Transcription
Citizens of heaven, people of God, shalom and praise the Lord. Lord welcoming you all into another fresh brand episode, first time in English from Goen Ministries International. Yes, this is the interview journal in English called Audience with Ruler, according to Proverbs 29:26.
Today, we have a very special guest, an eminent guest brought to us exclusively by the Holy Spirit. Just to know who he is, have a look into this short AV.
Greetings to you all this afternoon, and it's such a joy and pleasure to be with you up here. I mean, I know it's after a break of two years, and I vividly remember the Leader Impact session a couple of years ago, which was such a blessing. And this afternoon, I welcome you. I know my time is a little difficult one because the panelists have really raised doubts in your mind as to whether I am normal or no. And I stand before you this afternoon, and the post-lunch session is not the easiest to handle. But let me assure you, we're going to enjoy it because the topic that's been given to me is about following Christ at the workplace.
Yes, it is Brother Shaji Abraham, a man of God who sits among the priests and also among the kings. He's been in a very eminent position in an MNC. At the same time, he represents the king amongst the king in the world. I'm very curious to know more about this man of God. So join with me to welcome him. Come, let's go.
Sister, simply going to church, simply reading the Bible, simply saying, "I'm a Christian. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Tongues and that and this." Not everybody who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Insist this outwardly show business will never let you enter the kingdom of heaven. Let us not live in that pseudo faith. The angels cannot touch, the cherubims cannot touch, the seraphims cannot touch, the four creatures cannot touch, the 24 elders cannot. Nothing in heaven can touch the throne. But the incense from the vial, which is your prayer and my prayer, will touch the throne. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. That is the power of prayer.
I pray to the Lord. He didn't give me. How can the Lord give it to them? >> I have higher marks than them. Then how can they with lower marks get a job when I don't get? Hey, where is this Jesus that you used to pray about? What about your prayer? You got the best marks and you used to tell us that your God is doing that and doing this. Now what happened? The Bible clearly says in the end times, people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, pride, hateful, disobedient to parents, unthankful. If the Lord gives the cup of suffering, days are coming where you fix your digital signature in places. Days are coming where you cannot transact in your bank without a digital identity of yourself. That is why the Bible clearly says the rich or poor or big or small cannot even transact and buy or sell without the mark of the beast. And anybody who has the mark of the beast will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Is there in Revelation 12?
>> Yes. >> Brother Shaji, it's a joy to have you with us. On behalf of Go Ministries, we welcome you.
>> Thank you so much, and such a joy to be here with you today, and lovely to meet you as well. Thank you.
>> So when I was just doing the intro, I was just uh taking the audience through that uh you've been as a director in an MNC, but still you're a man of God.
>> And then I've seen couple of your videos, at least few of them.
>> Okay. Okay. I've seen you speaking in English to the English-speaking crowd, and then because you're in Bangalore, obviously >> you would know Kannada.
>> And then I happened to hear that uh your mother, your mother tongue is so, are you a linguist, brother, for the kingdom of God?
>> You know, it's just the grace of God, sister, that different languages like, you know, Tamil and Malayalam and English and Kannada >> uh a few of these languages that the Lord gives the proficiency, which actually happens during the time of the session of the message.
>> Okay.
>> Uh, if you really would check about my proficiency of the flow of language, uh, it, it would not be as perfect as when we are on the podium or at the time of sharing the word.
>> This is just a gift of God, I would say.
>> Glory to Jesus. I was even more surprised when you said like your parents live in >> Ooty. That's right.
>> And then, you know, okay, so your versatility is also there in and around. Basically from Kerala, but settled in and had schooling and my earlier part of my life all in Tamil Nadu, and currently I'm in Bangalore in Karnataka, and travel the globe across. So basically, you know, a multicultural, multilingual nature into which the Lord has taught us a lot of uh areas through which we can actually be relevant to people irrespective of looking at barriers, you know, respect a human being as a human being, no cultural language barriers can affect. Because the Bible also says the blood of Jesus has been shed for everybody.
>> And in the book of Revelation, you will see that there was a large crowd in heaven, and they came from all tribes, languages, nations, and cultures and people. And they were all together with one accord and one song, worshiping the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
>> And that is a reflection of what should happen in our ministry today.
>> Glory to Jesus.
>> Yeah. Because everybody's the same for God.
>> Glory to Jesus. So take us through your journey, brother, because um, I want to let the viewers know like how we got to meet you. Though we never knew you at the very beginning, it was like in one such uh Sunday services, you were preaching. We never knew who you were.
>> Sister, yeah.
>> Soon after the preaching was done, soon after the service, me and my husband, we were just in that church for a couple of weeks or so.
>> Okay.
>> And then you straight away came to us and then you shared the word which God has inspired into your heart.
>> And we were just curious to know who Brother Shaji is. And then I see you here everywhere taking the Lord's work. Who Brother Shaji is, where it all started.
>> Yeah, sister. See, uh, we are basically from a family from Kerala.
>> And my parents were there in the Nilgiris, a place called Coonoor >> in the tea plantation. So my dad was managing a tea plantation there.
>> So I had the earlier part of my education, which was the schooling, all in Coonoor, in schools called Stanes High School, in St. Joseph's College, after which I moved down to Kodaikanal to pursue the undergraduate education. That is when I had an encounter with the Lord. That is when I met the Lord.
>> Uh, I would have been about 18 years at that time.
>> Yeah. Yeah. That was during my graduation, which was my computer science course, during which period. Uh, sister, see, my dad was already into ministry.
>> Okay.
>> But as his children, though we see him preaching and though we see all that is happening in the in the area of the kingdom of God, that age of ours is such a vulnerable age when you're in college, that you're not actually a dedicated believer.
>> Though you just see things happening around, >> you also are attracted by the worldly things around you, and and it was a mix of both worlds, and sort of like you're not too clear about what should happen. Now, here comes a situation where while I completed my uh, the the degree >> course in college, >> what happens? You have this campus placement, right? And during college days, I used to be a namesake member of Scripture Union and UASI and all these spiritual things.
>> Though I used to be there, but never involved from the heart. It was just an outside show of things to just show that you're a Christian.
>> And what happened is, you know, all my classmates and professors used to look at me as a person that prays because everywhere my parents have inculcated that habit of praying, even before you take your meal, before you start a journey, before an exam, and for everything, I would pray. Even in the hostel where I used to stay, I used to read the Bible and pray, which they all would see. And they they think that I'm a prayerful person, but actually >> you god-fearing kind of a thing, not spiritual.
>> Not spiritual. It was just an outward thing, you know, and I, even I didn't understand the meaning of it. But >> this is where the whole change happened. When I completed my course >> in the third year, and the campus placement uh uh was going on in uh college.
>> Uh, I was a college topper. Uh, so, you know, all along I used to think, uh, God has blessed me, and all the good marks I'm getting is because of uh God's grace. And so, you know, when I used to pray also, people used to think, okay, because he's praying, he's getting these marks and all that. But then right from school, I was good in academics. So I was a college topper, and then what happened is when the placement drive was running for 3 days.
>> Mhm.
>> So we were 42 people in one classroom.
>> Okay.
>> Uh, the first day of the placement drive, the the head of department called me and said, "Mr. Saji, we are so proud that you are going to make it to be one of the people with the best letter of offer from any of those companies, and you'll be the pride of the institution, and we're looking forward for that." So day one comes, I go for the interview, and my classmates along with me, they're all there, you know, out of 42 of us, uh, 29 of us got placed on the first day.
>> Okay.
>> And out of the 29, I'm not there.
>> Okay. So, so, so then we waited the next day, and the third day is also there. So 29 of them got the letter of offer, and that comes day two, and out of 42, 29 plus the rest, and 41 are placed on the second day. The one that is left out is Okay. Then my professor comes and says, "Hey, I don't know what to say. Everybody got placed. We are so happy. But in your case, I can only call it as bad luck."
