1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,120 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,840 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,720 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,480 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,480 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,560 Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,040 obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,320 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,480 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,320 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,680 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,400 and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen. 13 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,440 Received the peace of our Lord beloved we are reading and 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,760 studying and examining the book of Acts Acts of the Apostles 15 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,200 chapter 12. We left that verse 19 a little 16 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,520 background. We were last episode we we read 17 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:24,720 that Simon Peter Simon the rock who was imprisoned by Herod was 18 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,640 released, not escaped, but he was released by an Angel and he 19 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:35,360 goes home and tell shows himself to the family and instructs them 20 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:42,080 to tell James and the brothers because the apostles had to be 21 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,240 all in line with the the information knowing of each 22 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,120 other's whereabouts and what's happening what the Lord is doing 23 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,720 just like today. You know, we have the different 24 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,560 diocese and the diocese communicate. 25 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:58,040 We received congratulatory letters and, you know, 26 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:03,200 condolences when, when we are in trouble or something happens, we 27 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,280 receive those encouraging words, the prayers and what have you. 28 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,720 So we're connected to one another through Christ, praise 29 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,280 and glory be to his name. And then we read that Herod 30 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,760 feels that he's being mocked in some way and orders the 31 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,800 execution of the of the soldiers. 32 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,400 And we we ascertained that just as his grandfather who felt that 33 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,280 he was mocked by the Wiseman in Matthew 216 when he wanted to 34 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,280 seek Jesus to kill him, but he said to the wise men, go and 35 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,040 find him. I want to come and worship him. 36 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,440 But they knew the Angel told them that no, no, this man is 37 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,400 deceiving you. He doesn't want to worship. 38 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,080 He wants war. He wants to kill the king of 39 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,040 kings. He wants to kick against the 40 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,360 thistles. So he orders the the execution 41 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:03,520 of the the the soldiers. Let's continue verse 20 and we 42 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:08,040 read and we'll take it verse by verse and and see what we've 43 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,880 learned from these verses, but most importantly, how we can 44 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,320 effect and apply it in our lives. 45 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,920 We're going to learn a lesson today about vain glory when you 46 00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:27,000 busk in people's glorification of you, when you box busk in 47 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:32,400 people's glorification on you of you and you don't then direct 48 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,440 that glory to God. So let's read keeping in mind 49 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,920 that this church these people were in, there was a famine, 50 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,080 there was a a drought and there was a famine. 51 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,960 OK, so they're probably, you know, suffering because of the 52 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,240 famine. Verse 20 Herod was angry with 53 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:54,960 the people of Tyre and Sidon. That's where the famine was. 54 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,200 But they assembled together and came to him and they appealed to 55 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:07,000 Blasters, the King's Chamberlain, and asked him that 56 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,160 they might have peace because their country was depend 57 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,160 dependent upon the Kingdom of Herod for food supplies. 58 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,920 So there's a there's a famine and they're starving. 59 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,920 You know, it's like, let's go and make peace with this person 60 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,720 because we'll die otherwise. You know, sometimes isn't 61 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:29,200 imagine it's amazing that sometimes peace comes along 62 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:35,440 after severity of circumstances. Sometimes it takes severity to 63 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,640 make peace, you know, during death. 64 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:46,200 So two brothers are not on talking talking terms and there 65 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,960 is a death in the family. God forbid there is a death in 66 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,600 the family and after the death has occurred, the two brothers 67 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,480 make peace. Why wait until that period? 68 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:04,160 Why wait until that point? Or a sister and a brother or, 69 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,240 you know, family members are not on talking terms. 70 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,880 They, they totally ignore one another and you know, they don't 71 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,800 want to see each other. But when they hear there is a 72 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,200 beloved family member that is hospitalized and it's critical, 73 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,360 it's terminal. And then they pretend the, you 74 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,800 know, they, they visit the, the patient in the hospital and they 75 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,800 start weeping. Why did it take this severity to 76 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,200 make peace? Why don't we live peacefully on 77 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,920 earth? You know, we the children of God 78 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,040 are called to peace, beloved. And which peace? 