 Okay, welcome back after the break. Just before we went for a break, we were studying chapter 10, where we were looking at how God, you know, gives us guidance so we can receive guidance from God through Godly Council. And we were looking at the last point about Council of Godly Parents. It says in Proverbs chapter 1 verse 8 and 9. Can somebody read that please? Proverbs chapter 1 verse 8 and 9. Proverbs chapter 1 verse 8 and 9 verse 8. My son, here's the instructions of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother. Verse 9. For they will be great, graceful, on mint on your head and chains about your neck. Amen. Thank you. So one of the honorable things that we can do is to receive counsel from our own parents, especially, you know, if they are Godly parents, we can receive counsel from them because they will help us to, you know, to discern how to walk in an honoring way, in the right way, in the way that is also honoring not just before people, but also before God, because God has put them in our lives to lead us, to guide us, to help us, to nurture us, to train us in righteousness and holiness so we can also receive counsel from our parents, especially if they are Godly parents. There's an example that Pastor has shared so you can read that his life example so it will help you understand, you know, what he's talking about, receiving counsel from Godly men of God and how it really helped him. Okay. So that was chapter 10 for us. Sanjay says that in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2 says that do not forget to entertain strangers for so doing some have, you know, unwittingly entertained angels. So can we say that angels don't take on human form but they appear like humans sometimes. Yes, we can say that because this verse that you have quoted suggests that angels can take on human appearance when interacting with humans. The idea is that times angels may appear in human form, and people may unknowingly show kindness or hospitality to these angelic beings. One of the examples that comes to my mind is Genesis chapter 18, where three men visit Abraham actually thought of this before but I just wanted to, you know, kind of think about it indeed in, you know, before I shared it with the class. So these three men visit Abraham and it becomes clear that one of them is the Lord and the other two are angels. So similarly in the New Testament, angels often appear in a form that does not, you know, just reveal their celestial nature like angelic beings but like a person. For example, Peter in the prison, he didn't, you know, I don't know whether he saw it as an angel or not, but, you know, so while angels ask spiritual beings, they seem to have the ability to take on different forms when interacting with humans. You know, they just take on a form that is familiar to humans in a way that is to convey the message or, you know, to carry out a specific task without causing fear or confusion in the person that they are ministering to. Yes. But it's important also to note that, you know, biblical descriptions of angelic encounters are often symbolic and should be understood in the context of the particular passage because the nature and the capabilities of angels are aspects of, you know, our spiritual reality, are the spiritual aspects that, you know, are way beyond our full comprehension. So yeah, they can take on human form. Any other questions you'll have? I just had a small question. Yes. When you're seeking for any answer in prayer and about any specific need or, you know, any thing that you're really seeking God's intervention. So is it right to, you know, seek God and ask God for, you know, to speak through a prophet or through an angel, like a person to reveal what, you know, your heart is longing to hear from? Yeah, you can ask God to reveal it to you through the primary way, such as his word and the Holy Spirit, but you can also ask God for, you know, for a confirmation. Yes, you can ask God for a confirmation. Through a prophet or a... Yeah, you can ask God if you can receive it through a prophetic word. But God knows whether you need to receive that, you know, through a prophetic confirmation or through an angel or whatever. Or, you know, he's already told you, you just have to listen, training your mind to listen, to know, to experience. There are times he can also, yes, you can ask him, what can you reveal it through a prophetic word? There's nothing wrong in asking or through an angel. But if God wants to reveal it through his primary ways and he wants you to discern and learn so that you're not just dependent on the second resources, then you can also ask God to help you. But if you want confirmation, yes, because we learned that, you know, prophecy brings about confirmation, revelation and also direction. So you can ask, yes, there's nothing wrong in asking. So the angel that appeared to Peter in prison in Acts chapter 12 is an angel because it says suddenly an angel Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. So he knew that it was an angel. It was not the form of a human appearance. Yeah. Any other questions? Okay. There are no questions. We'll move on to chapter 11, the renewed mind. Okay. Like I said, we already looked at this renewed mind. I already explained about this in fulfilling God's purpose for your life and also in chapter one. So we just