The Faith Relationship - Dr. Jo Kim

Let's go to session one with the title the faith relationship. What kind of relationship? Let's start with Romans 8 verses 9 to 11. You however are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the spirit. If the spirit of God lives in you and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin. Yet your spirit is alive because of Righteousness. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who

raised Christ from the dead will also life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who lives in you. Amen. So the first session with the title the faith relationship in uh under the theme of the everlasting relationship uh we're going to start with the attribute of God being um the lord of faith. God is the lord of faith. God is the faith. God is the lord of faith. God is the lord of faith. Hebrews 12:2 says he is the Lord of faith because faith comes from him and he rewards those who believe him because he's

invisible and he is spirit no one can see him no therefore no one can know him on their own so when they have this faith that comes from God and believe accordingly God rewards them it this is almost like a miracle for someone to believe him but that's why faith is so precious so Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible possible to please God because anyone who comes from him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So faith is to believe that God lives that god exists as

a person. How many of you believe I think most of the people in the room of course uh would say amen to this but still do you believe that God lives that he exists as a person? Amen. The ne next thing is that you have made A relationship with this God. How many of you are confident about that? Amen. I hope so. If you have that faith, if you have made this relationship, the relationship is not just a past tense. It has to be ongoing and it has to be ongoing until the end. And that's

what faith life is. to sustain this relationship of faith. This relationship of faith That is um having the faith that's acknowledged by God, having the faith that is sealed by God and have that relationship carry on until the end because there's an outcome of this relationship and that is the salvation of my soul. one uh 1 Peter 1:9 says, "For you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." What is the end result of my faith? Always remember that. Always. Always. Why do I need to go to church? Why am

I coming? So many people after I've said this and they always say, "Because I miss the people." Okay. Well, you know what? There's a lot of people gathering out there. I know seriously people are extra nice, but actually there are nice people out there, too. Didn't I mention some examples? Anyh who, there's a lot of people out there, a lot of nice people. You're coming for the wrong reason. Coming for the wrong reason. No Relationship with God. So, I know it's like I want us to it's we're going to lay the groundwork and we're going

to go basic slowly and really thinking about this everlasting relationship. The relationship that is everlasting is the one that we need to make and keep with God. Amen. Because there's result having this relationship. The result of not having this relationship, the result of keeping this res relationship to the End, and the result of breaking this relationship, you're lukewarm, you're kind of weak. The result is night and day. Heaven and hell, either saved or not. I know it's like, well, I thought the everlasting sounded really good, but it's the same thing. Yes, it is. It is

the same thing because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But I want us to kind of start thinking A little bit deeper. I that's my prayer that we go deeper in this relationship, deeper in the through the session. Um that uh we're going to hear and it's been very challenging for me because it's like in a different format like the Lord's prayer. It's not like the really structure format of our Sunday service um sermon. Uh but still very very helpful for all of us to

um be moved to learn and to be moved by and encouraged by as we know that humans are um Relationship uh beings. I just made that word up. Um whether by choice or fate or you know under circumstances every man forms relationship. When we're born we have that biological relationship with our parents. Um some people get to know them some you know in some situations or sad situations they don't get to know their biological uh parents but still they have that connection so they have the relationship father mother and if they Have um you know

other ch offspring of the same parents they're called your siblings so you have them uh in your life so you have that relationship um that's not by your choice um the whole relative the family flesh and blood not by choice it's like fate uh it's the um it's the destiny that you're born into. However, as you grow older, uh you go to school, you uh sociologist or or social psych psychologists talk about the playground relationship. So, you have Friends that you make at young age uh and then develops into you know school age and teenage

uh and into adulthood. uh you have the social relationship that you uh make. So with your friends um and then colleagues uh co-workers um and whatever organization one belongs to uh then forms other types of uh relationships and even uh making that relationship to be more uh permanent and that's to get married right but even that marriage is not um just by romance But it's a social contract social relationship. So um these relationship make up who we are. So for humans to be humans, you have to have a relationship. Anyone who lives in a deserted

island for a very long time, um maybe they started at some point knowing that they're humans, but if they have no relationship, no other humans around them, uh that is a definition of desert island, then they're not humans anymore. So I don't know if you guys saw that movie Castaway. That was pretty shocking with Tom Hanks. Long time ago, he it gets so lonely. He befriends uh was it Valer Ball? Yeah. I we we know his name. Yes. Or its name Wilson. And it's just a heartbreaking scene that when the ball gets away, he's screaming

on top of his, you know, lungs and calls the ball's name, which is Wilson, you know, Bran Wilson, right? The tennis ball or volleyball that has the the brand name Wilson, but he calls it Wilson because he doesn't have anyone to talk to. And it's just uh it's sort of like a modern-day Robinson uh Cruso kind of story, like a survival story. But um it was pretty shocking. And I I remember being in the theater and we we cried that scene. It was just like he it was just heart-wrenching. It's like he saw the ball

just float away and it was the only thing that was getting him, you know, get to go or, you know, to be Alive or not feel sad or empty or lonely. So in this way um being a human is to be surrounded by other humans and have relationship and when those relationships are successful of course then your life can be seen as successful. But if your relationships don't work out or break up um or fail. So you actually are in the midst of a lot of people but you still feel lonely because you don't know

