Living Above Your Circumstances - Ps. Bong Saquing - 23 September 2017

are you excited to be here yes praise God can I ask who here who here I just arrived or just came here in CCF New Zealand here in this place for the very first time okay now can you raise up your hand Wow can I can I can I ask you to please rise up all those who are here for the very first time please rise up please please and be recognized Wow praise God praise God we welcome all of you you are our very important guests this afternoon thank you very much for joining us and for everyone else who joined us this afternoon we're so happy that you're here with us to listen to the message of God to all of us this afternoon may I ask who are he who here are from North Shore Auckland I'm just asking this for election purposes I'm just kidding who are here from nurture Auckland can I ask who are here are from central business district Auckland yeah okay from West Auckland who are from West Auckland Oh from East Auckland who are from East Auckland there you go a lot from South Auckland okay who are from the north of Auckland anyone from the north of Auckland who are from the south of Auckland south of Auckland whoa Oh a can we ask who are from outside Auckland from what place we are from Wellington we have people here from Wellington from white dome Oh from white um oh wow praise God anyone else from outside Auckland Hamilton we have come close to Hamilton as well praise God well thank you for traveling all the way from those far places to be here with us we pray that truly you will be blessed with what God will speak to you through our speaker this afternoon but before that let's get to know each other a little bit better can I ask everyone to please rise up rise up make sure prepare your hands to shake hands of people but before doing that can I ask you to find a partner okay just person beside you you don't have to go around find a partner make sure you have a partner okay just a partner and then ask them do you shake their hands and get to know their name finish the sentence okay say I am Joe Joe and that's me brother Joe Joe I am Joe Joe I am blessed to say to see you today because blank I am blessed to see you today because Blanco a do that okay okay find another partner oh this is speed-dating find another partner find another partner say your name and then listen listen listen listen this is the sentence 50 see this is the sentence you will finish I am here today because blank I am here today because blank okay talk to the person [Music] okay fantastic last one last one find your last partner okay find another partner possibly someone you don't know okay or just around you last one last one okay introduce yourself and then answer this question answer this question the best thing about New Zealand is the best thing about New Zealand is blank of a so go thank you I hope you get to know more people today so the last thing I want you to do before we sit down is shake the hands of five people and welcome them warmly to this afternoon welcome good to see you guys great to see you fantastic Wow good smiles warm smiles as warm as the Sun outside yep good weather today right so um can we start with a word of Prayer and dedicate this time to the Lord can we all bow down our heads father God we thank you so much Lord Lord you arranged our schedules to be here Lord God there are no accidents in your kingdom Lord this is your perfect plan for us to be here this afternoon Lord - listen Lord God - the word that you are going to share to us Oh Lord Jesus father God we pray Lord that you open up our hearts our minds Lord if there are any hesitation so Lord God in in our hearts right now Lord we pray Lord that you will dissolve it Lord God with your spirit and just help us Lord to understand what you want us to hear this afternoon Oh Lord God let this be a day of other God that we will not remember in our life so we will not forget Lord God and always remember alloyed in our lives Lord Jesus we ask this O Lord in the mighty name of your son Jesus Christ everybody say Amen amen amen okay so again good afternoon we would just like to share with you and somebody will share with you a testimony of their lives this couple has gone through three countries just trying to see what is God's plan in their life and throughout going through everything God has truly shown their faithfulness his faithfulness in their life so I encourage you to listen to their testimony and I'm listen what to what God has done in their lives and how God has shown how faithfully is because I'm sure God will also show how faithful is in your lives so let's welcome brother Eugene and sister chickie Vidia Ponyo good afternoon everyone I met chickie my wife in 1995 when we were 19 years old if we can describe our first 4 years we can more or less say that we followed the worldly pattern of a typical boyfriend/girlfriend relationship I grew up in a traditional religion of our family I also graduated elementary in high school in a religious school my father influenced our family to another religion which we joined for a while but we gradually realized that there were various legalistic practices which involved that led me back to the religion which I earlier have rejected I too grew up in a family with the same traditional religion and attended a religious school I was like many who went on a weekly Sunday activity just to fulfill a religious duty after completing my professional board exam I eventually chose to go to UAE in year 2000 to look for greener pastures I focused on my work professional affiliation social events and pursuing my u.s. professional certification God however was already in his business of reaching out to me he sent someone who shared about Jesus Christ and the good news of going to heaven through him she constantly invited me to a Bible study and it took me six months to attend a small group finally on October 23 2002 I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior and started attending worship services it proved to be the best decision that I have ever made in my life I became active serving in the singles ministry during our of difficult 4 years of long-distance relationship I on the other hand focus on pursuing my dream of working in the USA I receive unemployment offer in Chicago since chica was in UAE my heart was divided because I wanted this job couldn't think of being further separated from her so I postponed I propose marriage to chicken with Eugene proposed I was not the typical girl who'd jump for joy instead I felt heavy hearted I decided to say yes but I couldn't give my yes I didn't feel the joy and peace in my heart I was passionately serving God through the single's ministry moreover God was speaking to me because Eugene still has not surrendered his life to Christ God's Word says in 2nd Corinthians 6:14 do not be yoked together with unbelievers I decided to meet him and his family in the Philippines I shared them about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ I told you Jean that my priority is my work and service for God I asked him to reschedule our wedding and our wedding plans which I asked for two times and instead join me in UAE I finally agreed to her suggestion to go to UAE having the right qualifications in a good Hospital experience I thought it would give it will be able to find a good job however none would accept me until one small clinic took me in it was one of the lowest point of my life as the dream of the greener pasture wasn't happening furthermore I didn't understand chicas personal relationship with Christ and her passion for the ministry I even thought of giving her up and just go to Chicago in this low point I realized the need for God to take control of my life and so he intervened God sent me a pastor to be my roommate he used him and other Christian believers to help me unlearn all the beliefs which I thought would be correct it was a slow and difficult process but God was patient and faithful in turning my life around finally I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and in May 9th May 19 2006 I was water baptized - in Matthew 6:33 but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to us now that I surrendered my life to Christ I started experiencing his goodness I found a job with a good salary and finally after 11 years and three attempts of getting married chicken I had our wedding in June 20 June 23 2007 throughout our individual spiritual journeys I never stopped praying to God for Eugene to understand the gospel before we got married through enough he allowed both of us to know and experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior the road was not trouble-free though Eugene has troubles with his job and was at its worst so he resigned this required him to go back to the Philippines and will be separate again separated again after seven months of being married I held onto God's Word in Hebrews 13:5 never will I leave you never will I forsake you God's plan is amazing after a month he came back in UAE on a visitor's visa and I got pregnant during my pregnancy Eugene's temporary visit visa had been applied for three times which on the third application it could have been denied yet he was with me furthermore Eugene got a job on the day my eldest was delivered this is oh this also made him eligible to stay in UAE and apply a residence visa for our daughter after another four years in UAE we were blessed to have another daughter believe it or not our children were born at the same month and a same birth height with doctor room and of course same gender along with this blessing Eugene found a job at a government clinic with a good salary and free housing God's provision always comes at the right time a friend of ours shared house ECF messages inspire their lives we decided to watch a video message