briefly look at some points and we'll move on. Okay. Now God created our minds and God instructs us to use our minds. He wants us to use our minds. Sometimes the problem with some of us is that we think our minds are our enemy, you know, because of the battle that happens in the mind. So we think our minds are our enemies. So we don't want to, you know, use our thoughts or discern our thoughts of what God is speaking through our thoughts. We just want to go through the other ways God guides us through His Holy Spirit, through the word, through prophecy, through angels. But God also uses our mind. But it's important that, you know, when we look at our minds as our enemies is when our minds are not renewed. So it's important to have a renewed mind because our natural minds cannot comprehend the things of God. As we read in 1 Corinthians chapter two, verse 14, our natural mind cannot comprehend the things of God. Romans 8 verse seven says that, you know, carnal mind is enmity with God. So if you think that your mind is not, if you know that your mind is not renewed in your mind is still carnal, you know, of fleshly nature, thinking all carnal thoughts, lustly thoughts, worldly thoughts. Yes, then you can think that your mind is, you know, you can leave out your mind when it comes to, you think that you can leave out your mind when it comes to deserve. What God is speaking to you or to guiding you, but God wants you to use your mind, which means he wants you to come to a place where your mind is renewed. So you can't continue in a carnal mind to understand the ways and the thoughts of God. So what is a renewed mind? You know, renewed mind is a mind that takes on the ways and the thoughts of God. Like we read in Isaiah chapter 55, verse 89 says, God says, my ways are not your ways. Neither are my thoughts your thoughts. So renewed mind is able to take on the ways and the thoughts of God. So when your mind is renewed, you're able to think and know what God is telling you. You're able to discern his will. You're able to discern his direction. You're able to discern what is right and wrong. You're able to also, you know, you're able to use the knowledge and understanding of the ways of God, the thoughts of God. And you're able to process the information that you receive using and knowing that this is God's ways and his thoughts. And this is what he's asking me to do in this situation. This is what is pleasing to him that I do in this specific situation. So how can we have a renewed mind? Basically, a renewed mind is a mind that is filled with the word of God. Okay. So when you have God's word written on your hearts and your minds, that's why God says in the Old Testament, you know, I will remove your heart of stone and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will write my laws and put my word in upon your heart and your mind, and I'll give you my Holy Spirit who will guide you and lead you. So, you know, God, when we feed on God's word, not just read God's word for the sake of doing it as a ritual, but when we meditate on God's word, you know, fill our hearts and minds with God's word, then we begin to have a renewed mind. And when we have a renewed mind, what are the benefits of a renewed mind but able to recognize what is the will of God in that situation? Okay. A renewed mind also, you know, aligns itself to the ways and the thoughts of God, the higher ways and the thoughts of God. A renewed mind is able to, like we read in Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. I've explained this verse in detail when we were studying chapter 1 in this book, receiving God's guidance. So I'm not going to explain it in detail. So a renewed mind is able to know what is the good, acceptable and the perfect will of God. Also, if you look at Hebrews chapter 15 verses 12 to 14, verse 14 says, but solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So it's talking about those who are babes drinking just milk, but solid food. So you can either be strong and mature in the Word of God and you can be a mature person. When you are mature in, you know, and strong in the Word of God, God's Word is filled your heart and mind. You are a mature person. You're a person who has come of full age, a mature person. And when you are a mature person, your senses are trained to discern what is right and wrong because of the constant use of God's Word. So basically this verse in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 14 tells us that the renewed mind has the ability to distinguish what is right and wrong and thus determining what is God's will and what is not. And that is Ephesians chapter 5 verses 8 to 10 and verse 17, which we also studied in detail in chapter 1 of this book and also in fulfilling God's purpose for your life. So just basically summing up, we studied this in detail, so I'm not explaining it again. So basically what this verse is saying is that it's teaching us that we do not do away with our mind in understanding God's will and receiving God's guidance. But we need to understand what is his acceptable, you know, find out what is the acceptable will of God and not to be unwise, but to be wise. That means in our minds, we need to understand, which means we need to put together all of the information that we are receiving and only a mind that is able to comprehend and understand what is