79 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,880 The peace that Jesus brought, the genuine peace. 80 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,160 John 1427 Peace, I give you my peace. 81 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,640 I give you not as the world gives, but the way, My peace I'm 82 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,960 giving you, the peace that I made, the reconciliation between 83 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:58,440 you and my Father, eternal peace, the peace that is not 84 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,760 flattering. No, I give you peace, but 85 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,040 there's times through my commandments you'll think to 86 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,760 yourself, well, this is not so peaceful, this is suffering. 87 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:13,440 But hey, we still take peace and comfort even in our suffering 88 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,560 because we know that Christ did not fool us. 89 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:21,920 Christ told us that suffering will always be there for the 90 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,320 taking, available for the Christians, those who believe in 91 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,200 Him. In Romans chapter 12, verses 17 92 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:34,200 to 18, Saint Paul writes to the Christians, to the believers, to 93 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,080 those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, accepted Him as 94 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,760 their Lord, were baptized in the name of the Father and of the 95 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,080 Son and of the Holy Spirit, and were adopted as children by God. 96 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,040 This is what Saint Paul writes in Romans chapter 12, verses 17 97 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,440 to 18. Recompense to no man evil. 98 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:57,760 Don't pay anyone evil for evil, but be diligent to do good 99 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:02,800 things before the presence of all men if it be possible. 100 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:09,560 As much as lies on you, as much as is from your behalf on your 101 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:14,080 end. Live peacefully with all men. 102 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:19,360 Be at peace with everyone. So these people made wanted to 103 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,680 make peace with Herod because times were tough. 104 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,080 The severity of the famine caused them to make peace. 105 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,440 Well, you know, let's let's give them the benefit of them and 106 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:30,560 say, well, at least they're trying to make peace, right? 107 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:35,600 But I wonder what's going to happen to this flattering peace. 108 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,960 You know, there was an intent behind this and look at what it 109 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:49,760 does to Herod. Verse 21, upon the set day, 110 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,960 Herod arrayed in royal apparel, set upon the throne and 111 00:07:54,960 --> 00:08:00,760 addressed the assembly. So he's how he say he's in his 112 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,880 royal clothes, he sits on the throne and he starts speaking to 113 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:09,240 these people. Well, that's a good thing for 114 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,960 him. But they say all good things 115 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,800 must come to an end, right? Well, no, actually, no, I don't. 116 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,200 I don't subscribe to that because good extends to 117 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,840 eternity, which is God, our good and merciful God. 118 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,680 Again, let's take a face value. All things must come to an end. 119 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,560 If all good things must come to an end, how much more evil 120 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,360 things will come to an end, beloved? 121 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:42,000 Hence, in Psalms 37 verse one, we read Fret not because of evil 122 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,120 doers, neither be envious of the workers of inequity. 123 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:51,960 Those people who strive and succeed in evil through evil 124 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:59,280 don't don't envy them. Don't envy a person, a family 125 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:03,600 member, a relative, a friend, a BFF, whoever it is. 126 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:08,640 Don't envy a person who succeeds in life through evil. 127 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,920 Because if all good things come to an end, the evil will 128 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:20,240 definitely come to an end. Beloved verse 22 upon the upon 129 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,280 the set, sorry. And all the people shouted. 130 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,360 Now he's sitting on his throne. Look at what the people are 131 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:29,040 shouting. This sounds like the voice. 132 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,480 These people are hypocrites. They're flattering. 133 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,840 They're Mahaya Mishra in Assyrian right? 134 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,200 This we talking, they're kissing his hand, right? 135 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,560 And all the people shouted saying this sounds like the 136 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:46,960 voice of God speaking and not that of a man. 137 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,680 You know, when we need something, something sometimes 138 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,200 when we are in desperate need dire straits, we too start 139 00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:00,160 flattering to a point where we begin to call evil good. 140 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:01,600 This is what these people are doing. 141 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,880 But the Scriptures teachers totally contrary to that beloved 142 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,280 Proverbs chapter 29, verse 5, a man that is duplicitous, that is 143 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,600 flattering, deceitful with his neighbour, spreads a net for his 144 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,160 steps. There's a danger someone who 145 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:23,400 flatters you, someone who calls your evil good, is spreading a 146 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,760 net before your feet, and you will fall into that and you will 147 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:28,680 be captured and you'll be ensnared. 