how to form relationship and you don't you're not Able to manage those relationships well. Then uh even with a lot of people around that person can feel very lonely, very isolated, miserable, depressed and even commit suicide because of it. So you know committing suicide is certainly now you know psychologists or psychiatrists call it a disease mental illness but it um a lot of times it comes also from in the environment. So the feeling that they're isolated, they're alone, they don't communicate. Um so could we do Without uh any relationship because relationships do make our lives

very complicated? Of course not. I mean not having any relationship would be that you know talking to a ball or talking to a plant or tree. Um so it would be worse off but we see how complicated complex and difficult it is. Uh but whatever it is whether you have successful relationship or fail relationship or sort of like in between all the relationship that we form in this life End because we our lives are uh finite and when we die when our loved ones die that relationship is no more. So what the Bible then shows

us is God being the spirit he is eternal and that um he had this uh plan intention to form relationship with men and that relationship is based on what's called faith. So God being the lord of faith is not something that he came up with at the last minute but he was always the lord of faith. That faith comes from him Always. That that's how he decided in the beginning. So the Bible shows that when man's relationship with God is successful, that relationship is then called the everlasting relationship. And that successful relationship will bring successful

outcome. We call it successful outcome as if it's sort of like measurement, but it's actually black uh uh or white. It's yes or no. As in John 3:16 saying for God, so maybe we should read that together. John 3:16, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have once again for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life eternal life. So that's the promise or

the outcome of having faith, having a successful relationship, faith relationship that is everlasting with God. What's the outcome again? Eternal Life. So some of you are going like, I'm not interested in eternal life. Okay, what's the other what's the alternative to eternal life? It says perish. So perish uh is not perishing in the body because the body perishes without stating it. We already know that everything perishes. Everything in this world is starts and then ends. Everything has a beginning and end. So the comparison or the contrast with eternal life and perishing is that Perishing is

eternal death, eternal condemnation and that is simply hell. So um while we are alive in the flesh, we have to come to know this invisible spirit god and uh and know that he this invisible god became visible and make a relationship with him or enter into relationship with him. Um and that is him as the lord of faith and I as a believer. So when you think about faith you have to think about like am I a believer do I have faith or not? That's A question we should be asking. If we have faith, as

it says, whoever believes, what will they have? Eternal life. If you don't believe, what happens? You perish. That's it. So that's what the Bible says. And this um therefore this everlasting relationship is the relationship of faith or faith relationship. Uh Hebrews 11:11 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." You have some other version Similar to that in the the latest translation. So the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. So which means you don't need faith for things you see. You

don't need for you don't need faith for things you already have. You need faith for things that are promised. Faith for things that are coming um that you look forward to that you hope for. So that's what faith is. And actually everyone has some kind of faith. Um and that's their um sort of Op operational um can I just say OS operation system. So it's like a computer your OS. It's it's how uh you you get going and how you move and how you make decisions. Um so um we call this as we learn in

Logos self-confidence which is what the um the natural people the people in the world have and this is based on their own knowledge and their experience. So even if they're not data scientists or statisticians uh they have their own Data which calls which is called their life experience right so whatever they however they experience their life based on that they make decisions based on that they choose to do some things and choose not to do certain things right so um this is sort of their very subjective life um that they um operate on therefore there's

no relationship with God here and there is no guarantee or acknowledgement from God. But the faith according to the Bible which uh in Guruki's uh he uh pistus is the faith that comes from God. So we call it the faith of God. Not just in God but of God. What kind of faith? The faith of God. It's based on the word of God. So it is not based on my own experience and my calculations and my own logic but it's based on God's word, his own logic and his own way. And that is to say

it's a relationship with God. So there is 100% guarantee uh of success from God by God. So faith is the only way these two Entirely different beings can come together. That is God who is spirit and men who are in the flesh. God who is invisible, men who are visible, God who is holy and men who are unholy, God who is righteous and men who are sinners can come together. What is that blue called again? Faith. That's right. So if you were to draw a picture, faith is in the middle and these two uh parties

that are uh entirely heterogeneous, entirely different um can Come together and that's why we say in faith nothing is impossible. It's impossible for these two to come together but because of faith the two can come together and be harmonious. So when there's the word then we obey the word. Obeying the word of God is what faith is. What is faith? Obeying the word of God. So definition of faith is again possessing things um that we hope for. And again what is the purpose of faith? What is the result of faith? The Salvation of my soul.

Again my soul not my body not my life. Because people can say well I come to church so I can be saved from my problems. You know poverty or sadness or broken relationship or emptiness. All those things are important to those people subjectively. But ultimately what's the most important most critical thing is where is my soul going to be when this flesh dies. Yes. Amen. Yes. So that's why the salvation of my soul highlighting my soul. Salvation is critical from where? From from hell which is the place uh where sin is punished forever. So it

is to uh it is for us to have this faith in um God who is one true living God. John 17 uh 3. eternal life is knowing the one true God um the only true God and Jesus Christ whom uh he sent. So first I start by believing in the only true God and that he is the creator of heavens and the earth. How many of you believe that the world was made by God? Are you sure about that? That is to say you reject the theory of evolution. Amen. Yes. The theory that men came

up with as opposed to God who designed and made that is where our faith begins. And this creator made two kinds of worlds. One world is the invisible world and the other one is the visible world. What we see right now is the visible world. The material heavens is what God made but also before he making this material Heaven um we you know generally we call the universe is a spiritual heaven the invisible one. uh and then we also uh know from the Bible and we're going to repeat this again but there are three layers

