This sermon emphasizes the importance of fearing God above all else, highlighting how when God is our fear and dread, we do not need to fear what the world fears. It discusses facing persecution, standing firm in faith, and trusting in God's protection even in the midst of tribulations. The message encourages believers to rely on God's strength, not to fear the devil or worldly threats, and to approach challenges with boldness knowing that Jesus has overcome the world.

Once we learn the true fear of God, one of the big advantages is that we don't have to fear anybody else. In Isaiah chapter 8, we read in verse 12 and 13, chapter 8 verse 12 and 13, you're not to say it's a conspiracy. In regard to all that these people call a conspiracy, you're not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. See, we are not to speak the language of the world. People in the world may say this is a burden. We don't say that. People in the world say, how can God do this to me? No, we don't say that. Nothing is a burden. And we don't fear what they fear. It says here they are in dread of some things. We don't fear that. Why? Because, verse 13, You see the connection there? When God is your fear and your dread, then you don't have any fear or dread what the people in the world fear and dread. When God is your fear and your dread, then you don't have any fear or dread what the people in the world fear and dread. For more than 30 years, this has been a tremendous encouragement to me, this verse. And you come to my house, you'll see a big, written in big letters, right in my front room. If you fear God, you don't need to fear anything else. So many people in the world try to come and create fear in us. Once, one of these municipal corporation people came to my house. And they said, we have to revise your building tax. They have to take some measurements and all that. I said, yeah, you can do that. Then he did all that and then he came to the room. And he was waiting for a bribe, so that he would reduce the tax. I said, I don't want to reduce any tax, I'll pay whatever the government says, I'll pay. And then I said, you see this verse here? If you fear God, you don't fear anything else. See, that is how I live my life. So, you can write what you like. I don't live in fear of you or anybody else. He went away, I never saw him again. You know, it doesn't matter what situation you face yourself in. So many people try to put fear in you. In some places in North India, some of our brothers and sisters face fear from the RSS and police and so many people. Some of them are being killed. They are being beaten, their houses are burned. They cannot keep their children with them in school there, because they'll kidnap them. I'm talking about India. We don't face these things in Tamil Nadu. But it is spreading. We never had any problems in Bangalore for so many years. But now we have a new government in Karnataka. And some of these RSS people have become a little bolder. I read the other day that in the outskirts of Bangalore, they caught some pastors and beat them up. So, it is coming to the South also. Now, Jesus never said, I will protect you from all this persecution. What did he tell his disciples? In the world, you will have tribulation. But don't be afraid, because I have overcome the world. And that is a word that we must remember in the coming days. In the church, we hear a prophetic word that prepares us for the future. So, please listen to this. John 16.33 The Lord says, John 16.33 I'm saying this to you, so that you can have peace in me. What do I promise you in the world? Tribulation. What did God promise the Israelites in the world? Prosperity. Defeat of the enemies. No man will be able to stand before you. They will come one way and run seven ways. Earthly enemies. And as long as Israel obeyed God, it was true. But when Jesus came, he didn't say all that. He said, now we are coming into a new covenant, where we are trying to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth. And the people on earth don't like that. They don't like the kingdom of heaven coming and being established on the earth. Because their ruler is the devil. The world, they don't want to love their enemies. But in the kingdom of heaven, you love your enemy. And you share what you have with other people who are in need. If you have more money, you please help that poor brother who is not even related to you, but who loves Jesus. Because that is the kingdom of heaven. But people in the world don't want that. They say, if I have money, I only give it to my children. That's all. Not for these strangers. That is the kingdom of earth. So this message of the kingdom of heaven, people in the world don't want it. Because their ruler is the devil. And the kingdom of heaven says, we don't want all these filthy movies and serials on television in our home. In our homes, there is only, there is one outlet for all the rubbish to go out. That is a toilet. We don't want through television, something to come inside the house also. You want that? Or you want it only to go out from the toilet? You use the toilet, pour the water and flush it out. You want it to come back inside the house through the television? You be careful. We preach that the kingdom of God, there is purity. And the world doesn't like that. The world says, no, no, we need entertainment and all this filth. I'm talking particularly about all these filthy cinemas nowadays. It's like poison. What's he is saying? Oh, only five seconds they show like those scenes. Most of the two hours, three hours, it is good. It's like saying most of this glass is milk, only two drops of poison, that's all. You'll drink it or not? Only two, three drops of poison, not all. All glass is milk only. That is how the devil fools people with today's cinemas. Don't say that, oh, your brother Zack, you're 67 years old, you can talk like that. I said the same thing when I was 23 years old. I'm not preaching a different message today than then. I brought up my children in my home without television. And I don't regret it, I never took them to a cinema. I did not even take them to a circus because all those women dressed so badly over