Don't Let Fear Control You

Today we will look at how the Christian family should be in order to be successful and prosperous. We're going to look on how a Christian family should be in order to be successful and prosperous. When we talk about family, we go back all the way to the book of Genesis, the Garden of Eden.

That's where it all begins. The Garden of Eden is about family. The Lord God, the first thing he instituted on the face of this earth was marriage.

The very first thing God instituted on the face of this earth was marriage. And through marriage, his intention was to create a family. Now why? Because God himself is family.

God himself is family. As Christians, we believe that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Well since God is the Father and he has the Son, therefore this is family.

And the bond between the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit. So God is family. The first thing he established on earth was family.

And God's intention is for this family to be for him and him only. We see this family in paradise, in the Garden of Eden. The man is in the presence of God, Genesis 2.15. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend, i.e. cultivate, and keep, and keep it.

So the first thing God created was Adam. And he put Adam in the Garden of Eden in his presence, in his holy presence. And he said to Adam, I want you to look after this garden.

I want you to cultivate it and tend it, look after it, work it. And then we see the woman in Genesis 3, where she was walking alone. And that's when Satan came in the form of a serpent and tempted the woman and made her fall.

And through the woman made the man, Adam, fall as well. And she was walking alone. In other words, God is saying to the man that you need to fulfill the woman's needs, otherwise she'll be searching elsewhere for it, if there is a gap in her life.

And the reason why Eve was walking alone, because looks like Adam did not fulfill all the woman's needs. That's why there was a gap in her and she started seeking a fulfillment elsewhere. And that's where the danger starts.

Now there are three important principles for the Christian family. Three important principles for the Christian family. Firstly, her principles do come out of thin air.

We do not, an example of that, we do not know love without a lover. We do not know power without a powerful person. We do not know justice without a just person.

Meaning, all these beautiful values, love, power, justice, all these beautiful values, without a person embodying these values, they are absolutely meaningless. If there is no person involved, if there is no embodiment of these values by a person, then all these beautiful values mean nothing. Love without a person loving you, what's the point? Power without a powerful person protecting you, what's the point and the meaning of power? Justice without a just person looking after you and judging fairly and squarely, what will I do with justice? Means nothing.

So it needs a person. God intended for this person to embody all these values. Now, these principles and values, we said they do not come out of thin air.

For the husband and the wife to plug them out of that thin air. They don't come out of thin air for the husband and wife to plug them out of there. You can't plug love out of thin air.

You can't plug justice out of thin air. You need to make it happen. You need to make it happen.

Because these principles and values are supposed to be in the fabric of that personality. In other words, these values, they do not come from without, they come from within. They do not come externally, they come internally.

The personality of that person should contain these principles and values. These principles are formed and grow inside that personality. Example, let's say, and far from every family, let's say in the event of a marital dispute.

Number one, we need to understand. The fault is not in the lack of principles, but rather in the personality itself. When a dispute takes place, it's not because of lack of principles, but because of a unbalanced personality.

That's why a dispute occurs. And here, the awesomeness of Christianity is revealed. Christianity.

My beloved, Christianity did not come to bring a law, i.e. this is right or this is wrong. Christianity did not come to bring a law to teach you this is right and this is wrong. Christianity did not bring principles capable of making marriage successful.

It didn't. It did not bring principles to make marriage successful. No.

What did Christianity bring? Christianity came to create a new personality. Christianity came to create, not to bring laws, not to make things happen, but to create a new creation, totally new from head to toe, inside and out. Why? Because the old person is good for nothing.

I cannot teach the old person good values because the moment the human nature became corrupt, the only thing I can do to it is bury it and create a new nature. Christianity came to create a new human. And this new human develops and grows and inside of him principles grow capable of success.

We can read from Ephesians 4.17. Now, look at Saint Paul. Saint Paul is one of my favorite, if not my favorite. He's amazing in his teachings.

