This sermon emphasizes the importance of being poor in spirit, recognizing that all blessings and abilities come from God. It warns against the dangers of spiritual pride and the need to constantly humble oneself before God, acknowledging that everything received is a gift from Him. The speaker uses the example of Job to illustrate the transformation that occurs when one moves from pride to humility, leading to a double portion of blessings from God.

I'd like to turn to Romans and chapter 9. I don't know how many of us read through Romans chapter 9 to 11. They are a section all by itself, and it's a little different from the stream that's flowing in chapters 1 to 8 that continues in chapter 12, which is an explanation of the gospel. But Romans chapter 9 to 11 is a very important section because it teaches us something about the sovereign choice of God, of his people. Let me show you a verse, first of all, in Romans chapter 9. It says that the purpose of God, it says in verse, it's talking about Jacob and Esau, verse 11, though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose, according to his choice, would stand not because of works, but because of him who calls. It was said to the mother, before the children were born, the older will serve the younger. And as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God. Verse 15, but I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it doesn't depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. And verse 18, it says, so then he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires. How would you like to believe in a God like that? Who has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and hardens whom he wants to harden. I think all sensible people will revolt against a God like that. So that's unfair. It's unjust. But you got to take it or leave it. That's the God of the Bible. And you know why we question that? Because of our arrogant pride which we all received from our Adamic forefathers and which he got from the devil. We've got bits of it from the devil too as we have grown up. We question almighty God. How can that be? And I want to say to you my brothers and sisters, all those who have that attitude are the ones who never grow in their Christian life. One day when we see God face to face, we will discover that he was the absolutely fair, righteous judge of the universe. But because of our warped, crooked, perverted mind, perverted by sin, perverted by partiality, a mind that knows about as much of God as an ant knows about the universe. That's how much we know about God. And with that mind we dare to question God. And that's the reason we don't grow. I've seen that through the years. I've seen many believers, they don't grow spiritually because they think they are cleverer than God. They think they know more than the Bible. Their knowledge of God has not come through the study of the scriptures because they don't study the scriptures. They spend more time watching Christian television and reading other things and listening to music. They don't know the Bible. And how can you know God when you don't know the Bible? You can have your opinion, but your opinion is all crazy. It's like a man who's never studied science arguing with Albert Einstein about some scientific theory of his. It's crazy. I mean, a humble person will say, I don't know. But there are very few people in the world who will come to God like that and say, I don't know. I want to know. The mark of a person who has that attitude is that he devours the Bible. He studies it day and night. Because he wants to know what God is like. Show me a man who is studying God's word passionately, who has a greater desire to know His word than to know what all the preachers are saying or what appears on Christian television. There I'll show you a man who will know God soon. But there are very few like that. There are very few in our churches. There are very few that I've seen across the world whose great desire is to know God only through the Bible. Very few. Let me give you a suggestion. Don't ever read a book, even a Christian book, that does not drive you to the Bible. Every book I've written has always sought to drive people to scriptures. You know, one test of that is if you open any book of mine on any page, you'll find a scripture reference either on the left side or right side. I think so. Most books anyway. But that's not true of a lot of Christian books today. You go to the Christian bookshop and you open a book and see if there's a scripture reference there. You turn to the next page, the next page, the next page. There are no scripture references. That's the proof that these books are not based on scripture. It's somebody's opinion. They don't show you scripture. They don't drive you to scripture. They don't drive you to Jesus. And that's the reason for the shallowness in a lot of Christianity today. And that's the reason for the ignorance of God there is among Christians today and the deception. And you know there are multitudes of so-called believers who are living in a tremendous self-deception that everything is alright with them when they're not. There are people who believe they're born again who are not born again. The people who imagine that they're spiritual and they're not spiritual. One day Jesus will come and they're going to get a tremendous surprise when they discover that they are not what they thought they were. So I want to help you this morning. If you're really serious and I want to speak only to those who are serious this morning about wanting to know God wanting to go on with Him and wanting