 Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today's session on Minister's Foundation and it's part two. We're gonna start on a new book today on Code of Honor. We have students still joining in. Okay, can I request one of us to please lead us in prayer? Brother Subashish? Okay, Sid, you can go ahead. Thank you. Father God, we come to the throne of grace. We thank you for the day you have given us the new day. We thank you for the opportunity you have given us to learn from your word, Lord. We thank you for all the things you have given us. We thank you for all the surprises you will be bringing and all the blessings you have given us, Lord. We thank you for this presence. We thank you for the time. We thank you for the teacher. We thank you for all the classrooms, Lord. Whatever we are going to learn, Lord, as it is written in the New Testament, Lord, whatever you have done and seen in me, put it into practice and I will bless you. Lord, according to this verse, whatever we are going to learn today, Lord, let it be visible in our lives, in our daily lives, Lord, in our walk with the Lord. Whatever we are be learning, Lord, it should be used for our supernatural connection, Lord. Whatever we will be learning, Lord, that it should be used for the expansion of your kingdom, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much. So where you are able to download this new book called Code of Honor? Class, where we are able to download this new book called Code of Honor? Yes, no. Oh, you have a book. Good, good, good. Yeah, same. Yeah, same like this. Either you all can have a soft copy because now we have stopped printing the book. Okay, thanks Alicia for responding to the chat. Others, I would request you all to go and download the book. I will also upload the book right away again. The initial of the days we have uploaded, but again I can send it to you. Uploaded the book. You all can download it from the stream. Yes. For those who do not have a soft copy of this book, I would request you all to please go to your stream and you all can download this book called Code of Honor. Or you can also go to our church website where we have our publications made available for all the students for free. We will also post the link to you later. Okay, so what do you think Code of Honor is all about? Do you think it is important as a minister of God? Do you think Code of Honor is important for us? Class, do you think it is important? Class is very silent. Is it because it's the first star? Yes ma'am, it's very important. It's important. Okay. As a minister of God, it is more important, isn't it, to have the Code of Honor in our life is very important. Let's look into what as Apostle Paul and others says about how a minister of God's conduct should be and why is it important. Throughout this book, we will be studying about the character of a man of God. I just posted the link where we can download the free books of our People's Church publication. And even the Code of Honor book is available in that list. Okay, James chapter 3 verse 1. Can one of us please turn to James chapter 3 verse 1? James chapter 3 verse 1. My brethren, let not many of you become teachers knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. Thank you. Thank you. So the bar is set very high for us as a minister of God, the conduct and life and the ministry is set a little high. The standard that we must consistently walk and follow may not be easy. But then, you know, we need to hold on because God will give us the grace to follow. Because this is what God is expecting from us as a minister of God, as a child of God. We need to have a good conduct is very important because the judgment is much stricter for us than anyone else. I know as I say this, we may not be perfect. In our journey, there may be some failures, mistakes that have come at it on the way, but then when we repent, the Holy Spirit who is in us prompts us our mistakes, our failures even before we could come at or even if we come at. It is good to ask for forgiveness, repent and seek the mercy of God so that by God's head, by His support, we can set ourselves in the right track and keep going what is ahead of us. We also see in Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 1, he's asking us, Imitate me as I imitate Christ. It is so important that, you know, like Paul makes the statement. That means check his life conduct that he has followed a very strict conduct in his life with boldness that he is able to say that imitate me as I imitate Christ. We followers of Christ, believers of Christ, ministers of Christ, we need to, our life should be where others can imitate our life. That means we need to follow, we need to have a good conduct in our daily life, though we have been watched by people or when we are not watched, we need to have this so that with all integrity, we can minister, we can tell people, follow us, imitate us as I imitate Christ. Just the way like Paul said, imitate me as I imitate Christ only when we walk because they say, you know, people look at our life and they learn. We set standard, we set example. So we need to, as, you know, as a minister of God, when we teach, when we preach, you know, yes, preaching and teaching is very important. But what is more important is when we live out