148 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:34,200 Proverbs chapter 28 verse 23. He that rebukes a man finds more 149 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,920 favor than he that is duplicitous with his tongue. 150 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:45,920 When someone who rebukes, corrects, admonishes another 151 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:51,000 person's evil, that person will find more favor eventually. 152 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,280 Because when that person then repents from the evil, when that 153 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,600 person turns away from his ways that are taking him to the 154 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,160 perdition of sin, then that person will have more favor than 155 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:09,240 one who allows his brother, his friend, his best friend to 156 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,000 continue in evil and then to die in that evil. 157 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,400 Beloved. And this is what these people 158 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,680 did to Herod, but he didn't see this. 159 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:25,000 Now let's read what happens to Herod beloved, verse 23. 160 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,720 And because he did not give the glory to God, you know, when 161 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,440 people say, oh, you know, you did a great job, you say, oh, 162 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,320 glory to God, glory be to God. That is absolutely right. 163 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,560 But not only lift service, we're going to see how we can really 164 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,320 genuinely glorify God. So he didn't give glory to God. 165 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:45,880 In that very hour, an Angel of the Lord smote him and he was 166 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:52,440 eaten by diseases and died. Wow, that's pretty severe. 167 00:11:54,960 --> 00:12:00,000 Alarming, right? But Saint John Chrysostom's 168 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,480 writes something quite interesting and encouraging. 169 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,400 Herod's death, he writes, is a confirmation of Christ's 170 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,720 divinity. Side note, he writes, if this 171 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:17,160 man, because he heard himself called the voice of a God and 172 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:21,280 not of man, he only heard suffered such a fate, Even 173 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,560 though he said nothing, even though he said nothing, the 174 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:29,680 Angel smote him. How much more would Christ have 175 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:36,040 suffered where? Where he was always saying 176 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,200 things like the words of mine are not mine, but my father's, 177 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:45,280 the angels will minister to me. John 1410 John 1836. 178 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:49,880 He says My Kingdom is not of this world, my Kingdom is not of 179 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,160 this world. My Kingdom is in heaven Kingdom. 180 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,840 Where there is a Kingdom there is a king. 181 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:02,560 Kingdom means the domain of a king, the dominion of a king. 182 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:09,040 And in sub chapter 10 verse 16 we read the Lord God is king to 183 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,880 the eternity of eternities. God of the Old Testament has 184 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:20,000 been said to be only the king to the eternity of eternities. 185 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:28,120 So if Christ, then truly God, you know, cleanse me, oh Lord, 186 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:33,800 if God, if Christ was not divine and was not God would not have 187 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:39,920 the would not the Angel have then done exactly the same as he 188 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,560 did to Herod? So he is God, praise and glory 189 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:44,440 to his name. He had every right to claim that 190 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:49,320 he is the King and that he's Kingdom is not of this world. 191 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,880 So Herod was told, we are told that hair was struck down 192 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,640 because he did not give glory to God. 193 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:01,880 Again, that's alarming, beloved. So the question is, how do we 194 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,640 give glory to God? How do we glorify God? 195 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,120 Well, Jesus gives us an example. He gives us the hint. 196 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,960 Matthew 516 Thus your light will shine before men. 197 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:21,400 Thus your light will mesmerize, amaze, blow their minds of men, 198 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,920 that they may see your good works isn't amazing. 199 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,480 Jesus doesn't say. Thus your light will shine 200 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:33,480 before the man, that they may see your faith alone. 201 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,240 No, no, no, that they may see your good works and may glorify 202 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,840 your Father in heaven. So just faith, according to this 203 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:48,480 Scripture, will not give that glory to God in heaven. 204 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,760 So now we're getting a picture of all right. 205 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:55,840 So if I want to glorify God, I don't just simply accept Him as 206 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:00,040 my Lord and Savior in my heart, and then I have eternal life and 207 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:01,760 there is nothing else I need to do. 208 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,360 No, then I need to continue in that faith and produce good 209 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:13,400 deeds in order for people to glorify God, My Father who is in 210 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:18,800 heaven. Question, why was Herod only 211 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,720 struck down? Well, the Angel punishes the one 212 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,920 who had most to answer. He was the one being glorified 213 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,240 and he became an example and others believed. 