of heaven right so there is the first heaven the the heaven within the atmosphere and then the second is what the universe the firmament and then the third heaven 2 Corinthians 12:2 is the spiritual Heaven and the important thing that we need to know about the spiritual heaven is where paradise is and where the father's house is so eternal life to live with God if my relationship with God here on earth that I form and enter into successful and it is everlasting. It should bring me it will bring me out of the visible heavens the

material world and bring me into the spiritual heaven outside where the father's house is. That is where we're promised to live With him forever as the beautiful song that we sang says. Amen. Amen. So uh there are three types of spiritual beings that uh this creator made. I'm sorry not three types. There are three types of spiritual beings only two made that he made. One is God himself. He did not he didn't make anything. He's the uncreated one. The two other types he made. One are angels and second Man the living being. So um from

the Bible so again three types of spiritual beings are God, angels and the living being. Man, who is a living being? We're going to get to that in a second. So, we believe in the Bible and we believe that the Bible is contains the infallible word of God. It was written by the in inspiration of the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Men who are inspired by the spirit of God wrote the Bible. Therefore, it is infallible. It's inherent. There is no flaw to the Bible. Amen. Whatever is there meant to be there. Amen. Yes.

Because it's the word of God and it contains the contents are covenant and prophecies. How do I believe all this? I need to start with hypothesis, right? So, you acknowledge that this is possible. You have to start with in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You got to start With, you know what, I never learned that in school, but I'm going to start with, okay, let's just say in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. How many of you started this way? Amen. You guys all started like this. Yes. In

the beginning, you're like, no, I don't know anything about that, but let's start. Okay. Okay. I'll start. And then you you read from beginning to the end as you're learning and then you're Learning not only learning secondly obeying what it says. So continually obeying faith is again obeying the word of God. And in in the course of obeying the god obeying the word of God there is something called experience. So that my faith is confirmed to be true. So what God wants to see from us, what God is looking for right now in this room,

even this moment, is a face of faith. Not just a pretty madeup face. That helps, but maybe not. He's not looking At the physical face, but he is seeing the faith inside of us. Faith. So God, it cares for faith. He wants to wants us to have faith because that's what our relationship with him is based on. That's where we start. and that he decided from everlasting. So that's why in Genesis 126:27 when God was creating all the things in the world day six he said let us make mankind in our image in our likeness

and verse 27 says God created mankind in his own image in the Image of God he created them male and female he created them. So in whose image did God make man? humans in the image of God, in the likeness of God. So when at the end of each day of creation, God said it was good. It was good. But at the end of day six when God made this human uh in the image of God, he said it was very good. Very good. Because this was a preliminary stage of God's relationship with men. But

we Don't see there God saying, "I'm going to now have a relationship with you and dwell with you." Even though he did speak to the first uh male and female and said, "Bless them and procreate and make many babies and let many babies have many more babies and fill the earth and subdue it and govern the earth and all of that." But there was no uh resting for God as in dwelling with uh God dwelling with men there because God does not dwell in anything that has Beginning or end. Because God is eternal, his dwelling,

his relationship ought to also be eternal. And we also see that in beginning beginning of Genesis 2 where um God finishes his creating work. Um and then for six days he created on the seventh day he uh blessed it. So most people think the seventh day is the day of rest, right? But before God rested on the seventh day, he actually did something else. He blessed it and Made it holy. Somebody's paying attention. He blessed it and made it holy. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from

all the work of creating that he had done. So that's Genesis chapter 2 2:3. Holiness, holy, holy is holy. You right. Holy. Holy is not like holy. Whatever you think holy is like candle light and stained glass. Holy. Holy is to be set apart. Holy is also clean, Pure. Nothing unclean is there. So what it shows is God did not rest until he blessed it and made it holy. He does not rest anything or anywhere that is not holy. As Hebrews 12:14, without holiness, no one will see the Lord. So you there has to be

holiness for God to rest. For God's peace, joy, rest, and life to be, there has to be holiness first. Are you understanding? Amen. So the man that is made up of dust of the ground, God didn't have Relationship because the man with the dust did not have spirit yet until Genesis 2:7. Let's go there. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a once again. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathe into

his nostril the breath of life and the man became a living being. So the first human that God made in day six is The first part of that verse. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. That's how the first man was made that has a beginning and end. But God added on to that layer that being the physical being to make him into another being as in dual being by breathing his breath into the man. So God being spirit his breath is spirit. When he breathed into the man who was

physical, now the physical man, the flesh man also becomes a spiritual being And he is called a living being. And this is God's work of preparing the man to become a spiritual space, spiritual being, a spiritual place where the spirit of God will later on enter to have relationship with him. Not just today, not just for 70 years, but for ever. So he is called Adam. Uh and Adam lived in the garden of Eden. For his physical body, he could eat from any trees. But for the spirit inside of the body, he Had to live

by the word of God. And the word of God said, "Do not eat from this one tree called the tree of the knowledge good and evil. If you eat of it, you will surely die." However, he did not believe in the word of God that said, "If you eat of it, you will surely die." God is saying, "I'm giving you a chance to have a relationship with me, which is called the relationship of faith. You got to believe me when I say, if you eat of it, You will surely die." Maybe he did it for

a little bit. Maybe there was a little bit of that relationship starting. But he was tempted by a serpent through the woman and those words were sweet to his ears which said, "You'll not surely die even if you eat the fruit." Actually, if you eat the fruit, you will be like God. So instead of believing the word of God, Adam ended up believing in the word which are lies of the serpent that is the devil. The Devil who comes between God and man. So that act of taking the forbidden fruit, disobeying the word is called