those teachings, when we live out those words, we need to first be the doer of the Word of God and then the teacher of the Word of God. When we be the doer, it impacts ourselves, it changes us inside out and we will be that reflection. And even when we teach our Word carries power because we are teaching with our own experience. We are teaching with our, you know, with our experience and walk of the Lord. We would know the do's and don'ts how difficult it is and we will be sharing from that point and that has power and that experience would change people. And also in the book of Philippians chapter 370, it says, brethren, join in following my example and note those who walk as you have us for a pattern. Time and again Paul is saying that set an example, follow my example. So it is time for us as a minister of Christ that we re-establish a standard of serving. And we need to, you know, walk our life in fear of God and reverence to God, knowing that God is watching over us. And knowing that there is a greater reward for every walk that we do, for every seed that we sow, for every word that we do in the kingdom of God. There is a reward from God because God is a God who watches us. He knows us inside out. If we may see the outward appearance or outward things, what we do, but God watches us even in the secret place, what we do. So it is very important to have our, our conduct, our character pleasing to God, pleasing to God is very important. In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 2, can one of us please read 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 2 to 4. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 2 to 4. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and pre-o-sive words, but with the demonstration of the spirit's power. Amen. So Paul is saying that I did not come here with an eloquent speech. I came in front of you with much weakness, with trembling, with fear of God. I may not carry the skill and talent what the wise person may have in this world, but then I come with the power of God, with the wisdom of God. So it is not our eloquent speech or the motivational talk that we could deliver to inspire, impress people around us. But then ministry is not really about that. Ministry is really about an overflow of our personal relationship with God. So that is very important. Ministry is just an overflow of our intimate relationship, the fellowship with God that we have. So our walk should be more carefully. We need to have a watch on the way of our life, the way we relate to others, the way we conduct ourselves, our character is more important. As a minister of God, we tend to be very diligent in the early days when we start the ministry, when it is all small and everything has been noticed by everyone. We diligently read the word, pray for a long time, do anything that is needed. From us to start the ministry, to get our ministry established, to gain that name and fame that is needed. But once our ministry grows and we have many people added to our church, added to our ministry, is our character, is our conduct the same? We are trying to separate ourselves, make a pedestal for ourselves, separate ourselves from the people whom it was very normal for us to be with before. But now the minute the church grew, are we separating ourselves, putting ourselves on a pedestal saying, I am a great leader and no one can reach me that easily. But then you need to, you know, different ways are there to reach me and talk to me because my time is more valid. Yes, the time is valid, but we need to be available for our people. We need to have that same fellowship and a relationship with God because one thing we should know that ministry is just an overflow of our relationship with God. We need to have ethics and moral value, you know, at hand. We need to have a clean end in the highest standard we need to maintain because it is our character which holds our anointing. Our character is very important because that is what will hold the anointing. Yes, we may be, we may be skilled and highly talented. We may also be gifted in many spiritual gifts and we will be flowing in that area. Yes, gifts, the spiritual gifts are not reversible, but then God is saying it is your character that holds the anointing. And this character, the moral values and principles comes from within, from within. Our path to work moral, moral approach comes from our dependence on God and by the grace we can conduct ourselves which is worthy inside of God. The deep desire to pursue God and hold oneself accountable in private life cannot be imposed from the outside, but it should come from within the relationship that we have with God. And we need to maintain that, how we can maintain that. We need to have a schedule daily time in the secret place, that is very important. Our time with the Lord is very important. Matthew chapter 6 verse 6, can I request one of us to please read? Matthew 6 verse 6. Matthew chapter 6 verse 6, but when you pray go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Amen. Amen. Father who sees us in the secret place will reward us openly. So the true ministry is birthed in that secret place, in that secret relationship that what we have with God. We need to have that fellowship with God. Now we can have that by