acceptable to God is a mind that is trained and stayed on God's word that is filled with God's word. So a renewed mind is able to use the knowledge and the understanding of the ways of God and the thoughts of God, which means understanding of the ways of God means the word of God and the thoughts of God, the revelation of God. And with that able to process the information that we receive from our spirit man, our mind is like the processor. So the spirit of God speaks to our spirit man and it's processed in our mind. So minds are very, very important and that is why it is important to have a renewed mind so we can know what God is asking us to do in a particular situation. We know what is God's well pleasing and perfect will and plan for us in a particular situation and what God wants us to do and how he wants us to live. And so guidance comes through a renewed mind. So renewed mind goes beyond the natural mind, which means it enables us to walk in the ways of God, think thoughts aligned to his ways. It takes us beyond the natural mind. A renewed mind is able to think in terms of the supernatural in terms of miracles and divine possibilities. It thinks aligned to the word of God and who God is and what he desires to for us to do. So a renewed mind basically considers the supernatural as also just normal. So these are the things about the renewed mind or these are the benefits of the renewed mind and it's very simple. How do we have a renewed mind? It's just basically filling our minds with God's word, which means we are constantly meditating on God's word. Meditating is like a cow that is chewing, that is regurgitating the food that is swallowed, bringing it out and breaking it down. So whatever you're studying from God's word, you're reading during your devotional time, you meditate on it throughout the day. And that is when you're in a situation, your mind automatically thinks, hey, what does God want me to do in this situation? What does God's word tell me to do? So you don't have to run to asking God for angels and prophets and sometimes Godly counsel. Your renewed mind can able to discern and know what God is leading you, directing you and asking you to do. And it's important for us to have a renewed mind because when the spirit of God speaks, bears inner witness in our spirit man, our minds are the processors. Everything what we receive from the outside world through our physical bodies, whatever we receive from the spiritual realm in our spirit man is processed in our minds. So it's important for us to have a renewed mind. So the more we feed on God's word, meditate on God's word, ponder on God's word, it's going to give us the wisdom and the understanding that we need to put together information that we are receiving. Some people, some Godly counsel, prophets, angels, inner witness to know, hey, this is what God is asking me to do and you take action. Okay. So that was renewed mind chapter 11. Any questions on that, please? Any questions? Okay. There are no questions. We'll move on to chapter 12 times and seasons. This chapter also we had studied as one of the nine guideposts in fulfilling God's purpose for your life. So I'm just going to mention in brief and not going to wait to detail. Look at what Ecclesiastes chapter three versus one and 11 says can somebody read that please for us. So everything that is a season, a time for every purpose and the heaven, he has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. Amen. Thank you. So here we see that God is a God of plan, order and design. He doesn't do anything arbitrary or randomly, you know, and he unfolds his plan at the appointed time. We also know that God lives outside time for him. One day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day for him. He lives outside time. God lives also in the eternal now because he's the great I am and God works in two time frames. One is the Kronos and the other is the Kairos time. Okay. So the Kronos time we explained this to you when we were studying fulfilling God's purpose for our life is the Kronos time is a chronological time. It's, you know, duration or the length of time, the passage of time that God takes to unfold things in our life. So it can be a time of preparation. It can be a time of renewing. It can time of building us up and, you know, preparing us, strengthening us for the Kairos moment when he can launch us out into his plan and purpose for us. Now God works in Kronos and Kairos time. So one example which we already I mentioned to you is in Genesis chapter three verse 15, where we see that, you know, in the Garden of Eden, God says the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. Okay. So that is what he was revealing at that moment, but it took 4000 years for the Kairos moment when Jesus came into this world. And in the fullness of time, God sent his son. We read this in Galatians chapter four verse four. And at that Kairos moment we see that, you know, God defeated or Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. He crushed the head of the serpent, which means he removed, disarmed him of every authority and power. And so it took 4000 years from the time that God had spoken it to the time of its fulfillment. Okay. So the fullness of time God sent his son. So we also see this in, you know, in the life of Abraham, Moses, people of Israel, God told Abraham for 