Sixteen Truths That I Have Learnt (Part 3): Zac Poonen (Transcript)

Self means their own honor and position, title, respect for men. Lovers of money, of course, you know.

Lovers of pleasure, entertainment, love to watch TV endlessly, which is very often corrupting their minds also. You know, if you watch a good movie with five seconds of some indecent sexual scene, only five seconds in a two-hour movie with a lovely story, with five seconds of, you know, how Hollywood puts that in, a little bit of sexual stimulation, even if it’s not very dirty, some suggestive picture, many years later, you would have forgotten the story. But that five seconds that you saw will be in your mind.

You men, tell me if that is not true of the past movies that you watched. Be honest. Haven’t you forgotten the story? But that five, ten seconds or 15 seconds of some sexually stimulating scene, even if it is not very dirty, that remains. Because the force of sex is so strong in men. I don’t know how it is with women, perhaps not so much, that sticks. That’s why you got to be very, very careful about the type of even so-called clean movies are not so clean. And nowadays I hear that even the so-called children’s movies made by Disney are not clean. They got transgender stuff and all that type of stuff coming up, I believe.

So the world is going headlong towards hell, towards destruction. And we have to live in this world. We have to be very, very cautious, very, very careful. And your children, four or five years old, when they see those things, may not worry, bother too much about it. But they get into the habit of it by the time they get in 14, 15… 14, 15, young boy watches this type of stuff. You have put something into his mind and stimulated him to want to see more. And he’ll watch it when you’re not knowing it, when you’re not watching.

Years later, you say, oh, why is my boy gone away from the Lord? Why has he gone into the world? Why did he go and marry that godless girl? I say, brother, who started it? Who put that first thought into his mind? You say we have to entertain the children, right? But be careful. It’s far better you fathers play with your children than stimulate with them with all these other things. Cut out some other things which you think are necessary and entertain your children, not with the worldly stuff.

The world is going — the entertainment world is 100% under the control of the devil. I don’t have any doubt about it. They won’t make it all dirty, then a lot of people won’t see it. It’s, see, if a person wants to kill you with poison, he’s not going to give you a glass of poison. He’d be crazy. He’ll put one spoon of poison in a glass of milk or something very sweet and attractive. Only one spoon or a few drops. Everybody who poisons others does it like that. Nobody gives a glass of poison. It’s not by a hundred percent pornographic movie that he’s going to destroy you. No, you won’t even watch it. It’s by this 10 seconds. In other words, beautiful story, brother. You’ve got to watch it and all that people say. You’ll forget all about that story few years from now, but that 10 seconds of filth will remain. That is why it’s very difficult in the last days. Not persecution. This is not talking about persecution.

The alternative, the solution to that is to be a lover of God, like it says in verse 4. Now you can do nothing about the way in which you defiled your mind in the past. The way you defiled your mind 30 years ago will be in your mind today. You can never get rid of it. Never, never, never. 30 years from now, it’ll still be there. Not all those wonderful stories you read, but all the filthy stuff will remain. It’s amazing how the filthy stuff clings on to our memory and keeps coming back. It’ll come back in your dreams.

And this is the world. It will be very difficult in the last days because there’s so much of media that’s accessible to everyone. A hundred years, people could not sit at home and watch a pornographic movie. No. Today, even the little children, young boys can carry a phone around and watch it anywhere they want. And their parents don’t have a clue what’s happening. This is the world we are living in. It’s going to be very difficult in the last days. And we’re living in that. Difficult times will come. Not persecution. There is no persecution. Christians are living a comfortable life, but they don’t realize that they’re being defiled and destroyed.

And the sad thing is, all this is going on in the midst of, verse 5, people who hold to a form of godliness. I mean, if these were outright worldly people, we’ve got nothing to do with your Christianity. This is the way I’m going to live, then I can understand. But these are people who go to good evangelical churches, believe the truth, proclaim the truth, even get up and preach and lead the singing. But what are they watching at home? What are they encouraging their children to watch? Do our children need to watch something? Sure, they need some type of entertainment. I believe that. I’m not against movies, if they are clean. But I would say, never let your children watch something that you’ve not seen yourself fully.

I want to repeat that. Never let your children watch something that you have not first watched yourself fully and to see whether you want your children to see every minute of that. If not, if you can withdraw some part of it or delete some part of it in some way, okay. But be very, very careful. I want to warn you, my brothers, when our children drift away from God, that’s too late to wake up. It’s too late after the poison has taken effect and destroyed internal organs. That’s too late to discover they drank some poison a little while ago and I fed them with it. How will you feel?

Many parents I have met whose grown-up children are not following the Lord. What’s the reason? They say, what to do brother, children are different. Children are not different. There’s a law, Proverbs 22:6. You fulfill a condition, God gives a promise. Very often it’s like that. In many parts of Scripture, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, condition, you will be saved, promise. We confess our sins, condition, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us, promise. There’s a condition and a promise. Scripture is fully like that. Ask, condition, and you will receive, promise.

Here is a condition, verse 6, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go,’ promise. ‘When he’s old, he will not depart from it.’ Is that in your Bible? Is that the Word of God? Can we have a generation growing up now that are determined to prove the reality of that? There are many people who have proved the opposite. They’ve trained up a child in a bad way and the children have gone astray and they have proved it’s true. Train up a child in a bad way and when he’s old, he will not depart from it. He’ll be in the bad way all his life. There are many people who proved that. Shall we have another generation now that they’re training up their children in godly ways and proving that when they’re old, they do not depart from those godly ways? That’s what we need in our time.

