 Welcome back after the break. Just before we went for a break, we said we're talking about, you know, admiring, you know, beauty in women that we see, or when women look at men, you know, just admiring them, appreciating them for their beauty, how handsome they look. That's not a sin, but it's how we handle what we see, where we take it to the next level. That is in our hands, and that's where we need to control ourselves. So that, you know, thought, that gaze, that look can turn to a lustful thought, a desire to possess, you know, can stir up our emotions, and then we can fall into sin. Okay, so we have to take control of our emotions, our thoughts, how do we do that? How do we take control of our emotions and our thoughts? How do we learn our thoughts and our emotions? You have to meditate on scripture. Okay, so, you know, fill your heart and mind with the word of God, so that, you know, when you look at those lustful thoughts come, you know, you can just say Job chapter 31 verse 1 says, I made a covenant with my eyes, when then should I look upon a young woman? Okay, Psalm 101 verse 3 says I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. First Thessalonians 522 abstain from every form of evil. Okay, so God's word is powerful, God's word cleanses us, rebukes us, corrects us and helps us. Okay, how else can we guard ourselves? How else can we guard ourselves? Pray? Okay, yes. You need to speak to that thought. Okay, what am I thinking? You know, I mean, not just when you are, you know, thinking having some lustful thoughts, even if you're having some wrong, wicked thoughts, evil thoughts towards others, are you thinking something that's not right? Hey, what am I thinking? You know, sometimes I do that, you know, when I'm thinking something that is not right, I say, Oh, what am I thinking? How can that thought just come into my mind? I'm so sorry, God, please help me, you know, Holy Spirit, just take this thought away from me. You just speak to yourself, you know, speak, take control of your emotions right then that is coming in your heart and, you know, in your mind. Okay, the other way, another thing that we can do to guard ourselves against women or as women against men is, you know, treat like Paul says, writing to Timothy, he says in 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 1 and 2. Can one of you please read that? 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 1 and 2. Can you pass on that mic so that next one somebody can read when you see it? So here Paul is telling Timothy, how should you treat younger and older women? Older men and women have to treat them, fathers and mothers, how do you treat younger women? Brothers and sisters, sometimes we can call brother and sister but then, you know, we can have all things that are happening that is wrong but he says do it with all purity. You know, sometimes in ministry, we have to interact with people of the opposite sex. You know, we have to, you may have to, sometimes, you know, you'll have people come to ask you to play, you know, they'll share their problems with you, you have to counsel them and encourage them. When you do that, you need to guard your heart and your mind. Keep your motivations, thoughts, your emotions pure in the process as you are helping them. If you sense somebody is approaching you in the wrong way, in the wrong manner, you know, with wrong intentions and affections, then you need to guard yourself, you know, step back, guard yourself. Maybe next time the person come just walk away one or twice, you know, then you're telling that person, hey, I know what is your motive or agenda, you know, or you can just say, you know, going forward, I'm going to put you on to another brother or I'm going to put you on to another sister who can help you because this is how far I can help you, going forward, that person can help you. Just call the person, other person with you, tell them that person, you know, introduce the person to the other person who's counseling them, going to help them and just leave it and move away. That's one way you can guard them. Paul writing to young Titus who's looking after the churches at Ephesus, sorry, Crete. Titus, look at the churches at, overseeing the churches at Crete. Paul writes to him in Titus chapter two, verses three to five. Can one of you please read that? Titus two, three to five? He's the revenant, not standard, not standard, not given too much teachers of the people that they admonish the icon to love their hearts, to love their children, to be discreet, to chase, thank God. Good. Thank you. So here Paul is teaching Titus and saying, you know, let the older women who are teachers or ministering in the church, you know, let them be ones who are teaching and ministering to the younger people. Why is he writing to Titus? Because Titus is a young person and he's the leader. You know, many people will come to him, approach him for that need. So he's telling him in advance that the older women are teaching, who are elders in the church, let them take care of the younger people, let them mentor them, teach them, pray and help them. You take care of the men, okay? So, you know, in ministry, we will have people who come to us, you know, for various needs, but we need to be on guard. If we're spending too much of time counseling, mentoring somebody of the opposite sex and we need to, you know, stop. Okay, that's where we need to, you know, guard ourselves and say, hey, this is this counseling session is one, two, three, four, five sessions now. It's very dangerous because, you know, the person who's coming to you for counseling and for me is emotionally unstable. And you know what happens when a person is emotionally unstable or when somebody's going through a problem or difficulty, you know, their emotional needs are very high. They're looking for somebody to listen to them, accept them, love them, help them. And you're somebody who's spending time listening, helping, guiding, doing everything that it takes in the right way, in the right motive. But the person across is thinking it in another sense of all this, you know, and they become very dependent on it. And what happens, they can be an emotional attachment. And before you know it, you can emotionally get attached to the other person. It's happening. And it's very, very normal, okay, that it happens. We are very emotional beings and we can get carried away. And