 Good morning everyone and welcome to class. How are all of you doing this morning? Welcome to all our online students and also our eLearning students will be joining us later. Thank you all for joining class this morning. And before we begin, can I ask one of our online students to lead us in prayer please? Can you please unmute your mics and please lead us in prayer? Online students, anyone? Sister, can I pray? Yes, thank you. Heavenly Father, thank you a lot for this day, this morning. We come before your presence a lot in one account my Lord, all the students who are gathered here this morning my Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom and understanding to learn the word my Master that you have especially said this morning for us my Lord, that we may grow in our knowledge in understanding the God you are my Master Lord, that we may love you more and that we may serve you more in the mighty name of Jesus I pray, amen. Amen. Thank you, Getrued. I would like to say that Getrued is, you know, it's actually late night for you, right? Getrued, now? What time is it? Now I'm in Dubai I travel from Chicago then next week I'm going back to Goa. Okay, okay. But then, in respect of your age, you are so enthusiastic and just love the joy of the Lord that is your strength and also your enthusiasm in this age. Getrued is much older compared to all of us. You are a grandmother as well, right? Getrued? Yes, I am 73 years old. Yes, 73 years old but such an enthusiasm just loved your enthusiasm. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yes. Okay, so we'll begin. We were looking at this publication, Fulfilling God's Purpose for Your Life and what have we been studying so far? Sorry, God has a plan and a purpose and a dream for our lives. Okay, what else did we learn? Does God reveal it to us? Does God reveal his plan and purpose for our lives? Yes, he does. How does he guide us through his word? Okay, the first thing we saw was through his word and then we're going to look at nine more different guide posts or nine different ways on how God reveals his plans and his purposes for us. How is God's plan and purpose for us? It's good, okay? It's just good, excellent, perfect, right? What do we need to do if we need to know God's will and plan for our lives? You need to ask him, okay, what else? Chapter one, what else did we learn? Only ask him, meditate. You need to cooperate with God. Yes, you ask him, you rely on his word, you need to cooperate with God and also you need to take those steps of faith. Yes, there will be hardships, there will be difficulties but you don't give up, right? You don't stop. You endure, you have perseverance. You continue running your ways and then we look at one of the nine ways that God leads but these are not just the nine ways that I've written in this book. There are many different ways that God can lead us but we have just listed nine ways and we looked at the first one which is the first one, God's word, he leads us through his word. The second one is seeds in our life. Okay, so we know that seeds are very small. They look very insignificant, right? They are not of any significance, not of any importance and they're very little but that is how God begins things in our life. Okay, God begins things in our life in a very small way. So when God gives you something, it can look very small, it can look very insignificant, it can look like as of to say it has no, you know, no growth in that, no potential but just like this small seed when you sow it in the ground, what can happen? It will grow into a big plant, it can grow into a big tree, it can give fruits, it can give flowers, so it has a lot of potential. Okay, it has, it's full of, so the seeds that God gives us is full of his promises, is full of his potential, it's full of life. What we need to do is when God gives it to us sometimes, you know, we think when God gives us something, it will be a great fun fanfare, you know, like be like, what do you say? Full noise, show, excitement but sometimes when he, most of the time when he gives us something, it will be in a very simple, in a very small beginning, in a small way but it does not mean that God does not have anything big for us, okay? So whatever God has given us in our lives whether it's the gifts he's given us, the talents, we will look at what the seeds are, you know, it can look very small, it can look very insignificant but it's full of life, it's full of potential and it's full of promise and what we need to do is we need to recognize it. We need to know what are the seeds God has put in our life, okay? And we need to nurture it just like when you put the seed in the ground, we just don't leave it, right? If it's a rainy season, it can grow but then after summer comes, it will drive, there is no water. So we nurture it, we pour water, we give manure, we take care of it and then it builds up. So what we need to do with God's seeds given in our life is we need to recognize it. We have to know it, we have to begin to nurture it, build on it, work on it, okay? And it will grow into something big which will be a blessing for God and a blessing for His kingdom. It will enhance His kingdom, it will build His kingdom, it will extend His kingdom. Now in the Bible we see that God's word is compared to a, or the seed is compared to what in God's word. In the Bible what is in different places, the seed is compared to what, okay? Lucy says it is compared to