online entitled influenced the heart by pastor Peter tangi God spoke to us about the biblical roles of husband and wives after much prayer consultation and blessing of our current pastors we clearly say from the Lord to make another tough decision we joined CCF Abu Dhabi even if we didn't know what to expect I learned that as the husband and father I must intentionally be the spiritual leader of our family by God's grace he blessed us with opportunity to serve Him in CCF Abu Dhabi third three groups and various ministries through the teachings of CCF we continuously experienced abounding spiritual wisdom that guided us in our families spiritual journey previously Forks for six years my wife was the only one in the ministry now we serve God as husband and wife team in Joshua 24:15 as for me in my house we will serve the Lord on the other hand I learned my role as a submissive helper to my husband I continually prayed for Eugene to humbly excel in the ministry of serving God through our family and CCF I prayed that my husband will love the Lord first lead us to grow spiritually in serve God UAE was a great place for us that is where we grow in the Lord and started serving him however in spite of almost two decades of being there we couldn't get permanent residency that's when we prayed and God orchestrated for us to move to New Zealand I started looking for a job here but I faced many rejections I could not practice my profession until I first complete my New Zealand professional certification I was hired as a health care system but on the day before I was about to start working I injured my wrists so the company withdrew their offer after few months I got a job but due to the unfavorable schedule I couldn't continue it's been very humbling I've been jobless for many months and we have growing concerns for our finances with our finances rapidly draining God reminded us to give our pending tides from our previous companies final settlement which can sustain us for a few months in New Zealand we decided to give what is due to the Lord even with a limited finances that we have we want to put our security on God who will faithfully provide for all I needs and not on our bank account in the agronomy 533 it says walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you we have experienced circumstances in the past where God faithfully worked with us we are standing here not because of success story in New Zealand but facing another challenge where we put our trust but God we praise God for recently providing us casual jobs which gives us great hope please pray for us our visa application and permanent job search we are again in a season of waiting patiently upon the Lord as we wait we continue to delight ourselves in him and holding on to his words in Jeremiah 29:11 it says for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope in a future we all have different challenges of varying degrees and difficulty but God enables us to live beyond every circumstance as we trust in him we also praise God for our D group and CCF New Zealand family for your prayers and support I am Eugene and this is my wife chickie grateful to share the story of God's faithfulness in our lives to God the all the glory thank you thank you very much Eugene and chickie its God faithful yeah it's God loving yup he's got powerful yes he is okay so what's what's in store for us on this afternoon we will have a message from our speaker and then after that if you have burning questions in your heart we will give you an opportunity to to ask that question to our speaker okay so as he speaks if God this arm is talking to you and you want to ask a question later on after the message you can have the chance to to ask that question and be answered okay so it's my honor and privilege as well to introduce our guest speaker this afternoon he is a celebrity in his own right a youtube sensation yep his videos Garner's 50,000 to 150,000 views every week okay so my video Gardner's 25 views okay so but yeah he he preaches in a Filipino and a lot of Filipinos all over the world appreciates hearing listening to his preaching every week he he became full-time minister in 1998 and joined CCF in 2006 and after attending going through all the Bible study classes in CCF he started preaching in the Filipino service and in prayer meetings in Christ's Commission fellowship in Manila today he speaks at the well attended 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. services at CCF mean he has also been invited to speak not only across the Philippines but also all over the world so he just recently came from Singapore in San Francisco and Canada as well so he is also the head of the workplace of winners marketplace ministry in in Manila in the Philippines and also the vice-president of uplift cares international he's been married for two his wife and only wife as far as I know for 20 second is only wife for 27 years and they have four children two I now engineers and two are finishing up in the premier school in the Philippines University of the Philippines okay so faster Ryan won't agree with me on that one okay so um and he sees her is someone who came from humble beginnings but God has lifted him up to be able to have this ministry of speaking the Word of God which is I believe is the one of the best and probably the greatest profession that you can ever have so let's welcome pastor bong sucking [Applause] hi good afternoon I thought Georgia was introducing somebody I could not imagine that he was talking about me now I'm not a youtube sensation I don't understand what it means anyway you see when I was listening to the testimony of Eugene in in cheek cheeky right cheeky I was also at wandering and I was asking myself how many people will really declare that God is faithful in the midst of all the problems that are experiencing you see friends people all of us we desire to be happy we desire to be blessed that's why we came or some of you you came here because you think that coming here you would really be blessed normally how many of you decided to come to New Zealand because you want to be lonely nobody everybody looks for a place where they can find real happiness unfortunately happiness is very elusive how often have you thought if only I had a car then I'll be satisfied then when you had a car were you able to buy the first car you found out that it also you have to put few well to that car so you would spend for the maintenance then you begin to see that this car will also be a burden to you then how of any faith we also thought I have what we have thought of if only I could find someone to truly love me I'd be happy and maybe the sound of you you were so excited when you're about to get married then parents at the aisle you will see the woman coming and as if your heart is really pumping very fast with the music that comes from your ear this is the day and that the Lord has made whoa then after a year you feel that it was a curse now if only I wasn't under so much financial stress then I'd be content if only if only if only so many if all this in life so how can we be happy in life most people they think that if I have if I would become rich I would be happy now if that's true there's so many rich people who would no longer be needing to go to different places to be happy in him but to be honest I have known of so many rich people who are so lonely some people they thought that if they get married they will be happy but listen to this the person closest to you hurts you the most that's why I'm always far from my wife mom it's giving that's the reality of life so how should be how can we experience the joy that we've been dreaming for in life now people they want to be recognized but fame is fleeting fame is fleeting and some will enter into recreational drugs they create habits but they create habits that spell nothing but trouble now listen if you want to live above your circumstances you need to build your foundation right if the foundation is wrong no matter what you put on it will be destroyed but if the foundation is strong enough and correct no matter what comes into your life whether a storm would come where the flood would come or rain would come it will remain strong it will be above the circumstances of life now listen to this this is something that I would like to promise you that it you will never avoid this storm will surely come please tell the person beside you storm will surely come if you haven't experienced it yet just wait it will surely come it will surely come so what should we do now first of all I'd like you to understand that if you are if you have stayed up late when you knew you needed sleep you know that you are in a world that is very imperfect now how many of you have you ever stayed up late and stand then slap in church of course nobody will admit that anyway now have you ever eaten or drunk extra calories that you know it won't be good for you obviously yeah now have you ever made commitments that you could not possibly keep have you ever felt you ought to exercise but you did not have you ever known that you should be kind and unselfish but instead you were unkind and selfish have you ever tried to take control of your life circumstance or other another person and discovered that you could not listen welcome to the human race and you came also to the right church because this group are the people who have tried everything to be happy and they found it to be frustrating and eventually they found out the real problem in fact even Paul himself described his own life with this I don't understand what I do for I what I want to do I don't do but what I hate to do I do I know that nothing good lives in my sinful nature I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out gravina very frustrating however very frustrating so everybody think that