that is why it's important, you know, one or two counseling sessions find the opposite. If it is going to more and the person needs more help, then put them over to a woman who can help or to a man who can help them and take things forward. And that is what Paul is admonishing a young Titus, okay. When we are leading ministries, we can have women or young people who are leaders, youth leaders, student church pastors, prayer leaders, women or women serving, you know, in church, volunteer heads and various heads. They can be people who are part of our team. So, you know, don't differentiate between a man and woman because, you know, the gifts of the spirit is given equally to both men and women. You know, God's gifts is grace, blessing, empowering, equal for both men and women. So, treat both men and women equally, provide responsibilities for both of them in the areas of their calling their functions, their gifts, so that they can serve, you know, lead and carry on their responsibility. But as, even as they do, we need to expect that they also live the same standards of conduct and accountability just like men. Women doesn't mean that, you know, we give them some leaders, just we kind of be gentle with how we, the men deal with women, you can be gentle with them. Recognize their strengths and weaknesses, but hold them accountable to the same moral, ethical conduct and standards and accountability. But also know they get, they also have the same gifts, grace and the blessings, it's equally given to both men and women. But when you're, you know, leading them lead from a distance, lead women or when women are leading men, lead them only in the area of their ministry related aspects. Now, if a woman is married, then you don't, you know, you don't step into the marriage and tell her what she should be doing in her family, in her, in her relationship with her spouse or if she has a problem and comes to you, that's fine, you can counsel, but you don't step into the area of marriage. You only relate to the person in the area of their responsibilities, spiritual responsibilities or roles that they are handling in church. When it comes to marriage and home, you know, who is the head of the family? The husband, father, they are accountable to the husband and the father and let them, you know, discuss things with their husband. You know, you give them only instructions and guidance in the area of ministries, all other areas, the husband is responsible. Because Ephesians chapter 5 verse 22 says, why submit to your own husband as to the Lord. Okay, so if they need emotional support, if they need companionship, you know, a man cannot give it to a woman, they're not getting it from their husband. You put them on to another senior woman or a mother in the church and another sister in the church who can help them and guide them. You know, stay away sometimes from, you know, it's good to stay away from, you know, not indulging too much or relating too much with the opposite sex because, you know, we all have common emotional needs. What are our common emotional needs? We all want affection. We all want appreciation. You know, we want people to admire us. You know, we want people to convert with us and companionship and trust. This is something that all of us, you know, whoever we are, we know we are very spiritual giants, highly spiritual, all of us need it. And sometimes some of these emotional needs go unmet, you know, and it's not met, we look for it outside. No matter if you don't get affection, appreciation, admiration, you know, people don't admire you, your husband doesn't have time to talk to you, discuss things with you, there's no companionship, you're looking for it in love, you're looking for it outside. You know, either it can be a church where you're ministering or it can be in the workplace and that is why nowadays with the big work schedules, there's a lot of broken marriages and extramarital affairs because husband and wife are working on different ships or, you know, they don't see each other, they don't spend time with each other and you're there in the office, so there is a young man who, you know, talks nicely, they're talking, laughing with that and you get emotionally like that and that is why there is such a, you know, sadly there's a breakage of marriage and adultery, extramarital affairs that are happening in the workplaces, you know, in the corporate offices like Bangalore City and it's sad because people are, you know, their unmet emotional needs are met by somebody outside, okay. So, you know, when that happens, you can get easily attracted and, you know, you can, it can be an area where you can stall and get into a very, a lot of unnecessary things and it can be also a trap that is set by Satan. So, you know, there are some things that you need to avoid. So what are the things that you can avoid? Firstly, Vasudev has put some things that he avoids, you can have your own, you know, one food depending upon your own weaknesses or, you know, a digital strength, whatever, you can, you know, have things that you can avoid. So avoid complimenting ladies, telling them how good they look, how smart, how good they look, I like your saree, I like your dresser, I like your jewelry, avoid complimenting, okay. Avoid complimenting for that look, so they are tired, don't engage in too much of a conversation with the opposite sex. Just whatever is needed, minimum, you know, converse talk, even when you're in the office setup, ministry office setup and do that same thing. You know, avoid trying to be a close companion or an emotional support to some of the opposite sex, okay. These are some things that you can avoid, you want to add to that list, you can add and it's important that we do that, you know. So even for me, it's important that I do that because in our office, we have many young people, you know, we really talk, I'm just very careful, you know, who I go out with lunch, who I go out with coffee and tea, who I'm talking to more, engaging, they're having lunch, you know, not having constantly the same person, you know, every time I get to office. So some of those things, even I need to keep myself on guard and check, unnecessarily don't get, you know, even though you don't have that in your mind, you're sending across some unwanted messages to the other person who can interpret things wrong and sometimes you can think, okay, that is a younger