>> And the same professor who said you would be the pride of the institution now comes and tells me it's bad luck.
>> But I had one more day to go, right? So I went the third day also, and the companies did not want to pick me up because I was a little, I mean, a top scorer, which they did not want because, I mean, they were not looking for high performance. And the companies on the third day were tier two, tier three companies that were there. So it was nothing great.
>> Now, what added to the whole thing is when the 3-day placement drive got over, I was the only one in the college that was not placed. M
>> So my friends came and asked me, "Hey, where is this Jesus that you used to pray about? What about your prayer? You got the best marks, and you used to tell us that your God is doing that and doing this. Now what happened?" You know, they were they were jeering and laughing.
>> And to add to it, the HOD comes and says, "You have bad luck." So I had nowhere to go and hide my face. Now, to add salt to the wound, what really happened is all the 41 of them got together.
>> And they said, "We are hosting a dinner because of the placements that we got, and you, we want you to join us. Just one classmate cannot be missing out. Please come." It was very shameful for me.
>> Were you humiliated, kind of?
>> Absolutely. I was hurt inside, though I couldn't expose it outside. But when I went for the dinner to that five-star hotel where they were holding it, during the time of dinner, people came and poked their >> in right on my face and said, "Look at you, what a shame. And this is uh, I mean, this is the example of people who simply say God, God in their life and nothing is happening. You see, all of us got it. So you were calling on God, but none of us were like you, and all of us got it. So your God has blessed us. Your God has not blessed you."
>> Oh, there was a comparison.
>> So that uh, I had no answer or no face to face them. But of course, had to be with the dinner there with them, finished it, and I just wanted to get out of that place.
>> So what, what was that feeling which you had in the sense with God? Like, you know, were you hurt?
>> Absolutely. Or were you rebellious?
>> Or uh, or you had that bitterness?
>> Why? There could be multiple things.
>> True.
>> On that spot.
>> On that spot, immediately is God, I don't have an answer.
>> And I'm being insulted.
>> Why did you let this happen to me?
>> You know, that was the question. I was not rebellious.
>> But I was a little agitated. I was a little angry on God.
>> Angry on God, to be frank, to put it straight forward.
>> And I said, God, I called you all these years, I prayed, I did everything, and I did work hard. I scored the highest marks, and yet I'm not getting the job. Then why do I need a God?
>> You know, and they don't do any of those, and they're all placed, and they all have, and their parents are happy, they are happy. Now, my parents are the only ones. And to add to fuel to the fire, my parents would be most unhappy because he's the only one who's not placed.
>> You know? So there's no way you can explain that to a parent, right? M
>> And then I went back home, and I used to pray every day, and I used to say, "God, I don't know what's happening, but I'm fed up of life.
>> I'm no more of all this hard work and prayer and everything. It's all meaningless stuff."
>> So they all enjoying and doing well, and you know, so days just go by. The first month passes. All of them got their first salary. They get together again with the first salaries.
>> And they say, "Saji, please come."
>> Oh, no.
>> You know, and if I say no, it looks like jealousy. M
>> If I say yes, it's going to hurt me.
>> So, so, so the question was already on the first dinner itself, I was hurt badly. Now, how do I say no? So when I, when I discussed this back home with my parents, my dad, who's already in ministry, he said, "See, you need to learn to respect people >> irrespective of what you might be going through, humble yourself and go."
>> So based on the word that my dad told me, I went for that dinner of theirs, joined them. They were all so happy with the first salaries, and I wish them all the best, and I just tried to hide my feelings and came back home. You know, sister, six months passed, I was jobless.
>> And they were all doing well. At the end of the sixth month, I get a call from the college telling, "Few companies are coming >> for a campus interview. If you want, you may come."
>> Okay.
>> You know, it was like uh, my HOD also, I called him, and he said, "Hey, yeah, if you want, you come." It's like, kind of, they don't care anymore.
>> If you really need a job, you want a job, you come, sort of thing.
>> So I, I had no other choice, but I needed a job, right? So I went for that campus interview, and that was just for one day, but there were beautiful companies out there. And that is where Hindustan Lever, as you know today >> was there as well, and I got shortlisted to Hindustan Lever. But the beauty is >> in Hindustan Lever, my placement was as an assistant manager in a tea plantation. Okay. And that is called Brooke Bond Lipton, as you properly know it today.
>> Usually, they don't give this designation soon after you're out of college. No, you're actually a trainee. But I was appointed as an assistant manager in the plantation division of Brooke Bond Lipton, and I, the salary package that I had was the highest of all the 42 people.
>> Glory to Jesus. The latter wine was even more tasty.
>> Absolutely. So that is where when I received the offer letter, I, I had tears in my eyes because I really knew my Jesus did it for me.
>> Hallelujah.
>> And you know, now it was my turn. I had to call all the 41 for dinner.
>> Wow.
>> So I called them for dinner, invited them to the same hotel where they had hosted the dinner, and I said, "I want you guys to come, and I've got please." And uh, during the dinner time, just before the dinner was served, I was able to stand there and say, "Hey, you had questions. Where is your Jesus? Why this prayer? What happened to all this that you were doing? Look, we are all doing well. And today I'm here to declare to you that this Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever." And I told them, "This Jesus is for you as well."
>> Wonderful.
>> You're not alone for me. That six months of waiting, sister, was the golden period of my life to learn from the Lord that being late is never a denial.
>> So I'm a little curious to know that in that 6 months period,
>> Yeah.
>> What was your prayer to the Lord? Was it the same question of why, or Lord, let your will be done, or Lord, I'm waiting? I'm a little curious to know.
>> There was a transition in my prayer. Uh, during those days. So the first two months was, "Why?
>> Why like this? Why is life like this? What is the use of uh praying? What is the use of uh working hard, and you're not achieving anywhere?" But during the course of two months, from the word of God that I used to read every day, the Lord was teaching me, teaching me, teaching me. And it said, "Wait upon the Lord. Those that wait upon the Lord will soar like eagles." You know, Isaiah 40:31.
>> So the Lord spoke to me. So I said, "God, I'm ready to wait, but how long?"
>> So now comes the third month, and the Lord, I see promises in the Bible which says, "Those who look to Him are radiant and they're never ashamed." I said, "God, I was ashamed in the first two dinner places.
>> And if your word says they'll be radiant and never ashamed, make it happen in my life." So my prayer changed from one of complaining about God to one of claiming the promises of God.
>> Wonderful.
>> So third month, fourth month, fifth month, and my prayer became one of faith.
>> Okay.
>> You know, it converted to faith, and and I said, "See, if the Lord created me, if the Lord gave me this education, if the Lord put me in college to score well, He will do something for me.
>> It's better late than never. And my God has a time." And then I read from the Bible that the Lord has a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to cry, a time to >> be joyful, a time to weep, and a time to enjoy, a time to plant, a time to approach. Ecclesiastes, we see this in the book of Solomon, what he has written. Then I said, "God, is this the time for me to go through a downtime?" Because all along, I've been appreciated for scoring well, being a good student. That this now suddenly it was a setback. And the Lord said, "This is to teach you >> that you have to be grounded."
>> Ah, that that was something which I actually wanted to ask you. Was God really >> teaching you? Because He already knew the blueprint of where you would go.
>> Yes. So just like how King David, even before they knew where he would go, whether he'll kill Goliath and all of that, you know, he wanted to test him with a bear and the lion.
>> So the bigger lesson the Lord taught me is, had I been placed on the first, second, or third day, I would have been bloated with pride.
>> Though I would have told the Lord, "Jesus did it for me," that would have only been words without meaning. But the character of Saji Abraham would have been one of pride before my fellow classmates and family members >> and and the so-called society. Lord broke that pride in 6 months. And at the end of the sixth month, I knew I had zero pride in me. I said, "God, I just humbled myself. Give me whatever you want to give me."
>> And that meant it in the presence of the Lord.
