 Today, we are going to look at the last chapter in fulfilling God's purpose for your life, after which we will begin looking at or studying the next publication which is receiving God's guidance. So this is receiving God's guidance. I have posted the PDF copy in the stream page so you can access it online students. I hope all the in-person students have received your copy. Yes. Okay. So after we finish studying the sixth lesson in fulfilling God's purpose for your life, we will begin studying this APC publication, receiving God's guidance. Okay. Before we begin looking at chapter six, we will just pause for a word of prayer and Sunny Moses will lead us in prayer. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for this day, Lord. Thank You for this morning. Thank You for being with us. Thank You for giving us a refreshing day. Yes, Lord Jesus, as we all come here in Your presence, to know Your will in our life, Father, Lord Jesus, let Your will be done in each one of our lives. Lord, show Your will in our lives, Father, Lord, let Your desire, let our desire be fulfilled, Father. Pray for Ma'am also, Lord Jesus, Father, bless Lord Jesus for your wisdom and knowledge. Lord, Holy Spirit, teach us something, Father, Lord. You lead us and guide us in Jesus' mighty name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank You, Moses. So we looked at how to discover no God's will for our lives. Okay. We saw that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. Okay. And He's willing to reveal His plan and purpose for our lives. And we saw the various things that we need to do, how we need to cooperate with God, how we need to position ourselves, how we need to renew our minds, our spirit man, to receive and know what is God's will and plan for our lives and how we need to prepare for it and how we need to walk in it. Okay. So we looked at the last chapter of, it's about finishing the course. Okay. So it's not just important for us to know what is God's plan and purpose for our life. Okay. And not just cooperate with God in knowing it and receiving for our lives, but it's also important how we progress, okay. How we prepare ourselves, how we progress in fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our lives. And it's important how we finish. Finishing is also very, very important. You know, all of you here must have run, most of you here must have run a race in your life. Okay. So what are the two important things when you, when you run a race, start on time. Okay. And you have to finish the race. Okay. If you don't finish the race, you will not get a price. Okay. But the wonderful thing about the race that we are all running, the spiritual race that we are running is all of us will receive the crown of life, we'll all receive a reward if we finish the race. So it's important for us to finish. Okay. Look at what Luke chapter 14 verses 14 to 27 says. Luke chapter 14, 27 to 35. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. Least after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish or what king going to make a war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him or who come against him with 20,000 or else which while the other is still a great way of he sends a delegation and ask conditions of peace. So likewise whosoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. Salt is good, but if salt has lost his flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit to land nor for Thug Hill, but men throw it out, he who has ears to hear let him hear. Amen. Thank you. So what is Jesus saying here? What is Jesus saying here? Okay, whosoever does not bear the cross, come after me cannot be his disciple. What else is he teaching us here? That we got to count the cost before we begin the journey before we begin to do anything you have to count the cost that means you need to plan you take need to take into consideration everything. So there is an example given here if somebody wants to build a tower or somebody wants to build a building, what do they do? They first sit and plan everything, then they look at how much it costs whether they have the finances and they'll get the finances. So it's important Jesus is saying that you got to count the cost when you begin the journey. So what does it mean here? It says we need to think, just think about what it is going to take you to become what God has planned and fulfilled for your life. So don't just rush blindly into it, you need to prepare yourself, you need to think, you need to plan ahead of time. Now for example, if you know that God's heart for you or if you know that God's plan and purpose for you is to become a businessman or a businesswoman. And you know that God is planning this for three years from now. What should you do? You just go, don't go around telling everybody, hey, this is God's plan for my life. God wants me to be a businessman or a businesswoman, hallelujah, praise the Lord. You know, what do you, what are you supposed to do? Yes, it's wonderful that you discovered what God wants you to do. It's wonderful that God wants you to do a business and you're excited about starting a business. But what do you have to do? You have to start preparing, right? How do