Stephanie Okafor - Jesus: The Way, The Truth, The Life

If there are many ways to God, if there are multiple ways to God, if there are two ways to God, then Jesus is none of them, because he does not say he is a way, but that he is the way. You see salvation. And being a Christian is not something you inherit from your parents. We are not Christians because we grew up in a Christian home. Welcome to Plock Pod with me Stephanie E. K okafor and this is the first episode of this podcast and I'm so excited that we're kicking it off. You know, when the Lord gave me just the vision for this. The whole focus is Jesus, right, that we would grow in our relationship with Jesus, that we would grow in knowing what it is to be a disciple of Christ and also be raised up in order to make disciples for Christ. Right, many times you might be one, and that's okay, right, because that will change. Or you might have met or know someone who would say they're a Christian, who would communicate that they believe in Jesus, but they cannot articulate to you why they cannot communicate just the foundational truths of the Gospel. And so in this episode, we're going to be talking about Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Right, Jesus spoke of himself this way, that he is the Way, he is the Truth, and he is life. And so we want to know first of all, what did he mean by this, and in the revelation of what he meant, what does that mean for us right as those who follow him? And so let's just get into the scripture. And this podcast is really going to be done in a way of more teaching. And so I encourage you, if you don't have one right now, get a pen, get a paper. If you don't have that, which you should, you know, or theer one. But for the meantime, you could use your phone and really write down these scriptures. This is not just information for you to be able to articulate it with someone else, but this is revelation that it would be. First of all, it will transform you that you would also be equipped to know how to communicate that with others. But you see, the beautiful thing about the Word of God. The power in it is not just by you know, saying what another person said, right, but that there is an understanding that comes to you. There is a revelation of His word that comes to you. That when you're speaking to another, you're speaking from the place of revelation, and that's where power begins to flow. That's why you can simply say to someone Jesus loves you and they begin to weep. Why, because you understand what the love of God is. So when you're communicating it, it's not just words that you're communicating, but you're imparting revelation. You're imparting what comes from the spirit of God. There are few times where I would literally just be listening into a sermon and they will say one thing so simple. I may have heard it a thousand times, but just when they said it, it did something to me. All of a sudden, I found myself crying. It's like instantly I understand there, I grow in a revelation of what that meant. Why, because the person speaking has had time with the Lord to really grab something in God. That they were not just trying to give you a translation or this is what this means, but that they spend time to get something in God, and when they speak to you about it, it comes as there is not just the knowledge transferred from what you're hearing. But there's an impartation of that that happens in your spirit. And so grab a pen, grab some paper, write down the scriptures, because everything flows from the Holy Spirit. And so even when you write down the scriptures after this study it for yourself, because there's more that the Spirit of God will begin to unpack to you. Right. And so we're gonna kick off with John fourteen, verse one to six, right, And so the scripture says, let not your heart be troubled. And this is Jesus speaking. You believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also. And where I go, you know? And the way you know? Then Thomas said to him, Thomas is one of his disciples. He says, Lord, we do not know where you are going. And how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Now, let's kick off with you know, the scripture starts off by saying, let not your heart be troubled. So this part of John fourteen literally lands the night before Jesus's crucifixion, right, so this was during the Last Supper. Now, when you read John thirteen, which I encourage you to do so, take a note of that as well, to just read the entire chapter for John thirteen, because they are key significant things that happened for Jesus in this moment to say let not your heart be troubled. Number one, Jesus had just finished washing the disciples feet. Now this might not seem like a big thing, but it was a big deal, right because from first glance, what Jesus was doing was unthinkable. Washing feet was a job that was given to a servant, right when they will come into a person's house. Now remember the times that we're speaking of, right, This is not when we have cars and you know you can just hop into you know, whatever car you drive and just go a place. They were walking everywhere, and so they come in with their sands and their feet is dusty and all of that. So the host would provide water, but it was the servant's job. And this is like the lowest servants job to wash the feet of the guests. And that is why you will see how initially when Jesus desires to wash their feet, Peter, you know, is a bit hesitant. He's not fully accepting of Jesus washing his feet until Jesus, you know, explains further. But this was just first of all, this is interesting in Jesus is trying to wash our feet. This