>> You know, uh, I mean, and and then the Lord taught me from the book of Job.
>> Okay.
>> And very clearly, the Lord said, "See, Job was a faithful man, but God removed everything because of his faithfulness."
>> So it was not the mistake of Job, right? Yes. It was God qualifying him to be a faithful man. And God said, "I want you to qualify to be a faithful man as well >> for which I will remove things out of your life." So actually, the learning lesson for me was, when God removes the so-called worldly perceived blessings, it is not a removal. It is not a setback. It is a setup of God >> to lift you up.
>> To lift you up.
>> Hallelujah.
>> And He cannot lift you up unless you are humble and grounded, you know. And that is the, it's a, it's a gift of the Spirit to be to be humble. I mean, to be gentle, I mean, to accept one another. And this is what the Bible teaches us. And therefore, the Lord said, "All your friends who are placed, I want you to consider them as better than you." You know, and from where the Lord taught me, sister, is there, there's a verse in the Bible. If you could kindly read the book of Philippians.
>> Mhm.
>> Uh, chapter 2 and uh, verse number three.
>> Philippians, the second chapter, verse number three. It talks about how we are expected to look at other people. Second chapter, third verse.
>> Okay. Philippians 2:3.
>> "Let nothing be done >> through strife or vain glory."
>> Yes.
>> "But in loneliness or loneliness of mind, let each esteem another better than themselves."
>> You see that word?
>> Wonderful.
>> "In loneliness of mind, esteem the other people as better than you." You know, when they got the offer letters, I esteemed them with jealousy.
>> I looked at them. There was no esteem in me. But I looked at them. See, the word esteem in me was more of jealousy than of appreciation.
>> Because I didn't get. How can they get?
>> I prayed to the Lord. He didn't give me. How can the Lord give it to them? Ah.
>> I have higher marks than them. Then how can they with lower marks get a job when I don't get? Everything was. But the Bible clearly said, "In loneliness of mind, consider one another better than yourself. Consider others better than you." And that was the lesson God taught me in that first 6 months, sister. My graduation did not teach me that.
>> The academics did not teach me that. The 6 months of waiting period taught me that. In your life, learn to consider another person as better than you. When somebody is more blessed than you, accept it with humility. Never let it turn to jealousy or an adverse feeling to them. And this word was the first word that God taught me to apply in my life. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." So I should not be selfish. And the Lord broke my selfishness.
>> And the Lord said, "Lord, I started praying, Lord, bless every 41 of them."
>> Wow.
>> "Bless them on their jobs. Bless them with promotions. Bless them with a higher rating on their jobs. Let them move up the ladder. Lord, it's okay, Lord, about me."
>> That broad mentality came up.
>> That word God enabled me to pray.
>> And that was a change, not for them, sister, for me.
>> Was for you.
>> And that is grace of God. I was really, as you were taking me through your college days, you know, I'm, I'm just wondering >> why the Lord uh made me or gave me this opportunity to interview you because I was taken to my colleges as you were >> talking about this because it was >> in college where the Lord touched me.
>> And it was in my academics, the Lord touched me.
>> Okay.
>> And it was through the academics, the Lord said, "No, you cannot have this pride." Huh?
>> Because until school, I was a kind of a topper, at least about 75.
>> Okay.
>> So for me, u, so, you know, failure is a bad word.
>> We, we cannot accept that.
>> We cannot. And it's like, it's like it shouldn't.
>> Yeah. It's our ego that's >> ego. So the Lord broke me there >> in college.
>> And I had to go through it. And that was the moment the Lord said, "I'm trimming you."
>> Amen.
>> "For a greater purpose."
>> Praise God. Sister, it's the blessings in our life that are the stumbling block.
>> Yes.
>> Very many uh Christians or believers, we don't understand that the Lord's blessings that we have is the stumbling block that stops us from honoring the Lord back.
>> Glory to God.
>> It's a big learning. I mean, huge. Thank God that you went through a similar experience.
>> Yeah. I was so happy Brother Saji has gone through that. For me, it was on the college days, and I felt the very same feeling. No, yours was a little much better.
>> I was a little rebellious.
>> Rebellious. Okay.
>> Yeah. I was rolling here. I, I want to speak because this forum, it goes across.
>> Yes, sir.
>> So, I, I want to testify today. They see me as somebody who grown up and all of that, but I had a lot of pride. The Lord had to trim me there.
>> Praise God. But what a faithful God. He, He shapes us through our shortcomings. Yes. You know, He pardons us, forgives us. He gives us a kicking on the back, but He straightens us up. But for Him, we would never sit and talk today.
>> 100%, brother. 100%.
>> You see the positions God has placed us in, and whatever we've, when we look back at our life, we have only a testimony to say of how good the Lord has been. What a privilege that is.
>> I was just reminded about this verse, Galatians, I think 6:3, like that. "Don't consider yourself as something."
>> Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
>> "And you are nothing."
>> We are nothing.
>> "Otherwise, you get deceived."
>> We are nothing. Sister, today, very openly, I know we have the humility to say we are, even right now as we speak, we are nothing.
>> We are nothing.
>> We know that. We know that. That's the only qualification that we have. And I praise God that, you know, even in this podcast, that we, we are not worthy to sit here. It's just His grace >> that makes you get grounded.
>> Absolutely, sister. Yeah.
>> So, um, could I say like, today the Lord has lifted you up in so many areas? We're just going to talk a lot about it, but even as the Lord lifts you and keeps lifting you, you don't get drifted away. Yeah.
>> You stay grounded. So is that one instance?
>> Yes, that was the foundation. Yeah. And that is a principle that you carry throughout life.
>> Learn to consider other people as better than you. You know what the secret of it is? When you consider others as better than you, you actually grow.
>> Glory to Jesus.
>> You really need to grow. You, you want the Lord to lift you up, honor you in terms of money, position, authority, designation, you're living lifestyle-wise, anything in life, 360 degrees of your life,
>> you will be honored when you respect the commandment of the Lord.
>> Hallelujah.
>> And He says, "Blessed are the humble."
>> Humble. Yes.
>> You see that? One of the beatitudes is that. Yeah. And He says, "The humble will inherit the earth."
>> Yes.
>> And that's exactly that inheritance is the blessing that we get, sister.
>> Absolutely. So this is the greatness uh of our God that we serve. It's not to preach about what we've achieved in life. We've achieved nothing in life. If at all there is something called achievement, it is His grace.
>> Because it's in Ecclesiastes, there is a verse. Could you kindly read Ecclesiastes >> chapter 4, verse number four? Solomon, out of his wisdom, has written it so beautifully that this is what happens to most of us. Chapter 4:4. "Again, I considered all travail and every right work >> that for this a man is envied of his neighbor."
>> This is also vanity and vexation of the spirit.
>> See, you're doing things in life to be envied by somebody. Oh, he is a big man, or he drives this car, and he travels across like this. He's in business class, and he, I mean, dines in five-star hotels, and he's got his name listed in this address, and we want people to envy us, and we would just like to flaunt who we are, and we just want that recognition from people. You see, sister, in the end time, especially your Facebook, your Instagram, your whatever social media >> selfies, selfies is all just to ensure other people know that what you have, and your all that you're looking for is that comment, that like.
>> That's all. You go to some place, you take a selfie. I mean, the most dangerous thing is to take a selfie and post it up there, expecting people to comment upon you, which is nothing but selfishness.
>> And you also get offended if people don't comment or don't like.
>> Very much. Yeah. And the Bible clearly says, "In the end times, people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, pride, hateful, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy."
>> And it also says, "They will put on uh, an appearance of godliness, but denying its power."
>> That's what the word of God says. And God, thank God that He taught us this lesson early in >> a very early age. That's where that's where I wanted to go to.
>> Otherwise, we would be a victim of this. And today, God has actually taught us to actually be out of that shell. Glory.