you prepare? How do you prepare? First of all, you need to know which area God wants you to be a, to do business, okay? What else? You need to see if you have the finances, the money, okay, or you need to work on that. Also you need to learn the skills and the talent, you need the skills and the abilities, how to run a business. So maybe you will meet somebody in the same field, you will talk with them, you will learn from them, what are the things you should be doing, what are the things you should not be doing. You just don't go around telling, you know, everybody, hey, I'm going to be a businessman, a businesswoman, I'm going to full-time ministry, God wants me to be a pastor, an evangelist, you know, a teacher, a pilot, you know, and you just don't keep praising the Lord all the time and saying hallelujah, but you need to prepare yourself. You also need to get a degree, right, so that you know how to run a business or how to fly a plane if you want to be a pilot or how to be a good teacher. You need to get into, you know, be it, get your teaching education, you know, so that you can know how to teach well your equipped end, you're thoroughly equipped to do what God has called you to do. And when the time comes, you launch out into doing what God has called you to do. But if you don't prepare and you don't plan and you just jump into it, what will happen? Maybe your business will close in one month or two months or three months, okay? And then you discovered your purpose, but your business is closed down in two months. Why? Because you did not count the cost, you did not prepare yourself to begin and to finish the course, okay? So what are the things that help us to successfully finish the race or finish the course or to finish what God has called and planned for our lives? The first thing is planning, okay? Now some Christians are, some Christians think that planning is very, very simple, okay? Some Christians think planning is a very simple thing to do, you know why? Because they say that Jesus said in Matthew, don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries for itself, okay? So some people say, well, Jesus asked us not to worry about tomorrow, he, you know, so we don't have to worry, we don't have to plan, we'll just go as if the leading comes, we'll just flow as it comes in our lives, so we don't have to plan. Now what did Jesus ask us not to do? In the verse I just now said, what did Jesus ask us not to do? Worry, he asked us not to worry about tomorrow, he did not ask us not to plan about tomorrow, okay? Planning and worrying are two different things. So some people say, God asked, Jesus asked us not to worry about tomorrow, so don't worry, don't plan, don't think about tomorrow, just flow as it comes, but Jesus asked us not to worry, he did not ask us not to plan and planning and worry are incidentally not the same thing, okay? Some of us are so worried about tomorrow that we don't plan for tomorrow, we are so worried, what am I going to do, where am I going to go, where I'm going to get the finances, this money for this, money for that, you know, what am I going to do tomorrow, we're so worried about tomorrow that we fail to plan for tomorrow, okay? But we need to plan the how, the when, the where and the what, how am I going to do it, when am I going to do it, what am I going to do it, what am I going to do and you know, how God wants me to do it. That's the Bible teaches about planning and the scripture passages in the Bible that teaches about planning, yes, okay? Look at Proverbs chapter 4 verse 26, what does it say? Proverbs 4, 26. Proverbs 4, 26, ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established. Amen, what does it say? Ponder, what is the meaning of ponder? Think about it, okay? When you think about it, you have to think deeply, think honestly, ponder, honestly think deeply where your feet are going, think about the way you are going, okay? Look at what Proverbs chapter 6 verses 6 to 8 says. Proverbs 6, 6 to 8, go to the ant, use slugger, consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her foot in the harvest. Okay, so here, how many of you like biology when you studied in school? Some of you, I love biology. Some of you don't like biology, so anyway, we're going to learn biology from the Bible. God is telling us to look at the, look at the ant, such a small creature, but we can learn such a powerful thing from the ant. What does the ant do? It stores during the summer, okay? Stores up all the food during summer, why? So it prepares for the winter. So what is the ant really doing? It is planning for its future, okay? So at least one thing we can learn from the ants is, you know, we can learn how to be wise by looking at the ant, consider its ways, be wise. Does not have a captain to lead it, you know, the ant doesn't have a captain. Every ant does things by itself, okay? So it's teaching us here some wisdom that we need to plan ahead, okay? Plan and prepare ahead for the seasons of our lives. Look at Proverbs chapter 14 verse 8 to 15, 8 and 15, sorry. Proverbs 14, 8 and 15. The wisdom of a prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of the fool is deceit. The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. So