Minister’s Foundations | Lecture 13 : BC101-MF-20260923

Good morning everyone. >> Welcome to class. Thank you online students for joining us and welcome to our e-learning students as well. Um before we begin, let's pause for a word of prayer. Can any one of you lead us in prayer please? >> Heavenly Father, we thank you for this wonderful time that you have given us. Oh Lord, we just bless your holy name. We welcome your Holy Spirit in our midst. We thank you for the opportunity you have given us which is blessed ma'am and all the students Lord those who have joined online and offline. We pray that you direct our hearts to listen to you father and receive what you want us to receive and apply it in our lives and grow in you Jesus. We thank you holy spirit that you are working in us by your power. We just give you all glory and honor in Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. Amen. Thank you. Okay. So we were at the last chapter of uh this publication fulfilling God's purpose for your life on page number 49. Okay. So we'll talk about the importance of running to finish to the finish line. Okay. The importance of running to the finish line. So one of the most important things to complete in a course you know is to comp to finish the race with endurance right. Uh so to fulfill the purpose God has for your life you need to keep going even when the journey gets difficult even when the journey gets tough. Okay? And you need to have perseverance. You need to have endurance. And you must endure to the finish line. Okay. Now, how can we keep on going and running our race with perseverance, with endurance, even when it is difficult, even when it is tough? Look at what Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 says. It's on page number 49 in your uh in the publication. I'd like everyone to read it quietly by yourselves, please. Everyone. Done. Okay. So here we see that at times you know we know that the calling will not be exciting. Sometimes the calling that God gives us will be exciting. Sometimes it will not be exciting. Sometimes it can be joyful. Sometimes it will not be joyful. Sometimes we will not even feel the calling of God very joyful. And you are but you are still to fulfill God's call for your life. So what should you do? You should not let your feelings hinder you from running the race. Okay, there will be some times when the challenges will be difficult, when it will be tough. Okay, when you will not feel too joyful, you will not feel too excited. You will not feel too happy. Okay, but you should not let feelings hinder you from pursuing what God has called you to do. Okay? And you need endurance to finish the course that is set before you. Amen. Tell your neighbor, you need endurance to finish your race. >> So how do you run with endurance? How can you make sure you finish the race of life? Okay. So Paul shows us what we need to do from Romans 12:es 1 and 2. What is the first thing we need to do that he says in Romans 12:1? What did Paul do? Look at that verse. What does he say? What is the first thing we need to do? It's there in your notes, page number 49. What is the first thing we need to do? Huh? Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12 1 and2. Huh? >> Lay aside every weight. That means what? Everything that is pulling you down. Everything that is oppressing you, that is depressing you, that is pulling you down from running the race, you have to keep it aside. What is the second thing that you need to do? Ah, lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us. Okay, that means sin traps us and prevents us from fulfilling God's calling, God's purpose for our life. And so we need to lay aside every sin. The third thing what we need to do, run with endurance. That means keep pressing on with endurance, with perseverance, right? What is a good um insect or an you know creature that where we learn perseverance from? Ants. What is one creature or one insect that we can learn perseverance and endurance from? >> Ants. Ants. >> Ants. Anything other than ants? What about spiders? You know spiders. Every time a spider is pulling spinning a web, what do you do? When you go and pull it down, what will the spider do? It will spin again. Again, you pull it down. Again, it will spin. Again, you pull it down, it'll spin or it'll go to some other place and it will keep spinning. That is perseverance. That is endurance. Never giving up. And what is the last thing? What's the last thing we need to do? Look unto Jesus. Not looking at your circumstances, not looking at your situations, not looking at your giants, not looking at your difficulties, but looking at whom? Jesus. Okay. Now, let's look at Paul as an example. What he says in Acts 20 22- 24. So, everyone quickly read that please. It's on the bottom of page number 49. Acts chapter 20 22- 24. done. >> Okay. So here we see that you know uh Paul is here saying that we need to lay down our lives sometimes in order to finish the race. So sometimes in order to finish the race we need to lay down our lives to finish the course to finish what God has called us to do and what God has set before us. So to lay down means what? >> Huh? Surrender yourselves. Yes. >> To give up willingly. >> Sorry, >> ma'am. To give up willingly. >> To give up willingly. Yes. It means to give up everything willingly and press with endurance to do what God has called us to do. Okay. Look at what