And that’s why it says in 2 Timothy 3, it’s going to be difficult in the last days because there’s so much of temptation all around. You know how difficult it is. Children go to school, they meet with their friends and the children’s friends are telling them about this, that and the other. Even when they’re nine or ten years old, they are hearing things from their friends in school or the friends in the neighborhood. Even if you have homeschooling, there are others around who are telling them all types of things and they hear this, they read about it and they get curious. Children are curious. Curiosity is a good thing but you got to direct it in a good way. It’s to cure our curiosity that children learn many things. That’s how they learn the alphabet, that’s how they learn to read, that’s how they learn about all the things that are happening around the world. Curiosity which is a good thing but that curiosity extends into areas where we’ve got to protect them.

The world’s values are the opposite of God’s. Turn with me to Luke chapter 16. He’s primarily speaking here about money. And He says in verse Luke 16:9: ‘make friends for yourself by means of the wealth or the mammon of unrighteousness.’ Jesus always referred to mammon or wealth, as a wealth of unrighteousness. I’ve never understood why. Lord, isn’t there any righteous money? I’ve never read Him speaking about the mammon of righteousness. I mean there are honest ways of earning money, sure. I think many of us I hope are earning money in an honest way and paying all our taxes correctly. I hope so, because if you cheat the government that’s just like robbing from your neighbor or putting your hand into somebody’s wallet and taking his money. It’s the same if you cheat the government of taxes.

We must have a testimony at the end of our life. You know Jesus said, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.’ Give to the government what is the government’s and give to God what is God’s. If you cheat the government, if you cheat Caesar or the government of tax money and you put it in the offering box, God will say, I don’t want it. I don’t want Caesar’s money. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Give to God what is God’s.

And you say, which is first? You read there. Caesar comes first, not God. He first said, ‘Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and then give to God what is God’s.’ Why? Because if you don’t render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, then what you give to God will be Caesar’s money. But when you’ve given away what is Caesar’s, then if you give to God it’ll be your money. That’s all He wants.

Not only Caesar. Caesar refers not only to the government, but any Tom, Dick or Harry to whom you owe money. If you owe somebody money and you go and put money in the offering box, whose money are you putting there? That guy’s. And if that guy knows about it, hey, he says, don’t give it to God. Give it to me, man. You owe me money.

In our offering box in India, in the CFC church, we have a notice about five points. You can go to our CFC website and find them. Are you born again? Checklist before you put money in the box. Are you born again? God does not accept money from those who are not His children. He wants your heart first, not your money. And then is there somebody you owe money to? Owe no man anything. Don’t put somebody else’s money here. Go and pay that debt. But brother, it’ll take me one year. OK, don’t put an offering for one year. We teach people that in our church. Because if you’re owing somebody money, you’re not putting his money. And I always say a mortgage on a house is not a debt. It’s not a debt because the house is there. And if you don’t pay the money, the bank will take the house. So that’s not a debt. I’m saying when you borrowed money from an individual, which you have to repay him, that’s different.

And then I asked… Jesus said, ‘if when you come with your offering, you realize somebody’s got something against you, leave the offering there and go and settle that.’ That’s the third question. Have you settled matters? Not money matters, but has somebody got something against you because you hurt him? Settle that before you give this offering.

And then another question is, do you have needs in your family? Are your children struggling? Not enough food? Take care of that. God’s got millions. He owns the silver and gold in the whole world. He doesn’t want you to make your children starve and put money in the box. I look at it like that. Some people don’t preach that. Some preachers preach, never mind. Give to God. God will take care of His children. That’s not what I teach.

I say, if I am a very wealthy father and I see my children are struggling to feed their children and they want out of love to give me some support to support me and I’m already a millionaire or a billionaire. I say, listen, I don’t want your money, man. I’m a billionaire. I know you want to show your love for me, but take care of your children. And I say, God is a multi-multi-trillionaire. And you think He wants your money and you make your children starve? I don’t believe that. So we say, take care of your family first.

Now you won’t hear other preachers say that. We preach it. We’ve written it there. And number five, are you giving cheerfully or to ease your conscience? Ah, I have to give something to God. Then don’t give. Cheerfully, happily. And I say, you go through this checklist, then put money in the box. I remember a brother coming to see to me and saying, Brother Zac, by the time people go through this checklist, will anybody put any money in their box? I say, I’ll tell you in our testimony in 47 years, in all our 100 churches, we never take an offering. We say, if you want to put, put in the box and I go through this checklist. And we have never been in debt. We built so many buildings and we never took a bank loan to build even one of those buildings. Not once. How many churches in the world can say that?

You know where it came from? It came from putting God first in all of our churches, never taking an offering, putting all these conditions before people before they give. God honors those who honor Him. We wanted to be that. We said, Lord, we want to be a church that honors You in the area of finances and demonstrate to this world that we have a living God in heaven, who has got generous people on earth, who will fulfill these conditions and give. And we have numerous widows who we take care of financially regularly. And we have never sent a prayer letter in our life. We are different. The world’s values are the opposite of God’s and most churches have gone by the world’s values. So it’s very important for us to be different.

Okay, make friends, it says here, with the wealth of unrighteousness. And then He tells us three things about money here. I want you to notice here. ‘If you’re faithful in a very little thing…’ what is that very little thing? Money. Money, Jesus says, is a very little thing. How many of you see money as a very little thing? However big your bank account is, you call it a very little thing. Learn to call it a very little thing. Because then you’ll be faithful in the big things, which is in serving God, in your personal walk with God, and all that. Begin with being faithful in this very little thing. Okay.