here is talking about two kinds of people, who are the two kinds of people? For the two kinds of people. The simple and the prudent, yeah. The simple and the prudent, who is the simple person who's whom? What does the Bible say? Who is a simple person? Look at the words, what does it say? Believe everything what everyone says, okay? If a simple person asks you direction, they will just go where you have to go. If you tell them to go this side, they'll go this side. If you tell them to go that side, they'll go that side, okay? They want pink. They want a discern for themselves. Who is a prudent person? Somebody who is wise, sensible, somebody who's cautious, somebody who's far sighted, okay? So a prudent person actually considers values and things, their steps before taking their steps. So they think about where they're going, what they're doing. They think about the part that they are taking. They think about whether this road or this path or this way that they are walking in is going to help them to fulfill God's plan and purpose for their lives. If this road or this path or this way is not helping them fulfill God's plan and purpose for their lives, they will not take it, okay? So this is a prudent person who is wise, cautious, foresighted like we read in Proverbs chapter 22 verse 3. Proverbs chapter 22 verse 3. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself. But the simple passes on and upon his. Yes, a prudent man has foresight means what? Prudent man looks ahead of what is happening. They're not just saying, okay, this is what God wants me to do. I mean, this season I'll do it here. But they're thinking about the next season. They're thinking about five years from now, 10 years from now. They're planning five years, 10 years, the next season, the next seasons of their life. They're looking ahead and they're able to visualize or think of the potential dangers that they can face and they take precautionary action or steps. So we see that the Bible gives us very clear instructions in so many places that we need to be prudent. We need to have foresight. We must look ahead and we must plan for the future. So what do you do? Once you know God's plan and purpose for your life, you sit down and write down. You think about what you're going to do, how you're going to do, plan everything, write it down, okay, and pray over it and say, God, this is what I sense I should do. God, this is what I feel I should be doing. These are the steps that I think I need to take. This is the preparations that I need to take. This is the plans that I'm making. And then you give it to God, okay, pray and say, God, I'm giving this to you. You know, this is what I planned. This is what I thought, but you know, I'm just put everything together, but I'm God, I'm giving it to you and you are welcome to change it, okay, because God has His infinite in His wisdom, His omniscient. So when you give it to God, be open for unexpected changes, be open for heavenly interruptions and interference, and be open for the unexpected. That means God can change things in your plan, in your timetable, in the way that you're going to do things. You know, He's going to change things, but you need to be ready for those changes, okay. Now, one thing we need to understand is when we are planning, is planning according to the flesh and planning according to the spirit, okay. Look at what 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 15 to 17 says. And in this confidence, I intend to come to you before, that you might have second benefit to pass by the way of to you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you and be helped by you on my way to Judea. Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly or the things I plan? Do I plan according to the flesh? That with me, there should be yes, yes and no, no. So what is the question Paul is asking here? Do I plan according to the flesh or according to the spirit? So what is the answer? What is the answer here? The answer is very implicit. What is the answer? I plan according to the spirit. Yes, he plans according to the spirit. Jesus said in John chapter 16 verse 13, the Holy Spirit will show you things to come. That means what? The Holy Spirit can forecast, the Holy Spirit can foretell that these are the things that you need to get ready for. These are the things you need to begin planning, okay. And you need to do it according to the spirit, okay. So the spirit of God tells us what the Heavenly Father has planned or what the Heavenly Father is telling us, okay. So we see that Jesus is very, God is very concerned about our lives. He wants to forecast, foretell what things he has in store for us so that we can prepare for it, okay. So on one hand, when the Holy Spirit is saying things to you, okay, you also need to use your brain. Yes, some of us can get so over spiritual that we don't want to use our brain, okay. Why? Because when God speaks to you, he speaks in your spirit, man, but it's in your brain that you put all the things together. What the spirit is saying, how you need to implement it, what you need to do, how you need to prepare, what are the plans you need to make. So you need to put things