the word of God, yes. What else is seed compared to in scripture in the Bible? Gives talents, okay? What else? Money is compared to seeds, right? When you've given talents, God is looking for multiplication, the parable of talents, you know, one got five, the other one got three, one got one, you know, talent and they multiply it. God is looking for multiplication, okay? And also the seed is compared to what in the Bible, the word of God, money and to the kingdom of God, right? In very many parables Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a seed, you know, when to sow the seed. If you look at Mark chapter 4 verses 26 to 32, Charles says that, and Sam Daniel says that faith is also compared to a seed, yes, a mustard seed. Mark chapter 4 verses 26 to 32, we see that, you know, this man went to sow seeds and he sowed the seeds, he took care of it, it grew into a plant, it gave grains and he harvested a nice and a rich harvest, okay? So God was comparing the seed to the kingdom of God, where we need to labor, we need to work and, you know, we need to sow into people's life and we will reap a rich harvest for the kingdom of God. And in verse 31 of the same chapter in Mark chapter 4, what is, what seed is used there? Which seed is used there? Mustard seed, yes. What happens to mustard seed? When it's the most tiniest seed, but when it's sown in the ground, what happens? It grows up, it grows bigger and bigger, you know, then all the herbs and has large branches that even the birds of the earth can come and nest under its shade. So it's basically saying that, you know, when God gives us the seeds in our life can be very small, can be very insignificant, but it has potential, it has life, it has the promise to grow and to become big just like this mustard seed, okay? It grows, it becomes big, it's a herb, we can, people use it to eat for cooking and also the birds of the air come and rest under its shade. So it's giving life, it's giving enhancing life for others as well. So the mustard seed is compared to the kingdom of God where, you know, when we use those seeds that God has given to us, can nurture it, we build it and it grows into something big, it will enhance God's kingdom, it will further God's kingdom and it will build God's kingdom, okay? So what could be the seeds in our life? We looked at what seeds are in the scripture, in the scripture seeds refer to the word of God, to money and to the kingdom of God, yes. Now what could these seeds mean in our life, in your life, in my life? Now these seeds could be in special opportunities that God puts in your life, okay? Maybe God is putting a special opportunity in your life where you are able to grow in the potential in the seed, in the talent or the gift that God has given to you. So then you realize, hey, you know, I didn't know I have this potential, I didn't know I have this gift and then you can recognize what is your seed and you can use it to build God's kingdom. So it can be special opportunities, it can even be special contacts, people that God brings into your life, you know, people who will help you mentor you, will help you nurture you, grow you in spiritually and will speak into your life and tell you, hey, I think you're talented in this area, why don't you do something about it, okay? So for example, when I was in Bible college, I never had this in my mind that I'm going to do children's ministry, I always wanted to do counseling, you know, but I see, I always saw myself in, you know, in ways that God was opening opportunities and doors for me to work among children, okay? So on campus we had all of our teachers were staying, mad at students were staying and their children and they put me in children's ministry. Now we used to have weekend ministries, in Sunday's we were all assigned to churches in the city where we had to go from our Bible college and the church where I was going, they assigned me for Sunday school, okay? And when I was, I don't know whether because I'm a woman, you know, they think women should naturally be in children's church or in Sunday school, they put me in Sunday school. Even during the week when we had weekly ministries, they put me in school outreach ministry and it was not something that I was really interested in, but I would, now when I look back, it was just God opening opportunities for me to, you know, get myself acquainted or get myself to know how to function in children's ministry, to learn about children's ministry and also God put a mentor, a leader who was very good in children's ministry, who was our leader and he taught me so many things in, about children's ministry. So you see, God knew what is his plan and purpose for my life, what he wants, which area of ministry wants me to get into or involved in after Bible college and I was thinking something totally different. I was thinking about counseling. So even when we had in our Bible college, we have, you know, seven months of practical where we, after our second year exams, we third year, we get into seven months of practical where we go and work or minister in some city or go back to our own churches and minister, but I went to Kolkata because I was interested in counseling. I worked with drug addicts and alcoholics. I was counseling them. Even the theses that I wrote for my Bible college, you know, was on drug addiction and alcoholism because that was my interest, but it was not God's plan and purpose for me. Even when I went to