1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,360 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,080 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:11,000 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world 4 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:14,720 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by Your law and 5 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:16,760 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,800 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,280 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,600 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,760 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,600 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,960 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,680 and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. 13 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,560 Studying, examining and learning from the book of the Acts, 14 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:10,920 chapter 16 and during our last discussion, we saw and witnessed 15 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:16,480 the evil outcome from those whose evil, falsehood and 16 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:21,960 deception are exposed and or are brought to an end. 17 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:27,200 And we saw that the final result was the imprisonment of Saint 18 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,280 Paul and sealers, not simply imprisoned, beloved, but placed 19 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,520 in the inner prison and in shackles. 20 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:43,400 That is, they couldn't move. Minimal food, no toilets, rats 21 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,840 stench, no attorneys. You know, and I like watching 22 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:53,800 world's most interesting, I say, but world's most dangerous 23 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,360 prisons. I think there's one on in 24 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,240 Salvador or Ecuador, I'm not sure which country. 25 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:10,120 The conditions are atrocious. There's 60 to 70 prisoners that 26 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:16,480 are locked up in a room that is very small and barely any room 27 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,960 to move. Some are sleeping right by the 28 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,760 toilets, the the bathrooms, you want to call them and they are 29 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,400 not free to move. And you know how we sometimes 30 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,600 kick during our, our, you know, sleep? 31 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:36,560 My grandson Abel sleeps straight, ends up with his legs 32 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,760 in my side and the head in the side of his grandmother. 33 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,920 And he's always kicking and moving right. 34 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:44,040 No, no, no. There's a specific time one of 35 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,600 the guards blows the whistle and then that's time to turn the 36 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,280 other side if you would like. And you know, I encourage you to 37 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:52,360 go and watch this now. Why? 38 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,240 You appreciate life. You pray for these people. 39 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,640 You pray because they are human beings. 40 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:00,760 They are our brothers and sisters. 41 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,640 Some are Christians. We've only, you know, had a 42 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:04,080 brush with the law. I've made a mistake. 43 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,360 Some are there for years and years. 44 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:12,040 No legal representation, no hearing date, pleading with the 45 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,000 cameraman to please do something. 46 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,280 We are here. We are dying. 47 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:17,400 There's diseases. There's. 48 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:19,640 It's atrocious. This was worst. 49 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:24,800 Actually, this is worst because at the end of the of some of the 50 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,000 shows, you see that this prisoner was released because 51 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,400 his case was heard and what have you with with the prisons going 52 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,640 back to Saint Paul and Silas's time. 53 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,160 You could be there and no one know you're there and you could 54 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,560 just die there. OK, so let's see what these 55 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:43,400 people do. What? 56 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:49,000 Saint Paul, who was a chosen vessel of Christ? 57 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,560 Just because I'm a Christian, I'm a Christian, I believe in 58 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,800 God, I go to church, I read the Bible, I do my charitable deeds. 59 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,120 Nothing bad should happen to me. That ain't gonna. 60 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,320 That's not right. That's not Christianity. 61 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,560 Beloved, let's look at what these people, Saint Paul and 62 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:13,240 Selas did, these two brothers, these two champions did when 63 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,079 they were faced with this atrocity, this situation. 64 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:26,320 Verse 25, Chapter 16 Acts 1625 Now at midnight, at midnight, 65 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:32,040 Paul and Selas prayed and glorified God, and the prisoners 66 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,000 heard them. And suddenly there was a great 67 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,360 earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were 68 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,160 shaken. And immediately all the doors 69 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:46,560 were opened, and the bands of all were loosed, the shackles, 70 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,320 the bands. When the keeper of the prison 71 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,200 awoke and saw that the prison doors were open, he took a sword 72 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:56,200 and would have killed himself for the thought that the 73 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,240 prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out a loud voice, 74 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,520 saying to him, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. 75 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,960 What did they do? They were praising, singing 76 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,920 Psalms, most probably after the mystical Supper. 77 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,560 The Scriptures tell us that Jesus and his disciples praised. 78 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:21,480 This is what we do after our Mystical Supper. 