In this sermon, Garag Kong emphasizes the importance of consecration in the Christian life. He shares three messages on consecration: the call to consecration, the vision of consecration, and the life of consecration. He explains that without consecration, we have not truly begun our Christian journey and that consecration is not just about dedicating our talents to God's work, but about allowing God to work in us. The sermon also highlights the transformative power of being with Jesus and the lasting impression it leaves on people.

Lord, we do desire to commit our hearts to you afresh. It is your presence that we long for. We just pray that you give us that yearning just to be with you. Thank you for this privilege that we have found right in your presence. We thank you for such privilege, such joy to be together. We thank you when we have you with assurance you are with us. We know all is well. All is good. All is pleasant. And to you we give all the praise and all the glory. In the name of Lord Jesus we pray. Amen. First, I would like to tell you and to let you know what a joy it is to be with you brothers and sisters in Richmond. And my wife and I would like to thank you personally for your prayer while we are away for about 11 weeks, almost 3 months. Before I share what's in my heart, I feel I need to share a little bit of one incident that took place in the Philippines just before we left the country. You have received email on few occasions from us while we were in the Philippines and also to report to you about the youth meeting in Hong Kong. But what I'm about to share was toward the end of our journey. And so we're not able to email you what took place those few days while we were in the Philippines. But I think it will be very encouraging to you. But to us, those few days were memorable days. Particularly one evening, it was a very memorable event for at least my wife and myself and to most of the saints in the Philippines. As you know, the saints in the Philippines, annually they have their Holy Week retreat. People there are very busy. The only time they can take off from work or school is during Christmas holidays in the Holy Week. Because Philippines, being a Catholic country, is a very religious country. They take their Holy Week very seriously. And so, since the school is out and then the workplace is all closed, so the saints in the capital city always take advantage of those few days and they will go out of the city to a small place and they will have a few days of retreat or mini-conference. And they had that conference for quite a few years. And they've been wanting us to join them on many occasions but we were not able to do so. But last year was the first time that we were with them. And this year when we went to the Philippines, they were not sure whether they were going to have one or not. Because they've been thinking if the Philippines is to host an international conference in their province, then they will forego their local conference. But when Brother Kong and us were there, we were not certain just the Philippines is a suitable place for an international conference. So they were, even to the last minute, they were not sure whether they should go ahead and have one or not to have one. But since we were not certain as to the Philippines will be the site for the next conference, so they planned to go ahead and have that week in retreat. And of course they wanted to include us. And as you recall, we emailed to you the burden of Brother Kong in the Philippines. He shared three messages on consecration. First message was the call to consecration. The second was a vision of consecration. And then the third message is a life of consecration. And those three messages really touched the hearts of the saints very deeply. Because Brother Kong strongly emphasized without consecration we have not even begun our Christian life. We have not even begun. Our real Christian life and living begins with consecration. So that really hit the young people particularly very hard. Because traditionally we always think consecration is just consecrate our talent to do God's work. And so what our brother shared was quite revolutionary. It's for God to do a work in us, not for us to do any work for him. And so particularly the second message, without consecration we have no vision of the church. We have no way of living that corporate life together. And so that really spoke very deeply to the saints in Quezon City. So during this retreat, I felt to continue on this another consecration and to help them to enter into this corporate life more experimentally. In many place you discover we are still living very much like an individual. There's a law in me. We still don't know how to relate to each other. And because of that in many places there's weakness. Because individually we cannot walk alone. Individually we are limited. No matter how much we search, we pursue, we only get that little bit because we are a small vessel. But the church is the vessel of which God wants to express his fullness. So thank the Lord because of what I shared, the young brother and sister in particular and the respondent brothers, they have a yearning not just to know about church life and to have some experience of it. And an amazing thing is that during this retreat in this outskirt place in the Philippines, we have