 Check. Welcome back after the break. We look at the last lesson in fulfilling God's purpose for our life. Okay. The last lesson is finishing your course. So can some of you just tell me what we were learning from chapter, you know, from the very beginning. Just a few points. Okay, Anand. Yes. Okay. Anand says fulfilling God's purpose for our life is not going to be easy. Okay. We can have even our online students contribute. Okay. We're looking at the last chapter. So we are just reviewing what we have learned throughout. So can you share what are some of the points that you learned? You have to bear the cost. Okay. Okay. You have to make sacrifices. Yes, Nina. Okay. The sacrifices, daily sacrifices, life sacrifices, what else? Okay. You have to, it can be freshly led sacrifices or spirit led sacrifices. What did we study in the previous lessons? Sorry. If you want to have a fruitful life, you have to die to the things of this world. Okay. We are called to partner with God. Thank you. To fulfill our purpose or his purpose, his purpose for our lives. Okay. What is the basic thing we learned? The first, the nine guidepost, we basically first learned that God has a plan and purpose for our lives. He has places that he wants us to go, lives he wants us to touch, people he wants us to impact. You know, nations he wants us to, you know, cities that he wants us to transform. Nations he wants us to shake. Okay. So he has great big plans for us. Does he reveal his plans for us? Yes. And so we saw that, you know, the nine guideposts to how God communicates his plan and purpose. And so he knows one or more of the nine guideposts to lead us, to guide us. Okay. Now, if you have discovered God's plan and purpose for your life. Yeah. We have some answers from our online students. Sacrifice and surrender to God. Sacrifice our, surrender our life to God. Jason says, spirit let sacrifices to please God. Okay. Anything else you'll learn online students? Yes, Sean. Very good. Very important to fulfill God's purpose for our lives. We need to position ourselves rightly at the right time, the right place, doing the right things so that we can receive God's provision, his blessing. And we can fulfill God's assignment for our lives. Surya says being transformed. Okay. Thank you. So these are some of the things that we learned. We're looking at the last chapter now. Okay. So now if you have discovered God's plan for your life and you're ready, you know, you're all ready to jump in and start your journey to fulfill his purpose. You know, and somewhere along the line, you can give up, right? In give up saying it's not good. It's difficult. But it can be difficult. It will not be easy. I told you all the days of your life will not be very exciting, happy. You will not feel, you know, the joy, she will not feel the excitement. Some days you will not feel the anointing. Some days, you know, sometimes you feel like a sinner, which, you know, serving God. All of those things, but irrespective of, we don't depend on our feelings. We just go on what God has called us, what he's asking us to do. You know, God will help us with our failures. He will correct us and he will guide us. But we need to finish our race and not give up. Yes, Sean. I think we're all in the same boat with you. All of us don't understand the entirety of scripture. You know, we're all struggling. I know we all are struggling, but just to, you know, to encourage you. Yeah, so, you know, that will get us to go deeper into. What if we read everything and we just know? Oh, we know everything. Then sometimes they say, why don't we even read the word? But, you know, when we read God's Word, we're like, okay, what does it say? Where else? So we go to other scripture passages we're trying to find out. And we know it takes us deeper into meditation, into reading God's Word. And also it takes us, depends more on the Holy Spirit to inspire us to help us understand. And when we receive some revelation, like, wow, we receive this revelation. We're so excited about it. Yeah, so it's a good thing to, yeah, not like, you know, you said, not stop there. Oh, I didn't understand it. Okay, there's something in scripture. Don't understand. That's a totally different attitude. But have your attitude is so important. You search scripture to find the answer. Okay. So we don't give up and we finish our race. Luke chapter 14, 27 to 35. So can somebody read, please? Luke chapter 14, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Nina says we need to recognize the stirring within the spirit of man as a lamp of the Lord. Yes, we learned the nine guideposts. So one of the guideposts you're mentioning here is recognize the stirring within. Thank you, Nina. And also, yes, we need to depend on the spirit of God, because the spirit of God reveals things in the spirit of man because the spirit of man is a lamp of the Lord in which she enlightens us, reveals things to us. Thank you, Nina. Okay. So can somebody read Luke chapter 14, verse 27? Yeah, that's enough, Anand. Yeah. So here, you know, Jesus is saying that we need to count the cost before we jump into or begin the journey of what God is calling us to do. So these verses very clearly tell us