400 years, your descendants will be as slaves in an unknown country. And I will deliver them. So the 400 years was a Kronos time. And, you know, the period when he raised up Moses and he sent him and he delivered his people was the Kairos moment. Okay. So God's ways are very important to know what God is doing when he's doing things, what he wants us to do. And it's important that, you know, we receive guidance to know when is the Kairos time, sorry, when is the Kronos time and when is the Kairos time. So for example, God is asking you to do something. No, maybe he's saying he wants you to go into full time ministry or he's saying he wants you to, you know, join, go move to another place or, you know, he's telling you to start a business or whatever. Now for Abraham, God told him leave your father's household and go. He did that the very next day. So it may be a day, a few hours between the Kronos and the Kairos moment. But for us, it can take a lot of time. Like we studied, you know, God's preparation process in the life of David, in the life of Paul, in the life of Moses. You know, so long, even for Jesus to 30 years from the time he was born to when he launched out into ministry. So it's important for us to know and to discern. So if God is telling you to do something, doesn't mean, you know, the very next day you jump into it, but maybe he's taking you to, he's revealed it to you so that he can prepare you. You can plan, you know, you can get yourself ready for the Kairos moment when he knows is the right opportune time for you to launch out to do what he has envisioned for you called you to do or he's put into your hearts. Okay. So we, like I also mentioned from bus chronicles chapter 12 verse 32, the sons of Isikhar, you know, they understood the times and the seasons they knew what Israel had to do at that specific time and season. Okay. And why is it important for us to know what is the right time and moment because, like we read, you know, in Ecclesiastes chapter three was one to everything that is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Also, we read in Ecclesiastes chapter eight verses five and six. Well, it says in verse six, because for every matter, there is a time and judgment. Okay. So for everything, there is a right time and a right way to do it. So even if we do the right things in the wrong time, it will not be a blessing to us. We can get into trouble. It will not work for our benefit. So you can do the right thing that God wants you to do, but the wrong time, the wrong season, it's going to, you know, get you into trouble. It's not going to be a pleasure. It's not going to be a good journey. It's going to cause a lot of chaos and confusion. So it's important for you to do the right thing at the right time and not do the right thing at the wrong time. So example I gave you is, you know, when you're in school, you don't think of getting married, right? That's not the right time for you to get married. It's a time for you to study and there's a time for you to get married. Okay. So we need to look to God, not only for what he would want us to do, not just ask God, God, what is your plan and purpose for my life, but also when he wants us to do what he wants us to do or when is the right time to launch out to do what he has called us to do. And in the meantime, we need to prepare ourselves and wait so that we can, when we are ready, God will launch us into the kairos moment and we can step into it and then we can see how God orchestrates things for our lives. Okay. Now there are many ways that God reveals to us the right time. One way is through his word, also through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, also through understanding and recognizing the circumstances, the way that he's orchestrating things in life, the way he's moving things in your life, also yes, through prophetic word, but finally these three main things. So word in a witness of the Holy Spirit, the voice of the Holy Spirit and also recognizing the circumstances, the signs of the times, how God is orchestrating, moving you, how he's bringing things into alignment, into place and you know, yes, this is the right moment. You can feel that assurance that inner witness in your heart. Okay. So there is a good example here that you can, you know, read through and understand. I've already explained and given you these examples and also passed the shares, two of his life examples where you can understand the times and seasons and how God works and brings it about in your life. But just before we end this chapter, we look at, you know, how Jesus himself walked in step and in time with the Father. We see that in several instances, you know, when Jesus was paying attention to the Father's timing and if Jesus paid attention to the Father's timing, how much more should you and I also pay attention to the Father's timing? Now in John chapter two, verse four, we see that, you know, his mother tells him in the wedding that they had gone, you know, that they had run out of wine and he asked him to do something about it. And Jesus tells his mother that, you know, art has not yet come, which means he says, you know, I haven't yet received word from my father whether I have to launch out into doing my, starting out my ministry or to do this miracle. But later on, maybe he would have asked the father, father