Kolkata and I was counseling drug addicts and alcoholics, I stayed with children. They picked up from Haura platform. I was ministering to them. I was also ministering to children, you know, the street ministry project. I was also teaching in the school that our ministry had. I was teaching scripture. So even as I was running away from children's ministry, God was pulling me back. He was bringing. He was giving me opportunities. He was giving me opening doors for me and helping me to learn and then even after Bible college, I wanted to go back and work with drug addicts and alcoholics, but you know, God did not open the door for me there. I stayed back in Bangalore city and I remember I was just, you know, doing some writing work for a professor in theology. I wrote a book on Old Testament characters, leadership traits of Old Testament characters and then I joined this family ministry that I was just doing, you know, arranging programs for them. And one day, you know, the head of this family ministry, he looked at me and said, hey, you're very good with children. Why don't you start a children's ministry? See, so every time, you know, I was going away from it. God was opening doors. He was opening opportunities for me to get into children's ministry. Somebody has your hand up. Anyone wants to say something? Okay. So, you know, God opens doors and opportunities like this. He also brings in people, you know, who mentor you, who train you, who teach you. Like in this family ministry, I never knew that I'm going to start a ministry for children. And I started a project for a professor in schools. Sorry, somebody wants to be admitted. Jennifer Victoria, do you belong to this class? Hello, Jennifer. I've allowed you inside but do you belong to this class? Jennifer, can you please unmute and speak? Yeah, yes ma'am, I belong to this class. Then how were you not able to get into class because it's all automated? I was not. I was trying for some time because I'm not sure whether it is a network issue. No problem because sometimes students, you know, accidentally get into the wrong class so that I just wanted to check. Anyway, welcome Jennifer. Thank you. So, what was I saying? Sorry, the family ministry, you know, started a project for school children. So, you see, the seed that God put in my life was to minister for two children. So, he opened opportunities. He put people, special contacts, people that God brings into our life to shape our life, to move us to influence us in a certain way that God is looking. It could also be dreams and visions that God gives you. You can see certain people in certain regions of the world or you can see children or you can see poor children or you can see women who are abused or you can see, you know, old women and men and you are wondering why I'm always having dreams of old people or why I'm having only dreams of women who are beaten up or why am I having dream of this place? You know, I can see it. It's near the sea and then you are praying and God gives you the name of that place and maybe he's saying this is a place I wanted to go as a mystery. So, sometimes it's through dreams. Sorry, sometimes it's through prophetic word. You know, people's prophesy over your life. They speak over your life. So, all these things, you know, which can alter the course of your life, the prophetic words could be the seeds in your life. So, you know what is the seeds in your life, right? Okay? So, it could be a special opportunities, special contacts, people that bring, God brings into your life to shape your life, to move you, to influence you in a certain way. It could be dreams. It could also be prophetic words that are spoken over you, you know, which can totally alter the course of your life. So, Daniel says, ma'am, can we say that God allows us to do different things in order to prepare us for his plan? Yes, but we need to be, we need to know because God works in patterns. So, if you look at my example, you would see that there was a pattern in which God was working. So, even when, before I went to Bible college, I was just in 12th grade, but I was teaching in Children's Church in Sunday School. Then I went to Bible college, you know, I didn't want to be involved in Children's Ministry, but I landed up in all three ministries whether it's weekend ministry, whether it's church ministry, or during the week it was children. Then when I came out and I went for my 7-year internship, I was doing counseling, but I ended up also working with children. So, you need to see the pattern in which God is working. When you see the pattern, then you know, hey, this is a seed. This is what God wants me to do. This is what he's encouraging me, building me up. This is a seed that God is using to build his kingdom. So, now being 22 years in ministry, I've been doing Children's Ministry for the last 22 years, you know, I've just seen that this is where God wanted me to be. Of course, I counsel children but not counseling drug addicts and alcoholics, but being in Children's Ministry and being in Children's Ministry, I've seen how God has amazingly given me the skills, the creativity, the expertise that I need to build Children's Ministry. Now we look, did that help, Daniel? So, yes, God allows us to do different things. We will talk about that, experimenting, okay? We can experiment different things and then we know we are good in something. Then we say, hey, yeah, this is the area where God wants me