 Good morning everyone. You all can hear me. Good morning. So welcome to today's session on ministers foundation. We are starting on the very second book on receiving God's guidance. So before we could start our class can one of us please lead us in prayer? Somebody who have not prayed before, who can lead us in prayer today? We should be volunteering. Jeffina, you would like to lead us in prayer? Yes ma'am. Please, thank you. Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus. We thank you for this beautiful day and for the beautiful morning. God, as we learn a lot of things in this class, let us apply everything in our life and let us stick all the things that you're learning close to our heart and let us walk as children of life today. You call this, you've got a great purpose behind this and whatever you have for us, let us receive that. Everything that the ma'am teaches, let us apply that in our life and lead a great life for you. Let us all live for you forever. In Jesus name amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. That was a wonderful prayer, Jeffina. Thank you. As we start our class, can we do a small recap? What did we cover in the last class? What did we study? Last class, we studied on God as our guide. How God promise to lead us and guide us in different ways through His written word, spoken word. And also we looked on the life of David. How David was a man after God's own heart. How he inquired with the Lord in every instance in his life. So today, we are going to study on the word. The third chapter in the book of receiving God's guidance. I have everyone downloaded a PDF or soft copy for yourself. Have everyone got the notes? Yes. Thank you. Great. So we are on the third chapter, the word. So the word is, we're going to study on the written and the spoken word of God. How we can apply it in our life. Everyone can see the presentation as well. Right? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Okay. So God primarily leads us and guides us by His word and Holy Spirit. So the written scriptures are most important way where we can determine what is right in God's eyes and what's his will and what he would want us to do. So can one of us please read on Psalms 119 and 105 and the next person can take up the next scripture Psalms 119, 130 and the next person can take Psalms 37, 31. Can one of us please unmute and read this scripture? Psalms 119 verses 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Thank you. The next person. Psalm 119, 130 says the entrance of your word gives understanding to the simple. Amen. Next person. Psalm 37, 31. The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps or sight slide. Amen. The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide. Very, very important word. Very important. How God guides us. God is saying that I am the light. I am the lamp to your feet and the light to your path. And again, he says the entrance of your word gives a light. It gives understanding to the simple. And then in Psalms 37, Psalm 37, 31 says the law of his God is in his heart and none of his steps shall slide. God is our light. God's word enlightens us and it gives us light, the understanding. It gives us the light to understand. It gives us the wisdom to proceed further to make every decision. It gives light in the darkness so that we can see, we can step forth with confidence, with clarity. God's word enlightens us. The more and more we meditate on the God's word for every situation and every circumstances. When we meditate and when we seek God and seek his word, we see God's word enlightens us. It gives clarity. It gives us the understanding and God's purpose means to direct us in every situation. He increases us in our wisdom, knowledge and understanding in every area of our life from things, what to do and what decisions that we need to take in each season of our life. God guides us and he guides us through his word. Well, today we take this, as we study this chapter, we get to share on our personal stories with you but then it is only in light to learn. It's only to learn and not to elevate us and that is not our intention and as we share those personal experiences, it's only for the learning purpose but each of us cannot take that as our learning. We need to build our life on the word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. Whatever we hear as a personal testimony is just for our learning purpose because it shouldn't sound like the only theory that we teach but then we have experienced. Whatever we teach is the real experience where each of us can experience the spoken word, the written word and how the Holy Spirit is leading us and guiding us in every instance of our life and the other way where we share the personal experiences, it can open us, it can broaden our thoughts from experiencing the Holy Spirit. So that's another way where through the testimonies we get to learn how Holy Spirit can minister to us, can lead us and guide us. So these are the only intention why we share our personal testimonies otherwise as much as possible we will stick on to the word of God. Today we are going to study on the four key ways, the four ways through which how God can guide us through his word. The first is the instruction in God's word, the instruction in God's word. The second is the quickened word. The third is the word preached and the fourth is the inner voice, the voice of our conscious. This is how we're going to study today. The instruction in God's word. Can we turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17. Can one of us please