214 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,640 Let's continue reading. But the Gospel of God continued 215 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,440 to be preached and it reached many. 216 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:46,560 Wow, one man's gain loss is another man's gain, right? 217 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:52,200 One man's punishment is another man's salvation. 218 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:57,760 One man's punishment is another man's delivery or deliverance. 219 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:06,120 So sometimes when God uses us as examples, truly they become 220 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:11,480 examples for those who are like us but don't see the danger that 221 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,920 we are in. So God will use you to show the 222 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,080 rest of the world just as He used Herod. 223 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,960 Today we are reading this 2024 years give and take. 224 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:29,160 We're reading that God punished him, but others then believed 225 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,520 and the gospel continued to be spread. 226 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,320 So let's go back again. What does it mean to glorify 227 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:37,520 God? Beloved, first and foremost, we 228 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,920 must know and understand, please. 229 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:48,880 No human being on the face of the earth has, is, nor can 230 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:54,040 hinder God's glory in any way, shape or form. 231 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,920 We cannot increase nor decrease His glory, period. 232 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,520 So what does it mean that we glorify God in our lives, in our 233 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:10,240 hearts, in our minds? When I glorify God, when I 234 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:16,640 proclaim glory be to God, that does God's glory increase? 235 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,839 Is there a, a thermometer, there is a gauge where God's glory is 236 00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:27,200 increasing? No, no, beloved, glorifying God 237 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:32,800 entails giving praise, honor, and admiration to Him. 238 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:39,480 When we do, we must do it by our words, deeds, and actions. 239 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,720 That's how we glorify our God. A few steps, beloved, at all 240 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,680 times, remember that God is not in need of the service of His 241 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,760 creation. Act 172425. 242 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,240 You know, sometimes we when we do something, it's like, yeah, 243 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:01,000 God owes me because I did this. God doesn't need you to do it. 244 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,760 You need to do it, beloved. It is for your own benefit, for 245 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,680 your spiritual growth, for your continued relationship with God, 246 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:15,760 for your best interest to share in God's life. 247 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:22,040 Acts 172425 For the God who made the world and everything 248 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:27,080 whatsoever is in it, and is the Lord of the heavens and of the 249 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:32,120 earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, and he is not 250 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:36,720 served by the hands of man, and he has no need of anything, 251 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,160 because He gives every person life and a soul. 252 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,240 There it is. God doesn't need us to glorify 253 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:51,800 Him, but we glorify Him so that we share in His glory as well. 254 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,560 Someone asked me once, how do we bless the Lord? 255 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:58,440 What do I stand before the altar and say God bless you? 256 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:03,480 Who's going to bless God? You know in in some faiths it is 257 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,720 said that God prayed on someone. Who does God pray to? 258 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,760 Is there another God? No, there is only one God, one 259 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:19,840 God the Father Almighty, right? So if God prays, God prays, who 260 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,360 does he pray to? Well, off the bat, there's a 261 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:29,640 flaw in that that statement. So on us, how do we bless the 262 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:32,080 Lord or how do we hallow his name? 263 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,480 See it is not so much that we bless the Lord or hallow His 264 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:42,760 name beloved, but more so we surrender to the truth that He 265 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:49,160 is the source of our blessings and His name is so hallowed and 266 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:54,200 sanctified in our souls, hearts, minds and strengths. 267 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,560 Now you may say, how do I prove that? 268 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,560 And that should be beloved at all times, and at all times we 269 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,960 should be obeying and surrendering to His will. 270 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:10,760 And if called, we are to at all times be prepared to leave. 271 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,400 All and follow him if we are called. 272 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:22,760 You may be asking again, but how does that then portray or 273 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:29,280 confirm my glory to God? Well, before you answer that, 274 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:36,320 remember beloved, to be a Christian is to be a Christ, 275 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,720 just as the Christ Jesus Christ praise between his name. 276 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:48,440 This entails avoiding vain glory and ascribing to God alone all 277 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:55,040 that we do and say. Ascribing glory to God alone in 278 00:20:55,040 --> 00:21:00,120 all that we do and say. Christmas is approaching. 279 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:07,000 How can we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world who 280 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,400 redeemed us from death and sin, when we are willingly and 281 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,200 joyfully living in sin? How how can we attend the church 282 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:21,280 services when we are joyfully, willingly, no conviction 283 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,640 whatsoever, living in immorality and sin? 284 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,240 How can we come and celebrate the birth of the Saviour? 