Ephesians 4.17. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind. I'll read it again. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, i.e. the world.

Do not walk like the world does in the futility of their mind. So then the question is Saint Paul, how can we no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk? He gives an answer in Ephesians 4.22-24. Listen to this. That you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.

So how can I stop walking like the world does by walking away from the old man that was all corrupt and walking in deceit and put on the new man that is created according to God, not according to you or anyone else but to God himself. Now this new man according to God, how does he walk? In true righteousness and holiness. This new man created according to God walks in true righteousness and holiness.

True righteousness, holiness, three things. Righteousness is the work of God. Holiness means not earthly.

I hope you're paying attention. In the Greek language there is a word called agios and I hope I'm pronouncing it correctly because I don't speak Greek. So if my pronunciation is lacking my sincere apologies in advance.

But if there is anyone of a Greek descent please do correct me if I'm mispronouncing it. I love you. Somebody's smiling, looks like they're Greek.

Agios is a compounded word two in one. Agi not yos earthly. That is a holy man.

That's holiness. What is holiness? Agios. So if somebody asks you who is holy, holy is the one who is not earthly.

Holy is not someone that you can imagine and say oh well a holy person is the one that does miracles, raises the dead and does wonders and everything in life. That's not holiness. Holiness literally means not earthly, agios.

Well who is not earthly? It's the person that lives on earth but for God. I'll say it again. Who is holy is the person that walks on earth but lives for God.

I'm here but all of me is in heaven. Meaning I'm on earth but nothing earthly affects me because I'm not earthly, I'm heavenly. God sent me to represent him on earth.

My role is not to imitate earth but to change earth into heaven. Now that is holy. Now that is holy.

The work which is holiness not earthly is that that is the true thing which is above time. True means above time which has come from God, the creator of time. This new man created according to God, he walks in true righteousness and holiness.

True means above the time. Righteousness does the work of God. Holiness not earthly, living for God, walking on earth.

Now verse 24 of Ephesians 4, and that you put on the new man. It's an order, put on the new man. Now the word putting on, here it does not mean same as putting on clothes.

When Saint Paul talks in Ephesians 4 24 that you put on the new man, putting on is not the same as putting on clothes but rather like a bird putting on its feathers and the earth putting on its greenery. This is the meaning of putting on, like the bird that puts on its feathers and the earth its greenery. Here we observe the following, the putting on comes from the inside not the outside.

Feathers are not glued on the bird from outside, feathers come from inside the bird outside. This is putting on. So it's an internal action not an external one.

Put on the new man meaning let this new man be born in you, created in you in order to come out of you to the outside. This is putting on the new man, being born into this new man. And that you put on the new man meaning there is a true renewal from inside, a true renewal.

We said Christianity did not come to bring laws, what is right and what is wrong. Christianity came to create a new man. This new man in him develops and grows principles that are capable of making that Christian family a successful one.

Now why we have to be born into this new man? Because my beloved, any external principles, what do external principles do to the person? It conquers the person, they do not create a person, it conquers the person. Principles from outside are heavy, unwanted because they are imposed upon us. Anything that comes from outside we don't like.

Why? Because it is imposed, you have to do this, you have to follow this rule, you have to go over there, you have to come over here. Anything that I have to, I have to, I have to, is uncomfortable, I do not want it, I reject it. So external principles are laid heavily upon me.

They do not create me, they enslave me in fact, enslave me. That's the best and the ultimate they can do. Christianity did not come to impose principles from outside, Christianity came to create a new human being, a new human being.

This new human produces beautiful behaviors because the inside is created, it's not imposed anymore, it's a new creation, it comes from within and anything that comes from within is natural, it's not unnatural. Anything that comes externally is unnatural, uncomfortable but when it comes from within it is natural. I'll explain it more to you, for you to understand where I'm coming from.