to be useful in the short time we live on this earth. A wonderful truth that's become a revelation to me. It says here in Romans chapter 9 verse 19 You will say to me then why does he still find fault? Who can resist his will? And here's the answer to all proud people. On the contrary who are you O man who answers back to God? Who in the world do you think you are to answer back to God? The thing that's molded a clay vessel cannot question the potter saying why do you make me like this? So I want to read verse 25 now. As God says in Hosea and I want to read this in the message Bible it's really excellent. I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies. You know that's what God is always doing. He's always calling nobodies and making them somebodies. If you're willing to be a nobody in your own eyes in the eyes of others God will make you a somebody and when He makes you a somebody in His eyes if you're still willing to remain a nobody He'll make you some more but if you suddenly begin to think after a little while that you become somebody now He'll make you a nobody again. That's God's way. Jesus said that in these words. He says many who are first will be lost and the last will be first. So if the devil wants to destroy a believer and he does he wants to destroy all of us all he's got to do is listen he doesn't have to make you commit adultery or murder or steal a bank or any such thing listen carefully all he's got to do is to make you imagine that you have now become a somebody. That's enough and God will do the rest. The devil knows that. You don't know it perhaps because you don't read the Bible but God knows but the devil knows he knows the Bible he knows what God does he knows that God makes nobodies into somebodies and somebodies into nobodies so if he wants to destroy you all he's got to do is make you think you're a somebody that's all he's sharp and he's seen it work for 6000 years and he knows it always works and he knows that man is so stupid and so blind that he doesn't learn this lesson so I want to expose the lie of the devil I want to expose the truth of God my brothers and sisters so that you will not make that mistake if you want to receive grace from God till the end of your life always remain a nobody I've seen before my own eyes in the last 40 years people who started out so well young people who started out so well they were just nothing they were nobody and God blessed them God blessed them and it went to their heads their heads began to swell they began to think they were somebody spiritually God anointed them gave them gifts used them and then they're destroyed I've seen elders of churches in our churches where we have preached humility for 30 years they haven't understood the ABC of humility and the devil has succeeded in destroying them and don't think that because you hear the message today your problem is going to be solved you can understand it all in your mind and if your heart is not open and hungry for God I guarantee you'll forget it in a few weeks it'll be gone so this is the thing I've seen people who come to our churches who were rock bottom poor and every single family that's ever been a part of CSE has prospered materially we've never preached the prosperity gospel here never we're against it but everybody's prospered because that's the way where God where we teach people to seek God's kingdom first and his righteousness and all their material problems are solved not only solved, they prosper their children prosper and then what happens I've seen it happen before my eyes again and again they begin to think they are somebodies and God destroys them not materially they continue to prosper materially like the worldly people but destroyed spiritually I've seen it happen so many times I see it happening before my eyes with people sitting here right now I can only warn you I can't change you even almighty God cannot change you you got to decide whether you want to change and that depends on whether you're willing to be a nobody I've seen people who are clever intellectual who because they're cleverer than a lot of other people imagine that they're somebody God destroys them spiritually I've seen people who will mingle only with those who are on the same intellectual level because they're somebody and they mingle only with those who are intellectual somebodies God destroys them I know what a tremendous salvation it has been for myself I think I'm perhaps not as clever as well, some of you fellas but somewhat equal to some of you anyway but I know what a tremendous salvation it has been for me to go and mingle with poor uneducated illiterate people I never knew Tamil I learned Tamil to speak to them I never lived in Tamil Nadu one day of my life well I did for a short while but I was traveling most of the time but I learned it because I wanted to speak to these simple brothers some of you who are from Tamil families don't speak to these poor brothers when they come for the conference you're somebodies no wonder year after year after year after year I see you you don't see yourself but I see you in the same spiritual condition I want to encourage you be a nobody it'll go exceptionally well with you in the next one year and you'll have growth in your life such as you've never experienced in all your life God calls nobodies I'll call the unloved and make them beloved in the place where they yelled out to you you're a nobody they are now calling you God's living children verse 26 so I believe that is the secret and the reason is given us in 1 Corinthians in chapter 1 in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 