sin. So as I said, God does not rest or have relationship where there is no holiness. He does not have relationship with the spirit that has sin. So once sin takes place then Adam is driven out from the garden of Eden and God put a flaming sword on the garden to visualize you have no relationship with God now sin is between us so we are Broken not only that spiritually you're going to follow the source of sin that's the devil all the way to the price of sin to be paid for ever and ever that

is the place of eternal death called hell And where is this place hell? Oh my goodness. For our new friends. Okay, let's go to second Peter 3:7. By the same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Matthew 25:41 says uh everlasting Fire, eternal fire. But here it says um that fire is going to take place in the present heavens and earth. As I said, faith is believing that there are these two types of worlds. The spiritual and material, the visible and the

invisible. The visible world that we live called the universe, the second heaven, the first and the second heaven is actually pres uh is reserved reserved this space is reserved for fire to destroy ungodly men. Destroy all those who follow the Devil, all those who are in sin, all those who have no relationship with God. that is so that's the destin that's the fate of all mankind without knowing um this uh was set up but when as God was casting out Adam and Eve um he clothed them in garments of skin which we've been hearing a

lot which means even though they were driven out from the garden of Eden there is no relationship with God no communication broken and all bound for hell here is God's gesture which is a shadow of what God will do later on and that is that skin garment of skin is a result of tearing flesh and in tearing flesh there will be blood and that blood will actually make holy sanctify so that God and men can have relationship that is everlasting. Amen. So the rest of the Old Testament we see the history of um uh God

or the story of God calling men um to give them faith chance for faith and when they Responded to his calling his voice his word and carried out their life or their action was called faith. So Hebrews 11 uh recounts uh and and outlines this the men of faith. So um when you read it uh you know starting with like Abel and then we have Noah and and and and then we go to Abraham uh even Enoch before that but there's Moses. So all these men of faith what they had done is recorded because what

they had done was faith. So it shows faith is not verbal confession In the heart in the mind because some people say I believe Jesus I believe in the ideology of Jesus. I believe in the heart of Jesus. Well, that could be a beginning or motiv motivation. Um, but that is not faith. Faith is action. So, the Old Testament men of faith, they show their faith through their action, the deeds of faith. Um, and it was these people that they were uh called as the people of God and they were Israel and they were commanded

to build the Sanctuary uh to house the name of God Jehovah. And they built the temple later on and in it was the word of God in the form of the stone tablets. So if they obey the commandments written in the stone tablets, they were called men of faith. If they disobeyed, then they were cut off. So when God sent his son in the name not of Jehovah, but in Yeshua, the father's name, John 5:43, he looked at the temple and said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in Three days." And he

is saying now you thought that by believing the name of Jehovah and obeying the commandment given by Jehovah was going to save you from your uh uh realities. And that was their history. That was their experience. But the most important thing is not being saved from war or famine or or or sickness but to be safe from hell. I have come and I have come to save those who believe me and who will believe me and believe in my word who Come to know me know Yeshua and have relationship with him he was saved so

again in John 17:3 now this is eternal life that they know you let's read that together John 17:3 now this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent again what is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. You got to believe those two things. You got to believe in the only true God who created The heavens and the earth and Jesus Christ as whom the son he sent. Those two things have to be there for us

to receive eternal life. Actually the promise of eternal life because we don't have eternal life immediately when we believe that right so we start that relationship by knowing that having that. So when Yeshua said destroy the temple, he is saying I am the temple, the new temple because he said destroy the temple and I'll raise it again in Three days saying I'm going to be to put to death but in three days I will resurrect and I will show you that my word is true that my word is the truth and that if you believe

my word believe in me and believe my word not delivered by angel but the son of God son God himself you will have eternal life and for that the son had to die. So when he died on the cross, when they led him to death, he did not resist. He did not defend himself. He Did not try to free himself. But he went willingly because this was according to the father's plan and schedule to be revealed as the lord of faith. That's why when he died on the cross, he said it is finished. I know

the destroy and finish are coming so close together, right? Because I got other stuff at the end. Yes. So he said it is finished because this is what he came to do. The mission was accomplished and that was he had to follow the father's command. Again, what is faith? Obeying the word, the word of God, the word of the father. John 5:12:15, I know that his command leads to eternal life. These are the words of Yeshua himself. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So, according to the command of the father, he laid

down his life because he trusted the father. He believed in the father and the father's word because the father said lay down your life. John 10:17 18 and then you will take it up again. You Trust me and I will save you. Because again in the you know one part it says I have the authority to take it up. But other part in acts you know two on it was the father who raised him back to life. It was the power of the spirit that raised the son back to life. So Yeshua had to trust

that the father will deliver. So Hebrews 12:2 says, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith." Who is Yeshua? The pioneer and the perfector of faith. For The joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hallelujah. Where was Yeshua before he came to the world? He was with the father. We believe in one God but one God who reveals himself works himself in three persons. So the one who makes the will decided I'm going to have relationship with

mankind that is specifically living being. So the father decided that in the beginning for That work to be accomplished for that to be fulfilled there's another part of God called the son. Yes. So the word became flesh. The word who was with the father in the beginning, John 1:14-18, became flesh. The word became flesh. The spirit that's invisible became flesh. The God who is the Lord of faith simply faith. Faith. The faith that was in the beginning became flesh. Do you understand? And that faith died. But in three days of faith we risen to life

