 Check. Welcome back up to break. So before the break, we were looking at how to recognize God's leading even as the Holy Spirit, you know, teaches us or guides us in the plan of God. So we're basically looking at the fifth one, the fifth guide post recognize the leading of God's spirit and the Holy Spirit, you know, bears witness in our spirit. That's what we looked at in Romans chapter six was 16. The Holy Spirit bears witness in our spirit man, which means the Holy Spirit teaches us guides us speaks to us. He testifies what the truth is. He leads us or guides us in the plan and purposes of God. And where does he do all this in our spirit? Okay. John chapter 16 versus 13 to 15. You know, can somebody read that. Thank you. So here Jesus is revealing what the Holy Spirit is going to do when the Holy Spirit comes in John chapter 16 was 13 to 15. It says here whatever the, you know, you know, says whatever. Where is that? Yeah, whatever he hears. Okay, the latter half of verse 13 says whatever he hears, he will speak. So who is the referring to as a he here, whatever he speaks. Okay, whatever he hears, he will speak. So whatever he hears, he will speak is whatever the Holy Spirit hears, he will speak. So who is the Holy Spirit going to hear from? Okay, from God. Okay, or Jesus. Okay, whatever he hears from Jesus, he's going to speak to whom? He's going to speak to us. He's going to reveal it to us. He's going to reveal it to you and me. So even as God speaks his plans and purposes for your life for the next season of your life. Okay, the Holy Spirit will reveal it to each one of us. Okay. And it also says here that he will tell you things to come. That means the Holy Spirit reveals not only what God's plan and purpose is for your life, what he wants you to do through that plan and purpose for a specific season, but he will also reveal it. What is going to happen in the next season? Now, why is the Holy Spirit revealed to us? What is going to happen in the next season? Why? To enable us to prepare. Thank you, Nina. So to enable us to prepare. Yes, sir. Karen. Okay, so Karen has a good question. It says, why does God reveal it through the Holy Spirit? Now, we understand God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit, Trinity. Okay, three in one, which means all have the same essence, the same character, the same attributes that make God God, each one of them are God, but they have different roles. Okay, but all of them are one. So it's the Holy Spirit's role to minister to each one of us. Okay, God the Father, sovereign authority, plans, executes, God the Son, the one who came down, brought salvation, made God manifest each one of us, initiated, revealed the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. He brought it here on earth. He was the perfect atonement sacrifice. He redeemed us from sin. And, you know, he purchased mankind back to the Son. He took back the keys, the authority from the devil. He's given it back to man. So now we have the dominion, the church has the authority, the keys of the kingdom of God here. Now he's gone back and he is doing the role of a, he's a great high priest in the seeding on behalf of us. So we can't, for our human minds, we think, okay, Holy Spirit is going to reveal it to us. Okay. When we want something, Jesus, okay, for sin salvation, want to know something about God's plan. Okay. You know, we think of God the Father, but God does not operate. He does not operate. Okay. Okay. Where is God the Son? Okay. You have to go do this. Okay. Where is the Holy Spirit? You know, they don't do that. Perfect unity and in oneness. So when there's a Holy Spirit revealing it to us, it's actually God the, what it's in the heart and mind of God, the Father, God the Son is with all three are one. Okay. Good question. Okay. We have a question. Okay. So the Holy Spirit will tell us things to come. He will show us ahead of things that are going to happen and he bears witness in our spirit. Okay. So I'll give you an example. So the Holy Spirit is bearing witness means what does it mean when it bears witnesses? You just feel in your heart that, you know, the next year, 2023, there's going to be a big change coming in your life when you're praying, you're just sensing that. Okay. You're just sensing it's an inner witness of the Holy Spirit. And then, you know, maybe you share it with your spouse or you share it with your family or you share it with your good friend. And you say, you know, when am I, and I have this strange feeling and inner witness of the Holy Spirit that in 2023, I'm just giving you an example. You know, there is going to some, some change that is going to happen in your, in my life. Okay. Now, you need to, when the Holy Spirit is bearing witness, you, you want more clarification. What is going to happen? So, you know, you know, you can ask God, God, what is it? Okay. What is this change that you're talking about? And the Holy Spirit can clarify, maybe you're getting a new job and in your new job, you know, it entitles you to travel more. Okay. So you're going to leave this job. You're going to get a new job and a new job entitles you to travel more. So when you're, when you're thinking, when the Holy Spirit reveals this to you, what are you going to do? You're beginning to think on those terms. You're beginning to plan. You're beginning to set things in