it says verse 26 onwards take a good look friends at who you were when God called you to this eternal life I'm reading from the message Bible consider your calling brethren yeah consider your calling I don't see many of the brightest and the best among you not many influential folk in your church not many from high society families isn't it obvious that God remember this is inspired scripture this is the word of God isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the world's culture overlooks and that the world's culture exploits and abuses he chooses these nobody's to expose the hollow pretensions of the somebody's that makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn or your trumpet before God everything that we have right thinking and right living a clean slate a clean slate and a fresh start comes from God by way of Jesus Christ and that's why we have the saying if you're going to blow a trumpet blow it for God not for yourself God does it verse 29 so that no one will be able to boast before God in that day that I got here to heaven because I was wholehearted because I was a little better than somebody else no it's because God sovereignly chose you it's because God in his tremendous mercy decided to show mercy to you well we may say well what can I do then if I'm not one of those chosen yeah let's read another verse we must always compare scripture with scripture I told you Romans 9 to 11 has one section and when you come to the end of that section Romans 11 we read here Romans chapter 11 he's talking about the Gentiles the non-Jews who received favor from God whereas for 1500 years only the Jews got favor and they thought they were the only people who will ever get it and God showed that he's going to give it to others and it says here in Romans chapter 11 verse 30 it was the end of the chapter just as you once were disobedient to God now you have been shown mercy because of their disobedience so these also who have been disobedient because of the mercy shown to you may also be shown mercy and listen to verse 32 God has shut up everybody in disobedience so that he can have mercy upon everybody so to whom does God want to show his mercy everyone but we've got to receive it in humility you know when the Bible speaks about believing one of the great words in the New Testament is faith believing and we can use simple illustrations like we have used in the past of what believing is you've heard me say for example that you'd put money in a reliable bank like the state bank of India and you won't put money in a bank which somebody started yesterday around the corner why? you don't have faith in that bank you have faith in this bank so faith is something outside of yourself it's not in you, don't look for faith inside you it's faith in that bank or you've heard me use the illustration of walking across a river on a concrete bridge or on a rickety log put across the river you have faith in one the concrete bridge but no faith in the other it's in something outside of you it's not inside of you so but faith is more than that that's the beginning you know you have faith in Jesus Christ that he's reliable, he's like that reliable bank, you can put all your money there he's like that concrete bridge it'll never break but it's more than that faith is, I mean that's the beginning but the bible speaks about faith as receiving see for example John 1 12 John 1 and verse 12 it says as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God even to those who believe in his name, believe and receive are the same in the new testament you can't believe without receiving when you believe without receiving, you're like the devils, the bible says in James chapter 2, the demons also believe that way, you believe there's one God, the demons also believe and it says the demons do something more than you do they tremble, so the devil believes a lot of things which many Christians believe about Jesus Christ, about the trinity, about his death, resurrection ascension, but they don't receive and because they don't receive, it's not what the new testament calls faith does the devil believe that Jesus Christ is almighty, sure he does he found that out on the cross but he doesn't receive you can believe that God is almighty too won't make any difference to your life any more than it does to the devil it's receiving that makes the difference and very often many of us when we say we believe something we're only believing it in our heads you know the bible always speaks about believing with the heart and there's a lot of difference between believing in the head and believing with the heart, believing in the head is like the demons believe, the bible says in Romans 10 verse 8 to 10 if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth Proverbs 3 verse 5 says trust in the lord with all your heart and don't lean upon your head that's what it says in that verse trust in the lord with all your heart and don't depend on your understanding you'll go astray do you know the difference between head faith and heart faith world of difference you know nowadays we hear a lot about trusting god for healing I believe we should pray for healing whenever we are sick but something better than praying for healing is to trust god for health such you don't get sick that's even better if you follow the laws of health and trust god to protect you and you want your body to be used for god's glory you can receive even health it's true but it's receiving you know and very often why is it so many people who are trying to believe god for healing I'm gonna trust god they see some testimony