is a servants job. But what they did not understand is that this was only a foreshadow of the cross. Right, that in this moment that he's washing their feet, he is taking on the lowest position to cleanse them in the same way that his blood would wash away and cleanse us from sin. Right, So that's number one. Then number two, Jesus says that one of them would betray him. Now you have to understand that this betrayal. We often look at it and just see it as Judas betraying Christ. But this was a betrayal to Jesus and to every other disciple, because these were people who had banded their lives together for three years. They have loved one another, They were a family, They share their lives together, they walked together, they loved each other so much that they did not know who to be suspicious of. You see, it's one thing when someone says one of you would betray me. If someone in the group is acting funny, we already have our suspicions like, oh, you know what, it just it has to be Judas, or it has to be Thomas, or they didn't even know who to be suspicious of. This tells you how much they loved one another. So now they're troubled because how could it be that one out of the twelve rite here is going to betray Jesus. And then it continues. I mean, it was like a back to back. Then Jesus tells Peter he will deny him, like you know, so he says, one of you will betray me. This is our alarming. Now Peter walking on water, Peter is gonna deny Christ. The one who is quick to be bold in the group is gonna deny Jesus. It did not make sense. And then Jesus talks about leaving them. So we have left everything to follow you, and now you're telling us you're gonna leave us. You see. And one of the issues here is that many of the disciples They followed Jesus because they thought that he was gonna overthrow Rome. But Jesus's mission was never political, it was always spiritual. But at the time they could not comprehend that he was not here to overthrow Rome, but to over sin death and the power of Satan. Right, so all this is happening, and the disciples are troubled. So first of all, Jesus acknowledges how they feel. He says, let not your heart be troubled. And then he continues and he says, you believe in God, believe also and me and my father's house and many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. And he goes into that whole part from you know, he continues in verse two and when normally you would hear this scripture in funerals and things like that. But mansions is not just about real estate, right, Jesus is talking about relationships. A better translation for that word mansions is actually dwelling places. And Jesus is speaking of himself. That is why he says, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. This is Jesus. It's almost like in a coded language. He's trying to show them that in time they would realize that his death, his resurrection, and his ascension was not abandonment, but that he would prepare a place for them in himself, because now, as a result of his sacrifice, all that believe in him would have a place with him, and a place ultimately in him right. And so he continues, and now we get to the core part of our message today. He says, and where I go you know, and the way you know? And then Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. And how can we know the way? Jesus says, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Now, these are very foundational things of our faith that we must understand. First of all, he starts by saying that he is the way. Now, simply put, if there are many ways to God, then Jesus's none. We have to get it to just that basics. If there are many ways to God, if there are multiple ways to God, if there are two ways to God, then Jesus is none of them. Because he does not say he is a way, but that He is the way. Unfortunately, there are times where you would hear a Christian say, you know, I believe in Jesus because that was what I was raised in. But the other person believes in whatever they believe, and I believe we're all just gonna make it to heaven. Then something is wrong about the foundation of your faith because this is the very thing that a salvation rests on. That salvation comes through Christ alone, not Christ and other ways. Right, so we have to understand, we have to know that this rest on our faith, that Jesus is not a way, He is the way. Now, sometimes this is very difficult to process. Right, Let's be real, because this is when the conversation comes up about what if someone never heard the gospel? What if someone never had a chance to, you know, encounter the Lord or hear the Gospel. And this is what I want to say to you. Now you may have said this, I know I definitely did, and I know most people in my life have asked this question. When you were born, and as you're getting older and you come into an age where you could reason, where you know who we are as humans, right, the ability to reason, the ability to comprehend things and start to question them, and critical thinking comes in. We all ask the question where do babies come from? At some point you have thought it, or you ask your parents, or you ask somebody where do babies come from? You start wondering where did I come from? Right? And then your parents are trying to explain it to you in the weirdest ways, because they're like, how do I answer this? Right? And your mom is telling you how you came from her womb? And for me, I remember that was a very that was a huge thing. I was so confused about how I got here, right, And I'm like, so where did I come from? Like where do we all come from? And they're trying to say, like you know, all kids come from the