00:07:23,933 --> 00:07:27,233 from embryo to toddler 115 00:07:27,233 --> 00:07:33,266 through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. 116 00:07:33,266 --> 00:07:38,966 We can see that physical growth is a function of time. 117 00:07:38,966 --> 00:07:40,633 As we grow in age, 118 00:07:40,633 --> 00:07:45,133 we go through the stages of the human life. 119 00:07:45,133 --> 00:07:48,533 Man is not only a physical person 120 00:07:48,533 --> 00:07:53,233 but an intellectual and moral person. 121 00:07:53,233 --> 00:07:53,933 Exactly. 122 00:07:53,933 --> 00:07:55,900 And it's important to remember that 123 00:07:55,900 --> 00:07:59,966 since life and its responsibilities are in stages, 124 00:07:59,966 --> 00:08:03,966 man also must grow in intellectual maturity. 125 00:08:03,966 --> 00:08:05,166 How? 126 00:08:05,166 --> 00:08:08,133 Intellectual growth is a function of learning - 127 00:08:08,133 --> 00:08:10,366 learning from what we do. 128 00:08:10,366 --> 00:08:13,233 Learning from what we study, what happens around us 129 00:08:13,233 --> 00:08:17,133 and learning what from what happens to us. 130 00:08:17,133 --> 00:08:20,333 Have you wondered whenever a person meets a new person 131 00:08:20,333 --> 00:08:22,066 in a new relationship? 132 00:08:22,066 --> 00:08:25,433 The first questions they mutually ask about themselves 133 00:08:25,433 --> 00:08:31,033 will be about their background, education, occupation in life. 134 00:08:31,033 --> 00:08:35,033 Very few will address their spiritual life. 135 00:08:35,033 --> 00:08:39,533 So that is what makes the difference between man's point of view 136 00:08:39,533 --> 00:08:43,233 and God's point of view. 137 00:08:43,233 --> 00:08:47,700 Yes, in Galatians 5, 138 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:52,200 God wouldn't have commanded us to walk in the Spirit 139 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:57,300 if He had not designed us to operate in the Spirit. 140 00:08:57,300 --> 00:09:00,633 The Bible said that God has created man, 141 00:09:00,633 --> 00:09:05,100 human beings, in His own image and likeness. 142 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:07,166 The Book of Job 33:4 says 143 00:09:07,166 --> 00:09:11,700 man is the greatest product of the Holy Spirit; 144 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:15,600 man is a divine work of art. 145 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:16,200 Why? 146 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,933 Because mankind is designed to think, to talk, 147 00:09:19,933 --> 00:09:25,033 to act and to plan with God. 148 00:09:25,033 --> 00:09:29,400 Man is therefore designed to live in tune with God. 149 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,933 Are we living in tune with God? 150 00:09:31,933 --> 00:09:35,933 Always remember God is Spirit. 151 00:09:35,933 --> 00:09:39,700 So the question that we need to ask ourselves is: 152 00:09:39,700 --> 00:09:44,700 What is man? 153 00:09:44,700 --> 00:09:52,500 The Bible is the believer's database for his personal opinion. 154 00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:57,900 What does the Bible say about man, about you and I? 155 00:09:57,900 --> 00:10:02,900 The Bible says in the book 1Thessalonians 5:23 156 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:07,200 that man is a spiritual being 157 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,000 but has a soul and a body. 158 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:18,100 In other words, man has a physical and spiritual nature. 159 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:22,833 Man is not only a physical, intellectual person; 160 00:10:22,833 --> 00:10:28,200 he's also a moral and spiritual person, 161 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,800 because we are made to be like God 162 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,600 in our heart and God is Spirit. 163 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:36,900 So take note. 164 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:40,500 Whenever the Bible refers to man's heart, 165 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:45,600 it refers to man’s spirit - the spirit of man. 166 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:52,800 That's why in the Book of 1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 15:8, 167 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,100 the Bible stresses that 168 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:59,700 when it comes to rightful judgment, God's perspective, 169 00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:05,233 about man always point to man's heart, man's spirit. 170 00:11:05,233 --> 00:11:08,300 This means that God sees man as a spirit being, 171 00:11:08,300 --> 00:11:12,533 living in a physical body. 172 00:11:12,533 --> 00:11:18,000 Man’s spirit is the part of man that has spiritual consciousness. 