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 --> 00:00:04,440 Spirit forever. Amen. 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,200 Glory be to the everlasting mercies which sent you to us, O 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,880 Christ, the light of the world and the life of all. 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,040 Give us wisdom. By your law and enlighten our 6 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,280 impulses. By your knowledge, sanctify our 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,400 souls by your truth, and grant that we may be obedient to your 8 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,800 words and may fulfil your commandments at every hour. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,920 O you. Who enlightens the rationale 10 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,960 with the knowledge of your greatness? 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,520 Do enlight, O my Lord, our thoughts that we may meditate 12 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,560 upon your holy and divine scriptures at all times, O Lord. 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,840 Of all. Father and Son and Holy Spirit. 14 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,560 Forever. Amen. 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,040 Happy New Year. Oh, I'm so sorry. 16 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:05,960 I shouldn't have said that. Too loud for those who have a 17 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:08,680 hangover and you're trying to drink your coffee. 18 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,320 And I'm going to speak softly so that I don't irritate your your 19 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:15,920 brains and your minds. But in any case, a happy New 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:23,640 Year to you all, however you celebrated it in the various 21 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:28,480 venues, at home with family and friends as we rang in this New 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:35,880 Year of 2024. And I always recommend and pray 23 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:43,840 that our prayer entering this New Year was Thy will be done. 24 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:52,080 The Lords will be done, and this is a one of my suggested New 25 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,440 Year's resolutions, and that's what we're going to talk about 26 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,440 today. I want to help you find one. 27 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,800 I want to suggest and recommend and encourage you and challenge 28 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:08,360 you actually with this New Year resolution that the Lords will 29 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,800 be done, rosaid Maria Paish to Mama. 30 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:23,720 And first and foremost, working on resigning on the Lord's will, 31 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:30,440 waiting for the Lord's will. Accepting the Lord's will takes 32 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:37,040 a little bit of work, beloved. And the Lord's will is obviously 33 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,720 God's divine plan and purpose for humanity and creation. 34 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,280 Why? Because according to Genesis 1, 35 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:48,280 Genesis chapter one, verse one, in the beginning. 36 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,800 God, did you hear that? I'm going to raise my voice a 37 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,960 little bit for those who don't have a hangover, but in the 38 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:08,960 beginning or in the in the beginning, God, not primordial 39 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:17,280 soup, not blend of gases, not a broth of organic molecules, not 40 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,520 amino acids, etcetera. God. 41 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:25,160 And I think those who've read up on evolution know what I was 42 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,240 talking about. God praises praise and glory be 43 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,560 to his name. But how do you resign to God's 44 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:38,400 will if you are not aware of it? Many people ask, what's God's 45 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,200 will for me, Robbie? How do I know what is God's will 46 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,480 and what is from God? What is not from God? 47 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,080 That's gonna be another episode actually. 48 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,680 But how do we determine? How do you determine? 49 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,120 How do you discern? How do you distinguish the will 50 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,920 of God? How do we begin to do this to 51 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,880 try to understand and distinguish the will of God? 52 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:06,040 Well, let me tell you off the bat, we will never, ever 53 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:11,440 understand completely in its fullness, the will of God, the 54 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,400 plans of God, the works of God. Why? 55 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,519 Because our minds are limited. They are limited by IQ measures, 56 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:22,920 right? Our minds are limited. 57 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:29,440 And we cannot limit God. We cannot limit an unlimited 58 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,720 God. We cannot claim that we know 59 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,760 exactly and completely, because then we have limited God to our 60 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,680 own understanding. But we can try to have an 61 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,080 understanding through prayer and according to God's revelation to 62 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,720 us what God grants us to understand and to do this. 63 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,400 Excuse me, I'm coming. I'm coming off the flu. 64 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,720 Just a few a week ago, so bear with me. 65 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,000 I'm going, I'm going to be coughing and and clearing my 66 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,480 throat. Excuse me, and what better time 67 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,920 than the new year when we make resolutions. 68 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,600 And you know, it's unfortunate and a little bit sad that our 69 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,560 resolutions are always tailored to our looks. 