usually on christian television or something like they say oh I'm gonna do that it's all in the head see that's coming from that fellow's head on the tv screen to your head and it's so convincing you say yeah that's right I'm gonna believe that I'm gonna believe that nothing happens that's head faith the devils also believe and nothing happens to them heart faith is something when god puts something there it's got nothing to do with you faith is a gift of god you receive it and somebody receives it and that person is healed for the last 40 years I've been traveling in ministry and one of my prayers was that I would um never miss a train or a flight so that a meeting has to be cancelled and that I'll never be sick so that a meeting has to be cancelled and it's never happened in 40 years it's not because of me I say it's what god just put some faith in my heart to believe that now I'm not saying that's a great thing I'm just saying that that was necessary for me for my ministry may not be necessary for you but I wanted help to serve god and I'm very thankful that god's given it to me for 40 years I tell you god can do many things for you if you trust him you gotta trust him it's gotta be from the heart lord I believe you're gonna do it for me now you know god's ways with us are varying and for a period I read that god gave Elisha life probably to the age of 90 and then finally it says Elisha got sick and he died of his sickness it's amazing to read that now a person who's got head faith say hey that can't be right a person who understands in his heart has no problem with it he says because it's a matter of god's will and god's will changes for a person from day to day but head faith people who say 2 plus 2 is 4 it's always gotta be 4 whether you're 10 years old or 90 years old it's 2 plus 2 is 4 this is head faith there's a lot of difference between a living contact with god where god leads us in one way at one time and another way at another time but I wanna say to you try to understand this difference believing in the head is just knowing facts do you believe that the earth goes around the sun? yes you do ok it'll help you in your geography examination and probably scientific calculations but it doesn't help you in your christian life in the christian life it's a heart pain where you receive faith is to receive you know there are probably 2 billion or more I don't know maybe 2 billion christians in the world today 1 third of the world's population call themselves christians you go to any one of them and ask them do you believe that jesus christ is god they say yes they believe that christ died for us since yes but do you know that 90% of them are going to hell even though they believe that that's my opinion you don't have to take it but I think you'll discover in the day of judgment it's true because they never had heart pain many of you know I know from childhood I believed that christ was god and died for my sins but I never received till I was about 19 and a half then something happened I received and once I received I I've never shaken in 46 years I've never shaken so you know the difference it's the same thing in every area this is the reason why so many people imagine that they believe god for healing are not healed it's in their head and they're told to confess that I'm healed and it's still in their head nothing happens they keep on confessing till they decide to be honest and say I'm not healed see a lot of deception going on in the world today I'm just trying to protect you from that deception you have a choice you can either believe what these TV evangelists tell you or you can believe me or believe god's word but if you want to walk in honesty and in truthfulness you better believe what god's word says there is a difference between head faith and heart faith it's a question of receiving and let me show you another verse John chapter 17 and verse 8 you see here again the connection between believing and receiving John 17 verse 8 it says they have come to know everything you've given me is from you for the words which you gave me I have given to them that is to the disciples and they received them and they truly understood I came forth from you and they believed that you sent me see they received and they believed that is new testament faith now we come to how can we receive even the matter of you know a lot of people let me take another example before I come to that another thing a lot of people are praying today and are frustrated about perhaps people sitting here is for the baptism in the Holy Spirit a lot of people are unsure unsure I was like that for many years myself I know from my own experience I'm not unsure today I've not been unsure for the last 30 years I wasn't sure a long time before that I had it here in my head it wasn't in my heart because even when it comes to the Holy Spirit it says in John 7 and verse 37 onwards Jesus spoke in the last day if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink he who believes in me okay will have rivers of living water flowing out of him because this he spoke of the Holy Spirit whom those who believe will receive it says the same thing believing is receiving a believing in the head yeah Lord I prayed for it I believe I got it because we quote some verse where Jesus said when you pray believe that you are received and I believe in my head but let me ask you my brother and sister did it work be honest don't imagine you know this business of teaching people to imagine something which is not true is one of the greatest deceptions in modern Christendom today particularly in the healing