saints from Iloilo. Remember Brother Kong and I, we visited Iloilo and also Cebu. So there were saints who came from this retreat from these two islands. And the other thing which they had never done was that at the end of their retreat they never break bread together. They just conclude the time and they go home. So before going to the retreat, the brother came to me. He said, do you think it would be appropriate that we break bread at the end of the conference? And I said, that's what we often practice in the U.S. and in the Far East when we have a special conference. We always break bread together and we always feel that is really the height, the high point of the conference. Just bring the Lord to the focus. Everything is centered around the Lord himself. So the respondent brothers feel quite eager to give it a try because they've never done it before. They do not know how it will work. So anyway, by faith they said we will break bread Friday evening during our last meeting. So before we know we're going to have the Lord's Table on Friday. So Thursday or Friday morning, I share a little bit. On the corporate side of worship, we don't come as individuals. We come as God's people. We come as the body of Christ to exalt the head. And I think that register something into the hearts of the brothers and sisters. And so when that evening came, when we started to break bread, we sang some songs. I was really surprised because many of those young Chinese brothers and sisters as a whole, they are very shy. They are not ready to open up as we Westerners. We are freer. And so I was surprised there was such liberty. One right after the other just opened up the Lord in worship and praise. I was really surprised. But I felt even though wonderful praises and worship were offering up, I was still very much on the individual line. Doesn't seem to enter into the fullness of it. It's still very individual. And then something terrible happened. There was a sister from Cebu, 13 years old. We were told that she never openly at the break of the break really worshiped openly, verbally. So that evening, she was really pumped by the Holy Spirit. She just opened up in praise and worship. And immediately when she finished up her praise, she was struck with a very severe epileptic seizure. The aunt who took care of her, she said she never experienced such a severe attack. She almost completely passed out. So when I went over to look at her, her earlobe, all these were already turning blue, eyes frozen. And apparently there was a nurse who was assisted at the meeting and called another nurse to assist her. And they have to do mouth-to-mouth participation. Finally, they get her heart going again. But she was completely frozen. Of course, many of the younger brothers and sisters had never witnessed anything like that. They were very fearful. They were greatly afraid. It was really a touching goal from what the nurse told us because the blood pressure was dropping quite rapidly. So the response of God came to me. He said, now, what can we do in a situation like this? We worship the Lord and here we go. Satan is attacking us. What can we do? And I said, well, we have to declare the Lordship. We have to declare this. It's not a time for prayer, but it's a time for declaring His victory. And so it changed the whole atmosphere. So we come to declare our victory. The victory is ours in Christ Jesus. And then the brothers and sisters, who never learned how to pray corporately, began to have an experience of what it means to pray corporately. So I said, now, we just have to let go of everything and just pray for this sister. The Lord will raise her up by His mighty power. And so all those sisters and younger brothers who never prayed corporately before, they all learned to pray corporately because they only had this one sister in mind to pray for. And so they would pray. And then immediately you witness two or three that are just gathered together praying. Very beautiful. And then those who never held hands together, they were holding hands together praying for this sister. And it was praying through because of the prayer. I think it took about 25 minutes for them to revive this sister to get her heart going again. So when we were sure that she's now okay and then they carried her out, then we turned that prayer, that praying for, into a time of praise. It was all focused on the Lord. The brothers and sisters, for the first time, they experienced spiritual battle. In the face of death, threat of death, they experienced His mighty power of life. Life swallows death. They experienced spiritual battle. And they also experienced the power of corporate prayer. And I was so thankful. You know, sometimes we share about corporate prayer, our spiritual battle, but somehow the Lord's people just don't know what we're talking about. But how the Lord engineered that evening for the young brother and sister in the Philippines and what it means to enter into something of the reality of spiritual battle and the victory of the salvation of Christ Jesus and what it means to pray corporately and to worship corporately. So that is the most memorable time on this trip. Of course, by the time we went to the Philippines, he was in Taiwan. So we went to Quezon City, and the brothers and sisters were just reflecting that event. One brother said, he's just