 Welcome back. I'm just presenting the next slide. So we're going to look into the next chapter, the Renewed Mind. Chapter 11 in our books. So there's another way that we receive God's guidance in our life is through our Renewed Mind. So we must understand this that we know that natural mind cannot comprehend the things of God because a carnal mind, the mind that is ruled by a flesh is the enemy against God. We see that in Romans 8-7 that the desires of the flesh is the enemy of God. We are also aware that God's way and His thoughts are much higher than our ways and our thoughts. So to walk with God, we must not be ruled with natural senses or the carnal mind. The scripture teaches us to lean on God and His understanding. Lean on God and His understanding. Can one of us please turn to Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5-6 and read. Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. Then all our ways acknowledge Him that He may direct us. That He may direct us. Often we misunderstand this verse by stating that we should not understand that we use our understanding that this is not what God is teaching us here. We use our understanding and yet even as we do so, we rely on the trust and depend completely on the Lord to order our steps and establish our ways because God has created our mind and God has designed it and He has given us the intellectual abilities and God is instructing us to use our mind. But when we use our mind, we need to see that our mind is aligned with the will of God. Let's read Proverbs 4-26. Proverbs 4-26. Make level path for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Thank you. Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established. So we are to ponder our path. We need to know the path that we take. Is it sure? Is it correct? We need to plan it carefully. We need to do our homework to see is that right? Is that the will of God? Is that path correct? And then ensure to take that path so that we can be firm, secure and it can be established front of God. And God has also given us the mind that can instruct us on how to use it correctly. The problem with many of us is we consider our mind as an enemy based on the above us. But we need to use our mind in the way God teaches us. And the mind so that it can help us to receive God's direction in our life situation because our God want us to use our mind. If some of us are having our own battle but that's when we take godly counsel. When we are not able to make decision for ourselves. But then when things are clear, when things are moving fine, we need to depend on the word of God and renew our mind. Renew our mind and train our mind to accept the will of God. It is a process. It may not be initially it may not be exactly every thought that we have, every idea that we have is aligned with God. But then as you journey in God, as you journey to please Him in all your ways, as you study the word, you will start training your mind. You will start renewing the mind each of us. We will start renewing our mind to the word of God so that the idea, the plan that we have, we will know for sure this is good for us. This is from God or this is not from God. I need to check. I need to reason. Is this right or not? Let's read Romans chapter 12 verse 1 to 2. Romans chapter 12 verse 1 to 2. Can one of us please read? Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2. I beseed you. Sorry. You can read the words, the scripture that is appearing on your screen. Okay. I beseed you, therefore, burdened by the masses of God, as you present your body in living sacrifice, only acceptable to God. Wish is your reasonable service and to do not be conformed to this word, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is right, what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Amen. Thank you. So as believers we must not discard the use of our mind. Instead we need to renew our mind and use it as God intends us to do. One of the benefit of using our renewed mind is that to recognize is this God's will. We renew and train our mind to think what is aligned. You know, is it aligned to God's way and His thoughts? A mind has been continuous. When we try to continuously align our mind to the ways of God, you see eventually later part in our life, we will be able to discern what is right from wrong, what is good, what is acceptable, what is perfect according to the will of God. So it is a process that we need to train our mind. We need to renew our mind and train as per the will of God so that it becomes a practice for us to reason out and to know to discern so that our mind can discern is this right or wrong. For example if you're in the initial days, in the initial days we used to have this typewriting classes I used to go and we used to for each finger there is a certain word that we need to press on. You can't just say A, B, C, D. It doesn't go that way in the typing class, the keyboard typing. When I say keyboard the computer typing. So it goes like this A, S, D, F. A, S, D, F. And then in your right hand it says semicolon L, K, J. So initially when I went to the class I need to look at the letters. I need to look at the letters and type. Sometimes the keyboard used to be so hard you know I need to take the help of my right hand to press the left hand and I thought oh it's so very difficult I just cannot do it. But then continuously training my senses to recognize the letters as per my finger. So today I don't have to look at the keyboard of my laptop or computer I don't have to look at it. Automatically if I have to type a sentence my fingers are trained to move to each letter. A to Z numbers it is automatically trained. So if I have to type and or if I have to say renewed mind my finger exactly goes this is R in this finger, the index finger goes to R, E, N, it goes each finger goes automatically to that particular letter and I don't have to look at the keyboard to type that letter. It goes automatically because I've got my senses trained, I've got my mind renewed. No more I would be going across where is A, it has to go like this A, B, C, D, no. It