would have told him to, you know, launch out to step out and he turned the water into wine. We look at John chapter seven, you know, when Jesus was, you know, Jesus said to them, my time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. You go up to the feast to Jerusalem. I'm not yet going to feast. My time has not fully come. Another example is, you know, in John chapter 11, when he hears news that Lazarus is very sick and almost dying, you know, he stayed on two more days and then he goes on to Bethany. But by then, you know, Lazarus is already dead, but Jesus knew that it was not the time for him to go as soon as he heard the word because, you know, he knew that through this raising up of Lazarus from the dead is going to, you know, bring glory to God. Okay, so Jesus, God is going to be glorified in and through this miracle. In going to the cross, John chapter 12, verses 23 and 27, Jesus tells his disciple, my hour has come, the son of man should be glorified. But he tells his father that, you know, his soul is so troubled, save him from this hour. But, you know, he says, yet my will not, that your will be done and not my will. And he says, for this purpose, I came into this hour, so let your, you know, will be fulfilled. And if this is the right time, I'm willing to step in to do your will. Okay, we also see that when Jesus was preaching and teaching and bringing out truths and revelation to his disciples, he tells them, you know, that he has told them certain things. And, and he had not mentioned to them these things when he was from the very beginning with them, because he knew that it was not the right time when God the Father wanted him to bring about these truths or revelations to them. But this is the time when he has to tell them or reveal to them these truths or to these, or this truth or this revelation to them. In John chapter 16, Jesus says, you know, I've spoken to you in figurative language, which means I've spoken to you in parables, but he's saying there's a time coming, you know, when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language or in parables, but I will tell you plainly about the Father, I will just reveal the truth directly and plainly to you. And lastly, you know, even the end of his life, and he was drawing near to the time when he had to fulfill the plan and the purpose for which God sent him to this earth. We see that, you know, he says in John chapter 16 that the hour is coming and has now come, you know, when he will have to fulfill what God has sent him or the assignment of the plan and the purpose that God has sent him on this earth. And he says, I'm not alone because the Father is with me. Okay. And John chapter 17, Jesus spoke these words. He lifted up his eyes to heaven said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you. Okay. So John chapter 17 is a high priestly prayer. So he says he recognizes that it's a time for him now, you know, to fulfill the Cairo's moment has come to do what God has assigned to him to do fulfill his will and to glorify the Father. Okay. So even as we ask God for what is his plan and purpose for our lives, it's also important to ask God, is this the correct time and the season to do this? Okay. So even as you inquire of God and say, God, what is your plan and purpose for my life in this specific areas also is important for us to, you know, ask God, is this the correct time and this is the right season for me to do it. Okay. So even as God leads us and guides us, he reveals his plan and purpose for us. It does not mean that we just jump and do it the very next day. You know, maybe sometimes yes, sometimes we need to wait for a month or a year or a couple of years. And but we need to know what is the right time and season that God wants us to do what he has asked us to do. Okay. Any questions on this chapter? Any questions? Are all of you with me here in class? It becomes suddenly very quiet. Okay. Okay. Thank you. So just as we, you know, need to discern and understand the times and seasons, it's also important for us to discern the circumstances and, you know, the way that God is orchestrating things in our lives. Okay. So let's read for 2 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 9, please. Can somebody read that? 2 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 9, for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. Amen. So here we read that God exerts his power on our behalf and one of that is when he orchestrates circumstances and life situations, which he brings about in our lives, this could be those of opportunity, it could be favor, it could be access to people, it could be contracts. And when God does it, you know, no one can prevent him or stop him. And that is why we read that, you know, he will do what no year has heard or, you know, what I have seen or what people can perceive or imagine. Such things he can do, he can orchestrate things in our life for our benefit for our good. Okay. So we need to be attentive to God's divine orchestration, what he is orchestrating in our lives, life situations, and it's important for us to respond correctly. Okay. So for example, if you're praying for your professional career and asking God for directions, then you just don't sit down there and, you know, you're not your, you need to be active. You can't just be passive and just wait for