your life because you're saying, okay, now the Holy Spirit is sending me when I'm getting a new job and I'm also going to travel. So maybe I need a travel bag. I need more clothes or I need to, you know, who'll take care of my pet when I'm not there or who'll take care of my family or, you know, you think you're already trying to make arrangements. And 2023 comes and you get a new job and your new boss calls you and he says, here's your ticket. You need to go to this place. You're traveling. You know, you have to start off the project there. And then you say, oh God, thank you. The Holy Spirit, thank you for revealing this to me ahead of time that I'm going to get a new job and I'm going to travel and I'm going to, you know, and I have already made arrangements. I'm not caught unaware. So when you have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is telling you something. Now, don't just keep it to yourself. Don't shelf it. Okay. When it comes, let me see why does the Holy Spirit reveal it to us so that we can ask the Holy Spirit for more clarification. So ask God, what are you telling me? What are you revealing to me? What's going to happen? What do you want me to do? And then you make the necessary plans and the necessary arrangements. And that also the Holy Spirit will help you to emotionally and to mentally to prepare your and physically to prepare yourself. Okay. And when it happens, you are ready. You thank God and say, wow, God, you know, you're so great. You revealed it to me and you're preparing it, preparing me for that. Okay. So you have to be listening to the Holy Spirit. So if you want to know God's plan and purpose for your life, it's important for you to listen to the Holy Spirit. Right. How do you know the Holy Spirit is talking to you? It's through practice. Now, if I blindfold all of you in class and if I bring Pastor Ashish here, none of you can see him because you all are blindfolded. But when you hear him speak, you can say that's Pastor Ashish because you've heard him speak a couple of times. If I bring Pastor Diana here, you will say it's Pastor Diana. If I bring Pastor Nancy, you will say it's Pastor Nancy. You don't even have to see. Okay. Why? Because you're so tuned to listening to their voices. Okay. So also you need to bear witness with the, you know, to bear witness the Holy Spirit to understand what the Holy Spirit is telling you. You need to tune in and you need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. Okay. Also you can say, you know, any season of your life, you can say, you know, Holy Spirit, what are you telling me about my life now? Okay. Now I'm in Bible college. Is everything okay in my life? Is there something you want me to change? Am I doing what you want me to do? Am I in the right place where you want me to be? Even as I'm in the Bible college, am I doing the right things? Is there some things in my life you want to reveal to show you want me to change in my life? And if the Holy Spirit is telling you, obey. You know, when you do that in little things, when it comes to greater decisions in your life, you can just say, Holy Spirit, tell me what you want me to do. Or I'm praying for this person. Show me what you want me to say to that person. Or I'm praying for this person. This person has come for a word of wisdom or knowledge. They're depending on me. Show me how do we, it doesn't just happen all of a sudden. It comes through practice. Just like, you know, through practice, you can say, okay, this is, this is the teacher who is teaching us, even though you're blindfolded because you have had the practice of listening to them. You need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And when he teaches you, guides you and leads you, you will know that this is the Holy Spirit. Okay. First quarantine, Chapter 2, verses 9 and 10. We've already read this verse before, I think in the first class. No, I have seen, no, hear, has heard, you know, now enter in the heart of man. The things God has prepared for those who love and God has prepared amazing things for us. Amazing plans, but who reveals it to us? It's the Holy Spirit who reveals it to us. So for us to know, hear it from the Holy Spirit, we have to tune into the Holy Spirit. We need to listen to him. And, you know, sometimes the leading of the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand. Right. It's not understandable. Like for example, John, Chapter 3, verse 8, when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus. He says, the wind blows where it wishes. You hear it sound, but you cannot tell where it's coming from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Okay. We can't explain the dynamics of the wind. The same way, also with the Holy Spirit. You know, you know the Holy Spirit is there, but you can't explain everything. You can't understand everything. Okay. You can't explain everything about him. What you need to do is you just need to, you know, believe and bear even as he bears witness in your inner spirit, you know, you just follow his theory. So for example, when I was in the 12th standard, you know, I was praying what God wanted me to do next and God called me to full-time ministry. So the Holy Spirit just leading me and telling me, come into full-time ministry. And, you know, I didn't want to go into full-time ministry. That was not what was my plan. I