together in your brain and God will not be offended. He will not be upset or angry with you if you use your mind to think, okay. Because he has endowed you or he has given you this brain, okay, and he wants you to be, wants you to use it, but he also wants you to keep it sanctified. That's all, sanctified means what? Set apart for God so that you can receive his thoughts, you can receive his plans and his purposes and you can think about it and you can implement it. So we need to keep our brain sanctified that we could use it for his glory, understand his will plan, purpose plan for it in our minds, okay. So God is gonna be really happy if you use your brains, you know, and, but we need to find balance between the spiritual and the practical, okay. Sometimes, you know, God will get us to do things which are, we need to think and be more practical about, but sometimes he can ask us to do something which even our brains will not be able to reason logically and think logically. That time we just, you know, we just enter into supernatural, we just believe God, we take him by his word and go by what he is saying, okay. So if you are depending on your flesh, then what will it give birth to? Things of the flesh and things of the flesh are not lasting, things of the flesh are with enmity with God and it's not gonna take you into the plans and purposes of God, it's gonna lead you only into destruction, okay. But we plan according to the spirit because the Holy spirit reveals to us, foretells, forecasts what God has in mind for us, what is his plan for us in the future, okay. Now in the publication, we have some comments on spirit-inspired planning by Pastor Jay Hayford, I'd just like you all to read it after class, but before we just end this lesson, we will just talk about what else we need to do to finish the race or to get to the finishing line. The second most important thing to complete the course, to finish our race, to run our race is to run with endurance, okay. To fulfill God's plan and purpose for our life, we need endurance, okay. We need to keep on going and going, even if the going gets tougher and tougher, harder and harder. Look at what Hebrews chapter 12 verses one and two says. Hebrews 12, one to two. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which is so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So what is the writer of Hebrews says, let us run with what? With endurance, never giving up perseverance. We've talked about it so much, okay. Sometimes in the seasons of life, we will be very excited, very happy to run our race. We will have all the energy, it's good. There are times when we will not be happy, we will not feel too happy with what God is calling us to, asking us to do, but we just have to do it, okay. You can't let your feelings stop you from doing what God is calling you to do and you need endurance if you're going to finish the course, okay. Now let's look at what else Hebrews chapter 12 verses one to two tells us what we need to do to ensure that we will run the race and get to the finishing line. What does it say? What else do we need to do from Hebrews chapter 12 verses one to two? What? We need to lay aside every weight. That means all of our burdens, what is oppressing us, depressing us. Now lay aside everything. What is the second thing that we need to do? Sin, you know, sin, now weaknesses are shortcomings. Ask God to deal with it, lay that aside. The third thing, run with endurance and the fourth thing is look unto Jesus, okay. A good example of a person who, you know, who ran his race with endurance in the Bible, Paul, okay. Look at what Paul says in Acts chapter 20 verses 22 to 24. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me. Now do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of grace of God. So Paul is saying that there are times then, you know, when we have to lay down our life in order to finish the course. That means we don't just look for our fleshly desires, passions, you know, but we are willing to count the course, we are willing to run the race. And he says, I do not count my life dear to myself. I'm willing to lay down my life to finish the race with joy. Look at what Paul says in Acts chapter 21 verse 13. And Paul answered, what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of Lord Jesus. So look at how Paul is counting his course. He's saying, hey, I'm not only willing to be imprisoned, imprisoned in my life, but I'm also willing to lay down my life for the call and the purpose that God has on my life. So we need to be coming to a place where even we are willing to lay down our life for God, for his glory, you know, for what he's asking us to do. And second Timothy chapter four, verses six to eight. Paul, 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 upon 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. So Paul is looking at his life here as a cup filled with, you know, a drink offering, okay, to the Lord. And he says that he has poured out most of his life for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of Jesus Christ. And he's saying that, you know, there's very little left in my cup, but I'm willing to even pour that out as a drink offering. And this