to reveal that he is the beginning of faith pioneer faith and then completer complete completion perfection of that faith. Hallelujah. So that he through his resurrection after his death will be proven testify as the lord of faith. Hallelujah. He judged the devil the seed of the origin of sin. But because of sin, men doubt. The seed of doubt is the Devil. So when Yeshua died being that action of obeying to death was showing his faith and by that action that faith he condemned doubt. Are you following me? The origin of doubt the devil. And just

as the garment of skin foreshadow through his torn flesh, Yeshua shed his blood, which is referred to as the redeeming blood. What kind of blood? The redeeming blood to be received by believers and then they would be forgiven by receiving the blood Of Yeshua. Hallelujah. He died. But as he said in three days he resurrected and he sat down at the right hand of God in heaven on the throne and he has testified as the Lord of faith and witnessing that having been with him all along the spirit of God the Holy Spirit was sent

in the name of Yeshua. So in Romans 8:9 we let's go back there. Romans 8:9 the main uh text there. Romans 8:9. You however are not in the flesh, but Are in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. There are two types of spirits there. Many of you may recall. So there is the spirit of Christ and the spirit of God. I had just said the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. Then what is the spirit

of Christ? Well, first of all, the spirit of God came from the throne, the holy spirit sent by the father, the son. And he comes not to The world, but those who believe. The souls of believers, the holy spirit enters. Now, who are believers? The believers are who believed and possess the spirit of Christ. What is the spirit of Christ? Spirit of God is the holy spirit. And the spirit of Christ is the blood of Yeshua. It's the blood of Christ. Two things. Quick review with your neighbor. What is the spirit of God and spirit

of Christ? All right. Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit. Spirit of Christ is the So why is the blood of Christ called the spirit of Christ? The blood of Christ. Christ shed his blood, right? And it from his body the blood came out. But why is it called spirit? because his body is the word became flesh. The word became the blood. Again, the word became the word became spirit became flesh. Spirit became Blood. Spirit of Christ is the blood of Christ. Say amen if you think you think you believe you're sure that you have

the spirit of Christ in your soul. If you have the blood of Christ, the spirit of Christ, you belong to Christ. Do you believe that? But how do you know that? It is by the testimony of the spirit of God in you. Amen. So unless you receive the Holy Spirit, you do not know because this is all spiritual. Yes. So Spirit of God only dwells in the space that is holy. Remember that I said all these things ahead to set up. So without holiness, no one can see the Lord. Without holiness, you cannot enter into

relationship with God because God is holy. In my flesh, that's unholy. I cannot. The spirit that has sin, I cannot. But when my spirit is cleansed, what what cle what cleanses the the the sin of man? Blood. Because the sin that we're talking about is spirit sin. The only thing that can wash the spirit of sin is the blood. So my relationship with Christ begins with washing. You like to wash? Maybe you should like washing a little bit. God bless your roommates going to retreat. Yes. Wash. Wash. So, uh, Jesus washed the feet of, um,

the disciples in John 13:8. Peter, the loyal one, he's like, "You shall never wash my feet. How Dare you guys just sit there and let the Lord wash your feet. I'm not like you guys. You shall never wash my feet, Lord." And he was expecting the Lord say, "Thank you, Peter. God bless you, Peter." But the Lord always surprised Peter and said unless I wash you, you have unless I wash you, you have no power. Of course, he was washing the feet of his physically. But what Yeshua is saying is is not physical. He's talking

about Spiritual relationship. So unless you unless I wash you, no part, no relationship, no connection. So what is he saying? This is before he died. Before Yeshua went to the cross, he said these words. So unless I wash your sin, we don't have a relationship which starts with unless you confess and repent and believe to receive my blood, there is no no connection with with me. Do you understand? So coming to church, just Fast forward to 2025 for people here. Coming to church and singing all this, holy is the Lord, the hymn of heaven. Hallelujah.

Right? You came to church, you rode the van, you sat with your all these Christians and you sing the song together. Does that mean by default that you have relationship with God? So everyone sitting here, well, this room is pretty packed. God, God bless you. God, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. You have come. But not everyone here has a relationship with God. Or even those who think they have relationship. You need to question, do I really have relationship with God? To have a relationship with Yeshua, with God, I must begin with washing. Again, that

washing is not physical, but washing of the spirit that is dead in sin. So, how many of you believe that you have surely washed away by not over and over, just one time, one time confession, and that I have washed away All my sin by the blood of Yeshua. If you're looking at your phone, go home. Go home. Don't get on the van. All right. Make sure if you're looking at your phone, don't come. You understand? I I You Do you understand? I prayed and I I wept to feed his lambs. to not lose one

of the souls given to me. But you know what? It's bilateral. Relationships are bilateral. You look at your phone, you're not interested. It's not personal. But I'm being personal for the Lord who shed his precious blood. And he's trying to say this is the effort I'm making to have relationship with you. So you not that you not you're not you don't become lost and that you don't fall into that fire in that day, but be saved. Just sitting here looking pretty, looking religious in your suits and your dresses does not mean that you have the

spirit of Christ and automatically in relationship with Him to go to heaven. Sorry. No. The blood of Yeshua is the spirit of Christ. And only when you have the spirit of Christ in your spirit, then you belong to Christ. Do you belong to Christ? What does that mean to belong to Christ? You're his and he will take care of you. The spirit of Christ is the imperishable word. The imperishable word is the spirit. The spirit of the word. 1 Peter 18:25. You know that it was not with Perishable things such as silver or gold that

you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. And that's why that verse in verse 24 says, "All people are like grass, and all of the glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." all relationships, No matter how much you say, "I love you, honey. And I'm just going through this honeymoon. I love my husband, my wife, and we've been married for