brother, he's 10, 15 years younger to me, so I can treat him like my own brother. It has happened once in my own case, you know, in ministry in the previous place, there was a young boy who came and moved from a very low background. So I was like, and there was like more than 20 years difference between him and me. And you know, I was treating him like a brother, very nice to him, helping him, supporting him. And suddenly one day, you know, he's telling me all strange things and I was totally shocked and I told him, see, you know, I'm just looking at you as a younger brother, and you know, what is my age and what is your age? He said, you know, in love and all in age does it matter. And I'm shocked, and I'm totally shocked. And you know, that, you know, that was one area where I really honestly let my guard down because I thought he's a younger son. And I'm usually very strict with when it comes with relating with men, even in Bible college, you know, all my juniors used to say, well, you get very scared with you, you know, they don't want to come and sit with me in a dining hall in the library because I just lay in my guard. You know, so they say, very scared of you, just one look of you, you know, they're so scared. And I'm very good, you know, I just keep myself because emotionally we're all staying in the Bible college on campus. We can get so emotionally attached unnecessarily. And this happened and I was like, okay, this is the end. You know, no more showing love and affection to anybody if they are not my blood brother. They're not my own blood brother. And that really taught me a lesson. And I'm sharing it because it can happen to any one of us innocently. And then, you know, the relationship goes sour and all of those things and it's just unwanted. And it's very sad. Okay. So you have to have your own personal defense plan. So for a pastor is put down some of his defense plans, you can also have your own, you know, when pastor prays for a lady at the most, his hand on death, or you just stand from the distance and pray. But if they have some problem in some part of the body tells them to put their own hand and then he just prays. You know, if you have to counsel a lady, he just counsels once or twice or then he puts them on to another lady. Okay. If he's meeting some lady individually for discussion, you know, it's in a place where it's visible people can see. So that nothing the person cannot point later on say, you know, this happened, that happened, which was, you know, unnecessary unwanted. Okay. Also keep, you know, a healthy distance, don't engage too much with casual conversation. What he said is avoid hugging the opposite sex, you know, just formal handshake. Sometimes even handshake not required to say hello is more than, you know, nowadays even handshake can be very dangerous. In our days, it's okay, handshake is fine. But now also handshake can be a little more dangerous. I feel that I don't know. You know, and then avoid travelling with another lady or man alone in your own vehicle. You know, you want to just drop on anything. So these are some of the goals that you can have to protect yourself. It's important that you do things to protect yourself. Even now, you say, I'm not in ministry. I'm only in Bible college. More important also in Bible college. Yes, it's very important. But because in our Bible college, a nice study for six years, you are away from home, sometimes emotionally, disturbing, distressed, a lot of things happen. Unwanted, it just takes away your focus from studying the word of God, focusing on classes. You know, you divert your thoughts, not focusing. You cannot study, get emotionally attached. And then the person says, I'm not interested, sorry, I just looked at you as a sister and all that. And then you are heartbroken, you cannot continue your studies. All that is really unnecessary and unwanted. So just keep your heart and mind in check and guard and be careful. In the Bible, we read in Romans chapter 16 verse 16, 1 Corinthians 16, 20, 2 Corinthians 13, 12, 1st Thessalonians 5, 26. We read about the Holy Kiss. So what is this Holy Kiss? In those days, Paul's times, they used to greet people with the Holy Kiss, but it stopped because not that it was abused, but in one of the commentaries which I read, it was one of the leaders was saying that this is being abused in the churches, so they stopped it. But, you know, it's also because the church becomes too numerous, you can't go around kissing everybody. So, you know, in some customs, it's okay. You know, it's not able to kiss or hug another person and it's not abused because it is the culture. You know, it's common, but in our culture, in our, we don't kiss, right? It's not something that we do. Just a handshake or just namaste or aloe, whatever works. That's good. Okay. You know, there are two times or seasons in our life where we need to be on double guard. One season is when you are, you know, you have come to a place where you are triumphing or you know, you are celebrating a success in your life. That is one area where you need to be very, very careful. Because in the time when you are, you know, you are excited, you are celebrating a success in life, can also be an area where you can let your guard down and it can become a downfall. It can be one area where Satan easily can tempt you. So, you know, there can be a young lady who comes or a young man who comes and says, oh, you know, what a successful industry, you know, what a successful crusade, how well you teach or, you know, your show was so good and this, that, and you know, price strikes in and ego, your ego is this one and you're so excited and so does someone who is flattering you and encouraging you. And then you can get emotionally attached to that person and it can become a, you know, it can lead to a downfall. Another season that you need to be very careful is seasons when you go through hurt and you're emotionally strained, hurt, disappointed, going through a struggle, you know, you know, that time you're wounded, you're weary, you're also very vulnerable to a downfall. You know, because at that time when you're not emotionally, when you're emotionally stable, not stable, you know, anyone who comes and gives you love, support, encouragement, you know, we tend to do emotionally fall for them and that can also be an area where the enemy can use a thought pack to get in and can build a