79 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:23,920 What do we do? We praise God. 80 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,280 Let us all who by the gift of the grace, yeah, the Deacon 81 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:33,040 proclaims, have received this all sanctifying body, right. 82 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,320 And what do we do? We praise with the Lord's Prayer 83 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:41,080 and then at the end we praise again that Trinity that that 84 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,600 bless the righteous believers. The Toyota that was usually 85 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,760 prayed in the in the houses when the the the Eucharist was 86 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,760 offered in the houses. In any case, we praise after the 87 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,520 mystical supper, just as Jesus did. 88 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,240 Paul and Selas prayed and praised. 89 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,520 Now they didn't cry and they were crying out. 90 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,080 They weren't whispering. Oh Heavenly Father, please help 91 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,600 me all we will follow. No, no, no. 92 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,160 They cried out with a loud voice. 93 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,240 The prisoners heard them. They didn't cry out. 94 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,360 We didn't do it. I want my mommy. 95 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,160 I didn't do it. I need to get out Shawshank 96 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,040 Redemption. When that prisoner is put in 97 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,800 prison and then he starts crying out and all the other prisoners 98 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,480 are saying actually, they have a bet on him. 99 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,760 They're saying be quiet, be quiet. 100 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,960 And he's get taken out and then he's murdered, basically, right. 101 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,040 I want to get out of it. They didn't do that. 102 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,200 Oh, why, Lord, why? I've been preaching your, your, 103 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,120 your gospel, Lord. I've been doing as you know, I'm 104 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,360 fulfilling my mission, Lord. I go to church. 105 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:47,240 I read the scriptures. I, as I said, I pay my dues to 106 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,680 the church, my donations, my charitable deeds. 107 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,600 I do all of that. I do all of that. 108 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:56,240 Why am I confronted with stress and pressure and suffering? 109 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,040 Why No, they didn't do that, beloved. 110 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,200 Sounds a little familiar, right? Again, for those who read the 111 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,800 Scriptures, Acts chapter 5 verse 41, if you go back and listen to 112 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:13,200 that episode we read in Acts chapter 5 verse 41, the 113 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:20,240 disciples who were punished for the sake of Christ. 114 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,560 Look at what they said when they came out. 115 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:24,320 They were let go. They were set free, they said, 116 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,840 and they departed from before them after being beaten, 117 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,680 whipped, most probably spat at right, punched, beaten. 118 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:40,120 They departed from before them, rejoicing that they were worthy 119 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,440 to be disgraced for the name. When you're being disgraced, 120 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,560 suffering, persecuted, praise the Lord and say thank you Lord, 121 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,920 for making me worthy to be persecuted and be disgraced for 122 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:52,360 your name. This is what they were doing. 123 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,520 They're also following the footsteps of the psalmist. 124 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:04,720 Psalm 119, verse 62 in the middle of the night, I rise to 125 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,280 give you thanks because of your righteous ordinance. 126 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,800 Now what was righteous with these people being with rats and 127 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,080 and their excrement? What was righteous? 128 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,080 You know what was righteous? The righteous thing was that God 129 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:27,080 was in control, was aware, God could see, and that they were 130 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,920 being persecuted for God. This is the righteousness. 131 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,880 Now let me tell you something, this is not God fault, God's 132 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,720 fault. No it isn't. 133 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,320 God didn't cause them to go into prison. 134 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:42,159 God didn't say to the magistrate throw them into prison. 135 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:43,880 No, because they are preaching my name. 136 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,320 No, they are proclaiming salvation as the demon proclaim. 137 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,840 No, no, no. Did the evil in this is this 138 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,840 that the masters of the young girl who was demon possessed saw 139 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,480 that their pockets were hit? No more business making, no more 140 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,560 money, making money from this falsehood. 141 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:06,560 The evil 'cause this to happen and not because Paul and Sealers 142 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:11,280 were guilty of that. No, no, no. 143 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,360 But this is because of evil. But God knew God had a plan. 144 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:18,840 God through this evil. Remember, we spoke in last 145 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,720 episode or the first episode when we talked about this 146 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:26,320 scenario. Don't trust a thief with your 147 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,520 property. Don't believe a murderer who is 148 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,320 speaking highly of humanity and the human race. 149 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,440 No, no, no, Evil cannot come. Good cannot come evil. 150 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:40,200 But God, God praise his name, can change evil into good. 151 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,280 And we're going to see the goodness of this now, the 152 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,280 righteousness of this now. We're going to see that right 153 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,200 now it's all evil. But wait, wait, be patient. 