Changing Our Way of Thinking by Zac Poonen

the Christian life is one the Christian life is one where we are always to be more than conquerors no matter what happens they couldn't do that in the Old Testament I mentioned to you yesterday about the book of Joel did he preserve a pure testimony let's look at that for a moment God could boast about him the first book of the Bible writes about a man whom God could boast about to say blameless upright fearing God turning away from evil and he was rich some of God's people are rich we don't seek to be rich the love of money is the root of all evil but some Christians feel that if you're wholehearted you'll be poor usually because they themselves are poor and then they can become jealous of spiritually minded believers who have more than them there are people in our country who are very fine believers perhaps better than many of us who do not have the money to travel from their town to Bangalore for a conference and that's why they can't come do you think they're going to miss out on God's plan and purpose for their life just because they don't have 200 rupees to travel here impossible there's no partiality with God he'll probably bless them in a way that none of us will get blessed God loves his children they're all equal to him think if you had children and somewhere and some of them were you know you had to isolate them in a room because they were sick wouldn't you care for that you probably care more for that child than the others who are healthy God is like that he's a father he's a mother he says even a mother may forget her second child I will not forget you in my early Christian years I never lived with that assurance and I saw I was always tossed about I didn't know whether God I only spelled God was looking at me with a frog and saying you're still not good enough I lived under that misery as a child of God for many years and the trouble with that is listen to this we become like the God we worship there's a verse in the Psalms it says that those who make idols become like them it's in the song those who make idols become like that we become like that god we worship so if you've got a god who's always frowning at you you know how you're going to look at other people frowning it so when you see some person who's supposed to be a believer frowning at you don't get angry the poor guys worshiping some idol in his mind not the real God of the Bible not the Lord Jesus Christ whose face shines upon us you know there's a blessing that the Lord told it's a beautiful verse let me turn that first numbers chapter 6 the Lord told Moses tell Aaron verse 20 to read the Bible slowly you'll get so many blessings by reading the Bible slowly I found that I'm not in a rush I've had this many times I'm not in a rush to go through the Bible 50 hands in my life if the Bible goes through me once that'll do so what do you get from this verse the Lord spoke to Moses saying speak to Aaron that's all just that much the Lord spoke to Moses saying speak to her what do you get from that what I get from that is that the Lord can speak to some people like Moses but he cannot speak to other people like Aaron so he has to tell Moses listen that guy is spiritually deaf go and tell him the elders in Laodicea and in the revelation chapter two and three they were deaf they couldn't see their true condition God had to send a prophet and an apostle like John say go and tell those elders this is your condition were they under the Old Covenant where God had to speak to them through a prophet no they were in the New Covenant this is 65 years after the day of Pentecost New Covenant believers unable to hear God speaking to them about their real condition I believe there are multitudes like that why do you have to wait until you come to a conference or a meeting to get your real condition exposed brother sister there is a better way where you can hear God showing you your condition every day it's like getting a free scan of your inner life every day and it's much more serious these spiritual problems than cholesterol and blood pressure and diabetes and other problems that scans can show you we're so careful about all these things people say after you cross a certain age you must have a checkup every year etc a medical check-up well I want to say as soon as you're born again you should be having a checkup every day every day because there are things more serious than blood pressure and high cholesterol and diabetes etc that can destroy us much more than those things so we need to hear God speak to us we shouldn't have God to say okay God is to tell somebody go and tell so-and-so why should you tell him to tell you okay read the Bible slowly and you get some challenges like that speak to Aaron anyway saying this is the way you must bless the sons of Israel the Lord bless you and keep you and the Lord make his face shine upon you you know this is he said this is how we must bless the sons of Israel what about today this is the Lord's face shining upon me right now I believe that you must believe it brother sister but you see all the Lord I'm such a bad person well you know you're aware of that because you have a sensitive conscience is that other guy who thinks he's a good person on whom perhaps the Lord is frowning but you have a sensitivity in your punches that says Lord I think so guilty about little things I do praise the Lord I pray that you're sensitive a little increased even smaller things two little words a little attitudes that disturb you because you want to be a burning pure burning bush for Jesus and it's not always by convicting convicting convicting that we get spiritual we first need to see that the Lord's face shines upon us that he Israelis he loves us and he rejoices over us with singing it says in Zephaniah 3:17 he rejoices over us at singing have you seen sometimes mothers singing to their little two month old babies who can't understand