whole, you know, thought process in our mind and can bring our downfall. You know, once a thought process is built in our mind, it becomes like a strong goal, like a fort. It's very difficult to break that thought even if that person says, hey, I don't love you. What I was doing was just because I'm a very friendly person, loving person, outgoing person, you misunderstood me, but you are not willing to let go and give it because it becomes a strong goal. It's very difficult to break. So don't do that. You know, these two seasons, these two times in life, we need to be on guard. So when you're saying these two seasons, don't think other seasons, you can be okay. No, all seasons you have to be on guard. Okay, you know, don't put confidence or trust in your flesh. Your flesh is faithful to do the devil's job. You know, when you're born again, only your spirit has the life and nature of God, but your flesh can, you know, can do the devil's job. Sometimes even if the devil is not around, you can fall into sin. Okay, when do we fall into sin? James chapter one, verse 14 tells us that James very clearly tells us that each one was tempted when they are tempted when they are drawn away by their own desires and entice. We are in the point, guard your affections. Okay, when do we get tempted? Many of us say, you know, the devil came and tempted me and I fell easily into temptation. But what does the word of God say? When do we get tempted? We get tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires. So it's just sometimes the devil just putting one desire finished. That can lead into temptation. Sometimes it can only be our own desires and they are enticed. What is the meaning of enticed? You're caught like a trap. You know, like a person who hunter goes to trap an animal, he puts a trap and the animal that's 40 trap cannot get out of that trap. So it's our own desires that we get enticed in that can lead us into temptation. So the devil is always looking for a small desire. One small desire can catch you, trap you and lead that enticing and that can lead into temptation. So what do you do in such seasons? You know, in such seasons, you just be on double guard, avoid making any decisions, don't get connected with somebody in the opposite sex, just have relationships with people who can mentor you, guide you, a man with man with woman and can help you in that season. So you need to do that. So don't blame the devil for all the temptations. The devil's job is just put a small desire that has this taken care of. So we need to watch and pray so that you cannot fall into temptation. Then you need to discern and destroy soulish bridges. Now all the devil does is just put a small thought and idea and imagination that is ungodly, that is not pleasing in God's sight. And what we do is we just yield to our fleshly lust and ungodly thoughts. And then the enemy tries to set up soulish attractions. You know, sometimes we can get attracted to a person without that person knowing and it can even go for years and not just thinking, you know, having all the plans and thoughts. And sometimes it's like a movie just running in your mind, you know, thoughts and everything can just go. He just set me, you know, why he set me up, why he set this, why he gave me this, why she did this, why she did that. You can just build on one small thing. You can run into a full movie sequence running in your mind and you can just enjoy it. And it can run for months and years. You know, people can get caught up for months and years. You know, that is a soulish attachment, emotional attachment, which you need to be very, very careful. Avoid that, be careful of the enemy's tactics. So what do you do? You guard your heart and mind with the word of God, rebuke everything, tear down every thought. You know, some boy or some girl is talking, a man or woman is talking ice cream. Don't think, you know, go to extra levels of thinking, unwanted thoughts. Just cut the thought there and say, no, you just did it to me. Just the son is a friendly person. I shouldn't take it. I should avoid this. This has not got me. You know, next time I should not go near. If you're thinking next time I should not go near that person. You know, not when I talk, just keep away from that person. Do what it is, you know, takes in your area. Fight the good fight, you know, and, and, you know, fight to the end to you. It's not impossible to do with the God strength, but you need to guard your mind and the thoughts that enter into your. Any questions on this lesson? Any questions? No questions on women? No questions on women? So we should be very careful living in Bible college. I've seen many of them. I studied six years in Bible college. Sometimes it can be a mess for people. Sometimes you could, you know, you want to feel safe in the Bible college. And then a lot felt safe being in a Bible college. It was an environment where all people are convinced about the word of God, the spirituality. I work with drug addicts and alcoholics, male drug addicts and alcoholics. I never felt so much threatened or protect myself and how I had to protect myself in Bible college. So what am I saying is, you know, the enemy works overtime there. You know, he works overtime to destroy our lives. Young people. So all of you are young. You need to guard yourselves. Be careful. If there's anything, talk it with somebody. Ask them those thoughts. Others is just going to, you know, it's going to hinder your time that you are going to learn from God's good. Prepare yourself for it. And then you look back and say, what a waste of time. Two years, I love this person. And then before leaving Bible college, I told that person that person said, no, two years I wasted my time. You say that if two years I wasted my time, I couldn't concentrate. I failed in my assignment. What a waste of time. Only if I had no understanding. Don't do that. You know, you're trying to study. Emotional attachments happen. Talk it out with somebody. You know, deal with it. Handle it. You really love somebody. Okay. See how you can do it, but do it the right way. But focus on what you've come here to equip yourself in the Word of. Okay. So we'll move on to chapter 11. Okay. So most times we don't feel good when we are not recognized, when they're not a firm, you know, when people don't applaud us, when people don't even invite us. That wasn't the invite me for their birthday