 Hey, good morning everyone and welcome to class. Thank you all for joining class, also welcome to our e-learning students who will be listening to this lecture later on. We'll begin today we'll be studying Second Timothy chapter 4 and with that we will finish studying the book of Second Timothy and we'll move on to the book of Titus. So before we begin our study on Second Timothy chapter 4, can one of you lead us in prayer, please? Anyone? That's great. Father in heaven, we thank you Lord for this wonderful day that you have given us. Lord, we praise you and we bless you for this day. Lord, even as we have gathered here to study your word, Father God, we pray and ask you to help us to open our eyes of understanding that whatever we learn, Father God, we apply in our lives and live a life that is pleasing unto you. God, I pray and ask you to anoint our dear pastor, Lord, as she will be teaching us your word. Father God, anoint her, Lord and user for your glory and we pray, Father God, every student that is in this class, Father God, let the spirit of understanding and wisdom come upon us, O Lord, and maybe bring glory to your name. In Jesus mighty name be praised. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Rosalind. So we'll begin studying Second Timothy chapter 4. So can we just take some time to read Second Timothy chapter 4, or maybe what we can do is, do you think you want to read the entire chapter, or can we just read a couple of verses, what you all suggest? Read the entire chapter or read a couple of verses and then study that and then move on to another few verses. Any suggestions? Five words, thank you. Okay. We'll begin by reading verses 1 and 2. So can one of you read Second Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 and 2, please. I charge you therefore, before God and and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, reach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. Thank you, Rosalind. So here actually we know that Second Timothy is Paul's last letter and hence these are even as this is the end of his letter, the last chapter for us in this book, it's the final words from Apostle Paul. So verses 1 and 2 are very important, where Paul is telling Timothy, you know, here is my charge, okay, or here is my final admonition to you, my charge to you. And you know, when you give somebody, you know, a final charge, a final admonition, it's very, very important, it's really important. And the word here, charge, you know, translates a strong word from the Biblical week, which is often translated as testified, you know, like we read in Acts chapter 8 verse 25. But the idea is that Paul, you know, gave a solemn testimony to Timothy and this testimony is that Timothy must heed to the things that he's telling him if he would want to be a godly pastor. So the word charge basically is translated as testified. And so Paul is giving this idea that it's a solemn testimony to Timothy. And so the testimony here is that, you know, if Timothy wants to be a godly pastor, he needs to heed all that Paul has been telling him. And Paul is saying that I'm charging you before the Lord. So it's not just a polite encouragement, he's giving him. This is a serious one. He's saying, you know, I'm doing it in front of God and I believe God is watching over me even as I charge you, okay. So what is the thing that he wants Timothy to do? He says in verse two, one of the things that he needs to heed, this young Timothy, if he wants to be a godly pastor and what is the final testimony that Paul is giving him or the charge that Paul is giving him, the first thing is to preach the word. Okay. So saying preach the word and he's been telling him this throughout, you know, the first Timothy and second Timothy in various instances says, don't argue, don't debate, don't dispute about things that false teachers are teaching, you know, just preach the truth in God's word. Just teach the pure doctrine in God's word. And so this is something that we must do as ministers. You know, we must preach and teach the truth in God's word. The second thing it says is be ready in season and out of season, which means, you know, whether it's convenient for you or whether it's easy or not easy, preach the word. And so Paul is saying this because, you know, he has been in difficult situations. He's gone through a perilous times when he was beaten up, when he was facing near to death experiences, even when he was in house arrest, he was preaching, teaching, writing, ministering to people. And he did that even when times were not convenient. It was not easy for him. So he's saying, you know, preach the word in season and out of season. So sometimes, you know, when we go through seasons of life, it's not very convenient for us. It's not very easy when we are going through challenges, when we are facing difficulties, when we are facing challenges, but we just trust in God's strength, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and preach the word, you know, and the Holy Spirit will work powerfully in and through us. I remember reading a funny incident, you know, there was once in the Church of England, a clergyman, you know, who was gloriously saved and Jesus changed his life. And he started preaching the gospel in his own church, the own parish that he belonged to. And when he started preaching, all the people got saved. Then he started preaching in the neighboring churches or the neighboring parishes. And, you know, the clergymen in those neighboring parishes were offended. And so they asked the bishop to make this man stop him from preaching. So when the bishop confronted him, he said, you know, the bishop