173 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,500 I mean, spiritual awareness. 174 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:23,400 Man’s spirit is a part of man 175 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,166 that is connected to the spirit realm 176 00:11:26,166 --> 00:11:33,600 and receives inspiration and revelation from God, who is Spirit. 177 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,700 Let us think now of a biblical character 178 00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:39,533 who was really in tune with God in spirit. 179 00:11:39,533 --> 00:11:40,800 We have to remember Moses. 180 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,533 Consider the attitude of Moses 181 00:11:43,533 --> 00:11:45,500 as he and his people were trapped 182 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:51,833 in between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian armies. 183 00:11:51,833 --> 00:11:54,900 Surely, the people of Israel had every reason 184 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:58,200 to think that the end had come 185 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:03,000 considering the size and military might of the Egyptian armies. 186 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,300 We can read about this in the Book of Exodus 14:10. 187 00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:09,533 The Israelites therefore cried out not only in fear, 188 00:12:09,533 --> 00:12:14,800 but also in rebellion and anger directed against Moses and his God. 189 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,600 They allowed their senses to dictate the direction of their faith 190 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,600 and got overwhelmed by fear 191 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:27,333 and completely forgot all the miracles that God had performed for them 192 00:12:27,333 --> 00:12:30,066 and done on their behalf. 193 00:12:30,066 --> 00:12:32,400 Rather than getting offended by 194 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,133 his people's reactions - a lack of faith, 195 00:12:36,133 --> 00:12:40,600 Moses was calm, calculated and determined. 196 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,833 Even in the midst of extreme provocation, 197 00:12:43,833 --> 00:12:47,433 the Bible says he was very calm, confident and peaceable. 198 00:12:47,433 --> 00:12:48,333 Why? 199 00:12:48,333 --> 00:12:51,600 Because his focus was on God. 200 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,900 I mean, his spirit was connected to God. 201 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:59,700 And that is why he could overcome what his senses were telling him. 202 00:12:59,700 --> 00:13:03,533 True - a spiritual man and a man of faith - Moses. 203 00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:06,900 A lot of lessons to learn from him. 204 00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:12,100 The question is why man cannot use his senses to see God? 205 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:14,600 That's the question. 206 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,433 The answer to this question is straightforward. 207 00:13:17,433 --> 00:13:20,400 God is Spirit. 208 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,000 Therefore, we cannot know God by our feelings 209 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,900 and senses or external human faculties 210 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:33,833 because God is invisible, incorporeal, immaterial. 211 00:13:33,833 --> 00:13:38,400 He's a supreme being who lives in the realm above the senses. 212 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,100 He lives in the spirit. 213 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:48,600 Therefore, to seek God, you must be in the spirit. 214 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,433 And you can only see Him and relate with Him 215 00:13:51,433 --> 00:13:55,600 in the spirit realm by revelation. 216 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,800 What do we mean by revelation? 217 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,300 Revelation brings to our spiritual senses 218 00:14:01,300 --> 00:14:06,800 the reality of spiritual things that cannot be perceived 219 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,400 by our natural human senses. 220 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:17,333 As we have natural organs embedded in our physical body 221 00:14:17,333 --> 00:14:21,033 that feed our human senses with information 222 00:14:21,033 --> 00:14:23,233 from the environment 223 00:14:23,233 --> 00:14:29,833 like our eyes, our ears, our hands, etc 224 00:14:29,833 --> 00:14:34,500 God has also endowed us with spiritual senses 225 00:14:34,500 --> 00:14:39,200 as well, embedded in our spirit. 