there. I told my children, when you set up your own home, you can run it as you like, but in my home, I run it as I like. I cannot, the same thing I say in a church. I have control over various, I have control, I will make some rules. But if you don't want to follow that rule in your house, I cannot control your house. The world does not like the rules of God's kingdom. They like impurity, they like gossip, backbiting, hating people, speaking evil of them. I don't want all that. So, what will God give me in the world? Tribulation. People will hate me. The devil will hate me more than anybody else. They will tell lies about me. They may take me to court. They may take me to jail. They may kill me. That's what Jesus said. Do you want to follow me? I am not offering you prosperity and comfort. If you follow me, you will have tribulation. But you will have a glorious entrance into God's kingdom. And if you don't want to face tribulation, then don't speak the truth. Just keep quiet and be friendly with everybody. Don't stand up for the truth. Then the devil will also be your friend. He will not trouble you. I want the devil to hate me with all his heart. No, I want the devil to hate me with all his heart. Then I know I am on the right track. If the devil doesn't trouble me, What's wrong? Have I become his friend? He's got to hate me with all his heart. But I am not afraid of him. There was a time in my life when I was afraid of the devil. Even after being born again. I would be afraid if I met a demon possessed person. I was afraid if the devil would come into my room. Or catch me by the throat or something like that. But not now. Now the devil is afraid that I am going to catch him by his throat. Because my life has become pure. I want to be free from the love of money. Then only I will have power over the devil. Why do we keep on saying don't love money? Then only you will have power over Satan. Love of money is like a hole with all your power will leak out from there. Why do we say you must love everybody? Hatred is like a hole from which all your power will leak out. Think of people who hate you. Maybe Christians who hate you. Love them. Do good to them. That way you make sure there is no leakage of your power. If you have little bit of hatred towards somebody. Or you wish some evil for that man who does some harm to you. Somebody who is spreading false stories about you. You wish some evil for him. Like you know these old testament psalms. Some of them are like that. Oh spite that fellow. And kill his children. Have you read all this in the psalms? When you read those psalms what do you think? When you read some psalms like this. Let me read one. Lot of psalms are like this. Lord finish that man. And trouble him, kill him. In psalm 35. Contend O Lord with those who contend with me. Fight against them. Let all of them be like chaff in the wind. And let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery. And the angel chasing them. They dug a pit for me. Let destruction come upon them without any warning. And then my soul verse 9 will rejoice. Who are you thinking of now? Who are you thinking of that this should happen to them? I hope you are thinking of the lusts in your flesh. That is how we read it in the new testament. The devil. The lusts in my flesh. These are my enemies. Oh chase them, finish them, kill them. And when those lusts are killed my soul will rejoice. But if you are thinking of some human being. Somebody who did harm to you. A lot of believers when they read these psalms. They are thinking of some boss in their office. Or some neighbor or some relative who cheated them of their property. You know you will destroy yourself if you read it like that. There are some churches where they have the habit of reading one psalm every morning, every Sunday. I don't do it. Because I say these poor young believers may be thinking of some enemy of theirs and it will really spoil their life. A lot of Pentecostal churches I know. In Kerala it is an absolute habit in every Pentecostal church to get up and read one psalm. And they don't even explain to them this is about your lusts and not about your human enemies. And that is one reason there is so much carnality in those churches. I said instead of reading a psalm I wish you would get up and read an epistle in the New Testament every morning. That would have changed your life. So we don't have any human enemies. We don't wrestle with flesh and blood. If I wrestle with flesh and blood I cannot wrestle with Satan. Yeah the Lord told me that years ago. You have a choice in your life. You can either fight with human beings or fight with the devil. You can't fight with both. I said Lord I will never in my life fight with human beings. Let people cheat me of my property. Let people cheat me of anything. Let them harm me, curse me, take me to court, do whatever. I will bless them. I will not speak evil of them. I will not wish evil for them. So there is no hole in my vessel. Then the devil will be afraid of me. In the world you will have tribulation. But in me you can have peace. John 16.33 In Christ I have peace. Peace means no anxiety. No fear. Even though there is tribulation. Why? Because Jesus verse 33 has overcome the world. That is why he says you can be bold. He says be bold I have overcome the world. I believe that is what the Lord says to us today. In the world you will have tribulation. But be bold. I have overcome the world. There is no fear in love. In God's love for me. I have no fear what people will do to me. You know Herod wanted to kill the baby Jesus. So he planned. Herod has got tremendous power. So many soldiers. Jesus is a poor little baby. And he has got one poor carpenter. Joseph and Mary taking care of him. Mary is poor 18 or 19 years old. She does not know much. And Herod says I am going to kill him. I will kill all the children in Bethlehem and he will be killed. But you think God does not know that? You think God does not know what plan Herod is going to make next week? So before Herod makes the plan God takes away Jesus to Egypt. And Herod goes and kills all the children. Jesus is not there. No as a human being my ways are not God's ways. I would