And the second thing he says is, money is called here, unrighteous wealth. I don’t know why He calls it unrighteous. We earn it righteously. And yet, somewhere along the line, there’s some type of unrighteousness. So we’ve got to be very careful. It’s like handling something that’s very dirty. And we have to handle it, what to do. We must make sure that our hands don’t get dirty with it. You know, supposing you have to pick up something, which is very dirty, but you need to pick it up from the ground. How careful you’ll be that you don’t pull out your hands. It’s something like that. You’ve got to look at money like that.

And the third thing, verse 12, it belongs to somebody else. Be faithful. It’s all referring to money, these three verses. That which is another’s. Do you recognize what you have in your bank account is not really yours? It’s another’s. And if you’re faithful, then God will give you what is yours. Yours is your spiritual values and power and the life of Christ. That’s what’s ours. But money is another’s.

And if I recognize it like that, God will give you what is yours. And I believe there are many believers who have not got what is theirs, because they have not been faithful with what is God’s. They have not recognized that what they earn is God’s. And they must be faithful with it. I’m not saying give it all to the Lord. I never teach that. But I say be faithful with it. And don’t ever think it is yours. Don’t rejoice.

If you hear that somebody else’s bank account went very high, you don’t get any excitement over that. It’s his. Or you heard that that guy lost all his money. You don’t get depressed because it’s not yours. Do you really treat your money like that? It is another’s. If it goes up, it is another’s. If it comes down, it is another’s. It’s a wonderful way to live.

I’m not preaching what I’ve not tried to practice. I’ve tried. I haven’t come to perfection. But I’ve tried my best. And then Jesus said, you cannot serve two masters. Verse 13. You either serve God or you serve money. You can’t serve both. It’s impossible. You have to hate one and love the other. In other words, my attitude towards money must be, this is not what I’m living for. I have to use it. What to do? I need to use it as I live in the world. But I’m not going to live for it. I’m not going to serve for it. I want to be very careful with it. I believe we must save for the future. The Bible says that in Proverbs 6. Go to the ant, you lazy man, and see how the ant lays up for the winter, knowing that it’ll be hard to get food then. In summer, it lays up. And it says, you lazy man, learn from that.

And you know, when you know, Jesus said, don’t lay up for yourself treasure on earth. He said that in Luke 6. But I say, the Word of God also says in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 14, parents must lay up for their children. I say, I put verses together. Don’t lay up for yourself treasure on earth. But 2 Corinthians 12:14, parents must lay up for their children. Every parent should lay up for their children, obeying God’s word.

Many people live on one verse. The truth is always found in it is written, and it is also written, like the two wings of a bird. You’ll go around in circles if you have only one wing. Even the devil quoted, it is written to Jesus, Jesus said, it is also written. So please remember that.

So that is — the Pharisees, verse 14, who were lovers of money, scoffed at all this. So, remember that the world’s values are the opposite of God’s. If your attitude to money is not the opposite of the world’s, that means the way another worldly person in your office or someone thinks about money, and that’s the way I think about it, no wonder your spiritual life is getting affected. It is being affected by this wrong way of thinking. You can be very faithful, very careful, and you can become rich as well. It is okay. There is no crime in becoming rich. But, it is a question of your values. If you get excited over wealth and get depressed over loss of money, you need to work out your salvation. That’s all I am saying. Be utterly faithful with money. We must be very, very faithful, because I believe that it says here, if you have not been faithful with it, how will God give you, verse 12, what is your own?

I have learned in my life that God will give me spiritual wealth if I am faithful with material wealth. Faithful means I don’t waste it. I don’t spend it on useless things. I don’t spend it all on myself. I want to care for the poor. I want to provide for my children, take care of them. I am not saying you shouldn’t get anything luxurious or take your children on a vacation. You can do all of that. Be faithful.

And I always say, you must not determine what another person should buy. You go to the villages of India, even a bicycle is a luxury. I tell you honestly. A scooter is a fantastic luxury for many people in the villages of India. A two-bedroom house is a luxury. Many people in our CFC churches in the villages in India, their house is one room. That room is sitting room, dining room, bedroom, everything. That’s where they live. That’s where they eat.

So, if somebody has a two-bedroom house, he doesn’t have to feel guilty. If he needs that, if he can afford it, if he is not getting into debt, it’s perfectly okay. If somebody has a six-bedroom house, that’s up to him. Maybe he has many children. He needs to take care of them. In India, people may think somebody who’s got a car has got a luxury, is living luxuriously? No. Here, there may be a house where somebody needs three cars because he’s got two children who are working. Don’t judge them. Each person must live according to their level and not compare themselves with somebody else. There’s such a temptation to judge someone who’s got more than me, who’s got a better house than me, or more vehicles than me, or something else, some luxury that I don’t have, or who goes on a trip, on a vacation which I can’t afford to go to. It’s sheer jealousy. Don’t judge. God bless him. And maybe God is blessing him spiritually in 101 ways. And not blessing you because you’re all the time jealous of him. Let’s be careful.

Be faithful in your own life. And remember, the world’s values are the opposite of God’s.

I want to just read this verse also to you, 1 Timothy 6 and verse 9 and 10. ‘Those who want to get rich, that means those whose aim in life is, I must become a very wealthy man, they will fall into temptation, believe it or not. They will fall into a snare. They will fall into many foolish desires. They will fall into many harmful desires. They will ruin themselves. They will destroy themselves.’