154 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:55,560 Righteousness and the holiness of God is going to be revealed. 155 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,520 Whatever you're going for through pressure, pain, 156 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:04,880 suffering for Christ, wait, wait, wait, be still and know He 157 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,800 is God. Listen, don't worry about what's 158 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:10,840 happening in the world. Don't worry about Iran. 159 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,960 Just pray for the people, pray for the innocent, pray for 160 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,320 mankind, especially those who want peace in the world. 161 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,280 But then again, there's got to be that disclaimer. 162 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,480 There must be that disclaimer. I will go to the grave with this 163 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,640 disclaimer. There will be no peace without 164 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,520 Jesus Christ aiming period. Slam dunk, hook, nail and 165 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,280 sinker. No ace. 166 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:41,640 There will be no peace without the Lord Jesus Christ. 167 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,200 OK, so don't be fooled. Peace, peace, you know, doesn't 168 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,280 the Scripture say there will be, there will be proclaiming peace, 169 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,320 peace. Someone's going to make peace in 170 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,080 the world. Oh, this person's making peace 171 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,040 in the world. If it's not through Jesus 172 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,680 Christ, it's false. It's on water. 173 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:01,280 It's built upon water, not even sand. 174 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,040 It will collapse. So don't worry about the world. 175 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,560 And Jesus said these things will happen because they're going to 176 00:11:07,560 --> 00:11:09,880 happen. Because I know mankind, I know 177 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,400 how evil man is going to be and use the free will for evil if 178 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:14,280 these things are going to help you. 179 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,240 But don't worry, Jesus said, don't worry. 180 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,280 You're going to have tribulations in this world. 181 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,440 This was last Sunday's or last Sunday's gospel. 182 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,640 You're going to have tribulations in this world. 183 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,800 But do not feel I have overcome the world. 184 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,720 I have, I conquered the world through what? 185 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,520 From my resurrection, which we are still celebrating. 186 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,640 This is the fifth week of the resurrection. 187 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,480 We're still celebrating that, beloved. 188 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:43,080 So they wake up, woke up in the in the middle of the night, in 189 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,160 the middle of the night, I got up and praised God, right? 190 00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:49,720 So they did that. They're following the footsteps 191 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,560 of the psalmist. They were aware of the 192 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,320 Scriptures, right? That's a good habit to adopt, 193 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,040 beloved. Let's not just adopt what social 194 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,480 media is portraying. What Hollywood evil, evil, utter 195 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,200 evil. And those who are not evil in 196 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,160 Hollywood, they end up leaving. They end up leaving because the 197 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:13,600 evil, the, the, the, the immorality that comes from that, 198 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,880 that organization, whatever you want to call it, we need to pray 199 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,840 for them. We need to pray for all these 200 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,560 people, right? Don't worry. 201 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:23,960 What the world portrays good. The world is portraying evil to 202 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,160 be good. The scriptures don't portray 203 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,960 evil to be good. God doesn't portray evil to be 204 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,480 good. And we are not supposed to do 205 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,920 that. So let's adopt good habits. 206 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,240 Beloved, when you're experiencing sleepless nights, 207 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,240 forget about the night quil unless you're sick and your, 208 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,360 your, your, your medical practitioner is prescribing or 209 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,440 what have you. You know, even then, even then, 210 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,040 we Christians have a better medication. 211 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,320 Beloved, we have the most effective medication, prayer, 212 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,120 fasting, the Holy Eucharist, the body of Christ. 213 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,840 You're having sleepless nights due to stress, pressure, 214 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:00,800 uncertainty. You may be going through that. 215 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,800 Now. Let me speak to you 216 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,120 specifically. Let me speak to you 217 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,760 specifically. Yeah, I'm talking to you. 218 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:13,000 Yeah. You, my brother, my dear sister. 219 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,320 Are you losing sleep over something? 220 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,280 Are you stressing out over something? 221 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:25,880 Are you under so much pressure, uncertainty, confusion? 222 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,160 Yeah, well, let's try this. Try this. 223 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,880 Sit up in your bed when you can't fall asleep or go to your 224 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,560 designated prayer room. My brother Zayak Nishu, God 225 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:40,200 bless you. I saw your little designated 226 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:44,400 prayer place. Get on your knees and just pray. 227 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,680 Pray. O Lord, help me to overcome. 