further Paul declares in Acts chapter 21:3. So on top of page number 50 in the publication. So quickly read that please. Acts chapter 21:13. So here we see that Paul is on his way to which place? Jerusalem. He's already received many warnings that when he goes to Jerusalem, he will b be bound in Jerusalem and possibly even die there. And the believers around him were very sad. They were crying. They were urging Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul was still willing to go to Jerusalem. Why? Why do you think he was willing to go to Jerusalem? He [gasps] because he knew he had to finish what God had called him to do. Okay? He knew that he had to finish what God had called him to do. So we are not only called to finish the race with endurance but also we have to finish it with faith. What do we need to finish it with? Faith. Okay. So look at Paul's final words that he writes in his last letter in his Roman imprisonment and he knows he's going to die after that. So look at what he writes in 2 Timothy 4 6 to8. It's on page number 50. Everyone can read that please for yourselves. 2 Timothy 4 6 to8. So here how does Paul describe his life? What does he this how does he describe his life? Huh? Sorry, loudly. >> Ah, he says his life is he's comparing his life as something that is being poured out like a drink offering, an offering to whom? Okay. To God on the altar. Okay. So, his words remind us of this ultimate goal. Okay. And why does he say my life is being poured out as a drink offering? Why do you think Paul says that? Why couldn't he have used some other example? Why does he say my life is being poured out like a drink offering? What is poured? You cannot take it back. Okay, good thought. He's actually thinking of the Old Testament sacrifice. You know they used to offer drink offerings to God. Okay. It's like consecrating to God. It's like total submission and consecration to God. So Paul is saying that my life is totally consecrated is given to um God. Okay. And he also reminds us here of his ultimate goal. What is the ultimate goal he's reminding us here? Finish the race. only finished the race. >> Yes, I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race and to keep the faith. I have kept the faith. Okay. So that is something that is very very important. What we need to do is we need to fight the good fight. So that means when we run the race of life, it's not going to be easy. There are battles we need to fight. We need to finish the race and we need to keep the faith. Amen. So, was Paul able to do it? >> Yes. How was he able to do it? How was Paul able to do it? >> By the power of the Holy Spirit and the strength of God. Okay. So, just as Paul endured his race with faith, we are also called to do the same thing. So tell your neighbor, endure your race with faith. Okay? We are called to strive. We called to endure and finish the race that God has set before us. Amen. Okay. So that is this uh what we studied from this publication uh fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Any questions, any doubts? We have not finished. We're just talking about finishing the race. We've not finished the race of life and not finished the course. We still have a long way to go. But any questions from this publication. Okay. Before we end class today, we'll discuss when we'll have the assessment one on this publication. Okay. Now, we'll move on to there are no questions, no doubts. Uh if there are still any, you can type it in the chat or you can still, you know, unmute your mics and ask. We'll move on to the next publication that is receiving god's guidance online students. I have posted it in the Google classroom. So this is the publication. Okay. You can access the PDF copy online students from um the Google classroom. Okay. And all of you have a copy. Some of you don't have. You can just share there's very limited copies we can get for you. Okay. Any extra copies? Anyone wants to sh give one? Everyone has one copy. Yeah, you can share that. Yeah. Not Yeah. Receiving God's guidance. You both share. So I think one book between two can be helpful, right? And you got a book. Um, you got a book in the corner and Okay, then you can take this book. Come. Okay. You both can share this book. Uh, we'll ensure that you'll get one copy each. Yeah. Okay. So, we are begin beginning to study this publication that is titled Receiving God's Guidance. And before we begin, I'd like to mention that most of what is given in this publication is repetitive of what we already studied in fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Now, since I did a quite an indepth study of fulfilling God's purpose for your life, if you're following, you will know it's an in-depth study that I did. So, I will not be explaining the same things that are mentioned in receiving God's guidance. Okay? Um I will just move and skip those portions. I'll just mention it and I'll just move forward. Uh because it has already been covered in our first publication. Is that fine? Okay. But if you still have doubts, you can please feel free to ask me and I will gladly explain that again. Okay. So do we all need guidance in various matters of our lives in in only big matters or even small matters? big and small, right? Okay. Now, does the Bible give us a fixed formula of God's guidance? Yes. No. Is there any set gives? Ma'am, your voice is muted, ma'am. >> Okay, let's continue. Um, yeah. So