one little word about the mother is singing there are doctors who now encourage mothers to sing to the babies inside the womb and there are mothers who do it sing to the baby put your hand on wool band singing and pray and talk to the baby and I believe they hear and Kenny can you when the Bible says God's like a mother and a father I believe he sings over us he's Joyce's over us the favorite picture I have in my mind of God now not in the old days the oldies head is crowning God looking up but the picture I have now in my mind when it says can a mother forget her sucking child Isaiah 49 15 even they may forget but I won't forget you is the picture of a married woman who never had children for 15 years picture this in your mind a woman would know chillin for 15 years faithful seeking praying something like Hanna in the Old Testament praying praying praying I can imagine when Hanna got Samuel baby how do you think Hanna looked at Samuel this child I call him Samuel I asked of the Lord I asked the Lord and he gave me a child when he picked up hat Samuel for the first time after many years of having no children how do you think Hanna look good guess I - he was so excited and she thought me said so many things to him which Samuel couldn't understand she was so excited that's how God looks at me and believe it or not that's how God looks at you you have heard so many preachers tell you lies about how God looks at you and you believe them and on top of that when those preachers tell you lies but God frown at you there are the devil comes along and says that's right I remember the years when I always used to feel that God's holy message to me was you're still not good enough if you want to destroy your children I'll give you a prescription don't take it I'm just warning you how to destroy your children quickly what ever they do you say still not good enough you'll destroy them in no time and by the time they're 18 they'll run away from your home never to come back and probably is good they don't come back to a home like that God is not like that God's not like that if you have if you are unfortunate enough to have a father and mother who already told you you are not good enough or to say nothing good will come out of you I want to tell you God's not like that he's very different I remember once I've had a few dreams in my life which were from the Lord very few every dream is not from the Lord maybe 1% or less my dreams are from the Lord and one day I had a dream many years ago where I've been speaking in the meeting in the dream and I was walking back to the room where I was staying that conference site and I had poured out my heart of the meeting to this conference meeting and it wasn't here I think then the pictures was in some other country and I was walking back and as I was walking back and I felt really had pulled out my heart and I heard a voice behind me same in the brain that wasn't good enough you could have done better my heart sank in my dream and I said to the Lord in my dream I said nor wise if and I talked to you face to face you always encouraging but when I hear a voice coming from behind me saw me so discouraged the Lord said to me my dream turn around and look and see where it is I told on and looked was the devil imitating God's voice as soon as I turn around he flipped I learned a lesson that day God spoke to me through a tree he does speak through dreams sometimes but I'll never forget that the voice that says you're still not good enough you think it's the Holy Spirit challenging you you know to press on to perfection like it says here ah this is the voice of the Holy Spirit challenging me to press on to perfection but doesn't it discourage you it's not the voice of the Holy Spirit what is the meaning of a deceiver that that was called a deceiver a deceiver is one who tries to imitate the currency not exactly like that of he's trying to speak to you on a phone he will try to imitate the voice of your as bender wife who loves you so much or your father or mother imitating so you think it is your father it's not your father it's the devil we need to identify the voice of the devil for example a voice that says come on do it quickly don't wait don't wait obey God immediately it is always the devil God never speaks like that he gives us a time to be sure if you're not sure you're not disobedient I hope that will liberate many of you so I'm not doing what God is talking are you sure God has told you to do that no brother Zack I'm not sure I'm still considering then don't do it when you have perfect peace in your heart that's the time you know that's really the Holy Spirit you consider a course of action and you don't have peace in your heart a little disturbance it's not the Holy Spirit it's the Holy Spirit telling you that's wrong way he disturbs us in our heart because there's a beautiful verse remember this Romans 8 verse 6 the mind of the Holy Spirit is always life and peace the mind of the Holy Spirit is life and peace it's a beautiful verse that's how we know the will of God today in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was outside people he came upon people from outside so he spoke to people from outside and so they had to hear God through this year but the wonderful thing about the New Covenant is that the holy spirit has come inside so once he comes inside he doesn't speak through this year but speaks from inside so if somebody comes to me and tells me sometimes you read testimonies like that and they are true like the Apostle Paul endure Damascus Road I heard the audible voice of God with this year I say great but I've got something better I hear the voice of God inside there are many people who think that we here with this year is better than to hear inside you really believe that how many of you believe that it's better to have the Holy Spirit outside you and inside you you gotta be off your head to think that it's better to