Imagine this with me, you know and especially in the Middle Eastern countries years back, there was what they called arranged marriages. The parents choose your partner in life, whoa, the poor guy the first time ever he would see what kind of a looks his future wife has is when he's already married, tough luck, too late. He lifts up the veil and hope for the best if she is Mariah Carey or some other one kind of scary.

Imagine you don't love this person, you don't know this person but mom and dad, especially dad, he will say you listen to your dad and you will do accordingly, whatever I say goes, you will marry this person and tough luck. Imagine you are living with someone you do not love, how are you going to last? It's hell. Why? Because it was a principle given from outside to you i.e imposed upon you, weighs heavily, I can't breathe, I'm imprisoned, I don't know what to do anymore.

But when you choose your Rosella, Juliet, oh la la, impossible, when you choose, that was in French, when you choose, well I have to speak all these channels because I've gotten people from Sweden, I'm getting people from Switzerland, I've yet to learn a few words in that language, I have to learn more. So I'm trying my best. Habib Albi, that one easy.

But imagine you choose the person, you fall in love with that person freely, naturally, you see it's an internal principle, it's an internal principle. Internal principle is light, internal principle is freedom, internal principle is you, not someone you are pretending to be, which you can never be. Why? Because God never created you to be someone else but you.

Christianity came to set you free, not impose upon you laws in order for you to do them and if you don't, you are doomed. No, this is why Christianity is based on love and that's why love is associated with a person, not a law. Law doesn't love you, you break the law, the law breaks you.

But the person that loves you, even if you break them, they will forgive you because they love you. The law has no mercy, you break me, I'll break you, non-negotiable. But a person, no.

This is why Christianity is totally different to every other religion out there with all love and respect. There's no comparison because all religions are to do with laws. The only faith in existence on earth that is to do with love is Christianity.

Why? Because we're dealing with a person and this person is the new creation, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. All glory to his holy and mighty name. You come to love this person and when you accept this person, this person is born in you.

This person comes out of you, from inside outside. The principles grow and are from within. It is a natural instinct, it's a natural reaction.

That's why with Jesus there is freedom, with Jesus there is prosperity, with Jesus there is enlightenment, with Jesus there is everything good that you could ever imagine. This new human produces beautiful behaviors because the inside is created. Created according to God, according to the divine standards.

And what are the divine standards? Saint Paul says it, in true righteousness and holiness. This is the standard of this new creation that is created by God. This new man has to be walking in the truth and righteousness and holiness.

The word righteousness, we said it's the work of God, but it also means being in harmony with God. Because every time we do the work of God we are in harmony with God. What pleases God, if we do something that pleases God we are in harmony.

If we do something that is displeasing to the Lord, there is no harmony. So righteousness is being in harmony with God. True holiness, holiness is what God desires from everyone.

With all love and respect to the Dalai Lama, when this person asked this monk, he said you left the world and the desires of the world to achieve the ultimate. And what is the ultimate? Is to kill desire. That's in Buddhism.

What is the ultimate? Is to kill desire. Why? Because according to that faith, and I'm talking with love and respect, I'm just stating facts. Okay, please.

I've had a couple of stabs. I can do it maybe, I don't know. But anyway, I mean well.

But the ultimate is to kill the desire because in that faith, in that belief, they think by killing the desire then and then only you are free. Because desire apparently, according to that faith, brings you down. Why? Because desire chains you, locks you, enslaves you.

I have a desire for this. I have a desire for that. I'm not free.

Therefore the moment you kill desire, you are then free. You become like a God. Not realizing desire is a God-given gift.

You cannot kill what God has given you. So you are chasing something impossible to achieve. Holiness is God's desire.

And with that desire there is no motivation. How are you going to go forward if there is no desire? But the problem is, it's not, the problem is not in desire itself, but in the imbalancing of that desire. You need to have a balanced desire, you will chase holiness.

Because when you let that new creation grow in you, he will teach you on how to desire holiness, which God desires. Righteousness, you are living in harmony with God. Holiness, you are living and walking in God's desire.