party or for everything. You know, we feel depressed. Sometimes we don't feel, we even receive favor from God when we don't receive recognition applause. You know, but we should live above that. Even if you don't get applause, affirmations from people, you know, recognition, don't look for it from men. Look at what Jesus said in John chapter five was 41. Anyone of you would like to read John chapter five was 41. Do not receive honor from men. Okay. So, you know, don't look for honor from men. So, you know, don't look for honor and, you know, to be affirmed and recognize just what God has called you to do. It's God who will set you up in honor and pain. Don't run behind pain. Okay. You know, everything is about God. Okay. His anointing. We just vessels. It's His anointing. It is His grace. It is His calling that works in and through us. And when we respect that honor that, and we are going to place right time to what God wants us to do. The grace will come, the anointing will come, and also, you know, God who, you know, raises up to a level of respect, of honor, of position. But you don't go behind that. And it's very sad that, you know, many men and women of God, you know, who are in ministry, they look for fame. So, if there are any crusades, or if you go to the churches, or if they're having any meetings, everywhere you will see only life-size photos of them, posters of them. You go to the churches, you will find only, you won't find, you know, wall hangings with verses from scripture. But you will find wall hangings of what this pastor has to make great statements. You know, some men and women make statements, and they become like really profound statements. And, you know, that will all be in their offices, in their sun, their photos, their images. You know, if they met a great man of God, a woman of God, and they took the photo of the Mother Teresa to be there, or if, you know, Billy Graham to be there, you know. But it has nothing to do with just showing your fame. Just showing that, oh, you're such a famous person, you have connections with all these people, you have met them, you know, you are making famous posts. It's much more famous than the Word of God, which people are poking, thinking, talking about, you know. And at that time, you know, you're doing that, you're not giving glory to God, and your ministry is more self-related than focusing on God and pointing people to God. But our ministry should be pointing at us, what we do, but it should be pointing at Jesus and leading them to Jesus and to the Word of God. So don't look for a fame, but good name is more important than fame. How do you get a good name? Good name you get by the kind of life that you live. Consistent character. Okay, fame comes overnight, but it can also disappear overnight. You can be famous, but one thing you can do wrong, people will honor you today. Everybody, you know, for Jesus, they put their cloaks down. They said, Hosanna to the king of kings. And then the very next day, they were saying, crucify him, release to us. But Abbas, that's the same crowd who was saying, you know, Hosanna, Hosanna, they were waving their palm, but the very next day they said, crucify him. Okay, so the same people who can honor you, can respect you, they can also crucify you. Okay, so, you know, fame disappears, but a good name stands. So what you need to pursue is not fame, but be famous. Having many people liking you, following you, looking at your reading messages, when it comes up to great Instagram following and all of those things, you know, you have to pursue to be more Christ-like. Because when you're pursuing being Christ-like, you know, you are pointing people to Christ. You know what Jesus did? Every time he did a miracle, what did people do? They glorified the father who was in, because Jesus was pointing always through his father. Okay, so don't be a man pleaser, but be a God pleaser. You know, sometimes in ministry, we do everything to please. You know, there's a kind of charisma, the way we talk to people, you know, are preaching, we only preach what people want to listen to us. You know, when we do all of those things, we're actually doing it to be men pleasers, but we need to be God pleasers. Okay, how else do we know that, you know, we are men pleasers? Yes, you know, when people offend, you know, when people leave church or they leave the ministry or they don't talk to us or they criticize us, we get easily offended. When we get easily offended, at those times, we are just being men pleasers. You know, or if, you know, we get hurt if no one appreciates us or supports us or applauds us. You know, all this is setting our heart or affection on men. But if we are pleasing God, we're looking at not how many people came and said, oh, what a wonderful sermon, how well you've preached, you know, all of that. We're just looking at people saying, oh, your sermon just, it was something that encouraged me, something that corrected me. I just felt the presence of God, I just felt the presence of God. That is what we need to be looking at. That whatever we are ministering, teaching, preaching, singing, leading worship, it's not how well we sang, how well we worshiped, how well we let, but how we, our desires should be say, God, even if, as I'm leading worship, God, it's not my voice, how well I sing, how many songs I can sing. You know, it's about, so when people come and say, when you lead worship, we can really assure in IP healing, restoration, IP peace, that is what we are aiming at. Don't engage in self-promotion, let God give you the increase. Okay. Like we read this verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 6 and 7, you know, Paul says, you know, some say, you know, I planted Apollo's water, but Paul says, who gives the increase? It's God who gives the increase. So it's either he would plant anything or he would water, but it's God who gives the increase. So, you know, don't think whatever you are doing is because of your anointing, your power, you are being very spiritually mature, spending a lot of time in God and that's why, but it's God who is working in and through you. So don't engage in self-promotion, don't promote yourself, don't promote your ministry. You know, don't do anything for yourself to be more well-known, more famous, more recognized, but do things to glorify. So whatever you're doing, you need to ask yourself a question. Why am I doing