told this clergyman that I hear you are always preaching and you don't seem to be doing anything else. And, you know, this man, this clergyman who God had miraculously changed answered, he said, you know, well, Bishop, I only preached during two seasons of the year. So the bishop was kind of very glad. So he says, okay, I'm glad to know that. And what are those seasons? And he replied in season and out of season. Okay, so we need to be ready always in any season, you know, to preach God's word, to teach God's word and do that with the power and the authority of the Holy Spirit. So even as you preach and teach God's word, Paul is telling Timothy, you know, preach and teach the word in a convincing manner. Okay. It means, you know, convince here basically means, you know, to convict people of their sin, of their transgressions, of their false deeds, of their wrongdoings, or their false doctrines that they're teaching, you know, challenge them to live a life of righteousness and not a sinful life, you know, do that with persuasion and encourage the hearts of people to live lives that are holy and pleasing. And what Christ has done for them on the cross that he has taken on their punishment, their sin, and he's given them a life of righteousness. The other thing he's saying when you preach and teach the word is not only convince, but also rebuke, which means, you know, lovingly correct, bring correction in the lives of people. And the next thing he says is exhort, which means just invite, encourage, motivate and inspire people. Okay. So invite them to, you know, embrace the truth of God, encourage them to live the truth, to walk in the truth, to believe the truth and motivate them to live their lives as honorable and pleasing and just inspire them. And he says, when you do all of this, you know, when he says, when you, when you preach the word, convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching. So he says, do this with all long suffering and teaching long suffering means basically with all patience. So when you're teaching, be patient. You know, there are times when the fact is that people will not get everything that you are preaching or teaching. They will not just go and, you know, immediately change and set their lives right and do what you have exhorted them from God's word, just because they heard it once. But, you know, he's saying, you know, keep on repeating, keep on teaching in many different ways. And even as you're doing that, Timothy, be patient with them, patiently present the word, giving people time to embrace the truth. So that is what we need to do as ministers of God. Sometimes we can use the pulpit, you know, to speak wars on people to, you know, to bring judgment and punishment on them and to be very strict and rude with them. But, you know, Paul is telling Timothy, other the guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course, you know, be patient, lovingly correct, teach, keep on teaching, keep on correcting. So sometimes we can give up, you know, when you're preaching or teaching people and say, you know, do they not get it? Are they so slow to listening, so slow to doing things? Can't they change? You know, we need to know that we need to be patient with them, just like God is patient with us. Okay. And Paul also talks about this in Second Timothy chapter two, verse 23, where he says, you know, Timothy avoid all foolish arguments and ignorant disputes, because, you know, they just bring about strife, but the servant of God must not quarrel, must be gentle to all able to teach and patient. So he's repeating this. And I think he's over and over again, in this two letters that he's written to Timothy, he's repeating this again and again, which means that it is important, which means the Holy Spirit is reiterating this fact and this truth to us as well that, you know, we should be patient, teachers of God's Word and being patient with people. Any questions, any doubts? Any questions, any doubts? We'll move on to verses three and four. Can you don't have any questions or doubts or need more clarity? We'll move on to verses three and four. Can someone please read verses three and four, please? For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Okay. Thank you, Zealoturi. So here Paul is telling Timothy that your time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine. They will not want to listen to the truth of God's Word and, you know, they would just want to hear things that pleases them, pleases their sinful nature, talk about the prosperity, talk about the happiness, joy, peace, pleasure, wholeness, and all of those things are some things that they would like, but we talk about sin, salvation, sanctification, righteousness, judgment, they might not like it. So, you know, even the world that we live today, you know, people like to hear, you know, messages that are more, makes them feel good, makes them feel more happy, there are motivational messages, and they don't want to listen to messages that talk about a sin and a salvation. So, you know, and also we see that people will flock to churches where, you know, teachers are motivational in their preaching, you know, talking messages that make them, people feel good and happy, you know, just stroking their, you know, whatever, how they're living their lifestyles, and, you know, they just go to such churches, they flock to such churches to listen to such preachers, and they are so gullible to the enemy, they are so open to the enemy, and they are the ones who can be immediately and very soon misled from the truth, they wander from the truth, and these are the ones who will, you know, follow myths