226 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,200 The main spiritual sense God has planted within our spirit 227 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,900 is our conscience. 228 00:14:46,900 --> 00:14:53,600 The conscience is the organ of the spirit to discern spiritual things. 229 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:58,800 That's what Prophet TB Joshua calls a sense of righteousness. 230 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:15,533 Let's listen to what Apostle Paul said in the Book of Romans 8:16. 231 00:15:28,900 --> 00:15:31,000 What does this mean? 232 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,900 This means that a sense of righteousness 233 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:37,000 brings an awareness of self knowing. 234 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:43,700 I mean, awareness of who you are in Christ Jesus. 235 00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:46,800 The question is: How does this awareness come? 236 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,900 That awareness comes through revelation 237 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:55,000 when the Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit. 238 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,400 How does the Holy Spirit bear witness to our spirit? 239 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,733 Through our conscience. 240 00:16:01,733 --> 00:16:09,633 Paul further explained in Romans 9:1. 241 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:36,200 Therefore, 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 teaches that that our natural senses 242 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:41,400 cannot apprehend nor know the things of God or things of the Spirit 243 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:47,300 because they can only be discerned spiritually. 244 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:49,300 And if all this seems a bit much for you, don't worry. 245 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:52,700 In the foundation series as we continue, all this will be broken down. 246 00:16:52,700 --> 00:16:54,800 So you can really understand 247 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,133 how we can relate to God through our spirit and 248 00:16:58,133 --> 00:17:02,900 what actually is man - his spirit, his body, his soul. 249 00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:06,800 So stay tuned as you get more of that on the foundation series 250 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,100 coming up soon. 251 00:17:08,100 --> 00:17:09,600 So when it comes to the knowledge of man, 252 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,100 our senses cannot see the heart or spirit of man. 253 00:17:13,100 --> 00:17:16,933 They can only see man's physical body because that is 254 00:17:16,933 --> 00:17:21,633 the part of man that is connected to this visible world. 255 00:17:21,633 --> 00:17:23,933 The realm of the senses. 256 00:17:23,933 --> 00:17:28,300 Man's body and senses cannot connect to the spiritual realm. 257 00:17:28,300 --> 00:17:33,400 It is only man's spirit which is the spiritual part of man 258 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:38,200 that can connect to the spirit realm, which is God's dimension. 259 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:40,700 True, that is it. 260 00:17:40,700 --> 00:17:44,500 The question is: How do we look into that dimension? 261 00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:48,000 To log on to that realm of the spirit, 262 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:53,100 man must be in the spirit led by the Holy Spirit. 263 00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:56,333 Our spirit, our heart is the communication point, 264 00:17:56,333 --> 00:17:59,700 contact point for the Holy Spirit. 265 00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:01,800 The Holy Spirit uses our heart 266 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,800 to communicate with us. 267 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:11,033 And God speaks to our heart, to our spirit, not our ears. 268 00:18:11,033 --> 00:18:16,500 I advise you to read the Book of Acts 17 - 269 00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:20,100 when the people of Athens were seeking God 270 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:23,433 with their senses and sense knowledge 271 00:18:23,433 --> 00:18:27,000 in order to seek and worship God. 272 00:20:26,433 --> 00:20:30,933 Since all men have a spirit, we have to ask ourselves the question 273 00:20:30,933 --> 00:20:39,266 Why is it that most humans seem to have no relationship with God? 274 00:20:39,266 --> 00:20:43,233 The truth is that God has designed humans 275 00:20:43,233 --> 00:20:48,733 to operate in both natural and spiritual realms. 