this? Am I doing it so that people, I can be glorified in front of people? People can, you know, applaud me, recognize me, or am I doing it to build God's kingdom, serve people, people to be a better average and, you know, to point them towards God can be ultimately glorified. So, you know, let Jesus build your ministry, okay, let the increase and overflow come from what God is doing in your ministry and not what you are promoting. It's not your meetings, your conferences, your events, but it is what God is doing in and through you, okay? Don't think that fruitfulness is an indication of your popularity. Sometimes we think you're very famous, very popular, everybody knows us. Don't think when we do that, we are being fruitful, okay? Look at what, you know, God is saying about the church at Sardis. Revelation chapter 3, verse 1, where John is writing about the seven churches, God is speaking about the seven churches. What is he saying about the churches? So can somebody read that, please, loudly with the mic? Revelation chapter 3, verse 1. The mic on? This thing says, people have the seven spirits of God, the seven stars. I know your works. So, what is John saying? What is the spirit telling, revealing to John about the church at Sardis? He's saying, I know your works. Your works are very good. So it's showing everybody that this church is a very vibrant church, a very alive church. But to God, what are they coming across as? A dead church, okay? So people look at you as a very vibrant church, you know, a very exciting church, lively church. But in the eyes of God, you are dead. When in the eyes of God can be dead, even though in the eyes of people, we can be very vibrant and alive. We can be dead in God's sight when we are not doing His will. Right? When we're doing things to be pleasing people rather than God, we're not doing what is the Father's will. You know, at that time, you know, our deeds can be great, but then in the sight of God, we are as good as dead. Okay? Any questions so far? Any questions so far? Okay. You know, in ministry, we need to separate ourselves from what people think about you. Okay? Don't get caught up with everything that people say. You know, some people say good about you, some people say bad about you, some people will honor you, some people will dishonor you. Some people will give a good report about you, some people will give a false report about you. But you know, when people applaud you, when people honor you, when people give you a good report, they speak highly of you, nicely about you. You know, you need to guard your mind. Guard your mind against it. Right? Okay? Because when we become very proud, if somebody is trying to show us our weakness or fault, some area where we can do better, they come and tell us, we will get very angry, we will not take it, we will, you know, get into strife and then lead into division and all of those things. So, guard your mind against pride. And even when people dishonor you, speak bad about you, give an evil report about you, guard your heart. Because you can't minister with a wounded heart and a wounded mind. Okay? So, there are times when people say things that are bad, you know, go, take it to the Lord. You know, I've just taken it to the Lord and just left it in the Lord's side. And it's not that, you know, you don't do anything about it. You know, I have improved a lot in life because I have taken feedback. The negative feedback people criticize, even if it's negative, even if people tell me something, I work on that. You know, I don't see as, oh, they're against me, they're criticizing me, they don't like me. You know, they're always, I just look at it as a time when I can take their criticisms, their negative feedback, which will help me improve. So, I have become a better person when I have taken criticism and negativity from people and not let that criticism and negativity, you know, impact me. Of course, it doesn't impact me to a level, sometimes it has even, you know, brought a lot of health issues and God is helping me handle those things. And you know, just not let me take things too emotional, be too emotional to guard my heart, which is very, very important when you're in the ministry, okay? And you need to know that your stature before God is more important than before me. You know, it's more important for God to love you than for people to love you. It's more important for, you know, that, you know, that the Lord will stand up for you than, you know, people there, you know, respecting, you have many people respecting you. It's more important for, you know, God tell you well done, good and faithful servant when you enter heaven, you know, then just live for the sweet praises for men. So, you know, Jesus says, you know, he knows what is in the heart of man, which means he's saying, you know, he's saying people take a faith, he's saying people criticize him. The same people, before me, they can let me down, so he knows what is in the heart of men. So he's telling us, you know, know what is in the heart of men. We can't keep on expecting people to be good to you. We can turn around one day and be bad. And so, you know, you need to guard your heart and mind and remain focused on what God has called you to do. You know, teach people not to idolize you or to promote you. You know, always, you know, people can lift you up to a position where you can become like an idol and then try steps in and then that will be all down for. So let people know that the healing, deliverance, the preaching, the anointing, all is coming through the Holy Spirit. The work of God, you are just a weak vessel. You know, you are just an earthen vessel by God is using you and it's your anointing. It's God's anointing, it's God's power and lead them to pursue God's anointing and power so that, you know, they don't keep coming running to you for prayer. But they stay away just depending on God and all your promotional materials, whatever you're doing. So let the focus be on Jesus and not on you. And even when you come to a place where you become a big person, a big leader, a minister, you know, you need to always on level. We don't let pride come in, be humble to relate with people, talk with people, stand along with other believers the same level. Whatever, you know, influence you have, whatever, you know, you build up for yourself, name that you've built up for yourself. Always stay