Verse 10, they will wander away from the faith. They will pierce themselves through with many sorrows.

So if you want to see the seven things that the man who’s got a lust to become more and more wealthy, it will happen to him. Here it is. Meditate on it. I’m not going to keep reading it. It’s a prophetic word warning us of dangers.

Okay, we go to the next one. Number 10. NOBODY CAN HARM US EXCEPT WE OURSELVES. That’s number 10.

Nobody can harm us except we ourselves. 1 Peter chapter 3. This is another thing I’ve learned. I told you what I learned about money and material wealth.

1 Peter 3:13: ‘Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?’ If you are sincerely seeking to follow the Lord, nobody can harm us except we ourselves. We just saw how the pursuit of money can harm us. We must believe that nobody in the world can harm me. No matter what they do. Are you convinced about that?

I’ve heard people say, oh brother Zac, my boss is harming me or the devil is harassing me. The devil was defeated on the cross. Do you believe that? The Bible says the God of peace, Romans 16:20 will crush Satan under your feet. There’s a place that God has determined for the devil. You know what it is? You say it’s hell. That’s finally. But before he’s sent into the lake of fire, what is the place that the God Almighty has determined for the devil today? Romans 16:20 under the feet of believers. Are you convinced about that? Are you convinced that the devil cannot harm you? I hope so many believers I’ve met was scared of the devil. Do you believe he was defeated on the cross? Do you believe his power was taken away on the cross? Very important to know. He cannot harm you. I believe this. The devil is afraid of me. You may think that’s a very daring thing to say.

I’ve heard people say, oh brother Zac, don’t say like that. The devil will harm you if you tell him, if you proclaim or claim to me that the devil is afraid of me. I say it publicly against Satan is scared of me. I’m not scared of what he’s going to do to me tomorrow. He was defeated on the cross completely. Jesus Christ not only died for our sins on the cross, He defeated Satan on the cross. If you want a verse for that, here it is. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14. When Jesus threw death, the middle of verse 14, He didn’t destroy the devil. He made him powerless. The devil was made powerless on Calvary’s cross. Before you knew that your sins were taken on Calvary’s cross, you did not know you could be forgiven.

Thank God you heard one day Jesus took your sins on the cross; you’re forgiven. Now I’m saying to you, Satan’s power — he’s not been destroyed. He’s hale and hearty, but his power over believers was taken away on the cross. He had the power of death once. It says that very clearly in verse 14. Up until Calvary, Satan had the power of death. But he couldn’t touch God’s children.

You remember even Job… God said to Satan, I give you power over him, but you cannot kill him. So it is under God’s control. Even in Job’s time, much more today. But he was made powerless on the cross to free us who live in fear. You should not be afraid of Satan if your life is clean. You remember you read in Acts 19 of some people whose lives were not clean. They tried to cast out a demon, the sons of Sceva. They tried to cast out a demon saying, in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, we cast you out. And that man jumped on them and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who do you think you are? I know all about your private lives. Don’t think you have any power over me. You’ve got filth in your mind and you lust after people and you’re running after so many things in the world and you think you have power over me?’

That’s what the demon said. Many believers don’t have power over Satan. They don’t have because there’s things in their life that Satan’s got a foothold in. And Satan turns around and says, who do you think you are? You think you have any power over me? Absolutely not. Look at all the unrighteousness in your life. You’re fighting with your wife every day and you think you have power over me? Forget it.

What a need there is in the world for people who have power over Satan. I want to tell you in Jesus’ name, God wants you to be one of them. The world is full of people oppressed by the devil. He wants you to be one of those who can liberate them. Walk with God totally. So that you can have power over Satan who was defeated on the cross.

So nobody can harm us. Not the devil and not anybody else. Romans 8:28 is a well-known verse which we must believe. It’s not for everybody. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That’s for everyone. I told you John 17:23 is only for the disciples of Jesus. He said in John 17, I’m not praying this for the world, I’m only praying for these who are committed to Me.

And here also, all things work together for good, not for everybody. To those who love God, you remember we just read that you cannot love God and money. But to those who love God and whose aim in life is to fulfill His purpose for their life, verse 28, every single thing will work together for their good.

There are enough examples of that in Scripture. Joseph is a great example. Have you read the Romans 8:28 in the Old Testament? Let me show it to you.

Romans 8:28 in the Old Testament was spoken by Joseph after he became the ruler in Egypt and his brothers came to him for grain. And instead of taking revenge on them, he blessed them. And he said, Genesis 50 verse 20: As for you — he tells his brothers — you meant evil against me when you sold me to those slave traders and sent me off to Egypt. But God meant it for good because that’s how I became the ruler in Egypt. And that’s how today I can bless you and give you grain. You who tried to kill me, you who tried to do harm to me by selling me off to Egypt. In order to bring this present result to preserve many people. What you tried to do evil worked out for good for you.

So Romans 8:28 is a great verse which teaches us that God overrules all the things that people, I could tell you numerous examples in my own life. The very things that people try to do to me and my wife worked for our good. I’ll give you one example.

When my wife was a college student in the medical college, one of the top medical colleges in India. This is long before I married her. In her final examination, she had to go from Vellore, which is a small town where a college is located, to the big city of Madras where the practical examinations for obstetrics and gynecology were held. She did her theory. That was her best subject. She topped the class, but she had to go for her practical examination, which is only a five-minute examination, to another medical college in Madras, a big city.