And when God desires something and you do it, the rest is history. Therefore it is not the fake holiness. Fake holiness is a result of submission to external principles, which were imposed on the human to walk in.

Some people fake it to live in holiness. It's ugly. This is what I call an over-saved Christian.

Have you ever heard of this term, over-saved Christian? An over-saved Christian is like you're with them in Maccas, McDonald's. Old McDonald's had a farm. So imagine you are with that all, you know, over-saved Christian in Maccas.

And then you say, man I'm hungry. And he will say to you, this over-saved person will say, Jesus said, I am the living bread, which descended from heaven. He who eats me shall never hunger again.

Okay. Oh, I'm thirsty. Jesus said, I am the living waters.

He who drinks me shall never thirst again. All right, bro. What's wrong with you? Oh, I don't know where the car keys are.

Jesus said, you need the keys to enter God's kingdom. He said, I don't drive a kingdom. It can't fit in my garage.

Relax. All I want is just a Big Mac and a big can of Coke. Don't act as if you are holy, faithful to the Lord.

If you're faithful, keep it to yourself. Keep it secret between you and your sweetheart, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. You don't blow the trumpet and tell the whole world, hey, I'm here.

I'm the holy one. Well, you're not. That's fake holiness.

When you are walking in true holiness, this is God's desire. God works in secret, not in the open secrets. The new person, the new human created according to God, in whom all divine principles and standards lie and complete in him.

This person is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This is the standard of God for every human being to be like Jesus Christ. This is the only man that walks in true righteousness and holiness.

This man is knocking at the door of your heart and says, will you let me be born in you? And through me, I make you a new human created. No more laws imposed upon you externally, laying heavily on you, but I'm creating you. And with that creation, I have put a set of values and principles that are born in you and they come out like the feathers come out onto that bird from inside to the outside.

Because when they come out from inside, then you are free. You are a new creation and you live what you are experiencing freely. Nothing is imposed.

Jesus Christ is the exalted example for me. He is the true leader. He is the wish desired.

I wish to be like him. Shall we continue? Are you tired? Are you happy? Are you sure? Ask any God said to the fat guy was going down brother. Very good.

Three foundational principles for every family are found in second Timothy one, seven, three foundational principles for every Christian family are found in second Timothy one, seven, second Timothy one, seven, St. Paul is writing this epistle to his disciple Timothy. He's saying to him in second Timothy one, seven, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Three foundational principles for every Christian family to hold on to, to live and to acquire.

What are these three foundational principles for every Christian family? They are power one, love two, sound mind three. If we acquire these three things, that family is all for Christ. Power, love and a sound mind.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear. Do not be afraid. Fear equals cowardness.

Fear equals cowardness. Sound mind equals self-control. Self-control.

Three things for every family. Power, love, sound mind, i.e. self-control. Now fear is cowardness.

Where did this come from? Cowardness or fear is a combination of weakness and selfishness. You see fear comes out of weakness and being selfish. When you're weak and selfish, you have fear and fear leads to being a coward.

Because of weakness, fear comes and fear generates escape. See these words are very deep. Because of weakness, fear comes and what does fear do? Generates escape.

I'll give you an example. There are some fathers or parents, they become weak. They start fearing.

When they start fearing, they end up running away, escape. They escape to spending too much time on Facebook, drinking, gambling, etc. This is my escape.

God, I can't face reality. I can't face the challenges. I can't face all these obstacles in life.

I'm fearing for myself. I'm fearing for my children. I'm fearing maybe for my wife.

Did you get that one? I'm fearing. So what do I do? I'm scared now. I'm afraid now.

So I'm going to run away. I'll find a way to make me forget my fears. Ah, I found it.

I'll drink until I'm drunk so I can forget all these thoughts that are haunting me non-stop. Drinking is the solution. They destroy themselves and the family with them.