like Satan. You know, the story of Job. Satan thought he was very wise. He wanted to ruin Job. And God is wiser than Satan. He gave him permission. At the end, Job triumphed and Satan was defeated. So we are very thankful for that. And I want to thank you for your prayer. I have to say this. On the many trips we took to the Far East, this past few months as we were away from home, we felt very keenly the prayer of the saints. And we really thank the Lord for the modern technology because when we email you what is taking place, we have assurance that you are standing with us. So we are very thankful. So we are thankful for you, Richmond, standing with us for that trip we were together in the Far East. And also the South Jersey praying for us, Toronto also praying for us, and many other places praying for us. Now I want to just share one thing. You probably can't remind. He shared with you, when he left he was not too well physically because of his skin infection. And when he returned, he felt he had a touch of flu. You remember that? He shared with you, okay. But while he was in the Far East, he was perfectly okay. So Brother A.D. Lim said, that means you have to stay longer in the Far East. But anyway, so when Brother Kong came to West Coast, I think it was on the 20th of January, that's right. 21st. 21st, that's right. The next day we went to the Philippines. But before he arrived, we already got the news that his skin infection is quite serious. But he thought nothing of it. He thought very lightly of it. So when he came, we looked at it, I was horrified. It was very, very terrible looking. And of course we talked to a sister who's a doctor. So I described his condition in English in a very poor way. I cannot do it as good as you natives do. Then another brother tried to do it in Cantonese to describe his condition. And then someone tried to do it in Mandarin. So we tried all languages to describe his condition. And then the more we described it, that doctor got quite scared. She said, send him to the emergency. Then Brother A.D. Lim said, no way, because that week was the Martin Luther King's week. And you could not find any doctor in California. They all took off to their mountains and seashore to have a good time. So we couldn't. So finally, through Brother A.D. Lim, he had some influence with Stanton Medical Foundation. So finally we were arranged to be able to see the doctor there. Now, I never experienced such high blood pressure in my life. Because usually my blood pressure is on the low. But when I went to the doctor's office with Brother Kong, my blood pressure was so high. I couldn't even believe it. I was 160 something overnight. Now, I have to confess why I was so worried. Because we scheduled, when we arrived in the Philippines, Wednesday, we only had one day of rest. Because Brother Kong began Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday he would share with us all the way schedule. And my fear was that if anything happened to our brother, what would happen to those scheduled meetings? But kind of luck, luck came through. And our brother regained his health very quickly as we arrived in the Philippines. And so we are very thankful. I tell you, when the Lord is after something for himself, there's always a battle. And how we need to learn to rest in Him. If we know we are in His will, we should learn to rest in Him. If we are in His will. Well, this morning, I just want to share a little bit, something that will encourage your heart, is the persistent love of God. How God determines in His heart to gain us for Himself. And you know, we're singing about grace. Grace speaks of what is done. It's grace. Law speaks of work. What we need to do and the work which we can never do. That is law. Law condemns us. By grace saves us and delivers us. And grace ultimately brings us to God Himself and His purpose. So let's look at a few verses of scripture. Would you turn with me to the book of Titus? Titus chapter 1. You know, Genesis 1 begins with God. In the beginning, God. And God begins everything. He is the beginning of everything. And He begins what He begins from what He had purpose even before there was time. And Paul called that the good pleasure of His will. The mystery of His will. What He has purpose in His heart even before there was time, before you and I ever existed. God already had a purpose in Himself. And He works everything out according to that purpose which He has purpose in Himself. The good pleasure of His will. And that is forever a mystery to us. And thank God He begins. And when He begins, He will see to it that it is fulfilled in the end. And how wonderful that we were reminded again this morning it's all grace. We begin with grace. We continue in grace. And we end in grace. Okay, so would you read Titus 1 verse 1 and 2. First three verses. Paul, a bondman of God and a pastor of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before time began. But as in due time manifested His word through preaching which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior. Just pay attention to verse 2. This eternal life which God who cannot lie promised to us even before time began. Now, one brother said that was what God determined to do even before there was time. To give life to man. To give life. This turned to 2 Timothy chapter 1. And here we find that this life that God promised is in Christ Jesus. Timothy 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. God determined to give His life to us and this life is in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord. Let's read verse 9. Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. And let's turn to one in the Gospel of the Lord's Prayer chapter 17. Gospel of John chapter 17. Just one verse. Now in Titus, Paul had a glimpse of what was in God's heart even before there was time. He desired, he determined to give life even we before we were created. God already had this in mind. Therefore when we are created the option of God's work is to impart His life to us. Once we possess His life then He can bring us into His purpose. And so here we have the Lord's Prayer. Now this is the Lord's High Priestly Prayer before He went to the cross. If there's anyone who knows how to pray according to God's will there's none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. When we pray we can miss God's will but not the Lord Jesus because He and the Father are always one. And that's why the key word of the Son of God is my time has not yet come because His life is governed not by what is out there not by what He feels about the situation but governed by His Father who is in heaven. And the Lord's Prayer is always in agreement of the heart of the Father because He came to do the will of Him who sent Him. He said I have no will of my own. So if the Lord said I want, I desire you can be sure what He wants is what the Father wants. You can be sure what He desires is what the Father desires because He came to do the will of Him who sent Him. And here we have a very interesting verse. Verse 24. That was toward the end of His prayer. He said Father I desire this desire in some version you say I want. There are some versions I will. Okay. Father I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am. Those who Father had given to Him be with Him. So in this passage we seem to notice there's a difference between those given to Him and there are those who truly are with Him. There's a fine distinction. There's a fine line there. Why would He pray this prayer? He knew the disciples. Those who were with Him they were given by the Father to Him. And yet He prayed this prayer. Those who were given to Him be with Him so they may see the glory. Behold my glory which you have given me for you love me before the foundation of the world. Now brothers and sisters when I was meditating this verse the Lord really spoke to me. You know on a human level for parents sometimes we go through this agony for many many years. We know our children they are our children. They are our blood, our flesh. They are ours. They belong to us. But sometimes in their heart they are miles and miles away from us. They can live in the same house but there's no oneness of heart and purpose in home. And how long the day will come that somehow the children will grow up and sense something of the love of the Father's heart and for their children. The best they hope for. And how parents agonize children when they are not one with Him in heart and purpose. It speaks of the Lord Jesus who knows the Father's heart. At the same time knows our own condition. We are given to Him. We know we are His. But brothers and sisters how many of us who can say that we are with Him. We are for Him. Not for ourselves. Not for anything else but utterly for Him. And the Lord's prayer is that those who are given to Him will be with Him. Where He is, He will be found with Him. Now brothers and sisters this is a very challenging issue. And because of this I just want to encourage in spite of our condition how wayward we are. We are so inconsistent in our falling with the Lord. Many of us we fall on an occasional basis. So last year when we were here for the year-end retreat God said we don't want to live from conferences to conferences. It shows our spiritual inconsistency. So when there is a conference, when there is growth, when there is rich fellowship somehow we revive. And when we grow up with no conference then we went down. Then we had to wait for another conference to revive again. To be with the Lord. To be with the Lord's people. To fellowship. Otherwise we drifted away again. The inconsistency of our walk. And even locally some Lord's people they live from the Lord's here and the Lord's there. And that's why the local prayer is a drain. Because everybody comes to get something. No one is prepared to give something. So we are His but we are not all for Him. Because we are not with Him. Now if you look in the dictionary this is with. If you are not with me you are not for me. You know what I mean? It's for. You are utterly committed to be with. To be with. Just to be with. Our brothers and sisters thank God this desire to be with did not begin with us. It began with God. And what comfort. What comfort. So I want to share this morning briefly on the mention of this word walk as we find in Genesis. Okay. So we turn to Genesis 3. The first mention of the word walk. It was not our walk with Him. It was God's walk. He was walking toward us. Now brothers and sisters without His walking toward us there is no our walk with Him. God initiated this walk. We have to see that. Now you remember in chapter 3 our first parents already sinned. They already partook that forbidden