So when she went there, because her name was beginning with A, Annie, she was one of the first who went for the examination. And she wore very simple white clothes and no jewels. She had never worn jewels in her life, or jewelry. And there sitting in front of her was a non-Christian who detested Christians. And she saw this girl coming in. She immediately, by looking at her face with no jewelry and white clothes, you know this is one of those Christians and she hated them. The examination was for five minutes. She and another man, another doctor, were sitting there. They were supposed to ask questions about this patient, to examine the patient and practical test on obstetrics and gynecology. She never asked any question.

Five minutes she lambasted — she was not my wife then — Annie, saying, you Christians think you are no end of yourselves and who do you think you are? Criticize, criticize, criticize, criticize. Five minutes and Annie said, ‘Can I please give an answer to this test?’ No.

And the other man just sat quietly, didn’t ask anything. And the bell rang, that means your five minutes is up. Failed. Without asking a single question. She was so discouraged, I mean what was she, 24 years old? Hoping to top the class in her best subject. Failed… without even being asked a question, just because she was a Christian.

And so, she had to spend three more months. Otherwise she would have graduated. But she had to spend three more months because she had failed. Goes back, discouraged. But in those three months, I came to the Lord. Brother Bakht Singh, who was a godly man in India, knew her and knew me and recommended us to each other. And we met and we agreed to get married. I would not have met, she was planning to go to a leprosy hospital in North India. I wouldn’t have seen her if she had passed and graduated.

I told Annie, I wish I could go and meet that examiner, I would thank her so much. Thank you so much for failing my wife. You didn’t know what a world of good you did to me. But I never met her unfortunately. I really would have said that. Think what I would have missed in my life if that evil woman had passed my wife. I say that to prove Romans 8:28. I’ve never found another girl anywhere in the world who would suit me. I’m a peculiar man. And God provided someone who would suit my peculiarities. I’m sure He’s provided you a wife like that to suit your peculiarities.

But what I say is, God makes everything work together for good. There are numerous, numerous, numerous examples I have found in my own life. Nobody can harm us. Remember this… except we ourselves. If you pursue after money as the most important thing in your life, you harm yourself. We saw that earlier. You destroy yourself by pursuing after entertainment which is going to pollute your mind or your children’s mind. It’s not God. It’s not other people. You harm yourself. But all the evil that other people plan against you will work for your good. How the Lord protected Joseph, He protects you.

The greatest example of it. You know. What is the greatest evil that was ever committed on this earth? You know. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, right? Is there any greater evil that happened on this earth in the history of the world? No.

Okay, next question. What is the best thing that happened on this earth? The crucifixion of Jesus Christ. There is the proof that the greatest evil that the devil did. Who instigated the crucifixion of Christ? The devil, 100%. With all those chief priests and scribes and everybody else. But it only succeeded in doing the very best for this world that God had planned. And so Calvary is not just a place where we learn that our sins are forgiven. And the devil was defeated. Our old man was crucified. Christ became a curse for us. All that is true.

But it’s also a demonstration that the greatest evil the devil can do against someone, God will make it out, not just for something good, but to be the very best. Isn’t that amazing? Learn a lesson from that lesson from Calvary today. Nobody can harm you except you yourself. So be careful that you don’t blame people. Why did he do this to you? Lord, why have You allowed that person to come and do this to me?

Okay, we go to the next point. Number 11.

Daniel 11:32: KNOWING GOD INTIMATELY IS THE SECRET OF BEING STRONG.

Knowing God intimately is the secret of being strong. Daniel 11:32 says, the people who know their God will be strong. And not knowing God second-hand. You know, when you hear about God from a preacher, you are knowing Him second-hand. It must be first-hand knowledge.

Before you got married, somebody told you wonderful things about your wife. I know I heard many wonderful things about my wife from other people. And that I wanted to find out the best I could to see she was a whole-hearted disciple. So I heard many, many second-hand information about her from others. But now I know her myself. And it’s the same with God.

When you are newly converted, you don’t know much about God. But now that you’ve known the Lord for so many years, you should have known God intimately.

Let me turn you to John 17 and verse 3, which is a great verse. John 17:3 is the clearest definition of eternal life. To the average Christian, eternal life means I live forever. No. Living forever is quite another thing. Eternal life is not quantity of life, but quality of life. Living for eternity, that’s length of life. But eternal life is not referring to length of life. It’s a certain quality of life. Which only one who had no beginning and no end, that’s eternal. Eternal means no beginning, no end.

You and I don’t have eternal life unless God gives it to us. A person who is born into the world will live for eternity. That’s not eternal life. They go to hell, but they don’t have eternal life. They live for eternity in hell or in the lake of fire. But eternal life is a certain quality of life. And that comes through knowing God.

John 17:3: “This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”

So, knowing God is… Knowing God intimately is the secret of eternal life. God’s desire is that I might have more and more of eternal life as I walk with the Lord. Many people haven’t understood that. They think, I accepted Christ, I got eternal life. Hang on, you got the beginning. You got the first drops of eternal life. You learnt the ABC of eternal life. But is ABC all there is in the English language? Please turn to 1 Timothy in chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6, middle of verse 12. Timothy is about 45 years old. He’s been a believer for 25 years. Born again 25 years ago. And Paul tells him at the age of 45, 25 years after his conversion, in the middle of verse 12: ‘take hold of eternal life…’ What’s he telling him? Is he telling him to be born again? Supposing someone were to come to you, and say, brother, take hold of eternal life. You say, oh, I got that 20 years ago. See how wrong understanding we have about Biblical words. Because we don’t meditate on God’s word. We don’t read it carefully.