read? All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for the instructions in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Yes, all scriptures God inspired and it is given for us to teach, for us to learn, for us to be convicted, for us to correct our life and to be instructed. What is the right way of living? So each of us here in our class, we may be the, you know, as a brother, as an employee, as a businessman, as a husband, as a wife, as the son or the daughter. Each of us have an instruction in God's word. We need to read the word of God to know the instruction, how we need to lead our life. God as given is way clearly to each of us, how we need to lead our life. The scripture already reveals the heart, like what is the heart of God? What is the mind and the will of God for us to follow in our life and how to lead our life that is pleasing to God. So the next is the quickened word of God. The quickened word of God. Can one of us please turn to John chapter one verse one? In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Amen. Thank you. So in the beginning was the word that is the logos and the word was with God and the word was God. The reema is the spoken word which quickens within us. For example, in Ephesians chapter six verse 17 says, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. A reema word. When we seek God in our situation, when we see God through his word and the word that comes, the word that speaks to our situation, God quickens that word and that word delivers us, think to us. So that is the quickened word of God and when we apply that word as power, there was an instance where I was unwell many years back, it was, I just, it was a weakhold, you know, after me receiving Jesus as the personal savior, started in, you know, reading the scripture, trying to know more on him. So it's been a weekend, suddenly all of a sudden I had a high temperature. So we didn't have a medicine at home. My mom informed my dad to get a tablet but after a styric work, he came home very late in the night and he missed to get the medicine. My mom was a little concerned and it was high temperature, maybe more than 102 degree. I'm not very sure but it was very high, almost I was shivering. So one thing because I newly encountered the Lord and I was so much in confidence that the Lord will heal me. I told my mom, don't worry, the Lord will heal and I, as I was lying down suddenly at midnight, two o'clock, you know, the temperature increased, increased and I sat, I started making some sound or groaning and you know, I tried to wake up and my mom was really concerned. All, all I did that minute, that minute when I prayed, I had this word that came within me saying that I am the body of Christ. Any sickness, disease that touches my body dies instantly in the name of Jesus. This word just came within me. As I prayed, as I prayed, immediately, instantly that fever left me, that fever left me. I became so active that I could stand. I was unable to stand. I was unable to move but that very moment, that word delivered me from that fever. That word quickened, that quickened my heart and when I claimed on that word, the fever left me immediately. So this is how, according to our situation, the word that the Holy Spirit quickens within us and when we claim on that word, that word as the enormous power, that word as the power to break through our situation, deliver us from the situation, that word as the power, that scripture, the written word of God, which is quickened in our spirit as the power to deliver us, to heal us, to comfort us, to strengthen us when we are weak. The word can also protect us in time of danger when we claim that quickened word of God. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he encountered each temptation by speaking that Reema word, the quickened word that came within him. It says, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God. He spoke that word, the Reema word. So just like this, in our situation, the Spirit of the Lord can feed us with his word, when he reminds us with that quickened word and when we speak that word, we can see instance healing, instance deliverance from every area. We also see how the Lord held us when we moved to Mangalore from Mangalore. We were seeking for many areas, the doors to be open for us to minister and teach the word of God in the city of Mangalore. As we were praying, as we were praying on the Word, there were instances where the Lord asked us to go meet some of the reputed colleges here and God all of a sudden just opened the door for us where we can take the Word of God to the college students, where we can teach the biblical principles to the college students. One after the other, the door started opening. We had about, you know, there was a time where we could minister to six colleges at one time and it was not very easy in the city to minister, but God just opened the door. How? When we were praying during our prayer time, God said, I'm opening the door that no man can shut. I'm opening the door, a new door and as he promised, he opened the door for us as we seeked. So in our situation, when we wanted a breakthrough, when we seek God, God speaks to us through His Word. And when we claim on His Word, we see, we see the things that which He promised us in spirit happening naturally in our time. With this, we will move on to the next Word, the Word preached, the Word preached. Where the written Word being preached becomes His counsel to so many of His people at the same time for various matters. The written Word, the Word that we hear, the Word that has been preached