70 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,720 I'm going to lose weight. I'm going to get my health back 71 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,600 in order. I'm going to get my friendship 72 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,400 back in order, what have you. I think sometimes we leave the 73 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,880 relationship between God and ourselves to last. 74 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,800 But what better time than now When you get over your hangover, 75 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,200 when you've had your coffee, when we have completed listening 76 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,520 to this episode, don't just switch off your phone or your 77 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:49,720 radio or no what Radio your you know, your laptop, your phone 78 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,880 and then just start conversing with other people about how 79 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,120 great the New Year's Eve party was. 80 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,280 No. Spend at least 5 to 10 minutes 81 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,280 and ponder on what we're going to speak about Beloved. 82 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:09,240 Because now is the time to make these serious or this serious 83 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:14,800 genuine, live effecting resolution where everything is 84 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,520 basically going to be reset, renewed, renovated. 85 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,920 Now let's start off with what Saint Paul writes in Romans 86 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,600 chapter 12 verse two. And here is the key. 87 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,920 Here's the answer on how do I find out what is God's will? 88 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:35,200 Well, be transformed. Romans chapter 12, verse two Be 89 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,880 transformed by the renovation or the renewal of your minds, and 90 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,440 I'll add the word then. And then you shall distinguish 91 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:50,600 what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. 92 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:57,720 So let's begin this year with a renovation process, a renewing 93 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,480 process of our minds, thoughts, deeds and actions. 94 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,200 What does that mean? Now, when you renew or when you 95 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,080 renovate, first and foremost you examine what needs to be 96 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,640 replaced, what needs to be changed, what needs to be torn 97 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,840 down. Let's begin to examine our 98 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:19,440 lifestyle, our habits, our outlook on life, that is the 99 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:25,400 world, while keeping in mind always that there are two 100 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:31,680 worlds, There are two worlds. There is now and then this and 101 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,480 another. There is here and there, and 102 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,960 also that Each of these worlds, each each of these lives or 103 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:45,080 ages, has its own form, has its own pattern, has its own 104 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:51,440 formula, has its own style to which we in one way or another 105 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,720 conform to, We settle into or go with the flow. 106 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,120 And what I'm talking about is this present life and the 107 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:07,520 tangible season, seeable, desirable things which are in 108 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:13,840 it, and also the eternal life to come and the unseeable, 109 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:20,560 intangible things that are reserved in it and in relations 110 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,960 to both of these worlds. Saint Paul writes in the Second 111 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,680 Epistle to Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 18. 112 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,800 For we do not rejoice. Take heed to what he's saying. 113 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:37,679 We do not rejoice in those things that are seen, but in 114 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:43,960 these things that are unseen. We rejoice because things seen 115 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:50,200 are time related, but those things that are unseen are 116 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:55,000 eternal. Now here, since Saint Paul is 117 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,720 instructing that we are to transform, to renew our minds, 118 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:04,960 we are hinted that one of these two worlds is getting old, is 119 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:10,160 getting rugged. It's being damaged, is heading 120 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:16,440 for destruction, wickedness. And for this reason, we should 121 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:21,400 focus and conform to the virtues, the benefits of the 122 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:27,480 other, which is eternal. Putting it simply, what this 123 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,520 present world has to offer is more wickedness than good, 124 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:37,400 beloved, more destruction than construction, more heartbreak 125 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:41,520 than healing, more bad than good. 126 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:47,320 What this present world has to offer, understand and be assured 127 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:52,920 to know that it is most definitely passing away. 128 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,840 It will pass away. And Saint Peter writes in his 129 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,280 second Epistle, chapter 3 verses 11 to 13. 130 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:06,160 As therefore all these things are to be destroyed, it is right 131 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:10,640 for you to be in your way of life as those who are holy and 132 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,880 in the worship of God, while you expect and eagerly desire the 133 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:21,080 coming of the day of God in which the heavens being tested 134 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:26,640 by fire, the heavens, Shmaia, shall be dissolved and the 135 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:33,480 elements set on fire shall melt. But according to His promise, we 136 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,280 look for the new heavens and the new earth in which dwells 137 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,800 righteousness. That's why I love and I 138 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:47,240 sometimes chant my brother Fernando Ortega's Christian 139 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:52,400 song, You can have all this world. 140 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:54,640 Oh my, that was bad. That was a flat night, wasn't 141 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,880 it, Stephen? Well, you have to sympathize 142 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:02,080 with me. I have a flu, but give me Jesus. 