Take hold of eternal life. When I read that, I stopped. I said, hey, I thought I had eternal life. Then I discovered that eternal life means to know God. Have I known God fully yet? Well, John 17:3, to know God is eternal life. I don’t know God fully yet. Then Paul is telling Timothy, get to know God. Take hold of eternal life. That means you need more and more of eternal life in you.

Have you ever heard anybody teach you that you need more and more of eternal life in you? You thought you had eternal life the day you were born again? No. Eternal life is to know God more and more. It’s exactly like knowing your marriage partner. I know my wife so much better today after 54 years of marriage. And she knows me so much better. But when I first married her, I knew something about her, but not like the way I know her now. I knew about her. Now I know her as a person. She knows me as a person.

You can know so many things about Jesus. You read the Gospels. You can be an unconverted person and know so many things about Jesus. But do you know Jesus personally? To know Jesus personally more and more and more and more. To become very intimate with Him. This is eternal life and God wants us to lay hold of that and enjoy it more and more.

I’m sorry to say there are so many believers who sit back and say, ‘I accepted the Lord so many years ago, I got eternal life. Now I just go for meetings and for an occasional conference just to be stirred up a little bit.’ But are you taking hold of eternal life? Paul told Timothy, take hold of it. You grab a hold of it otherwise you’ll miss it. Pursue it. Take hold of eternal life. And for that you have to follow what Jesus said.

See God communicates with us through His Word. Through His Word we come to know Him. That’s why Jesus said man shall not live… Eternal life. Matthew 4:4. Talking about eternal life. How will you get eternal life?

Let me paraphrase Matthew 4:4. Man cannot get eternal life by eating bread. That we understand. Physical life we get. How do you get eternal life? Through every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. If my wife and I lived together for 54 years and never spoke to each other, even though we are married 54 years, we would not know each other. If you don’t communicate with your wife back and forth, you won’t know her. And if you don’t regularly communicate with God, you won’t know Him either. There are many believers who do not know God sufficiently because they don’t communicate with Him. They don’t have eternal life.

So to know God intimately is the secret of being strong. Remember Daniel 11:32. The people who know their God, they will be strong.

I want to ask you, my dear brothers, are you becoming stronger and stronger every year? You know how a strong man can lift heavy weights. Lift the little children over obstacles. You come to an obstacle and your son can’t go across. You lift him and carry him across because you are strong. Are you able to lift people in your church? Because you are strong to help them carry over the problems they are facing. Or you say, oh that’s the job of the elders. Do you sit back in a church saying that’s the job of the elders? What are you doing to help all the others in your church?

You say, I am so weak. Why are you so weak? Because you don’t feed in the word of God. The people who know their God will be strong. You can’t know God if you don’t listen to Him.

You remember what Eli the priest told Samuel. If you hear the voice in the middle of the night saying “Samuel, Samuel, you wake up and say ‘Speak Lord, Your servant is listening.’” It’s a habit I’ve developed for many years now. You know how sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night. What do you do? I’ll tell you what I do. I say, I don’t say Lord… I say ‘Father, daddy.’ In Hebrew it says Abba. The Spirit cries out Abba, Father!

Abba is — the equivalent of Abba, I wish they are translated in Romans 8, is Daddy. The Spirit cries out Daddy. Have you ever called God Dad? That’s what I do. He is my Dad. It’s a very intimate word. That’s why I don’t sing these songs like guide me O thou great Jehovah. I say I never called God Jehovah. Some people don’t like it, the word Jehovah.

There’s no God like Jehovah, have you heard that chorus? There’s no God like Jehovah, there’s no God like Jehovah. They keep on saying people who don’t know God. I say I don’t call Him Jehovah. They say why not? I say one of my sons came to me and said ‘Mr. Poonen, I’d like to talk to you.’

I say ‘What’s the matter, son?’

And he says, ‘Isn’t your name Mr. Poonen?’

‘Yes it is, but not for you, you call me dad. You don’t call me Mr. Poonen, other people call me that. Even if he calls me brother Zac. I say you’re not supposed to call me brother Zac, you call me daddy or dad.’

I want to ask you, what do you call your heavenly Father? I say oh Jehovah, you must be a stranger. I’m not a stranger. Jesus taught me when you pray, say Our Father. You know the Jews in the Old Testament, even John the Baptist, Elijah would have given anything to be able to call God Father, they could not. They would call Him oh Jehovah, Almighty God.

To know God intimately is the way to become strong. The people who know their God will be strong. I want you to develop the habit of knowing God.

I want you to turn to ISAIAH 50. Isaiah chapter 50 is describing how Jesus lived on the earth. Isaiah 50, this is the prophecy about Jesus because it says there in verse 6: ‘I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out My beard. I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.’ That’s Jesus. A prophecy about Christ.

And here’s another prophecy about Christ in verse 4 and 5. ‘The Lord GOD (that’s My Father) has given Me the tongue of a disciple to know the right word to give to a person in his need.’ Do you know what a wonderful gift it is? To have the right word to give to a person in his need when he comes to me. And there are many people in need around us. Don’t just send them to the elders. You meet their need. You’ve been a believer for so long. What are you doing? Not helping them.

The Lord God has given me the tongue to sustain a person in his need. How did he get that tongue? Because the Lord God wakens Me up morning by morning and wakens My ear in the morning, my spiritual ear, to listen as a disciple. And when I listen as a disciple, I get the tongue of a disciple. To be able to help people who come to me.