have the Holy Spirit outside you than inside then why in the world do you think that the Holy Spirit's being outside you is better than the Holy Spirit in speaking inside I'll tell you when you hear the voice of God if ever you hear again by the way I've never heard the voice of God with this year and I'm not so keen on hearing it either one day I will when I see him face to face but when I hear somebody saying that it doesn't excite me and when I was young and immature and I thought like a child I said boy I'd be great usually that feeling comes so that I can get up and give a testimony I heard God with this year so that I'm a big man a lot of things is for testimony it's for the honor of man forget if you forget about seeing the honor of man you know the will of God pretty quickly so the Lord make his face shine upon you lift up his face upon you and give you peace number 626 that is how we know they're going the right direction peace in our heart confirmed in Romans 8:6 the mind of the Spirit is keys and that's why when it comes to finding the will of God it says in Romans 12 and verse 2 that it's by the renewing of our mind that we are transformed into the likeness of Christ read romans 12:2 very slowly with you and explain it I don't want to be conformed to this world I want to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and how does that happen by the renewing of my mind now that verse teaches me some things it teaches me that being conformed to this world is in the mind my brothers and sisters please understand this when our sister dresses in a worldly way copying the models on television and in the movies the problem is not her dress her problem is her mind you can change her dress and force her to wear some modest clothes you have not made her spiritual you have just made her a better Pharisee you got to change the mind because were leanness read this words be don't be conformed to the world in your mind but be transformed in your mind it's the mind and the devil's not after your dress he's after your mind if you can get your mind he can make you worthy even with modest clothes you know I once shocked people in CFC by saying I would rather have in our church a number of sisters who wear jeans short hair don't cover their head and sleeveless blouses and lipstick and mascara and Rouge and I don't know what all of the other things they use nowadays is a few things they used in the olden days don't Anan up-to-date these things whatever it is sitting there but we'll never gossip never back fight against others or who are helping the poor caring for others serving others and praying for God's work and burden for the work of the Lord and who never speak evil of others and who have overcome anger I would rather have a hundred sisters like that and all these holy sisters who come covering their heads and very modest clothes and go home and back bite and gossip and lose their temper and romantic read romantic novels and all that type of stuff any day any day those are Pharisees who would judge these people like that of course I'm not saying that I it's that we should dress like that I'm comparing that it's like saying if I have to lose one hand I'd rather lose my left hand because I use my right hand much force the best is to have both hands so I'd say the best is if you are dressed modestly and well also but the mind is fundamental I hope you understand this true spirituality is in your mind so often that's why Jesus said never judge a person according to his outward appearance do you know what is the most according to my understanding the most disobeyed command among spiritually minded believers not among all believers the most disobeyed commandment among legalistic believers let's say I'll show it to you John chapter 7 and verse 24 John 7 verse 24 where Jesus said a very clear do not but believers do do not judge according to the appearance but Judge with righteous judgment I am convinced that is the most disobeyed commandment but wholly legalistic believers who are doing everything right on the outside you look so holy and always talk holy words but who judged by what they see she said never do it the same God who said do not commit murder do not commit adultery do not judge according to the appearance now which of these commands are important and which are unimportant you got to be a conceited snob to think that you can determine which do not of God is important in which is not important how many of you would go and commit murder when God said do not commit murder undo that how many of you would commit adultery you say don't commit adultery how many of you would judge according to the outward judge according to outward appearance you who judge another person for committing adultery you say the commandment says do not commit adultery he can turn wrong to you and say the commandment says do not judge according to the outward appearance your mouth is shut he who is without sin let him cast the first stone you know why we don't see these things because we don't read the Bible slowly people fight about versions which version is important you take any version it says don't judge according to the appearance so crazy saying you know how the doubles got Christians fighting about versions instead of disobedience disobedience I've had arguments with people who talk about King James Version in the United States I say do you know that in India we have twenty at least major languages and 300 dialects and Bibles in many of those languages and none of them are King James Version what do you do tell them not to read the Bible none of them are from the same manuscript as the King James Version not even one of those translations the trouble with a lot of people who argue about these things is they've never lived in India they have never lived in a third world country they never know the problems here if you go to the Bible you realize that obedience is more important