and fables and man-made stories, okay? So, he's saying that your people want to replace, Paul is telling Timothy, people want to replace the truth or the doctrines in God's word with man-made fables and man-made stories, and so he says, you know, turn aside, these people turn aside to fables, so once people leave the truth in God's word, they often embrace these fantastic stories, fantasy stories, and these are the men and women who reject the truth, instead of believing the truth, they reject the truth, and it's not that they don't believe anything or it's not that they believe in nothing, but it's that they believe in anything and everything that they just receive and hear, okay? So, they can even come to a place where, you know, they hear that the universe came about by chance, and they would just believe that, they would just believe that the universe came by chance, and, you know, and they just believe this as a fable. So, Paul is telling Timothy, it's so important to keep teaching and preaching the word of God, so this is something that we also need to, you know, receive for ourselves in our time, in our generation, because people, there's so many wrong philosophies, cult groups that have come up, religious ideologies that are being taught, you know, and people are listening to it because it's pleasing their ears, it's stroking their, or it's just motivating them to continue living their sinful lives. Nobody wants to, you know, their lives to be transformed, nobody wants to live righteous holy lives, so they will believe all of these fables and myths and fantasies, and they will just enjoy listening to them and flock to preachers who preach that, but we are supposed to keep preaching and teaching the truth in God's word. So, what is the danger here, you know, when we miss out on all that, you know, the truth in God's word, we miss out on all that God seeks to do in and through us and bring in and through our lives through his word, because God's word, you know, is the truth and the truth can set us free, but if we don't continue to read God's word, we don't listen to God's word, we don't listen to the truth in God's word, then the truth cannot set us free, okay, like we read in John chapter 8 verses 31 and 32. The second thing the word does is, you know, that the word, you know, gives us a solid foundation, you know, the vice and the foolish man we read in Matthew chapter 7 verses 24 to 27, you know, when people hear and do the word of God, that's, it's only then they have a solid foundation and it's like a house that is built on a rock that will weather any storms, storms of any false teaching, cult groups, you know, things that pleases their ears, it will all just, you know, they will weather any kind of storm. The third thing that the word does is the word sanctifies us, the word, you know, Jesus in his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, Jesus says, your word is truth, he's saying the Father, your word is truth and the truth sanctifies us, okay, so the word sanctifies us, sets us apart from sin, from everything that oppresses us and depresses us, the word also purifies us, we read this in first Peter chapter 1 verses 22 and 23 and the word also builds us up, like we read in Acts chapter 20 verse 32, there's so much more that the word does, you know, it's a double edged sword, the word, you know, gives us life, the word brings encouragement, the word brings hope, the word, you know, makes his promises a yes and amen in our lives when we speak on word over our situations, we see his promises come through this, so there's so much more that the word can do in our lives and so he's saying, you know, preach and teach the word and that is also for us in our time and age. Sorry, we'll move on to verses 5 to 8, so can somebody read verses 5 to 8 please? But you be watchful in all things, end your afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing. Amen, thank you Rosalind, so here in verse 5, Paul is telling Timothy, Timothy don't get distracted by the things that are happening around you, just be sober, be watchful and careful and then he says endure afflictions which means endure hardships, he's been telling him this, endure hardships like a soldier, like an athlete, like a farmer and he's saying endure afflictions, endure hardships because that is part and parcel of ministering or being part of the kingdom of God. So ministry is just like life, in life we face a lot of afflictions that we have to bear with and ministries also like that, ministries also comes with its afflictions, its hardships, its difficulties and sometimes when we say that ministry in ministry we go through hardships, difficulties, people think hey that should not be, it's not possible and it can be a very disturbing thought because they think that ministry would be a place where it's all a very beautiful spiritual experience, a beautiful spiritual experience is one after another, there's plenty of the wonderful blessings even as we're serving God because we're serving the king of kings and we serve the kings of kings, it's a privileged position, it's an honor and the king of kings just takes care of us, looks after us, he carries us in his arms and his hands and he does everything for us but ministry is in ministry there are also afflictions that need to be endured, so it's just like life, ministry is also like life just like we go through afflictions, ministry also we go through afflictions, yes Abu Bakr, yes Abu Bakr you have your hand up, do you want to ask a question? Sorry I can't hear you, oh it's a mistake okay, so Paul is telling Timothy you know stand strong in tough times, don't shy away from