to work in or this is the seed that he's using to enhance his kingdom. We'll look at that in a little bit. We look at some examples from the Bible about how to recognize seeds in our lives by looking at these biblical examples. The first example is Joseph in the Bible, okay? Not the father of Jesus, but Joseph in the Old Testament. Now when you look at Joseph's life, what do you think was a seed? When you look at Joseph's life, what do you think was a seed? Anyone? Dreams, interpreting dreams, okay? And then eventually the interpreting of dreams led him to what? To being a leader, right? So, his seed was basically leadership and what was God using dreams to get him to that position, okay? So, we see that at the very early age, you know, the seed that was in Joseph was dreams. He had two dreams, right? He dreamt the sun, moon and the stars were all buying down to him, which when we interpreted, it was his father, mother and his brothers buying down to him. And also in his dream, he saw his sheave or his bundle of grain right in the center and all of his brothers' bundles of grain buying down to Joseph's sheave or his bundles. So, they said, hey, are we going to bow down to you? You are smaller than us. You know, are we you? Are you going to become greater than us? So, here these dreams God was giving him was an indication of what his future was, okay? The future that God had in store for him. God was telling him that God was going to raise him up to a position to a place of great influence and prominence to a place where even his own people, even his own brothers would come and bow down before him. So, God was telling him about his future through his dreams from a very early childhood, okay? The next one is Moses. What do you think was the seed in Moses' life? Everything was a seed in Moses' life. Anyone? Online students? To be a leader to save his people. Okay, to be a leader to save his people, okay? But what was the seed? Knowledge? Yes, how did he get the knowledge? Yes, he was in the Pharaoh's palace, okay? So, we see that when Moses was small, okay, as a baby, all of them, the Pharaoh gave a verdict or a law, a rule that all the male born Israelite babies, Hebrew babies had to be thrown in the river, Nile, okay? So, all of them who were along with Moses, a little older, were all thrown in the river Nile, but Moses did not die. He was protected, okay? And we know that when they put him in the basket, put him in the river Nile. What happens? Pharaoh's daughter takes him and says, this is my own son. So, he's brought up as a prince in the palace and he's raised up to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt, okay? And he's given all the training, everything that he requires to be the next Pharaoh. But there was a season in Moses' life, which we read in Acts 7. We see that, you know, Moses recognized or realized that it was not that he was in this palace, not for him to become just the next Pharaoh, but God's plan and purpose why he was there was to set his people free, to deliver his people from bondage and from slavery. So, he knew that God had raised him up to be a deliverer, okay? God had raised him up to be a deliverer and was not by accident that God caused him to be raised up in Pharaoh's house, you know, with all the skills that he requires to be a leader, with all the wisdom, knowledge that he requires to be a leader, but it was a special plan and purpose that God raised him up because he wanted him to be a deliverer, to deliver his people out of Egypt, okay? The next one is David. What do you think is the seeds in David's life? Musician, yes, and what else? Yes, a soldier and a warrior, okay? Yes, you know, he was a shepherd, but we see that, you know, when he was very young, David was anointed to be the next king. But we know that David had already earned a reputation among his people that he was a skilled musician and a mighty warrior because if you read 1 Samuel chapter 16 was 18, we see that one of the servants tells King Saul that, you know, he says, I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the liar. He's a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man and the Lord is with him, okay? So here is a servant testifying about David to King Saul and he's saying that he's a brave man, he's a warrior, he speaks well and he's a handsome, fine-looking man and also says the Lord is with him. So it was not till David, you know, defeated Goliath that people knew that he was a warrior or, you know, he had killed a bear and a lion and was a skilled musician and he speaks well and is a fine-looking man, the Lord is with him, but even before that they knew who David really was, okay? So we see that this was the season of his life, a good reputation of being skilled of being a mighty warrior and also, you know, somebody who the Lord was with him speaking well and a fine-looking man which led him to be the king, which led him to be the leader, leading the people of Israel, okay? What about Esther? What do you think is the seed in Esther's life? Beauty, yes. So for Joseph we saw what was the seed? Joseph dreams, okay? Moses, he was raised up in Pharaoh's palace, he had the opportunity to be the deliverer, to deliver his people, okay? So you know the seed means opportunity, okay? People that come into our life and for David, yes, warrior God gave him the opportunity to prove himself to be a mighty warrior. He sent the bear and the lion and people spoke about how