obedience there are many Old Testament verses quoted in the New Testament compare them you find they're completely different you say hey this doesn't look like that Old Testament verse that's right because this verse is not quoted from the original Hebrew it's quoted from a translation so the Greek translation of the Old Testament which is about 120 years before Christ and from that they caught and sometimes there's a difference and the Holy Spirit takes you there's some people who but terribly upset with me because I use some paraphrases like the Living Bible in essence and I tell you the tribe of legalists will never die in Chris's name they'll always be there who are occupied with versions and versions and instead of being occupied with obedience obedience which version says you should not take up the cross which version is there which says you can follow Jesus without dying to yourself daily show me one in any version in the Bible every single version says you cannot follow Jesus only deny yourself every day and take up the cross every day you can apologies I mean that's one of the most important commands of Jesus and so we got to be very careful about these things it says about Jesus in Isaiah chapter 11 beautiful verse that many times comes to me that teaches me what is the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit and what is the mark of the fear of the Lord these are two very important things let me show you from Isaiah chapter 11 because a lot of people say it's speaking in tongues is the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit I beg to disagree Jesus never spoke in tongues and great men like DL Moody and Charles Finney were baptized Holy Spirit never spoken down I speak in tongues but that's that's not the mark of being from the spirit I'm thankful for it but I say that's not the market being filled in the Holy Spirit when you are filled with the Holy Spirit Romans 5:5 to me is the mark of being filled with the Holy Spirit the love of God is shed abroad in your hearts you love Jesus with all your heart and you love other people like Jesus ever then you're filled with the Holy Spirit otherwise you're not no matter which Tonya speaking now Isaiah 11 it says here about Jesus the Spirit of God being upon Jesus in verse 2 the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon it's referring to Jesus in verse 1 from the stem of Jesse who was the father of David who Jesus called the son of David the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him the spirit of wisdom it's a Sevenfold Holy Spirit described in Revelation here is the Sevenfold Holy Spirit that you read out in Revelation the spirit of Java spirit of wisdom spirit of understanding spirit of counsel spirit of strength through knowledge spirit of the fear of the Lord now you have all seven these are all characteristics of one Holy Spirit and then he expands on the last characteristic the Spirit of God bring if you're filled with the Holy Spirit we bring within you a tremendous fear of God tremendous reverence for God and when a tremendous reverence for God comes upon you here is one way to know it he will delete he will delight in reverencing God a man who's filled with the spirit will delight in reverence for God he will not be moved by all his flippant these flippant choruses written by Hoffman Murdoch Cowboys this emotional divert law Lord Jesus only clothes and all that type of stuff he liked he delighted in reverence for the Lord and then one mark of his life will be that he will not judge anything by what he sees or what he hears verse 3 but he but he was still judged he's not a zombie walking around saying I don't have any opinion he's got some very strong opinion Jesus had strong opinions he called the Pharisees a generation of vipers sure he called Herod a fox he wasn't a man without opinions when I say it's no longer I my thoughts have died Christ lives in me Christ will have some opinions the Christ who lives in me will look at certain people and see that they are a generation of vipers he will look at certain people and see their foxes he will tell me don't throw your pearls before swine he will tell me who the swine are I won't call him that but he'll tell me to avoid throwing my poles to them he'll tell me don't give that which is holy to the dogs and then he will show me when the dogs are I won't call them dogs no that's not my business but I won't give what his holy to them I don't go wrong giving holy things to people who don't appreciate know now what she was putting a Bible in front of a dog in just teared apart mm-hmm it's useless giving the word to people who don't appreciate so it says here that he will judge righteously but it will not be by what he sees and hears now let me tell you brothers and sisters I'm talking about having a pure testimony this purity has to come from inside and it comes with a reverence for the Lord it comes by not judging according to what we see in here a lot of pollution a lot of pollution that prevents the bush from burning it is because we are judging with the wrong system you know they say if you put red glasses everything looks ready when the grass is red because your glasses are there you take it off and then you will see properly and we are all born as children of Adam which sort of colored glasses we look at everybody with prejudice we can never believe that anybody does anything with a good motive we can never believe that a preacher doesn't that there are a few creatures in the world who are not interested in money I know the number of accusations I have faced when I say we never asked for money we never send reports and I never made my needs known to anyone in 70 years and we have never made our needs known and touched in our church for 35 years people can't believe this it can't be true there cannot be such human beings in the world they always believe the worst about others if you will look into your mind