you can never be happy with all the problems in life but listen happiness is not a question of having or not having problems everyone has problems some their problem is really bad just looking at the mirror the problematic and not everyone is unhappy despite the problems that everyone is unhappy happiness is not dependent on whether or not we have problems any more than it is dependent on whether or not we have material wealth they are people who are happy even though they have very little I've seen them I've worked with them they were happy even without anything there are also people are very unhappy even though they have the wealth of Kings well today if you are to look at this list and you happen to circle any one of them and you begin to think that well but if because of this I am not happy then you had you are not facing realities the manual hand of nicoya stress I'm telling you stress is not an enemy stress is your friend if you know how to handle it alumni for example how many of you are experienced to do weights you'll never gain muscles if you will not stretch your muscles tamama you have to stress it then you breast so that it can it will gain the muscle I knew that because I never did well it's our diet how many of you have spurious diet of course deities as in it's very challenging but you are to die yet now you you cannot die earlier if you do it so it's very rewarding yes it's so painful but it's very rewarding but in all of this can you imagine all of this we are experiencing this in our lives that makes us unhappy but you know the real culprit is not this the real culprit is that we are trying to play God that is our problem we try to whenever we don't do what God tells us to do whenever we do things that God told us not to do we are playing God we are trying to tell God that we know better and we are wiser than him so when we when God tells us not to get involved into sex prior to before marriage and we do it because we think by by doing it you will be happy you are very wrong because you are playing God God has already told you no it will never make you happy by doing so in fact you are creating more problems so how many got married we got involved into six without marriage you see most of them they're not happy I'm telling they have no assurance of commitment of the other person but look at the blessing if you have waited I praise God that I waited look at my wife after two days she still looks young no problem you know why because she doesn't need to be insecure because when we were still single we knew that we both feel the Lord among Europe none if you don't feel God and you've been you've been abusing and using it as in beyond what God requires of you and all of us and tell tell your wife you see you trust me you know I feel God you don't need to be afraid that even with the medes of other women I will be faithful to you yeah and I say yeah look oh and my back when I was still single you raped me during our date oh you were so he will know she we no longer believe you you see the stress let's not talk about sex anymore let's talk the other thing for example at work some people they will try to fool others they will try to take advantage of their office just like one time there was a kid who was caught stealing pencil or ball pen and paper from the classmates so he was brought he was brought to the principal's office so the father said so they need to call the father and the father said embarrassment that we have experienced because of this you should have told me I could have gotten papers and ballpen from our office but the child was really really spare him from embarrassment obviously not because he was just doing the same thing he was playing God so how many most of us we play God when God tells us to priori to put God as first in our lives and we don't we are playing God and that brings real problem in our lives I can't I mean the entire look at the person beside you are you God you see friends this is exactly what Jesus what God said in Pride of your heart you say I am God but you are just a man not a God do you think you are as wise as a God you see execute points out the value was saying to the king of Tyre in the pride of your side you say you are God I am God but you're just a man not a God though you think you are as wise as God when do you whenever we think we are wiser than God the more our problems multiplying friends look at the world today they're trying to be wiser than God but it's our world getting better obviously not the Panora you know people who are being elected they always tell promise people I will do this I'll do this and everything that they promise they will also go against the will of God and this world will never become better I didn't I didn't yet opinion sorry more you are not God you better listen to God if you want your life fixed better listen to God how listen to this blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven this is wonderful when Jesus Christ started the ministry when started preaching you know most people when they when they think of Christianity when they think of God they often think that once you you submit yourself to God your life will become as in sad or lonely I remember that because that I have that kind of attitude do when when I started to be to get serious with the Lord I I went to my friends and and they were joking and I wasn't laughing and said what happened to you why aren't you laughing anymore I belong to God now I see I don't want your jokes anymore then one time I was just so ecstatic about the goodness of God and I was listening to a song I don't know if you're familiar with it shout for joy shout for joy sing his praises so I was really following the beat I was some dance and the pastor all of a sudden held my taient said do not conform in to the standard of this world but be a transformative renewing of your mind well sometimes the kind of idea crazy idea that if you are attending church you must be serious your face must be as long as the horses and and you you you have to live as if you were baptized in a vinegar believer sometimes quiet why are you laughing what we have the kind of crazy idea about Christianity but you would be surprised the first teaching of Jesus was about being blessed and the word blessed is came from the Greek word macario's which means it's a kind of joy that's not dependent on circumstances this is actually a word being used in a in a poem to describe the joy of the gods and the goddesses of the Greeks at that time in their literature they were describing the gods and goddess of the Greek so repair the finding that they are above the people they have well the people have are warring against you either they were displaying up in heaven as in to describe macarius that's Mathias that's joy and that is exactly what God wants you to experience that you can rejoice that you can enjoy life despite the problems we are encountering every day because God wants us to understand that we can live above our circumstances but the first condition was this you must be poor in the spirit the word poor here is not penny cross because pinnacles are something when when you are poor us in you are they just you work and eat you work in it so you're just poor financially that's penny cross but the word used here is tacos tacos is you are so bent in as in an embarrassment that you cannot live and you cannot have anything unless somebody maybe shows sympathy on you and give you something so you are so dependent so what does it mean unless we see our deal unless we see that we cannot live on our own strength unless we see that we are so desperate reading help by someone who can really help us we will never understand this blessing you know why because our attitude is always to prove that we are someone but we are not so in order for you to enjoy understand this you have nothing to prove all to improve then the person beside you have nothing to prove if you know what makes this preaching very difficult for me because I am speaking with the language that I don't understand but what makes it relaxing because I'm not here to prove anything to you I'm not speaking in English to tell you well I know also how to speak English the reason that I'm speaking in English just because I want those people who don't understand Filipino could still understand what I'm trying to say even if I don't understand what I'm saying okay are you following what I'm saying because I don't now listen to this just imagine for example occupational poverty because we're not just only talking about the spiritual appearance of poverty there are also more Occupational poverty for example everybody is poor in his or her own right you may be occupationally pop poor how if you're just starting out in life you probably like a dream so if you like a dream you need to know how to find a professional dream now if you are seemingly successful some of us we are poor in a sense because we don't know what's the next big thing to do now that I have this what's the next what's the next thing to do now I remember when I was in New York I we went we climbed the Statue of Liberty so it was a spiral a ladder so when we reached the top there was an announcement that okay guys you can stay there for a minute or two to take pictures who we lined up for more than an hour and they will just be there for a minute or two and what to take pictures what kind of pictures was the background the eyes of the leaper Statue of Liberty you will not even see anything but the glass or the plastic I don't know and you know what everybody would just say still there is in it is this all there is in it and that is exactly after trying to dream to have something mister there is this order is in a union frustration a for some of us after receiving an award because people would say ha after a week they