food. And you know and God who knows all things He would just forget about everything. Now you already sinned. Why bother to come to you and to seek fellowship with you? Why God? You already there is already separation. Sin already came in. But God walked into the garden. God was seeking for man. And the Lord Jesus the Son of Man came by to seek and to save that which is His own. That persistency of God to pursue man until He get that man for Himself. Brothers and sisters thank God for His determination. Divine determination He will not give up. And He came and saw. Now even though Adam and Eve they had to hide themselves but at least Adam and Eve they get the hint. God will not give them up. In spite of their condition God will be seeking for them. And God one day will restore them back to Himself. And brothers and sisters what a grace. What an assurance. And thank God this desire for us to do with Him is of God. Even though we desire to do it our desire is not compared with His desire. Our desire to do it is so unreliable. Unreliable. When we feel like it we do it. When we don't feel like it we let go. But thank God it was God who initiated that walk for us. Now you remember that's what you find in Gospel of John. The first chapter is very touching. It's very touching. You will realize it's very touching. He came to His own creation they did not recognize Him. And before He came He knew they would not recognize Him. But He came anyway. He knew He would succeed in the end. Grace and triumph in the end. A stick of God's love. God's grace. And He determined to get what He desired. You know? And then further it says He came to His own people and His own people would not receive Him. He knew all about this but He came anyway. And just like in the garden our first parent sinned He came. He came. And let them know that I've been in business with you. In spite of your condition you have no way to come to me but I have a way to come to you. And He came. God walked. Without His walking to us we have no way of walking with Him. We'll never find the way. We'll never know the way. We'll never discover that Jesus Christ is the only way. No way. It's by revelation. By His walking to us. And of course we know the way He came to us is by the way of the cross. And we see that in type in Abel's sacrifice. It's when that land was offered blood was shed our way back to God was restored. Then we can be be united with God once more. That sacrifice is so precious to God because He can now what? Bring man back to Himself. And that's what God was pleased. That's what God was pleased. God accepted it. God was pleased. Why? Because now God can bring man back to Himself. We have to look at everything from God's point of view. Not from our point of view. Then we'll see how great the love He has for us. To bring us back to Himself. And now the next walk is Enoch. Walk with God. Now in Enoch's walk we often times dwell too much on Enoch. We dwell a little too little on God's part. It's not scripture Enoch walk with God. But we always dwell so much on Enoch. What he had to adjust. He suffered too. He was only one. How lonely he was. We always think about Enoch. But we never think of how difficult it was for God to walk with Enoch. For 300 years. After he gave birth to Methuselah he walked for 30 years. To me it speaks of a mighty determination of God. Not to give up. Persistence. For instance, you walk with somebody for a month. And that person refuses to change. What would you do? You say, I'll wash my hands. I'll give it up. I'll get somebody else. How intentional we are. How intentional we are. We don't have that divine determination to see through to the end. And God works everything from the end. He sees the end. That's why He's the God of hope. Because He knows He will get what He'll get at the end. He knows in the end He will prepare Enoch fit to be with him eternally. They'll be together. It's beautiful. 300 years. God's determination to get that man for Enoch. For He's good. God is good. And love is precious. 300 years. Our parents refused. That's divine love. We don't have it. We don't have it. How easily we give each other up. But God never gives Enoch up. I'm sure there have been occasions when God said, maybe I should give him up. But being who God is, there's that persistence, that determination. And He knows we are about to. So with Enoch, very patient, very patient, 300 years. He speaks of His determination to get us for Himself. Because when we see that, give us greater encouragement. He will do it. Graciously do it. His love will do it. His patience will do it. And He's a God of hope. He's a God of hope. What is impossible with man is possible with God. Because God has faith in Himself to do the work. That's why He did what He did. Because He has absolute confidence in Himself. He's a God of faith. He's full of faith in Himself. Therefore He will not walk away with Enoch. Because He knows in the end, Enoch will be changed. Now, of course, it's not true of us. It's not true of us. In spite of all that, thank God He doesn't do like that. And He's productive. Because He has something glory in Him. In the end, He will get us what He wants us to be. I speak of hope. God is a God of hope. What is sin is not hope. What is our sin is hope. So, when he was dealing with Enoch, walking with him, God came to him, in the