you will see that you prefer to believe something bad about someone than something good you rejoice to hear something bad about other people's children not about your own children other people's particularly some people you don't like than about your own children because we have this corrupt thing called the flesh in which dwells nothing good you hear some little rumor about some thing happening in some group in zip and you spread the story before the day is over there's a worldly proverb that says lies and errors go right around the world by true truth is still putting on a cheese hasn't even started walking but lies and errors have already traveled the world by the time truth is put on your shoes so this is how it is and the race of atom is like that because they talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and most of that talk is some gossip they heard about somebody else which is done which doesn't help them to become holier doesn't help anybody else to become holier and to have try and have the worst possible opinion about believers whom you don't like you know what you need whether you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit all your speaking in tongues is garbage if the Holy Spirit is not able to stop you from judging according to what you see and what you hear I would advise you please listen to me coz stop speaking in tongues and concentrate on your mind and say Lord I'll start speaking in tongues again after I get my mind and my thoughts right because otherwise you fool yourself that you're filled with the Holy Spirit you are not you're not yeah we have problems like that the problems in churches problems with elders and problems all because the money the mind they think too much of themselves we judge according to what they see what they hear see the entire race of Adam you know all the information that we have today in our mind most of it not all of it it's all comes through our five senses you know by taste and touch but most etcetera but most of our information in our mind has come through our eyes and years I would say almost 95% of the information we have in our mind is by what we see and read and hear see that's why television is such a powerful tool much more powerful than radio radio never corrupted people as much as television because in television you have sight as well as hearing and hearing is bad enough but sight added to it oh pollutes you thoroughly and all the worldly advertising media and psychologists and all know that that's why we got to be very careful about what you watch on television you've got to be careful about watching you know the commercials that come in between these pure sports programs that you're watching the commercial that's I tell you two seconds is enough to pollute your mind two seconds because you know people who say that I was I I watched a very good movie there was only two seconds of some dirty sex scene you know 20 years later you won't remember the story in the movie but you will remember that two seconds that you saw that's the power of evil and that's why we got to be careful about our mind watch your mind guard it with all diligence but all the chills of Adam have got that information by what they see and what they hear I remember very clearly the Lord speaking to me through this verse many years ago and saying if you want to think like I think Romans 12:2 be renewed in your mind by the transformation of your mind be transformed by the renewing of your mind you have to deliberately discipline yourself it's a discipline you know discipline is very difficult to get up in the morning and do certain things at a particular time and read the Bible regularly or do some physical exercise regularly it is extremely difficult but it's a discipline but those who do it they get the benefit of it you see people are fit and healthy because they keep that discipline people get to know the scriptures and get to know God because they discipline themselves there's no spiritual progress without discipline so the being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a substitute for discipline because the Bible says in second Timothy 1:7 God has given us the spirit not the spirit of fear but the spirit of discipline spirit of love and power and discipline that's one translation of it God gives us a spirit of discipline and he wants us to cooperate and one of the disciplines we need is I see something and I say Lord I don't know that could be another reason for it I don't know I hear something I say well I don't know if it's true or not I made numerous mistakes in this even as an elder I've sometimes acted as soon as I heard something and afterwards regretted it because I discovered I didn't have all the facts I've heard one side you know that in every situation argument there are three sides what one side says and what the other side says and the truth which is neither what this brother says or what the other brother says who's against him the truth is somewhere in between what these folks say because we all have a tendency unless you become more christ-like when you present your version of a particular problem you had with a brother or with your wife or husband you won't tell a lie but you will only tell that which puts you in a favorable light like if you have two children and they fought with one another and one says dad he hit me absolute truth what he won't say is that how he hit him first that party won't say he didn't tell a lie he said my brother hit me correct then you're asked did you hit him first yes you know there are 50 year old believers like that who will not tell the whole truth and because they don't love the truth God allows them to be deceived in a hundred other areas if you want God to save you and make you more christ-like love the truth I have almost never found a believer in my life there are a few perhaps but very rare who when they face a problem with another person