ministry um I'm not against healing I believe in the gifts of the spirit I spoke in tongues for 30 years and I believe in healing I've experienced healing I've seen people healed through prayer so I'm not against it but I don't believe in dishonesty and deception when Jesus touched a blind man and his eyes were only half open and he couldn't make the difference between a tree and a man can you imagine how blind a fellow is if he can't distinguish which is a tree and which is a man he wasn't healed at all and even the people with poor vision can distinguish between them imagine Jesus prayed for someone and the guy's eyes were only so little open that he thought men were like trees you know why God Jesus did it why couldn't Jesus every time he healed instantaneously it's the only case where he redid it in two stages you know why he did it so that there will be a permanent record for people in the 20th 21st century who will be deceived by these healing evangelists that's why he did it and when the man said I can't see if it was one of today's healing evangelists he said no just confess you can see confess you can see and he'd have gone around blind man saying I can see I can see I can see I've seen people take off their glasses and say I can see deception Jesus never asked him to tell a lie he said I can't see Lord said okay fine we'll pray for you again and he got healed you know that Jesus never wants us to tell a lie he never wants us to say we're healed when we're not healed don't you believe all these all this brainwashing going on in Christendom today it's receiving it's trying to believe in the head that causes a lot of problems and I tell you if you understand this message it'll deliver you from a lot of confusion and set you free look for that faith which comes in your heart okay how can we receive in the heart how can we receive the Holy Spirit here it says about receiving the Holy Spirit see John chapter 3 I want to make it so clear today by the grace of God that by the end of this meeting if you are open and you're hungry a great confusion will be cleared out from your mind in this whole area that can change your life in relation to the future John chapter 3 John the Baptist said verse 27 a man can receive nothing get this clear a man can receive nothing unless it is given him from heaven do you understand that you can receive nothing of eternal value of spiritual value unless it's given from heaven he's talking about things of eternal spiritual value he's not talking about your salary which your boss gives you or gifts which some man gives you which are all temporal a man can receive nothing of eternal spiritual value unless it's given from heaven so we got to look for it from there and say Lord I don't have anything of value in me eternally unless you give it to me see also 1 corinthians chapter 4 1 corinthians chapter 4 the middle of that verse it says what do you have that you did not receive what do you have that you did not receive just think for a moment even physical health or healing or spiritual gifts or knowledge of the bible preaching ability for many years I used to think that my understanding of scripture was because I studied the word so much you know even I could be foolish and proud till God showed me my pride and I repented I said Lord forgive me it's not because I studied the bible so much it's because you gave it to me if I can preach it's got nothing to do with me he gives it to me when I need a word to speak he gives it to me if he doesn't give it to you it's not because you're inferior to me listen to this it's not because you're inferior to me you can be as whole hearted as me it may not be your calling it may not be your gift that's all your gift may be something else there's some other area where I won't be able to do it as good as you can because that's your gift see God gives the tongue an ability to speak but he gives the hand no ability to speak maybe you're like that no ability to speak but look at the wonderful things the hand can do amazing things just the tongue cannot do it's all receiving a man can receive nothing unless it's given him from heaven what have you got that you did not receive if our children are born again they're all born again I've seen believers whose children are all born again who are so proud they write books on how to bring up children I brought up my children right I tell you honestly I'm scared to write a book on how to bring up children even though all my children are born again it was received I tell you it was received it's got nothing to do with me and I think my wife will also admit it's got nothing to do with her it's got to do with receiving once you recognize that you will never look down on another person whose children are not born again never if you do that you haven't understood this message what have you got that you did not receive and if you received it how can you boast see all boasting is eliminated the moment you understand that you received why is there so much of a pride in some believers you know that it's not that a fellow gets up and boasts hey I'm so and so or sticks out his chest no pride is like body odor or like bad breath most people who have bad breath don't know it somebody's got to be kind enough to tell them hey better go and wash your mouth it's true and a lot of people who got body odor just don't know it other people pick it up immediately but poor chap he doesn't know it himself but you know how it's so much in a hot climate it's coming out all the time body odor, you can't suppress it that's why deodorants have a big market and perfumes have a