 Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our weekly mentoring hour. This session has been recorded. Thank you for getting on this call. And we take this time to engage in asking questions, interact, discuss and make it a time of learning for all of us. So I just want to request any of us to please lead us in prayer as we get this time started. Can I request Charles to lead us in prayer? Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you, Charles. Right, let's pray and believe. Father God, we praise you, we honor you for you allow us to fulfill our plans and desires, to brand things and you allow us to see them come true. We thank you for this Bible college. We thank you for all that we have done since the year began, since the semester began, and we are here for this mentorship hour. Father God, we pray that as you tell us that as iron shepherds, iron sodas, man, shepherds, man, we pray that we shall be sharpened, edified so that we will be able to help the church to grow, for the grow of your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Charles, for praying. Just one, today we have Mrs. Jean George facilitate the discussion and over to Ji. Thank you, Pastor Naena. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Good to have all of you on the call. And welcome to this hour of mentoring. This is a time that we take to address questions that you may have, maybe some things that you have learned as part of your course or as part of a ministry that you're leading or even the Christian life. So the floor is opened for you to put in your questions. You could either unmute yourselves and raise a question or even put it up on the chat. And we have our faculty here today who will all do our best to provide you the answers. So over to you to put in your questions. And yes, we can take it from there. So in the meantime, till we're warming up to ask our questions, maybe we'd like to just open this to any of the students to probably share with us what you've learned through this. Maybe this last week or the last 10 days, something new that you've learned that that's touched your heart that's that's helped you apply it in your Christian life in your Christian walk. Maybe you could share that over here. So probably I could call upon Felicia. I'm sorry if I haven't pronounced your name right Felicia. If you're on the call, would you like to share with us anything new that you've learned through this last week or 10 days. Okay, thank you teacher. Thank you for giving me time. I understand me. Yes, yes, we can follow you. Yes. I'm very sorry. Maybe I cannot say something because right now our network is very bad, according to it was raining so full. So I don't think if you, I don't know if you if you understand me in a good condition because our network is very, very few. Felicia, we can hear you very well. Please go on. Let me take this time to thank you my God for this opportunity to be at this Bible college. And then let me take this time to give my thankful to all staff and the all students. So I would like to ask you one question which somebody asked me as we start and we go out of our study to do exercises to preach and to tell many people according to the good news of Jesus Christ. So I met with one person and that one asked me one question which I would like to share with you. If possible, you can give me explanation more than what I know. The question is this. The person asked me how people can be freely from sin. He asked me somebody I hate to still or to make funcation but I meet but he meet himself in other things. So he told me he told me that he chose to stay in sinful because he knows that God will forgive the one who will forgive and God will save the one who will save. That is the that is the words which he told me. Is it that right? How can I help him? Please everybody who has more information about this can give me explanation according to this issue of this one. Okay, thank you. Thank you for the question. I just want to repeat what you've said so that I correctly understood it. I think you've asked as how could one live a life without sin. Even when they are moved to sin, even when there are areas of sin that they may continue in, how could one live a life free of sin? Did I pick that question right Felicia? Yes. All right. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I'm giving this open to the faculty, anyone among our faculty would like to answer the question. May I request either Pastor Paul or Pastor Nancy? Would you like to take up the question please? Yes. Thank you, Jean. So Felicia, just to clarify, Felicia is asking, is it right to live in sin for a believer? No. How does one not live a life free of sin? How does one live a life free of sin? Okay. All right. Thank you, Jean. Felicia, we see in the Word of God that the Lord Jesus has already paid the price for our forgiveness, for our redemption. And therefore, we can live a life free of sin. So one thing is for us to understand what the Lord Jesus has done for us. So when we know that we already have everything that we need to live a victorious life, then one is able to live free of sin. And also, we have the empowering of the Holy Spirit with us because we know that before the Lord Jesus gave his life for us in the Old Testament, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is very different. But after Jesus's work on the cross, every believer now also has the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. So we can also be led by the Holy Spirit. So that empowers us to live a victorious life. So I think I'll stop with that, Jean. Maybe others could also add to that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor Nancy. Is there anyone else who would like to add to what Pastor Nancy said? Pastor Paul, would you like to add to what Pastor Nancy said? Yes, thank you. Thank you, Jean. So Pastor Nancy has a very brief answer than most of it. So yes, so we are all empowered by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to overcome temptations. Now we know that, Felicia, that temptations will come. But when we live our life, knowing what Jesus did on the cross, knowing that we are walking, we're already in victory. We're not fighting for victory, but we're walking in victory. And that revelation, that understanding will really help us to overcome sin. Because the enemy is going to come with temptations and he's going to do his work. But God has, you know, on the cross, he's made us victorious. And so as Pastor Nancy said, the Holy Spirit inside us will give us this strength. Just want to leave us with this verse. You know, when temptations come, this wonderful verse which says that greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. The world refers to the works of the enemy as well. So I'll leave it at this. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor Paul. Felicia, I'd just like to add maybe one more point is the basis of our Christian life is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. And our victory comes because of what he did on the cross and we are dead to sin because of what he did on the cross. So it is a foundational truth for us to every time when we are faced with temptation to help ourselves understand that by what Jesus did on the cross, he's taken away even the power of sin and we read that in Ephesians chapter two. He's taken away the power of sin and that makes us dead to sin because we live with Christ. Yeah. So in addition to that, just wanted to add those points. Felicia, I hope that answered your query. I hope that answered your question. Yes. Thank you, Pastor. I understand. Thank you. Thank you so much, Felicia, for that question. We have another question on the chat and this is by Charles and I'll just read that out. In Old Testament priests were not allowed to be impotent or have a rum, et cetera. I've forgotten the verses, but during this time of grace dispensation, do these things still hold? All right. Pastor, may I please request you to take on this question? Oh, yeah. Thanks, Jean. Sir Charles, the answer is no. These things do not apply to us. So in the Old Testament, there were a lot of instructions to the priests, those who served in the temple. A simple example is, I think in Ezekiel, he says, you shouldn't wear anything that causes you to sweat. So nowadays, we sweat on the pulpit for so many reasons. I mean, it could be hot weather or whatever. So that means you can't be sweating while you're ministering as a priest. But so like this, there's so many things. The priest had a certain attire, certain role. We had to do certain things. Now, none of those things carry over into the New Testament because one, the New Testament tells us very clearly that we have been, we are no longer under the law. I just let me just post a few references there. So we are no longer under the law. We are under grace. We are dead to the law. Romans chapter seven verse six says, Galatians 518 says, we live in the spirit. We don't live by the law. So the answer is no. Those things do not apply to us. We are still priests, meaning that there are many parallels in the Old and the New. Old Testament God had priests. The New Testament, we are priests. But our role as priests is very different. In the New Testament, every believer is a priest. And the focus is on the spiritual ministry that we are called to do. So Hebrews 13 says we offer up spiritual sacrifices as opposed to what they did under the old covenant. So the short answer is no. Those things won't apply because our role as priests has been redefined in Jesus Christ. Thank you pastor. Charles, I hope that addressed your question. Yeah, thank you so much. I'm hearing it. Thank you, Charles. Thank you. Okay, we have another question that's raised by John. I read out the question. It says, could you share some light on Matthew 1112? In the NKGV, it is translated as, as from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. In the NLT version, it reads, and from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and violent people are attacking it. My question is, who is the violent people mentioned here? Is it us or people in the world who want to destroy the works of the kingdom? I have heard some interpretation saying it denotes, we forcefully advance, we denotes we forcefully advancing in kingdom. Okay. So John, just to clarify, did your question, that interpretation mean that we as believers are the ones who forcefully advance the kingdom? So you would like to know, right? Yes. Okay, thank you. Yeah. I'm opening this out to the faculty or anyone to take up the question. Yeah, John. So a good question. Pastor, you're on mute, Pastor. Sorry, sorry, sorry about that. Yeah. So when we have a text like this where, you know, we're not really sure. So there are two things we can do. We look at the context, you know, like what led into Jesus making this statement so that then it kind of gives us an idea, you know, okay, oh, he said this because, right? So when you look at Matthew chapter 11, all the way from verses one to 12, you look at the context. This is the context in which he made the statement. So therefore we can understand what he was trying to say. That's one thing we can do. The second thing we can do is to read the same verse translation in many versions of the Bible. And that's a very helpful thing to do because the translators have put in a lot of work already for us to try to arrive at the right meaning. So you can look at translations that are close to the Greek. And also you can look at translations that are interpretive in their approach like the passion translation others. And a common, what you would find, I mean, other than what has been quoted there, the NLT, a majority of the texts, if you look at it, then the interpretation is that the kingdom of God is advancing forcefully and people are pressing into it. The idea of violence is about us people who want to enter into the kingdom. There has to be violence or you could, some verses, you know, passion or there has to be that sense of pressing in from our side to enter into the kingdom. So that's kind of the thing. Also if you look at the context, what was