276 00:20:48,733 --> 00:20:54,633 But most of us live in the senses, I mean in the natural. 277 00:20:54,633 --> 00:20:58,866 And we are dull when it comes to the things of the Spirit. 278 00:20:58,866 --> 00:21:02,933 Because as the Scripture says in the Book of 1 Corinthians 2:9 279 00:21:02,933 --> 00:21:05,633 the things of the Spirit are indistinct. 280 00:21:05,633 --> 00:21:07,833 We can't see them. 281 00:21:07,833 --> 00:21:14,466 And the Bible further says in 1 Corinthians 15:46-47, 282 00:21:35,533 --> 00:21:41,733 1 Corinthians 15:46. 283 00:22:18,366 --> 00:22:24,133 These scriptures we have just read identify two types of men. 284 00:22:24,133 --> 00:22:28,266 The natural man and the spiritually minded man. 285 00:22:28,266 --> 00:22:33,333 The natural man is spiritually blind and dull in comprehension 286 00:22:33,333 --> 00:22:36,566 to the unseen realm. 287 00:22:36,566 --> 00:22:42,933 The spirit world is absolutely closed to his spiritual vision. 288 00:22:42,933 --> 00:22:46,800 It is only when the Holy Spirit illumines his spiritual eyes 289 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:52,700 that he can see and understand the things of the Spirit. 290 00:22:52,700 --> 00:22:58,000 Ephesians 1:7-18 says that the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, 291 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,566 the Father of Glory, may give us the Spirit of Revelation 292 00:23:01,566 --> 00:23:04,966 and wisdom in the knowledge of Him 293 00:23:04,966 --> 00:23:08,500 that the eyes of our understanding may be opened 294 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:12,200 So we may know what is the hope of His calling 295 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,766 and what are the riches of His glory 296 00:23:15,766 --> 00:23:19,300 in His inheritance of the saints. 297 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:36,833 First Corinthians two from verse nine. 298 00:24:17,966 --> 00:24:22,666 So the question is: How do we connect to the Spirit? 299 00:24:22,666 --> 00:24:24,866 How do you connect to the Spirit? 300 00:24:24,866 --> 00:24:27,300 By faith. 301 00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:34,000 Believing in Christ Jesus - that is our only connection. 302 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,366 So how do we live by faith? 303 00:24:37,366 --> 00:24:40,466 Remember, we live by faith 304 00:24:40,466 --> 00:24:48,100 when we recognize our union with Jesus Christ in the spirit. 305 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:49,666 To live by faith, 306 00:24:49,666 --> 00:24:54,000 our spirit must govern our senses, 307 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,900 and for our spirit to govern our senses, 308 00:24:56,900 --> 00:25:00,500 our mind must be renewed by knowing the Word 309 00:25:00,500 --> 00:25:03,966 and acting on it. 310 00:25:03,966 --> 00:25:08,566 So how do we know that our mind is renewed? 311 00:25:08,566 --> 00:25:10,466 Good question. 312 00:25:10,466 --> 00:25:13,100 Our mind is renewed 313 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:17,033 when we begin to think not about our weaknesses 314 00:25:17,033 --> 00:25:24,466 and shortcomings, but of our righteousness in Christ Jesus. 315 00:25:24,466 --> 00:25:27,866 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 316 00:25:27,866 --> 00:25:32,933 It is all about the Apostle Paul's experience with the thorn. 317 00:26:25,366 --> 00:26:29,766 You see, when Paul was afflicted by a thorn in his flesh, 318 00:26:29,766 --> 00:26:34,300 he prayed to God many times for God to remove that thorn. 319 00:26:34,300 --> 00:26:38,566 But God said to him: “My grace is sufficient for you.” 320 00:26:38,566 --> 00:26:39,200 Why? 321 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:45,366 For my strength is made perfect in weakness. 322 00:26:45,366 --> 00:26:49,700 Immediately, the revelation of the will of God came to Him, 323 00:26:49,700 --> 00:26:52,366 Paul never complained anymore. 324 00:26:52,366 --> 00:26:56,866 And he said, Brother, when I'm weak, I am strong. 325 00:26:56,866 --> 00:27:00,066 His mind was renewed and he stopped worrying 326 00:27:00,066 --> 00:27:03,966 about the thorn in his flesh. 327 00:27:03,966 --> 00:27:08,666 So let us summarize the answer to all these questions. 328 00:27:08,666 --> 00:27:09,966 The natural man - 329 00:27:09,966 --> 00:27:14,266 the man of the senses is only conscious of his body 330 00:27:14,266 --> 00:27:16,866 and has no awareness of the spirit realm. 331 00:27:16,866 --> 00:27:19,200 Why is it so? 332 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,666 The Bible says that since the fall of man, 333 00:27:21,666 --> 00:27:25,066 man has lost his spirit consciousness 334 00:27:25,066 --> 00:27:29,066 because of sin and operates only in the natural. 