big market because they know this is something you just can't overcome I want to say pride is like that from your spirit it's there you can't even help it, it just comes out haven't you seen that sometimes when you do something well and somebody appreciates you for it suddenly something came in there when the fellow said something good to you that was the body odor I'm talking about spirit odor rather you got to kill it, because it's evil because at that moment for a few seconds you thought you did it when you didn't you received it I've seen people who brought somebody to the Lord who want me to know that they are the ones who brought that person to the Lord it's so many things can you imagine if by some chance you prayed for somebody and the guy got healed oh, can you imagine what will happen to you for the next week or two and how you'll be itching to bring out that testimony somewhere or the other in all your conversations this is what I mean by spirit odor it comes out so quickly like perspiration you can't help it can you say I'm not going to perspire from now on you can't do that it just comes out pride is like that so what do you got to do, you got to be watchful when your body stinks what do you do go and have a shower or a bath we got to be sensitive, the wonderful thing about spirit odor is we can cleanse it immediately unlike body odor we can't cleanse immediately, it takes time to go have a shower but spirit odor can be cleansed immediately I can immediately get rid of it and say no, that's gone I've received it I can't boast about it let me turn you to another verse in Matthew chapter 5 Matthew chapter 5 it says here in verse 3 now you understand this verse, that's why I came to this verse finally, not at the beginning Matthew chapter 5 verse 3 says, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven the message bible says, you're blessed when you're at the end of your rope at the end of your rope is an English expression means you got nothing more that you can do now there's no way out nobody to help you you're at the end of your rope it's all run out of your hand, it's come to the end now and you let go and you sink to the bottom it's like a fellow climbing mountains hanging on to his rope and it's all slipping out of his hand he's come to the end of his rope, now it's finished and when you come to that point the bible says you're blessed because now you've got no human earthly resource to fall back on it's like your bank account when it's come to zero and nobody will give you a credit card boy imagine telling somebody like that he's blessed because now you got only God to lean on that's what Jesus said, blessed are you who in your spirit when you recognize your fantastic poverty in your spirit that you're really nothing no matter how much God may have prospered you or given you intelligence or ability or a good job or anything if you recognize those things don't have any eternal value, the only thing that's got eternal value is how much of humility God has been able to work in me through Christ so as I said this pride is an order that comes forth from people you can sense it I've seen brothers here in CFC through the years who had a very humble spirit order when they first came and after a few years and God's blessed them either very often not spiritually but just materially, the order changes and they haven't taken a shower, they haven't got rid of it and it gets worse and worse and worse pride, they can't smell it a carnal Christian is like a person who's got a bad smelling system, he can't smell it either but if you're a spiritual man you can spell it you look at his eyes and you can see it the Bible speaks about haughty eyes in Proverbs 6 are you able to recognize pride in a person's eyes? I can recognize it almost 100% of the time but it took me a long while to discover it but when you walk with God, it happens, you discover over a period of years, you sense his eyes, his spirit and he can't fool you with humble talk or putting his head down like this no, no, no, God's not fooled it's an order that comes forth from our spirit where a man is not cleansing himself of his thoughts about himself he's got an opinion on almost everything proud people are like that they've got an opinion about everybody and everything I told a brother once, I think you should fast for one week from giving an opinion on any subject, on any person, he said it was difficult he was honest, I think there's hope for him, great hope for him because he was honest, he said it's difficult some of you say, oh, I'll do that you really think so? Try it from today for one week, throughout the week of this conference, don't pass an opinion to anybody about anything or anyone and you'll see you'll be struggling somehow you'll come through at the end of the week, oh boy, I made it it's not easy it's not easy we're so full of pride and that's why we think we've got an opinion on everybody and everything under the sun, even when Jesus said, I don't judge anyone he had such discernment, I'm just telling you my brothers and sisters, the way to a godly life, you can live such a wonderful life if you understand the simple principle to be poor in spirit, I have to receive from God, that's all I'm not teaching you as someone who learned all this right from day one, I made more blunders than all of you and I took much longer than all of you will take to learn this, but I learned it and it's changed my life and it can change yours when you come to the scriptures, when you read it come with poverty of spirit and say, Lord teach me I don't know you know how a man in touch with