that. Okay. So if somebody is building a tower, really not sit down and think about the cost, how much money I need. You know, how much I need for foundation, how many flows, you know, what all of the things that we need. Okay. Whether he has enough to finish it. He won't start and then keep thinking how to get the money. Okay. So he says that, you know, if he does not do, then he will just lay the foundation and he will not be able to finish and all who see it will make fun of him. This is somebody who started building but did not count the cost. The same thing goes in our spiritual lives as well. When God calls us to do something, you know, you have a calling to be a pastor. God is calling you to be a pastor. That's great. You're very excited about it. You're happy. It's wonderful. You tell everybody about that, but it's important for you to sit down. You know, you found God's purpose for your life, but it's important for you to sit down and count the cost. Meaning, what does it take for me to become a pastor? What does it take for me to become who God has called me to be? So what am I going to do? You plan the future. Okay. You plan five years down the line. You plan 10 years down the line. You just don't rush into it, but you plan. You say, okay, I don't have enough theological knowledge, so I will go to a theological college. How many years I'll invest in the theological college? There is the finances I'm going to get for it. You know, okay, I also want to get married. You know, how am I going to get married and study? What am I going to do? Or am I going to get to finish my studies first and get married? You know, and all of those things you have to plan before you jump into doing anything. The same with, even in the world, you know, you're starting a business. You just don't say, okay, I got a dream. I saw myself sitting in, you know, a restaurant, a bakery, so I'm going to start a bakery. Just don't go to the next day, look for a shop and start a bakery. You're going to think about the equipment you need, all the, you know, the people you need, the manpower you need, how much you're going to pay them. You're going to study other bakery businesses or hotel businesses, and then it will take time for you to see the right place to venture in, what kind of cuisine, what kind of food, all of that needs planning. The same way, even if they're calling in life. So don't rush into it, okay? When we plan, it can help us to successfully finish our race, okay? Planning is actually having four sites. What does it mean, your four site? That means thinking about things that will come in the future, okay? Thinking of things that will come up in the future. So for example, you're planning to have, you're trying to open a restaurant here in this area. Then if you say, I'm going to open a restaurant here. You cannot, you know, you can say, okay, this area is okay, but why don't I open it somewhere near Christa Genti College? You know, so I'm opening a Christa Genti College. Now if I have sambar and idli and rice, the students obviously don't like sambar, rasam and idli and dosa and all that. You know, there's already a restaurant that is serving that, you know, young people like spaghetti and pasta and pizza and, you know, burgers and sandwiches and so that they can quickly take it and, you know, run to class, quickly pay it and eat it. It's not something that's... So you're thinking about all of these strategies before you get into your business, okay? And how you can be different from other businesses around you so that your business can prosper, okay? So you need to have foresight before. What if some other person comes and starts a restaurant? They also have something like this. How is mine going to be very unique compared to theirs? How can I keep my customers to my... So it's not just about, you know, the products that you have, but you have quality products, tasty products. You introduce innovative things and you also, you know, you know, you have a good rapport with the people, okay? Now in my area where I say in Indranagar, you know, there is a new place that's opened up and, you know, there's people just flocked there. You know, they open at 6.30 till about one o'clock in the night. Why? Because they have that many customers. And if you look around, there are so many restaurants serving idli, dosa and pongal and all of those things, but these people, it's selling like hotcakes. You know, there's so much of rush traffic gets, you know, stuck at their shop. But why? And I went and checked it out because there's some unique innovative ideas they have from the rest of them who are making idli and dosa and chutney and sambar. You know, but everybody's running to their shop and meeting idli dosa for so many years. So these people have become very unique and that is why they are just bringing in customers and they're having from 6.30, I've gone to 7 o'clock in the morning, there's rush. You go at 11 o'clock, 11, 30, 12, 1 o'clock there is rush in that shop, okay? So how can you be very, very innovative? So you need to think and plan and anticipate upcoming events and then decide on the course of action. Now there's a Bible teachers that we need to plan. Does the Bible