So that’s what we need to do every morning it says. That Jesus, when He woke up, His spiritual ear was open. Father, what are You saying? And He didn’t shut it after 15 minutes. No, His ear was open throughout the day. What are You saying, Father? In the middle of all the other work You do, Father, My ear is open.

You know, it’s like these police people who drive on their cruisers and they’ve got a walkie-talkie there which is always on, connected to headquarters. Headquarters is not always speaking to them. But it has to be kept on. They cannot turn it off. Suddenly they’ll call their name. Hey, go to such and such a street, emergency. They have to keep it on, these police cruisers. We must be like that.

The ear always listening in the midst of all my other work. I mean, this policeman is driving and concentrating on his job but this thing is on. And that’s how we must keep our ear open. Jesus kept His ear open all the time. The result was, He heard now and then a word and that was exactly according to the need of somebody who would meet that day. Amazing!

Why not learn to live in this exciting way? Your life can be a blessing to others. You’ll grow into it if you develop it. You can’t suddenly jump into a ministry. But if you slowly, little by little, start with ABC and one day you’ll be graduating and preaching amazing things. But it has to come by developing the habit of listening.

Turn with me to another word in Luke chapter 10. In Luke chapter 10 we see two people, Mary and Martha. It says here in Luke 10 verse 39…

Luke 10:39: Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening, listening, listening. Her ears were open.

Martha was in the kitchen, verse 40, because there were 13 people there… Jesus and His 12 disciples. And Martha said, I must make some food for them. Anything wrong with that? Very good! What a hospitable woman she was!

But when Jesus is preaching, that’s not the time to go and cook food. Because Jesus is not interested in food. He wants you to listen to His word. And Martha was cooking and she was boiling more inside her heart than what was cooking on the pot. Because she was so upset that Mary was not helping her. And she finally boils over and she goes over to the Lord and says, ‘Why aren’t You asking Mary to help me? She has just left me to serve alone.’

And Martha… The Lord says, ‘Martha, you’re worried about, bothered about so many things.’ He did not support Martha there even though she was doing such an unselfish thing: cooking food for 13 people. He said, you know what’s more important? More important than the food you’re cooking there in the kitchen? I’m not interested in that. I came here to give you My word and you have no time to listen to it. There was no recording for her to hear it later, by the way. If you didn’t listen to it, then you missed it.

Mary has chosen the good part, verse 42, which shall not be taken away from her. Many years ago, when I was a young Christian, soon after I was born again, God gave me this verse: Follow Mary’s example. Listen to My word every day. That’s the good part.

Years later, at my birthday, I’ll say, Lord, can You give me a word? Mary has chosen the good part. Choose it yourself. So I learned through the years to listen to the Lord.

And finally, NUMBER 12: GOD HAS GOT A PERFECT PLAN FOR EACH OF OUR LIVES. Ephesians 2, verse 10.

Ephesians 2, verse 10. I don’t know whether you know this, that before you were born, God made a plan for your life. And it says in Ephesians, in chapter 2, in verse 10…

Ephesians 2:10: ‘We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for what? Born again for what? Here’s the purpose with which you were born again…. for certain good works, not any good works, for certain particular good works, which God prepared beforehand from eternity, so that you should walk in them today.

I believe that. I believe every day of my life was planned this long before I was born. Prepared beforehand. Certain specific good works. Not any good works I feel choosing. Oh, there’s a need over there, Lord. Let me go and do that. You know, all these missionary challenges. Oh, there’s a need over there. Who will volunteer for that? Go there for this thing. Who will go there?

Well, if God’s called you to go there, go there. But I live in India, which has been the area a lot of missionary work has been done. And in my lifetime, I met numerous missionaries. Numerous. There are some absolute gems among them who have come to India. Absolute gems. I met two or three like that myself. There were people like Amy Carmichael, William Carey and many godly men and women. But 90% of them, I wish they had never come to India. It’s my testimony. They have made a mess of God’s work. Because God never called them. Somebody supported them. Somebody gave them money. They had a desire to go. They were not doing the works which God prepared beforehand. Because I saw the result of it. I saw the result of that work in numerous mission stations in India. I’ve traveled the length and breadth from east to west and north to south of India. And I’ve seen the result.

And I’m telling you from my own testimony. They did not build the church of Jesus Christ. They brought a lot of dishonor to God’s name. But there were some gems. Maybe 10% or less. Why? Because they did not go in God’s call. They did not go for the works which God had prepared beforehand. They went — some man challenged them in some missionary meeting in their church: There is a need out there in India. How many people will volunteer? I say, yes. The selfless person comes forward. I say, brother, has God called you to go there? You want to go because there is a need? The need was there on earth the day Adam fell.

Why didn’t Jesus come the very next day and die for Adam’s sin? Why did He wait 4,000 years in heaven? And look at the need that was on earth. Look at the chaos that was in Noah’s time. Why didn’t He come at least then? All the thousands of years. I mean, I thought with my foolishness, if I were in God’s place, I would have sent Jesus 3,000 years earlier.

God in His great wisdom, sent Jesus at 4,000 years after Adam committed his sin. Millions of people, chaos. There is a time and a season for everything. When I see all the chaos going on in the world today, young children being exploited sexually, and so many young girls being kidnapped, and chaos and harm and evil, people being killed all over, thousands dying in wars. I say, ‘Lord Jesus, why aren’t You coming? Put an end to all this wretchedness on the earth.’

Peter says… 2 Peter 3, he says, “God is patient, not willing that anybody should perish, but all to come to repentance.” And so He waits, 2 Peter 3:9.