end, he was raised again. God had the power to preserve him, and God was able to endure impatiently, and in the end, Enoch was transfigured. And God took initiative to take him for himself, because they were so alike. You know, 200 years now, living together for 20 years, they're just so alike. Of course, Enoch has to do a lot of adjustments, because it's always about our fault, he's always, you know, and Enoch had to keep adjusting, but it took 300 years to adjust, but it was worth it, in the end, God triumphed, and he was so like God, and God took him, as though God did not live around him. You know, and we often say now, we have to prepare for the Lord's return. It's very dangerous, because we never know that we will be there, you know, because when he knew God, he was ready, God took him. Enoch did not know he was prepared, he was ready, he got in, and God took initiative. Enoch did not say, okay, I'm ready now, take me. No, God knew he was ready, God took him. And you know, it says that he was not found. If you read some of these other accounts, actually, they really searched thoroughly for him. He was not found. Actually, they really searched for him, and he was not found, he was taken. He was taken, and what glory, in the end, God took him, because he was so precious to God. And walking with God is a way of life. It's a way to find more life. So walking with God, Enoch realised that death could not, death was impossible, because those in Christ Jesus, death is possible, because we don't wait to die. We wait to be consoled. We have this breath, and this hope in Christ. In front of you. Now, of course, then comes the next person who walked with God was Noah. Scripture said he found grace, and he walked with God. And that generation was terrible. You know how it's described in the book of Jephthah? Everything was evil, thought, there's nothing good about it. But Noah found grace, because he walked with God. Now, of course, just walking with God is not just for all good. If God can gain us for himself, if God can secure us to be with him, that gives the Lord Jesus God ground to gain others for himself. And it was, if God can get me for himself, he can get all the others. And Paul was there, did you see? On a display of God's grace, if God can save me, this sinner, chief of sinners, no one else is not, now there's no one that is impossible to find grace. Paul used himself as an example. If God can get me, he can get anybody, because I was a rebel. I persecuted church. There's no one more evil than I. I'm the chief of sinners, and I must obtain mercy. If God can do something in me, he can get the others. And that's the same principle. Because if you want to be a blessing to your brother and sister, to your husband, to your wife, you stay with God, blessing will come. Because God blessed us everything else, or everything in Christ Jesus. Anything. So when you're blessed, you will bless others. Now there are three, two things that mention about Noah. He said, you built an ark. Now make sure there's plenty of room. Right? For his whole family, his three sons, and his three sons' wives, and all the animals. And the second thing is, you've prepared enough provision for yourself and for those who will be with you. Now I find it very significant. You built the ark, and make sure there's plenty of room. For instance, when we walk with the Lord, gloriously in love with Jesus, there's no way we can be spiritual in love unless we walk with him. Because when we walk with him, we have to make all the adjustments. We know we have to decrease. We have to give more him, more room. There's no other way. Because he's unchanging. He demands more room. So he said, make room. Make room. Enough. And there will be more Christ. It's when we walk with him, there's an increase of Christ. If there's no walk with him, there's no increase. It's for his increase. And out of his increase, the others will be blessed. There will be provision. The provision is Christ. And we'll be all kept alive spiritually in the day of darkness, in the day of judgment, the threat of death, life or death. So, brothers and sisters, walking and being with God is a way we can be blessed. But it's God's way of blessing us, you know? If I ask you to share some testimony about what the Lord's been doing in your lives, all of us and myself, more than anyone else, because I am where I am because there are brothers and sisters who walk with God. And because they walk with God, I will receive the overflowing of the blessing of God. Yeah, for those who walk with God. Brothers and sisters, none of us will be in this room as we look back through the church history. There are those who walk with God. They have found that way for us. And we are in the pathway of that blessing. Brothers and sisters, stand with God. And if we ourselves used to be blessed brothers, we likewise, we need to walk with God and be with God. You know, in this country, we've got a great deal of our family problems and we seek quick solutions. Now, this problem is not strictly American. It's worldwide, it's worldwide. And we resort to many, many, many human devices. But God's way is spiritual way. Parents, if they really walk with the Lord, if the Lord can secure the parents for himself, the Lord will secure their astronomy. That is the principle. If the Lord can get me, he can get