Gambling is the solution. Destroy themselves and family with them. Drugs is the solution.

Destroy themselves and family with them. So many families, couples I have come across, because of drugs, alcoholism and the rest, they ended up walking away from one another. Why did you seek gambling? Why did you seek alcoholism? Why did you seek drugs? Because I got scared and I didn't want to admit that I have a fear because I don't wish to be seen a coward, especially the man.

I'll hide my fear and cowardness with a scotch on the rock and a white powder in that plastic bag. St. Paul, 2nd Timothy 1 7, for God has not given us a spirit of fear. You see God never created a spirit of fear in you.

Looks like you ended up fearing, you ended up being weak and scared because you walked away from God. This is your dilemma because you are missing God in your life. That's why you seeked alternate ways which were absolutely and utterly destructive.

They escaped from withstanding their responsibilities. Do not take on their responsibilities. Well, enough fear, enough being a coward.

Let us be powerful. Number one, that's why St. Paul says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of number one thing, power. Second, love.

Third, sound mind, self-control. But the first thing is power. So beautifully placed in a beautiful, orderly fashion.

Number one, power. The first principle for the Christian family, be powerful, don't be fearful. Now, second principle is love.

Well, what did we say about fear? Weakness brings fear and fear is cowardness and cowardness is a combination between, what did we say, between weakness and selfishness. Well, love is the opposite to being selfish. So instead of being selfish, be a loving person.

When you have the love of God in your heart, selfishness is driven away. It's driven away. So the second principle, the first principle is power to get rid of weakness.

So you don't be selfish. Then love to get rid of that selfishness. And we said, cowardness is a combination between weakness and selfishness.

And the opposite to that is power and love. Third principle, sound mind, self-control. Now, why the sound mind or the self-control is the third principle? Why? Saint Paul is trying to teach us something very profound here.

Look how Saint Paul writes. When you read it at a surface level, you don't even grasp what he's really meaning. Now, why self-control is the third principle? You see, the reason why sound mind or self-control is the third principle, so that it actually maintains and insist on the following to take place.

Number one, so that your power should not be done in ignorance. Without self-control, your power goes in and end up into ignorance. But with self-control, the power is controlled in righteousness and holiness, not ignorance.

And love should not be done in immaturity. Without self-control, your love is wild, immature. But with self-control, the love is controlled.

It's mature, it's ripe. Everything is done perfectly according to God's will. And this is why power and love together, but managed by the sound mind, self-control.

You need self-control in order for power and love are not abused. Are not abused. Thus, in my power, I do not end up being violent if there is no self-control.

So many violent people. Well, that just tells you they have no self-control. So they have power and they abuse it.

They become violent because they don't have self-control, because they don't have God in their life. That's why. So that power does not end up in violence and love does not end up in being slack or feeble.

Do you love me? Well, can you do something for me? I'll think about it. What makes you happy? Can you please text me and tell me what makes you happy so I can do it? Maybe. What kind of love is that? When your love is filled with power, even the microphone went off.

When your love is filled with power, you surprise your sweetheart. Plenty of surprises. You go to your sweetheart and say, please come with me.

We're going for a little drive. And then she sits in her pajamas in that car because she's thinking it's just a little drive around the block and we're going to come back. And then you drive, you drive, you drive and you end up in the airport.

And then you go to the customs and you say, I'm checking in my wife. No, just kidding. Honey, I just got us two tickets for our anniversary and we're flying as you are in your pajamas.

I have nothing else. Honey, don't worry. I got money, baby.

I'll buy you all the clothing from San Francisco, Hawaii and Habib Albi, Lebanon. Now, that is a man. Powerful, faces challenges, fears nothing.

A man that worships God is powerful, all love and self-controlling. This is why when God created, created the man first, then the woman. When he created, he created the man and he placed the man in his presence, not the woman.

And he taught the man, not the woman. And he gave the commandment to the man, not the woman. And he said, I will bless your your family through you, not the woman.