have forgotten you is this all there is in it in fact when I graduated people Wow but after a week nobody knew what I got and I have to even say don't you know don't you know don't you know what yeah you don't know you cannot do anything about it anymore never thought the toll on some people they were so ecstatic about this but it will only last for a while gala in fact some people they were asking me how does it feel when people are I know one thing to take pictures with you how does it feel mascot I feel I'm just a mascot really you know why after you've taken the picture their friends would see who is this why do you have a picture of this guy you see a the V lame in the movie or what because if you are not handsome obviously they will just ask why but well i is a pastor so since they are not christians and they don't know what the pastor is it's a pest stop who cares so to me i don't like that so sometimes if you get successful in some reason you don't see any more motivation so it's a form of occupational poverty and unless we admit that we need help we will never improve and we will remain confused and sometimes we also suffer from intellectual poverty poverty some people they try to pretend that they know everything now listen to this everyone is ignorant about something every person has his area of intellectual poverty are you following some people they will have especially guys they when they're lost without the GPS without them they will not ask and the wife would say why don't we ask don't ask they will know they will know that we lost they will never ask if you know if they say if your boss tells you to do something and you don't know you won't even ask what should I do no but they will try their best to figure out how to do then eventually they will just end up frustrated frustrated because they could not do it friends we need to admit that we don't know everything you know some people they could not progress in life because they're not willing to learn they're not willing to learn even with the area for example in our belief most people they would say this is where I was born this where I will die see you were born with no beliefs don't you know that how many of you when you were born you had already holding a Bible no one when we were born we were as in we don't know anything about God about anybody about beliefs about religion nobody knew we were just influenced as we grow up that's why some people they thought they're Christians because they are attending with their parents they thought well I'm already crazy because I'm attending CCM I don't care whether your ears is here you'll never become a Christian unless you really have an encounter with Jesus but you need to be honest to admit that you don't know there's so many people they stopped because they read the Bible they already knew no it is entirely different if it's like this when I got married with my wife I thought I knew her very well after the day I'm still learning who she really is I still don't know her that Matt's but I have got me I keep on asking Lord help me to know her because there are times that she's very nice and I really wanted to do hug her and love her and really as in strangle her as much as possible but sometimes I wish that I did but you have to be honest to admit that that's why you have to ask how can I be better husband to you how can I be I cannot I love you more you need to tell her you need to ask her you need to really be honest to tell her honey no but if we are just trying our best thing that we know we don't need to ask because we know it already we are wrong we are intellectually poor you see friends you'll never be licked as long as you know what is you've locked you see I myself when I was studying I thought I knew it will I thought I knew it will my parents they always say that if you're a socking you must be intelligent so I don't admit that I don't know especially as Filipinos I noticed this when I heard for example Ravi Zacharias reciting a poem everybody was clapping but if you ask them what did he say I don't know it was just so impressive but they come in fact some people they will listen to an English preacher and they will just keep on nagging and you asked what did he say it's nice no no what did he say did you understand it very nice that's why some people they pretend that they do understand one time I was asking there was someone who was testifying and he mentioned about MRI and he was saying like this and I said what is MRI I don't know what is your course I will I am a nurse and you don't know MRI sometimes we don't even dare to ask when every time I do preaching in the morning I would go to Pastor a pastor Reinke pastor Irvin and I would give them a manuscript and said will you please check this out and they would check all this wrong this is wrong and somebody asked me aren't you ashamed to ask them that to check your grammar to check your your script why why should I be a same because you see it's embarrassing you're a Filipino you're a graduate of in college and you you still have to ask somebody to check it out well I don't need to pretend I don't really know it's better to be ashamed to to people that to be ashamed to show me me I would rather be corrected with two people then to be corrected by many and in fact even with that correction you just need to admit well I'm not a Philippine I am NOT an english-speaking person anyway so the point is this you just need to be honest you just need to keep on asking don't pretend Arriba I became good in cooking because I keep on asking it was my business before I was while I was studying it one of my businesses was to cook rice cake I don't know if you still know this in Philippine it's puto in English rice cake so I was telling puto but you know what every time I eat puto I keep on asking people how they did it though I know I keep on asking because I only realized that there we're doing things differently and they sometimes they do it better can you imagine for example just a simple way of cooking rice I just I I was a Singaporean how he cooked Christ he was cooking it as through steam to us we mix rice with water then to him he just put it an on top and with the steam at the bottom he said why do you why are you doing that because it's fresh steamed rice oh yeah you're right so what about you what kind of rice you have a soft one so the point is this you must be willing to admit what you do not know the most problem the problem of most people is that they do not even know what they do not know that's the worst problem we have unless we really be humble enough to know our real problem they would be pain so what is this pain it is the birth pang of new attitude trying to be born because this is not something normal to us we always want to tell people that we know something that they don't and we want to tell the world that I can live on my own but God wants us to understand you want to really live above your circumstances admit that you had nothing admit so we also have emotional poverty I remember a story of cherry boon Anil the daughter of Pat Boone in her book starving for attention when she learned to face up her emotional poverty to love in a separate self at the deepest level sherry was able to overcome a shocking disease more widespread than any one could dream you know what was it an erection do you know under aksha it's known as the self starve or disease a psychosomatic disorder that really begins on the emotional and psychological level and works its way out wide to the physical level by the time it manifests itself physically professionally helps is needed because the external manifestation severe weight loss is just a symptom of what's really happening inside Cheryl says I got down to 80 pounds I was wasting away I really was on a slow suicide trip because I hated myself so badly I did not feel that God could possibly love me considering what I was doing to myself and to the people that I love there was only I was only a faith of hope that God extend existing that there must be some way out of my mess there were times when I would prayed to die because I did not feel that I could come out of it but my parents because they're Christians they stuck by me as did my husband who literally went through thick and thin with me finally we received some professional psychotherapy from a Christian psychiatrist my husband and I moved up to the Seattle area and through the course of six months of intensive therapy I became better I believe it had a shine of doubt that God led me to the right doctor at the right time worth within six months I had changed from Whateley wanting to die to one thing to live and I had learned that there were things about me that they were worth loving in spite of what I did and I what I'd look like you see there are some many people they do not even want to admit that they have problems let me just show you this um Pete some two children for example they withdraw from their parents why because they were hurt and when the parents with us are you okay I'm fine I'm good I'm good and it would just be draw because and since they were not willing to admit they'd be their problems become worse they would become aloof from the parents and eventually they would do the same thing that they hated from their parents to that other people so listen to me you must be willing to accept your real problem so in fact I said this yesterday to the men I asked my children how can I be a better father to you I honestly when they began to speak I hated what they said and I really wish that their gun really but I had to be honest and say oh it's not the way you really think about me I am so sorry forgive me one time I asked my wife I said how can I be a better husband to you I mean I don't want to tell you anymore because you might get angry did I get that