teachers that we need to plan? Yes, no. Some people say, you know, the Bible does not teach us to plan because God Jesus tells us, don't worry about tomorrow. Don't worry about tomorrow. The Bible is telling us, don't worry about tomorrow but it's not telling us don't plan about tomorrow. Some of us are so worried about tomorrow that we fail to plan and that becomes an extra worry burden for us, okay? So the Bible teaches us to plan. Let's look at some scripture passages. It's all given in your notes. Proverbs 4 verse 26 says, ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established, okay? Ponder the path of your feet. That means ponder means what? Think deeply about the way you are going, what path you're taking, what direction you are going, how you're living your life. Proverbs 6 verse 6 to 8. Can somebody read that please? Proverbs 6 verse 6 to 8. So God is telling, learn from whom? And the smallest creature. You know, we don't even sometimes see and stamp it. You know, saying learn from that and what do you learn from that ant? What are we learning? Suppose you learn from the ant. How to to work hard, okay? Unity How to plan? How to plan? Okay, what does the ant do? It has no overseer, has no leader telling them what to do, what not to do. But what does the ant do? During summer it is storing up food for the winter because it knows during winter it cannot gather food, okay? So the ant is teaching us to plan. So God can even use the smallest thing to teach us sometimes, some things. Okay, so next time we look at the ant, think about planning. Maybe God is reminding you about planning. Okay, can somebody please read Proverbs what is the meaning of go to the ant you sluggered? Who's a slugger? lazy, slow, moving, dull, moving person, okay? Proverbs 7 to 14 verse 8 and 15 can somebody read that? Proverbs 14 8 and 15. Yeah, so here it's talking about a prudent man or a prudent woman. Man is very general. Don't think women are left out, okay? Anthropos is a Greek word. Anthropos means human being, okay? But when it's translated they use men but it's also women here. So women don't think that we are left out, okay? So prudent here means be a prudent person is somebody who is wise, careful, cautious and practical. So here it says a prudent man, a wise man understands his way, knows where he's going, knows what he's doing. He considers well his steps, what he is doing. So ask yourself the way I'm going, the path I'm going, the way I'm preparing myself is it to fulfill God's purpose for your life? If you find some path or something that you're doing which is not going on this helping you fulfill God's plan or purpose for your life, you need to stop going on that path. You need to take the right path, walk on the right path. So you need to be prudent, okay? Proverbs chapter 22 verse 3, can somebody read that please? Yes, a prudent man, a wise man, a careful man, a smart man has four sides, is able to see things in the future, things coming in the future, is able to plan, to prepare you know, so here we see that, you know, he sees the dangers coming ahead and he's able to take precautionary action which will preserve his life. Okay, so we need to be like the prudent man. So Bible really clearly says that we need to plan, prepare and have foresight, plan, think about the future, plan for the future, see things that will come up in the future and prepare in advance. Now when God gives you, you know God's plan and purpose for your life, you need to sit down and, you know, prepare a plan, okay? And when you prepare your plan, of course you are using your own wisdom, your understanding, your own knowledge but once you prepare your plan, you can say, God, this is my plan. You call me for ministry and I want to go into full-time ministry, God, you want me to be a pastor so I want to go to Bible college, equip myself. So I'm going to go to this Bible college because the good Bible college it takes four years or here I'm going to this Bible college it's three years. I'll just test it out the first year and if it's good then I will do all the three years but got three years for the sun and after that I plan to get, you know, plan to go back to my place and then I plan to work under my pastor or you know, I plan to work under pastor Rashi because I can learn so much from him or I plan to learn from some other pastor in the city learn from him and then God in that meantime as I'm, you know, preparing and equipping myself how to be a pastor I'm going to get married and then, you know, maybe five years I would have prepared myself and after that, you know, God, I'm going to go to the place that you have called me to go back to Chattisgarh or to UP or Deradun or wherever and I'm going to plant a church. Okay but then after you have planned it, you can say God, this is my plan. You're willing to step, you're willing to you know, I'm willing for you to step in and change whatever you want because I'm doing this according to my wisdom my knowledge, you know, but this is your will for my life but God I'm willing for you to change. Have your way in my life show me what you want me to do and I will just do that. So when we do that, you know we need to be ready for uninterrupted