wanted to do. I want to become a cardiologist. I want to do something great in life, big in life. And for one week, I was going back and forth with God. God was saying Bible college. I was saying, I want to do this. I will also minister doing all of these things, but not Bible college. The end of one week, I said, okay, God, you know, I, but I didn't make that was not commitment that I will go to Bible college. Okay. Then, you know, I applied after I got my 12 results. I applied to me in one college. I got admission. It was quite shocking. My sister who was studying the same college, she's a topper in that college and she knows the principle very well. When then spoke, he said, no, my father tried all his, you know, high profile, you know, connects, nothing happened. And everybody is wondering why nothing is happening for this, you know, for her. And I was quite taken aback because I had to waste one year. I had to stay back at home. Just imagine staying back at home for one year is, you know, and everybody asking what you're doing, you're saying you're staying at home is quite shameful. And then I remember going to the restroom and crying and saying, God, you know, why did you do this to me? You know, and God is saying, remember, you said you're going to Bible college. It's like, oh my gosh, no way. I've already forgotten about it. So then I realized it's better to do what God wants me to do. And, you know, of course, I went to Bible college and, you know, it was to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. And once I did that, you know, the grace of God followed me, got provided for everything that I needed. Even to the extent of finances, you know, my father was rather upset that I was going to Bible college because the whole notion in my days in the 1990s when I went to Bible college was, you know, only those who are dropouts in school, they can't study, they'll go to Bible college. Life is easy out there. You don't have to do anything in Bible college. It's this whole, you know, roller coaster ride, very easy. And my father was thinking that I'm taking an easy route in life. I was taking an easy day in life. And that was not what I had planned. He didn't know that. I didn't want to argue with my parents, my father. So, you know, I said, OK, God, if you want me to go to Bible college, you take care. You know, so I had an organization here who said they'll pay half my fees. And I didn't know where the other rest of the half was coming. So it was almost about 80,000 way in the 90s, just quite a bit. And I went to Bible college first time I traveled in the train all by myself. Of course, another student from my church who came along with his father. I didn't have anybody along with him, your parents first time out of home, first time, you know, washing clothes has stacked everything and, you know, you know, washed everything. I couldn't move my hand there after washing my clothes because I've never had the practice. But all of this training, you know, you have the grace of God, but you have the calling, but it's all hard work, you know. And I didn't know where I'm going to get money for my toiletries to buy all my stuff. So I was working, studying and working in the Bible college. So working in the library or working in the store. We had a store in our Bible college doing something just to get some money to buy my toiletries, you know. And when I went in the first week, you know, in the Bible college, I got a letter from this organization. They said they'll pay me half the money, but I'll have to serve them for seven, six years. Because I studied in Bible college for six years. I have to serve them for six years. And I felt that they were cheating me because initially when I went to Bible college, they did not tell me this clause. And then when I just said, you know, God, what do I do? You know, what do I do now? I don't know what to do. First of all, they are not paying me full. Then I have to, you know, give them seven years and I don't want to work there because I don't know what my calling is. And the Holy Spirit was saying, I will take care. See, so I just wrote and told them I'm not interested in the money. I didn't know where I'm going to get my fees from every, you know, you know, period of time to the first year. I used to get these reminders from Bible college saying that, you know, you have to pay up your fees, you have to pay up your fees. Finally, it is to come to March. If you don't pay up your fees, you won't be writing your exam. And I said, God, hands up. I don't know where I'm going to get the money from. I can't ask that. I can't go back home because I made this choice. You have to come here. You have to take care. And, you know, I just pray and the Holy Spirit is saying, you know, I will provide. I just depend on that. And then those reminders stopped. I know that my fees was paid and, you know, God just amazingly took care of that. I don't know who paid it. I just know God took care of it. And I'm 100% sure it was not my dad who was secretly paying because the end of it, he asked me, how did you manage him? He came for my graduation. He realized the whole thing that is not an easy right. You have to manage everything. And then I said it was God. And that's when he realized that it was truly God who called me. And now he's the one who supports me more than anyone else. Of