335 00:27:29,066 --> 00:27:32,566 We can read about this in Genesis 6:3. 336 00:27:32,566 --> 00:27:36,766 The natural man's spirit is dead to God because of sin 337 00:27:36,766 --> 00:27:38,866 ever since Adam, 338 00:27:38,866 --> 00:27:42,900 the human body, which the Bible refers to as the outer self, 339 00:27:42,900 --> 00:27:47,366 the outward man or the old man is the physical part of man 340 00:27:47,366 --> 00:27:51,800 designed by God to interact with the visible or the physical world. 341 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:53,466 That's true. 342 00:27:53,466 --> 00:27:55,666 While the spirit of man 343 00:27:55,666 --> 00:27:59,533 is the spiritual part of man designed by God 344 00:27:59,533 --> 00:28:03,400 to interact or communicate with the invisible 345 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:08,600 or spiritual world where God dwells. 346 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,866 The spiritual man is therefore, 347 00:28:10,866 --> 00:28:14,466 the one whose spirit has been recreated or regenerated 348 00:28:14,466 --> 00:28:19,166 by God's power at the point of spiritual rebirth by faith 349 00:28:19,166 --> 00:28:21,066 in Christ Jesus. 350 00:28:21,066 --> 00:28:24,100 That's what Jesus meant when He said to Nicodemus 351 00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:26,966 in the Book of John 3:3. 352 00:28:26,966 --> 00:28:28,866 You need to be born again. 353 00:28:28,866 --> 00:28:31,466 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, 354 00:28:31,466 --> 00:28:35,266 I say to you, unless a man is born again, 355 00:28:35,266 --> 00:28:38,400 he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3) 356 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:56,233 And we have time for just a few more questions 357 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:14,566 So what do you mean by “on the outside”? 358 00:29:14,566 --> 00:29:20,866 By “outside”, we mean what is visible, material, physical - 359 00:29:20,866 --> 00:29:24,400 things you can see with your natural eyes, 360 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,366 hear with your ears, 361 00:29:26,366 --> 00:29:31,366 things you can feel or know intellectually. 362 00:29:31,366 --> 00:29:33,866 In opposite, on the inside refers 363 00:29:33,866 --> 00:29:38,866 to the things that we cannot see, like man's heart, man spirit, 364 00:29:38,866 --> 00:29:44,166 which is man's spiritual entity that only God can see. 365 00:29:44,166 --> 00:29:47,066 That is why, concerning human beings, 366 00:29:47,066 --> 00:29:49,866 one needs to be guided by divine revelation 367 00:29:49,866 --> 00:29:54,766 to get to the heart of the matter when it comes to judgment. 368 00:29:54,766 --> 00:29:56,300 We know this. 369 00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:59,266 We know that we should not judge anyone by appearance 370 00:29:59,266 --> 00:30:02,900 because only God knows the true condition 371 00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:06,100 of the human heart. 372 00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:11,066 When it comes to the things of God who is unseen, 373 00:30:11,066 --> 00:30:13,966 we need to be in the spirit 374 00:30:13,966 --> 00:30:16,900 because only faith pleases God. 375 00:30:16,900 --> 00:30:20,866 Hebrews 11:6 376 00:30:20,866 --> 00:30:25,333 Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, 377 00:30:25,333 --> 00:30:30,866 for he who comes to God must believe that God is 378 00:30:30,866 --> 00:30:35,900 and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 379 00:30:35,900 --> 00:30:40,400 We diligently seek Him, as we have said today, by faith. 380 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,100 Remember, faith focuses on God who is unseen, 381 00:30:44,100 --> 00:30:47,866 while the natural sight focuses on the outside, 382 00:30:47,866 --> 00:30:48,866 what is visible, 383 00:30:48,866 --> 00:30:52,166 what is tangible, what is concrete. 384 00:30:52,166 --> 00:30:55,066 Therefore a spiritual man, I mean, the man of faith 385 00:30:55,066 --> 00:30:59,566 is not satisfied by sense knowledge but looks beyond it, 386 00:30:59,566 --> 00:31:03,100 because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, 387 00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:05,766 we walk by faith, not by sight. 388 00:31:05,766 --> 00:31:08,700 Yes, faith is from man's spirit. 389 00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:11,766 I mean the invisible world or the spiritual world. 390 00:31:11,766 --> 00:31:14,900 And sight is from man's body, 391 00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:18,766 the visible world or the natural world. 392 00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:52,400 And the Bible further says in 1 Samuel 16:6-13 393 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:57,466 all about Samuel and David, the first king of Israel. 