goes with the sentence and each and every finger has been trained the same with the music chords. You know C, A, D, F, G, whatever chords we have to play automatically a finger goes accordingly on the keyboard and maybe initially when we are getting it trained we actually see the keys and play. The more we practice the more we practice our senses are getting tuned so that we don't look at the keys to press to get that tune but then without seeing we can get the tune and much faster, much smoother the transition is much better. So what was renewed? There was a process, there was a training, training our senses, our fingers, the same way and then our mind has been renewed in the same way even in our life applying God's word into our life getting ourselves tuned to God's will, God's plan, his thoughts is a process. Initial walk of our days may be little difficult to get this carnal mind renewed into what God wants us to do. There's a chat, I'll just check. Thanks Sid, yeah. So I know if someone posts a question we don't get to see it because maybe because I'm projecting the slide. So we need to get our mind tuned to that. As Sid said, practice makes man perfect. We need to practice, we need to do this. So when we renew our mind with this renewable mind to make a decision at the later walk with the Lord becomes much easier. It helps us to discern the right from the wrong. Can one of us please read Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12 to 14. I know verse 14 is there but I would recommend to read 12 to 14. Hebrews chapter 5 verses 12 In fact, though by his time you out to be teachers, you need someone to teach you elementary truths of God. Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk being still an infant is not equated with the teaching about righteousness. 14. But solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Yes, thank you. But the solid food belongs to those who are full age that is those who reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So as we mature and stay in God's word our senses are been exercised, are been trained to discern what is right from wrong. Why? Because we are constantly aligning ourselves to the word of God. We have been discerning, we are checking the word. Is our thoughts, our ways, our plan, what we are planning. Is it going to the word of God? As we put this in practice in our life, we will see ourselves, you know, walking in the way of the Lord. The solid food refers to the strong meat of the word. And as we grow, mature in the Lord, we will see that we are dwelling on the word. We are putting the word of God in practice in our life. We are seeking the word for every situation in our life. And also God has given us the sense to discern what is right from wrong. So that we are training ourselves to be tuned to God's word, to God's will and His plan in our life. And we see ourselves walking in that manner. It's like training ourselves to feed from milk to the solid food. Can one of us turn to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 8 to 10 and then 17. Ephesians chapter 5 8 to 10. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the food of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. And verses 17 is it? Yes please. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. So as children of light, we live our lives finding out what is God's way, what is acceptable to the Lord. And we process it. We find out what is acceptable, what is pleasing to God. The acceptable in Greek is urestos, meaning what is fully agreeable and well pleasing to the Lord. So as believers we are encouraged to be on this kind of life where we discover God's will. We seek, we go after seeking God's will so that we can agree and we can agree and for sure decide this is God's will and it is well pleasing to God. And we also see in verse 17 that we are instructed not to be unwise. What is unwise? The Greek word definition for unwise meaning, apro means unwise without reason, senseless, without even thinking like is it God's will? Can we do this? Is it aligned with God's word? We the children of God should not be like that. We need to be wise enough. We need to be understanding so that we can put together the plan, the thoughts that God has given us in our mind. And when we search in the word, is it aligned with God and we can put things together. This teaches us that we do not go away with our own thoughts in our mind, but we understand God's will and receive God's guidance to step into what God has in store for each of us. Sometime back when I was, you know, when when I quit when I quit my job to join the Bible college, you know, it was yes, initially it was very difficult because I had some commitments to pay off financially and I was not working so I had to face the reality that I need to work. My dad was supporting me for certain extent, but I thought that I should be self-dependent. So during the course of time I lost my dad, but I didn't stop the course. I continued the course, but then I thought I need to start a business so that I will continue my studies at the same time. You know, I can do business and also continue to serve God. This is what I thought and I also put this across to my family. My family was pleased with that decision and within a week many, many, you know, many of his many from the family and even from the business sector people came forward to help me. Though I didn't have enough of finance to put in forth, but people came forward saying, I will fund. You know, I will fund for this business and you don't have to return to me immediately. You can take your time and return to me. And they said I will fund without any interest. And you know even in the family members came and said you may not be able to do this alone and I can be of help to you. So I felt like, okay, this is God's will. That's why things are falling in place. And even the place to keep the business, the shop, okay, there was a new business centre was launched in Bangalore city in two places in Bangalore city which they were trying to promote this place for business. I mean the government of