problems and challenges and difficulties you know in the midst of difficulties and hardships and persecutions, keep proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and you know complete your ministry, complete the work that God has called you and assigned for you to do, complete the assignment that God has given you, so I don't know how many of you are in full-time ministry or engage in some kind of ministry, I believe maybe all of us are you know just know that you know that you will end your hardships in ministry and it's not that you're in the wrong place doing the wrong thing because you're suffering or it's not that it's not the will of God but you know ministry also has a share of difficulties and sufferings that we need to endure and God gives us the strength, God gives us the encouragement and he will make a way and he will guide us and lead us and so Paul is talking about his own journey, the sufferings and afflictions that he endured and he's Paul is very aware and he's that's why he's writing about this or mentioning about it in verse six seven and eight that he's going to be you know martyred soon, he's going to die soon and his life will be offered up for the sake of the gospel, so look at how he talks about his life being offered up he's saying for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering now why do you think Paul is talking about this scenario or you know of being poured out as a drink offering any ideas when you look at drink offering what comes to your mind any thoughts it's okay even if you're wrong you can was Paul about to like die or yes he's going to die so he's saying he's being poured out as a drink offering but why does he say you know being poured out as a drink offering why does he use this imagery so when you look at the word offering yes to Bega I think it is because Paul being a Roman Roman citizen he knew the kind of death he was supposed to die they were supposed to behave him and the the way the the blood would be flowing it would be in the same way blood used to flow I mean an offering used to be offered thank you yes thank you Lou Bega so here basically you know Paul is talk is a Jew and so you know Jews are so the sacrificial system is so ingrained in them it's just part and parcel of their daily lives you know the temple the sacrifices the rituals that they used to follow so here he's saying he's being poured out as a drink offering he's basically talking about the drink offering that was made every day in the temple as a morning and evening sacrifice you know in the temple you know every day there was this morning and evening sacrifice that was made and there was a and we read this in Exodus chapter 29 was 40 and 41 where a lamb was taken you know and the lamb was sacrificed and was as a toning sacrifice for the sins of the people for the day and you know also one tenth of an effer of flower and of a mix with you know one fourth of a hint of pressed oil and one fourth of a hint of wine which was a drink offering so the the lamb that was sacrificed was burnt on the altar and the blood that was sprinkled basically resembled the toning sacrifice it was made for the sins of the people and this the grain offering or the drink offering that was made every morning and evening along with the lamb that was sacrificed was basically an offering that was a consecrating offering of consecration so what the people were saying is we are not only you know a toning for our sins but we as people of God you know are consecrating our lives we're setting our lives apart for this holy god who lives in our midst who speaks to us who comes in our midst so you know just basically consecrating themselves so this meal offering or this drink offering is also the the tithes the days to give so they're consecrating the very lives they're consecrating everything that they have to God so Paul you know did not view his execution as you know a cruel tragedy or as an unfair treatment for the many years of that he has served in preaching and teaching the gospel but he actually saw his life as the culminating offering of a sacrificial life and it's so beautiful right just to of course you know Paul was a zealous Jew he was so grounded in the Jewish law the Jewish systems the rituals so he knew everything so well and so look at how he is looking at his life he's looking at his life not as you know going to be ending in a cruel tragedy or as an unfair treatment for the many years that he has served has been faithful to the Lord but he's seeing his life as you know a culminating offering of a sacrificial life after the sacrificial lamb has you know was being placed on the altar just before that you know the fire was lit you know the priest used to pour out that you know the quarter of wine and it was the it was the final sacrifice poured out on the existing sacrifice the existing sacrifice was that lamb and the final sacrifice was that drink offering which was the wine that was poured so that is how Paul viewed his his own death his his whole life he's been you know he's saying his whole life has been living as a sacrifice that is you know being presented unto God now he's saying even in his death you know he's like that drink offering so the lamb is being kept on that altar just ready to be the the fire to be lit on that lamb but just before that the priest pours out that drink offering so that is the final sacrifice for the existing sacrifice and so Paul is saying hey even as I've you know lived my entire life as this the sacrifice you know but now my my death is like that that wine that is poured on the existing sacrifice you know poured on top of that like a drink offering