womb? And I'm like, well who put me there? And we ask this as children, right, So there is a natural inclination to want to know our origin. There is something in us that drives us to know where did I come from? And not just physically but spiritually? Right because even when on the former physical perspective, okay, I came from my mother's womb. But then as kids, pay attention, pay attention to what you act as a child, right before you you got into the rhythm of distraction that now it's the things that you will normally sit down and process and think about. You're so distracted that you can't even just have moments of just you know, good critical thinking. Right. But then even when my mom would tell me I came, you know, I came from her womb, it wasn't enough. I really wanted to know who put me there. And then they explained to you the science, and then I'm like, okay, So all these sperms just lost the fight, and one sperm won the war. And this word is okay, guys, if anyone feels like that, she just says, sperm. It's a natural thing in the body, right, And so this one sperm just said, whoo, you know, I'm just gonna make my way in there. Why that sperm? So there are all these things like there had to be a being of intelligence that already knew about me before I got here. So this were the things I was thinking about. But we all, at the very least, we all thought about where do babies come from? And listen to how Paul addresses this need to know our origin or the creator of our lives right in Romans one, verse eighteen to twenty. He says, the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who suppress truth by their wickedness. Since what may have been known about God is plain to them. What is known about God is plain to them. And see what he says because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, his eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. What is Paul trying to say in simple terms and many things he talks about, but what I want to drive into is that creation itself answers the contemplation in everyone's heart that there is a God. Creation itself answers that for anyone to say they don't believe in anything, I mean, that's just a very hard heart, right. So creation is pointing that there is a creator. It's in our humility that we start to desire to know who is that creator. It's not just you see salvation and being a Christian is not something you inherit from your parents. We are not Christians because we grew up in a Christian home, and we'll go into that a bit more. But basically, the Bible is saying that no one will be without excuse. Look at what Paul says at the end of verse twenty, so that the people are without excuse. Now, Paul is not just speaking to a God that can be encounter through several ways. He's laying the foundation here that first of all, creation is pointing you to the fact that there is a creator, there is a God. It is our humility that we begin to seek to know who is this God. Do you know that there are people who have never had someone share the Gospel to them, and they encounter Jesus because there was a hunger to know who is this God. It was not about them making their own God, or them so obsessed with being their own God, or choosing a religion that aligns with their values and their you know what they desire to do, a religion that keeps them comfortable in their chaos. Right, it was a humility to seek. And you might be wondering, like if you've read every religious book out there, You've read the Bible, you've read the Court, you've read you know X, Y and z all these things and they're still seeking and they just come up with some weird stuff. Why because now it's knowledge becomes their God, the desire to know more and to read what's happening here, what's happening there? You know. The beautiful thing is this God is so just. That is why he doesn't even put it on humanity to be able to discern the hearts of men. But there are certain things that by the outcome of your life, I can tell you something about the motive is wrong. But God knows how to discern the hearts of men. That is why Sometimes you might be wondering, but this person is searching God, why haven't you encountered them? He knows the heart pastor he knows they're not really seeking me. Sometimes people are reading things to only validate their own stance. You see, have you ever been biased in the conversation? No matter what the other person says, you still choose where you stand because you came with a bias. No matter there's nothing the other person could say that will sway you. You're only in the conversation to try to win them over, not to actually listen. So there are times that people are searching not because they really desire to know who is this God, but there's something else that is driving their motive, and the outcome reveals that something in the motive is wrong. But I want to give you some examples because you can look this up on your own. There is a man called Richard Wombrand and he is the founder of Voice of the Martyrs, and he has shared so many stories of prisoners who's met and encountered the Lord Jesus without anyone ever teaching them the gospel talking to them about him. They had encounters with him. Right. There are stories of indigenous people that would have these dreams and in the dream someone to tell them a man is coming to you to talk to you about the true God, and missionaries would come to them and start teaching them about Jesus and they would realize that what was described in their dream is who the missionary is talking about. There are Muslims, I mean the beauty of YouTube and TikTok, right, there are Muslims all around the world