mighty he was, okay? He was also a skilled musician. Now for Esther it was her beauty, the beauty, the seed in Esther's life was her beauty because of which, where did she land up? Because of her beauty. She landed up in a palace, she landed up marrying a pagan king, which as a Jew she should not be marrying, okay? And sometimes we think beauty is something that, you know, God won't use. Sometimes we think beauty is so worldly but God used that seed of beauty in Esther's life to save his people, to save the Jews, okay? And then she became a queen, okay? And then we see that she was able to save her people from being annihilated or being killed, being wiped away totally in the citadel of Susa or Persia, okay? I'd just like to give you an example about what is the seed in my life. So I already told you when I was very young, I didn't know I was going to do children's ministry but when I was very young, I loved children, okay? And all the children in the church where I was worshipping, you know, I used to play with them after church service and if any child was missing, the parents would be looking for it and they'll say, did you see my child? Did you see my child? And they say, find Selena and you will find your child with her, okay? So I used to love children and also, you know, when I was young, I love to do vacation Bible school, which means I like to run my own vacation Bible school. Of course, we had one in church but I would like to run one my own thing at home for my sister. So I had three sisters and I used to bribe them. I used to say you attend my Bible school. I like to teach you. I'm going to run a vacation Bible school at home during summer holidays and if you attend, I will give you juice and I will give you some, you know, treats or give you some snacks and I used to go to the pastor and I used to get, you know, I used to think what are the topics I'm going to teach my sisters and I used to bring all the topics, get the Bible verses. I used to study it. I used to prepare it and I used to teach them and sometimes I never used to come. They say your school is boring. We don't want to come or I'm feeling tired. I want to go and sleep and I used to prepare everything and then I never realized that one day when I grow up, I am going to eventually be doing it year after year, year after year. I'm going to just be ministering to children. I'm going to be running children's ministry. I'm going to be doing a kids conference or vacation Bible school every year but I didn't realize that when I was small. So you see how God was using the seed of a desire or a love for children, desire to teach even my own sisters to prepare the curriculum to teach just two of my sisters, you know, doing everything how God was just building me up. So even as we are looking at the seeds in our life, you look at the seeds in different, you know, people in the Bible, I explained about the seed in my life, you know, basically God is conveying through the seeds, conveying a message that, you know, he has a plan and a purpose and a direction for our lives. So we need to take time to look into our own lives and say, hey, what is the seed in my life? Recognize the seed in your life. Just take a moment to think about it and, you know, when you recognize the seed, you will know which direction which plan, you know, which way or what is God's plan and purpose for your life. Now, even as I said that God has, you know, put seeds in our life and he's going to use that to reveal his plan and purpose for us, I also want to give us this warning that, you know, even as God sows kingdom seeds in our life, Satan also or the enemy also can sow weed seeds in our life. Okay, so just like God sows seeds to build his kingdom, the enemy can also sow weed seeds that then destroy our lives that can take us away from God s plan and purpose for our lives. Okay, so these weed seeds that the enemy puts in is basically to choke us, okay, or to confuse us or to, you know, break our focus or to divert our attention away from God s plan and purpose for our lives. We ought to be very, very careful. Now, what are these weed seeds that Satan s sows? Sometimes it can be the action of our parents. You know, our parents go through divorce or one of our parents pass away when we are very small or when we are young. You know, it leaves a great emptiness in our hearts. There s bitterness, there s hatred, there s anger. Sometimes there s anger towards God. Sometimes we think, you know, God has not been fair with us. He s not been good to us. You know, so these can be the weed seeds. Also, it can be the action of our parents in terms of divorce. You know, and our parents are separated. They are fighting. They are not staying together or maybe, you know, one of our parents leaves the family and goes away with someone else. There s adultery that happens. It causes deep pain and deep anger, bitterness in our lives. These are the weed seeds that Satan s sows. Anger, bitterness, hatred. All that we want to do is retaliate. All that we do want to do is take revenge. We need to be very careful and we need to identify these weed seeds and we need to uproot it and ask God to help us. Otherwise, it can destroy the work of God in our lives. Sometimes these weed seeds can also be abuse, child abuse. Now, some of you, you know, your parents have beaten you up. You know, parents come, father comes home drunk and you know, just beats you, kicks you, beats your mother. You