prayer, worship, reading and meditating on the Word of God. And God speaks to us in the secret place. He gives us wisdom. He imparts wisdom. He imparts spiritual gifts. He gives us new ideas how to conduct ourselves or build our ministry or minister to others. He speaks to us. It is in that secret place that God does wonderful things in our life. Because it is a promise that God has given to each of us. When you seek me in the secret place, and I will answer you. And also I will reward you openly. So we need to maintain this relationship consistently with God. We need to carry this relationship with us. And it's not that we fix a time and we pray only in that time. But we must always stay hung up for more of God. And throughout the day we need to maintain this relationship. Whatever we do, wherever we go, we may be going to college or workplace. In our business, in our work area, start communicating with God. For every task that you do, involve God and ask God, God, you tell me, you teach me. I'm going to meet so and so person. You be in midst of us. You give me the wisdom, put your words in my mouth. Involve God in every area, every part of your life. And we must always stay hung up for more of God. More of his word and more of his spirit to work in our life. This will motivate us to continue seeking the Lord personally and stay hung up for more of him. We should always have this in our mind to continuously strengthen our character. Knowing that a character is very important as a child of God, as a minister of God, character is very important. Can one of us please turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 12. I would request each one of us to please take turn to read scriptures. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed that he does not fall. Thank you. So once we read a certain level, certain stand in our life, in our ministry, we need to be very careful. We should not think that, okay, now I've read certain level, I will not fall, that I've overcome all these areas in my life. Now at every point of our life, we need to stay on God. We need to stay on God. What happens if a person is going to gym and he exercises, he develops his muscle, isn't it? But when he stops exercising, what happens? The muscle gradually weakens. Sometimes, you know, even without we realizing it. In the same way, if we take off our guard, thinking that we have crossed all these areas and we may not fall. And that is a very dangerous time. Without our knowledge, we may get into some kind of trap. So we need to be very careful at all point in our life, no matter how high we grow in ministry, but then we need to stay on God. So character is developed over time as we obey God and preserve through various circumstances. Our character will never rise beyond the level of our obedience to God. So our obedience to God is more important. In Christian ministry, we are in no way exempt from temptation or temptation from various sins. So each time when we are tempted, we need to have a guard for ourselves that we may not give in or fall for any kind of temptation. We read in Philippians chapter 3 verse 12. Can I request one of us to please turn to Philippians chapter 3 verse 12? So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, notice in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who has said work in you both to be learned to work for his good pleasure. Amen. Thank you. So Paul is writing to the church of Philippians. He's saying that not that I have already attended or I'm already perfected. But then I press on. I press on and I lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus is also laid hold on me. So the relationship that we have in Christ is what will keep us to carry to maintain that good character or to develop a good character or to hold on to that which Christ Jesus laid hold upon us. There's a greater standard that God has placed on us and for us to hold on to that standard. We need His grace. We need His support. And also in our ministry, we should be very careful. Do and then teach. We should not just be the doers. We should not just be, sorry, the teachers, but we should be the doers. First, we need to do. First, we need to apply it in our life and we should make it our own experience. Make it ourself. Walk in that area and when we get that revelation and from that experience when we teach that can impact many people. And that will have power to change others. Can one of us please turn to Matthew chapter five verse 19. Matthew five 19. Whoever therefore breaks one of this list of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called this in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Amen. Very important. Very important that we do and then teach. Because this is it is also a self discipline that we must maintain as a minister of God. Make sure that we do not teach anything, but even before that we practice in our life that we implemented first in our life so that we can teach with our walk of our life. It is about we first walking with God aligning ourself. Heading to the voice of the God leading to the voice of the spirit and as per his word and then with that experience when we teach that has power. It has power to change others. Our words have power. People who watch us. It will strengthen them to implement in