think Lord it is better to kill Herod. Isn't that a better way to solve the problem? I bow to God and say God your ways are different from mine. You know all these people who started false religions in the world which has led so many people astray I say Lord why didn't you kill those founders of false religions when they were little babies? Because you knew this fellow will grow up and start a false religion. And you know they lead so many people astray. God allows them to be born allows them to grow up allows them to start a false religion. What does that teach me? That I am a stupid man I don't know God's ways. If I were God I would have done things very differently. But when I go to heaven and I look at the history of the world in 6000 years I say Lord you did it right. You did it absolutely right. When I was a stupid man on earth I thought there was a better way. But now when I see your wisdom I say your way was perfect. Look at all the deceivers and people who deceive poor believers and take their money preachers and pastors Why doesn't God kill them all? So that at least these poor people will not be deceived. I don't know. God is wise. One of the things the Lord told me is this I allow these deceivers to exist among my people so that I can test my people. I allow these deceivers to come so that people can be tested. So you are being tested. I am being tested. When all these false preachers come he is testing us. In the world we will have deception we will have tribulation we will have persecution but he said he will take care of our food and clothing and provide enough for us and he will take care of our children David said in Psalm 37 verse 25 it's a wonderful verse Psalm 37 all those who are righteous here can take this verse if you are living a righteous life you are not cheating anybody you are living an upright life you are earning an honest living Psalm 37 verse 25 is for you David says maybe David wrote this maybe he was 68 or 69 years old he died when he was 70 and he says I was once a young man now I am an old man for 50 years I have watched a lot of things I will tell you something I have never seen till today I have never till today seen God forsaking a righteous man I have never till today seen even his children or grandchildren begging for bread do you want to take care of your children and grandchildren be a righteous man be a righteous woman and the world will wonder how it is going with your children and grandchildren where did this man get all this money he didn't get any money he got the blessing of God God gave his children some intelligence to do some work and earn a living because the father was righteous because the grandfather was righteous you know you can bless your children and grandchildren long after you have died and gone you don't have to be afraid God will not make them the richest people in the world that's good otherwise they may go astray but he will give them enough for their needs he will give them enough intelligence to get a job you be righteous that's all you make sure there is no hole in your vessel that means what that means you don't hate anybody you are not jealous of somebody you are not trying to compete with somebody in the church to show that you are better than him you are willing to step back and let that younger brother come up and be a blessing in the church always willing to step back so that other people may go forward whom God has anointed and everybody may forsake you one day makes no difference be of good courage I have overcome the world what did Jesus say John 16 33 these things I have spoken to you what did he tell them please read carefully verse 32 an hour is coming and has already come and all of you will run away to your own home I will be alone but I am not alone I can never be alone because my father is with me you are my closest eleven disciples I know you are willing to lay down your life for me but the Roman soldiers will put so much fear in you when they come that even though you love me you will run away because you don't realize how weak you are you will run away and I will be alone but I am not alone I can never be alone my father is with me I am saying these things to you now verse 33 because one day other people may run away from you and leave you alone your eleven closest disciples may leave you and run away some brothers you think are so loyal to you in the church may leave you and run away and remember what I tell you in that day you will not be alone I will be with you that was Paul's experience I told you the other day he went to court in Rome and everybody ran away but he said I was not alone the Lord stood with me so that's what the Lord is saying see my own experience you are such good disciples but in that moment you will run away you don't want to run but you are so weak you will run away but I won't be alone remember that when your time comes all these people who say nice things to you may run away they may even turn against your church I have experienced that people who are very close loyal workers they turn against the church they even take us to court but you think we are alone I am not alone it is impossible for me to be alone because Jesus said I will never leave you I will never forsake you that is the word the Lord gives each of us thank God for good brothers thank God for all the brothers who will stand by us but don't let your dependence be on them only Jesus can say to you I will never leave you nor forsake you many of these brothers may be very loyal to you maybe they don't want to forsake you but in your time of need they may not be in your town they may be somewhere else thousand miles away then who is going to stand with you I will tell you Jesus you should be able to say I am not going to be alone even if everybody leaves me I am not going to be alone I have with me somebody who has overcome the world therefore I am not afraid I want to say to all of you we live in villages where people are afraid of black magic they are afraid of what the devil can do yeah I know the devil has got power but you must remember this verse 1 John 4 and verse 4 you are from God little children and you have overcome them