literally sharing their encounters with Jesus and now converting into Christianity because they were like, I met him without ever hearing the gospel, and so the Lord knows how to encounter his people, regardless of if you share the Gospel with them or not. But you see, it's not to stop there. That's where the beauty of community comes in. You're not supposed to just stop and an that, Okay, I had this supernatural encounter and that was it. No, because the encounter validates it makes it known to you that Jesus is Lord. But a community of believers begin to grow you in your faith. That is where you begin to grow in the knowledge of the world of God that you are now transformed. You see discipleship. You would also you always see look at the life of the apostle Paul. The Lord encounters him. And after the Lord encounters him, what does he do? He gives him an instruction to go to someone, to meet with a man that would help in discipling Paul. Right, And so this question we have that what about people who never heard the gospel? Literally, the Bible says none will be without excuse. There is always a way for someone to come to know that the God of this universe that if if you really desire to meet him, who you would encounter is Jesus. It's not Buddha, it's not whatever you want to call it. Who you will encounter is Jesus. When the heart is pure, when you come before him with humility, you would encounter him. And sometimes you don't even know how people have shared the Gospel with others. You don't even know how it. You know the things that you might judge from your perspective, You don't even know that maybe they did hear the gospel. And during this podcast, we're going to really dive into things. How someone can know something and still reject it, How someone can know something to be true but not receive it for themselves. Think about it. Demons know that Jesus is Lord, but he's not their lord. The demons know that Jesus is Lord, but they reject him over their lives. Is not their lord, but he is lord right, And so we cannot allow these arguments of well, what if someone ever heard the gospel, then it cannot be that Jesus is the only way. No, Jesus is the only way. And will continue to unpack this. One of the questions that people often ask me is, Stephanie, how do I actually study the Bible? When we desire to go deeper, sometimes it can feel a little intimidating. And I'm here to tell you about an amazing Bible study too, and it's called Logos. It's an incredible app that helps you engage with scripture in a more meaningful way. So, for example, you can type in what does the Bible say about holiness and it will give you scripture, scholarly insids, historical background, and so much more. Logos helps you to understand what you're reading and why it matters. So whether you're new to the faith or you've been following Jesus for some time, this is going to help you study the world with so much confidence. And we have received wed such an incredible gift for every plog pod listener. You can use lagus today for free for the next sixty days. All you have to do is go to lagus dot com. Backshot Stephanie to get started. Now let's go back into the episode. So hearing and knowing the gospel is very essential, right, because it's not just to be about an encounter. I encountered the Lord at nine years old, but he didn't become my savior to many years after that, because at that age I had capacity for I needed a father, but it took me years before I recognize that I needed to be saved and I need to receive him as savior. And during those years there were things I began to learn. I'm talking about how I would literally the Lord would give me messages. The Lord will give me words. You know the scripture about how many will come on that day and say, Lord, repropheside in your name. That would have been me if I did not make him my safe because I had like the Lord would give me things. It was so clear. I mean, I would believe for healing, the Lord will heal me. I would believe for healing for others, the Lord will heal others. But I was not saved. That's the truth. He was my father, but he wasn't my savior. Right, I hadn't received him as savior. And like I said, we'll go more into that. Let me not deviate too much for what we're talking about. But you can know something to be true and rejected. Right. People can have their ways that God. The Bible literally says that it is not the will of God for any to perish. God does not want to see anyone perish. But if anyone has a genuine desire to know Him, they will encounter Jesus, right, And so becoming a Christian is a personal pursuit. It's personal. Don't look at it. Maybe you grew up in a Christian home, it's not because you can't inherit salvation from your parents. It's a personal pursuit. So if you believe you're a Christian just because you were born, you were born into a Christian home, you got to look into that a bit deeper. Right. You can't just say that I was born in a Christian home because what you know is religion. You got into the routine of going to church, prayer meetings and all of that. But have you recognized him as your Lord and your savior? But Jesus calls himself the way right. So again, if there are many ways to God, then he is none because he's the way. So if as a believer, you open up to the idea that there are many ways to God, then Jesus is not your lord at all, because he's not a way. He is the way. Right. Now, he also calls himself the truth. Now, in those times, Jewish traditions there were you know, there were many Jewish traditions. Rather that it was difficult for a person to know what is it that is God's will? Out of all these traditions, all