143 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:07,240 There you go. Now going back to what Paul was 144 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:12,520 saying, beloved, that those things that are, we can see are 145 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:15,600 limited. We covered this, remember in one 146 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:20,880 of those episodes we spoke about this that the happiness, the 147 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,840 happiness, not the joy, the happiness this world has to 148 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:29,640 offer, is circumstantial. It's conditional and temporal, 149 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:36,200 as opposed to the concrete and unconditional joy the eternal 150 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:41,920 world has waiting for those who have lived a pious life with the 151 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:47,720 Lord Jesus Christ and have tried their utmost best and continue 152 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:52,000 to toil, to suffer, to go through challenges of life, to 153 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,880 appease God for the day of salvation. 154 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:01,840 So this year, Beloved, let us change our view of this temporal 155 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:07,920 world by renewing not only our minds, but our thoughts, our 156 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,880 words, our deeds, and our actions. 157 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,960 How, you may ask? By the practicing wisdom, which 158 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:22,600 is the fear of the Lord and reflection on the Word of God, 159 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:28,400 being both Jesus Christ, the Word of God and the Holy 160 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:33,200 Scriptures, the written Word of God, and also the spiritual 161 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:39,040 understandings of the laws. The new laws You see, the more 162 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:44,120 we read the Scriptures daily. And you know, yes, we have our 163 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,720 apps and we get all these daily devotionals, verses and with a 164 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,360 little commentary. No, no, no, actually, tangibly. 165 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:58,120 You know, I like tangibly reading the scriptures, opening 166 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,440 the Bible, not on your apps and on your phones. 167 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,280 Because while you're reading your holy scriptures, bang, you 168 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,080 receive a message. And then there's a disruption 169 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,480 and you see, you see an advertisement. 170 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,840 There's another disruption, and evil will start working to 171 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,880 devour your time that you're spending on the scriptures. 172 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:22,320 No, no, no, Put away your phone. And I'm not going to recommend I 173 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,400 command. I instruct you to put away your 174 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,960 phones and open your holy scriptures, the book, the actual 175 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,880 tangible pages, books and read. Because you're not going to get 176 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:40,000 any messages there because your phone is put on silent, right? 177 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,720 There's no advertisements for the book of the Bible. 178 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:44,600 You're not going to receive a page that's going to come up and 179 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,920 say, hey, buy these trousers, no, no, no, no. 180 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,480 You're going to actually concentrate on the written 181 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,920 words. The more we read the scriptures 182 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,320 daily and properly, I will add, and the greater our 183 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:05,960 understanding becomes, the more we are renewed, always and every 184 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,720 day. The more our wrongs, our sins, 185 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:15,400 our faults, our transgressions, our foolishness are exposed and 186 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,080 revealed to us. Why? 187 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:24,320 So that we may admit, confess, be forgiven, admit, confess, 188 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,040 repent, be forgiven, be cleansed, and be absolved. 189 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:34,360 Jesus writes this, speaks this in Matthew chapter 2229, his 190 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,760 response to the seduces who didn't believe in the 191 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,920 resurrection, but they try to come and argue with him about 192 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,520 the resurrection. Hypocrites, listen to what he 193 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,400 says. Now let's forget about the 194 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:45,560 seduces. They're gone. 195 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,960 This is you and I. Now you do err. 196 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,640 That means you stumble because you do not understand the 197 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:56,440 scriptures neither the mighty works of God. 198 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:02,240 And again Christ instructs in John chapter 5, verse 39. 199 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:06,880 Search the scriptures, for in them you hope that you have 200 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,760 eternal life and they testify concerning me. 201 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:12,440 You want to know the will of God. 202 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,840 If you want to renew your mind so that you will discern the 203 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,720 will of God, read the Holy Scriptures. 204 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,280 Read it properly again. I command you. 205 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:27,120 I instruct you, Pugdana. I may not be your Paris priest. 206 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,560 You may not be from the Assyrian Church of the East. 207 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:35,360 You may not even be a Christian. But I am still going to command 208 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:40,440 you as a spiritual, as a a servant of God, a spiritual 209 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:47,400 counselor that you commence to properly and everyday, Daily, 210 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,720 read your Bibles properly, open the Bible, put your phones 211 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:56,960 aside. You see, the mind which is 212 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,120 lethargic, sluggish, disconnected toward the Holy 213 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:07,280 Scriptures and the exercise of spiritual knowledge will 214 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,360 experience extreme difficulties. Beloved, if you're not 215 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:16,640 exercising a knowledge of the Spirit, meaning having a 216 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:21,560 relationship with God to understand what God's will is, 217 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,080 what God's commands are, what God's promote promises are, 218 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,840 what's God, what God's warnings are. 219 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:33,040 And when you're disconnected from the Holy Scriptures, I 220 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,360 assure you, and I'm sorry to rain on your parade, If you ever 221 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,200 thought, no, that's OK, no, I'm going to rain on your parade. 