>> Yet enjoy the blessings that He's giving us. So we know a man to absolutely be nurtured in his absolutely. So from there on, so once you were positioned, then you started glorifying God amongst those 41. So from there on, how was your journey?
>> That was a beautiful journey. See, I got placed with Hindustan Levers as an assistant manager. I got promoted to deputy manager, and then I became the group manager.
>> And it was a very, very, very, very big position in that company, earning a handsome salary and a good, well-recognized in society. You know, sister, during the transition of 17 years, I was with Hindustan Levers in the plantation.
>> Out of the 42 classmates, two of them passed away. The other 40 of them, I got them jobs when they lost their jobs.
>> And that is where you see the hand of God. Wow. Jesus is a great God. And I'm telling you, many of them have accepted the Lord as their savior just because of what happened in their lives. And God used me as an instrument to place them, which means God gave me influence in society to enable them. Some of them lost their jobs. Some of them were not happy. Some of them were ill-treated on the jobs, and they wanted changes. Out of 42, 40 of them, I was able to get them placed. So today, my classmates tell me, "Amen. Your Jesus is different."
>> I say, "Don't say your Jesus."
>> I'm praying that it's our Jesus.
>> Hallelujah.
>> And now that is going on, sister.
>> So this grounded thing which you said in the very beginning, because I want to >> because everything, it's all, you know, humbleness, humility, and all of that. Could I say, could I put it this way?
>> Yeah.
>> Uh, when you're grounded,
>> Yeah.
>> God eventually make you become branded for Him, or make you stand alone for Him, or how is it? Is it getting branded for Jesus? Would that grounded opportunity? Because you know, once you go down, the Lord will start lifting you up. That happened for Joseph.
>> Yes. Yes. Yes.
>> That, that happened for David.
>> Absolutely. Sister, if you look at, you since you mentioned Joseph, see, God grounded Joseph.
>> Okay. Joseph was sold by his brethren, which was an insult from the family. Though he had the dream and the vision that God gave him, part of the dream was not being sold by his brothers. So that was the first hit on Joseph's life.
>> Number two, he went to the palace of Pharaoh, Potiphar, and his wife accuses him of >> what he shouldn't have done.
>> False accusation.
>> False accusation, and he's thrown in jail because of what he did not do. That was the second slap on his face. See, again, there Joseph was grounded. And people forgot about Joseph for many years. Even the cup bearer who was with him and told, "I'll go and tell the king." But he forgot. And the Bible clearly says, "Nobody even remembered this man." He was forgotten.
>> Number one. You take the Daniel. Number two.
>> Okay. Daniel was raised in the palace of the king, and he was found to be an able, handsome man. He could interpret dreams and do things. But the day the decree was signed by the king that everybody should worship the image, there was not one soul that stood with Daniel. And he was liable to be thrown into the den of lions as a punishment, which people were waiting to see if he will open the door or the window to Jerusalem and pray. Yes, he did. And because he worshiped the living God, he was punished.
>> But you know, I'll tell you the positive side of it, sister. Daniel is the only man who enjoyed his pillow with a lion.
>> The lion was his pillow. No living man can ever even dream of doing that. Right? See, that is the privilege that God gives a child of God when you go through the utmost. So Daniel was given a slap on his face. Noah was given a slap on his face. Job was given. Abraham was given. Joseph was given. You name it in the Bible. They were all given a kicking by the Lord just to make them grounded. Abraham couldn't be grounded if he was not told to take Isaac to a sacrifice. M
>> You know, there is a beautiful verse in the Bible which which which teaches us. Sister, can you take Genesis chapter 22, verse number 3? And this is, there's a very big secret that the Lord taught me about life and being grounded. Genesis 22, the third verse.
>> 22:3.
>> 22:3.
>> Okay. "And Abraham >> rose up early in the morning."
>> Early in the morning.
>> "And saddled his ass."
>> And saddled his ass. Yeah.
>> "And took two of his young men with him."
>> That is two servants.
>> Two servants. Yeah. "And Isaac his son.
>> And claved the wood for the >> faith." Oh, who who claved the wood?
>> His son.
>> No, Abraham claved the wood.
>> Okay.
>> Do you see that? This is a verse that we miss in the Bible. See, Abraham had enough of servants, sister.
>> Yeah.
>> If you or I was supposed to render a sacrifice like that, who will prepare the firewood? To whom would you or I say? We call the servant and say, "A man, cut some firewood. Get it ready."
>> But do you see this verse? Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey. He took his son Isaac with him and two of his servants, and he claved, or he cut the firewood for the sacrifice. Sister, the beauty or the depth of it is, cutting the firewood to burn my son is not easy.
>> Abraham is cutting the firewood to burn Isaac. Every splinter that he gets is Isaac, Isaac, Isaac. The father cutting firewood to burn the son is more than that firewood. His heart is what is getting cut. And that is the test of faith God takes him through. And it's the humility of Abraham. Will he respect God more than power, position, gifts in life?
>> Okay.
>> Can I cut the firewood to take away my own blessing?
>> Okay. So, could I put it this way? When God takes you into your calling or into your position,
>> Yeah. So is it the obedience, or is it the sacrifice, or is it uh being grounded, as you say, or is it all of these?
>> Sister, no, you, you said it. It is obedience.
>> Obedience is better than sacrifice.
>> So God actually sees your heart. See, if you obey, sacrifice automatically is a resultant of obedience, right?
>> Being grounded is a result of obedience as well. So if you have obedience in the presence of God, everything else follows.
>> Wonderful.
>> And obedience is not a skill. Obedience is actually a gift of God.
>> Hallelujah.
>> So there is a saying like this, which is not in the Bible, but it's from my life experience.
>> Relationship with God can never be earned.
>> It is a gift of God.
>> It's a gift of God.
>> So even for you and me to be connected with God, it is His gift.
>> Glory.
>> That relationship with God itself, I cannot earn it by by by dumping in crores of rupees as an offering. It won't come by by by by doing something on charity. It won't come by whatever I think is good deeds. It won't come. It is a gift of God. And if God has to give you that gift, He's got to see your heart. And in your heart, if He sees obedience, that's what happens. I You know why I'm telling this, sister? Because Father God did that in the case of Jesus.
>> Okay.
>> Could you read Hebrews chapter 5 and the 8th verse there? "Son, though He was, >> He learned obedience because of what He suffered." Hebrews chapter 5 and the 8th verse.
>> "Though He were a son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered."
>> So Father God permitted suffering in the life of Jesus to teach Him obedience, because without obedience, even Jesus is unfit to be called the Son of God. M
>> If for Jesus itself, that was the condition that Father God placed, who are we, sister?
>> Where do we stand? We jolly well obey. I'm telling you, no, my learning till this morning, as I'm sitting with you on this podcast, is better obey whatever the Lord wants you to obey, no questions asked, no logical thinking, reasoning. Your wisdom is no good enough to question God. I've learned that the hard way.
>> Hallelujah.
>> That's the lesson I take home.
>> And today, I request the church, the believers, obedience. Don't compromise that. It doesn't work. No other currency goes in the presence of God. It's your obedience. And you know, the Bible says, even when Jesus took up the cross, He humbled Himself and became a nothing, and He became obedient to death on the cross. Even that was obedience. Giving up Jesus's life was obedience to the will of the Father.
>> Hallelujah.
>> This is very powerful. And sister, can you read another verse? I mean, the Holy Spirit is guiding me now. Matthew chapter 7, uh, verse number 21. Matthew chapter 7, verse number 21.
>> "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."
>> No way.
>> "But he that >> that does >> that does the will of my Father in heaven."
>> That means, sister, simply going to church, simply reading the Bible, simply saying, "I'm a Christian. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Tongues and that and this." Not everybody who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Sister, this outwardly show business will never let you enter the kingdom of heaven. Let us not live in that pseudo faith.
>> Only the one who does the will of the Father in heaven. Now, do we understand why Jesus obeyed to death on the cross? It's the obedience to the will of the Father that gives you the chance to be with the Father.