228 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,160 Lord, strengthen my faith. Lord, strengthen my trust in 229 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,000 you. Lord, help me to know that 230 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,720 everything will be good for those who love the Lord. 231 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,360 I love you right now. It is so bad. 232 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,560 The circumstance is so unbearable, but I know, Lord, 233 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,080 you're in control. You are in control. 234 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,680 Though you are sleeping at the hole and there is a storm, but 235 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:13,400 you're in control. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, you are 236 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,440 sitting on your glorious throne. You are in control. 237 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,520 You do not shake. I'm a mere human. 238 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,960 Lord, help me. I know you sympathize when I go 239 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,760 through this because you were tempted in every way, but you 240 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,240 didn't sin. This is all scripture. 241 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,200 But I am weak. Lord, help me. 242 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,680 Lord, bring sleep and slumber to my eyes. 243 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,320 I do that sometimes where there's a lot of pressure with 244 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,240 the priesthood. You know about that, right? 245 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,240 Sometimes I don't even get up, don't even sit up. 246 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:49,000 I just say in my heart, Lord, bring peace to my heart, slumber 247 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,080 and sleep to my eyes. And 10 minutes later you start 248 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:55,120 snoring, right? And someones knocking out the 249 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,840 door on the bedroom door. Dad, you're snoring too much, 250 00:14:58,280 --> 00:14:59,800 right? Try that. 251 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,680 This is what these people did, you know, worrying about it and 252 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,360 asking God, why? Why? 253 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:05,920 Why? Yeah. 254 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:07,800 Yeah. We are permitted to do that. 255 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:09,440 We are permitted. David did that. 256 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:11,800 Oh, how long? Oh, Lord, how long am I going to 257 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,640 be under so much stress and pressure and and, you know, my 258 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,880 life is in danger. Those, those whose blood was 259 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,160 shed for the Lamb in the Book of Revelations, Chapter 9, I 260 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,000 believe we're saying how long. Oh, Lord, how long? 261 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:24,480 Yeah. How long? 262 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,720 Oh, Lord, how long. But be prepared to hear the 263 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,360 answer too. Sometimes we don't want to hear 264 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:30,760 the answer here. Listen to the answer through the 265 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,880 scriptures, through the church, through the sermon, through the 266 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,400 liturgy, through the through the divine sacraments. 267 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:42,040 God will say it's because of your evil you put yourself in 268 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:47,320 this situation or or the evil of others have put you in this 269 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:52,840 situation. But do not fret, do not worry, I 270 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:54,560 have overcome. Time will come. 271 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:59,080 I will deliver you. Read a Psalm, pray, maybe even 272 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,560 sing, but quietly. You don't want to wake the 273 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:07,440 neighbors upright, maybe even sing Adisha Allah, you can sing 274 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:09,840 in your heart. The late a blessed memory. 275 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,040 Modern I would say when you pray, you can be sitting on the 276 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,120 chain, you can pray, be praying. That's meditating. 277 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:15,520 He's talking about meditation, right? 278 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,160 And if you are experiencing what I just mentioned, for Christ's 279 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:25,280 sake, husbands, wives, mothers, parents, children, best friends, 280 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:27,960 whoever you are, you, you, I'm talking to you specifically. 281 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,880 If you're going through experiencing all these stresses 282 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:36,000 because of Christ, praise and glorify God because it is he who 283 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,360 has made you worthy of the suffering and persecution, 284 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,360 persecution on his behalf, just as the disciples did. 285 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:48,560 But the key is this. The key is being persecuted for 286 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:52,960 Christ and not your own foolishness and your fault and 287 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,480 evil. No Saint Peter makes mention of 288 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:02,680 this in his first epistle, chapter 2 verse 21 Peter 220 And 289 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:08,880 he writes, what praise have they who endure suffering because of 290 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,599 their fault? But when you do good and are 291 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:18,599 made to suffer and you take it patiently, then your glory is 292 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:24,240 greater with God. Don't complain about receiving a 293 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:32,120 traffic fine of 304 hundred $500 because you are driving 20 or 30 294 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:37,160 miles above the speed limit that that's a felony in some States 295 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,560 and I know that. Don't, don't complain. 296 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,080 It's your fault. That's it. 297 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,720 Oh, you know the police officer, you know, we go off all these 298 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,160 what happened? What happened? 299 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,400 He gave me a fine wire. I was driving 100. 