these things that we're doing, what is God's will? So Jesus makes it so simple. He says he is the truth. And so that means any tradition, any thought, any belief that cannot be found in him is a lie. Anything that we practice that cannot be found in Christ is a lie. If you cannot you cannot show, if you cannot reveal Jesus through it, if he is not the motive, if he is not the pursuit, if he is not the center of it, it is a lie. And so when we think about that, you see all these things that even in our world today, there are so many things I've seen that Christians dabble into. Right, we find ourselves doing all kinds of weird, you know, acts and rituals and performances, and you know, we will say, we will get crystals, we will do all these things, and Jesus is not at the center of it. Because if He's at the center of it, then you don't need those things. If Jesus is at the center of your life, then why would you put more belief in a plant to cleanch your home. Why would you have you know, you put a plant on fire that that has power to cleanse your home. And then someone will say, well, I pray through it, then why not just pray? Because it's not that the Holy Spirit told you to do that. Right, Some people will say things like, okay, then why do Christians use the anointing oil and this? And you know, why do we do this? And why do we do that? And I tell you the same thing, because the anointing oil can also be abused. In reality, is oil that someone else cooked with. It's the same oil that someone might be frying chicken with. Right. But if the Holy Spirit prompts you, and we can see more evidence of that when you even look biblically what the oil represented, right, But you will not find a biblical reference for stage that. The way it's used today, you will not find a biblical reference for that. You will not find a biblical reference for the way crystals are being used today. It's now being used in place of God, right, and whatever else you want to factor into that. If He is not at the center of it, if he is not the motive, if he cannot be found in it, then it is a lie. And so one of the things I even want you to think about because even when Jesus, when we see how Jesus will call himself the truth, there's something that I began to learn that really was so fascinating to me. You know, we normally see the Bible in two parts, right, the Old Testament and the New Testament. But another way that I want you to consider looking at that in two parts is Genesis one and two and then Genesis three to Revelation twenty two, which is the end of the Bible. And what I mean about this is because when Jesus also says that he is the truth, right, so now we know he is the way, then he says he is the truth. So what is it about Jesus that makes it that truth is not just based on my ideas or your ideas or whatever you call truth. And what I call truth, that truth is a person. What is this about? And why I say that you can look at the Bible from Genesis one and two and Genesis three to Revelations twenty two because Genesis one and two literally gives us God's intention for creation. God creates a land, he places humanity in it to serve his will. And purpose. Now this is a very simple version. Right. God creates a place, he creates man to steward the place, and the purpose of man is also to be in service of the will of God. Right. Obviously God desires to commune with men and all of that. We're going to get into more of that later, but just from the simpleness of it, right, we see that in the beginning that have God created the heavens and the earth, and then we now go into you know, what happened with the earth being void and without forming all of that, and then after God brings it back into its original state, then we see how God created man. He puts man in the garden. He gives man these instructions. But literally God makes a place, he makes he built, He creates man places man, you know, and literally gives him this instruction that reveals the will and the purpose of God. Right, because man is to extend the rain and the rulership of the Lord right on the earth. Then Genesis three to Revelations twenty two we see the fall of humanity and the story of redemption. These are certain things that we can find right, Man falls and it takes into this story of God wanting to redeem his original plan. Right, And so that's how you see Genesis one one will literally say in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Revelations twenty one, Verse one will say, let me go to it. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Right. There is this redemption taken place from Genesis three to Revelations twenty two, right where God comes back to his original intent that there is a place, there is the people and they are in service to His will. Right. And so why I'm sharing this is because in order for this to happen, it can only go through Jesus. Redemption and being reconciled back to God can only happen through the sacrifice of Jesus. So anything that is not found in him is a lie. Because your life, the very essence of your life, it's to be in service to the will of God. That's that's really why we're all here. We are all in service to his will. That the Lord was looking for those he would be able to commune with, and those that would that would be an extension of who he is. That's what we are so distracted in this life. We make so much about what the flesh desires and what you know, all these selfish ambition and selfish intent and all the things that is such a distraction from the main thing. Satan doesn't have time to go after every individual one by one, one by one, and so he goes after the system. He goes