course, I learned my faith and my spiritual work for my dad. And he supports me now in ministry. But it was not the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't have survived in Bible college. I wouldn't have survived in life. I wouldn't have because I was not here. I was not there. You know, so it's important for us to spend time listening to the Holy Spirit. How does the Holy Spirit speaks to us? The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our inner witness in our spirit man. He tells us what is right and wrong in our spirit man. Okay. Sometimes we don't get a witness when we ask God, God, what do I do now? Okay. I'm this stage of my life. What do I do now? Sometimes when you don't hear anything from the Holy Spirit, it means God is telling you just stay where you are. Be faithful, hard, you know, work hard, be committed. When it's the next season to move, I will tell you. So when you don't hear anything from the Holy Spirit, don't think that God is not answering you. It's just God wanting you to be there. Continue what he has for you to do. Now, sometimes, you know, when you find an uneasiness, when you're praying about something, there's an uneasiness. That means the Holy Spirit is saying, stop, don't step in, don't venture, don't do it. Okay. The Holy Spirit also speaks to us through the written word of God. Okay. Now, when I was, had to go to Bible college, you know, I didn't know where I was, had to go. It was God's voice. I didn't understand. I said, God, I'm going to church today. You have to speak to the man of God. And you know what the man of God who preached that Sunday morning said, he said, you can't serve God and mammon. You can't serve God and money. You have to make a choice. And you know, that came like a Ramah word hit me and God said, you can't choose secular job and serve me. You have to choose one secular job or serve me. And he says, and that man of God says, choose God. He's telling us to, he's telling choose God and that came just, you know, so sometimes it's a quickening from God's word, a Ramah word, something that you read in your quiet time, somebody preaching, somebody sharing. Okay. But also you need to be very careful that you don't, you're not very emotional when you're going to read God's word. You're very emotional. You will look at everything in God's word thinking that this is God speaking to me about this specific thing. So for example, you're in love with, you know, all young people here in our online class, I mean, sorry, in our in-person class. So, you know, you fall in love with somebody and, you know, a girl or a boy and, you know, every time you read the scripture, somehow you see that person's name. I mean, you know, because you're so emotionally ingrained into you and you go to your pastor and you say, you know, pastor, every time, you know, I'm in love with this person, every time I'm reading the word of God, you know, you know, this, this verse is coming, you know, this verse is telling me and portraying God's name of the person that I'm in love with. So pastor saying, okay, tell me one verse and you tell one verse and says, I can't see that person's name. What's that person's name? You tell the person's name, but I can't see that person's name in the Bible. You know, all I'm reading here is God said, go to Jerusalem, you know, and is that person's name Jerusalem? No, it's not Jerusalem. But, you know, I can see the Holy Spirit is showing me pastor. So, you know, we can't get too emotionally carried away. You know, when you read God's word to misinterpret God's word, okay, we need to be very careful. Okay. Every scripture you read that will, you know, when you're very emotionally carried away, will kind of somehow imply to the situation that you are in, that you need to be very, very careful. Sometimes the Holy Spirit gives you ideas, impressions, ideas in your mind, shows you pictures, okay, impresses upon your heart. You don't see anything. I receive impressions. I don't see anything. I don't hear anything, but it's an impression. I just feel that inner impression. When I start praying the words what the Holy Spirit wants me to communicate comes, but it's just an impression. Sometimes he reveals to dreams and visions, okay, Joseph's story, okay, to dreams and visions. Sometimes to prophetic words, but we need to be very careful about prophetic word, you know, who we are listening to. Now, how do we know is the Holy Spirit speaking? One way God's word tells us is the Holy Spirit speaking to us is the Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus. So a good test for us to know whether it's from the Holy Spirit or it's your emotions, your mind speaking, or it's even the devil speaking, is that, you know, does this glorify Jesus, okay? So that is about how to recognize the leading of the Spirit of God. Any questions about the fifth guidepost recognize the leading of God's Spirit? Any questions? Any questions from our online students? Okay, if there's no questions, we'll move on to the sixth guidepost, recognize the circumstances, okay? Now God leads us and guides us into things that he has planned by orchestrating circumstances. He arranges the circumstances. He arranges the situations. He arranges the events, the setting, setting so well that we can just step into, walk into God's plan and purpose for our lives, okay? Now, sometimes