Karnataka in Bangalore was trying to promote this place for business and when I approached them, they said as you're just the beginner, I will not even take an advance from you. All you have to do is just sign this agreement and just pay the rent and take up, start your business. So everything came in place. I felt this is God's will. And we are going to launch this business on Monday and I'm going to speak to all the vendors and you know sign some contract and papers on Friday. So sign some papers on Friday. So for example on Thursday night I'm sitting and praying. As I was praying, I get this vision. I get this vision and I sense that God is not happy with this business. He's against me doing this. I don't see a very happy face. Something very different. I just saw like, you know, Jesus coming on the horse and not standing with me but he's standing opposite against me, front of that place. And he was not happy. He was not happy. And I was so disturbed after seeing this vision. I was so disturbed. There was no peace in my heart. I sensed and I also got a word. I'm not able to recollect it now. I also got a word saying that enemy has planned this to put me down, to get me trapped. This was the vision that I got from the book of Matthew. And very clearly it was, you know, I saw this vision that Jesus is not happy and I got this word that enemy's plan to put me and get me into the trap. Though everything was in my favor but when I prayed I didn't have peace and I saw this vision and immediately immediately it was night around 12, 13 or 1. I sent a message to everyone that we're not going to process this. I'm going to put a stop. I'm not going to do this. We're not going to discuss on this anymore. I stopped it. I didn't receive any funds from anyone nor I gave any funds to anyone. The business just stopped. I didn't realize, I didn't even question God. Is this right? I didn't even ask anyone. I sensed this is not right from God and I stopped everything. Just down the line. I continued with my studies. I said, Lord, you will be my provider. You will take care of take care of all my commitments because trusting you is what I stepped out and I continued the college and three months down the line government that started this project in two places in Bangalore was utter flop. None of the business that each one started in this business center worked well and whoever have put in their money in that business have gone under loss. They will not be getting any refund. I literally praised and thank God for saving me from this big trap of the enemy that was laid ahead. We need to see God when we train ourselves to listen to God when we try to reason our own thoughts, our very own actions and God guides us in the way that we may not understand. We may not comprehend but God's ways and his thoughts are much higher than our thoughts and our ways and today I don't even reason out only if it is God's will I'm going to say yes. If it is no, I'm going to happily say no. There's no more heart feeling there's no more thinking that oh I missed a big opportunity. No. Because God's ways and his thoughts are different. It's a much higher than what I could think or imagine. So God wants us to live a life that is renewed where we can make decision from that renewed mind and receive the guidance from renewed mind before when I received the Godly Council when the Godly person said no Dinah that is not the right thing to do. It was very difficult for me to receive that advice and put it into action. It was very hard. In fact I was praying for two weeks I said Lord please give me the heart and give me the grace to receive this Council. But later when I trained myself when I got my mind renewed in the word of God and now it is very easy for me to take the Council from God from the Godly Councilors or from the word when things are different from what I desired or what I've planned because now the renewed mind is willing to accept God's plan God's way believing in all believing in all heart saying that God's ways and his thoughts are much higher, much better than what I could think of. So the renewed mind goes beyond our natural mind goes beyond our natural mind because through the renewed mind we can get our thoughts and our ways aligned to what God wants us to do there are times you know God guides us in different path initially it may be difficult we may not understand why am I going through this difficult season in my life though I have accepted God's plan and I'm serving him God said he will provide yes God said he will provide he has met all our needs but God didn't say we meet your wants but then one thing we need to remember when we humble ourselves and trust God with all heart and walk in his ways God definitely provides us as per Ephesians 3 20 exceedingly abundantly above and beyond that we could think imagine or ask for but then at the same time is training our thoughts is renewing our mind he wants us to depend on him completely without any expectation he wants us to take us beyond our natural mind and depend on God for his supernatural providence you know with our renewed mind when you trust God for his providence just like how God you know provided for the 5000 people with you know only 5 loaves of bread and fishes he could feed 5000 how much more he can do for you and me one thing comes to my mind very often is that I'm precious than the birds of the air if God can provide the birds of the air and meet their need same God can you know provide me and meet every need of each of us in our class yes our needs may be different some of us it can be material need but for some of us the spiritual need which we are discerning and yearning God I need more of you and not satisfied with the place where I am I need more of your wisdom your knowledge your understanding I need more of you with that renewed mind when we seek God a God is a God who blesses us abundantly that's what we read in James 1 5 if you are asking for wisdom I shall give you abundance because the spirit of God is in us and he will teach us he will increase us in wisdom knowledge and understanding it can