will come and tell the whole truth brother Zack this is a situation this is what I did I want to tell you what I did what I didn't do which I should have done with the various things and this is what he did boy I would love to have such brothers and sisters in the church I rarely find them I get emails from even elders telling me all the things that somebody else did not one sentence about the wrong they did they are like God God is the only one who never does any wrong and I'm sorry to say I've met some elder brothers who act as if their God spirit of Antichrist by the way the Antichrist what does he do second Thessalonians 2 he sits in the temple acting as God John said there are Antichrist in our churches they went out from among us he says in 1 John 2 it couldn't stand there because of the fiery preaching of the Apostle John what was 1 mark of these antichrists they would never acknowledge the error they would never say yeah brother you're right I was totally wrong there why don't they say that because they are God I'm sorry to say we have had some elder brothers when we have had to remove in our churches because they were God in the temple spirit the Antichrist and we didn't want to corrupt the whole church with the spirit be any Christ we have to tell them to step down we want elder brothers in our churches who will not be God who never makes a mistake but it will be humble enough to say it was my mistake I'm sorry I was totally one mistake and who will not even be like Adam who finally admits his mistake after beating around the bush you know when God asked him did you eat of the tree it was simple yes Lord I did no he doesn't say that he goes around and says you know my wife is the problems with her just look at our Lord with it she's feeling guilty right now she took that fruit and gave it to me and Lord second point don't forget you gave me this wife that's the second thing and in small letters three I hate it exactly like our children confess but it's not exactly only like a giant purpose that's exactly how some elder brothers also acknowledge this PS at the bottom how can such children of Adam even enter God's kingdom leave alone be elders to lead other people into God's kingdom no not in a hundred years we have to cleanse ourselves stop judging by what your eyes see in your years here the Lord said to me you have to discipline yourself train yourself now if you want to think like I think if you want to speak my words remember my son my thoughts are not your thoughts however spiritual you may think you are my thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not your ways and my ways are not departing to the ways of so many Christians around if you really want to understand my thoughts and my ways here is the way get rid of this Adamic habit of forming opinions as soon as you see something as soon as you hear something be discerning be discerning a lot of things you see or not like that I believe God is allow the Sun to rise and set every day to teach us what don't believe your eyes don't believe your eyes the Sun does not move I believe he allows the earth to rotate under our feet at a 1,000 miles an hour you know right now this room is rotating 1,000 miles an hour under your feet she doesn't feel like it right don't believe your feelings that's what the Lord is trying says don't believe your feet it's absolutely true that this ground you're sitting on right now is rotating it at thousands you know that's faster than an aeroplane hardly any passenger plane opacity of plane that can travel as fast as the earth the earth rotates at a thousand miles an hour you don't Phoenix the Lord's teaching us don't trust your feelings don't trust what you see you're deceived totally I remember the story of those two little boys standing in a garden in the older boy 12 years old said to his younger four-year-old son brother hey see the Sun was here morning and I was here in the evening the Sun moved and the little boy said no you remember what daddy told us that the Sun doesn't move is the earth rotating under our feet and then give the impression that the Sun moves and the older 12 you're a bored smart boy he says no I believe what I see I didn't I believe what I feel I didn't feel the earth rotating and rocky and the little four-year-old boy said I believe daddy I'll tell you what I say I believe daddy I believe what daddy is told me in his book not what I see not what I feel not what I hear they can all desist me I believe that many things like that dear brothers and sisters learn to hear the voice of God do you remember what Jesus said about Mark Mary and Martha and Luke chapter 10 Luke's Gospel chapter 10 it says you're in verse 38 almost Jesus entered a village that was this woman called Martha ready to immediately ready to go and cook a meal now I tell you many of us think we are very Cyril because we are so unselfish in serving the Lord in others oh brother I have sacrificed so much for the church I have done so much for people they are not grateful to me are you God God can speak like that we can't speak like that we're sinners God can say I've done so much for my people and they don't respond to me he has a right to say that I'm not God and I don't want to sit in the temple like God and say oh I've done so much for my people and they have not done anything for me or they don't they are not appreciating me we have no right to say that unless you sit like God in the temple like the Antichrist but you know Martha was like that it's a very good thing to serve others but if you've got a complaining spirit stop serving others get rid of your complaining spirit first if you serve others and you expect them to be grateful to you you're wrong I remember once I've said this before how you know in the early days when the church is to meet in our house many young brothers would stay in our house over night numerous times because they've come from long distances that