300 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,720 What was the speed limit, 70? Oh, there you go. 301 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:56,040 It's your fault, right? But when you are driving speed 302 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,800 limit and you have evidence and you know, the officers try maybe 303 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,640 had a bad day and wants to get you, you know, some of them say 304 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,160 this, I go fishing and the first person I catch, that's my catch, 305 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,120 right? I've heard this from the mouth 306 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,240 of police officers. God bless them, God help them. 307 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,000 And I make a habit, do this. Make a habit when there's a 308 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,040 police officer next to you, forget the politics, forget the 309 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,240 politics, Christianity, roll down your window and say, 310 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,360 officer, I pray for you. I thank you for your service. 311 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:25,000 May the Angel of the Lord protect you. 312 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,960 Maybe if that police officer is a corrupt officer. 313 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,520 And yeah, there are many corrupt officers. 314 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,280 Just like there are corrupt clergy, just like there are 315 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:37,080 corrupt clergy, there are corrupt police officers that may 316 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,400 touch the police officers heart. Oh, you're talking, you know, 317 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,920 this is there's non realistic. Oh, with Christ there's 318 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,720 realistic and non realistic. No, no, with Christ there is. 319 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,160 Period. So don't complain when we are 320 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,800 persecuted because it's my own fault because of my own 321 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,040 foolishness. No, pray to the Lord that he 322 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,040 will bring you to repentance so that you don't take yourself 323 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,280 into that same dilemma. You don't walk yourself into 324 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:08,760 that same scenario, but we're not when it is not your fault 325 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,400 being persecuted for your faith. Oh, how Christians are being 326 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,720 persecuted for faith. How are how we are being 327 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,040 persecuted because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 328 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:26,640 And as I mentioned, you preach in London, London, Stan, you 329 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,080 preach Jesus Christ, you get taken to jail. 330 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:34,000 You stand there and preach Islam, you can't speak. 331 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,240 And this is evident. It's evident, right? 332 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:39,960 Because Christianity is being attacked. 333 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,520 Christianity is under attack. But this is the foolishness, 334 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:48,400 beloved, this is the foolishness that those who are attacking 335 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,800 Christianity are attacking Jesus Christ. 336 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:57,800 They're kicking against the pricks, The twigs, right? 337 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,160 The thorns? They're gonna come out second 338 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,160 best. Unless the Lord wants to use 339 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,600 that to change the heart and bring him back. 340 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:11,240 One Peter 220 But what honor is there to those who endure 341 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,840 suffering because of their foolishness? 342 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:20,240 But when you do what is good and they afflict you and you endure, 343 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:25,920 not complain, endure, then it magnifies your honor with God. 344 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,160 So even you know there's two faults you're enduring or you're 345 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,120 going through persecution for Jesus Christ and you still want 346 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:35,760 sympathy from people. Oh, it's OK. 347 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:37,920 Oh my, you know that's not right. 348 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,560 That shouldn't happen. Great, there's your reward. 349 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,720 But if you endure and you brush it off and say no, no, no, glory 350 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,400 be to Christ. This is only his grace. 351 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:52,200 He's making me worthy to be seen as being suffering or being 352 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,960 persecuted for Jesus Christ. Then your honor, honor guys, 353 00:20:55,960 --> 00:21:02,960 honor, honor Ikara, like, you know, Christ teaches us and the 354 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:07,080 scriptures teaches us to, to honor our parents, honor our 355 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,160 mother and father. How, how great is that? 356 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,840 What a, what a, what a precious gift for parents when their 357 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,880 children honor them. Well, what about when God honors 358 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,240 you? Because those children don't 359 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:25,040 honor sometimes they disrespect, but God's honor is true. 360 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,600 So if we endure, we will be honored by God. 361 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,680 And we are also told that the prisoners were listening to them 362 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,680 a form of testimony about the zeal we should have for Jesus 363 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:45,720 Christ to go to any lengths for him, even in suffering. 364 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:51,280 Using it as a as a as a opportunity to show the love of 365 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:56,920 Christ to show how we stand firm and trust and persevere the 366 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:00,360 promises of Jesus Christ when he says, if you humble yourself, I 367 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:05,200 will exalt you. They didn't merely whisper in 368 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,840 hush, but they must have been crying out aloud. 369 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:18,000 Again, in Psalm 142, verse 2, it proclaims that I call the Lord 370 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,000 with with. I call the Lord with my voice. 371 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:27,560 And in my voice I supplicated the Lord crying out. 372 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:33,800 And according to Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15, this is a form of 373 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,400 a sacrifice of the fruits of the lips. 374 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,440 You have the priesthood of the sacraments of the of the 375 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,080 mysteries. You have the priesthood of the 376 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:46,920 altar and of the Holy of holies, which wasn't abolished. 