changes, okay? Or you can, you need to be open to heavenly interventions that God will bring in. God may step in and change things in your plan that you have planned, okay? And we need to be willing to accommodate that and I'll say God, no, this is my plan, I decided this, I'm going to go by this, okay? Yes, you're planned it according to your wisdom and knowledge but you've opened it to God, you've given God your plan and God is stepping in and doing what is good for you. Then you can say, yes God, I'm willing to give this up, I'm willing to step into what you want me to do change this around maybe not five years, being with this pastor two years or maybe you want me to go straight away to Deradun and be under this pastor, I'll do that God whatever, you know, be willing to change because the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, okay? So when we plan also we don't plan according to our own will but we plan according to God's own will so we submit and surrender ourselves to God's own will. Let's look at an example in 1 Corinthians 1 verses 15 to 17 1 Corinthians 1 verses 15 to 17 yes, read on 16 and 16 also, thank you. Okay, so here we see that Paul is planning his travel itinerary. Okay, what where and all he plans to go and then he answer question, do I plan this according to the according to the what does he say? Look at verse 17 the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh? What is the answer? Does he plan according to the flesh? No, he plans according to the spirit, you know we see that Paul is constantly led by the spirit, he does what the spirit asks him to do. So we can plan according to the spirit or we can plan according to the flesh. Okay, in John chapter 16 verse 13 Jesus said the Holy Spirit will show you things to come. Okay, so you and I as believers we have the privilege. You know what is a privilege? We have heavily forecast. You know whether forecast will tell us what is going to happen, business forecast. You know that stock market forecast will tell you how the stock market is going to happen. Like that we have heavenly forecast. Okay, so you and I are very privileged because we have heavenly forecast. The Holy Spirit forecast or warns us or tells us things that are going to come and the things that we need to get prepared for. But the Holy Spirit is willing to give you the heavenly forecast and willing to listen. You need to be tuned into the Holy Spirit. Only when you go and tune into the weather forecast you will know what's the weather for today. Others you can just assume now the sun is shining but suddenly it can change. The weather can change. And you know the weather changes very drastically in some places. Okay, so you see that the Holy Spirit will tell you beforehand you need to get ready and you need to begin to plan according what is leading you to. So when the Holy Spirit will give you the warning he will also give you the strategies and he will also help you. So in your plan you need to take the Holy Spirit as your senior partner. All of us in fulfilling God's plan and purpose for your life. Who is your senior partner? Holy Spirit needs your senior partner. We need to develop Spirit inspired plans. The Holy Spirit will inspire us, tell us what to do. I always depend on the Holy Spirit for everything. I'm not a very I have some sense of creativity but I'm not a very creative person. But doing children's ministry everything I get download from heaven. The Holy Spirit will tell me. Even for you know when you have to have BBS or kids conference or do something in children's church some activity something is the Holy Spirit will give me the download. Just tell me what to do I'll just go do it. But I just have to work hard to prepare to think and everything but Holy Spirit will give the download. You know even what is the title, what is the you know theme what topics to be taught in children's church all heavenly download. You don't have to worry. See so once you are totally inspired but then it's so it's so exciting. You know even when I joined APC I was thinking of I joined in for the school outreach ministry and I was asking God what is I was looking at all the possible topics you know names that we can call the school outreach ministry of APC and I had a long list and then I was I remember I went back home and I was just lying on my bed and say God what would you want to call the school outreach ministry pop the answer came catalyst you know I never thought of catalyst and I put on all the names I thought of and I put catalyst and I send it to all the pastors and everyone chose catalyst see so you know everything all the programs that I have done for children's church I know it's it has children have enjoyed it they're very happy but everything is a download of from God even when I'm just walking and thinking you know go for my evening walks and thinking God how to decorate this whole theme children's church for kids conference he was suddenly show me somewhere I remember I was thinking once God how to do decorations for the kids conference this year and suddenly I was walking and I saw one a play school and they had you know they had how things in in a circle and they had written all those things in the