>> Then, um, let me take it this way. So wherever you are, in whatever you do, now you're placed in a position, in the palace, or be it the Daniel there, or be it the Joseph there, or be it the Esther, because we are there in palaces.
>> Absolutely. Irrespective of whom we serve, be the king there, Nehemiah was a cup bearer, or whatever.
>> But it's obedience to God in what you do, on what you are, is that which takes you to the will of God and makes you get into heaven? Or is it, or is it just the, the holy thing, like, be, of course, you have the sacraments, you have to follow? Is it that, or is it this, brother, or is it both of these?
>> Sister, obedience is primary.
>> Okay. Irrespective of >> Irrespective of >> Okay.
>> You know, the position or the people that you serve, or who's above you, or what position you want to aspire to be in. Beyond all that, primary, the bottom line, or the taproot of your life should be obedience to the principles and the promises of God.
>> You be a priest, or you be a king.
>> Anybody, you serve the king, you be number two in the kingdom. It is still obedience. You be a nobody. It is still obedience.
>> Hallelujah. It is obedience in the presence of the nothing to compromise in obedience. And in today's life, the obedience is the only thing that is not that is lacking.
>> You know, so, so God is calling us to be people who can obey, who, who can understand His will, and therefore stand before His presence as people who obey. You know, that is why the Bible calls us uh, sister, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and verse number 7. You see the the calling God has placed in that verse, you will see that. Yeah.
>> "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."
>> How many of us have obeyed this?
>> You see why obedience is important? God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto obedience.
>> Obedience.
>> How many of us are holy? How many of us can say, "Hey, right now, as I speak, I'm a very holy man." M
>> If we can't say that, we have not accepted that call of God, because it says, "God has not called us." Now, can you read the 8th verse? 1 Thessalonians 4:8, the next verse.
>> "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us the Holy Spirit."
>> So if I don't live a holy life, if I'm not obedient to the holy call of God, I am not despising a man. I'm despising the very God who gave me the Holy Spirit. That means, one side, I'm saying I'm a Christian. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. And all preaching and teaching. And the other side, with my life, I'm despising the same God.
>> So which account will God take? Can you be a person that despises God all your life and then think of entering the kingdom of heaven? You think that is workable before God? He's a >> So it's, it's like a check which you have to check yourself whether you're on track.
>> Absolutely, sis.
>> On your on your pathway to heaven.
>> So it's not like what you want, or the pathway what you want to go.
>> Correct. No, not at all.
>> Like if you had to come here, there is a location, you know, there's a start location and location, and you have to follow the map. So obedience is the map of God. Could I correct that?
>> Absolutely. God has made the blueprint of your life.
>> And what aligning to that will of God is your duty.
>> That's why not everybody who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. But the one who enters the kingdom of heaven is the one who only one who obeys.
The will of God. That means when God created me in my mother's womb, he's already made a plan. Am I ready to obey that plan?
If I'm not obedient to that plan, kingdom of heaven can never be mine. And that is the work of faith.
So, could I also put it this way: to execute this plan of God, as you said, the blueprint of God, God enables us with gifts, absolutely, with people, with favor. That's why, sister, we shouldn't compare ourselves with somebody. Very often the mistake we do is, "Oh, she got this," or "He got this, why I didn't get? My neighbor bought a beautiful car, I should buy a better car. My neighbor sent her son to UK, so my daughter should also be in UK." Isn't this human psychology? But God doesn't like that. God is saying, "See, your blueprint is unique, man. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Not even a hair of your head will fall down. He who touches you touches the apple of your head." We throw all that into the dustman and we say, "Now I have to overtake that guy and show that I'm better."
Wonderful, sister. See, this is the perception that the Holy Spirit teaches us. That is why the Holy Spirit teaches us to be grounded. Amen. Did your neighbor's child go to the UK and you are unable to send your child abroad? Would you be thankful to God and say, "God, thank you for blessing them by being able to send their child to UK." God will raise your child with a much higher blessing. Hallelujah. But the moment you have anger or jealousy on your neighbor and then come and crib to God, I'm sorry, it doesn't work. That's not God's principle.
Humility, being grounded, being obedient is all that matters. Matters. Yeah. If God is throwing a problem at you, take it and say, "Hallelujah." Okay? You know, there's a beautiful song in Malayalam. Since I know the words are like this, "Oh, suffering." Right? "If the Lord gives the cup of suffering, if the Lord gives me the cup of suffering, I will receive it with joy and sing hallelujah." Glory to God. There's also a verse which says, "You are also called to suffer." They are called to suffer. Yes.
So today, people don't, they don't even want to listen to the word, cause they don't want to wear that ring called suffering. Rather, sister. That is why, you know, there are three small verses in the Bible that the Lord has spoken to me about. Could you, could you read that for the benefit of the viewers? 1 Thessalonians, uh, chapter 5. Uh, the three verses are, are life lessons for me. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, uh, 16, 17, 18. First, you read just 16. Very small verses, these three words.
"Rejoice evermore." Okay. How many of us have done that? Rejoice always, or rejoice evermore. Always be happy. When you're a failure, be happy. When you're a success, be happy. When your neighbor succeeds better than you, be even more happy. Don't. It says rejoice always. But we have conditional rejoicing. Oh, my testimony is when God is blessing me with a house, with a car, when my child is blessed, when my neighbor's child is blessed, I have no rejoicing. Then I'm not a testimony.
Next verse, sister.
"Pray without ceasing."
Pray without ceasing. So, in every situation, your prayer should not stop. I mean, very often I have said, oh, even people say, "Brother, there's no mood to pray. I'm stressed out, brother. My life has got a lot of problems. Please pray for me. I'm unable to read the Bible. I'm unable to concentrate on prayer." No, that is not an excuse. You're expected to pray without ceasing. If Paul and Silas can worship in a prison, being beaten up in chains and stocks, why can't you and I? Hallelujah.
That's where I actually wanted to pose this question because, uh, once you learned from the Lord and you went grounded and then you humbled yourself, the Lord started lifting you up, and then the Lord took you to several positions. So that was on, on, on the world front. But on your spiritual front, because the verse says here, "Pray without ceasing." Yes. So, what was your relation with the Lord like? Did it increase?
Uh, how was it like, you know, for the benefit of the viewers?
Yeah. Thank you. Yes. Um, at times, because we are from the corporate, rather, I would say we are in front of kings, but still we look up to the Lord. There are, there are certain set of people. The, there are two kinds of people the Lord calls: the kings and the priests. Yeah. So David was also a prophet, though he was a king. Similarly, there were similar others. So, there is not a saying, but there is a kind of a thinking that, um, the kings who are called, let them remain as kings. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, why do you want to get into this line? Or rather, let me put it this way, why do you have to come and preach? Why do you want to showcase the gifts which the, not all, but some of them? Yeah. Uh, so God has given you this opportunity to take the viewers and also me through, irrespective of what people think, how best and how good it is for us to carry his kingdom, or be kingdom ambassadors, not just in the palace, not just in the prison, but even to the world, to the world outside, to the spiritual clan. Absolutely. So, what was your journey? How have you learned, or where does this verse, "Pray without ceasing," took you through that?
Sister, see, sister, prayer is, is not a fixed set of rules. You know, like we read a little earlier in the book of Hebrews, Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. So, whenever there was suffering, Jesus would run to the Father. Yeah. And we see that in all the Gospels, after, after a ministry, Jesus would always be on the mountain top or in the wilderness. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before crucifixion, we read that he was praying, and his sweat became blood, and the disciples couldn't stay an hour. And Jesus, "Come, you guys pray with me for 1 hour." That means Jesus was filled with a life of prayer. And that is what it teaches us, you know, "Pray without ceasing" is an expectation of the Holy Father, that is Jehovah God the Father. He expects us to pray.