377 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,560 Show me in the Bible where Jesus says I've abolished. 378 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,000 No, you can't. Don't, don't even listen. 379 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:52,840 Let me. No, no, no, I'm sorry. 380 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,840 I'm going to, I'm going to waste your time by asking you to show 381 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,720 me. No, no, no, it's not abolished. 382 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,320 It's not, it's not physical anymore. 383 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,680 It's not of the flesh. It's now of the spirit because 384 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,400 Jesus said I did not come to abolish. 385 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:07,840 So don't, don't, don't waste your time. 386 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,600 I apologize, Perhalta, I sincerely apologize for trying 387 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,240 to waste your time to ask you to go and find in the scriptures 388 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,160 where Jesus has abolished the law. 389 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,360 No, don't, it's not. You won't find it. 390 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,560 You want to do it on your own accord, fine, God bless you. 391 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,040 And if you do find it, come back and and call me or message me, 392 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:30,360 right? So you have the priesthood of 393 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:33,120 the altar, priesthood of the mysteries of the sacraments, and 394 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:36,520 you have the priesthood of the faithful, which is you, you 395 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,640 know, when you stand in church and some people have a habit of 396 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:44,640 singing with the priest, don't you're not permitted to sing 397 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,040 with the priest. You can't sit there saying the 398 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,200 grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's not for you to say, 399 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,960 that's for the priest. It's specific list says in 400 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:59,240 order, Our God being a God of order, a taksa, we frown upon 401 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,600 taksa liturgy or it's order. The priest begins. 402 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,040 The Deacon replies. They all reply. 403 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:10,720 The faithful reply. So when the Deacon says lift up 404 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:18,840 your voice, all you people, and glorify the living God, If 405 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:24,560 you're in the Syrian liturgy, you'll say Kadisha Allaha in 406 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:29,440 TuneIn rhythm too, by the way, right, to make it nice, Kadisha 407 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,240 Cortana. Or if you're in the English 408 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:40,080 liturgy, you'll say Holy God, holy, mighty, holy, immortal, 409 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,720 have mercy on us. That is the sacrifice of the 410 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,720 fruits of the lips. You don't sing along with the 411 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:54,240 deacons when the priest says I'm going to translate in English 412 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,280 and the Shamashi says you don't stand there. 413 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:05,600 No, no, because it says the deacons offer that sacrifice or 414 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,680 that reply and the deacons are the mouth of the people in 415 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,040 English when the priest says bless all my Lord, bless all my 416 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,000 Lord, bless all my Lord, my brethren. 417 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,600 You know there could be 1 Deacon, but he says my brethren, 418 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:21,520 meaning everyone but the people in their hearts, yes, they can 419 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,840 praise and offer that reply, right? 420 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:29,720 May Christ hear your prayers, may Christ accept your oblation, 421 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,360 what have you right. And this is scriptural, beloved. 422 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,520 It was a sacrifice of the fruit of the lips, Saint Paul writes 423 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,000 in Hebrews 1315, and through him that is Jesus Christ. 424 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:45,080 Let us offer sacrifices of praise always to God, which is 425 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,880 the fruit of the lips, giving thanks to his name always, by 426 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,520 the way, not only during church, always praise your name, Lord 427 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,800 Jesus Christ, Adisha, Allah, always, Lord Jesus Christ, glory 428 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,600 be to your name. And this is all in line with 429 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,560 what Christ commanded in Luke chapter 12, verse 3. 430 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,960 For everything that you will say in darkness shall be heard in 431 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,320 the light. And whatever you whisper in an 432 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:16,120 ear, Bach Bachhta in an inner chamber, chamber, you know 433 00:26:16,120 --> 00:26:19,720 secretly will be preached on the rooftops. 434 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,320 So when you're persecuted and slandered for righteousness, 435 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,760 when you're suffering under pressure for righteousness, for 436 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,960 truth, do the opposite of what the master of the girl who was 437 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:37,720 demon possessed, do the opposite of the magistrates finding 438 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:42,600 right, do the opposite. Don't show evil, No, no, no, 439 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:47,760 don't repay evil with evil, but rather sing praise. 440 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,640 Why? Because you have most probably 441 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:57,200 and assuredly exposed evil, lies, heresies, blasphemies, and 442 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,960 conquered them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and 443 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,920 of the Holy Spirit, one God and forever. 444 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:33,440 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 445 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,760 message. Please don't forget to rate and 446 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,000 review this podcast and share with your friends and family for 447 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:39,440 any future.