wherever you go, maybe you went to a church service or you've been watching on YouTube, the sermons on the YouTube. As you're praying, as you're seeking God for His guidance, so the Lord does not only talk to us with the written Word through His Word as we study, but even when we continue to seek Him and you study and even when you hear the sermons or go to a church and you hear the sermon or you try to hear the sermon online or in different medium, you try to call a friend of yours who's in the Lord and in different ways God tried to speak to us. God's Word can be proclaimed through various medium, various channels. As the Word has been preached, it falls into our heart and you know that. And we know that this is the Word that God is speaking to us in this season as I'm waiting on Him. This is the Word that God is directing me that I need to seek Him. And the minute you know that this is what God is speaking to you through His Word, through His counsel, through His direction and now it's our time to obey to that Word. When we obey to that Word, you see the blessing, the breakthrough, the healing come your way because in obedience is where we see the blessing of God in our life. Very, very important to receive that Word, to obey that Word. The fourth is the inner voice, the voice of our conscious. Can one of us read Job 32 verse 8? Job 32 verse 8. But there is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Can one of us read the next verse as well? Sam's 51 verse 6. Can another person read this verse? Proverbs 20 verse 27. The spirit of a man is the Lamb of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart. Amen. See the first one in the book of Job 32 verse 8 says, But there is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him the understanding. It's the inner voice, inner voice that gives us the understanding. And here we see, behold, you desire the truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part you will make me to know the wisdom. The spirit of the Lord who is hidden inside us will make us know the wisdom of God. Proverbs 20 verse 27 says the spirit of a man. The spirit of the man is the Lamb of the Lord, searching all our inner depths of our heart. It is so very important to seek God. As God uses this written word to counsel us, to guide us, to direct us through this inner voice, through our inner conscious. Conscious in our own spirit speaking to us is very important. Our inner conscious can speak the word of God. It can only speak when we feed ourselves, when we feed our spirit man with the word of God. When we continue to feed a spirit person with the word of God. So in a situation where, in a difficult situation or it can be any situations, the word of God that which is within us, the Holy Spirit can quicken it. It can bring to our, it can bring to our conscious so that it can guide us, okay, this is right, this is not good. It can guide us, it can give us what is right, what is wrong. A conscious bear witness speaks to the, align to what has been written in our heart and guide us in the right way. So as we listen, as we listen the inside man to our spirit person, it can guide us. Sometimes, you know, what used to be normal to others is not normal to us. Maybe at a workplace, in a college or in a business, in a workplace, in a ministry, different areas. The way we used to be before, we are not the same now because the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us and He is leading us with that small, still voice. There are certain things He corrects as He says, this is not the right thing for us to do. He quickens our spirit. He never lets us to do anything wrong. Our conscious bears witness with us. He speaks us and it aligns us to do what is right in God's sight, what pleases God. Even at times when we go astray or when we do things and not in a right way, our conscious speaks to us and it warns us. It guides us, it corrects us and that's the time that we need to pay attention to that word because the Holy Spirit who is within us not only teaches us and guides us but He also corrects us. He warns us. As we see in many instances in the New Testament, we see Apostle Paul say, I lived in all good conscious before God because man sees the outward but God look at the very attitude of our heart. What are our thoughts? What are our ways? And He also says that He always strived to have a conscious without offence toward God and men. Our attitude, our inner being, our inner thought is very important because God looks at that. So in the New Covenant, we read in Hebrews chapter 8 verse 10 to 11. We read that to have a conscious without offence toward God. Sorry, we read that God writes His word on our minds and on our hearts and each one will know the word of God. Each one will know that the Lord is leading us. So as believers today, as we depend on God, let's ask God, Holy Spirit, you guide me. You guide me with that inner conscious. Let my thoughts and words be aligned to your word. Let the voice of the Spirit of God speak to me clearly. Let my spirit be tuned to your voice, to your word. We must follow our conscience and we must feed ourselves with the word of God so that different situations and circumstances, the Holy Spirit can quicken the word of God that which is within us so that we can follow God's word and walk in His guidance in our life. The next is, can one of us please take up 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15? 2 Timothy chapter 2 verses 15. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So it is very important for us to divide the word rightly, to interpret the word rightly. We have to be very careful how we handle God's word because incorrect way of handling the word can lead us into different kind of problems. So we need to interpret the word, we need to divide the word correctly, we need to understand the word correctly. So as we study the word of God, we need to understand the counsel of God, the ways and thoughts how God is leading us. It is very important to take the scripture and interpret it correctly and understand correctly and apply it in our life. And then we see in our notes like, don't misuse the scripture. Let's not misuse the scripture according to what we want. Some of us, you know, in the initial of the days, you and I, we used to, you know, in our school days, I remember, you know, any situation we come across or anything that we need to make a decision, just take the Bible and open. Okay, this scripture, this is the word, this is the word for me. You know, if you're not comfortable with that scripture, that scripture does not mean anything to you. Again, you close and you open or again, you pray, point your finger where it goes. And okay, that is the word for me. Yes, some instances God speak to us because he knows we were like babies in him, but we are no longer like that. And that's not the randomly opening the Bible to some place and reading it or pointing it finger is not the right way to read our Bible. That's not the way God is leading us and guiding us. God wants, God is a systematic God. He's very organized. He wants us to read the word, meditate on the word, depend on him, depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us. We cannot play with this word like little children. We are no longer babies. We need to read and meditate on the word of God. We should not misuse the scripture and we should not take the scripture out of context. Twist it, turn it according to our need. That's not right because our God is a God who watches our thoughts, our ways, our words. Nothing is hidden in front of him. Nothing. There are different instances where especially even the youngsters if they like somebody. So if the other person is in the Lord, try to give quote scripture after scripture to that person saying that God spoke to me that you are the person. You are that person to me. And especially whichever side, whichever book, whichever chapter you turn to, that scripture will speak to you about that person. Be very careful. Be very careful. Are we doing it in our own intention? Are we interpreting the scripture with the light of God or with our own understanding? We have to be very careful. When it is from the Lord, Lord speaks to us clearly. Not only through your conscious, even through the witness of two or three. Wait on the Lord. And you see how the Lord will lead you. If it is meant to be yours, it will be yours. The Lord will make it to happen, but wait on him. Let's not take the scripture, twist and turn it to make it to our favor. That's not the way God will lead us. So we need to lead our life in fear of God, in reverence of God. So with that, this chapter also has two questions. Two reflection questions that we can look into. So with this, do you all have any questions? Is there anything that you would like to share and how the Lord led in your situation? How the Word of God quickened? How the Lord instructed you with the Word of God that you were able to lead yourself in that situation? Or how the quickened Word of God ministered to you and delivered you? If any of you all have any testimony that you would like to share based on the four points that we discussed today, you all can please unmute and share one of the incidents that happened in your life. Anyone? Thank you, Ma'am, for the opportunity. Yeah, I would love to share this verse. Isaiah 41 verse 10. So there were scenes in my life where I was really fearful about things. To step out to make, you know, changes in the course that I'm going. So, especially, yeah, I needed a lot of courage. So that time, the words that always used to speak to me was Isaiah 41 10. It says, do not fear for I'm with you. Do not be dismayed for I'm your God. He will help you and He will strengthen you and He will uphold you with my righteous right hand. So I was just reminded of this verse when you were asking. Yeah, that's that's what I wanted to share. Thank you. Thank you, Divya. Yes, that's a very powerful word. How the Word of God quickened and it delivered. It strengthens us in time of trouble. Anyone else? Thank you, Divya. Anyone else? We can hear two more people's testimony before we could end the session. I believe I can share. Yes. I'm going to call you up with me. It's such a big testimony in my life when I was broken in the world. Jeff, can you be a little loud so that we can hear you? Yeah. Can you hear me? Yes, please. Yes. So it's a big testimony in my life. When I was 14 years old, I was affected with tuberculosis and I was almost at the final stage and I was supposed to take a lot and a lot and a lot of tablets. And the medical time was up to six months. So I took the medicines for the six months. Every day I used to eat six to seven tablets. So it went for six months and still, tuberculosis didn't leave me and the doctor was in shock and he told, you need to extend the care for two months. And it was extended for another two months. And then we again, when we can see the doctor and he said, you need to extend for another two months. And I lost hope because the tablets, they make me feel dizzy. They make me tired. And I didn't feel like I have any more strength to take the tablets. So what I did