394 00:31:57,466 --> 00:32:02,066 Samuel, the prophet was sent to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem 395 00:32:02,066 --> 00:32:07,766 to anoint the new appointed King of Israel. 396 00:32:07,766 --> 00:32:12,466 When he came, he looked at the most handsome son of Jesse 397 00:32:12,466 --> 00:32:17,366 as being the chosen king but God rejected him 398 00:32:17,366 --> 00:32:19,966 and chose the one who was neglected, 399 00:32:19,966 --> 00:32:25,866 the young and rustic shepherd boy, David 400 00:32:25,866 --> 00:32:29,700 Ask Prophet Samuel in the Book of 1 Samuel 16:7 401 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:32,266 and he would teach you that 402 00:32:32,266 --> 00:32:35,666 we should learn to focus not on the outside 403 00:32:35,666 --> 00:32:41,166 I mean, not on the outward qualities of man which are visible. 404 00:32:41,166 --> 00:32:44,666 But rather we should focus on the inside by looking inwardly 405 00:32:44,666 --> 00:32:47,900 at the heart with the help of the Holy Spirit. 406 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:53,466 If we want to see things the way God sees them about man. 407 00:32:53,466 --> 00:32:55,066 So thank you so much. 408 00:32:55,066 --> 00:32:59,900 Yes, that was a short look into what it means – ‘outside’ and ‘inside’. 409 00:32:59,900 --> 00:33:04,066 And yes, we all need to develop our inner man, our spiritual man. 410 00:33:04,066 --> 00:33:08,300 And with the help of the Holy Spirit daily, every moment we can. 411 00:33:21,866 --> 00:33:27,066 First, there's need to know what faith is. 412 00:33:27,066 --> 00:33:31,466 The problem of faith is made simply to understand 413 00:33:31,466 --> 00:33:34,466 when we know that faith is simply acting 414 00:33:34,466 --> 00:33:37,700 on what God has said. 415 00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:43,966 The main issue of our faith is the genuineness of that faith. 416 00:33:43,966 --> 00:33:47,966 For faith to be genuine, it must be based on God’s Word, 417 00:33:47,966 --> 00:33:55,266 which is Spirit and life. (John 6:63) 418 00:33:55,266 --> 00:33:58,266 Man speaks ordinary words 419 00:33:58,266 --> 00:34:05,200 but God speaks Words that are Spirit and life. 420 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,366 But for man’s word to become God’s Word, 421 00:34:08,366 --> 00:34:12,966 it must be affected by the Holy Spirit with life. 422 00:34:12,966 --> 00:34:17,100 The question is: Can man speak the Words of life? 423 00:34:17,100 --> 00:34:19,900 Man speaks ordinary words 424 00:34:19,900 --> 00:34:23,800 but man can speak Words of life that are spirit and life 425 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,366 when they are affected by the Holy Spirit. 426 00:34:27,366 --> 00:34:33,466 Those Words must be affected by the Holy Spirit with life. 427 00:34:33,466 --> 00:34:36,700 What do I mean by life in the Word? 428 00:34:36,700 --> 00:34:38,500 God’s Word is Spirit and life 429 00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:43,266 because it has the ability to produce a spiritual force 430 00:34:43,266 --> 00:34:50,000 that grows and develops within our heart called faith. 431 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:55,966 It is that faith that moves our words to work wonders. 432 00:34:55,966 --> 00:34:58,100 That's Bible faith. 433 00:34:58,100 --> 00:35:00,700 Bible faith is called the spirit of faith. 434 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:18,233 I read. 435 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:46,566 So faith takes place in two places: 436 00:35:46,566 --> 00:35:47,766 With our heart we believe it; 437 00:35:47,766 --> 00:35:54,666 With our mouth we confess, and faith is both. 438 00:35:54,666 --> 00:35:58,266 You know, the example of the seven sons of Sceva shows that 439 00:35:58,266 --> 00:36:01,966 genuine faith is not imitation. 440 00:36:01,966 --> 00:36:05,866 Faith must arise in each person's heart 441 00:36:05,866 --> 00:36:09,166 or in a conviction, which leads to real movement 442 00:36:09,166 --> 00:36:12,166 or real confession of faith. 443 00:36:12,166 --> 00:36:17,700 For faith to be genuine, the heart and the mouth should never conflict. 444 00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:21,466 In other words, we should mean what we say. 445 00:36:21,466 --> 00:36:24,566 This means we should believe what we confess. 446 00:36:24,566 --> 00:36:26,366 Do you believe what you confess? 447 00:36:26,366 --> 00:36:28,366 Do you mean what you say? 448 00:36:28,366 --> 00:36:31,366 Because scriptural faith or biblical faith is expressed 449 00:36:31,366 --> 00:36:37,600 by believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth. 450 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,066 The mouth must have the heart's full agreement 451 00:36:41,066 --> 00:36:44,566 before there can be an acceptable or genuine confession of faith. 