My beloved daughter, don't misunderstand me. This is God's word. And my son, please do not be offended.

This is God's word. The man that wishes for his family to be blessed, the man that wishes for his family to be healthy and wealthy and in good health and in good spirit, you better be in the presence of Jesus Christ of Nazareth because he is dealing with you, not with your women, not with your children. He is you.

He wants you, my son, the man. He put Adam in his presence, not the women. And when the women ate from the forbidden tree, God was not upset at all.

Read the Holy Bible. The forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When Eve ate from it, God didn't say anything.

But the moment the man ate, all hell broke loose because my son, you represent Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the man. And my daughter, you represent the church, the bride, the woman to this perfect man. St. Paul says the church is the body and the man is the head.

When the Holy Bible talks about the man being the head, that doesn't mean that you are in control, meaning you run the show. And whatever you say goes. And she has no right to say anything because I'm the man and you're not, so you better be quiet.

No. By the way, the head here means foundation. Now my question to you, my son, where is the foundation? Top of the house or under the house? Under the house.

So when you are the head, that means you are not at the top, you're at the bottom. Why? Because the head here is the one that carries all the weight. Without the foundation, there is no house.

What carries the entire house is the foundation. This is the head. The head meaning you are the provider.

The head meanings you are the protector. The head meanings you are the one who manages everything. You provide the safe haven for your body, i.e. the woman, the wife.

She needs to know and feel that you are her safety net. She needs to know and feel that you are the one that she can run to anytime, every time, all the time, without hesitation, without being, you know, without being sort of kind of resentment toward it or afraid of opening up to you. You need to make her feel that she can say whatever, whenever, however, because you are the man and she is your bride.

And the reason why Eve was walking alone, looks like Adam failed his wife. Walking alone, my beloved, see this is the Holy Spirit talking here, the source of wisdom. The Holy Spirit is not wasting his time, neither our time to say that the woman was walking alone in the garden.

But there is a biblical truth to this and a theological truth to this. That means the woman was walking alone, meaning there was some sort of an empty void gap inside of her. There was something missing in her life and the man had not provided what she was missing.

That's why she was seeking it elsewhere. And the moment she seeks that elsewhere, this is when danger is at hand. We pray this love, this power, this love and self-control is in every man, father, and in every woman, mother, and in every son and daughter.

The spirit of power, love and self control and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is the greatest being capable of creating in us these three sublime principles, power, love and self-control. But he creates all these three principles, sublime principles in us in the person of Jesus Christ. To him be all glory.

Amen. Case closed. Now we come into our topic.

You thought it's finished, thank God. You're not going anywhere. You're not going clubbing.

You're not going downtown, brother. I'll be after you. Red belt in karate, dangerous.

A piece of advice for every Christian family. When Christ is the foundation of that family, everything is good. When Christ is the foundation, that doesn't mean you are not going to encounter tribulations.

You are not going to encounter hardships. You're not going to encounter dark tunnels in your life. No, you will.

But what it means when Christ is the foundation, whatever you encounter, the Lord is there for you to help you overcome it. Because nothing stands in the way of the Lord. Nothing.

Whatever the problem is, there is nothing bigger than the Lord Jesus. There is nothing the Lord is not capable of achieving or doing. He can do anything and everything.

He's God. So when you have the ultimate with you, then the ultimate is yours. Whatever you go through will make it to the safety shores or fully intact because the Lord is with me.

But when the Lord is missing in our life, we run away. We run away to the outside world where Satan is welcoming us now. Oh please, let me soothe your problems.

Drink something. Sniff something. Eat something.

Sleep somewhere. Your problems are gone. You wake up the following day, you are the most miserable being ever.

It gets to a stage where a person does not see themselves anymore. They don't realize who they are anymore. They don't know who they are.

Because Satan is all deception, all lies. We need to come back to the light, to the truth. We need to walk in this new creation.