way what's wrong with you and I did there's something wrong with me so he was right she was right but I will get angry then I realized no he/she will never be encouraged to tell me what's wrong with me if I will do that in fact that's our problem dua children we tell our children you tell me the truth or else you I will hit you now then they told you the truth then you still hit him the friends we need to admit our need it's not easy but it is essential happiness comes when you admit where you are lacking and where you have a need that's where you will start that's the basic foundation the basic foundation you need to admit that you have a need now you need you can now laugh with your situation by building the right foundation I remember the words to laugh at your situation build the right foundation so how we need to admit that we need help that we are powerless to control our tendency to do wrong thing and that our lives are unmanageable so later so in order for us to easily remember the outline though everything was just an introduction and sorry I do not speak anyway just remember the outline remember the board ha ha ha ha because you have to laugh laugh as in in order for us to love for our for in regarding our situation we need to build the right foundation so what is it first half humbly admit you need help okay humbly admit you need help you've got to face the truth you've got to to stop denying what you are really going through in life okay when you aren't probably you don't understand what's going on you better ham we admit first before God say God I don't understand what's going on in my life or maybe you talk to someone I don't really understand what's going on in my life you need not to deny it when somebody tells you I think there's something wrong with you excuse me who are you judging me no you just need if somebody criticized you instead of reacting to the criticism you begin to ask Lord if it's true please help me to realize what what I need to improve now if it's wrong then lord help me also to be poor whine about this issues in life are you following so since we are not perfect we need to humbly admit that we need help look at the words God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble so what is grace grace is the power we need to change let's admit I cannot change this anymore you see we need to admit I cannot do this I can I'm tired I'm lazy I need to admit to help me help me personally I'm not the goods that I'm not the goods to them I had to admit I even asked my brother because my brother during that time he was a valedictorian he was a University Scholar in yupi and he talked to me and said you know don't waste your life you better study I said you'd better get serious in your study but kuia I really don't know how to study I don't know where to start so he guided me first start with God then he told me you listen to him you do it for him be inspired by him don't do it for the sake of having grades do it because you love God oh that's difficult but I need to admit that I don't love you how do I really love you since it's not about feelings I came to understand that love is an act of the will I have to do this stuff because I feel it but because I am committed to do it that's real love real is a commitment to do what is necessary so so I started studying because I've got and then I realized that the first thing that you need to admit in order for you to receive the grace of God is to admit that you're broke we live in a broken world in a fallen world nothing works perfectly the weather doesn't work perfectly the economy doesn't work perfectly our relationship doesn't work but don't work perfectly our marriages don't work perfectly because we're imperfect people everything is broken so if you are looking for example in order for you to be happy looking for the church that is perfect forget it you can never find one and if ever you find one don't join because that perfect church will be in becoming perfect because you are an imperfect individual okay so even with the family don't know for the perfect parents some of us me I don't like with my pet I envy my friends parents they're very good you're crazy you're not there you're not living there you don't know what's really happening inside so don't expect a perfect family but you can make it beautiful and you start it with you you start learning you cannot expect somebody else to do it for you you must do it you must admit that you are living in a broken world when I learned that I cannot fix my rare marriages I I went to God I said this with you remember when we were in our first year my wife always gets jealous at me I don't understand but you cannot blame her no no no because I was a very busy person and I did not give her enough time I got so angry at her I hit the wall I really stopped him hit the wall with my my fists and I cried before God Lord I don't know anymore what to do please help me you promised me that our relationship would be nice based on your Scripture but look we're not getting better and I am committed to be with her for the rest of his or for the rest of her life or door the rest of my life I cannot just be separated I need your help so when I cried out before God that I admitted that I am a living in an imperfect marriage lord I need you because you're perfect it's me what to do dear God somehow taught me how to do it I struggled with my parenting style because the mothers have I had my family we shout that it's either by just barbing about me can I by Reverend or is about me thank you we shout at each other we don't know how to speak gently towards one another I had to admit I had to learn from other people I had to tell them I don't know how in fact I'm a very temperamental guy one time I lost my temper you know the first thing I did I went to Pastor Peter and asked prayer and said please help me I really don't know what to do so every time he sees me he would always say how's your temper did you angry this today did you angry this morning he was always asking and I'm getting angry but it helped me a lot I had to admit that I am broke are you following because the moment you admit that you'll be you'll begin to receive grace from the Lord so look at this remember this world for the creation was subjected to futility not willingly but because of him who subjected it in hope can you imagine it's frustrated this one is frustrated it is groaning it is confused everybody's confused today I don't know what I'm supposed to be what I'm supposed to do we have confused attitude confused attractions confused additions confused about everything in life aren't you surprised that people are really even getting confused about the gender unless everybody is confused because we need to admit that we're living in an imperfect world we are broke then as we admit we also need to admit that our secret secrets make us worse our secret make us worse look at David when I kept silent about my sin my body wasted away drove my groaning all day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was drain away as with a fever heat of summer if you are honest many of us we're trying to be away from God but if you're honest you know that you're getting dry and empty inside but you have got me I don't even know what's going on I don't know I don't even know my purpose in life I don't even know my direction in life you have to admit what your secret I am confused inside we cover up with our laughter we try to laugh in front of everybody but they scrape pain inside we need to admit that our secret will make us worse listen so I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I did not hide I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin especially for us who are claiming to be Christians sometimes we are different in front of our brethren coat and coat but privately we're doing something else and we keep that secret we don't want to admit it but we are getting worse because of it you need to admit it and let somebody help you are you following so we need also to admit that we can defeat our guilt you know why look at this you will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins confess them and give them up then God will show mercy to you now friends if you are drying up even with your relationship with your spouse children you tell somebody beyond the help me on this I want to love her but I really feel so empty inside then God will help you to understand that it's not about feelings it's about commitment motion then emotion will follow are you following hello are you still there same thing with you admit that you are sleepy no I just need to provide really I'm sleepy please help me you know what he will tell you why don't you rise up and stand at the back and drink some coffee don't bring the copy and find inside because you cannot drink where the carpet is okay but you listen what I'm the point is this you better admit you tell them somebody will help you you children you tell your parents dad can I have a heart-to-heart talk with you you see I'm trying to communicate with you I'm trying to connect with you but you are not willing to listen now father parents be willing to admit but sometimes we do that we off with them to say no that's not true I'm listening to you what did you say now we need to be see friends we have nothing to prove all improve okay number left second ha ha first humbly admit now humbly ask God for help as in be honest to tell God sometimes why do I have to tell God he knows everything no we need to tell God because we need to vent the pressure that we have inside the poison that we have in our hearts we need to release them you need to humbly ask God for help you see look at this even Paul himself was very depressed he was saying we saw how powerless we were to help ourselves but that was good for then we put