you know in this in that printed circle wow this is a nice idea God thank you and you know we we just did that and the children and thoroughly enjoyed it after the kids conference everybody all the children said they wanted that auntie we want this they all took it and they went and hang it in their home so you know everything is just spirit led so you know the spirit can give you inspire ideas you can give you amazing ideas and you can when you just depend on him but the important thing to know is you know sometimes what we do is you know we we take two extremes we just take you know we just waiting what the spirit is telling us to do and we just do that and sometimes we are just going with what our mind is telling us to do okay but both need to operate to gather okay yes the spirit will give us the ideas but the God also uses our mind he's given us our mind he's given us our thinking he's given us a logical thinking reasoning faculties of the mind and we need to use it okay so don't leave out your brain okay you need to use your brain to create those innovative ideas which the Holy Spirit is giving you and don't always you know just say okay I'm waiting for the spirit to be to be led and the spirit is not telling me anything so I'm not going to do anything for kids conference this year because Holy Spirit is not giving me any ideas no I mean we can't do that okay so we we need to have a balance sometimes we are so spirit led you know that we can we can make a mess of it sometimes we are so led by this flesh that we use latest techniques modern techniques tools and all of that and we failed to hear what the spirit is telling us and then we think why did this whole thing become a failure I use modern techniques use the latest things I thought the youth will like it the children will like it nothing happened because it was not spirit led as well so you have to have your spirit led also use your brains your mind your logical reasoning and your thinking okay there's some comments here about spirit inspired planning by Pastor Jack Hayford that didn't hear basically this is the same thing that you know when we need to when we take on anything it has to be we have to have a clear sense of direction from the Holy Spirit can look at your notes the bullet points when they're doing things to promote our ministry you know it needs to be dependent on the Holy Spirit not on the human you know mind thinking logical understanding reasoning and we also need to pursue the things of God that is worship relationship with people unity maintaining unity discipleship and ministry when you're planning all these things are important and prayer is very very important okay most important thing is prayer we do everything else leave our prayer no it doesn't really work pray much often and always okay and wait for the Holy Spirit to give you clarity and conviction and lead you and guide you and also the he says you know it's important to have faith because without faith it's impossible to please God okay then we look at the ending but we have to run till the finish line okay Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 very important can somebody read that please Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 thank you so here this verse clearly these two verses tell us clearly what we need to do to ensure that we run our race and finish it we get to the finish line the first thing can anyone tell me what we need to do to ensure to run our race from this lay aside every weight thank you Rin lay aside every weight that means what you know when an athlete runs he does not run with all his backpack and you know with gear and all that you know he doesn't run with all of those things and gear and feet and all that he runs as light as possible okay so even when we are running our race we need to lay aside every weight means what yes so what is a weight back thoughts your distractions what else your burdens the past some of us are still holding on to our past it's such a burden on us you know when you're carrying something heavy you are you know you faint you will be faint hearted you will be so heavy hearted you will be so tired exhausted leave everything about the past there's nothing you can do about your past you can't go back there you can't rectify things you can't change things just continue looking in the present okay running your race can we can we run 100 meters race looking at the back no it cuts our speed you know I did that once when I was in bible college I took part in the in the race I qualified for the finals of the 100 meters race and it was all you know none of the students qualified I was only student who qualified among the ladies and all of them with you know our faculty children all small children I was like already thinking I'm going to lose the race because I'm thinking all of these children are so much faster and there was one girl called jamaima just from money put no she was the fastest runner in her school and I already had assumed that she's going to be first and I'm going to be last and all these days I was actually the 75 meter mark I was leading suddenly you know this whole thing hit me said I can't lead I can't come first I can't be first because