when God closes one door in our life, it means he's opening another door, which is the right door for us. So for example, you wanted to go and study, do biotechnology, okay? But God closed that door and he's opened the door for Bible college. That means he's orchestrating circumstances in your life, leading you to serve him or to be into full-time ministry, okay? Are you able to understand? Yes, all of you with me, okay? Sometimes he sends people in our life who would create opportunities for us, people who will push us, who will tell us, who will speak into our lives, speak prophetic words in our lives. And all of this is how God orchestrates situations to guide us into what he has planned for our lives, okay? Now, we need to be aware that some circumstances that comes in our life can be caused by the devil and some can also be because of our own choices. So we need to be very careful. Of course, some situations God orchestrates, some situations is by our own choices and we think it's God doing everything. And some can also be because of the devil, okay? But God's hand is at work in the circumstances and the situations in our life. Let's look at, I think it's 2 Chronicles 16, 9. I hope that is right. 2 Chronicles 16, 9. Yes? Yeah, 2 Chronicles 16, 9. Can somebody read that please? 2 Chronicles 16, 9. Okay, so God's eye is scanning or is looking out of the whole world and he's looking for whom? Who is he looking for? Those who are, their hearts are loyal to him and God says if your heart is committed or your heart is loyal to me, then I'm going to exert my strength on you. My strength is going to be manifest in your weakness. So one of the areas God exerts his strength or empowers us with his strength on your behalf is in the circumstances and in the situations of your life, okay? So God's hand is at work in the situations and the circumstances of your life. Psalm 37 verse 23 and 24 says, the steps of a good man or the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, okay? And he delights in his way, though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his righteous right hand. So the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. So we can't explain this. How does God order my steps? You know, how does he tell me, okay, this is the way to go? We can't explain it, but all we know from God's word is God is ordering the steps of a righteous man or a good man. So as a believer, you know, all of you are righteous in God's eyes. He's imputed his righteousness on you. So you know, you have this assurance that your steps are ordered by the Lord, okay? So why don't you turn to your neighbor and say your steps are ordered by the Lord. Be excited. Don't be sleepy. Don't be sleepy. Don't sleep. Be excited that the steps, your steps are ordered by the Lord. Why don't you tell your neighbor that's your steps are ordered by the Lord? So wake up. Your steps are ordered by the Lord, okay? Now how does he, how does God order our steps? I don't know, okay? But all the Bible says is that God orders my step. He will just lead me and show me. All I need to do is just trust in him and all I need to do is believe in him. So somehow through some situations, through some circumstances, God will make sure that you are putting your steps in the right place, okay? Where he wants you to put your steps, you're putting your steps in that place. He guides you and leads you through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you in the way you need to go, the choices you need to make, which door you have to enter, which door you shouldn't be, entry. So we can make mistakes like it says here in this verse, though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord opposing with his righteous right hand, which means sometimes we can fall, we can make a mistake, we can cause an error, we can fail. But it says though we fall, we will not be utterly cast down. Yes, we make mistakes, but even though we utterly fall down, it's not the end of everything, okay? God's hand is still at work in us, okay? So there are some points here which on page number 23, you can look at it. God orchestrates the circumstances in your life, but when God orchestrates situations and circumstances in your life, what should you do? You must respond, okay? How do you respond? Fearfully, anxiously? What happens when you're afraid about what God is leading you into? You're very anxious. What happens? You will hold yourself back. You will not step into it because you have so many doubts. You're very anxious. When you're very anxious, you cannot hear the Holy Spirit speaking very clearly to you. Fear is a hindrance that stops you from pursuing God's plan. Fear is something that stops you from listening to the Holy Spirit, okay? So when you're fearful, you will not be able to step into the plan God is orchestrating for your other situations. He's orchestrating in your life, okay? So God, you know, orders your steps. He will do everything. He will orchestrate situations, but what do you need to do? You need to step out in. Take the first step. He will show you the second step. But if you're fearful, you're anxious, you will miss out on what God is telling you, showing you, and you will say, God, you know, what are you doing with my life? Why aren't you showing me something? God is saying, man, I'm showing you, but you're so fearful. You're