the context? The context is the first part of that Matthew. The context is John the Baptist is asking about Jesus. You know, are you the one or should we look for another? That means are you the one who's going to help us enter into the kingdom or is it going to be somebody else context? Jesus says, go tell John what is here and see. The blind see the lame walk and he talks about the miracles and the gospel being preached. So the preceding verses, the idea is John the Baptist is asking the question, are you the one or should we look for somebody else? Are you the one who's going to usher in the kingdom? Are you the one who's going to make the kingdom available to us or do we look for somebody else? So the whole context is about us being able to enter into the kingdom, experience the kingdom. And then after that Jesus comments about John. He says, you know, John is like the forerunner and so on. So both the context and look, and I'm saying this very quickly, but both the context and the various versions of the Bible bring out this singular meaning, which is God's kingdom is advancing and people need to press into it. And why do we need to press into it? It's because there are a lot of things that are trying to restrain us. The world, the flesh and the devil are restraining forces trying to keep people from entering into the kingdom. And so if we have to enter into the kingdom, we have to press in, but the kingdom is also forcefully advancing. Is it okay, John? Yes, of course. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you, John, for that question. We'll take up the next question by Herbert. He's written about sin, I have a worry. However much Jesus paid for our sin, I think when you die and when you're not saved, then you die in sin and you go to hell. Not so. So I'm not sure if you're making a comment here or a question or a reference to a point that was made earlier. So you're right that if we are not saved, we die in sin and we do not have eternal life. But it's only through the Father, only through Jesus, only through belief in him as your Saviour, do you have eternal life? So that is the reference that was made even earlier. Was there any other doubt on that, Herbert? Not really. I just wanted to be sure that maybe it is automatic that if Jesus died for us, then it is automatic to go through heaven without believing in him. Thank you. No, I just want to clarify and reiterate that it is only faith in him that takes us to eternal life that brings us to heaven. All those who do not believe and who die in sin do not have eternal life. That's what scripture says. So I hope that's clear, Herbert. Okay. We'll move on to the next one that Sid Keno has written a question. I wanted to know, in the Bible, God loves Israel more than any other nation. God says, Israel are my people. Then what happens that today only 2% of the people are in Israel are Christians. 2% of the people are Christians. And what is the thing that India is lacking as we see that there is a revival in the western and African countries? There is something which we as a nation is lacking. Is it holiness, belief or anything else? So Sid Keno, what I understand from your question is what is it that is lacking in India that does not keep us as favored as Israel? Is that what you're meaning to ask? Could I just have clarity in your question? Actually, ma'am, my question has two faces. One is about Israel and one is about the rest of India. Okay. So you would want to know why is Israel the chosen nation? That's the first one, I think. And second is, why isn't revival happening in India like it is in other western or African countries? Is it because of a lack? These are your two questions. Bismam, Bismam. All right. Thank you. So the first question on why is Israel the chosen one? If I'm right, this was addressed, I think the week before this was addressed. So can I just may I at least request any of the pastors to address these two questions? There are two questions. One was addressed. So Sid Kenu, maybe I'd suggest if you could just look back at last week's recording, you would have a perfect answer to this because this was addressed last week. And we could go out if that is okay as to why is India not seeing revival like other countries? And is it something that we lack? I'm looking this question to the pastors or anybody to address. Anyone can take up the question. Yes, Pastor. Yes, Sid Kenu. So the second part of your question about revival in India for that matter revival in any part of the world. Just to just to point, you know, so I guess one of the things we can do is to look back and learn from history. So there have been revivals and moves of God even in India. When we look back in history of the church in India, there have been moves to the spirit. And also, we can see that, say for instance in Punjab, that part of our country, especially in the last recent times, I would say the recent decade or at least the last five years, there has been a significant move of the spirit. So the answer is I guess the same for every country. It's a matter of us praying, seeking God and being willing to do the things God wants us to do to see revival. So while we are going about doing our regular things, if God's people pray, seek Him. So the answer to having revival is the same in every part of the world. And we need to do that here in our country as well. Sid Kenu. Thank you, Bosto. Thank you. Elisha's question. Thank you. Yeah, Elisha has a question. He says, would there be VIPs and VVIPs in heaven? So would there be very important people and very, very important people in heaven? Opening the question to any of our faculty to answer. Bosto Roshan, would you like to take that question? Yeah, sure. Thank you. I think in short, I would say, I have to say no, but a lot of things that come to my mind in terms of, for example, in revelation, we see that every tribe and every town, every nation, we come together in unity and we worship. So there is no really, there is diversity, but there is unity. And I think even in Galatians, we see what God is making very