285 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,160 What did he save you from? From sin, from death. 286 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,480 But we're in sin. You know, it's best not to come 287 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,320 because that hypocrisy. You want to be glorified by a 288 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:40,480 man that you're a church, but then God's not being glorified. 289 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:47,240 Actually, how can we give glory to God for his Christ when our 290 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:53,040 light is so darkened, causing our deeds to be evil, yet 291 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:58,880 expecting people to glorify God? So we want people to call our 292 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,120 evil good so that God is glorified. 293 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:07,080 That's blasphemy. We are being a tool for the 294 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,120 blasphemy of God's name. Let it not be hasti Amaria 295 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:14,720 Allah. So how do we beloved? 296 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:21,160 How do we glorify God in our words, deeds and actions? 297 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:27,280 When God is sanctified in my heart, in my soul, in my mind, I 298 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,240 will live according to God. I will live. 299 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:35,040 I will walk the path of God. I will live the commandments of 300 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,280 God. I will not call evil, not 301 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,600 justify my evil because there's legislations. 302 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,440 No, no, no, I will not justify my evil. 303 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:49,960 No, I will repent from evil if I want to glorify God. 304 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,960 I will not call my friends evil good. 305 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:57,320 No, I will actually admonish, because a man who admonishes his 306 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:03,240 brother finds favor. Let's not be flattered by the 307 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,800 Vainglory people ascribed to us by calling our evil good. 308 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:14,240 Beloved, the Angel of the Lord may be sent to give us a severe 309 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:19,920 awakening. Let us always ascribe glory to 310 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:24,960 the Lord of glory, and offer Thanksgiving for gracing us with 311 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:29,240 the blessing of being vessels of glory to His name. 312 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:34,840 Let us at all times sing aloud confessing that God is holy, 313 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,360 holy, holy is our Father in heaven. 314 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,160 Heaven and earth are full of the greatness of His glory. 315 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,800 Angels and men cry to him, holy, holy, holy. 316 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:51,640 And how do we then portray that? How do we genuinely show that we 317 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,800 are glorifying our God? We live God's holiness in our 318 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,160 lives because we have been called to holiness. 319 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,320 Beloved, it's a sacrament. It's a sacrament. 320 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:08,160 You believe in God, you glorify God, You want to glorify God. 321 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,880 OK, so how is it seen? Where's the practicality of the 322 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,360 glory of God that you are ascribing is when you act upon 323 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:20,440 it? Hence, let your light shine so 324 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,960 that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in 325 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,400 heaven. You work good deeds, Don't 326 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:32,000 expect and receive and wait for wait Vainglory. 327 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:36,800 That way you are glorifying God. Then the people will who see you 328 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:43,160 will surely say glory be to God because this man is a man of 329 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:45,960 God. That's what they said when the 330 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:48,800 soldier said when there was a Thunder and there was darkness, 331 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:53,360 when Jesus was crucified. This man truly was the man of 332 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,000 God. Or does he say the Son of God 333 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,600 actually? So beloved, let us not be hear 334 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:06,240 it every time we received and and 9.9 out of 10 times. 335 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:11,800 When men glorify you, doesn't take so much long to feel the 336 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,840 the knife stab in your back. It's vain glory. 337 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:22,360 When men glorify you, you return that glory to God and say we are 338 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:25,880 truly unworthy servants. This is what Herod should have 339 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,640 done. Herod should have said, no, I am 340 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:30,520 not God. I'm a servant of God. 341 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,640 But back then, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. 342 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,520 He didn't know all this. There was no podcast messages 343 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:38,480 and preaching about the glory of God. 344 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,320 But we have that. And at all times we should give 345 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,120 thanks. At all times we should praise 346 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,240 the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit 347 00:25:47,240 --> 00:26:15,360 forever. We hope you. 348 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:18,600 Enjoyed this week's message? Please don't forget to rate and 349 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,360 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 350 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,080 For any future topic suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, 351 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:27,640 please visit our link in the show notes. 352 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:32,320 Linktr dot EE forward slash double edged sword. 353 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:34,560 Until next time, God bless you all.