endless confirmations, but you need to do your part. You trust that God will order your steps into the right job and, you know, put you in a job where it will position you for growth and for increase. So you have to apply for the right jobs. You need to go for the interviews. And then just imagine you receive just one job offer and, you know, it's a great opportunity and it's something that fits your skill sets, your capabilities, and also the same time you're listening for confirmation. Okay. One of the confirmation is God's Word. God's Word can speak powerfully regarding our jobs, our, you know, careers, where we need to go, what we need to do. Also, through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, you can clearly discern. Also, God can give you a dream, whether to take it up or not take it up, you know, peace and joy or restlessness or, you know, and, you know, God is telling you to stop, wait and not take it up. So unless there is a definite reason why you are not supposed to take this job up, but if everything is working, it means that just God has orchestrating events and things and situations. And, you know, you can step into it and you can, God has brought about everything together so beautifully so you can go ahead and, you know, you can take on this job. But even as we do that, we need to stay mindful of factors that work in life situations. A very important factor to keep in mind is that not everything that happens is, or every circumstances or situation that happens is God's move, is God's divine orchestration, or is God's work. Now, sometimes we can hear people's, you know, here say, you know, God is in control. If it is God's will, it'll happen. Otherwise, you know, I will just let it be. So, you know, people make these kind of statements and what they mean is that whatever happens in our life situations is from God. So, you know, I don't have to do anything. I don't have to think about it. I don't have to ask God. I don't have to pursue it. You know, and that's not true because we've been learning that we, you know, we need to discern whether it is from God, not from God, whether it's our own will, whether it's right, whether it's wrong. And there is, you know, even a devil at work hindering us opposing the, and opposing the purposes of God and causing disturbances. And the word of God says that we need to resist the devil. We need to overcome the world. And if there are storms in our life, if there are hurdles, hindrances, blocks that are there, we need to use our God given authority. We need to speak to the storm. We need to ask the mountains to move and, you know, and we need to exercise our authority because sometimes the storms and mountains, you know, shouldn't be accepted as hindrances from God himself. You know, it cannot be from God. It can be from Satan. It can be through people. You know, it can be people who are interfering, putting those hindrances. So what do we need to do? We need to exercise our authority. We need to discern, you know, we need to speak to those mountains, to those storms, and ask them to move and, you know, bind the work of the enemy and do what we need to do. And not just accept everything as God's will and say that God is going to fight our battle. He does fight our battle, but He has given us the weapons for warfare that we need to use, that we need to fight. And He aids us, He strengthens us, and He gives us the wisdom to know which, you know, weapon to use. Like we studied just in that verse, you know, through Godly counsel, we receive the weapons so that we know which weapon to use and we can gain our victory. Okay. Sometimes our hindrances can be our own faith where we need to activate the seeds of faith. We need to believe and trust in God. Sometimes it's other people who are trying to bring hindrance. Sometimes it's our own wrong choices and decisions, you know, and God's word says we reap what we sow. Okay. So we will face consequences for our choices and actions. And at those times for our wrong actions and choices, we can't blame God or the devil or other people. We need to take responsibility. So at those times what do we do? We realign ourselves to God's ways, His will, ask Him for forgiveness, realign ourselves, and God will direct us, He will lead us, and He will orchestrate situations for our lives. Okay. So sometimes, you know, people say, hey, can we throw a fleece and ask God, you know, whether I should be doing this or not be doing it. You know, for example, they give the example of Gideon in Judges chapter 6, verses 36 to 40. We read that, you know, God raises up Gideon to go and fight the enemies that are troubling Israel. And so Gideon is not very sure. And he says, God, if you save Israel by my hand, then I want you to, you know, I'm going to put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. And if the next day that is due only on the fleece of wool and not on the ground around it, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand just like you have said. So the next day when he goes, he finds the dew and he's, you know, he kind of squeezes it, squeezes the fleece and water, you know, comes out, a bowl full of water comes out from the fleece. But the area surrounding it was dry. But he wants more confirmation. So he says, God, the next day, the next morning, there should be dew on the ground around but