clearly. In Galatians 3, chapter 3, I think, it says, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free. But something, but yeah, there is no separation or division. And McKinnon ball goes on to the same room, so we are many, we are one body, we are one body in Christ. So we are all one in Jesus and we are all His sons and daughters. And so I hope that's enough to support single, no, there will not be. Yeah, others can feel free to add to it, please. That's just my understanding. Thank you. Thank you, Bosto Roshan. Elisha, I just want to bring up a verse of Romans 8.17 that says, if we're children, then we're heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. I think that this just helps us understand that all of us who believe in Him sit with Him, sit alongside with Him. And that's the privilege that He gives each one who is called by His name. So even I would think that answer is no, but we all have the very same importance in God's eyes. And the only marker is our trust, our faith in Him. Our relationship with Him is the only marker to have that place of importance of being heirs with God and joint heirs with Christ. Is there anyone else who would like to pitch in any other thoughts, any other pastors would like to pitch in? Please feel free to do so. Okay, I have a follow up question to Elisha's question. Elisha, I mean, if he's okay with the answer already, then I can ask my question. Elisha, are you alright with the answer if so? Not fully, but I think maybe Pastor Naisi's question would bring much clarity. So I think Pastor Naisi's question should come. Go ahead, Pastor Naisi. Okay, okay. Thank you, thank you, Dream. Thank you, Elisha. So my question is, yes, I agree with Pastor Ocean and Jean that there'll be no VIPs, we VIPs in heaven. We all are equal in Christ Jesus. But I want to know based on the calling that God has given people, for example, you know, there are like Elijah and Moses and Abraham, they are recognized. So I mean, how does that work? So there are some people who are recognized. I don't know if you want to use the word, they fulfill their calling. So is there a separate standing that such people have in heaven? I just wanted to know. Yeah, thank you. Okay, just to bring in some more what we've seen in scripture. You know, the fact is we are all one in Christ. We're all saved by the blood. But what we do see is for example, there are 24 elders around the throne. That means 24 people get to sit in those thrones, and it's only 24. And we can, you know, we know that these 24 elders are redeemed people. But I mean, you see this in later on in Revelation 19 and verse 10, then also in Revelation 22, I think it's verse nine or something, where when John falls down to worship the elder, the elder says, look, I'm just one of your fellow servants. I'm of your people. And in Revelation 22, he says, I'm one of the prophets. So yeah, and Jesus also told his apostles in Matthew 19, he said, you know, each one of you be sitting on thrones. Now, so we're all believers. We all, you know, and to the, to every overcomer, there's a crown. There is a throne. And this is in Revelation chapter two and three. So the overcomers also promised these things. But then there are only 24 people who will be sitting around the elders, only 24 elders will be sitting around Jesus. And while we don't know the names of these 24 elders, it most likely would be the 12 apostles and 12 Old Testament people. We don't know who they are. You know, so they honored. So those 24 people are honored to be there. Does that make them better than us? It doesn't make them any different from us. We're all people saved by the blood. We all bear the same by tropes. But I just think in terms of the rewards and in terms of the honor that's given to people. So, you know, staying consistent with the fact that what Russian and she have already said that we're all saved equally. And the honor that we are received in heaven will differ based on the works, you know, the works that are tested. And also based on some of the things that we see, obviously the 24 elders were chosen. So in that sense, I wouldn't call this being VIP. We're not going to be treated in sense differently, but it's the honor that comes on our lives, which could differ because of the way each one has served the Lord, the rewards that are given, the crowns that are given. And secondly, the, you know, the 24 elders were picked. So I would just kind of add that into the mix of what has been said. Yeah. Thank you, Pastor. Elisha, I hope that the follow up question adds clarity to what you were looking for. Yes, yes. There's clarity. Thank you. Thank you, Elisha. Thank you. We have another question by Felicia. Her question is, we know well that we are saved in God's grace and mercy, and we believe in Jesus Christ, but sometimes we meet ourselves in sin, which we didn't expect. So if I meet myself in sin and debt meets up in that sin immediately, and I don't have time to repent, what will be my place? Okay, so her question is, if you are in sin at the time, you meet with debt, and you don't have time to repent. What would happen? So that is a tradition's question. I'm opening this up to the faculty to answer. Pastor Diana or Pastor Paul. And if you'd like to take up the question. Sure. Thank you, Jane. Thank you, Felicia, for that question. I'd like to start off by saying that the Bible teaches us that once we accept the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior, we believe in what He has done for us on the cross, and we ask for forgiveness, ask for repentance. The Bible teaches us that we are a new creation. Second Corinthians 517. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. We are a new creation in our spirit. And as you mentioned, yes, as human beings, temptation will come. And so to answer your question, why in sin if death comes, what will be our outcome? I would say, Felicia, that the very fact that we've accepted the Lord as our personal Savior, and we believe in the work that he did on the cross. That is salvation. And so even during the course of our life, we will go through temptations. So I believe that this is my opinion, the other faculty can add as well. But I believe that God is not going to judge us for that one sin. And as you said, you did not have the opportunity to ask for forgiveness, because at the moment of sin death came in. But God is not going to forsake all that happened in the past, meaning the moment you accepted Christ and walk with Christ. So all of that is not going to be just wiped away just because of that one sin. I believe that the Lord will be gracious and he will accept you as his child because you have received the call of salvation into your life. So I would leave it open to the other faculty to get their thoughts as well. Thank you so much. Thank you, Pastor Paul. Would anyone else like to add any other thoughts, any other faculty, any other thoughts? Felician, did you have your answer? Did you get your answer? Okay, Felician, we are unable to hear you. We'll go on to the next question. We have just a couple of minutes. Yes, Felician, go ahead. Not yet. I'm just understand. Let me leave you the place to another person. Thank you. Okay, all right. We'll go on to the next question. So Sid, can you explain the gnostics of the New Testament? I asked the elder of my church, can you please explain a bit more for clarity as to how they are different from the Protestant? Pastor, may I ask you to please answer this? Yeah, so Sid, the gnostics, it is very prevalent during, let's say, the end of the first century and then coming on into the second century of, you know, second century. And it's because of this, even you find in the writings of the Apostle John in the episodes of John, how he warns the believers, you know, that there are many antichrists have gone. So be careful about these. Everyone who denied that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist and so on. So you read about this in 1 John, chapter 4. And you find that burden of the Apostle John in all three of his episodes. But essentially what are the gnostics? They believe in secret knowledge. So gnosticism is that they believe in privileged revelation, secret knowledge. That means the essence of it is others don't have access to this. This is something very secret. We have this knowledge of understanding revelation, right? So, and then from that come come out all kinds of erroneous teachings and so on. So that's who they were in the group, you know, they were very privileged. Whereas the New Testament is an unveiling, it's a revelation of who Christ is and who he is. And so they, you know, some of the very fundamental teachings of the New Testament that Christ came in the flesh. Christ died, his bodily resurrection, all of that, you know, were being challenged in those days. And they had to be protected. Whereas the Protestant, the Protestant is something very later. Yes, we come, come into Martin Luther's time, which is around for 1400, 1478 or something, or 1500. So you come, you're coming, you know, you're almost selling 1,500 years ahead into time. When with Martin Luther came the reformation of the church and from them, from thereafter, you know, the tag or the name Protestant was given because they were protesting against the practices during that time. So, you know, these are two different periods in time history in church history. And today, you know, when they predicted the label Protestant simply means that the branch of Christianity that believes, let's say, stemming from the reformation that began from the time of Martin Luther. Is it okay? Thank you very much, Pastor. Thank you. Thank you, Robert. This is for that question and pastor for the answer. We have a question from Zillatoli. Do we get a new name in heaven? I think this is based on one of the verses in Revelations to 17. Would somebody like to take up this question, but any of the faculty like to take up the question? Revelation to 17. Zillatoli, was that your reference? I'm sorry, I just, I just checked and was that your reference and was that where your question was coming from? Yes. Okay. All right. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. Anybody would like to take up the question, please? Yeah, Zillatoli. So the answer obviously is yes. You know, so the scriptures there, Revelation to one of the, one of the rewards to the overcomer is the Lord says he will receive, I mean, he or she will receive a new name, which nobody knows except that person, the Lord and that person. Then again, you find other things like in Revelation 22, it says the name of the Lord will be written on our foreheads. So, yeah, so the answer is yes. If you want to keep your own name, your earthly name, there is a, no, I'm just joking. I don't know what to do. All right. Thank you, Pastor. All right. I hope that answered your questions Zillatoli. All right. We have a couple of minutes, five minutes. So we could do with a single question. Question if anybody has one. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much for all those of you who joined. Thank you for all your questions students and for all the answers pastors. Thank you that this has been a time of learning and just enriching our spirits and our knowledge of the word. May I please request any one of the students to close in prayer. Karun, if you are available and would you like to please close in prayer. Okay. Father, thank you, Lord. Thank you for this time that where we could spend pondering through the thoughts of your word and understanding things much more deeply, Lord, we thank you for all the answers that have been received. We know that it is you and your spirit who helps us understand you deeply with deep interpretations of your word and the things around Lord. You are the source of all the wisdom. We thank you for what you have blessed us with. We thank you and we submit the rest of the day as we learn totally on to you knowing that you are the source of all wisdom. We thank you and we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you, Karun. Thank you all for joining in. Have a blessed day. See you all at class. God bless. Thank you.