their life. We don't even have to share about any of it to others. People who watch our life will learn. Because that has more power than even more than what we could teach. The next is we need to be a voice and not an echo. Yes, we hear many sermons and messages of other man of God women of God in our life. But what is more important is we need to take the teaching and apply it in our life. And make it our own revelation. Before we could minister before we could teach it to others. When we apply it in our own life, when we see that teaching changes us, benefits us. And when we teach with that, that has power and that changes people. And that has more value than just listening and teaching. It's not our word. It's not our revelation. It's not our message. But when we make it ourselves and then we teach, it becomes we are speaking from our own life experience. So in Matthew chapter 10 verse 27, we read that whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. And what you hear in here, preach on the house door. So it is very important when we apply it in our life and God teaches us, corrects us, changes us, prones us in many areas. And without experience, without revelation, what you get in our life and we teach it adds value. So we become a voice and not an echo. Lifestyle. Keep it simple. Second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 12. Can I request one of us to please read second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 12. Second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 12. For our boasting is this the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God and more abundantly toward you. Amen. Amen. It's very important for us to keep simple everything around us. Let's keep it simple. When we keep it simple, it's very easy to handle ourselves and conduct ourselves. There's beauty in simplicity. The apostle lived a simple life. We must learn to keep our lifestyle simple because that is what has been expected as a minister of God. And there's also freedom in simplicity. We are so free to be what we are. And we could accept ourselves. God is designed as this way and we can be the same all the time. So there's no need for us to have any kind of false pretence in our life. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 4, no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the warfare of this life. That he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. So there's no need for us to pursue a bigger house or a bigger car or much more things. There's nothing wrong in it. The latest gadgets or the lavish things around us, there's nothing wrong. But there's a very fine line between what is need and what is want. There's a very fine line. We need to check. Is it a need or is it a want? For everything that we buy, we need to be accountable to God, not the people. When we are accountable to God, we conduct ourselves worthy friend of God. So that we can walk worthy friend of God. Example, nothing wrong in having a bigger house. If a family is growing big and we need a bigger home, we can go for it. If you're deciding for a better car, again, why is it? Why am I changing? If I have the best car already, why should I go for a new car? Which is in the model that is newly released. Oh, I want to give away my car and buy a new one. One, we are wasting the resources that God has put in our heart. And we're also being covered just for the new things that has been released. We need to have a watch in our life. If in case you have a car that has been very old, it's getting worn out and you're spending a lot of money in fixing it often. And then there is a reason why you want a better car for a smooth travel, for a smooth transport or you're saving on the mileage. The advanced features that has come in the car or even in the latest gadgets. If it's going to help you to perform better, improve efficacy in your work, in your ministry. And you want to make something convenient around you in your work. It's good to go for a new gadget. But if it's only to show off that I possess the expensive stuff or I only wear the branded stuff to create a name and fame for yourself. If we are doing that then we need to watch out. Watch out, watch our life. Why am I doing what I'm doing? We need to ask and question ourselves. We should be very careful that we are not getting into this rat race that is going around showing off to people what we are not something, what we are not called for. Our focus should be set on God, not on the worldly, material things around us. Part of a living life should be a simple lifestyle, learning to be content with earthly possession, whatever we have around us. Learning to be content, learning to have the things that is only needed to us. When we possess some things that only we need, we can survive even during famine. That is, even when we are going through any kind of difficult time. But if we are not maintaining that, if we go towards the wants during the difficult times, there would be a situation that arise that we may have to sell or give away what the things that we need if we have unwanted things with us. So it's very important to have the things that we need and not focus on the things that we want or the materialistic things. We need to watch our life. Sometimes we should not feel the pressure as a minister of God. We need to be something that we are not. If we are not intellectual, we don't have to pretend that we are one. We can just be what we are. It's like a yes, be a yes and no, be a no. If we are not wealthy, we don't have to pretend to be something to show people that we are rich. Being contentment is very important content and all the area because contentment is godliness. We get that from God and we don't have to pretend. These days, pretend maybe you're trendy, but then we don't have to get caught in that trend of this world. We don't have to. Let's be simple so that we don't get into any unwanted problems. Keep our heart pure, guard our motives. Can one of us please turn to Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23? Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it, spring the issues of life. One of the big challenges in our life is to maintain the pure and clean heart because our God watches our heart. As we see in the book of Samuel, man may look at the outward things, but God looks at the heart. God looks at our motives, our attitude, our desire, our intentions. Why are we doing what we're doing? What is our intention? Why are we serving God first place? With what intention are we serving? Is it the attitude? Lord, you have blessed me, so I want to serve you through the people. Or we have any other wrong motives that we become famous. We get more money or we don't have to work hard. We don't have to go to a daily labor work. What are our intentions unless and until we are called for ministry? And you know, God looks at our heart when we get ourselves into ministry. When we serve God, it is with the experience of God, with the relationship that we have with God. The calling that He has called us, when we step out in ministry with that calling, He backs us up. He gives us the grace to go ahead in our ups and in our downs. He stays with us and He leads us. He will never leave us no forsakers. But for wrong reason and wrong motives, we get into the ministry. Or not only ministry in any area, it may be helping a person. Motives are very important. We need to keep our motives and our heart clean. We need to keep our heart pure and God our motives is very important because God is watching. When we have this in our mind that God is watching, that fear disciplines our life. It makes us to have a watch over our life, which is not that very easy. It is very easy for us to watch and judge others. But having a watch over our personal life is very important. That can only come when we have that fear of God. When we have this understanding that God is watching over us. Every thought, every action, every motive of us will be streamlined. We will correct ourselves. There are many times, even though when I have seen personally of myself, even if I want to help somebody and sometimes if our motive is not right, I pause, I wait till I get that corrected within me. I pray and I ask God, God, this is not right. This is not a right thought. It's not easy. It is human nature to have any kind of these thoughts in our mind. But when we pray, when we wait on God to correct that motive, that understanding, why we are doing what we are doing to another person. And then out of that when you help it becomes a blessing. And also we need to be very careful with our lustful thoughts. When dealing with lustful thoughts is the same as committing that deed or the adultery, Matthew 528, we see that. And we cannot hide those thoughts or that passion from God. Maybe we can appear holy and hide that from people around us because whatever is there, it's in our thoughts and people cannot make out what is happening in our thoughts. But then we have a holy God who's above everything. And he can watch our thoughts. He can watch our thoughts. We need to be very careful because the word of God, I mean, there's a saying saying, we cannot stop the bird from flying above, but we can definitely stop the bird from building a nest over our head. Or we should not take ourselves granted saying that, hey, I'm human, all these kind of thoughts will come. Yes, it will come, but are we entertaining those thoughts? Only when we entertain those thoughts, it starts growing. So we need to be very careful not to entertain. At the first place, change your thoughts, come out of that place, do something, talk to somebody. Change your mind, read a book if you're alone. Do something. We should not allow that thought to grow. Start praying. So when we have these type of thoughts, how do we overcome it? Can one of us please tell? We have youngsters in our class and we also have the senior members who are in the ministry. How do we overcome these thoughts? Meditating the word. Meditating the word. Yes. Anyone else? Which word can be used to meditate for us to overcome this type of thoughts? Taking every thought to captive. Yes. Second Corinthians. Yes, taking every thought to captive that we can overcome this. And also, we can see in 1 Corinthians 2, 16, which says, I have the mind of Christ. I have the mind of Christ, the thoughts I command you to leave me right now in the name of Jesus. Knowing that we have the authority to cast out and to build upon. We have the authority. So the minute we say that I have the mind of Christ, I'm not telling you like it