not on the fleece and it happens just the same way. So people say, Hey, we can also ask God for fleece because people did that in the Old Testament. But, you know, for us as New Testament believers, we don't need to ask God for fleece because he has already given us the Word of God. He's already given us the Holy Spirit, the inner witness, the Holy Spirit, the voice of the Holy Spirit. Now, in the Old Testament times, they did not have access to the Torah. Not everyone had access to the Torah through the Word of God. They didn't have the Word of God in print like we have access to. They didn't have, you know, the Holy Spirit to lead them and to guide them. So as New Testament believers, God has called us to be instructed by his Word. We read this in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. You know, God's Word instructs us, trains us in righteousness and holiness. And also, you know, those who are led by the Spirit are children of God. We read this in Romans chapter 8 verse 14. So we must not disregard these and try to use fleeces, you know, because sometimes when we try to use these fleeces, we can also be fleeced. So we need to watch out. We can also be cheated or tricked because Satan can use this to cheat us and trick us. Some of us can give this example saying, what about casting lots? In the early church, the apostles after Jesus' ascension, they wanted to find a man who would take the place of Judas Iscariot. So, you know, they cast lots for two men and the Lord fell on Matthias and he was included as one of the 12 apostles. Now we need to keep in mind that, you know, the apostles cast lots to find out who can fill in the place of Judas Iscariot because they were not yet familiar with the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. They were not yet baptized in the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost had not yet come. But we see that after they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the disciples on two occasions, when they had to make important decisions, they did not cast lots. For example, in Acts chapter 13, we read that, you know, the disciples, you know, had fasted and prayed. And after that, you know, they together in unity, you know, separated Barnabas and Paul for the work for which God had called them to. So they did not cast lots and they did not choose whether Barnabas and Saul should be separated for the work of the ministry. But they were just fasting and praying. And I think when they were fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit would have confirmed it in each one of their hearts. Hey, set up side or set apart Paul, Saul and Barnabas for the work of the ministry. Another example we see is, you know, in the first council at Jerusalem, you know, all the disciples, apostles are gathered. And, you know, we see that Paul is making his thing known that, you know, why should Gentiles follow circumcision? Why should they follow the certain rituals and all of those things? It's not important for them. Once they have become believers, they are made righteous. The righteousness is not by keeping the circumcision rituals, the food laws or the Old Testament laws, they made righteous because of what Jesus had done on the cross. And then we see that they did not put lots or they did not take a vote. But it says that everyone, you know, just felt, yes, this is the right thing to do because it's a Holy Spirit. It says in Acts chapter 15 was 28, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. So the apostles together said, hey, it's good for the Holy Spirit. He's telling us it's good for us and, you know, not to burden the Gentiles with all of these things. It's just important that they follow the church order and not form any chaos. So the point we are making here is, you know, we do not use or cast lots to make important decisions just as a New Testament believers did not do it. And we are not supposed to put fleas or to cast any lots, but we need to depend on scripture. We need to depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit. And there are also secondary ways that we have learned, you know, and mentioned in this book how God leads us. And how we can test that with the Word of God and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. Okay, just a few things before we close or end, not every door, you know, every closed door is a no. Okay, we'll stop here. We'll continue in the next class. Sister, how do you cast down strongholds? What are scriptures to be quoted? Okay, can I can I give this? Can I post this on the stream page is to get through it because we're already running out of time and I have to go and take another class. And you'll also have to enter another class. You don't want to delay you so can I. Yeah, okay. Okay, thank you everyone for joining class. Just like I posted on the stream page, I will schedule your first assessment on fulfilling God's purpose for your life on Tuesday, October 17. I'll post it by latest by 6pm in the evening, and you all can submit your assessment on Thursday, October 19 by 6pm. Okay, all instructions everything will be given in the assessment so request you to please carefully read the guidelines and the guidelines for each question and it will be easy for you. Okay, thank you all for joining class. Have a blessed weekend. I'll meet you next week. Thank you.