be anything that each of us may be desiring for desiring for the spiritual gifts for the fruit of the spirit to be activated in us whatever you are desiring whatever may be your need and your want bring it to the Lord and God knows in the right time in the right season to get that activated in us okay so with this we will move on to the next lesson and we just present that times and seasons so we covered angels we covered godly council we covered the renewed mind now we will study on times and seasons the primary way the word we saw how the word of God ministered to us and the inner spirit of the Holy Spirit the voice of the Holy Spirit ministering to each of us the times and season can one of us please turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 1 and then Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 1 and 11 to everything there is a season it's time for every purpose under heaven we have made everything difficult in each time so everything there is a season a time for every purpose under heaven the wise he gives wisdom sorry a time for every purpose under heaven and he has made everything beautiful in his time very important and so Daniel to 21 and he changes the times and the seasons he removes kings and raises up kings he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding so our god is a god of plan he is a god of order and he is a god of design god does not work arbitrarily or randomly in our life but then he works with a plan he unfolds his plan step by step in the appointed time when we look back in our life we see how god heard it there was a design there was a plan it just didn't randomly happen that you are not randomly your part of a bible college but it is a plan of god that each shows each one of us there is a calling there is a much bigger plan that each of us may not understand completely but then when we trust god and walk in this path step by step as he unfolds it but we will see the bigger picture later in our life when we look back so when we trust god with the past our present and future we see his plan in our life he is a great god that he is bringing his plan his purpose been fulfilled in our life and we need to cooperate with god to bring out his plan only god cannot do greater things in our life he can do greater things in our life when we cooperate with god because our god gives us the free will so we need to allow god to work in our life so that in the right time and in the right season god can work in and through us he unfolds things according to the kairos time which is the right time the best moment in our life god often speaks to us about things in our life before in hand before because that is our god prepares us in time just the way god promised Abraham and we see whatever god promised in his life he brought it to pass in the coming years it didn't happen like I promised you now immediately it happened the same way we saw in the life of Joseph have god promised that Joseph will be the head and we see Joseph went through a process and then in right time in the in the kairos time it was fulfilled we see in the life of David Samuel anointed David to be the king but it took certain years for him to become a king so there's a kairos time same with Jesus same with god himself god took four thousand years from the time that he created Adam and Eve to bring Jesus to redeem his children back to himself so there is a kairos time the fullness of time we need to wait for that kairos moment in our life we see god working similar instances in our life when the chronos has to run its full course that is the process so that in the kairos time whatever god has decided will come to pass we see in the scripture time and again 400 years when the Israelite was in slave in Egypt it was the chronos and in the right time in the kairos time god brought Moses to deliver the Egyptians sorry to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians so we need to wait for that right moment we should not hurry the process but when we wait on god's time when we inquire with god just like how David did you know we studied yesterday David inquired of the lord after Saul's death should I go to Judah then god guided him yes go to Judah go to Ebron exactly the place where he has to go so that whatever god has promised can come to pass so the chronos is David inquired he put it in process and as god led him he went to Ebron and then the kairos time happened people of Judah came and made them appointed him as a king of Judah god wants us to be a discerning people a people who understands the times and seasons from his perspective and then act accordingly as per what the lord is leading us and we turn to first chronicles chapter 12 verse 32 please can one of us read first chronicles chapter 12 verses 32 of the sons of Escher who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do their chiefs were 200 and their brethren were at their command so just like the son of Escher we need to understand the times and seasons and also in the book of Ecclesiastus chapter 8 verse 5 to 6 for time being you know we are running out of time I'll just read Evo keeps Evo keeps Evo keeps Evo keeps this king's command will experience nothing harmful and a wise man's heart discerns both the time and judgment because for every matter there is a time and judgment though the mystery of a man increases greatly think about what the scripture states here wise people know the right time to do the right things there is a right time and there's a right way to do even if you're doing the right thing in the wrong time it may get us into trouble for example marriage marriage is a good thing it is designed and ordained by God but it cannot happen a young person or a school or college going guy cannot go up to his parents and say that I've met so and so person I'm in love and I feel this is the right person for me and I want to get married at that very young age at the age of 17 is not the right age for a young guy to be married well yes marriage is God's plan maybe the person whom he has chosen is from a very good family and the right person but