everything into the hands of God go unknown could save us for he can even raise the dead Oh imagine now you have to admit this an encouragement if you feel that you have a dead marriage you can admit it to the Lord in the Lord will if he can he can raise the dead a person who died a dead person he can be he can raise it from the dead then he can also raise a dead marriage now you cannot say I don't have any feelings Oh God so I praise God because I've been married for 27 years and my love for my wife is always overflowing in fact yesterday when she was not with me because she was we guess the guy they was all for men as soon as I saw her I said I missed you really I really missed you and said only give me one more Quay but honestly I really missed her in fact every time we travel I don't want her to be left behind because I could not imagine myself travelling without her how did it happen I just admitted to the Lord when the I am dried I don't feel anything I said lord I don't feel anything can you please help me on this I want to love her the way you want me to love her because it's not my love I always remind myself with this ring no beginning no end it symbolizes the love of God which is eternal our love has limits so every time I reach my limit I always can ask that Lord please expand my my lord my limited love with your infinite love for my wife because often times really I am on bike I cannot take this anymore so instead of doing that before your spouse you bring them out and to God say God remember this I cannot take this anymore but you can so please empower me admit it before the Lord you asked help from God look at this you are blessed look at the the message version of Matthew 5:3 you are blessed when you are at the end of your hope with less of you there is more of God in His rule Oliver more of God in his truth you have to say God I am on my limits but I thank you that you have no limits I need you take over are you following so again let me repeat nothing to prove all to improve and finally the letter 3rd ha humbly accept help from others you know we cannot deny this God uses people whether you like it or not God will always use people as I have said earlier during our leadership friends I told them some people they would say I don't believe in the Bible it's only written by men then who do you think God will use horse cannot use a horse he will use men and what about lightning God will not use lightning the paper will be burned he can only use men and since men wrote it it doesn't mean that you know you should not believe it how many of you are graduates of engineering here and you're following the code right you're following the building code and don't you know that building code is written by men you should have followed that you should look for someone written by an angel regarding buildings are you still following you need to understand something God will not use anybody else but men sometimes God will use people to help us to tell us what's wrong with us that's that's why we were given how as a spouse you know the this that God always uses to correct especially men because we think we're perfect you know who our wife they often see our imperfection the passing you by on us anything us Matalan missus are below the wives are very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in fact sometimes they become Holy Spirit plus they all will do it but God uses them then God uses sometimes preachers to remind us God uses leaders God uses friends and it's so painful to realize that some of us we don't even have friends to tell us what's wrong with us sometimes we just want people who will congratulate us who will tell us what's good about us but we hate people who will tell us what's wrong with us but the truth is this to me my greatest friends not the greatest enemies you know why I would love to be surrounded by my enemies I would agree with the grandfather which says Godfather who says make your friends close and your enemies closer you know why because my enemies are willing to tell me straight to my face what my friends could not but most of the time they were there true so I love my enemies God is right love your enemy because they will they will help you to become better they will help you to become the person that God wants you to be but look at this two are better than one because they have a good return for their work if one falls down his friend can help him up but pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up good no see friends listen to this everybody needs someone but don't just be with anybody choose your friends wisely just the people who fears God choose the people who understand the day to need help people I praise God that God created the church where we can be open where we can be as we are we don't need to pretend but they just need to be honest and in and our ministry in CCF that's what we are trying to develop that we need to dig a smaller group because in a big group like this you cannot be open but in a smaller group you can just tell your problem with honesty without being judged and without being condemned we want something going on and there is a confidentiality agreement that you cannot tell anybody about what I have said to you it's a very safe place then you cannot even take someone else because it's just between you and within that room whatever you have said it is it is kept in that place nobody else will know about it but don't tell it to your pastor because he will use it as an illustration no not just give me what I'm saying is this you need to admit mothers your for one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed amazing so you will be healed emotionally he will be healed mentally will be healed for example if you are thinking evil about the person for example you you feel you're suspicious about the person because you feel that I think he hates me I think he I think he doesn't trust me you want to know whether that's true or not just be willing to admit is there something wrong that I did that you seem not to like me don't tell anybody just fell to the personal directors face and they will tell you yes okay how can I improve be honest to say how can I improve after doing all this after helping you you have the right to do that how do you forget it just be how is that so I'm so sorry excuse excuse no explanation you don't need to explain uses cuz he that is his right that is what this is reality you asked for forgiveness for the reality that he has and he was hurt with that reality even it's not real to you the man we often say that's that you I don't I did not do that for the with that purpose no that is reality no you were not looking at me I greeted you and you did not smile back at me is there anything wrong no no that's not true I smile back at you no you did not no you're just blind no no your relationship getting worse Dhamma you just say oh is that so I really am sorry if you felt that way Haley I'm very sorry but next time I will make sure that you will see me so that next time you would not think that way who any poor same thing with husband and wife sometimes a wife felt that but the wife would feel that you you ignore her and said you are always ignoring me you always busy with your work does a true now you don't need to do is that so or really forgive me if that is true I'll try to become better next time hey ba so God is telling us to just be willing to admit if you are too proud or too afraid to admit you are hurting don't be surprised if nobody seems to care the Caribbean let me repeat nothing to prove all to improve so in other words let us learn to be accountable to the other parts of the body most of us we are afraid to be accountable to somebody else because we could not feel face our fears of being fat what does it mean we are afraid of our own feelings we are afraid of our own emotions we're afraid do you see I'm afraid that because I'm I might become crazy you see I'm feeling this way now when you when your feelings follow what you are thinking meaning your feelings are normal if you think you are becoming like crazy it means that you are normal but if you don't think you're crazy maybe you are are you following me I don't understand what I'm saying what it's like this most crazy people they don't even think that they will become crazy but if we aren't afraid to become crazy it means you are not okay ba okay so this is why this CCF is a crazy community fellowship so you are welcome here in other words these are normal people you're not the only one feeling that feeling everybody has the same feeling feeling of frustration feeling of fear feeling of becoming worse it's but normal so if you're feeling that way praise God you don't need to be afraid to admit that you have that feeling the reason why you can admit it before people because it's bad normal anyone who does not admit that they have that kind of problem is abnormal okay even pastors they feel hurt to cinema' pastor Dido it's allowed with do you experience being hurt [Applause] yes he's normal it's normal so don't have a breathing thing that oh this is my father he does not feel hurt he should that feel hurt only as children no you're wrong your father is the most hurt person in your family that's why he doesn't want to come home so listen feel your own sometimes our fear of our own feelings makes us afraid to face people but remember this just get relaxed everybody else has felt at different times that they were losing their mind so it's not a big deal everybody else has a felt at different times in their life that they were losing their mind listen the fear that they were losing their mind is McCrea but only rational people have that fear are you family the next thing that we need to face is the fear of others assessment we are afraid what others others reaction towards our