452 00:36:44,566 --> 00:36:47,266 Very true. 453 00:36:47,266 --> 00:36:49,566 That's the key, an agreement. 454 00:36:49,566 --> 00:36:54,066 The question is: How can faith develop? 455 00:36:54,066 --> 00:36:58,866 The development of God’s Word in your heart, 456 00:36:58,866 --> 00:37:03,166 gives birth to belief in your heart. 457 00:37:03,166 --> 00:37:09,633 Romans 10:17 458 00:37:09,633 --> 00:37:15,633 Faith grows as we hear and obey God’s Word. 459 00:37:45,466 --> 00:37:50,066 How does one move from sense knowledge to revelation knowledge? 460 00:37:50,066 --> 00:37:55,733 Yes, that is what all of us as believers need to ask ourselves. 461 00:37:55,733 --> 00:37:59,233 Let's remember what happened to the servant of Elisha. 462 00:37:59,233 --> 00:38:01,233 With his physical eyes, 463 00:38:01,233 --> 00:38:06,633 the servant of Elisha saw the immediate danger and fear gripped him. 464 00:38:06,633 --> 00:38:11,133 When his master prayed to God to open his spiritual eyes. 465 00:38:11,133 --> 00:38:16,733 His eyes were opened and in the spirit, 466 00:38:16,733 --> 00:38:19,033 he saw angels around him. 467 00:38:19,033 --> 00:38:20,066 And what happened? 468 00:38:20,066 --> 00:38:22,033 His fear disappeared. 469 00:38:22,033 --> 00:38:23,933 Yes. 470 00:38:23,933 --> 00:38:28,933 So to move from sense knowledge to revelation knowledge 471 00:38:28,933 --> 00:38:34,866 is a matter of yielding your heart to the Holy Spirit. 472 00:38:34,866 --> 00:38:38,533 It is the Holy Spirit who opens the eyes of our faith 473 00:38:38,533 --> 00:38:42,833 to see the hidden truth in God’s Word. 474 00:38:42,833 --> 00:38:46,066 Meditation in the Word of God brings revelation. 475 00:38:46,066 --> 00:38:48,233 That's the key. 476 00:38:48,233 --> 00:38:55,033 We meditate till God give us a clear light, a clear understanding. 477 00:38:55,033 --> 00:38:57,333 So when you meditate on the Word of God, 478 00:38:57,333 --> 00:39:03,233 allowing the Holy Spirit to take the lead, revelation will come 479 00:39:03,233 --> 00:39:06,366 and when revelation comes, it will carry you 480 00:39:06,366 --> 00:39:10,633 beyond the realm of senses into the very presence of God 481 00:39:10,633 --> 00:39:14,266 in the spirit and there you will see clearly; 482 00:39:14,266 --> 00:39:17,433 there the spiritual understanding comes. 483 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:56,833 Put yourself in the Scripture 484 00:39:56,833 --> 00:39:58,133 and hear God saying to you, 485 00:39:58,133 --> 00:40:02,033 Those that are with you are more than those that are against you. 486 00:40:33,100 --> 00:40:37,000 Many today in their homes are overwhelmed by their circumstances 487 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,400 because we look at it in the natural 488 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,000 and you become overwhelmed and fear comes and doubt comes. 489 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,533 So there is need for us to shift our focus 490 00:40:45,533 --> 00:40:49,300 from natural to spiritual. 491 00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:52,400 So to move from sense knowledge to revelation 492 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,500 is by grace. 493 00:40:55,500 --> 00:40:58,400 All you need to do is to humble yourself 494 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:05,533 under the guidance of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Revelation. 495 00:41:05,533 --> 00:41:08,800 That change, that move is little by little, 496 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:12,000 every day, little by little, every moment, little by little. 497 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:17,033 It's a journey and a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. 498 00:41:17,033 --> 00:41:18,100 So we're so happy today 499 00:41:18,100 --> 00:41:22,000 that you joined us to take that step, that step into the spiritual 500 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,733 by joining us on the programme today. 501 00:41:29,766 --> 00:41:34,100 So that journey today has started with this step that you've taken. 502 00:41:34,100 --> 00:41:35,433 And remember the FOUNDATION SERIES, 503 00:41:35,433 --> 00:41:36,900 the DIVINE LECTURES 504 00:41:36,900 --> 00:41:39,400 that you've been seeing on The University of God - 505 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,000 You don't just need to watch them once 506 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:43,400 you know, the Word of God is not time bound. 507 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,600 Every Word of God is Spirit and Life. 508 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,500 Take time to watch again and again, 509 00:41:48,500 --> 00:41:52,933 go over the Bible passages, meditate on the hidden truth there 510 00:41:52,933 --> 00:41:55,700 and if you want to look for where those teachings are, 511 00:41:55,700 --> 00:41:57,266 you can check in the description below. 