Sister, I mean, let me get, thank you for that question. Really, I, I sense the Holy Spirit making you ask me that question. So, so what is prayer? Many people think, or, or the general notion is, prayer is bringing a list of petitions before God and say, "God, I have this problem, that problem, give me this, give me that, my desire, my aspirations, my needs, my wants." No, you know what is prayer? Prayer is an incense that you send into the presence of God. Hallelujah. Sister, Psalm 141, verse number two, please. Psalm 141, second verse. "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." So, the psalmist is praying, "God, may my prayer be set before you as an incense." You know, sister, the very purpose of our creation is to honor or glorify the Master. You go to a temple out there, you'll find incense to the deity. You go, you go around whatever people worship, incense will be offered. But our God, the incense that He accepts is the prayers of His people. And if that is why it says, "Pray without ceasing." So, always raising incense into the presence of God is the duty of mine and yours as creations of God. Okay. Now, I'll show you the beautiful evidence of why we, now you read Psalm 141:2, right? Okay. Now, can you just quickly shift to Revelation 5, verse number 8?
Revelation, the 5th chapter and the 8th verse there. It's a big, it's a long verse, but just read it, sister. It will show us exactly what's happening with our prayer in heaven.
Sure. Yeah. Yeah.
"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints."
Wow. So, what did the golden vials in heaven have? The prayers? It is the holding the incense, which are the prayers of God's holy people, or the saints of God. Sister, your prayer, my prayer, and these viewers' prayers are being rendered by the 24 elders to the throne of God, 24/7, 365 days. If I stop praying, I'm responsible for the reduced incense in the presence of God. Saji Abraham was created to bring an incense into the presence of God.
Okay. So, another quick question for the benefit of the viewers again.
Yeah. Yeah.
So, of course, this should come out of the heart. Yes. Not praying for the sake of prayer. There's no mechanical prayer.
No mechanical. So, I, I want to make it very clear there. No Christian prayer. There, that's the, that's the right one. There is no Christian prayer. You know, sister, what a Christian prayer is? "Father God, bless this meal before me. Thank you. Bless the hands that did it. Amen. Good night. Bye." Okay. When you go on a trip to the USA, do you and I pray, "Lord, mercy, travel mercies. Lord, protect us." Right? We all pray. But when you go to your next-door shop to buy two kilos of tomato, do you pray, "Lord, bless my trip to buy the two kilos of tomato?" No. That is Christian prayer. You, you, you attach your prayer to the magnitude of your problem. A long journey, yes, prayer. Next-door shop, no prayer. But a child of God has no difference between these two. Your tomato also needs prayer. Your US trip also needs prayer.
So, it's the communication with God. It's the, it is the connect with God, sister. It's a connect with God. Your prayer is connecting with God. That is why God accepts it as an incense. And the psalmist says, "May my, I mean, my, may my prayer come before you as an incense." That means, "God, I honestly want you to be honored, Lord. It is not me, Lord. It is not my need, Lord. It is to honor you, Lord."
So, God has put us into this world for a purpose, to fulfill His plan. Yes. Entire creation. Entire creation. So, if you do not connect on a daily basis, or hourly basis, or whatever basis, to the One who has put you into this world for a purpose, how do you go and fulfill that purpose? Sister, you cannot fulfill that purpose without prayer. That's why in the Lord's Prayer, the Lord taught us, "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." It's a daily thing, sister. It is not, it is not over as of yesterday. Just because Saji Abraham was anointed with the Holy Spirit yesterday evening doesn't mean today morning is okay. I need renewed grace for this day. I need renewed grace for this afternoon. I need to stay connected 24/7 in the presence of the Lord, without which there is no way that I can grow spiritually.
There are a lot of people of God, um, not necessarily men of God, but maybe some of them, they don't give much insistence to this. So, rather, they are offended by the word prayer. Why? It's always prayer, prayer, prayer.
Sister, Satan, the deceiver, is moving around very vigorously, trying to take away the time of prayer from people. Why? You are offering an incense to God if you sincerely pray.
Disconnecting the connection. Disconnecting. You should not give glory to God is the intention of Satan. Why? You cannot. Satan has to be glorified. You have to be watching Facebook or a movie, or you have to be sitting in a restaurant, or shopping, or traveling, instead of praying. He gives you entertainment enough not to pray. But a child of God, with a discernment through the Holy Spirit, knows that those are not the things I need. My priorities are a little different. I need to stay at the feet of the Lord to pray.
Because they are not able to discern. They get distracted. Yes, sister. And I'll tell you why Satan doesn't want you to pray, sister. Can you come back to that Revelation 5:8?
Yeah, I'm there.
Yeah. The 24 elders, how do they stand before the throne? Just read that portion again, just from the 24 elders down.
"When he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb."
Oh, thank you. How did they stand before the Lamb? They can't stand that. He is Almighty God. The 24 elders, they fall down prostrate in the presence of God. Okay. And now, sister, assuming that during this podcast, can you hypothetically just imagine this table in the front of us is the throne of God? Example, just imagine for a minute that this is the throne of God. Okay. Now, the 24 elders can come and kneel down there. Mhm. Falling down before the throne of God. They have no permission to touch the throne. Okay. The angels cannot touch. The cherubims cannot touch. The seraphims cannot touch. The four creatures cannot touch. The 24 elders cannot. Nothing in heaven can touch the throne. But the incense from the vial, which is your prayer and my prayer, will touch the throne. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. That is the power of prayer. You and I, sitting here on this planet Earth in a physical body, have the hotline to touch the throne. And the moment you're somebody who's got the habit of touching the throne, Satan cannot touch you. Hallelujah. Satan cannot touch somebody who touches the throne. That is why Satan does not want you to pray. Hallelujah. That is why prayer is a taboo. That is why praying is boring. That is why praying is irritating. And so, there are artificial prayers that come, that Christian prayer, so-called, the Christian culture, the fleshly prayer, which is nothing but a statement that you say from your lips and no more than that. It has no depth beyond your lips.
It doesn't even reach it. Doesn't reach the roof of this building only. Sister, but my prayer needs to touch the throne in heaven. Nobody else can touch that. That is why the days of a life are so blessed when you live for God. That's why you'll be blessed in your career. You'll be blessed in your profession. You'll be blessed in whatever you do. And that blessing, you know, is not credited to you. It is the grace of God because you have the habit of touching His throne. When you, as a child of God, your fragrance reaches Him. He's breathing in that fragrance every day. He will miss it if you don't send it. Hallelujah. He will miss it if you don't send it.
Again, another question on this prayer. So, this is an ongoing process, daily process, everyday process, everyday communication. But there are certain people, for some reason, they get deceived or they fall down or whatever, and they're not able to go back without, you know, confessing their sins, or their pride does not allow them, and they say, "No, once upon a time, I was a person who used to spend a lot of time with God, doing this and that, and now I'm back." They don't even say that, but, you know, "Those prayers would help me now." I know. So, is there a, is there a kind of a storeroom which we can store in the prayers? For example, the prayers which you prayed on your college days, does it really help? It's not going to do me any good now. Sister, if I need to be okay in the presence of God, my today's prayer, my current prayer now, and my current life now is what matters. You know, that's why I'm not going asking you to read the verse, but the Bible says in the book of James, "If you've kept all the commandments and missed one of them, it's considered that you missed everything." So, that means, what is the use of having kept everything for so many days? It doesn't work in the presence of God. But there is a reverse of it. If you can come faithful to God, you know, that's what God did to Moses. Yeah. Sister, just come to Numbers chapter 12, verse number three. The book of Numbers chapter 12. See what God is telling Moses. And, and, and it's very difficult for us to connect with that word. Verse number three.
"Now the man Moses was very meek for all the men which were upon the face of the earth."