so, you know, the thoughts are filled with fear. You're not able to step into what I am showing you or what is good for you. So when you're fearful, you will miss out on what God's good plan, a good, pleasing and perfect will for your life is. So what do you need to do? You need to bind the spirit of fear. You can say, God, yeah, I'm fearful. Remove this fear. Remove my unbelief. Help me in my unbelief. Remove it. Help me to step out in faith. Okay. So everything will not be easy when you step out. Don't think, you know, I take in the first step, everything will be easy. It's not going to be easy. You have to work hard. Okay. The next thing here we see is God orders, circumstances and events in our life that are in line with his plan and purpose. God also positions people, places and things to help you walk in his plan and his purpose. It's not going to be easy. But some of the circumstances that God is orchestrating in your life can be very, very challenging, can be very, very difficult. Okay. You know, only when you crush the grapes, do you get the juice. Okay. So sometimes, you know, God will take you to difficult circumstances, not that he hates you, not that he wants to, you know, make life difficult for you. It's because he wants to bring out the best in view. And what do we need to do? We need to discern the circumstance. We understand what God is telling us and showing us and we need to respond. Okay. And we need to get over this thought that everything in our life is going to be easy. You know, sometimes God is going to stretch you. You know, mother is, you know, conceiving the baby in her womb. You know, what happens to the womb? Is it the same size? No, it stretches. Right. What are the mother says? Oh, I got it. I don't want my womb to stretch, but I want the baby. Is it possible? No, it's not possible. Okay. Your womb basically expands. It stretches. So you're saying, God, I want to do great things for you, for your kingdom. I want to be greatly God in a powerful way, in a great way. You know, that's what we want to, we pray, make me like, you know, maybe there's some great man of God. And then when God is stretching you saying, God, this is not what I asked. No, God is saying, if you want to be great, if you want to be that great man, a woman of God, then I have to stretch you a bit, you know, but we want everything easy and God is trying to stretch us. So only when the mother's womb is stretched, only then the baby can grow and she can give birth to a healthy baby. Okay. The last point here, there's not every circumstance that God orders in your life is going to be easy, pleasant, but it always has lasting values. Okay. When I went to Bible college, it was not easy. I had to wash clothes. I had to work. I had to study. I had to pray for my finances. I had to get money to travel back home for my train fare. So it was not easy, but through all of this, why did God do this in my life? Not because he hated me, nor he wanted to teach me a lesson. Man, you wanted to go and do secular. You come here. I'll teach you a lesson. Not that he's not such a cruel God. It's because he wants to teach me that, you know, ministry is not easy. The ministry is not easy. You know, from day one in ministry and ever dependent on people. And that is why I'm able to last in ministry for 22 years because ministry is not easy. You know, why? Because I didn't depend on man or woman. I depended on God. Anything I would run to God. So God was teaching me to depend on me because ministry is that dependence on him. And that is why I was able to last. So all of these circumstances that God brought in my life was difficult, but he taught me this is how ministry is. It's going to be challenging. It's going to be difficult. You have to labor. You have to work hard. Okay. And in Hebrews chapter 12 was 5 to 11. Okay. If you look at Hebrews chapter 12 was 6. It says, the Lord chases those he loves. The Lord chases those he thinks as his son. So God chases us means he lovingly corrects us. Okay. Like a father corrects a child. Okay. Now how does God correct us? He uses his word. He corrects us to the Holy Spirit. He uses Godly people in our lives to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Okay. So one way God chases us or corrects us is also by ordering circumstances in our life to bring us into line with what he wants for our life. So that is one way that he chases us or corrects us. Okay. Now sometimes, you know, we get into some circumstances in our lives because of our wrong choices, not because of God. For example, Moses. Moses, he realized when he was in the palace that he's actually not an Egyptian. He's a Hebrew. And he was all zealous to set his people free from slavery. What did he do in his zealousness? He killed an Egyptian. He thought nobody would know. And the next day he saw two Israelites fighting and he went to stop them. And what do they say? The only thing you can kill us like you kill this Egyptian. He realized that his sin was exposed. It was not covered up. So he runs away. And how many years? Forty years. And it took 40 more years for God to bring about the deliverance of his people from Egypt because of one man's wrong choice. Over zeal, over passionate. Forty more years. Okay. And we saw the poor people of Israel had to suffer in Egypt for 40 more long years. There's another example given here