we will look we are going to look at 11 different ways from the Bible how God uh uh guides us. Okay, we've already studied some of these in detail in our first publication. So something that we need to understand is that God is genuinely interested in the decisions that we make. Isn't that nice that God is genuinely interested in the decisions that we make? Now sometimes we think that God does not care about our choices but he truly does. He does care about the choices that we make and he has promised to give us guidance. Okay. So let's now begin with chapter 1. Let's see how God guides us. Okay. So read Psalms chapter 37 23- 24. It's there in the publication. Okay. Uh you can please read that Psalms chapter 20 uh yeah Psalms chapter 37 23 and 24. Okay. What does the first phrase say? The steps of a good man. Okay. So who is a good man? >> [laughter] >> We are good men. I like that. Yes. It's good to see yourself as a good man. Okay. It's basically talking about a courageous or a valiant man. Okay. A very courageous or a very brave bold man or a woman. Okay. Now the word ordered here means to make perfect or to make firm to set up or directed. So what does this verse say that you know the steps of a courageous man or a bold man what does God do? He makes his steps how? Perfect, firm and he directs his way. Okay. Now if you look at the Amplified Bible, it translates this verse. It says God busies himself with every step that we take. That means God is very very busy with all the steps that you are taking, all the choices that you are making. It means that every single step you take, God is very interested in that and he's personally involved and attentive in the steps that you are taking that much God loves you. Okay? So every choice, every decision, every step you take, God is so interested in our lives. So God is interested in the part we take, in the decisions that we make and in the life choices that we make. Okay? So this verse tells us that even though you fall, you will not be what? Even though you fall, you will not be utterly cast down. Why will you not be utterly cast down? >> God upholds you with his hand. That means God is holding you and me in his hand. So we will not slip. We will not fall and we will not falter. Isn't that amazing that God loves us so much that he even though there are thousands and sorry not thousands millions of people on the face of the earth he's holding your hand so that you don't fall down you don't falter and he can uh even if you make mistakes even if you stumble even if you falter god is there to hold you he grasps your hand he supports you and he upholds you. Amen. Okay. So, you need to have this assurance that even as you are journeying through life, the God of this universe, right, who's so awesome, mighty, all powerful, he's holding you in his hand. Okay? And you will not slip, you will not fall, and you will not falter. Okay? Let's look at another verse. Psalms chapter 32 8 and 9. It's there in the publication. So can all of you read Psalms chapter 32 verses 8 and 9 please. It's on page number two. What is God saying? Where is God's eyes? >> On us. Right. Say, "God's eyes is on me." >> Yes. And his eyes are watchful eyes. Okay. So, what does it mean? Just like a mother, she has a toddler or a small child at home. She might be cleaning or she might be doing the dishes or she might be cooking. But where is her eyes constantly on on the child? What the child is doing. She might be cutting but she will keep looking. Okay, she might be cooking but she will keep looking what the child is up to. In the same way, God's eyes is on you. And we know the Psalms tells us that our God never sleeps not slumbers. We don't have to wake him up. Okay? We don't have to, you know, shake him and wake him up. His eyes are always on you. He's watching you. And he says, what does he say here in this verse? What will God do for us? >> I will instruct you and teach you. Amen. >> So you can pray and say, God, teach me how I need to study. Teach me how I need to preach your word. Teach me how I need to read your word. Teach me how I need to live my life. Because when we do that, God teaches us and he instructs us. Okay. So now if you look at these verses in the Hebrew, it means something even more greater or more significant. So for example, the phrase I will instruct you. In Hebrew, which is the Old Testament is originally written in, it means God is saying you will be intelligent, prudent, and wise. Okay. So God is promising us that I will give you the skills to make you successful. Okay? So we can pray and say God give me the skills to make me successful. He also says in this verse I will not only instruct you but I will also what? Teach you. Yes, I will teach you. Now the Hebrew word for teach here has a very figurative picture. It means pointing the finger at. Okay. So for example, you know, um you ask somebody uh where do I how do I get to this place? Okay, they'll say okay, you go to the right and you know it's a dead end. Then you take the left and then you keep going straight and then you will find this you know shop or this building and it's just next to that. So what are they doing? They're trying to point out or teach us or instruct us you know using their fingers. So Jesus is saying you know or God is saying I will teach you in the way that I will point it out to you so that you can just follow through. Okay. Another