so you know he's basically meaning to say that you know it's important to finish well you know and he's saying that we also need to view all of our life as an act of sacrificial worship to God so beautiful right we need to view our lives as a sacrificial worship to the Lord and if you remember what we read in Romans chapter 12 verse 1 you know Paul says therefore I urge you brothers in the view of God's mercy to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy pleasing and acceptable to God which is our spiritual service of worship so how beautifully Paul is viewing his life in the given circumstances in the given situations in the loneliness in the despair in the frustration in the brokenness but he's looking at his entire life as an act of sacrificial worship and his death you know as a drink offering that is poured on top of it so you know his whole attitude to serving God was not one of you know you know receiving just praise and acclamation from God or just from others but you know and the same should be with us as well you know where we serve God not just to receive praise for men not just to receive you know to be applauded by men but you know we serve Christ as an act of worship towards him okay so even if things are not going your way people are bad mounting you people are gossiping behind your back you know it's okay you know you are you have laid your life as an sacrificial offering on the altar as a sacrificial worship to the Lord and your life is being you need to ensure that your life is a good pleasing sacrifice in its in his presence in his midst and also that you know our life is an aroma of Christ like Paul says you know we need to be an aroma of Christ everywhere we go and you know God tells the prophet Haggai and he writes in the book of Haggai says you know God tells him shut the door of the temple because your worship is like noise to my ears and your sacrifice is just testable in my sight why because of course he would he say you know you take all of these you bring me lame and sick animals he says you know try presenting this to your governors will they accept this offering but you have the you know you bring it to me and so God was so displeased with the sacrifices and all the people that what people were doing you know and that is a reminder for us you know when we are serving God is our worship is our preaching our teaching is our sacrifice or all that we are doing just noise to God's ears and it is is a testable that he's saying hey stop you know it's something that we need to look into our own lives and see if our lives are being an aroma of Christ and if our lives are being that you know spiritual act of worship or spiritual service of worship to God okay so Paul is basically telling Timothy we need to finish well and you know in God's service and even as Paul was a great apostle to the Gentiles you know even as he did more than any other apostles in spreading the gospel than any other person in church history we see that you know he views his life as something that has to be expendable which means you know a little relatively little significance for himself but a life that is willing to just be laid down for God willing to be abandoned from every selfish desires and motives and pleasures and you know willing to just be destroyed for the sake of Christ okay so he's saying you know we could finish well or he's saying I can finish this race well because you know I see my life as something that is expendable as a drink offering okay and Paul writes about this similar on these similar lines in they told the Ephesian elders in Acts chapter 20 verse 24 he says but I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I will see from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God you know sometimes when in ministry we you know we fight against people who question our authority who you know who challenge us who gossip behind us who talk bad about us because you know it is you know it's our egos are stirred up our pride is stirred up and you know we want to fight against them but Paul is saying hey you know I'm living my life laying have laid it down for Christ and everything that I'm doing is like a sacrificial offering to God and because of how he views his life and how he views his death you know we see or we read what he says you know there's a deep sense of accomplishment in what he says he says what he's done in his life he says you know I fought a good fight you know which is a deep sense of accomplishment he says I've finished the race which means he says I've completed what I God has called me to do and to say that you know is something really great and he's saying I've kept the faith that means I've fulfilled what God has called me to do and there's a crown laid up for me so there is a reward there is an expectation of hope a reward that he is looking forward to just so powerful and just so wonderful to read how Paul views his life how he views his death and I think you know this is so important for us to to receive to see for ourselves to also lay down our lives as a sacrificial offering to God as an act of service so that no matter what happens no matter how people treat us what they say what they do you know nothing is going to hinder us from fulfilling what God has called us to do and accomplishing what he has purpose for us to do okay any questions any doubts anything anyone likes to say on these verses with powerful verses you know we learn so much not just from Paul's writings and teachings but just from his life as well you know just for him to say imitate me like I imitate Christ is something and it's just so powerful and I think it's not just