because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world how shall we look at all these people who do black magic maybe somebody has got something against you in your village and wants to do some black magic on you yeah there is a lot of power in black magic I don't deny that it's like a dog supposing there is a fierce dog a fearsome dog coming to bark at you yeah I am afraid of such dogs if a dog comes like that to attack you I don't want to be around there but supposing I have got with me a fierce lion walking with me I and the lion are walking down the road and this dog comes what's going to happen the lion lets out one roar and all these ten dogs will put their tails behind their leg and run I keep walking like a Maharaja let any dogs come let anybody come that's what the bible says Jesus is called the lion of Judah he says I'll be with you why are you afraid the one who is with you is greater than the one who is not and the wonderful thing is he is not with me he is in me so wherever I go he is there because he is in me and because Jesus has conquered the devil we have no fear of Satan I have in the last many years encountered many people who are demon possessed not only in India in other countries also and I'll tell you something till today I have never seen a demon that doesn't go in the name of Jesus not even one and you can do that you can stand against Satan in the name of Jesus he was defeated on the cross don't ever forget that there was once somebody brought a lady to my house for prayer I never met that lady before she said every time somebody prays for me I fall down I said I'll make sure you don't fall down you sit on this chair see if you sit on a chair you can't fall down you know that so I said you sit on this chair and I'll pray for you you won't fall down my wife and I were talking to her I said now you ask Jesus to come into your heart and you tell the devil Satan you were defeated on the cross and she changed her voice looked at me said I was not defeated on the cross this is somebody else I thought I was talking to the woman there's somebody else here inside her there is another person who is telling me that he was not defeated on the cross so I speak to the person who spoke to me that is the devil I said you are a liar not the woman this other person inside the woman I said you are a liar you were defeated on the cross get out of her in Jesus name gone now I told the woman now you tell the devil you were defeated on the cross she said it immediately and I learned one thing that day the devil does not like to hear that he was defeated on the cross if there is a Pakistan India cricket match do you like to hear that India was defeated in that match no devil also does not like to hear that he was defeated on the when I learned that that day I said aha now I know and I am going to remind the devil all the time that he was defeated on the cross and not only that wherever I go I am going to teach people to tell the devil you were defeated on the cross that demon made a big mistake when he spoke to me and said he was not defeated on the cross because I learned something and what I learned I have taught thousands of people around the world tell the devil you were defeated on the cross I remember once I saw another fierce demon type person and I asked myself was this one of the demons that escaped on Calvary or was he defeated he said no no no every demon was defeated and I am not afraid because greater is he that is in me I met one lady in America I told her to say ask Jesus to come into your heart she moved her mouth and said I can't say that name I can't say that name I said this American woman has also got a demon she said okay get out in Jesus name and it went out then she could say the name of Jesus now it's not me I'll tell you something if that lion is with you you also have that power this is not only for some special believers full time workers you are an ordinary young brother you have the authority in the name of Jesus there was a man in China very godly man he had a great ministry of casting out demons he was called conqueror of demons and so people any demon possessed person they would bring him to the house and he would cast out the demon so one day they brought one demon possessed person to the house and this man was not there he had gone out somewhere so his 12 year old son was there his son had seen the father doing this many times so he came out 12 year old boy in the name of Jesus who my father preaches get out demon went 12 year old boy the lion is the same whether it's the 12 year old boy or the father Jesus has a mighty power in the name of Jesus you must know that power we have not used that power enough you young people you sisters in the name of Jesus the demons will tremble they will not tremble at the name of Zak Poonen they will tremble at the name of Jesus and you are a child of God just as much as me when you go into those villages so many people afraid of witchcraft I don't go to those villages how can I come to all the villages where you are God doesn't need me there because God says he has put you there and you can go and take the authority in the name of Jesus and set these people free don't think the devil will harm you I remember in the early days we used to have the meetings in our house so people say oh brother don't cast out demons inside the house the devil will get inside your small children I said rubbish the devil will be scared of me and of my children also so we used to cast out the demons also because that's where we had the meeting no it didn't trouble my children they got faith when they saw it don't be afraid don't think the devil will come into some family member of yours because you cast out the demons there and don't think when you have some problem oh is the devil doing this to me no in my younger days I used to think like that lights went off demon not demon somebody switched on the motor there that's why don't give the devil the glory for everything no he is defeated this is not devil Jesus has conquered everything and devil cannot hinder our work he may hurt me he may kill me like he killed all the apostles but he will be able to kill them only after