picture that we can think of is of a man shooting an arrow or somebody shooting an arrow. Now when somebody wants to shoot an arrow that what is a target? What do you think is the target? The center point, right? They want to hit the target which is a center point. Okay. So God is saying I have the target in my mind. I have your target in my mind. I know the way you need to go. I know the plans I have for you. I know the path you need to take. Okay. All you need to do is you know just follow through. Okay. So I know the way you need to go, the plan you need to follow, right? And what you need to do in that circumstances and I'm going to point my finger to you and show you the way. Okay? Because I have this target in my mind and I will show you. All you need to do is to obey and to follow my instructions. Amen. Okay. So that is as clear as how God is going to instruct us and guide us. Now this verse also says I will guide you. Right? Not only will I instruct you, not only will I teach you, but I will also guide you. I will guide you means what? I will advise you and I will counsel you. So just imagine this great big god of this universe who's so great, who's so mighty, who lives in unapproachable light no man can see or ever can has seen. Okay, this great God of this universe cares so much to even guide us by pointing the finger and showing us the direction and the path and teaching us and instructing us what we need to do. Amen. So God has promised to guide us, instruct, teach and counsel us and also give us all the wisdom that we need, the skill, the knowledge and the understanding that we need to go through life. Amen. So that is how loving and good God is. But this verse in Psalm 32, okay, that you read, okay, Psalm 32 also tells us, Psalm 32:8 and9 also tells us that even though God does all this for us, there is a response still required from our end. Okay? Is there a response required from our end? What is a response? What does this verse say in verse 9? Don't be rebellious. Don't be like the horse or the mule. Okay, look at verse n. What should we have if God? Yes, we need to understand his instruction. We should not be stubborn. We should not be rebellious. [clears throat] But we need to understand, obey and follow through. Okay. So that means God is willing to instruct, teach, guide us and counsel us. But we need to co- lababor with God. We need to co-work with God. Okay? When he says don't be like the horse or the mule, what does it mean? It means don't run ahead of God. Right? Walk along with God. Why should we walk along with him? What is he doing even as we walk along with him? He's holding us within in his hand. He's upholding us with his righteous right hand. And he would show us or direct us the steps that we need to take and show us the part we need to take. So sometimes we are running ahead of God and then we get lost and then we're saying God where are you? What is happening? You know we get totally confused and lost. But God is saying, "Hey, why have you run ahead of me? Just walk alongside with me and I will teach you and I will show you." Okay, at the same time, okay, talking about the horse and the mule, we don't run ahead and we also don't be stubborn, right? Mules, donkeys can be stubborn, right? Sometimes horses can also be. So, don't hold back and say, "No, God, you know, I'm not going to do this. I don't see the clarity. I don't see the whole picture. I don't understand what you are telling me to go here or to do this. Don't be stubborn. Don't be disobedient. Don't be hard for God to move you forward or don't resist God's calling and his purpose in your life. Okay. So that is what we need to do. We need to cooperate with God, co- lababor with God so that we can, you know, understand the steps he's telling us to take and walk accordingly. Now, let's look at another scripture passage. Psalm 25 verse 12. Okay, read Psalm chapter 25 verse 12. It's on page number three. Who is the man that fears the Lord? What does it say? What will God do to the man who fears the Lord? He would teach him in the way he choose. Okay. some loose. Ah, now it's just No, it's gone. Can you hear me now? >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> No. Again, it's gone, I think. Okay. No. Can you hear me? Yeah. Okay. Okay. Thank God. [laughter] Okay. So the good news Bible puts it this way. Those who have reverence for the Lord will learn from him the path they should follow. So what does it mean? Reverence means what? Reverence means honoring. Okay. When do you honor God? So show reverence to God. When when do you show reverence and honor to God? when you obey him and you're totally committed to and surrendered to him. Okay. So, reverence means submitting to God, obeying him, taking his instructions seriously and having the right heart attitude and saying, "God, I am willing to submit. I'm willing to obey. I'm willing to follow your instructions." Okay? So, when we do that, what happens? God will teach us in the way that he chooses. So all of us should have reverence for God. That means we must learn to submit to God, to obey him, take his instructions seriously. Okay. So that is reverence. Now this verse says that those who have reverence for the Lord, what will the Lord do for them? >> Yes, they will he will teach them. They will learn from him the path they he they should follow him. Okay. Now you may ask this if God is so eager to guide