these other children are faster than me and I turned around and jamaima was just behind me I thought I had done a false start and I'm just running the race and look at all these thoughts it taught me a big lesson in life and then I just look back I cut my speed and look back and just in the little distance everybody was shouting at me and don't you know when you're running the race you have to look in front why did you stop why did you look back and I didn't tell anybody what was going through my mind so don't look back there's no point you know the devil will always remind you of your past but you remind him of his future some of us are still living in the past so when you're living when you're turning back you can never move leave the past walk in the the future that God has for you yes Sean true thank you Sean for that example Sean is giving us an example of the horse when they go for the horse race you know they they cover the horse's eyes so that their horse doesn't see and just focused in the front okay what a second thing we need to do to ensure to run our race first one is lay aside every weight second one before on with endurance look at your the son Hebrew chapter 12 verse 1 look into Jesus before looking into Jesus what is given there lay aside every weight and then the sin that's so easily and tangles don't forget that sin can stop you or hinder you from running your race you can just get so caught up in it you know sometimes you know Satan is so smart you can just put things in our life that will just totally divert our attention rather than focusing on what Christ wants us to do it can even be people now people can come you can say people are gossiping about me talking about me okay let me let me find out what they're saying let me you know get back to them let me do this you know all that is a waste of time that is going to create disunity that's going to create division that's going to eat up your peace of mind so I don't focus on what people are saying besides me okay I know that people are saying this and that I can hear this and that but I'm saying God you deal with them I have no time no energy I'm just going to do what you want and God deals with all of those people he just moves what who he has to move he removes who he has to remove he keeps who he has to keep and who he has to keep even shows them what is that attitude they come in line we just work but I just try to maintain the unity the whole project that God has entrusted to me and keep people under me in unity in oneness just love them be nice to them so lay aside every sin that ensnares us sin, pride, jealousy, hatred competition you want to be there up in the front you don't allow anybody else you pull down everybody else it's Aimee myself ministry nobody else all of those things since secret sins God knows we need to deal with it others that will stop us from running our race what is the third thing run with endurance yes like I said sometimes we don't feel very happy doing what God called us to do we don't feel very excited what God has called us to do we don't feel heavenly or anointing for what God has called us to do we don't feel sometimes special excitement but you know we just have to endure to fulfill God's purpose all we need to do at those times is just fulfill our responsibility and steward the gospel that God has entrusted to us there can be high points, low points but we don't go on our feelings we don't let our feelings stop us from doing what God has called us to do we run the race with endurance okay so you know people around you might be doing things you know but you know God has called you here he has placed you here you be you continue you focus on Jesus you continue running your race and it's a tough people who are willing to continue going on even when the going gets tough you know when I joined full-time ministry you know when I went to Bible college you know you all know that it was not something that I really wanted to be because it's not that I didn't want to you know do God's call I love God I was already teaching in Sunday school but it was I felt I was not worthy enough to be in full-time ministry I didn't feel I was worthy enough my life was not worthy enough or holy enough like other men and women of God to be in full-time ministry that's why I said no God you know I can even serve you but not be in full-time ministry but when I went to Bible college the first year there was strike in our college it was one of the best colleges there was strike there was division there was two groups but I didn't join into any group that there was another price that I had to pay it was daily sacrifices you know and you know there was there was a whole thing about the Bible college being shut down you know there was a fear and everybody were asked to go back home in December but I did not go back home because I was scared because if I go back home you know my father says he told you that's why I didn't want you to go to Bible college you know and I couldn't face my father and I just stayed in Bible college and said God you wanted me to go to Bible college you wanted me to be in full-time ministry this is where you want me to be you have to take care of me I'm not