God like Balaam could not even see an angel standing in front of him, and his dumb donkey have you ever heard of anyone dumber than a donkey that donkey could see the angel is it possible that a donkey can see certain spiritual things which you may not be able to see despite all your cleverness and bible knowledge it's got to do with humility I presume donkeys are humble because they hear everybody saying, oh you're as dumb as a donkey, oh, so the donkey say, I suppose we are the worst of the lot so that attitude helps them to see angels which we can't see because we don't think like that, if somebody called you as dumb as a donkey you say, what do you mean, that's why you don't see angels, that's why and the donkeys do that's just my theory by the way but anyway as far as humility goes, it's not a theory God makes nobodies into somebodies and if we keep that attitude Lord I just want to be a nobody all my life I want to remain in poverty of spirit recognizing that even today now let me ask you this question honestly how many of you really believe that even today you're really not in yourself you're no different from what you were on the day you entered CFC the day you came to the church absolutely no if there is a change, it's what God did, that's all otherwise in yourself do you recognize that you're still the rotten crooked selfish scheming Jacob that you were when you came here but the grace of God has done something recognize it and say Lord once if that grace is removed, I'm back to square one absolutely, how many of you believe that, if the grace of God were removed from you today, you'd be back probably lower than square one, to minus something I have been so gripped by this that I've really understood after nearly 40 years the meaning of without me you can do nothing, you say oh I know that perhaps you know it in your head I knew it in my head 45 years ago took me a long time to understand it in my heart that's what's made the difference in my life it's made a difference in my ministry it's brought me to experience the fulfillment of scripture which says rejoice in the Lord always I'll tell you honestly, I live a life where I'm never discouraged, never, not a single day I can't even remember how many years ago last time I was discouraged, it's the honest truth I'm only telling you that to say what God can do for you if you come into this life of receiving living as a nobody get rid of all these airs that you have and thinking that you're somebody no, that's why you don't get grace remain poor in spirit and the more God blesses you the more go and cast your crowns before God and say Lord that's not me that's you, I'm nothing I'm not better than anybody else I sometimes use my imagination to picture the judgment seat of Christ, that Christ sets up his throne and I imagine all the people from CFC going to get their reward and me coming last it's good for me to believe that think of that think of yourself like that sometimes consider other people as more important than yourself you'll experience such a tremendous salvation in your life you'll get revelation on scripture you'll learn things in scripture which nobody could ever teach you God has taught me some amazing things in the word which I've never read in a book I've never heard it on a tape God spoke to me changed my life He can do that for you but you've got to be a nobody all your life see what Paul says in Galatians in chapter 6 Galatians in chapter 6 verse 3 if anyone thinks he's a somebody when he's a nobody he deceives himself or as the message bible says don't be impressed with yourself how many of you are impressed with yourself are you impressed with yourself and your accomplishments you sometimes sit back and meditate on isn't this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power look at the walls that's how Nebuchadnezzar said you know what happened God took away his senses, he began to eat grass like an animal till his sense returned to him and he said Lord it's got nothing to do with me, it's you don't be impressed with yourself just say Lord I want to be a nobody all my life this was God's great purpose in dealing with Job I want to say that in conclusion in the book of Job Job was a unique man because God himself certified that there was nobody in the whole earth like him in the whole earth God's certificate God told the devil there's nobody like Job in the whole earth he was the best man in the whole world none of us are like that but in Job's time he was the best man in the whole world and God took that best man and crushed him made him lose his children, lose his money, business, everything because with all of Job's goodness there was one thing he lacked turn to Job 29 you know what type of man he was it says in verse 90 I was known for helping people in trouble standing up for those who were down on their luck verse 12 and he helped the orphans and he made the widow's heart sing for joy verse 13 he was a father to the needy, he was eyes to the blind feet to the lame verse 15-16 a champion of abused strangers and it says in the next verse I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck and made them give back what they had stolen boy he was a great guy helping the poor you know he saw a blind man he'd hold him and lead him to his house and he would carry the lame man to his house this rich man Job boy he wasn't just wealthy he was kind he cared for the widows, he cared for the orphans and on top of that he says in chapter 31 I never lusted with my eyes after a woman boy what a man I helped the poor verse 16 I never allowed the widow's morsel to fail if I saw