simple, always stay approachable, always stay humble and remember who you are. You're just an earthen vessel, it is not for the goodness, the grace and the anointing of God, you can be no one. Okay. And the more you're given, the more you will be accountable for. Okay, we look at that in the parable of Jesus says in Luke 12, you know, he gave one five talents and he multiplied it to five. Okay, one three multiplied it to three or two or two. The last one gave one talent, he didn't do anything about it. And what happened, you know, that person was thrown into hell. Okay, so we have to be accountable to God for all that he has given to us. You know, the more that God entrusts to us, the more accountable that we need to be. Sometimes when God gives us, you know, when we come to a place where we achieve things, we're doing well, we kind of become lazy, lax. You know, we can say, okay, I know I can do all this, I have done this all these years. We, you know, don't concentrate much, we're not committed, we're not focused. We pay less attention to details, but we need to remember that God raises us for greater levels, we have to be, you know, there's greater accountability. Okay, and the higher he takes us, you know, that much more humble that we need to be. That much more, you know, humble that we need to be. The higher God takes you, the lower you need to walk, walk humbly. The more you are recognized or the more recognition and honor God brings into your life, the more you need to hide your life from God. Okay, so the higher he takes you, that this time you have to be more accountable. The more time you have to spend with God, hide yourself in God, in His Word, meditate so that you don't come to a place where you get into some sins, pride, you know, arrogance, and that can bring you down for. And the last thing is beware of God complex. Okay, you know, sometimes when we reach a position where we're doing well in the ministry, our organization that we started is doing well, our church is doing well. We can come to a place where we can, we think, you know, we are about the standards of the Word of God. You know, we will be teaching and teaching the Word of God, but we are not following the same things. And we think it's okay for me to indulge in that sin because we are a minister above God, the standard of the Bible, what God asks me to do. And slowly we kind of excuse our sins and what we are indulging in. And, you know, we become God ourselves. Come to a place where we look at ourselves as God. When nobody can find a thing that excites us, tells us what we should be doing, what we shouldn't be doing. But, you know, at those points, like it says in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 21, submitting to one another in the fear of God. We need to constantly be in a place where we are submitting to others, which means we're in a place where we are, you know, listening to people, taking what they are saying. Walking in a spirit of weakness, walking in a spirit of humility, and walking in a place where, you know, God can use us. And, you know, can use us in a way that even can use people who are below us. You know, first in a congregation, people who are working below us can come and tell us, you know, have the right authority to tell us what we did was wrong, what we said was wrong, how we acted was wrong. So, you know, we should continue to be in a place of humility, no matter how high God exists, or no matter to a greater level that we get ourselves to. We always have to take that level of weakness and humility. So, that is the end of this chapter. Any questions? And the book? Any questions anyone has about it? Any questions? Any questions from our online students? You can unmute your mics and ask. We've been practicing the Jack in jewels as the Bible says to know them by their food. Sorry, I have to read this out for the students. The Bible says that you will know them by their food. So is it because they don't see food in us that they criticize us or talk behind their back? How much feedback from others should we take seriously to work on? And should we take feedback from everyone? Can we take instructions from people who don't practice what we say? Very good questions. So the first one is how much feedback from, yes, you know, one thing is our food. So when people don't see the food, they can criticize or talk behind our backs. You know, we might not be in a season. Remember, we are not about the conceiving. We can be in a season where it can be a foundation season, okay, where we are just, you know, building. It can be a season where we are storing the seeds or it can be a season where we are kind of, you know, making the crops to grow. And then we come to a season where it's a harvest season, where it's a fruit season. So yes, we need to be patient. People are not patient with us. You know, we can talk about a season that the church or the ministry is going through, where we are, what we are looking for at God. But in every season, yes, there is a food. So you can say, you can mention the foundation season, the foundation season, we were planning this, we were planning to do this. So what God was meaning to do is what God brought us to. So we need to give a clarity about the vision that God has given to us, the calling. So when people know the vision and the calling, then they can imagine and where we are in that vision and calling. What is our focus? What is the, you know, objectives? What do we want to achieve in that specific period? We need to make it known. And then we need to walk along with that vision or that plan objective through that work. The next year, again, talk about where you are with season, what is the objective? What is the fruit or what is the end result that we are looking for? So when the pastor and the leader, or when the head of Christian organization, they are focused and they know which season, what is the objective, what is the fruit, they are making it known, then people are able to follow and discern. And then when they raise questions, they can raise, you know, based on what has been said. And then you can say, okay, why not as a group, what have you to achieve it? What can we do to achieve it? So throughout the year, you take stock of things, you work on things and how you can achieve it and how you can come to bear in food. There's no vision, the Bible work is without the vision, but people perish. So