This new creation that is created according to God that walks in true righteousness and holiness. Truth above the time. Holiness, God's desire.

Righteousness, God's work. All God's work is above the time. I'll leave you with this.

What does time do to everyone? Steals everything you have. Think about it. Somebody worked very hard.

Let's say they worked faithfully, they didn't steal, they didn't do wrong things and they created a good wealth for themselves. They worked extremely hard. Well done.

You build a massive wealth. Time will take it away from you. What have you achieved? Poor person had few billion dollars in the bank account, died.

Oh, and somebody just slept and never woke up. So sad. And all that wealth gone with a blink of an eye.

Never done any charitable deeds, never fed a hungry soul, never thought of anyone afflicted and forgotten and left behind. All they thought was to build that wealth. And they did that beautifully.

24-7 non-stop, 365 days a year. And before coming to enjoy this wealth, time snatched it away from me. God works above the time.

That's the truth. One day I was asked this question by someone, a Christian guy. So I said, for the shortness of time, like it is now, unfortunately, I said, I'll ask you this question and you answer me, yes or no? I said, what is the difference between reality and truth? Because he started talking about the gospel of John.

You read the gospel according to St. John, the Lord Jesus, when he spoke about himself, he used the word truth, not reality. John 14-6, I am the way, the truth and the life. This bread is truly my body and this wine is truly my blood.

John 6. In the entire gospel of John, it is only the word truth used, no reality whatsoever in relation to Christ. Why? Is he lacking, you know, vocabularies? No, he's God. He knows all languages perfectly, but he said it deliberately.

Why? Because the gospel according to St. John speaks about the divinity of Christ, introduces Christ as he is God. In the beginning was the word Logos and the Logos was with God and the Logos was God, period. Chapter 1, verse 1, John says, Jesus Christ is God and don't argue.

And since he's God, I need to speak the language of God. So I use the word truth, not reality. What's the difference? Difference is one thing.

Reality, everything that is under the sun, under the time, everything that is under the time is reality. What is truth? Everything that is above the time. Therefore, reality changes, truth never changes.

You know, what changes us is time. It's very simple. If there was no time, we wouldn't have changed.

But when we talk about ourselves, because we are under the control of time, this gathering is reality. Why? Because time controlled this gathering. There was a time you left home and there was a time for you to be in the church and there was a time for this good looking bishop, I had to rub it in, to speak.

And unfortunately, there is a time and it's coming very shortly and I'll leave you with it, that I need to stop speaking. Therefore, this gathering is reality. Why? Because time will change it.

A little while later, everyone will go home. This reality is going to change. That's why reality is under the time, controlled by the time.

But the truth is above the time. And this is why truth never changes. When I speak about myself, I say yesterday I was, today I am, tomorrow I will be.

When the Holy Bible speaks about Jesus Christ of Nazareth, it says yesterday he is, today he is, and forevermore he is the same. Why? Because he is the truth and the only truth. All of us are realities changing.

Jesus never changes. Everything you earn under the time, you lose. Everything you earn above the time, by the grace of the Lord, you gain forever.

You want to build wealth outside of Jesus Christ? Time will take it away from you. Death will take it away. But you build wealth with the Lord Jesus.

Even when you die, you'll take it with you. How do you build wealth with the Lord? You better walk in truth and righteousness and in holiness. When you do the work of God, nothing is lost.

And when you desire his holiness, and what is holiness? What did we say? Not earthly. You are on earth, but I'm living for the Lord Jesus. Why are you chasing the world? My dear son, why are you going clubbing? This is earthly.

Why are you drinking? Why are you lying? Why are you stealing? Why are you killing? This is all earthly. You want to walk in the truth? Don't be earthly. You are on earth to represent the Lord, to change this earth into heaven.

And this is what the Lord came. This is what the new man is. The new man is heaven on earth.