Oh, the word meek means humble or gentle. Okay. Now, the man Moses was very gentle, more gentle than any man on the face of the earth. Do you agree? Yeah. Did he not kill that Egyptian then? Have you murdered anybody? No. But Moses has. So, how can he be more humble than anybody on earth? And this is the word from the mouth of the Lord. Sister, this is where the Lord taught me. Numbers 12:3. You know, the moment a man returns to God, his past is forgotten. Hallelujah. So, don't worry about what you did there. Can you come to the presence of the Lord and say, "Jesus, forgive me. I come back to your presence. Receive me, and I accept you as my savior." If a God can forget the past of a Moses and wipe it away and not even keep it in His memory, He will forgive your sins and my sins as well.
We are living in an age where there is too much of confidence. You don't learn from your mistakes. You don't want to learn from your mistakes. Attitudes. Joshua 7. Yeah. They were winning wars. Yeah. They already won a lot of wars. Okay. So now they are in a very small, I. Very small, tiny nation. Yeah. And, uh, in I, they lost the battle. Small clan. That's right. Was it overconfidence, or was it past victories, or be it sin? It's the pride of past victories, and pride doesn't allow yourself to access the presence of God. The moment they lost access of God's presence over them, they will lose. The moment I lose God's presence, I'm a loser. The reason why I had to bring that I into picture is today, we are in AI. Meaning, AI. Yeah. So, that's why the word says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition." Yeah. You know, we just read that Philippians 2:3, that is the I. The self shouldn't be there. Like Apostle Paul said, "It is no longer I, but..." Oh, the I, you're saying about the letter I. I. Okay. I went to Ai. The I, Joshua 7, Ai. Joshua's Ai. Where it was a very small clan. Small clan that defeated them. Defeated because they carried the past glory, they were overconfident, or maybe they had, that is, they were, uh, bloating in the glory of the previous victories. Never do that. That's a lesson for us from the Bible about Joshua and Ai and the defeat that they got, which was not expected. They were so lethargic, think, "Oh, what will this small clan come and do to us? We have a history or reputation of being winners as always." So, something very subtle and very small can also hinder, or, it can, it can ruin us totally. Sister, 100%. You and I can be people that will not enter the kingdom of God, even if you've been ministering for the last 110 years.
Now, from there, brother, I want to take you into, from that I, small nation or small clan where the people were, uh, defeated, maybe because of sin or overconfidence or whatever. We are into a season where people could be overconfident of the past glories. We are in a season where people don't think about, you know, the others, they think about themselves, because we are into a season of technology. So, from I, because it's AI. We are in a season of AI. So, this season, you, you would know where we are. Yeah. Uh, because you've been there. I, I also saw that you've been one among the G20 nations, you were there, you know, what's happening. So, with the past glory thing, "Oh, this cannot happen to me." You know, the digital world comes in, it comes and it goes. People are not aware of the perils of the year, or perils of the time, or what's what's happening.
Very true. So, see, AI, even in the word of God, AI is mentioned very clearly, just that you will not understand it when you read that verse on its face. Can I'll just show you that verse and then come to answer your question. Revelation chapter 13, verse number 15. Revelation 13:15. It talks about robotics and AI. Just look at that. Yeah. 13:15.
15. Yeah. Okay.
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast."
How can an image have life? Uh, read on, sister.
"That the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image could be killed."
So, the image can breathe, the image can speak, the image can kill. So, you're saying the, the robot, or the robotics, is the image of... Is the image? Robotics embedded with AI, embedded software, can speak, can answer your questions, and can even kill you. We are already in Revelation. We are already in Revelation 13. We are already there. See, sister, simple things like your, your face is your boarding pass today. Okay. Your keyless entry into your car today. Digital transactions through your bank. You don't even have to see where your bank branch is. You don't even know where the branch is, but you can transact. This digital phenomenon is actually going to take over that you will end up worshiping the so-called political system of Antichrist, where you will have a unique ID code. That's what the Bible talks about, the embedded chip on your forehead or on your hand, which will itself be the unique identity that you are mandatorily expected to have, without which the Bible says nobody can buy or sell. It's again in chapter 13. You just read, scroll down. Nobody without the mark of the beast can buy or sell. Revelation chapter...
"And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads."
But, brother, people are not very much aware of this. Not aware in the sense, because they've, especially the Christians, or the Christian clan, we've been hearing this over and over and... Yeah. I would like to clarify that, sister. That is a very relevant question. See, Christians are thinking that 666 is the number of Antichrist. So, even if you register a new vehicle and by default, your car number is 666, you think, "Oh, you something has gone wrong. The devil's number." It's a devil's number. It is not the devil's number. I'm sorry. There's a misunderstanding. Read the last verse of Revelation 13, the last verse of that chapter.
"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number."
Let him who has understanding count, or in another translation, it says, "calculate that number." That number is 666, and it is a number of a man. So, 666 is not a direct number. It is a number to be counted with a formula, to be added, and you arrive at the answer as 666. Therefore, 666 is not directly visible. Okay? You have to count it. You have to calculate it. That's why it says, "Let the one who has wisdom do it." Everybody can't do it. That's why the word of God is so clear, sister.
That's why without wisdom, he says, you need wisdom. People perish. People perish. You cannot buy. You cannot sell. Now, see, it started off with our Aadhaar card, and then it started off with your bank account linking your PAN and Aadhaar. Then it started off with the, the, um, what do you call, the digital, uh, the, what do you call, the DigiLocker, and where you have all documents digitally. And days are coming where you cannot even register a property unless it is digitally done. Days are coming where you fix your digital signature in places. Days are coming where you cannot transact in your bank without a digital identity of yourself. That is why the Bible clearly says, "The rich or poor, or big or small, cannot even transact and buy or sell without the mark of the beast." And anybody who has the mark of the beast will never enter the kingdom of heaven. It's there in Revelation 20.
So, how do you live then? And what is AI doing to you today? It looks like AI is making you lose jobs, is what we are hearing now. It looks like AI is changing the face of things. Yes, it does. But then, what AI is really going to do is take over your life, and you have to bow down and accept to the rules and regulations imposed by AI on you, which the book of Revelation says, "Anybody who does not worship the image of the beast, it has the power to kill." And we are closing up onto those days, and that's the sign of the end times, which we have to be careful about. Therefore, coming back to our discussions, we spoke about obedience. We spoke about being grounded. We spoke about praying without ceasing. All these together enable us to stand faithful in God's presence. Because without His grace, we can never stay grounded. Without His grace, I can never be obedient. Without His grace, I can never, never pray continuously. And when I am a person who's received that grace to be obedient, then God gives me the grace to be a prayerful man. And when I'm a prayerful man, I touch His throne with the incense. When I touch His throne with the incense, His protection covers me. Ah, the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus covers me. When my prayer touches the throne every day, the Father's love covers us. Covers the one that prays. It doesn't cover every day. Covers the one that prays. The one that prays. The one that sends the incense into the presence of God, daily. Daily. The 24 elders' duty is to carry your prayer in that bowl and pass it on to God. Hallelujah. So, I, as I pray right now, as you pray right now, we have an elder there carrying this prayer and rendering it into the presence of God. This God knows who Saji Abraham is. This God knows who Hannah is. And this God knows the fragrance that comes from Hannah. The fragrance that comes from Saji Abraham. And every day they are faithfully sending it to me. Would He not bless you and me? Hallelujah. Without that incense, without that, you would perish. No way. No way, sister. There is no way you can survive, even reach. Yeah. There is not even a survival. You will never even see the doorstep of the kingdom of heaven.
So, what ultimately takes a man or a woman to the kingdom of God, to meet Him face to face?