in Deuteronomy chapter 8, verses 9 to 10, a very interesting story, you know, about how, you know, when the Israelites, you know, another example, not from Deuteronomy chapter 8, I don't think this is the right reference, but you know, when the Israelites, you know, God told them, told Moses 10, the 12 spies to Israel, you know, tell them to spy the land of Canaan and they spy the land of Canaan for how many days? Forty days they come back, they bring back fruits. And 12 of them go, what do the 10 of them say? 10 of them say, hey, no way, man. We can't go and take that place. Those people are like giants. We are like grasshoppers. We can never fight them. We can never win. But Joshua and Cable and say, if God told us, we can go and occupy that land. He will give it to us. And these 10 people spread a bad report and everybody, this is in, it's in numbers. Okay. I think numbers chapter 20. And everybody's, the people start grumbling. You know, it said, why did God bring us in the desert to kill us here? And then what do they say? Let's find a leader. We don't want Moses as a leader. We'll go back to Egypt. And God gets so upset with them and so angry. And then he says, you know, just like you have spoken, they said, did God bring us here in the desert to kill us here for us and our children and our wives to die here? So God said, the very words that you've spoken is the very words that will happen. All of you will fall dead here in this desert. So he said, you know, 40 years, for 40 days they spy the land of Canaan one day equal to one year. Okay. So 40 years they had to keep on journey in the desert. And after everyone died, God took Joshua and Caleb and those who were the generation 20 years and below they took them into the promised land. So was a delay of 40 years God's intent, God's situation and circumstances that he ordered? No. Okay. It was their own unbelief that caused them to, you know, die in the desert and delay by another 40 years. But even though they wandered in the wilderness, you know, God took care of them. He led them. He fed them. He did wonderful things for them. Okay. So sometimes we can make wrong choices and we can go through difficult situations in our life. But if we keep our heart open to God, even in those situations, God can take us to the land of promise. He can still provide for us because we are keeping our heart open to God and we are, you know, willing to change and agree that what we have done, the choice that we made is a big mistake. Okay. Sometimes the devil can oppose us. Okay. So you can send the wrong people to hinder us to stop us. Okay. Sometimes he can also, you know, send people to hurt us and stop us. So we need to discern God's working in our lives, whether it is God doing, bringing about the situation. It's my own choices, my own actions, or it is the enemy. So if it's God orchestrating the situation, what do you do? You just step into it. You go with God. With your own actions, you stop, you change, you ask God for forgiveness. And if it is the enemy, that is opposing you. What do you do? You bind the enemy and you press in with what God's plan for your life is and you fulfill and continue with God's plan for your life. Okay. Proverbs, chapter four, verse 26 says, ponder the path of your feet and let your ways be established. So ponder means think, you know, whether it's God, whether it's your choice, or whether it's the enemy. Okay. So that is about, you know, recognizing the circumstances which God orders in your life to help you to discern and know what God's plan and purpose for your life is. Any questions? Any questions? No questions. Any questions from our online students, all of you with me, all of you in the online students with me, following with me. Yes. Is it clear? Any question? You have a question? No. Okay. Okay. So we'll move on to the next guide post. Okay. Recognize Godly Council and wisdom. Okay. So how do we know God's plan for our life? It can also be through Godly Council women and men of God who gives you Godly Council. So Council basically means advice, instruction or sharing of knowledge. Okay. So Council just basically means somebody's giving you an advice, somebody who is sharing their knowledge with you or giving you an instruction. Now Council is not a command. You have to do this. Okay. They're just sharing their information. They're just instructing you, giving you some advice. So you ask Council from you ask Council from Godly men and women. Okay. Who have a deep, strong, firm, tested relationship with God. Now, you know, if you have a problem with your parents and you go and talk to people in your same peer group, what will they say? Yeah, you know, our parents are like this. You know, or even my parents always telling don't do this. Don't go here. Don't watch this. They don't want us to have freedom. Why they don't want us to enjoy life. Now, if you go to your peers who are in the same, you know, same thinking mindset and the age group has used, you know, they're going to say an yes to what you're saying. Or if you're going to say, you know, you know, this is a person I love, say, oh, wow, exciting Hansen charming, you know, very good looking person. Why don't you pursue? Why don't you do this? Why don't you do that? But do we go and tell our parents, you know, this is a person I love okay, you know, have you houses family