30, 40 years. I love my mommy. I love my children." All of that. Great. Better than not loving, right? But guess what? They're all going to end. And even with those loving, successful relationship, if you don't form this one relationship, you go to hell. How serious is this? Is this serious? To enter and form this everlasting relationship with God is based on faith and it matter it's a matter of the salvation of my soul that is to be saved from burning hell or be fallen to the h in into the burning hell and in the

lake of fire suffer forever so I possess the spirit of Christ and I belong to Christ the blood sanctifies my spirit one time forever it's not my effort it's by my faith my faith in the works of Jesus Christ and my faith in His redeeming blood. Redeeming blood. That's the grace of God. Unmmerited, undeserved. How many of you believe that? Not only do I have Adam to blame for the sin that he passed down to the spirit. But I too made my contribution with my hands, with my thoughts, with my heart, with my words, my

temper, my ambitions, my my my uh all these lust and carnal desires and always fighting with this body. All of that is defined as sin. And the wage of Sin is death. In Revelation 20 in the end, it says death, second death. They're thrown into the lake of fire. For all those whose names are found not found in the book of life are thrown into the fire. Those are the words of God. In order for us to not go there, not suffer there, God has made this effort. And he said, "For I," Hebrews 8:12, "for

I will give their I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no More as a result of possessing the spirit of Christ, possessing the blood of Christ. All my sins are washed away." Okay. How many of you believe that? How powerful is the blood of God? Amen. That's right. So, even if I fall and sin, and all of us do after receiving the blood, after being baptized, we do fall. Some people come up to me and they say, "Pastor, I'm having second thoughts about baptism because what if I sin?" And I tell them, "You

will sin. You will Sin." But what is your determination? What is your commitment? What kind of effort will you make is the question. Are you clear on the kind of relationship you're going to enter into? People say like, "I didn't know marriage was going to be like this." Especially the guys, they say, "I had no idea. I had no idea it was going to be like this." It's like even if you want to be transparent with humans, guess what? All Disappointments. have all this high expectation of what this married life is going to be like,

this loving person is going to be like, blah blah. It's not like that. It's not like that. It's not like they're acting. But it's humans, right? They try to work it out because it means a lot to you and then you make you are more secure because you have this committed relationship blah blah blah. But has got nothing to do with your life After death. So when I believe in the blood of Yeshua even I even if I fall after receiving the blood of Christ as the blood of as the spirit of God is now

in me once the spirit of Christ I possess and then the spirit of God comes in the name of Yeshua the Holy Spirit. How many of you see the spirit of God? Amen. And then the spirit of God comes with the purpose to be with men for this relationship to grow into an everlasting relationship. How many of you want that? That is based on faith. This relationship has no benefit in the world. You're not going to get more friends as a result of this relationship. You're not going to get promoted. You're not going to get

rich by this relationship. Sorry, you can go home, too. If that's not what you're that's not if that's doesn't interest you, you can go home. This relationship is that one l one one only one enduring relationship When all things pass away all the grass in the field all the flowers all the trees and all creatures all the this entire world that is reserved for fire when it's burned up the only rel all the relationships will burn in that fire but this one relationship with God that is everlasting that is by faith starting here on earth

will bring me out of this burning universe and bring me into the father's house in heaven. That is my hope, my Faith. Question is then, do I have the spirit of Christ or not? You say amen because this is the time you say amen. It sounds right. Amen. But what does that mean? Do you have a relationship? Some people even say working relationship. working because you could be legally married on paper, but you have no communication. That's not working, right? Couple can be in love, you know, whatever, walking Down the aisle, months later, they're look,

you know, there's a joke. Like a cab drivers can't look in the mirror and be like, "Yep, that's a married couple. Husband looks out that way and wife looks that way and they have a kid in between." But then you could look back and oh they're having an affair because they're looking at each other because again human relationship passionate and cools off and they fall Away. That's just how humans are. But the relationship that I have with God who is spirit and who is eternal. This relationship has to not just be one time at the

retreat last year or two years ago, five years ago. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. as Zoe 10 years ago and I don't know about today then we're in trouble. The word became flesh. The word became blood which I believed and received. I received. I believed. I received. I believe. John 1:12. Whoever receives. Whoever believes in the name will receive the right to become the children of God. I have entered into this relationship with God by my faith. Amen. Yet you do not love the Lord like he loves you. We do not love him as much as

he loves us. We do not seek him as he seeks us. He wants to be near us, but we don't want him to be near us. At least not Always. He is continuously waiting for us, but we don't wait for him. Why is this not working? Working relationship means harmonious. Why is it that I'm not harmonious with God? Answer is we lack faith. We lack faith. We lack passion. We are extremely selfish. Extremely selfish. having no faith and no trust in God and Therefore no zeal no passion and for some people oh because people have

hurt me and disappointed me I don't even really trust in my own father or mother because they hurt me so I think God is the same so because of their doubt they do not trust in God they do not trust in his word so this is why the Bible is so we need to read the Bible and in again especially in Hebrews 11 looking at that genealogy or the lineup of men of faith Abraham also known is what? The father Of faith. He's known as the father of faith. Yes. When God called him to leave