that's not the right time though it is a right thing but it's not the right time to wait you need to get well educated get the right kind of job be self dependent and then when he establishes himself professionally personally financially then you need to step into marriage so that marriage that life will be a blessing so as we journey through life and see God's guidance we must keep this in mind that God wants us to walk with an understanding at his time and a season for our life so we must continuously be in look to God God is this the right thing for me to do not only in what we want us to what he wants us to do but also when he would want us to do something we must prepare our self wait for the right opportunity right time to step into what God wants us to do because there is a way there is you know there are steps that God wants us to take in our life we need to be dependent on God sometimes things may be pleasing but when we depend on God God reveals things in the right time to us and this may come through different ways to us through the word through the inner witness through the inner voice of the Holy Spirit or through the Godly Council different ways God can speak to us instruct us and lead us or just the inner witness you know you have been disturbed or you are having a complete peace in stepping into doing what God wants you to do in that season sometime back you know there was an opportunity for my husband in the church you know he happened to lead a worship on Sunday and on the same day there was there was a ministry who came from US to share about the Bible school in our church so they shared they opened it saying you know they opened it for our church members whoever is interested to join the Bible school they are willing and this is the course fee this many years they can stay they can learn everything was fine and that week happened like my husband to lead the worship and after the worship the head of this organization met up with him personally and they asked him if he may be interested to come and study in US and he said I need to think because I married and I have a son who is very young he was about maybe one and a half or two years I had my first son he was about one and a half or two years and they said nothing to worry we will provide you the accommodation we will take care of your fees we will sponsor the complete education and also we will give you a place to stay for free the offer was very attractive the offer was very good but somewhere within my husband he didn't have peace he told him I will get back but then he came he prayed he didn't have peace it was not aligned to what God has called him they put back to him and he refused that offer he said no right now I think I need to be here I know the offer was very attractive it was good it was to study the word it was no way deviating it is again the ministry he is serving here you can also go there study and serve there but then is it aligned to what God has called us to do we need to check that when we check and God speaks to each of us in different ways for him he didn't have this inner witness inner peace he was troubled within him saying this is not for him or this is not the right time and season for him to move he gave up that offer and he was in much peace we also see in the word that Jesus walked in step and in time with the father Jesus walked in step and in the time with the father and this helps us understand the importance of times and season because in many instance we see how Jesus you know awaited and dependent on his father in launching off his miracle ministry he waited for the right time he didn't get into you know okay God is called father sent me to do as well and I need to do it no he waited for every season in his life in John 2 4 we see that Jesus said when they went to the wedding of there the wine was run in there was a shortage of wine and when his mother asked him he said women what does your concern have to do with me my eyes not yet come I'm waiting for the right time when the right time came sorry that was John 7 6 to 8 and in the right time you know he multiplied the water into wine and same with the raising of Lazarus and same with the going to the cross many time you know Jesus faced persecution he can be arrested but then he waited for the right time when the right time came he said the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour we read that in John chapter 12 verse 27 Jesus speaking about the hour and the time that this is the time this is the hour so in bringing the truth and the revelation to his disciples we see in John 16 4 25 the right time he reveals it to them and in John 16 and John 17 we see that in knowing the time of his crucification and glorification how Jesus spoke to them to the disciples and letting them know this is the right time so any situation in our life that we are facing we need to seek is this the right time this is the right time so I leave this with a pondering question in our mind what does you know understanding the times and season help us to receive and God's guidance in our life and in every step we need to ask God seek him to guide us and seek for his time and this season is this the right time for us to step into it okay when we seek God will reveal his plan to us and he will guide us okay let's pray dear heavenly Father we thank you and we praise you for this wonderful time that you have given us we surrender each one of us in your hand we pray that you will orchestrate our way every step Lord you will guide us Lord and in the right season in the right time and in the right season you will help us to step into the right place at the right time and may your will be done in each of us in our lives we surrender ourselves into your hands we pray that you will guide us and lead us and we will also accept your plan your will be the renewed mind and apply it in our life so that every step that we take pleases you Lord thank you Father for guiding us and strengthening us in Jesus most precious name we pray amen thank you so much for joining in today's session God bless thank you God bless