an orphan I never ate my food alone verse 17, I shared it with the orphan if there was anyone lacking clothing, verse 19 I gave them clothes, the poor blessed me when they saw me coming what a man and many other wonderful things he goes on to say I never made gold, verse 24 I never set my heart on making money or worshipping money in the bank, no he wasn't like that what a man with all those good qualities he had one sin which many of us have, he was proud of his goodness he was proud that he was a good man he was a holy man he was not like these other wayward godless people and that's the worst sin of the lot you can help all the poor and the orphans and the widows and if you are proud of it you have destroyed everything it's like making a first class chicken curry and putting a lizard inside it oh this is exactly what happened Job made the best curry in the whole world and then he put this lizard inside spiritual pride, god said take it away, I don't want it like you would say, take it away I don't want it, exactly what god said god said, I've got to teach this fellow how to make a chicken curry without putting a lizard inside you know that's difficult very difficult because usually when we make something good we put a lizard inside the lizard of spiritual pride tell me if it's not true in your life even if you make a good meal and somebody praises you, boy the lizard drops in immediately not a physical one that's what happened to Job and the only way god could do it was demolish his business and kill his children, what a hard way to do it, finally Job says in chapter 40 lord verse 4 Job answered the lord and said I am a nobody heaven said hallelujah at last god was able to accomplish in this man what he wanted to do for so many years and when he came to that place where he said I'm a nobody the bible says god blessed him double, chapter 42 verse 10, he got double of everything, do you want a double portion of the anointing like Elisha got, this is the way recognize that everything you have materially, spiritually intellectually, physically health wise, children wise anything you have received don't glory over somebody else don't admire your pretty face in the mirror and think that you shaped it in your mother's womb you got to be off your head to think that it's Jesus who arranged the molecules of your face, you know what a pretty face is, it's just a good arrangement of molecules that's all, if you speak of it from a chemical point of view, it's just that it's just certain arrangement of molecules and somebody else's molecules are arranged a little differently the same old molecules, no don't glory in anything, don't glory in intelligence don't glory in anything, don't glory in bible knowledge spirituality, and the more god blesses you, the more you go down and say lord I received it and when you can't get something because you think you don't have faith for it, don't look for faith in the head say lord if you give me faith you can get almost anything, if you have faith in your heart, you'll get it you'll get healing you'll get power, you'll get the baptism in the holy spirit, so what should our attitude be, not struggling to believe, but waiting on god they that wait upon the lord, shall suddenly find that they sprout wings and fly up like eagles these folks who didn't have wings, suddenly the wings came Isaiah 40 verse 31, secret is to wait upon the lord say lord I want to receive and when we received, Jesus said freely you have received freely give that's why we don't make money on our books or CDs I don't get any royalty for anything that's why we don't charge for our service in the church, all of your elders have served you here, including me, right from the beginning, not for a single cent, because why? because we receive freely how can we charge for it? we give freely why is it so many Christians are such misers, tight fisted with money, tight fisted with everything because they are so proud and that's why they don't get any more think how different your life would have been if you had learned to give freely what god gave you freely god has blessed me and enriched me beyond my wildest imagination, because I decided from the beginning what god gave me freely I would give freely my brothers and sisters follow me as I follow Christ amen, let's pray let's bow our heads before god let's humble ourselves before him and from this day say lord I want to have an attitude of receiving all my life, everything I want to receive, maybe you need to receive help maybe you need to receive power the power of the holy spirit maybe you need to receive some spiritual gift so that you will serve god more efficiently and effectively than you have done so far it's not struggling you won't get it by fasting you'll get it by humbling yourself god's greatest gifts are on the lowest shelf go down go down and say lord I want to be poor in spirit all my days I want to receive receive and you can experience miracles in your life if you keep that attitude and those of you whom god has blessed spiritually, materially examine yourself whether the devil has deceived you puffed up your head so that you don't get anything more from god puffed up your head so that you're destroyed spiritually even though you're blessed materially humble yourself today and say lord don't let me ever make that mistake again don't let the devil make a fool of me thank you father, it's your good pleasure to bless us to give us the kingdom I pray that many will be gripped by the message of being poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them in Jesus name, Amen Thank you for watching!