He came from heaven to earth to take earth to heaven and make it heaven. If I'm a Christian and I'm killing and I'm doing all worldly things, what's the difference between me and any other gentile world? No difference. So as a Christian, my child, don't go where the Lord disapproves of.

You're beautiful as you are. Don't change nothing in your looks. Don't go to Istanbul, even if it's cheap.

There was this video clip I watched was kind of funny. This guy in his passport photo, he is totally bald, no teeth, nothing. So he's coming through customs.

The custom officer is looking at the passport photo and looking at the person before them. This person has got beautiful hair all the way to the shoulders, beautiful shiny white teeth. They said, is this you? He said, yes.

Where did you come from? He said, Turkey. I've been to Turkey. Full hair transplant and teeth and everything in one week.

That's dangerous. Yes. So don't change nothing.

If you're bald, stay as you are, but be bold for the Lord Jesus. And if you have no teeth, let the Lord Jesus be your teeth. And if you have no looks, it doesn't matter what people think of you.

Let Jesus see who you are. What does it benefit a man if he gains the whole world and then loses himself? Seek the Lord Jesus. Parents, make the Lord your foundation.

Husband, my son, be in the presence of the Lord. You take your wife and the children to church. You lead for them to follow.

Amen. That's it. Time.

Are we listening to another hymn? Are we ready? One minute. I've got one minute to talk. Thank God.

I've run out of jokes. I need new jokes, please. But all, you know, G, general, like nothing, 15, M, 15, whatever, M, whatever they are.

Rating. I don't want those naughty jokes. I just want some general ones.

Well, I'll have to say one of these old jokes that I've said it maybe a million times. So boring, isn't it? This joke is about, oh, actually, yes. To our beloved Indian people.

You know, I love my Indian people. Beautiful. There was two best buddies, Indians, applied for a job.

So they went to the interview with another 498. There was 500 in total who applied for the same job. You know, it's India, 1.4 billion people.

It's normal to have 500 people. You should have 500,000 people applying for the same job. Anyway, so they went to the interview.

The irony of this joke is to say to us all, what happens when you tell half the truth? Half the truth is kind of dangerous. So anyway, one of the friends walks in into the interview room. The interviewer starts asking him questions.

He said, when did India receive its independency? He said, well, many, many things happened and a lot of things took place. And eventually in 1947, he said, very good. He said, who is the founding father of India? He said, it's not fair to mention one father because there were many fathers.

He said, wow, profound answer. He said, how was the Indians economy crisis being fixed? He said, well, the prime minister established a committee. They analyzed the situation and eventually fixed the problem.

He said, your answers are spot on, perfect. You pass the test. But before I let you go out there, I want you to promise me one thing.

He said, what is it, sir? He said, when you go out there, if anybody asks you for the questions, what were the questions? Do not give the questions because I will be asking the 499 people out there the same questions. Will you promise me not to tell them the questions? He said, I promise you with a hot curry. He goes out, his friend, best mate runs to him.

Come on, bro. Tell me the questions. He said, I cannot tell me the questions.

I cannot. He begged him for the questions with not prevail. The other friend got fed up with his friend and he said, look, just get off my case.

I'll tell you the answers and that's enough. He said, okay, better than nothing. Give me the answers.

He said, the first answer is many, many things happened. A lot of things took place eventually in 1947. The second answer is it's not fair to mention one father because there were many fathers.

And the third answer is the prime minister established a committee and fix the problem. Thank you. Thank you.

He goes into the interview. The interviewer is going through the application of this guy who just walked in, realized there are a few things missing and few things not right. He said, I don't seem to find your date of birth.

When, when you were born, he said, many, many things happened and a lot of things took place eventually in 1947. He said, what's your name? He said, it's not fair to mention. It is not fair to mention one father because there were many fathers.

He said, your application needs fixing. He said, the prime minister established a committee and fix the problem. You see what happens when you tell half the truth.

It's even worse than telling nothing.