is his final words because he's writing to Timothy. He is in prison now and he knows that debt is impending upon him. He's going to die soon. That is very, very close. And so he's saying, you know, I'm willing to even, he poured out even to the last minute. So you can see, even in prison, even when Paul knows that he's going to die very soon, any moment, even then, he's actually writing letters. He wrote to writers. He wrote to Philoman. He wrote to Timothy, just encouraging them, building them up, strength, doing everything that God requires him to do even when he's almost coming to the end of his life. And what does he say? I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith, okay? So we need to also be like Paul, who finished the race, who fight the good fight and who keep the faith, okay? So it's not just important for us to pursue God, to know what is his good, acceptable, perfect will and plan for our lives, not just cooperate with him, not just, you know, prepare, go through the preparation process, but we also need to run our race with endurance, planning, and to finish the race. And when we finish the race, data waits for us, reward that the righteous judge will give us, okay? So this is the last chapter in this publication, fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Anyone has any questions, any doubts, anything that you want me to explain again? Online students, any questions, any doubts? Okay, they're taking the silence from the online students as no questions and also from the in-person students. So I hope you, you know, were benefited and blessed by studying this publication and hope it has helped you. How do we discern ourselves? Sorry, Lucy, can you, how do you discern ourselves between spirit-led sacrifices and fleshly-led sacrifices? Yes, so I said spirit-led sacrifices, they will always bear fruit. You know, we know the fruit of the spirit, Galatians chapter five, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, okay? So that is a fruit of the spirit that we will bear in our lives. So we know that we are led by the spirit. Also the fruits will be evident in what we are doing, you know? There will be progress, there will be promotion, there will be, because God is a God who blesses the work of our hands. He helps us to bear fruit. You know, John says, if we abide in the wine, we will bear fruit. Without abiding in the wine, we cannot bear any fruit. So you see, there is no progress in your life there is no promotion. If you're not going up, you're not going ahead in life, then you know it is not a spirit-led sacrifice, but it's a fleshly sacrifice. Also it's a spirit-led sacrifice. People will be touched, people will be blessed, people will be transformed, lives will be transformed, lives will be changed. If it's a fleshly-led sacrifice, only the person there will be exalted. It will be like worshiping a hero, it will be worshiping a cult, it will just be worshiping a person. And so you know whether it is spirit-led or fleshly-led sacrifice through the fruit that we bear. And if it's a lasting fruit, lasting for eternity, it is of course a spirit-led sacrifice. I hope that helps, Lucy. In case of a housewife, how do I discern? Okay, so in case of you're a housewife, you know your home is blessed, okay? You are, your family is blessed through what you're doing. Your children are well-fed, well-thought, trained in righteousness and holiness. There's peace, righteousness, peace and joy in your home because that is characteristic of the kingdom of God. And then there is, you see there is a blessing in your home. God blesses you, blesses your water, blesses your food. There is prosperity, there is good health, there is understanding, there is good relationships. Even when you go through, it doesn't mean that you don't go through any struggles or sickness or pain or whatever. Even in the midst of it, you sense God's provision, you sense God's leading, you sense God's direction, his peace, his healing, his deliverance. So all that as a housewife, yes. Did that help Lucy? Okay, okay, thank you for that question. Anyone else has any questions? Okay, if there are no questions, then we will move on to the next publication that is Receiving God's Guidance. I have posted that on the stream page, the PDF copy, so you can access the PDF copy from the stream page in the Google Classroom, okay? So lesson one, God is our guide, okay? We need God's guidance in various matters of our life. We just don't need God's guidance in the big major things of our life, but even in the little steps that we take, we need God's guidance for our lives, okay? At different points in our life, we need to know what are the steps we need to take or what are the next steps that we need to take. And we have this wonderful privilege of having God as our guide, okay? Are you excited that God is your guide, that he's there leading you, he's upholding you with his righteous right hand, he's just leading you through the way, okay? And, you know, we have the ability to receive his guidance every step of the way, okay? Now there are several scriptures that reveal to us or several promises in God's word that God leads us and guides us, which means that God is genuinely interested in the decisions that we make in life and he has promised to guide us, okay? So can one of you please read Psalms chapter 37 verses 23 and 24? Give it to them also in the back. Psalms chapter 23 was, 37 was 23 and 24. Can I read it, sister? Yes, sure, sister, please go ahead. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, but the Lord upholds him with his hand. Amen, thank you, Mr. Gettrude. So here we see that the steps of a good man, who is a good man? A courageous man, okay? A warrior doesn't mean only men, God leads, he even leads women, okay? It's not gender specific, but gender neutral, okay? Our steps of a good man are ordered. What is the meaning of ordered? God directs, he makes our steps firm, he perfects our steps and we see that God takes pleasure in the way a person is going. That means every step you take, every decision you make, God is taking pleasure, he's very, very interested. The amplified Bible says it, God busies himself with his every step, okay? So God is interested, he's very busy with what you are doing, which step you're taking, where you're going, okay? He's very, very interested in our lives, he's interested in the choices that we make, he's interested in the decisions that we make. Sometimes we think God does not care about us, he's not worried about us, but here the scripture verses says that God is interested in every step that we make. And sometimes we can make mistakes, we can fail, we can stumble, but look at what the Bible says, you know, in Psalms chapter 37 verse 24, even though he falls down, even though a good man falls down, the Lord upholds him with his hand. The amplified Bible says, Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. That means God grasps, means holds it very, very tightly, he's holding your hand, he's supporting you and he is upholding you, okay? Well, look at another scripture, Psalms chapter 32 verses eight and nine. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye, do not be like the horse or the camel, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and brittle, else they will not come near you. Okay, the word instruct here in the Hebrew means, you know, circumspect, it means, you know, God very carefully, very cautiously, he leads us and guides us, a very intelligent way, prudent, wise way, he gives you the skill so that you can have good success. It's basically God when, you know, instructs you, it's basically he's acting in a way that is showing you care and thought for your future. So the word instruct basically means that when God is instructing you, he's acting in a way where he's showing you care and he's giving thought about your future. Okay, he also not only will instruct you, but he will also teach you the Hebrew word for teacher in the figurative sense means, you know, when you draw it out on the figure, it's like God is pointing to you, say, hey, this is the way, this is the person, this is the place. So he's showing you with his pointing with his own finger, he's just showing you, he's aiming at you and saying, this is where you need to go. This is the path, this is the person, this is the place, this is where you need to be. He not only instructs, he not only teaches, but he also guides. That means he advises us and he counsels us, okay? So God has promised to instruct, teach and guide us. Now what should be our response? Our response should not be like the horse or the mule. Okay, the horse and the mule, sometimes they run ahead, okay, of the master. So they need to be harnessed and held firm so that, you know, only when they're asked to go, they go. So they could either run ahead or they can be very stubborn and not move. So when the horse is very stubborn or the mule or the donkey is very, very stubborn in one move, the master has to give it one or two whips, okay? So we should not be like that. When God is teaching us, instructing us and guiding us, we should not run ahead of him and we should not be stubborn to hold back and sit back. These are two postures. That means these are two, you know, ways of standing or sitting or doing things that we should avoid, okay? Psalms chapter 25 verse 12, let's see what we can learn from Psalms 25 verse 12. Who is the man that feels the Lord initially teach in the way he chooses? Yes, so here it says that, you know, we need to fear the Lord. Here the word fear means we need to have reverence for God. What will happen when we have fear or reverence for God? Here it doesn't mean basically fear means, oh, if I don't do this, God is going to punish me. If I don't do this, God is going to curse me. So I better do it. But reverence means you're saying God, you know, because you are God, you are almighty, you're holy, you know what is best for my life? I am submitting, I'm surrendering, I'm being obedient. Now what happens when we walk in reverence to God? God will teach us in the way we need to go, okay? When we have reverence for the Lord, you know, it says here, those who have reverence, the Good News Bible says, those who have reverence for the Lord will learn from him the path they should follow, okay? So when we have reverence for the Lord, we will take his instructions, his teaching, his guidance