going to quit this place I'm gonna be here you know you have to make things work and of course the Bible college started January we continued continued things are not easy things were difficult but I always spent time you know I never ran away I never gave up I stayed there even though things were difficult things were not easy and I finished my six years and that taught me endurance that taught me that you know in ministry people are not angels you know they're not all perfect people come on all of us are perfect God handles us God deals with us in our church we're not perfect people we're all imperfect but we're here to help each other correct each other you know build each other up so we don't just quit and just don't leave I didn't see perfect people and because I didn't see perfect people in Bible college I didn't leave I didn't run away I didn't think God this is not where you wanted me to be I'll go to some other Bible college no I stayed there because I know that is where God called me to be this is where he wanted me to be and you know I you know I stayed on and I continued there God gave me the grace he gave me the strength he taught me precious lessons that is why after that I faced many challenges but I was still stuck in the ministry for the last 22 years because I learned valuable lessons in my six years on campus in Bible college so don't think you know everybody's perfect nobody's perfect we're not angels here we're not we're not God here we're not Jesus here we're all imperfect people we're all here to continue to build each other up and to help each other continue to run our race so tough people who are willing to continue going on even when the going gets tough and then the last thing is look on to Jesus we don't look to people people will fall so because of people fall I can't keep moving Bible colleges I can't keep moving churches I can't keep moving machine organizations if God tells me to move to move you know and God taught me something once I wanted to move from an organization Christian organization God says no you stay there and continue and I stayed there and continued for one week and again after one week I said God I can't it's not a place where I can and you know what God told me very strictly ministry is not a matter of convenience it's a command ministry is not a matter of convenience it's convenient for me food is convenient lifestyle is convenient the hostel is convenient people are convenient I'll stay ministry is not a matter of convenience it is a command you know it's a command you stay there you do what God is asking you to do and how do you get through your race looking on to Jesus you look on to Jesus because he's the perfect person he will help you to see and love others and accept others and love yourself and move on okay the apostle Paul says in chapter 20 verse 24 he says oh you can read chapter 20 verses 22 and 24 please somebody can read that yeah read read somebody who's not read who wants to read can read we can hear some nice new voices thank you and so here it says we need to finish our race we need to lay down our life see what Paul says but none of these things move me nor do I count my life dear to my self so he knows he's going to go to Jerusalem the spirit is telling him and the Holy Spirit is telling you go to Jerusalem you will face imprisonment chains is you'll be imprisoned you'll face many tribulations and difficulties but Paul is saying nothing is going to move me he's saying I'm willing to give up my life I'm going to give up my life for the sake of the gospel okay I'm willing to count my not count my life dear to my self I know persecutions chains prison imprisonment tribulations are there everywhere but I'm willing to lay down my life look at what he says in Acts chapter 21 verse 13 so you know all of them all the people who love Paul the ministry companions saying please don't go to Jerusalem Holy Spirit is always telling you're going to be imprisoned and you're going to go to tribulations and they're all weeping and moaning because he says no I have to go you know and then he says you know why are you crying because I'm ready to lay down my life for the sake of the gospel okay second Timothy chapter 4 verse 6 to 8 Paul very beautifully says is writing to Timothy you know where he's where he's writing to Timothy from he's writing from prison he's imprisoned in Rome and he knows that he is going to die soon okay he's not going to his first Roman imprisonment he was set free the second time he knows he's not going to be set free he's going to surely die he's going to be martyred it's going to be a terrible death he knows that but what is he saying he's saying I've been a drink offering my time of departure has come that means my end is coming near is drawing very near is very close you know but he said what does he say I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith so wonderful you know we need to be also able to say that you know fought the good fight finished the race I kept the faith and then he says there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness with the righteous judge the Lord will give me on that day not only from to all those who have loved his appearing so even