Paul but all of us who God wants us to come to that place of Christ's likeness of bearing the image of Christ so that we can portray him any questions any doubts not we'll move on to verses 9 to 11 can somebody read verses 9 to 11 please be diligent to come to me quickly for Demis has forsaken me having loved this present world and has departed for Thessalonica prisons for Galatium Titus for Dalmatia only Luke is with me get Mark and bring him with you for for he is useful to me for ministry thank you Rosalind so Paul is basically longing to see Timothy's you know he's longing to see Timothy because he says here you know others have left him and only Luke is with Paul we also read a very sad account of Demis who's a fellow worker with Paul Paul mentions about him in Colossians chapter 4 verse 14 and Philemon chapter 1 verse 24 you know he basically Demis must have probably traveled with Paul ministered with Paul and seen all the things that Paul has done how he's ministered listen to his teaching and all of that you know but he's now forsaken Paul and the work of the kingdom and he's drawn away by the things of the world so this is a warning for us you know we can be people who are in the world preaching teaching in ministry also with fellow believers or ministers who are strong in the world rooted in Christ we've been built up we've been strengthened but if we are not working out our salvation with fear and trembling every day you know any one of us you know it could be any one of us who could easily be drawn away for the things of the world and fall away so it's a warning to be on guard you know and a warning to watch our life and our testimony very very closely okay and he's telling Timothy you know watch your life and your your ministry very closely so that you don't abandon your calling your ministry that God has given to you and be drawn away from the things of this world just like Demis and we do not know what happened to Demis but just Paul mentions a few things about him and that is all we know and then in verse 11 he says only Luke is with me it's very interesting to see that you know Luke here is referring to John Mark who is Barnabas's nephew and interesting what Paul writes and he says he's useful for me in the ministry but if you know of Paul's association first association with Luke or John Mark it did not go very well when Paul went on his first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas went together you know Barnabas took his nephew John Mark and they left to Antioch and they went to the seaport town of Caesarea and from there they sailed to Cyprus and then they came when they come to the east coast of Cyprus you know they went all around to the west coast and when they reached the west coast of Cyprus you know John Mark would have had enough of traveling and ministry he wanted a break he maybe he felt homesick he wanted to go back home and Paul did not take that very nicely he Paul was very upset he did not forget about that and you know when Paul wanted to go on the second missionary journey so he calls Barnabas to come along with him and Barnabas tells him that hey let's take John Mark along with us to accompany us as a team you know Paul disagrees and they had such a sharp disagreement the disagreement was so sharp so strong that Paul and Barnabas split ways because of John Mark so we see that Barnabas took John Mark and went you know on a missionary journey and we see Paul took Silas and went to Antioch but you know later on you know maybe Paul would have heard all the ministry the good things that John Mark was doing he would have met him associated with him see how he's doing his ministry how God is working in his life and you know Paul set right his his understanding his his his perspective on John Paul sorry John Paul John Mark and you know he he takes him on his missionary journeys and we see that during the last days of his life John Mark is with Paul and Paul tells says that you know he's being very useful for Paul in the ministry so there's something that we can learn from Paul here that yes he had a misunderstanding or he wrongly judged or misjudged John Mark but then even if he was right but you know John Mark would have changed we don't know but Paul sets his thinking right and you know he associates with him he let goes of what has happened in the past so the same thing that we need to learn and do you know yes people would have heard us people have done things that are not right or wrong but maybe they have set themselves right maybe we have you know misjudged them misread what they said or doing but when we know that you know we have been in the wrong you know we need to set things right not hold things people's past against them let it go once we see them walking in God's ways doing things that are honoring God's sight ministry in a powerful way and that is so redeeming when people don't look at your past but look at what God has done for them now you know we also need to do that with each other even as ministers of God even as you know husbands wives with our spouses with our children with our in-laws the family members you know just set things right when we see people change when people come back when people relate to us in a nice way we need to let go of people's past and work with them or associate with them and just don't hold people's past against them okay we'll move on if anyone has any questions all of you with me yes no okay thank you Zalatoli we just have one more minute so we will be looking at verses 12 to 5 12 to 15 when we come back after the break so we'll take a break now and come back and look at verses 12 to 15 thank you everyone