after culture, He goes after you know what you're looking at, so he can shape your ambitions and pursuits. He goes after media because if he can get your eyes, you see where the eyes go, everything follows. Remember Peter walking on water. As long as his eyes stayed on Jesus. He was walking. When he got distracted and started looking at the storms, he began to drown. So the enemy is so masterful in his ways that he's like, if I can just get their eyes. That is one of the biggest distractions right now in our generation, and it is scary for the next generation, is that people are being raised by their phones. Everything is on your phone, every app, your bank. I mean, there was a time that you want to go to the you need to transfer money, you need to do whatever, you have to go to the physical bank, right But now, oh no, you have a check, take a picture of it, upload it onto your mobile app. Right, So there's so much and it's not just about the apps, but it's because on that same phone is where our distractions lie. So let me make it convenient. Let me make your life so comfortable that everything is on your phone, so that every time you need to go to it, you are distracted by something else, or right after you go to it, you get back to where the enemy wants you, just mindless scrolling, just going, going, going, going, going, And what is he doing. He is shaping the appetite of your ambitions and your pursuit. Then he gets into culture, He gets into the industries to tell them what you should be like if you're going to excel in it. So he gets into the film industry, the music industry and says, oh, you want to succeed here, this is what This is the kind of music you need to put out. These are the kind of clothes you need to wear, These are the kind of things you need to do. All of it are distractions because we make it all about us, and Jesus cannot be found in any of those things. You see. To understand the purpose of a thing, you often have to go to the origin of it. Why was man formed? In the beginning in service to God. We were created to have communion with the Lord and to be insert and to be in service to Him. So if the life you're living today you cannot whatever it is you're in, Jesus is not at the center of Jesus is not the pursuit Jesus is not the purpose behind it. It's a lie. It's a lie, as simple as that. Because in everything, whether you're in the political field, whether you're in the medical field, whether you're in sports, whether you're in art, whether you're in music, whether you're in whatever education, Jesus should be at the center. And he will show you how to make his name known in those places, how to reveal him in those spaces. But if it's all about you and you know, hitting your goals and hitting this thing and making this next you know, milestone, and you're distracted, that's just the truth. You are distracted because when this life ends, all your accolades are not going to go up with you. Literally, it's your spirit leaves your body, everything is left on the earth. Everything. And so the question is are you distracted, Because if you are, then you're malfunctioning. You are not functioning to the degree of which you are created for right, And so he makes it simple. He is the truth. If whatever our lives are built on he cannot be found in, it is a lie, right, And so then he says he is the life. Right. Having breath in your body is not the same as having life. There are many people who are physically alive, but spiritually they are dead. Because true life is in Jesus. You know, as believers, you cannot be afraid of death. And why I say that is because who you are is really is in Him, right, and so death is not about the absolute end is the shedding of this earthly body to fully transition into a with Him. And when I say you cannot be afraid of death, I'm not talking about you know, living your life each day like if I die today, it's okay. No, you there is an assignment you have on the earth that you must fulfill and accomplish. Right. But what I mean is that when that time comes, and it was purposed by the Lord, as you know, I pray that we all live the fullness of our days. Right. It's not saying that you know, a Lord take me now. No, Lord, do not take me now. There's so much that I still have to do. There's so much you've revealed to me to do, right, That's what that's where I'm coming from. And so until that is done, then yeah, take me. But what I mean is that there's some people and I just sense this that you just have this crippling fear of death and you cannot let that be a thing that holds you back in life. You know, holds you back and moving and doing certain things because you have this constant fear of about death. There's literally someone the Lord is showing me this and you have never been on a plane, never, because you have this fear about plane crashes. And the crazy thing is that you have a grace of an evangelist. You're supposed to go places, but you've never been on a plane. And I just want to pray against that right now. Actually, because I see you so clearly and so heavenly, Father, I just thank you that I use this person as a point of contact, and I come and I cancel every agreement that they have opened up, every door that has been opened up. I see that there was a movie. It was like a horror movie that they were watching, and that was where that spirit came in and it has been a spirit of torment over their minds that telling them, you know, just over and over again that the day they choose to get on a plane is the day that plane crashes. That there is this fear they have. It's this crippling fear they have about flying. And they have never been on