this and that and I'll ask you all the questions and you don't want that you go. You want to basically go to somebody who say yes to your what you are thinking, right? But it's important here to seek counsel, godly counsel from people who are mature men and women of God who have a deep strong tested relationship with with God. Okay, I'll give an example from King Rehoboam, you know, King Rehoboam son of King Solomon, so we had the first king of Israel, second king was David, then his son Solomon and after Solomon was his son Rehoboam. Now when Rehoboam became king, you know, his the people from his, you know, from his country come and tell him you know, your father made us work very hard. We know Solomon built a temple built so many palaces, you know, you please relax things for us don't make us work and labor so hard. So Rehoboam very smartly says, give me three days I will consult and I will give you an answer, which is a good thing that he did. Now he first goes and consults the wise men of his father's time, you know, elderly people, you know, with much knowledge, with much experience and what do they tell Rehoboam? They tell Rehoboam, yes, listen to the people, you know, don't put hard force them to hard labor, you know, relax things for them. Why does, why do they give him this advice? Because, you know, to their wise counsel and knowledge and years of experience they know that if we, if Rehoboam agrees with the people, he's a new king then the people will have allegiance to him as king, they will accept him as king, they will walk along with him as king, okay. Then Rehoboam goes to his own peers, you know, people his own age and what do they say? Man, don't do that, you know, don't relax things for them, exert your authority, show that you are king, you know, make the labor hard for them and who does Rehoboam listen to? His peers, you know, people of the same age. So when the people come back after three days, he says, I am not going to relax anything, I am going to make, my father made you work this, I am going to make you work harder and what happened? It resulted in the division of the kingdom. Some people, you know, most of the tribes followed Rehoboam, only two tribes followed Rehoboam, okay. So it's important for us to listen to godly people who have you know, experience and who can counsel us. One example we look at here is 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verses 10 to 14, Paul is talking about marriage and he says, not I but the Lord says, I am not telling to do this but God is telling you to do this and then in verse 12 he says it's I who is telling you but not the Lord. So first he's giving them counsel about something and he says, okay, this is not my counsel but this is the Lord's counsel and then he goes on in verse 12 and he says, if any brother has a wife who does not believe and she's willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. So he says, this is not what God is telling you but this is my own counsel to you. Then verse 25 he says he's talking about virgins and he says, I have no commandment from the Lord yet I give you the judgment. So again here he is giving his judgment because he is not received any command from the Lord. So why is he saying here in two places it's not the Lord but it's my own counsel. I have not heard any commandment from God but this is my judgment Paul is saying this because he says he knows that God has counted him trustworthy. So when times he can give his own counsel and judgment because he knows God has counted him trustworthy. So he says, I am giving you this counsel. This Godly counsel is from me because I can give it to you and I can surely write and tell you to do this because God trusts me to give you this advice. And why does God trust Paul because you know Paul is somebody who is walking with God he has a deep knowledge about God, deep revelations that God has revealed to him and based on all of these things he is saying I am giving you this counsel, I am giving you this judgment and I can give it to you even though I have not heard from God why because God trusts me because I am basing all of my counsels and judgments and I walk with God, my knowledge with him, my understanding of the ways of God. So it's important for us to receive counsel from men and women who are you know experienced in their walk with God. Now there are couple of passages here from Proverbs 5 23, Proverbs 10 17, 11, 14, 15, 22 20, 20, 18 and Proverbs 24 which I want you to read as a small homework and read it. You know it just tells us what happens if we don't listen to Godly counsel we will go astray, we lack instruction we will not be in safety things will go out of place. So God uses Godly women to guide us and lead us we will stop here if we look at the examples, some biblical examples I have already given you one example but we will look at Moses's example and his father in law, Jethro's example when we resume class next week. So any questions from these three guideposts that we looked at recognizing the grace of God recognizing the leading of the Holy Spirit, recognizing the circumstances and recognizing Godly counsel. Any questions okay anyone from our online students or in-person students anyone has any questions no okay if there is no questions then thank you everyone for joining class okay I'll see you next week. Thank you everyone