know, there s a lot of pain that is in your heart. You ve not forgotten it. You ve not gotten over it. You know, or it can even be sexual abuse. You ve been sexually abused by somebody as a child. You know, at least a deep emotional pain and a dent in your life. So these are weed seeds that Satan will keep on bringing into your mind. It grows and you know, it kind of dulls and kind of hinders you from seeing God s good plan and purpose for your life and also hinders you and destroys the kingdom work, the kingdom seeds that God has in your life. So you need to also recognize what are the weed seeds and you need to know what are these. Get help. Ask God to help you. Pray, release it. Let go of it. Ask God to fill you with His love and to heal you. Okay. So that is recognizing the seeds in your life. Anyone has any questions? Yes. Can you please take the mic? Is there a mic you can give him? Yes. What would say I am God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Okay. Why not Joseph? Joseph also struggling in our life. Okay. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called the patriarchs. Abraham was one that God gave the promise that through you all the nations of the world will be blessed and that is his inheritance, which is the people of Israel. And also we as Gentiles, when we become believers, we are actually, we receive righteousness, we are made righteous by faith because through grace. Okay. So we become part of the blessing that God had given to Abraham. It s not just through his seeds, it s not just meaning his inheritance in terms of the Israelite race, but all who believe by faith. So Abraham was justified or made righteous not because of circumcision, but because of his faith. He put faith in what God had asked him to do and because he trusted God and had the faith to step out, he was made righteous. He was made righteous because he trusted in God because he put this faith in God even before the circumcision ritual was given to him. So also all of us will be justified by faith, we are made righteous not by works, not by circumcision rituals, but because of our faith in Jesus Christ. And we become part of the promise that God gave Abraham. So Abraham son was Isaac, the promise was passed on to him and Jacob because they know he s also called as Israel. So these are the three patriarchs that they refer to. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Okay. Sanjay s question is, how does Jeremiah 29, 11 relate to or throw more light on kingdom seeds in our life? Okay, Jeremiah 29 was 11 says, the Lord says, I know the plans I have for you, right? Plans to cross the one. Paul, I don t know why Paul is saying this. Yes. I know the thoughts that I have think towards you, the Lord says, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. Okay. Kingdom seeds in our life. Yes. So whatever seeds that God has for us, it s a seed that is going to give us a hope and a future. And also when we are doing exactly what is God s plan and purpose for our life, we will have the amazing peace of God. Okay. We will have the amazing peace of God because we will know that yes, we are right in the center of God s plan and purpose for our life. And also when we are pursuing the right seed, you know, being in the right place, doing what God wants us to do, you know, we will have a hope and a future. Does that help Sanjay? So for example, if I was continuing to counsel drug addicts and alcoholics, you know, I would just be doing what I wanted to do, not doing God s will or plan and purpose for my life. I may not see fulfillment. I might not see fruit or breakthroughs or you know, things the way that I want to see. I will be toiling but I will see very less fruit and I will not also experience joy and peace. But I realize that just being in the center of God s will doing what God wants me to do is the best thing. And I know that being in children s ministry, you know, I just enjoy God s peace. I just enjoy the favor of God. I just see the move of God. I see God, way God orchestrates things, gives me the ideas, brings in people just so wonderful. And I just stand amazed at his work. Does that help Sanjay? Yes. Okay, get through. Do you have a question? Yes, sister. I just wanted to ask you, I mean the Jewish children, you know, they are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Well, Jesus was born there and yet still they do not believe in Jesus. I mean, the seed was born through them. Jesus came from the seed of David and still they don t recognize Jesus as their savior and they are still waiting for a Messiah. Can you just tell me like why this is happening? Yes, it s basically because, you know, they have kind of misinterpreted the Old Testament scripture even during Jesus s time they did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah because they were looking for a political Messiah. They were not looking for a Messiah who would bring them salvation. They were looking for a king who would basically deliver them from the Roman bondage and rule. They were, you know, the Jews were under the Roman rule, Roman law. They were feeling oppressed, having to pay taxes very heavily and so they were looking for a political Messiah and they had totally misinterpreted scripture. One thing could be just because you know, the Jews, all the Jews did not have access to the Torah. It was only the scribes or the teachers of the law and what they thought. So a lot of misreading or misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the Messiah and they thought the Messiah would be a political Messiah who would come and deliver them from the Roman rule but they failed to realize that, you know, look at the passages in Isaiah 40, 41, 42, 43 that talks about the Messiah would come as a servant king. And the suffering Messiah, the suffering servant that Isaiah reveals in his book. So they failed to realize that and they were looking for their always looking for their own freedom. They were looking for their own welfare because they thought, you know, they were the chosen race. They had the law, they had the prophets, they had the commandments, theirs was the you know, the covenant were given to them. They were the upper race and so they cannot be under subjection to any rule or any authority and they had the superior feeling over everyone and that is why even Paul writing to the church at Rome he's addressing the Jews, you know, he's saying that it's not only because you rejected the gospel of salvation has gone to the Gentiles but God has, but in Romans Paul says but God is still not forgotten you Jews. He's still going to work with you. He still has plan and purpose. He's still going to work out his salvation and your Jews are going to repent and turn back to God. So yes, God is not forgotten about the Jews even though they have rejected him and the gospel has gone to the Gentiles but in Romans Paul says even though it's gone to Gentiles, God has not forgotten them. He still has the plan of salvation. He is going to draw them back to himself and the Jews are going to come back to God. So they're still waiting the Jews, some of the Jews are still waiting for the political Messiah. They're still going looking for the Redeemer King to come but they're not looking for someone who is, you know, who is this person who's cursed, who's, you know, hanging on the cross because they think that the Messiah who's hanging on the cross is somebody who's cursed because cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree, you know. So that's their whole understanding and they still don't look at Jesus as the Messiah as the Son of God. They're still waiting for the political Messiah but, you know, God in his own time is going to work among them and draw them back to himself as we read in the book of Romans. Thank you sister. Yes. Any other questions? Okay, there are no questions and we'll move on to the third guide post, you know, recognize the stirring within it. Okay, sometimes God stirs our hearts up for something and that is leading us towards his plan and his purpose. Now, I'll just give you an example. Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1 to 4. Can somebody read Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1 to 4 please? It's there in your book so somebody can quickly read Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1 to 4. Nehemiah chapter 1 1 to 4. The word of Nehemiah, the Son of H.K. H.K. It came past the mouth of Jesus in 20 years. I think there's some very difficult words. So can somebody else read that if it's okay with you, somebody who is comfortable in reading and English can read quickly please. Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1. Moses, can you please read Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1 to 4. The words of Nehemiah, the Son of H.K. H.K. Of the priests who were Anna thought in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Joash, the son of Ammon, King of Judah in the 13th year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jacob, the son of Joash, King of Judah until the end of 11th year. Are you reading Nehemiah chapter 1 verses 1 to 4? Okay, let me read that. The words of Nehemiah, the Son of H.K. H.K. It came to pass in the month of Chislev in the 20th year as I was in Sushant, the citadel that Hanani, one of my brethren came with men from Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me the survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down and its gates are burned with fire. So it was when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and moaned for many days. I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Okay, so here we see that you know Nehemiah is here in the citadel of Susah, that is Persia. Okay, and he's basically from which place? Nehemiah is from which place? From which place? Jerusalem, yes. Okay, and he's brought here because of during the captivity when the Israelites were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar and so Nehemiah is here away from Jerusalem but his heart is still for his city. Okay, and then there's one of his brothers, Jewish brothers who's gone back to Jerusalem and comes back to the citadel of Susah and Nehemiah asks him hey, how is the city of Jerusalem? How are the people doing? Is there any progress? You know, because everything was destroyed in Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar had burned down everything, destroyed the whole city of Jerusalem. So he says how is the city? Is there any improvement? Is there any growth? And then what does Hanani say? He says, you know, the walls are broken down and the gates are burned with fire. And what happens when Nehemiah hears this? What does Nehemiah do when he hears this? He sat down and he weeks and he mourns. For how many days? For many days and he's fasting and praying before the God of Heaven. Okay, we stop here and come back after the break.