a plane. Yet their call is to the nations. And so, Lord God, we cancel that right now in the name of Jesus. And I just pray for anyone else who is tuned in that has this fear of death that they come out of agreement with it right now in Jesus' name, that they would know that you, Lord Jesus, you are the one that holds their life together and until their assignment is done, they're not going anywhere. And to have your way in and through their lives in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. But getting back to that, Wow, I just that's so crazy that you have never been on the flight. Wow. But your call to the nations, and I just encourage whoever that person is just go somewhere, just this weekend, Just go somewhere. I mean, go an hour away wherever it is the closest to you. By plane, just go somewhere and break that covenant, break that agreement. Because there was something you watch. It was a horror movie that you watch, and that was how that spirit of torment came in. But I just believe that it is broken off your life. But we don't have this fear why because we have life. When you receive Jesus, he is life. You receive the gift of eternal life. So you're not gonna be and you will not make room for the enemy to try to torment you about this. Or maybe there are people they are loved ones in your life, and maybe where there are right now that you know it's it's terminal and everything is looking like they're going to pass on and we are grieving. I believe it's healthy because when you grieve for someone, it's also a reflection of the love you have for them. It's a reflection of the impact they had in your life. So that is healthy, But not to the place where you you feel as though all hope is lost. Right, because if that person believed in Jesus, then all they did was to shed this earthly skin so that they can be in eternal life with him, right, And that's where We're all going for those that believe in the Lord. Jesus would even say to Martha when he talks about this is in John eleven twenty five. I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live. This was before the resurrection of Lazarus. Right, Lazarus has been dead for days, and Jesus comes on the scene and his sisters are crying, and they're like, Lord, where were you if you were here? This, this and that? And Jesus is like, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Right. He knows he's about to raise up Lazarus, but he's also communicating with them something much profound and deeper, that in him is life. Right, anyone who is in him, what their portion is eternal life? Because guess what, even when you raise somebody up from the dead, they're still gonna have to die again on this earth. So Lazarus was raised up, but Lazarus still had a natural death eventually, right, But in Christ, Lazarus would experience eternal life. So what I'm saying is that don't just settle for breath, have life, and life is in Jesus. That's why even Colochians three foot will say, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear in glory. It says, Christ, who is your life. You see, you might be watching this and realize that maybe I've not really given my life to the Lord. Don't just settle for breath, receive life. You might be watching this and you're curious, whatever the case might be, don't just settle for breath, receive life. Right. And then lastly, Jesus talks about no one comes to the Father except through me. Now, something I found so fascinating is that many religions recognize and honor Jesus. Now check this out. In Judaism, they acknowledge him as a Jewish teacher, a rabbi from the first century. He's viewed as an influential preacher. In Islam, he's a prophet and a messenger of God, and he's highly honored as one of the greatest prophets born to the Virgin Mary. Interesting in hindu In Hinduism, he's recognized as a holy man, admired as a great spiritual teacher, and an embodiment of selflessness. In Buddhism, he's seen as a wise teacher and enlightened, being right, and the list goes on. Now they don't acknowledge him as the Messiah, but they acknowledge him, they honor him. Now, this is my question, what a man who is high honored as one of the greatest prophets, a holy man, an enlightened teacher, be a liar? If I am going to say you are a holy man, you're enlightened, you are the greatest prophet? Am I also going to see you as a liar. What is fascinating to me is that how do you honor a man but reject the core of his message? Because if I'm gonna honor you, then you must be who you say you are. If I'm going to call you a holy man, an enlightened man, one of the greatest prophets, then you must be who you say you are. And this is Jesus' core message. His very identity is on the line here. How can I acknowledge you but reject your identity? How can I honor you but reject who you are? It doesn't add up. It's like someone honoring right, the late doctor Martin Luther King and saying, man, he was one of the greatest leaders, But you reject the core of his message. You reject the heartbeat of what he taught. It doesn't line up. And what does this show me? Deception is at work. What I see is the hand of the enemy. Because I cannot say Jesus is one of the greatest prophets that ever lived, but deny what he said about himself. I cannot say he is a holy man, but reject the fact that he is saying. This is not someone else saying about him. This is what Jesus said of himself, that no one comes to the Father except through him. So how does that work? Right? His very identity hinges on this revelation Jesus Again, if they're any ways to him, he's none. This is his message. This is his core message about himself. So if the