222 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,440 I'm going to give you a heart headache now I'm going to scream 223 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,960 a little bit, right? And I'm going to tell you that 224 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:51,480 you will experience extreme difficulties in renewing 225 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:56,120 yourself at all, in knowing the will of God at all. 226 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:01,520 You see, that's why people beloved are mistaking when they 227 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:06,040 claim they know the will of God, when actually they don't. 228 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,119 At no time. Let me tell you this and listen 229 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:18,599 to this, beloved. At no time has God ever accepted 230 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:24,640 compromised, being vague and uncertain when it comes to sin. 231 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,760 At no time He despises He hates sin. 232 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,480 God has never listened carefully. 233 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:39,040 God has never blessed the sin and the Sinner who is engaged in 234 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:44,480 the sin. The only blessings graciously 235 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:50,800 made available and provided in abundance to a Sinner are those 236 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:57,800 of confession, repentance, forgiveness, absolution, and 237 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,920 acceptance into his household, his flock, his church. 238 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:09,000 Today, today, and My mind has not ceased from being baffled 239 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:15,000 and boggled. Beloved, we want to impart God's 240 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:21,800 blessings upon the Sinner who is actively, joyfully, willfully, 241 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:27,640 and without any conviction or hesitation whatsoever, engage in 242 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:33,120 his, in his or her, her sin. We today want to make it OK to 243 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:41,080 impart God's blessing, meaning God is appeased, God is pleased, 244 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,800 God is accepting your sin. You know why, beloved? 245 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,000 Let me tell you. Let me tell you why. 246 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:52,000 Because they claim they know the Holy Scriptures, but they do not 247 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,920 know the Holy Scriptures. They claim, they claim that they 248 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:04,080 can see, but they are blind. Jesus put it simply, Luke 249 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:10,000 chapter 3, verse 13. I say to you, all of you also 250 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:15,280 shall likewise be destroyed, not blessed, not. 251 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:20,360 OK, I'm gonna bless you, but because you want blessing. 252 00:19:20,360 --> 00:19:24,120 No, no, no, no, no, no. No sugarcoat, no wishy washy. 253 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:31,160 No, no, no. All of you also likewise will be 254 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:38,840 destroyed unless you repent came from the life giving precious 255 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,360 mouth of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. 256 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,880 This because they do not know the scriptures, because we don't 257 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,240 know the scriptures, and to renew our minds, our thoughts, 258 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,480 our hearts, so that we know the will of God. 259 00:19:54,480 --> 00:20:00,000 We know the holiness, the truth of God's ways and precepts. 260 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:05,880 We need to begin a life of Scripture reading, beloved, and 261 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,280 this is going to be the resolution, and this resolution 262 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,240 when executed. Consistently, Seriously, 263 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:20,080 wholeheartedly, properly. Then and only then will we be 264 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:25,720 able to distinguish what is the will of God, what is good and 265 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:31,520 acceptable and perfect. Hence we pray Thy will be done. 266 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,440 We don't pray this because we came up with these prayers. 267 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,440 Beloved, this is not a prayer of Lord Jesus. 268 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,800 Come in my heart. Oh, I love you so much, Jesus. 269 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,040 No, no, no. This prayer. 270 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,400 And it's it's so sad. Some Christians who claim, well, 271 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,600 Christians, you know, at times are mocking the Lord's Prayer. 272 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,800 All you do is pray the Lord's Prayer. 273 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,560 You know, let me tell you something, let me tell you 274 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,840 something. If I continue to pray the Lord's 275 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:04,720 prayer until the Lord returns and his will is done in my life, 276 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,280 I will be saved. I will enter the Kingdom of 277 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,120 heaven. I don't need to preach to God in 278 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,160 my prayers. I don't need to tell God what 279 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,440 vertebrate in my back is hurting me so that he can heal me. 280 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,080 No, God knows this, right? And that's why Jesus taught us 281 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,520 this prayer. Thy will be done and when we 282 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,520 want to do the will of God when we first want to know the will 283 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,240 of God, we need to change our mindset. 284 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,240 According to Saint John Chrysostom, this may mean he 285 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:40,040 writes either that we should be renewed in order to learn what 286 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:44,800 is beneficial for us, or that if we learn what is useful for us, 287 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,400 we shall be renewed. Six of one and half a dozen of 288 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,440 the other, as they say. Do you guys use that term here, 289 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:51,520 Steven? Six of 1/2? 