as you pursue God's plan and purpose for your life it's something that's wonderful big you know great he'll reveal it to you but enjoy the journey as you pursue God's dream for your life and you know be sure to endure and to finish it so that you can receive your crown any questions hi Krisha I remember your question I actually wanted to start the the morning the first hour by answering your question but you had not joined class so that's why I told the rest of them that we'll answer the question when you come when you join so I I do remember your question now you know when we we interpret something in scripture we always need to interpret it in the light of other scripture because one scripture always helps in interpreting other scripture if we take one scripture and interpret it out of context in isolation that can cause a lot of wrong doctrines and wrong teachings so when we look at some scripture we're trying to interpret something some way of living some lifestyle something that is being said there we always had to interpret it in the light of what was spoken earlier or what is also said in other passages of scripture so we keep them all together and then you have to interpret that scripture that you're trying to discern in the light of what other scriptures say so if you look at people saying that women have to cover their heads while praying or worshipping it's actually they're taking it from 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 3 to 16 where Paul is talking there about you know headships spiritual headship and head covering he's talking about spiritual headship and head covering and the context is writing this it's not in a context often that he wants women to cover the head but he's talking about spiritual headship he's talking about God's spiritual authority of God's government in the local church so he's talking about God's government through which he establishes or he brings about his exerts his influence or his blessing in the local church so all of us are placed under God's spiritual government or his spiritual headship in these areas of our life it can be in the family it can be in the local church it can be in the body of Christ it can be at the workplace and we all need to know what is God's spiritual headship in the area that he has planted and placed us so that we can recognize God's government and when we recognize and submit to God's government in that specific place you know we can experience God's influence blessing so here he's actually talking about in chapter 11 verses 3 to 16 he's basically talking about the spiritual headship in the body of Christ so he says in the body of Christ he's talking about the government in the body of Christ he says in the local church in the body of Christ he's saying man is the head of the woman and Christ is the head of man and he says and God is head of Christ now when we look at it we know that Christ and God are equal but here in God's government God the Father is the head over Christ just as Christ is the head of man and as man is the head of the woman so God even Jesus Christ willingly submitted to God's government or headship in the body of Christ and then he says in that context he's talking about a woman ought to cover her head I think it's in verse 10 and here it's a cultural context it's not a biblical context because we don't see it anywhere in the Bible where a woman has to cover her head so here is after pointing out that man and woman are co-equal we are the heads of God both men and women have the same Bible experience the same best things the same spiritual gifts we are called to different offices there is no division in that and then he goes on to talk about the cultural context and in the current cultural context was such that women typically had long hair but married women would cover their head and the prostitutes had short hair or bald head if you see a woman you know she's a prostitute because she had short hair or bald head and she was a good character woman because she had long hair and you know she was a married woman because she covered her head so it was actually the cultural context so here in this cultural context in the church at current he's talking about the headship and Paul is instructing all women to cover their heads by praying or prophesying in the local church but he does not mention this to the church at Galatians or Galatia or Ephesus or any other place okay and we also see in I think in verse 16 you know Paul clearly mentions there if anyone seems to be contentious we have no such custom nor do the churches of God okay so he's saying this is not a custom that other churches of God follow it's only a custom for the church at current so you know we can't take this and you know interpreted out of context and say all women have to cover their heads in all churches it's mandatory it's no it's the cultural context that Paul is writing and he's using that in the cultural context to explain to the church at current and he's not saying that it has to happen in other churches because he says we have no such customs nor do the other churches of God you know follow this okay it's time up thank you all for joining class I hope I answered your question Prisha