his father's household, father his homeland, he left without knowing where he was going. So that was around age of 75 when God called him first and he obeyed. So God caught that attention. So God gave him a chance. It's like serving, you know, ball over the net and then served and then he answer. Oh, okay. So he have faith. He has faith. So then God continued to watch him and said, 'I will make a covenant with you. I'm going to promise you a children, a descent, as many as stars in the sky. I want you

to be circumcised. Abram could be like, no thanks. Done. Serve. Doesn't come over. But then God serves, and then he answers back, comes back again. Huh, I like this guy. He has faith. So from that age on and do you remember when he finally gets his only son at the age of 100. So it's about 25 years later of now Walking with the Lord. Abraham is watched by God and God is paying attention to this man. When his son comes of age, what's the son's name again? Isaac. And coming of age could have been 16,

maybe even 20. So you add on Abraham is about 120 then. In Genesis 22, God said, "Give me your son as a burnt sacrifice." Oh man, that's the test of tests. That is a test of what kind of faith Abraham has in God. That's a t test of what kind Of relationship he has with God. Without doubting, Abraham believed. In Romans, it describes Abraham believed in the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not because that was his body. His body was as good as dead at the age

of 199. His wife is 89. How did they have babies? You don't. But God said, "Next year you will have a child." And then they believe that promise. So then they had a baby. They experience God who gives life to the dead body like mine can surely bring back from the dead that life. He believed that. So he bound up this child and he was ready to throw the knife into the heart of his only son when God stopped him and said,"Abraham, Abraham, do not touch that boy." And he said in Genesis 22:12, "Now I

know you fear God." What did he say? Now I know you fear God. Did God not know? Doesn't God know Everything? But why does it say now I know you fear God? Because what he said after because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Now I know you fear God. So what does fearing God mean? Some people like, well I'm not under the law. I don't fear God. You better fear God. Fearing God is the beginning of faith. So fearing God means to trust God, to respect God, to admire God, to

love God. But of course, God knew his heart all along. But why at this moment God says, "Now I know you fear God." Because that's the definition of faith. Faith is showing that you fear God. You trust God. You honor God. You love God. God is not satisfied with your words. This is why Yeshua said in Matthew 7, "Not everyone who says,"Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, I know you. I drove out demons in your name. I prophesied, "Hello, don't you know me?" And the Lord Says, "I don't know you. Get out of here." It is not

those who say, "Lord, Lord," but those who do the will of God. those who obey the word of God. So Abraham is known as the father of faith and therefore he was blessed and he was loved as God said in the end of that passage because you have done this and have not withheld your son your only son I will surely blessed you and make your descendants numerous all that he Said because you have obeyed me because what? Because what? I know you don't want to hear this. It is always the same, isn't it? Because

it's so hard. The Bible is saying the same thing over and over again. This is where we get stuck. People like to sing hallelujah, sing songs, and even love to come to the retreat because it's just really spiritfilled. Yes, I understand. I love it, too. I look forward to it. But there they raise their hand, they're crying, hallelujah, hallelujah. And come time goes like, "Oh my god." Yeah. And their life is so hard. Well, you keep telling me what to do. I'm like, "You know what? Good times good, but I got more things to do

over there." They don't have relationship with God. Some people, some people even say, "Oh my God, this is too much. You're telling me to get stop this and don't do this and do this. I don't I can't do that." They have no relationship with God. What happened as a result of Abraham showing that he fears God is that God held unto Abraham to the end. He held unto his faith to the end. So, we're still talking about him. Do you want God to hold on to your faith until when? Until when? Until the end. Until

what I hope for becomes a reality. Amen. This everlasting relationship with God Is the relationship of faith. It is bilateral. As Abraham acknowledged God, God acknowledged Abraham's faith. I have to acknowledge God. I have to fear God. I have to trust God. And that is when God acknowledges my faith. Do you have that relationship in your life right now? Maybe you did. Sometimes you don't. Coming to church when you're bored, praying when things are in crisis, and then prayer vacation when things are Okay. coming to church and singing and praying, maybe cleaning the toilets and

maybe even driving people and giving money even, but in the end, not knowing the will of God, the Lord says, "I don't know you." Or some people just go with the mood. Go with the mood. Go with the vibes. Everyone's crying. I'm going to cry, too. I love the music. I feel it. No, there's no relationship there. We need to have a relationship. And that having relationship is having an intimate experience as in to know. Eternal life is this to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent. To know yada in Hebrew

is to experience. When the angel came to the virgin Mary and said, "You're going to conceive a child." And she said, "How can this be for I do not know man?" In the later translation, because I'm a I'm a virgin. But early translation says, "I do not Know man." So what does that mean? I've never had a relationship with man. I never slept with a man. That's what she said. I'm a virgin. So it's that kind of intimate relationship I need to have with the spirit of Christ that washed away my sin that I am

clinging to the blood and I am trusting the blood and as a result I have the spirit of God who is working in me. That relationship should be more intimate than any other relationship in the world. Yet, when things are happening at home and say, "Oh, my family wants me to do this. I got to go. I got to spend time with my family because they've been missing me. I'm spending too much time here at church. They I need to look after them. I need I need to keep that relationship going." What did Jesus say

about that? Matthew 10:37, "If anyone who loves their father or mother more than me Is not worthy of me, anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." We don't have time to look at it, but it's in the Bible. Trust me. Matthew 10 37. I'm not making it up because you're looking at me like, "Yeah, you will say those things, pastor. I'm not making it out. It's there." Amen. So once I receive the blood of of the spirit of Christ and I have the right to become children of