290 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,120 OK, my Aussie friends know what I'm talking about, 6 of 1/2 a 291 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:56,560 dozen. They're both the same. 292 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,280 So we say 6 of 1/2, A dozen of the other, right? 293 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,280 And that's what Saint John St., John Chrysostom is saying. 294 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:08,320 And according to one of the church fathers origin of 295 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:13,880 Alexandra, listen to what he says that sometimes God will 296 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,560 allow. It is His will, but then it is 297 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:23,400 not perfect, not God's will. What we receive, God wills to 298 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:28,040 give us because of his love, his care and his mercies and 299 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:33,720 compassion, even though what he wills and allows to happen and 300 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:41,040 to we allows us to accept is at times not perfect because it's 301 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:46,680 our will and origin. Brings the example of the 302 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:52,840 Israelites in one Samuel chapter 8, verses 4 to 22, who asked for 303 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,280 soul to be anointed as king. When you read those verses, God 304 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,560 is saying, listen, let me put it this way. 305 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,480 Listen, what do you need the king for? 306 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,280 They're going to divide you. They're going to tax you. 307 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,880 They're going to put some pressures on you. 308 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,680 I'm your God. I am your king. 309 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:09,400 But they insisted, no, we want a king. 310 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,560 Like every other nation, God said, OK, choose for yourself, a 311 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,320 king and anoint, and he was anointed. 312 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:19,000 God's will was done in granting them their request. 313 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:24,120 But God was angry at the people because they refused to have him 314 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:29,880 as their king and he and they and he ordered a man to be set 315 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:35,520 over them as king. So sometimes when we ask and 316 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:40,080 we're not receiving, it's not that God doesn't want to give it 317 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,440 to us. It's that God knows that if I 318 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,160 give it to you, this is no good for you. 319 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,040 This is not going to be beneficial for you. 320 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,160 But because we plead and plead and plead like a prodigal son, 321 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,360 the father says, OK, I will give it to you, but you'll see what 322 00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:59,040 will happen. So God's will, beloved, that 323 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:03,480 when we ask, when we pray, when we seek not only that it is 324 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,440 will, the will of God, but that it is perfect and acceptable to 325 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:12,160 God as well. Lord, I pray. 326 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:20,200 I pray for, I pray that I find a partner and A and a a fiance. 327 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:24,560 And I I'm, I want to be married, Lord, But let it be acceptable 328 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:29,040 for you that when I do find that person, that person is 329 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,920 acceptable and is truly pleasing to you. 330 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,760 And not only because of your gracious, loving care that you 331 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,800 provide for me, Father, but I want that that provision to be 332 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,160 according to a perfect goal. And then you have to resign to 333 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,640 God's perfect will and not complain. 334 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,840 Every time I kept praying and I prayed, I've been praying for 10 335 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,160 years. You maybe have to pray for 336 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:55,800 another 20 years, or maybe for even 99 years. 99 years. 337 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:00,200 Abraham and Sarah were praying. Zechariah and Elizabeth were 338 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,200 waiting for a child. And when God gave them that 339 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:08,200 child, it was God's will. He provided them with a child. 340 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:11,920 But it was pleasing, it was acceptable, and it was perfect 341 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,080 because it was completely in his will and not like the prodigal 342 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,680 son. So in this year of 2024, 343 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,200 beloved, let me recommend this to you. 344 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:30,120 Commit to renewing your mind by the word of God, so that when 345 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:35,960 you seek for what you seek and what you desire, though it be 346 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:41,440 God's will to be granted. It, however, is also acceptable 347 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:46,760 and perfect at the same time, so that not only God's will, but 348 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,480 God's appeasing is completed as well. 349 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,520 And I blessed New Year to you all, and may be not only 350 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,000 according to God's will, but also acceptable and pleasing to 351 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,880 Him. Praise and glory be to the one 352 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:07,040 triune Godfather and Son and Holy Spirit forever. 353 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:29,130 Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's 354 00:26:29,130 --> 00:26:31,450 message. Please don't forget to rate and 355 00:26:31,450 --> 00:26:34,210 review this podcast and share with your friends and family. 356 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,920 For any future topic suggestions or to give us detailed feedback, 357 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:43,600 please visit our link in the show notes linktr dot EE forward 358 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,520 slash double edged Sword Until next time. 359 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:47,400 God bless you all.