512 00:41:57,266 --> 00:42:01,600 There's a link and if you have any more questions, remember, 513 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:06,500 as you meditate on these teachings, questions will arise in your heart 514 00:42:06,500 --> 00:42:09,066 and you can send your questions to us by going 515 00:42:09,066 --> 00:42:12,833 to our website - theuog.org - going to the contact section 516 00:42:12,833 --> 00:42:14,400 and sending us a message. 517 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:19,100 And we'll go through all your questions and by the grace of God, 518 00:42:19,100 --> 00:42:22,933 answer them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 519 00:42:22,933 --> 00:42:26,800 There is no shortcut to spiritual maturity. 520 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:31,200 Our earthly understanding must give way to spiritual understanding or revelation, to reach maturity. ” – Prophet TB Joshua 521 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:33,833 or revelation to reach maturity. 522 00:42:33,833 --> 00:42:36,900 All the teachings we are giving you are not time bound. 523 00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:40,000 Please go over it, meditate on it, 524 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:41,700 and ask the Holy Ghost to help you 525 00:42:41,700 --> 00:42:43,700 to have a better understanding of it. 526 00:42:43,700 --> 00:42:47,800 That's the only way faith can grow into our lives. 527 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:49,800 That we have a revelation does not mean 528 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:51,100 we can force you to believe it; 529 00:42:51,100 --> 00:42:54,000 you must have your own revelation and conviction. 530 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:55,100 How does it come? 531 00:42:55,100 --> 00:42:57,333 Read it, meditate on it. 532 00:42:57,333 --> 00:43:01,600 Allow the Spirit of God to enhance your understanding. 533 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,566 We need to be mature as Christians 534 00:43:03,566 --> 00:43:06,600 because we are in an environment that is very challenging 535 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,433 and God wants you to live by faith, to be strong in the faith. 536 00:43:09,433 --> 00:43:11,100 How can you do that? 537 00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:14,933 You can achieve that only by developing your relationship 538 00:43:14,933 --> 00:43:18,200 with the wonderful unseen Guest - the Holy Spirit. 539 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:20,500 How? Atrack his attention. 540 00:43:20,500 --> 00:43:24,433 And you can only do that when you meditate on the Word and pray 541 00:43:24,433 --> 00:43:28,900 and He will come and enhance the spiritual coasts, 542 00:43:28,900 --> 00:43:30,200 in Jesus’ name. 543 00:43:35,900 --> 00:43:40,400 Just as Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night to ask questions, 544 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,233 to find out and develop faith in Jesus, 545 00:43:44,233 --> 00:43:48,500 you too can watch this and ask questions in your heart to God 546 00:43:48,500 --> 00:43:49,433 and the Holy Spirit, 547 00:43:49,433 --> 00:43:53,533 the Helper, the Counselor will come and answer your questions 548 00:43:53,533 --> 00:43:55,300 through the Word of God. 549 00:43:55,300 --> 00:43:59,600 Yes, that is why everything is in the light of God’s Word. 550 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:03,700 Amen. Saints, brothers, sisters, believers all over the world, 551 00:44:03,700 --> 00:44:07,500 we are going to pray for you. 552 00:44:07,500 --> 00:44:09,133 We have seen so many emails. 553 00:44:09,133 --> 00:44:11,500 We went through all the questions and answers. 554 00:44:11,500 --> 00:44:14,700 We've seen a lot of people are going through agony, 555 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:16,700 pain and difficulties. 556 00:44:16,700 --> 00:44:20,433 So we are going to pray together, believe in God 557 00:44:20,433 --> 00:44:24,300 that God Almighty will meet you at the point of your essential need, 558 00:44:24,300 --> 00:44:26,800 for Jesus does nothing without His Word. 559 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:30,500 Don't forget, God’s Word has priority over the name. 560 00:44:30,500 --> 00:44:32,400 That's why we give you this teaching. 561 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:36,433 But we stand in the presence of God praying for you, 562 00:44:36,433 --> 00:44:40,300 and God will locate you in His mercy, in Jesus’ name. 563 00:44:40,300 --> 00:44:44,200 So, continue to join us here on The University of God. 564 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,433 Sense knowledge ceases when revelation comes.