you know, the the what do how do I even say this? Like the well known you know religions or the major religions in the world and whatever, If they would acknowledge him, it should make you curious to the fact that he is who we say he is, because you cannot tell me you acknowledge a man but reject the core of his message. Now we don't need that to point to who Jesus is. But I'm just giving you the fact that when he says, no one comes to the Father except through me, we can't keep using the argument about what happens here, what happens there? What if this person never heard the gospel? If anyone will humble themselves to know the Lord, he will make himself known. And the reason even for this podcast, it's God's desire for people to know him. I was not planning to do a podcast like this when the Lord gave me this vision and instruction. But why it's for his people? Because I believe there are people that will be drawn to this that do not know the Lord. But it's your choice. It's up to you to either receive or reject it, because it's not I'm not trying to convince you, right, this is not like a debate or anything like that. It's the spirit of God that convicts you to receive what I'm saying. That's truth, But it's up to you to receive it or reject it. Right, you can know it's true and still reject it. And I also want to challenge those who are believers and listening to this, who are the people in your circle that the Lord has been highlighting to share the gospel with because you've been putting so much pressure on you. Rather than just a lot, availing yourself to share the gospel, and the Lord will give you the wisdom, The Lord will give you language, The Lord will give you there. You just have to avail yourself to it, right, because maybe you'll be like, no, they will never hear this, they will never accept it. How do you know? Let the Holy Spirit do his work right. But next week we're going to be continuing from this because even when we talk about Jesus is the Way, the truth, and the life, how to better understand this is to understand his sacrifice. And so next week the focus of the teaching would be to bring an understanding to why the blood of Jesus had to be shed, and this would only drive in further the fact of why he is the only way, why it could only be Jesus that reconciles us back to God. So join me next week on that. And if you haven't accepted the Lord Jesus as your savior, then I want you to just wait a little bit because we are going to pray for you. If you're watching this, then I believe that there is a hunger in your heart. There is something that has moved you with a desire to want to make Jesus Christ your Lord and savior. Now this is not just a decision that we make out of being convinced by something, but there is a conviction of the Holy Spirit that ministers to us that I need to be saved from this path of destruction that my life has been on. I need to be saved from this sinful nature to come into life, to receive the life of God. Salvation is about an exchange that the Lord has put that sinful nature on the cross. When we believe what Jesus did, when we believe that he died and he was raised up with all victory and all power. You see on the cross, Jesus took captivity. Captive. That's what the Word of God says. And what is that captivity Everything that has tried to keep you bound, including that sinful nature that we have received as from the fallen man. You see, when man fell, he took on the nature of sin. And that is the image that every other man has been born into. But in Jesus you have righteousness. You can be made righteous in Christ and salvation is to be saved from death into life, to come out of bondage into freedom. And so I want to pray with you. But I want you to know that as you say yes to the Lord, you are saying yes to his life. You are saying yes to the ways of Jesus. You are saying yes for Jesus to live in and through you. Your body. Your life becomes a home for the Holy Spirit, and he wants to express the nature of Jesus through your life. And so just join with me in prayer because this will be the start. But salvation is a journey, and we're there's gonna be a link in the description, especially if you are listening to this or you're watching this from YouTube, You're going to see this in the description, and I want you to click on that because it's going to help guide you into things about what comes next, how to study the Bible, just little things that are going to be very beneficial to your walk with the Lord. And so I just want you to pray with me, Lord Jesus and just repeat after me. And when I say repeat after me, it's not just for you to just use words and they're empty. Before you. After this prayer, meditate on those words, and just really ope, have a moment of personal prayer with the Lord, and let the Holy Spirit minister to you beyond what I could do. And so just repeat after me, Lord Jesus, I confess with my mouth as I have believed in my heart in this moment, that indeed you are the son of God, that when you came to the earth and you were crucified on the cross, that you put to death my sinful nature. And as I receive you, I receive your life. I receive the righteousness, the righteous nature that you have brought to give me. I exchange the sinful nature for the righteous nature. And so, Lord, come into my life and make my life your home. Have your way in and through me. Whatever is in me that is not pleasing to you. Convict me of these things. Lord, that I will not identify with the way of the flesh, but I will come in agreement with the way of life. I choose life. I choose you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen five.