Let me show you. Revelation 22, verse number 12. What ultimately takes us to the presence of God? Revelation 22, and, uh, verse number 12. 22:12. "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." I come and I bring with me the reward of every man as his deeds shall be. Okay. Sister, if I'm a prayerful person, praying without ceasing, I get the reward of being a prayerful man. Hallelujah. If I'm not a prayerful man, I'm getting the reward of what a non-prayerful man should get, which is going into eternal hell. And, you know, sister, the bigger danger is, when even if you're going to hell, you will have to see the face of Jesus and go. Ah. I'm telling you, it's scary. Scary. Can you read Revelation, uh, chapter 14, verse number 10? Revelation 14, 10th verse. Yeah, that's the word. Revelation 14, and the 10th verse. It says, "Before his angels and before the holy God, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, they will be tormented with fire and brimstone. M. Fire and brimstone was in Sodom and Gomorrah. Exactly. That is what hell is all about. Read, uh, Revelation 20:10. Chapter 20:10. You'll again see fire and brimstone where Satan is being thrown. Revelation 20, verse number 10.
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone."
So, where is the devil cast? Fire and brimstone. Where will you be cast? Fire and brimstone. If you don't have a prayer life, if you don't have a life of obedience, if you don't have a life of being grounded and humble, you will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, and your company there is Satan. So, Satan wants you for company. Are you ready? Or would you like to live a prayerful life and stay away from Satan and live for God? Sister, this is the choice. The word of God is very clear, just that none of us read it and none of us bother to understand it. And today, the Holy Spirit, through this broadcast, I'm happy that the Spirit of God is using this platform to inform us, child of God, your prayer life is absolutely more important, more than the breath you have and the food you eat. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. That is the lifeline.
So, only this prayer, this incense, makes you become holy to meet the Holy Father. That's it. So, holiness is the key. That's the key. Holiness is the key. That is why it said, "God has not called us unto impurity, but unto holiness." He who despises this instruction is not despising a man, but the very God who gave you the Holy Spirit. So, if you don't have a prayer life, you're despising God. If you have no obedience, you're despising God. To God, all that matters is your obedience and your prayer. Your prayer is an incense for God. And you, your duty, say, "God created me, and you. We live for 70, 80, or 90 years, or whatever years He has allowed us to live. And our duty here is to honor Him." If I think I have any other duty than honoring Him, I'm sorry. It doesn't work because this earth on which I live is not going to stay before Him. The heavens are not going to stay before Him. You know, one sister, uh, can you, can you take Psalm 50? Psalm 50. You know, the duty of this earth and the duty of the heavens is just to tell what you and I did. Psalm 550, verse number four. Fourth verse. On the judgment day, see what He's going to do.
Oh, this is, he will even more scary. Yeah, this is scary. Psalms 50, 50, fourth verse.
"He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people."
Oh, my God. Who? He will judge who, sister? His people. His people. He is not going to waste his time on the other fellows. You are a Christian. You're a believer. He first wants to judge his people. That's why Revelation says, "On the second coming of Christ, the dead will rise. Dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive will be caught up into heaven." That is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. But here, the word of God very clearly in Psalm 50, it says, "He will call the heavens above and the earth below to judge his people." Sister, heavens above, every word I spoke is there in the atmosphere. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The words that Saji Abraham spoke can be retrieved by the Almighty. NASA has a technology today where it can retrieve all that I spoke till this minute. Oh, Lord Jesus. They can use my frequency and draw it back. They, I mean, I went to the NASA website. Anybody can go there and see. There is something called sonic technology in one of those links. Go to the sonic technology. Your first cry, your mother can hear today, provided the frequency is correctly arrived at. And for the Master to call the frequency of Saji Abraham's voice is is a fraction of a second. He created the atmosphere. He created everything. He's going to just call back and say, "Saji Abraham spoke this way," and play it back. It's going to come back because you can neither create nor destroy energy. Newton's law. Correct. And, and the word of God says, "He will call the heavens above to judge his his people." So, Saji Abraham's word will come back in audible form to judge. It is also a recording device. It, the earth will also record. So, the earth, that's why He told about Moses. Moses is the most meek than any person on the surface of the earth. So, that means the earth will testify who Moses was. Yeah. And the earth will testify who I was. Saji Abraham went to, he went to Trichy. Saji Abraham went to Chennai. Saji Abraham went to Mumbai. He went to UK. He went to USA. What did he do there is imprinted on the sands of time in my lifetime. I cannot erase it. But there is one person who can erase it for me, which is the blood of Christ. Hallelujah.
Brother, there's a weight of the anointing as you keep speaking about the prayer, the incense, and the end times. And for the viewers who are watching, as the weight of the Holy Spirit is so heavy, I, I want you to pray for those viewers who've lost their prayer lives. Hallelujah. Or for those who feel like, you know, people keep saying about the end times. I know it's not going to come up. So, there's some kind of conviction which I feel in my spirit that goes right as they keep watching. Let's pray for the kind. Can we pray?
Jesus. Dear Lord, our Heavenly Father, we want to thank You for Your powerful presence, Lord, that we feel here right now today. I thank You for every person watching us and every child of God, the son and daughters of God, that are hearing us today. Holy Father, touch them, Master. Grant them one restoration more by the blood of Christ. I pray, Lord, whatever be the past, please erase it through the blood of Christ. I pray that whoever wants to come back to You, whoever would like to render that fragrant incense into Your presence as a token of worship, accept them, mighty God, in Your merciful grace. And thank You, Father, for the forgiveness on the cross, the body that was split for me, and the blood that was shed for me. Father, we receive the body and the blood of Christ today as a sanctifying agent to enable me to come back with permission from the presence of God. Amen. Holy Spirit, we surrender and we submit. Lord, let our prayers be an incense to You. Let the lifting up of our hands just not be a physical exercise, but let it be an evening sacrifice in Your presence, Lord. Father, we lift Your name on high. We give You the glory. Bless every viewer and bless this discussion that we had. Thank you for every word that You've given us through this process of today's discussion. Father God, enable us to draw closer to You and give us the grace to stand faithful in Your presence as children of God. We humble ourselves before You. And Father, we remember the word, "Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only the one who does the will of the Father." I pray that You will qualify us and make us eligible to be people that would give priority to fulfilling the will of God. Not our desire, not what we want, but what You want. Lord, let Your will be done. Father, we submit and surrender to You and we give You all the glory. Thank You for Your blessing and Your mercy. Thank You for the lives that are coming back to You. Redeem them for the glory of Your name. Let us meet together in heaven before the throne that You are seated in. Father, give us the grace to worship You together. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Hallelujah. We give You all glory and honor and we surrender ourselves at Your feet in Jesus' most precious and wonderful name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen.
God bless you.
Thank you, brother.
Thank you so much.
Is there a word of advice which you would like to give our viewers, be it from the corporate lane or from the people in the church, or the normal believers, or the youngsters who are looking forward for AI and what's happening? Is there a word you can look into that camera? Tread with caution on the pace at which technology is growing today. Stay grounded at the feet of the Lord. Increase your prayer life, not your technical prowess. Come into the presence of God and ask God to give you the discretion to understand what is right and what is not right in the days to come. And let us be very, very cautious. Prayer is your only way. It's the only Holy Spirit that can advise us, and no human being, no scientific technology. Therefore, I would request you all to focus on the presence of God. Come back and humble yourselves and say, "Jesus, I need You. Here am I, Your servant." And that will be your blessing. God bless you. Amen.
Brother Saji, it was an awesome time with you. We should really appreciate you taking the time to come and meet us, sharing such insights. You know, the presence of the Lord was awesome here, and I was literally blessed. Amen. So, on behalf of Go Ministries International, we thank you so much.
Thank you. May the Lord bless your ministry even more. Amen. And let it be an end-time harvest of souls. Amen. For His kingdom. Yeah. Receive saving people from the crutches of Satan. Amen. God bless.
Amen. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, sister. Thank you once again. My dear people of God, I hope you would have enjoyed today's first podcast on Audience with Arula. I was thrilled. I was thrilled for two reasons. Thrilled for the end-time reminders which the dear brother, the man of God, has spoken about. Thrilled in another way because we felt the awesome presence of God. So, I truly believe you would have also felt the same there. So, with such people coming and visiting us in this studio, looking forward to catch you up again in another episode of Audience with Arula. Until then, stay blessed. Shalom. Heat. Heat.