honesty towards they might you might feel I don't want to be with these people because if I tell them they might reject me forget it once they assess you listen carefully and learn from what their self telling you if it's true praise God if it's not praise God you know why it is for us to improve and finally sometimes our being we are afraid to become to be truthful fear of being truthful we are afraid to be honest because we feel that it's useless to be honest nothing will ever change the point is this when you are truthful before God you will then begin to experience the grace of God as he promised listen don't you be afraid I'm a Christian for quite some time but I still doubt don't be afraid doubts are real sometimes we doubt the reality of God but somehow we know but be honest to God good sometimes I doubt your reality but you know what God will again tipsy will tell you that he's real he will give you some circumstances or situation that you would sense that is real sometimes I even doubt that God asked our Lord how can you be one and three at the same time I cannot understand but God helped me to understand in fact when I thought about Jesus being equal with the Father God the Father how I was crying before the Lord because I don't really know Lord is this really true I I doubted God and you know God helped me to understand you know what he did good lord I've been trying to understand this but I could not find anything concrete in the scripture in the Old Testament that you are three-in-one I don't understand then you know that I was crying I opened my Bible and reading Isaiah and I reached I say 48 I was very surprised he was talking about and I created the heavens and the earth and I'm doing this Wow God is speaking then at the verse 16 all of a sudden and the Lord God sent me huh who is this the Lord God the very same God who created the heavens earth and he said and the Lord God sent me and his spirit woo the Trinity has become very clear and I then I turn by Bible without as I was praying and I open in psalm 46 the Lord God said to God huh how did it happen God saying to God you would be surprised God answers so with all our doubts just be willing to admit it don't ignore it it's but real don't say you have doubts how dare you you've been attending CCF have you not attend the GLC if you do more doubts because it's but real friends listen to this you want to be above your circumstances learn this basic foundation of life you have nothing to prove all the improv start proving who you are buy stop proving who you are buy start that but start improving from where you are blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven you know what finally you need to also admit that you cannot get to heaven by your own strength you need to honestly admit I have nothing to be qualified to be in heaven look why in officience in here I will end you were dead in your trespasses and sins how could I be dead in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world you see how dead people are they had no choice they just follow what the world dictates and the world tells them to do look at this when I was younger how our our pants is a what we call this elephant pants during our time we call that bell-bottom have you heard of that can you imagine when I was about to go to high school I asked my parents that began Mona please give me a new pants a bell bottom one because I was just wearing short and at that time it was not just short short short remember those days it was really short huh so and got my dad said don't you just real short we're not we're poor we are not we could not afford to buy your pants dad I will be entering high school I have here is already on my legs I cannot just go through with my shorts ok ok you get my old pants and bring that pants to your uncle and because it's a tailor you asked him to make it fit to you and it's busting recoded bust on us in a small hole how do you call that in English it's skinny jeans but no it's not skinny because it's lousy he risk it's a pointed one it's a pencil fact about your understand what I'm saying you have to remove your shoes and have your next trade so that you can put it on you know that you know that was my problem and my dad had to give that bunch to me and said wow look at you you're so handsome and so everybody else's shoes you could not see but mine is very obvious and my father was so excited he took his rubber shoes and said use this this is adidas adidas Potts cool a orange orange shoes at that time the shoes you cannot see because of the pants but here you are everybody is seeing your shoes orange imagine black ceremony remember those days you would sing baa young muggy I felt that the flag was transferred to my feet you know because everybody was looking at me I was so embarrassed I could not even know how like to face my classmates and they will call me alien you know how I felt because the world tells us that those who are wearing bell-bottom and handsome and those wearing pencil cut pants it's ugly that's the way the world thinks so when I get older I began to lose here but I praise God murder army came to the picture bad guy everybody wants to become bald because the world tells that the bug people are handsome so I was happy until f4 came for the hair song and I could not do anything else but just to accept the fact that I don't belong to this generation anymore you see for us it's kind of which is following what the world tells us to do we cannot even decide on our own when the world tells us that this is the new fashion we follow that fashion the Filipinos with big belly they would follow the fashion allowing their belly button to be obvious can you imagine the feeling because that kind of fashion is designed for those who are skinny and succeed looking but for women with big belly inverted you know the pressure but they had no choice because they were dead they were just valuing what the world is telling them to do some people they go to churches to attend mass to attend services on Sunday not because they love God but simply because the world says that if you do that you're good you belong coat and coat to God not because they are hungry for Jesus some they would even just stand outside and feel for so feel so satisfied because they were able to do the duties even without understanding what the pastor or the priest is telling them and they would live I've done my duty I'm okay because they were just valuing what the world tells them to do they had no choice because they were dead so among them we to all formerly live in the last of the flesh we could not just we are always looking for what will satisfy our flesh indulging the desires of less and of the mind and we're by nature look at the words children of Wrath even as the rest we are so helpless but God hallelujah being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us when we were dead in our transgressions we are dead we had no hope he made us alive through Jesus Christ for by grace have been safe and raised us up with him and see that the eyes look with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus you are now above your circumstances you are seated with Jesus so that in the ages to come he might show you the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus that's why he wants to remind us for by grace you've been saved through faith and that not of yourself it is a gift of God aren't we sometimes frustrated even in our own because we feel that we cannot perfect it we feel that we could we're not qualified before God because we we are not perfect we are trying our best but we could not and God tells us know remind remind yourself that it's not a result of your works so that no one may post but we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them what God is saying us but you need to understand as you realize that you cannot do anything I will bring you back to your original design of doing something good for others to become a contribution to others lives and become a blessing to them a blessing to your family a blessing to your children a blessing to your spouse a blessing to your workplace a blessing to your country so friends imagine if you're a Christian and you belong to Jesus and you admitted that you have nothing but God gave you everything you will become a blessing to this country New Zealand even if you're a Filipino most Filipinos they come here to get something from New Zealand but you're different if you have experienced the life of Jesus you will not get some anything from New Zealand you will bring something to New Zealand you're giving them life it's about Jesus whom you have fun you see friends you must make your choice either Jesus was and is the son of God or else a madman or something worse you can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God that's what CS do we said and Christianity a false is of no importance if it is false don't get serious about it but if it's true of definite importance and the only thing it cannot be it be is moderately important you cannot just say well I'm not sure so I'll just be at the middle no you need to really make a choice if you want to experience the grace of God you need to make a span and believe what Jesus Christ claimed for him to be the only Savior of God so one guy here I will end he was a very well-known lawyer in fact you can see his name in a Guinness Book of Records the best lawyer ever born and he was did not believe in the Lord his name was Leone el loco okay you cannot be loca loca here he's really very well known in fact most successful attorney according to the Guinness Book of record record with two hundred forty five consecutive murder acquittals and they were saying because he does not believe in the Lord somebody approached him and said why don't you use your gift as an as a lawyer