very, very seriously. We will follow through and we will go in the way that he wants us to go. But it's important that we have the right heart attitude, okay? If you are going to hear from God and receive his guidance, then we need to have, you know, reverence for God. We need to walk in fear of God. We need to seek his will and we have to follow through to doing his will, okay? Only then can we find ourselves walking in the will and the plan of God for our lives. Now there are some basic things that we need to understand. Even as God reveals his will and plan for our lives. So what are some of the basic things that we need to understand when God reveals his good will for our lives or he reveals his plan and purposes for our life? The first thing we need to know is God will guide us and instruct us and lead us in a way that is consistent with his nature. God will not tell us to do anything that is contrary to his nature, which means a contradicts his nature. Now God is holy, he's pure, he's without sin. So he will always lead us in parts of righteousness and holiness. So you can't say, hey, God asked me to tell a lie to save this person, okay? God cannot ask you to tell a lie. There is no such thing as good lie or bad lie. Some people say there's good lie, if it's tell a lie to save somebody, it's good lie. If you tell a lie that is going to hurt somebody, it's bad lie, but for God, a lie is a lie. There's no good lie and bad lie. There is only black and white, there is no shades of gray, okay? So you can't say, hey, God is asking me to marry this non-Christian who I fell in love with so that I can bring them to the law. What does the Bible say? You cannot be yoked together with them, unbeliever. That is God's standard, okay? You can't say that, you know, God asked me to take away money from, you know, from steal from my office so that I can give to the poor people, you know? Or to cheat in the business so that, you know, I get more money so I can give more money for my church. My church is very poor, they need a building, okay? Or to give the poor people, you can't say things like that because God cannot lead you to do anything that is contrary or contradicts his nature, okay? The second thing is God will always lead us and guide us and ask us to do things that are consistent with his word, okay, the scripture, the Bible, okay? Now God's word is truth, God's word is eternal, it's unchanging, it is forever established in heaven. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's word will never pass away. Even when the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us, he will always tell us and teach us according to what is revealed in the scripture. Now you can, you can't say, hey, God has asked me to do something and he's not revealed it in scripture, he's yet to write it in scripture. No, we can't say that. Everything that God wanted to reveal to man is already revealed in this book. There's nothing that needs to be added, that nothing is, needs to be taken out of this book, okay? Only thing we need to get enlightened about the mystery or the revelation that is there, but there is nothing that God has to add in his book or take away from this book. So whatever, whenever God is leading you, it has to be consistent with his word. So if you are praying for a decision and you hear your voice, you hear Satan's voice, you hear God's voice, you're confused, ask God to show you from his word. This word will lead you and guide you and he will never contradict what is written in his word, okay? But sometimes God will ask us to do things that contradict our understanding, okay? Be careful, God will not ask us to do something that contradicts our understanding of his word, but sometimes God will ask us to do things that contradict our own understanding, our own way of thinking. That means God will adjust our thinking or our understanding according to his word, okay? So let me give you an example. Now, when Peter was very hungry, he's waiting for food to be prepared. He goes on the terrace and he sees a vision, right? And in the vision, what does he see? He sees a sheet and on the sheet, he sees all kind of clean and unclean animals and God tells him, get up, Peter, kill and eat. And he says, how can I kill and eat these unclean animals and not allowed to do that? And God says, don't call what I have created as clean as unclean. And this is actually a vision that God was telling him that he has to go to Cornelius's house, I think Acts chapter eight or no, sorry, Acts chapter 12, I think, but he goes to Cornelius's house and he's supposed to preach the word of God over there. And Peter is a Jew, but Cornelius is a Gentile, a Jew will never go to a Gentile and they never thought that the word of God had to be preached to Gentiles and the Holy Spirit will fall even on the Gentiles, okay? So what happens? God is actually showing him that my plan and purposes are also for the Gentiles. So God is actually opening Paul's understanding or adjusting his understanding to his word or he's contradicting his understanding according to what he has revealed in his word. You're able to understand, okay? Okay, we'll stop here and we'll come back after the break and continue.