come from distant places they would stay there they'd sleep there eat with us they would get up in the morning and make coffee themselves and go to school or go to college to go to work they would come drenched in the rain and we'd give them our clothes it was wonderful we were family but then I think of one of them who grew up and got a good job very good job high salary and went away to another place I never heard a word from him for years and this guy had eaten and drunk and slept in our room and everything I thought what an ungrateful fellow after all we've done for him he doesn't even you know it doesn't even write a note once a year to let us know how things are going on and the Lord spoke to me and I'll never forget it he said that something's wrong with you not with him I said Lord me what did I do I only did good to him yes but when you expect gratitude from him now that's wrong I never you know that's that's what I mean by getting light on unconscious sin I mean how many of you know that to expect thanks from another person is wrong he got light on it today right you didn't have it light on it till now but you got it today but not from now onwards it's sin till now it was not sin for you but from today onwards that's why I always say it's a dangerous thing to come to our meetings because because you like the more sins to confess if you're serious about following the Lord is the best place to be but your responsibility keeps increasing from today onwards for example if you ever expect gratitude till now you or not and the Lord said to me and I said how is it the Lord said to me in as much as you did it to the least of these my brother's you did it to me and the Lord said when you serve Him you were serving me but you thought you were serving him that's why you expect thanks from him if you realize that you were serving me you would have expected thanks from me you should have brought your complain to me Lord why don't you thank me for serving that you see what I mean i but are given your scripture for it I got light that day and I decided from that day I will never again the rest of my life expect any gratitude of thanks from anybody in the whole wide world while they give it it's good for them you know when we thank God it blesses us God's not going to become a better person just because we thank him we become better people right so when somebody thanks me for oh brother Zack I really appreciated your service I am thankful for his sake it doesn't make me a better person no but it'll make him a better person because he's learned to appreciate him be thankful I I mean the Lord taught me that so well that I decided in my life in this matter of thankfulness you know when the Bible says get rid of murmuring and complaining it's not enough to cast out the demon of murmuring and complaining and then keep the heart empty if you cast out the demon of murmuring and complaining and keep the heart empty what did Jesus say will happen hey seven worse demons will come inside and you'd become a bigger grumbler and complainer you must clean your heart and fill it with the opposite of what you are casting out you're casting out murmuring and complaining replace it with gratitude and thankfulness I found a secret don't keep the house empty don't say I stopped murmuring and complaining now good the house is clean seven you're in danger now seven demons will come inside unless you fill this house with the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness to God so I learned a little bit of that to thank the Lord or under thank people also I mean I don't want them to be thankful to me but I want to be thankful to them for what Jesus said if you give a cup of cold water to one of my disciples in my name you will not lose your reward imagine now in the day of judgment Jesus sits there and he calls somebody who lived in the first century okay 2,000 years have gone by and the Lord says come whatever your name is okay Andrew you remember a new two thousand years ago you gave a cup of water to my servant Peter when he came to your house well I don't even remember that I remember it thank you I want to give you a reward I believe the words of Jesus literally and when I pray Lord Jesus make me like you this is one of the areas I want to be like Jesus somebody did a small little good for me thirty years ago when I meet him or sometimes when I send a new year greeting there are some people with whom I I just had a brief you your greeting once a year and I am this is what I write may the Lord bless you in 2010 and brother I remember thirty years ago when I came to your house you drove me from here to there thank you so much for that that's about the only thing he did but I want to follow Jesus who is thankful her for a cup of cold water it has made me I don't know whether it makes him a better person but it's made me a much better person it's made me more sensitive to the voice of God your your yours will get unplugged to hear the voice of God when you have a spirit of thankfulness the reason why many people and unable to hear the voice of God is they think they're such Kings Kings who can receive service from others and never give thanks I've taken an example supposing some a big cabinet minister walks down the road and he drops his handkerchief on the ground and one of his assistants picks up the handkerchief Linda sir here's your finger he puts it in his pocket he doesn't even say thank you he's supposed to do that now on the other hand say let's a beggar one of these poor beggars with torn clothes walks down the road and drops something on the ground and you a well-dressed man picks it up and say here you drop something that and beggar will be absolutely amazed that's such a well dressed person like you would pick up something and give it to him he would be so profuse in his Thanksgiving and say why did you do that you know when we don't give thanks we act like big kings