happens just like that. But we need to keep working. We need to take that thought captive and we need to say, I command you to leave me till your mind is renewed. Until you have come out of the thought, keep confessing, keep confessing to overcome that area. It can be pornography, it can be masturbation, whatever area we may be in. Only when we allow it leads to addiction. But when we refuse it, it flees from us. When we resist it, it flees from us. We need to renew our mind with the word of God by claiming the word and asking God, you renew my mind. I command this thought, command the spirit of pornography or masturbation to leave me. And when we repeatedly pray and ask God to give us that new mind, renew mind so that the old things are passed away and behold, we have become new. Yes, we've become new in Christ. Our God is a God who does not just watch us go through difficult season in our life. But then he's a God who's faithful enough to correct us, to change us, to help us. Give us the grace to overcome in that area because the word of God in the New Testament says that we are more than an overcomer. We are more than an overcomer. We need to believe that. We need to believe that God is there with us to help us overcome in our weaknesses. It can be any area, area. When we pray, we can overcome. Now, you may say that it's only in my thoughts, but what to do if I watch, if it comes on television, when I'm watching something. Or, you know, these days, YouTube, even if you're watching a Christian message, you see different type of ads. They just pop up. How do we handle that? Purpose ads. And, you know, even on the streets when you go there, a lot of advertisement on the hoardings. They're not pictures, the images that are not pleasant to our eyes, which may lead a thought differently. How we can avoid it. Yes, the first time when you look, it's, we can't help it. It's just come, but we can always skip it. We can always change. We can always come out of it. We don't have to take a second look at that poster or look at that ad that has come up. The minute we skip, the minute we take our eyes, it's out. But only when we allow things go ahead. So we need to be very careful not to allow any of such thoughts or lustful thoughts or any of these kind of chronographies or masturbation to get hooked on to us. But then if we are, we can pray and come out of it. We have the power. We have the authority to cast that kind of thought, that kind of spirit out of us. And we can stay clean in Christ because our God is a God who gives us the strength, who keeps us clean. He gives us the strength. He gives us the grace to overcome. That's why he has called us that we are more than an overcomer. By his grace, with his strength, we can overcome any addiction, any kind of thought. So we need to hold on to him. And the next point here we see is do not kill your own conscious. Do not kill your own conscious. A conscious is a God given, God given or built in regulator that has been placed within us. And it tells us when we are right and when we are wrong. And our conscious also bears witness, which is aligned to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes reinforcing what the Holy Spirit would speak to us. We need to listen to that small still voice within us. Whenever we make mistake, our conscious says, hey, this is not right. You need, you were not, you didn't speak well to this person. You were rude to this person. It prompts us, it reminds us our way of life and our daily way of life. The times when we did well, it appreciates us. Oh, what you did is right. When you helped a person on the street knowing that there's nothing good can come out of him to you. But then you are helping another person with the God kind of love and your conscious appreciates that. And at the same time, when you speak rude to somebody, you'd never know. A conscious says, what you did was not right. Go and ask sorry to that person. When we heed to that conscious, yes, it is one of the way the Holy Spirit also speaks to us. Because he is aligned with our conscious and he prompts us with that small still inner voice. So as a believer, as a minister of God, we need to maintain a clean and pure conscious in our life, in our walk with God. When we have this conscious right, it can keep us away from many dangers and how many traps that is ahead. All warned us that we need to have faith along with a good conscious. We need to have faith so that we can we do not, you know, we do not get into any kind of trouble or shipwreck. If in case sometimes we purge a conscious and we when we purge a conscious when it is continuously prompting within us and we, you know, we try to purge that and do what we want to do. And we get into the trouble. When we get into trouble and when we seek God from that area, God will help us. God will help us to get out of the trouble. But then we need to be again, maintain this conscious of listening and obeying to that inner conscious and do not kill it. The small voice that is within us. When we obey, it makes it brings a big difference in our life. So with this, we will take a 10 minute break and we can come back. So we can go back to another point. Okay. Class will take a 10 minutes break. Yes. Okay. Thank you. We'll take a 10 minutes break and be back. Thank you.