to see whether Jesus Christ is true or not whether he resurrected or not you know what he did he really did his research he did his his techniques in gathering evidences and you know what he said he finally followed the Lord by saying I say unequivocally that the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that in compells acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubts because of that he obeyed the Lord and admitted that he had nothing except Jesus and another guy who also the same experienced an author of a classic treatise on law of evidence a royal professor at law at Harvard developed the rules of evidence he did the same thing he was challenged about the resurrection of Jesus and you know what he said the resurrection is one of the most document that best documented events in the history of men why do I need to tell you that because if we admit that we cannot help ourselves then we can remember but Jesus whom you can prove to be true has come to help those who could not be helped themselves he died for us that is the foundation if you cannot if you can admit your worst problem before God the rest is but petty problem to admit okay but if you can admit that you're a sinner you don't need to know you don't need to pretend that you are a good husband you can easily admit that you can still keep on improving for the Lord ever the first thing that you need to do is to build the right foundation if you want to live above your circumstances Jesus is the only foundation that you can have nobody else if it if we sanity suppose forget wasting a time listening to these messages but it is true you better get serious with him no more in moderation but a total commitment to Jesus don't play God if you have tried playing God trying to go against the will of God and you have found yourself in greating worst in your problem now listen to this God is giving you a new hope come and admit that you're not cut and you need God to rule you in your life try him and I'm telling you you will do the same taste and see that the Lord is good let me just end with a story this about I don't know if it's really true or not but the the story was very interesting and sometimes it's really very truthful in a sense this guy attended a conference and the speaker was very scholarly as very scholarly scholarly presented that Jesus did not resurrected Jesus is not true so he tried everything to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ and while all the pastor's were listening there was a guy there was an old guy a pastor - raised his hand and asked a question I said sir I have a question say they need Okies apple began to bite ahead and said you see I cannot speak and explain eloquently the way you did about the resurrection of Jesus and you see I had not studied as you did because I know that I'm not as educated as you are but I have only one simple question and it's my question is the apple sweet or bitter what's wrong so of course it was very dignified and said is it sir you were the one who ate the apple how can I say whether it's sweet or bitter but that's what I'm trying to tell you sir you see I may not be able to prove to you the resurrection of Jesus but one thing I know I've tasted him and it's really good taste and see that the Lord is good friends if you haven't tried it I'm challenging you forget about who you are and begin to relax knowledge God if you are true lord please reveal yourself to me that I may follow you but if not I just forget me I'll just continue on with my life but you have to really get serious and admit that you need help okay would that be fine I will not force you to do it today but you do it tonight when you get home okay did you say you enter into your room be alone God if you're real pleased to reveal yourself to me I'm not telling you that he will reveal right away but he will surely reveal himself to you if you're honest and if your Lord tell me show me the truth just wait and you will see and eventually you will taste but it did the Lord is good you know the reason why I'm telling you this one time I was really so frustrated about myself I was working God why did you create me did you just create me to suffer this kind of difficult distance and no hardship in life I'm tired imagine I was walking from our house to our school and school to our house about 13 kilometers I was walking because I had no money to pay for my fare and during the night can you imagine the effect it's so hot look the evidence and I was crying before the Lord and I was even asking what's my purpose in life why am I here you know as I was praying that while I was walking there was a sheep with a very loud sound and I still don't know the song but I still remember that particular part of that song you know what the song the song says what am i living for if not for you and that part of that song until now I didn't really don't know that song that part of a song kept on bugging me what am I really living for if not for you if not for you so I knelt on it when I got home I knelt down open my Bible said God if you are through speak to me I don't know what I'm going through I don't know what's going on I want to kill myself I was lying and kneeling down spread my arms before God god I'm tired I want to know what life is I don't understand you are you real and I was at least I don't know the Bible I open it up and you know what it says therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the oldest possibly behold then you has come I said look if this is true show me just one time because I grew up in Marikina every statement we make there is a cuss word before in the middle and after the sentence for example if I'm talking to Joe Joe and I would see a nice car I would tell him your mother nice car your mother me understand what I'm saying and it's very Pilipino Pik Pik Pik I beg of the Philippines I love cabby I really have that bunk of Philippine Islands in me crosswords left and right and I said God if this is true will you please remove this from me it was very surprised I see I got so in love with the Word of God and one time I was challenged by my friends why are you not going up with us now what are you now going us with us with us too sharply because we were shoplifters really so why are you not going with us you're not drinking with us what's wrong with you they push me and said what's wrong with you and normally I would just say bunk up bi how dare you and I was very surprised you see friends I'm sorry vengeance is my mine a vengeance is mine saith the Lord he said what happened to you Bhadra drama so they were very surprised and and that was the first time that I ever heard myself not saying a cuss word and I said God you are wrong and the next thing I asked him Lord please help me to stop my smoking he's helped me to stop my drinking and the Lord helped me on all of those and finally I asked him Lord helped me because I have no photographic memory and like with my brothers and sisters without whatever they see they memorize it but I had a very pornographic memory I was really in pornography and I said God helped me because every time I look at women at that time I would rape them in my mind really but no longer now don't be afraid I don't have a problem that anyone I'm no longer suffering from that I praise God I don't even dare to look at kissing scenes in the movies so I praise God because God delivered me from that after two years I'm not saying that I was delivered right away I was delivered after two years and once in a while I'm being challenged by by God's grace He healed me he made me a new creation the oldest passed away behold the new has come so I challenge you I pray don't just listen to messages taste and see that the Lord is good shall we pray thank you Jesus father God I don't know the people here inside this room but you do I pray O God to really allow everyone to be honest enough to admit the real deep may they be honest enough to admit that they need you lord thank you that you do know that some of us here in this room are really longing to find life they tried everything to be happy but they could not find the real joy that they've been longing for maybe they have tried father God to satisfy their childhood dreams of having a car having a house having a spouse having somebody to be with but they found them one thing they found them to be not enough they're still they're still longing for someone to fill the hole that they have in their hearts I pray that you would give them the honesty of the need that they would really say God there is a hole in me but needing to be satisfied and bla made everyone realize what Blaise Pascal said that in everyone's heart there is a god-shaped vacuum lord I pray that we would be honest enough to admit that we need you for you alone can really fill that hole because it is a god-shaped hole that you alone can fill the path so father God I pray I pray Lord to allow every one of us to be so successful in their lives to see that not in their possession not in their efforts or achievement that they would find life but in you alone who who died for us and who brought us up with you in the heavenlies to be above our circumstances thank you Jesus that you love everyone in this room that you will not allow anyone to miss what is really important in life knowing that our time here is very short to miss the real thing thank you God thank you Jesus that you are you are the answer to what we've been looking for thank you God will you help everybody father God to really enjoy you and experience you personally in Jesus name we pray amen amen praise God [Applause]

Channel: CCF New Zealand

Views: 12,922

Rating: 4.7515526 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: LchaQYW3m4w

Length: 103min 28sec (6208 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 23 2017