us. Okay? If he busies himself with every step that we take, okay, if he's so passionate and interested about every choice that we make, why is it that sometimes I ask God to lead me and I don't seem to get any answer? So you might be saying, okay, God is very interested, very busy in the steps I take. He's very passionate about the choices that I make. But when I ask God to lead me, why doesn't he seem to give me an answer? Right? That thought can come up or that question can come up in our minds. What do you think can be the reason? Is God not interested in teaching you or guiding you? He is interested. Then what do you think is the answer? The failure is on God's part or our part. >> So what is a failure on our part? Huh? Not no not having reverence for God. That means we are not co- lababoring, co-artnering, co-working with God. So we need to come to a place of obedience, submission and surrender. Okay? We may not be taking his instructions seriously or we might not be having the right heart attitude. So when all that is there, we will not be able to follow through with God's direction leading even if he is giving it to us. Okay? So sometimes we just say, "God, I'm in a mess. Get me out of this mess." Right? We just want to keep getting out of the messes that we make. But God may be telling us, hey, I will get you out of that mess, but I want you to learn something. There are some heart attitudes that are not right, some character issues and attitudes in you that needs to be dealt with. And if you refuse to learn, we just want to quickly escape those things, then it's not the right heart attitude. And that is not reverence before God. And when we don't have reverence before God, God cannot teach us and guide us and lead us. You're able to understand? Yes. Okay. Now, let's talk about the revelation of God's will. Any questions so far? Any questions? Yes. Can you give him the mic, please? So ma'am uh if we are going somewhere and something happening on the way and it is God will and then how we know but God says I will trust interest in you and the teach you >> so you're going your I mean your journey through life >> yeah going I'm if I know I I have to go somewhere in something happening on the way and it is God will yeah >> is it God's will that >> yeah on something happened >> you face some danger you know going on the way like some accident is is it God's will for you to get into that accident what do you think it's not God's will that you can get into an accident why but >> yeah that's contrary to God's nature God will not put us in an accident God always protects us he sends his angels to God and protect us and watch over us. Our foot will not even dash against the stone. But if we get into the accidents, who get into an accident, whose fault is it? Maybe I didn't follow the traffic rules. I was speeding or I didn't, you know, I was thinking something else and you know, I went and banged in or I was going above the speed limit. I had to go, right? So that can cause an accident. But we can't blame God that he knows we are going and you know that is what you're saying that you know he upholds us with the right our right in his righteous right hand but how did I face the accident is because sometimes we are not obedient. We're not submitted to God. Obedience and submission to God also means obedience and submission to rules whether it's government rules, traffic rules, family rules, home rules, marriage rules, whatever. If you step outside the boundary, we lose God's protection and we are getting into a mess. Right? Okay. Any other question? >> Ma'am, excuse me. >> Ma'am, >> so let's move on. Let's talk about the revelation of God's will in our lives. It's on page number three. >> I'm having one question. >> Okay. Now, we already looked at few of these things in the previous publication. And I'll just mention them as we go along. The first one is God's will, guidance, and leading are always consistent with his nature. I've already explained this, right? God will never tell us to do anything that is contrary to his word and his nature. I already gave you examples of divorce, of lying, of cheating, everything when we were doing the first publication. Okay, we'll move on to the second one. God's will, guidance, and leading is always consistent with his word. We also looked at it, okay? But we'll just look at a few more things. Now, sometimes in our understanding, we can misunderstand or we can misinterpret the Bible. Okay? And at such times, God corrects us with his word. Okay? So, let's look at an example. When Jesus was on the earth, he went around healing people on the Sabbath as well. Yes or no? Were people were were people happy with that? >> No. They were very angry because they believed that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath law. Even his disciples picked grain to eat because they were hungry on the Sabbath. And the religious leaders were offended and they questioned Jesus, "Why do you break the law? Why don't you keep the Sabbath? And what did Jesus say? Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Okay, so this means Sabbath was created for whom? >> For us, for people. Why was it created for us? For people to rest, to rejuvenate, uh to give them time to worship and communion, commune with God. But it was never meant to become a legalistic burden. Okay. So, we'll come back after the break and continue with this. Thank you.