others. That's what we should be as parents, is spiritual, not psychological. And we need to pray for our parents. But before we pray for them, we better make sure we have abiding light in the world. Our light is real before our parents. They look at us, they know whether we are real or we are not real. Because kids, youngsters, they're always thinking that we are not real. So what is it we need to really be those, really be with them? And because when we are with them, then we can be all that he wants to be with us. That's what it's for. It's when we are with him, then he can be all that he wants to be to all of us. And that is really a wonderful experience. And now, just come to another walk. It was in 13th chapter of Genesis 8. You remember when Lot and Abraham were separated, okay? And then God took Abraham and said, now arise and walk through, we look at it, 13th. Yeah, 13th of Genesis, verse 17. Now Lot is separate from Abraham now. And Lot went the wrong way. And then now the Lord said to Abraham, said now arise, walk in the land through its length, its width, for I give it to you. Now what about, you know? The first walk was God walked to a man. And because God walked to a man, then Elah can walk with God, then Noah can walk with God. And now Abraham, later on he was called the son of God. And Abraham was called to be a blessing, to be blessed and to be a blessing to others. And now he and Lot are separated now. And now he had all this blessing in front of him. He said, just look anywhere. As far as you can look, they're all yours. And I tease the brothers and sisters, the young people in Hong Kong. He said, if I were Lot, or Abraham, I'm living in front of our high helicopter. I'll just fly up there and really have a good look of all this huge land, palace that is all mine. But interesting thing, God told Abraham to walk. Abraham said, it is no indication that he walked. God said, you walked, but there was no walk. But in the 18th century, Abraham moved his tent and went and dwelt in the paradise, the tree in Mali. That is Hebron, and he built an altar there. He did not walk. He refused to walk, but he moved to Hebron. That's what he's doing. Because he wants God above everything. We can have everything. If he's not with us, we're not with him, all is vanity. But if we have nothing, but we're with him, we have everything. Abraham discovered that. What a vision of God Himself. What a vision of God Himself. And God was the one who told him, you walk, all yours. But he refused. He moved to Hebron. He wanted to be with God. Now, brothers and sisters, you know, in the New Testament, there are many challenging stories and true stories. You remember in John 1, maybe we can turn to just quickly, about the chapter 1, the Gospel of John, verse 35. You know, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples, looking at Jesus as He walked. Now, here we have Him go walk. And He said, behold, the Lamb of God. And you know, they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned around and said, now, what city? You follow me, what city? You know, and they said, now, where are you staying? Where is your residence? Where is your pen? Where are you living? And the Lord said, come and see. Where? What are you looking for? He said, now, where do you stay? Where is your pen? Now, please, don't let them follow you. You know, occasionally they said, you'll never know the person. You go and live with that person for a month or two, or a year or so, then you come to know a person a little bit better. All these weird habits you discover a little bit later. They said, come and see. And the interesting thing is that they went and there were three men with them that day. It was St. Paul. And there's no record in the Gospel what was taught by the Lord Jesus. Nothing. What was said, nothing. There was no record of what the Lord said to them, or what they find in that house where the Lord lived. There was not even an address. Nothing. But it says they remained with him that day. Now, what transformation? What transformation? Just being with the Lord. There was no account of what he had said to them. There was no account of what they saw. There was no detailed account. But what transformation? Just those few hours with the Lord Jesus. It revolutionized their whole outlook, their whole way of looking at things. And they discovered he was the Messiah. The one who was promised. Come and see. And Peter, Simon's name was changed to Peter because of that encounter. To be with him, it changes you. You know, sometimes being with a person is better than hearing what that person is saying. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. Sometimes our impressions remain the deepest, lasting. Not about what that person says, but how that person is. And that day, they left such a deep impression. And they will never be the same again. Those people will never be the same again because they are with him. Now, you remember John and Peter that day in Acts 4, they went to the temple and they saw this lame man lying there, and he was healed. And they were brought into the front room and questioned by the religious leaders. What power you give us? Why you do this? You know? And then the boldness of John and Peter. And those high-arched religious leaders, then they realized that these people, they were the ones who did the testimony. They were the ones who did the testimony. Not hearing, but within, in person. And as we grow in the Lord, at least in my own experience, sometimes just being lame, hovering around in our silent behavior, in communion with the Spirit, is so strange. We have to cultivate that kind of life. I think our life is so busy. We just cannot be settled. And just enjoy this person. No wonder we are weak spiritually. No wonder we are not able to really share much of this life. No wonder we still feel that, you know, we are not with all that going on. Because we have to cultivate an abiding life. And once it is, to know the person, is to be with the person. To know the Lord, is to spend time with Him. Of course, I mean, you know what I mean. We need to pray, we need to do the work. But inwardly, spiritually, we have to learn to commune with Him. Now this communion, this with Him, is not about what we long for, but about what is what we long for. The Lord's Prayer says, I want Father, I want those who have given me, I want them to be with me. It's the Lord's longing. And His longing for us to be with Him is far more intense than our longing to be with Him. Therefore, He is always seeking us, waiting for us. Because such time is very precious to Him. Of course, indeed, it is very precious to us. And as we allow the Holy Spirit to work, because it is not true, all our ministry, our conferences, our prayer, our fellowship, the work of the Holy Spirit, is really to prepare us so that we will be prepared to be with Him in the ages to come. It is not what the Lord is doing. It is preparing us that we will be able to be with Him in time of need. And it is such a wonderful gain of life. It is all preparation for life. And so we find, at the end of the Book of Revelation, I am so thankful that we sang that song, All the Grace, and this few words is very, very, should we tend to 22nd chapter of Revelation, just conclude with those few verses, 20 and 20. This is the last prayer. In some Bibles, it is the last prayer. The last provision, the last prayer. The last promise. Now, in my Bible, surely I am coming quickly, or before I come quickly. Now, these are in great letters. As Lord explores, speaking with His Holy Spirit. Look, I am coming quickly. He speaks of the longing of His heart. And with people's holy words. He wants us all for Himself. People's holy words. You are waiting. How shall I tell you? Some are waiting, agonizing. Some are waiting, agonizing. But if there is love, determination. Love waits. Your love is patient. Even though the intention, longing is there. But it is willing to wait. Because of the sure hope. And the Lord can afford to wait. Because He knows what you will get. We are very impatient, because we are not sure what we will get. But He can afford to wait. So He says, surely I am coming quickly. There is urgency. I am coming quickly, because He wants us all for Himself. The quicker the better. Because our commitment is willing to wait. And then the response begins, Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus. That should be our natural response. In light of what is going to happen, we should learn to respond. Even so, come Lord Jesus. And the reason why we delay His coming is because we know we are not ready. I thank God for His person in life. And His patience. His hope, His patience. In the end, He will give us His answer. And He will give us His answer. But, we are required to wait. If we can let Him do it quicker, earlier, it will be so much better. So oftentimes, delays are not necessary. But we have to pray that prayer. Even so, come Lord. Even our condition. Even what we are, we still desire to come quickly. So do it quickly. So you can come quickly. And to bring us to Yourself. So brothers and sisters, John 17, the Lord prayed that prayer. And G. Campbell Morgan said, I will, those who have given me, be with me. That will, he said, is a determination in His heart. He said, Father, You want the people for Yourself, and my determination is to see to it that we get them in the end. And He is giving that. Praise God. It's all by grace. And He walked to us first. He knows we cannot find a way. And He is pleasantly working with us. And thank God, in the end, He will get us what He wants us to be. With Him, eternally in glory. Let's have a word of prayer. Father, we thank You for Your love. Your purpose. Your determination to give life to us. So that we may be one with You in life. One with You in purpose. We thank You for the faithful work of the Holy Spirit. We thank You for the ever-necessary prayer of the Lord Jesus. We thank You. Give us who You are. We know the end is approaching. We thank You in this last day. You are accelerating Your work. We thank You. For grace. For mercy. We thank You. We have a joy to witness throughout this whole earth. You are getting a people for Yourself. You are preparing a people to be with You in the ages to come. We thank You for the work of grace. And we do pray that we will be those who are found. Lord, that we can live such a life with You. That we can hasten Your return. Thank You. Praise You. For revealing something of Your heart to us. That how You long to quickly come and take us to Your home. Lord, we pray as a church that we all act together. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Thank You. In Your precious name. Amen.