God, the right to Become children of God. Before we close, let's go to John 1:12. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become again. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. You know this verse I've been looking at. I've been preaching on it so many many times. But this time I have new insight. Yes, even at this point I have new insight. You know what it is? It says

he gave the right to become children of God. Other places as we read in Romans 8, you know, you call 8:12 and 8:15 by the spirit you call him abba father. By receiving the blood we form this relationship with him as our heavenly father and I as a child. Amen. But other place it says the right to become children of God. What is that? The right meaning I can lose it. Then I can lose it. And that right is About future tense. What I'm going to become what I'm promised that is to become heirs of

God in heaven. For me to be given birth, I didn't do any work. All I have done is to receive believe the spirit of Christ. What is it? The blood of Christ. The spirit of Christ. I didn't do work for it. Faith. It is by faith I receive that. But from this point on, from faith to be found as faith in that day and to go to the place where the Lord of faith is, that is the Father's house outside the universe outside far away from the place that will become hell. I need to keep

this relationship going. That's why in Revelation 3:20, the Lord says, "Similarly, here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me." How many of you want to dwell in his house with him together, eating with him and drinking with him and one with Him forever. That's our dream to make it to the father's house where he has spread the table and has prepared that places. He said when I go and prepare a place for

you John 14 I will come and take you to be with me. So until then I have to keep this relationship going and that is to do according to his word. Faith is obeying the word. The word of God the word of Yeshua. Whatever he commanded starting With baptism and gathering in his name, praying in his name and serving and testifying and die to yourself is what he had said. Amen. If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For my relationship to be continuous and unbreakable

and lasting until the end, I have to daily crush myself, deny myself. So faith is to crush my own logic, my own experience. That's why people say I Can't really accept the creation thing because I've been educated. I've been educated. School taught me about evolution and I can't they cannot surpass their own education. They cannot surpass their own experience. They cannot surpass their own argument and logic and reason. Their faith is so small. They cannot have a relationship with God. This is why daily denying is daily crushing. I start with crushing, tossing Out my own

argument, my own logic, my stubbornness, my pride, my laziness, my worldly desires and ambitions. I need to crush and crush and break it. But the spirit of God comes for me to have this relationship with him working and continuing and growing and and firm. I need to fear him daily. Fear him. fear his word because I fail, I weep and I repent. And only when I become nothing as Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Only when I'm nothing and I'm trying to become nothing. I No, not

saying I could only do this. Stop telling me what to do. There's a lot of people like that, too. There's a lot of people like that, too. Don't cross that line, pastor. This is all I'm gonna do. Don't push me. What am I doing? Am I Am I If I push you, I'm gonna get promotion. You think You think I'm going to be like walking the park and laughing if I make you do something? Please. No. Don't flatter yourself. No. So, who are you saying don't tell me what to do to just a messenger? That's

what I pray for. like a snow cool drink in harvest time is a faithful, trustworthy messenger to the master who sends him. He refreshes the spirit of his master. That's my prayer every day, especially on this day, especially this Retreat that I become the trustworthy messenger speaking on behalf of my master who sends me and saying, "Could you ever have an issue with the word of God? You have a problem with the word you're hearing right now. Has the Lord ever failed you? Has the Lord ever disappointed you? So why do you have an issue

with his word? Why do you have an issue with the command that's given by him, spoken by the pastor, spoken by the church? So think about that. If I have a working relationship with God, this everlasting relationship, this faith relationship, I ought to know that I belong to him. Do you belong to him? Do you belong to him? Who's your daddy? Yes. Who's your daddy? Yeah. The word that's been telling me to question myself and deny myself and do all this is hard, but he's saying, "I got you. I got you. I got your back."

He is the pioneer and perfector of faith. He is the faith that was in the beginning that became flesh. And he fulfilled that faith through his obedience to death showing this is faith. And the result of faith is salvation from Hades. The father saved him from this space that will become hell. And he is now on the throne in heaven preparing a place for us to also follow him. Do we Want to go where he's at? Do we want to have eternal life? Do we look forward to the salvation of our souls? That is the

promise. That is the promise of faith. The promise of faith is that he's going to come back to take me to be where he's at. And that is only for those who belong to him. 1 Corinthians 15:23, "But each in his turn, Christ the first fruits, then when he comes those who belong to him." That's why the Lord said, "When the son Of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Just because you were baptized, just because you've been in COJ for long and you've been speaking in tongues, you go to all the programs and

all and you show up, say hi to everybody, does not mean does not guarantee you and your faith to be found in that day. So what to do? I need to cling to the spirit of God to continue to live and working in my life. Then I need to crush this ego, crush This selfishness, selfishness, this calculative selfishness. I need to crush this logic, this pride I have based on my knowledge and my relation, my experiences. These are all the things that weaken my relationship with God. Do you want your relationship with God to be

strong? Become stronger. Amen. It is a relationship by faith. So What are we saying? I want faith. I want to have greater faith. I want faith like Abraham who never complained, who never questioned. But all he said was, "Command me, I will do. Command me, I will do until the end. Carry me. Carry me and hold on to my faith." So in that day, none of us will fail to enter, but all of us will enter the father's house as he promised. Hallelujah. Let's pray.