they finish their work have you read of one time when 40 people decided we are not going to eat till we kill Paul I don't know what happened to them because Paul lived for another 5-6 years you know like these politicians who say fast unto death then after 2 weeks they'll say some people have agreed for negotiations so I'll drink now those fellows also may have made some excuse and started eating like that you cannot kill Jesus before his time you cannot kill Paul before his time and they cannot kill you and me before our time remember this my brothers and sisters God is in control God is ruler of this universe that's what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10 Matthew's gospel chapter 10 we read there the same thing which we read in Isaiah chapter 8 what is that? don't fear these people but fear God that's what Jesus said here verse 25 last part they call the head of the house Beelzebul they'll call you by worse names than that they'll call you the devil and try to harm you but don't fear them verse 26 all their secret plans which they cover up will be revealed don't be afraid what I tell you in darkness go out into the light and speak it and what you hear in prayer stand on the house tops and proclaim it and don't be afraid of those who can kill your body but fear him who can even destroy your soul same thing we read in Isaiah don't be afraid of them but fear God if you fear God you don't have to fear anybody else aren't there two sparrows sold for one cent verse 29 not even one of them will fall to the ground you know how often do you see a dead bird on the ground how often do you see a dead bird on the ground you have never seen a dead bird you don't know where do they get their food from we don't feed all the birds in the sky but God feeds them millions of birds don't know where do they get their food from but somehow or the other they get it God cares for them you think he won't care for you he said even the hairs on your head are all numbered God knows exactly how much hair there is on your head you know that is one of the most unimportant things in life when one hair falls from our head you know supposing you wake up one morning and you see one hair on your pillow what happens you worry one hair is gone I don't have much hair but even I don't worry about such thing it goes go one hair and Jesus took that most insignificant thing you didn't know when that hair fell from your head in the night but God knows at twenty seven minutes past two o'clock at night this child of mine in Nunnilam one hair fell from the head he knew it he saw it that is the extent to which God cares for us so he said don't be afraid just love God and fear Him and even verse thirty six even if your enemies are in your own family that may happen your own relatives may turn against you I have experienced that relatives turning against me I don't hate them I love them they are spiritually sick if you go to the hospital and you see a sick person do you get angry with them no you feel sorry for them all these people who hate you they are sick they have got a terrible sickness called hatred hatred that is worse than leprosy supposing you see somebody with leprosy do you get angry or do you feel sorry so whenever I see a person with hatred poor man he has got something worse than leprosy don't get angry with such people feel sorry for them hatred jealousy there are lot of people in the world who are jealous of me because the devil instigates them I am not jealous of them I am not in competition with anybody in the whole world I quietly do my ministry God puts some blessing on it and they are jealous of that but I don't hate them they are sick they have got a sickness called jealousy it is worse than AIDS if you see somebody with AIDS you feel sorry for them when I see somebody who hates me I feel sorry for him and somebody leaves our church and tries to stab us in the back I feel sorry for them I don't hate them God is my witness I don't hate them I said poor man he has got a sickness he has got hatred he has got jealousy he has got backbiting I thought he only had leprosy he has got leprosy he has got AIDS he has got tuberculosis he has got everything poor man love them bless them pray for them Lord poor man has got so many sicknesses please have mercy on him how healthy you have made me no hatred no jealousy no bitterness God this is not me you only made me so healthy poor man has got not only one sickness he has got five sicknesses please have mercy on him heal him that's how we must look at people you don't have to be afraid of them here is the word of the Lord in the world you shall have tribulation but be bold I have overcome the world you will never be alone I will never leave you I am in you and I am greater than all the forces in the world you don't have to be afraid of the devil you don't have to be afraid of black magic no black magic can touch you or your house or your children no black magic can touch you in one sentence in the name of Jesus demons will run Jesus said they go like lightning how fast does the devil go like lightning so fast he will go resist the devil in the name of Jesus we don't hate anybody we hate our own lusts we fight against them we fight against the devil but we do not fight with human beings because those are people for whom Jesus died many times when I look at people I say Lord help me to see them as people for whom Jesus died young brothers when you see a girl and you are tempted say this that is a girl for whom Jesus died Jesus wants her body to be pure Lord let her be saved let her body be pure you will not be tempted with her anymore if you don't believe me you try it you cannot be tempted with somebody for whom you are praying that she will be pure and be born again see how we can overcome temptation may God help us let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for these three wonderful days you have given us a foretaste of heaven you have given us a word from your throne to prepare us for the days to come we give you thanks we give you thanks for the rich food you have given us we will not be like those nine lepers who didn't give thanks we give you thanks in Jesus name Amen