was, I threw out all the tablets. And I believe that you told me that you're my healer. You told me that you took all my sickness on the cross. And now you hear me. That's what I said. Since I was affected by tuberculosis, I used to vomit blood. I used to vomit blood mucus. And I cannot walk. I cannot stand as much as I can. And I cannot get a proper food. I went through a lot. And that's the day everything changed. I waited for one month without tablets. And everything was all right, all of a sudden. I was able to walk. I was active. There wasn't a vomit or I didn't feel tired. It was like, it was like I'm gone again. Like I was a new baby and I can run. And I can do whatever I want. I was a very active girl once. And after tuberculosis, I was a very different girl. But after that prayer that I made, after that decision that I made to put all my trust and hope in the Lord. Because the doctors couldn't help me. The tablets couldn't help me. Everything left my side. And that's when Jesus came. And that's when he healed my life. And he gave me a new lungs. Everything was new. And that's when Jesus came. And after a month from that, I decided and I surrendered myself to live my whole life for him. For him. Thank you. Amen. That's wonderful. That's wonderful. Praise God for the testimony. Praise God. I'm sure each of us in our class will have an amazing testimony to share the faithfulness of God. How God quickened the word of God within us and how that written word of God delivered us, healed us or built us to the person whom we are today. Can one of us, any one of us, one more person can go ahead and share the testimony? Sharing testimony actually builds us, strengthens each one of us. So please do not hesitate to share what the Lord has done in your life because that word that you share, the testimony that you share will build another person or that may be the quickened word to another person in our class and also to the others who will watch this video later. So please feel free to unmute and share what the Lord did in your life. Okay. Ma'am, I would like to share. Yes, please. Psalm 37, 23 says. Psalm 37? 23. 23. Yes. The steps of men are established by the Lord when He lies in His way. This word has come so much alive in my life personally. I was praying to God after I came back from Cambodia for Godly connection and for spiritual covering and I was just declared that before you're going to direct my first day because you know what's best for me and at the right time, you know, like God connected me to Pastor Hormula and she's been my mentor for so many years and at the right time, at the right season, you know, God divinely connected me to Old People's Church Kohima and you know, I'm under the spiritual covering of APC and I'm so blessed that I've found my right place and this is God's doing, you know, God really answers prayers. That's what I want to say. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I said one more person since we have another 10 minutes. Can any two, any two more can share your testimony? Two students can go ahead. Can you hear me, please? Sorry, can you hear what I'm saying? Yes, yes, Jonathan, you can be a little louder. Okay, okay, all right. So my own testimony is the leverage from performance mentality from being a religious Christian. So, okay, so, okay, I'm going to increase my voice. So my own testimony is being delivered from from religious mentality from basing my relationship with God on my own performance. So I had a performance mentality. So when I started working, when I started to come into the into the light, into the light of the scriptures. So like you said, you said something about not taking the scripture out of context. So I started to say, I started to see the light contextually. So I started to see how my relationship with God is based on what Christ did for me. So I was, then I started operating with God on faith. I started operating with God based on what Jesus Christ did. So before I used to, I didn't really have peace because I always just go about thinking if I did it single maybe for example, I made a mistake for example, throughout the day I'll be bad, I'll be sad, I'll be thinking, oh God, I'm condemned, I'm ruined. So there was no there was no peace, there was no peace. But when I came into the light of my relationship with God is based on what Christ did. It's based on what God robbed for me in Christ. So then I started having peace. I started working on I started working unconsciously in the spirits even without even knowing. I started I started doing let me say, I started doing good things unconsciously without even knowing. And before I always just go about thinking making sure trying to be cautious of what I'm doing if I'm doing good. But now I do good things without even knowing without just unconsciously. So before I just thank God for breaking me out of that performance mentality that my relationship with Him is not based on my performance. And it didn't give me license to sing. No, it didn't give me license to sing. Even He drew me more clues than to God. To know Him more, to understand Him more. So, yeah. So, yeah, that's just that's my brief testimony. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, man. I mean, so what did we study in today's session? We studied on the instruction in God's word the quick in word of God and then the word preached. Yes. What was the fourth one? The inner voice. The voice of a conscious which is very important. So with this we will take a short break and we can come back to our second session. So let's take a quick ten minute break.