I say, ‘Lord, my ways are not Your ways.’ My way of thinking is so different from Yours. If I were in God’s place, I would have sent Jesus long ago, back to earth for a second coming when I see the chaos in the world today. One day when Christ comes, I will know: His time was perfect. His ways are not our ways. God has a perfect plan for your life. It’s not what you think is the best for you.

And once I recognize that, I’ll bow down and say, ‘Lord, I want Your plan.’

Moses was a very capable leader at the age of 40. It says he was mighty in words and in deeds. Stephen says that in Acts chapter 7, a man mighty in words and deeds.

God said, you’re too strong, Moses. You cannot be the leader of My people. You’re too mighty in words. You’re a powerful preacher. You cannot be My leader. And He takes him to 40 years in the wilderness. And you know what his training was? Live with your father-in-law for 40 years. Ask somebody who’s lived with his father-in-law for one year what it’s like. One year is enough.

40 years with your father-in-law and with so many sisters-in-law in the same house. That’s enough to break any man. Even the prince of Egypt. He broke himself thoroughly that this man who was mighty in words now says, ‘Lord, I can’t speak.’

‘Moses, you can’t speak? Are you the same Moses?’ 40 years ago you were mighty in words. He cannot speak.

And God said, no, you’ve got to go.

He said, no, Lord, I can’t speak.

No, you have to go.

No, I can’t speak.

Okay, let Aaron speak for you. This man who was mighty in words could not speak. He had to get another person to speak for him.

Then said, ‘Moses, now you’re ready to serve Me.’

God’s ways are not our ways. He can use you when you’re broken. He’s got a plan for your life. If you’re seeking your own honor or you love money or comfort or the approval of men, you will never fulfill that plan. I want to say that to you. And if you love comfort or money or the approval of men, I can tell you in Jesus’ name today, you will never fulfill that plan. You’ll stand before the Lord with a wasted life. And you give up all that and say, Lord, Your plan is the best for me. You will fulfill God’s plan for your life. If you bow down and say, Lord, whatever You choose, I bow down to You. I’ll pick up the cross every day.

Yeah, I should show you some verse in that connection. Psalm 139, one of my favorite verses. Psalm 139. We’ll conclude with that.

Psalm 139:13: ‘You formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother’s womb.’

When I was in my mother’s womb. Verse 16: You saw my unformed substance and in Your mind or in Your book, all the days ordained for me were written down when I was not even born.

Before I was born, my entire life was planned out in God’s mind. And His plan is the best. Do you believe that, my brother? Dear brothers, before you were born, when you were in your mother’s womb, God had charted out your entire life. I believe that. I did not know that I would live up to this age of 82 and a half. My father died when he was 81. God planned my life.

I did not know that I would be in the Navy and God would take me out of there. I did not know about churches or church ministry. But God planned it all. All I had to do is say, Lord, please, I don’t want to do my own plan. I want Your plan for my life. I’m not asking You to make me rich. I’m asking You to make me fulfill Your plan.

Any amount of money you earn or comfortable life you live, if you stand in the final day before God and He says to you, ‘My dear son, I had planned something else for you. But you wouldn’t listen. You went your own way and messed up everything I planned for you.’

So you say, now what can I do now that I’ve already wasted so many years of my life? Never mind.

Let me give you the example of a man who wasted 30 years of his life. Not only against God’s plan, but going against God’s plan. The Apostle Paul. 30 years he was killing Christians. Persecuting them. How much contrary to God’s plan can you go than that? And then he came to the Lord. And he says, ‘What can I do, Lord? I messed up 30 years of my life.’ Like some of you may say, I’ve already messed up so many years of my life. 50, 60 years of my life I’ve messed up. Never mind.

The Lord says, ‘I can still take the rest of your life and do something wonderful with it.’ And what a mighty work He did through Paul.

And I want to say to every one of you who feel you’ve missed God’s plan or something like that. At least now, say, ‘Lord, I give the rest of my life to You. Do something with my life. Today I want to do Your plan. I want to fulfill Your plan. I messed up so far. Because I messed up, my children have gone astray. My family life is so bad. So many things have gone wrong in my life. Even though I made money. But Lord, I finished with that. I want to fulfill Your plan for my life from today. Forgive me for the things I have done wrong in the past and make up for it.’

And the Lord says, I’ll do that. I’ll make up for the years that are lost. I will restore to you the years that are eaten away. Do you know that promise? For those who feel they wasted their life? Joel.

Have you read Joel? You’re going to meet him in heaven. And he’ll ask you whether you read. He’ll ask you, hey, did you read my book? What book was that, Joel? I wrote only three pages, man, and you didn’t have time to read it?

Okay. I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten.

Joel Chapter 2, verse 25. I will make up to you or restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust and the stripping locust, gnawing locust, My great army which I sent… I will restore it to you.

Take that promise today. And say, Lord, many locusts have eaten away many years of my life. Please restore it to me in some amazing way. Help me to make the best of the rest of my life.

God can do it. There’s nothing impossible with God. God’s plan for your life is the very best.

Okay, let’s pray now.

Heavenly Father, please help us to be gripped by the truths we heard. And help us to honor You in our lives, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For Further Reading:

Sixteen Truths That I Have Learnt (Part 2): Zac Poonen Sermon (Transcript)

Sixteen Truths That I Have Learnt (Part 1): Zac Poonen (Transcript)

Who was Jesus, Really? Searching for the Historical Jesus: William Lane Craig (Transcript)

Mankind in Sin: Paul Washer Sermon (Transcript)

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