and cabinet ministers of course it's your duty to serve when you take the position of the beggar and then nobody you'll be thankful for every little thing even if somebody picks up a handkerchief in the city why was marked up so busy serving the Lord serving the Lord serving the Lord and having a complaint against Mary I say it's better not to serve the Lord if you have got such complaints against others and I met numerous people like Martha they think they are serving the Lord wait till they stand before Jesus in the day of judgement expecting a fantastic reward for all the years of service they did I went here I went there I sacrificed I did this that a lord I did all this for you and launch they just shut up just hang on Oh Mamie won't you shut up and say keep quiet or some good word like that but the meaning will be the same and he will say Martha Martha whatever your name is you are verse 41 looked at 41 you're bothered about so many things you think I want to give a sermon like that and this person you criticize she has chosen the good part by the way she didn't do so much service for you me like you but she didn't have a complaining spirit like you against her sister she just said listen to my word mark Mary do you have any complaints against Martha oh no Lord I have so many problems myself where do I could have time to find fault with Martha Martha do you have complaints against Mary yes I'll tell you I got about them down about 15 of them that's the one who's serving the Lord don't be fooled by all these people who do a lot of activity activity the Christian world is full of Martha's and Mary's and you can find out who they are very easily you want I'll tell you because I have 50 years of experience as a believer has taught me how to distinguish the Martha's and the Mary's so here is my advice when you gather a crowd of martha's together they're always talking about you know we are reaching out to this country now and we are praying for this people and we are praying for the Muslims and we're praying this and we're reaching out to this is in our website is going here and our work is doing or we've sent missionaries to these places and we're doing this and we're doing that we're doing it's like asking Martha what are you doing Graham 825 chapatis and I made some rice curry and I did this and that the other for the law for the law but Mary's get together you know what they say you know this is what the Lord spoke to me yesterday I've really blessed my heart something's not a great thing when I was reading this verse it really blessed my heart I just want to share it with you if it helps you I love to be with the Mary's because I become rich because they tell me what the Lord spoke to them they're not telling me what they're doing for the Lord here and there that makes me feel so small because I can't do all those things that they can do they're gifted unlike me I'm not so gifted like they are they are reaching out to this and that and the other about missions here our missions there I say Lord please I get discouraged I'm sick of the marvelous I'm so encouraged and I say to the marriage and they tell me what Jesus spoke to them it's not that the Mary's don't serve the Lord they do you've seen eternity mark my words you will see an eternity that the Mary's did more for the Lord than the martyrs those who don't speak about what they're doing for the Lord but as much as speaking about what God spoke to them and Jesus said Martha let me tell you something there's only one thing needful in life verse 42 only one thing is absolutely necessary and that is to listen to my word may be chosen that good part she sat in verse 39 listening to his word you know Jesus said that twice he said that to martha once and before that he said that to the devil man shall not live by bread alone but by listening every word that proceeds from the mouth of god he said it twice more than 45 years ago more than 45 years 47 years ago I mean I was young 23 year old person seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit God met with me God spoke one word to me and I've never forgotten it one thing is needful listen to me and I've listened let me quote you a poem that has been a tremendous blessing to my heart in this connection I'll close with that the Lord says from heaven I'm seeking for one who will wait and watch for my beckoning hand my I who will work in my manner the work I give and the work I don't give pass by and the Lord says no the joy that is brought to me the Lord says when one like this I can find a man who will do all my will who's sent to study his master's mind I read that years ago I said well I want to be like that I have sought to do that and it's transformed my life and my ministry saved me from wasting time doing unnecessary things and enabled me to share with others what God speaks to me dear brothers and sisters unplug your ears stop criticizing others stop making judgments by what you see in here stop reporting every little thing you do for the Lord keep it secret tell people what God spoke to you and learn to listen every day you'll be a burning bush one day let's pray Heavenly Father it's so easy to be stirred temporary just for the moment by during these Oh Lord we are sick and tired of these temporary revivals and temporary Moving's we want to permanent work that will change us permanently that will take your word seriously there is only one thing needful and we won't try to think that we are clever than you help us lord their ways are not our ways your thoughts are not our thoughts but we want our ways now cause to be like yours in Jesus name Amen amen [Music]

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 126,755

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Keywords: Zac, Poonen, Revival, Repent, God, Sermons, Jesus, SermonIndex

Id: LnFFIxVSEeA

Length: 58min 3sec (3483 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 18 2010