there's no vision, there's no goal, then, you know, we can't bear fruit and people will be walking aimlessly. And that's when they criticize and they don't know what's happening. But once they know where you are, where you're taking that to, how each one of them have to configure what we should do, how we work together, that becomes more easy. The other thing is how much feedback of others should be taken seriously and work on it. Yes, some feedbacks is, you know, sometimes they don't understand or basically they are saying things without knowing, without the right perspective. You can just leave it because they're doing it unknowingly. You can talk to them, give them more clarity, but with, you know, and then sometimes people want their own agendas to come into place and you know that is, we learned about it, right? It's not their agenda, how do we talk to people, when you're talking about people, you know, in this book, how do we handle them? You know, we just shared the God given vision, but as a leader, you are responsible for the vision that God has given to you, who take and run with it. And if it is the right vision, we're doing the right thing God would speak for those great people alongside. If people in your team are not catching that, they're not for it, just let them be because if you pull them unnecessarily in, they're an unnecessary baggage. Let them know what they're supposed to do. You continue with the rest. We're able to understand what God is giving you, so don't take things too seriously when people are not understanding. They're just criticizing me. They are overlooking the point or, you know, they're not able to see through the value. Then you just, you know, you need to discern that they have the Holy Spirit and just take things that are important to you, that are undisputed. Can we take instructions from people? The last question, can we take instructions from people? Don't practice what they say. Yes, because when they come to themselves, it's basically, you know, we have no right to point at others and they're not following themselves. Or, you know, they're just busy bodies criticizing others, going about busy bodies, busting and criticizing others. And, you know, they're not having the time to look at their own forms. But, you know, with the perspective of, even if it comes from such kind of people, I always look at Tato's instructions and always see how it can help. Sorry, how it can help my ministry, how it can help me. And it has helped me and it's, I don't know whether they're not practicing it. If it's a good point, I take it because it's going to ultimately help me benefit my ministry, my walk of life with God. It helps me to also understand things, what I'm not able to see, what other people are looking at me. It just helps me, just me, and helps me be a better person, better minister of God, better teacher. And that can also, will not be a hindrance from somebody else. Somebody else can have the same hindrance. So, why, you know, can be a hindrance for me effectively ministering to them, relating to them, or can be a downfall to the ministry. I look at it, take it, and I just work on it and then, you know, look on it for myself and Jesus. Does that help, Chakin? Thank you, Chakin. Anyone else? Any other questions from our online students, personal students? Okay, I posted assessment for the online students last evening. And that's the end of the whole assessment. This is the end of our class. There's so much we learned, so much I keep learning every time I preach. So, let's not just be hearers, but also doers. So, just don't study for the sake of doing an exam or assessment. Go back, look at some important things that can inculcate and appropriate in your life. And let's begin a living, a life that honors God, and more Christ-like stuff. And let's just pray. Father, we thank you for the wealth of knowledge and information that we receive, how to know how to receive guidance from the Word, from the Holy Spirit. Also, God, how to fulfill the purpose of all that you have called us to. Thank you that you have calling a purpose of vision for each one of us. And even as you entrusted to us, God would pray that we would open our hearts and minds that we would be open to receive, to accommodate, to be good stewards of what you are entrusting to us. We are in the preparation period, God, we just submit our lives, we surrender our lives, we submit our lives to you, God, that you would work in us, that you would prepare us before you take hold of what you are entrusting to us, God. For those of us who have entrusted your vision, your call, God, we pray that we would be faithfully committed, that we would always, God, walk and run in honoring you in everything that we don't say and think. In the way that we relate to people, in the way we fellowship with people, the way we conduct our lives, our ministry, God would be God honoring, God pleasing. And we pray that you would show us adious for God, Holy Spirit, we show us adious where we are altering, where we are weak, where we are adious that we have overlooked. Even as you pointed out to us, you lay your finger on it, God, I pray that you would, we would be willing to see, to open our hearts for your blessing, for your renewal, for your restoration, and all for your forgiveness in our lives, that we can run our race with perseverance, facing our eyes on Jesus and not looking to men or women, not to be men-pleasers, not to build ourselves, to be famous or to be honored by people, but looking to honoring you, God, doing your will, positioning ourselves, to be at the right time, the right place, the right season, and doing God what you have portioned for us, what you have thought for us, God, what you are leading us to do, God. We thank you, we bless one of the students, all of our students in our D-Learn course, online course, in person, we bless them in your name, and God, we pray that one of us will run our race so well, so faithfully that we will hear well done, good and faithful service. We thank you, we praise you, we keep all the glory and all that praise in Jesus' name. Thank you everyone, and see you next semester. Have a blessed holiday and a good Christmas season. Enjoy your time with family and friends, and God bless you. Thank you so much. You have buried out any questions you can still post on the steam page. I will answer it and take it in the software. Thank you.