Transcript: Fulfilling Vows to God: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Hello my dear brothers and sisters, a warm welcome to one and all of you and I greet you in the name of a loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am very happy and I am very privileged to be part of these sessions and I want to thank God who enables such wonderful platforms, who gives us this moment, this opportunity to stay in fellowship and especially to be connected together as a family in the word of God. and many people are conformed to the practices of the world and involved in worldly pleasures and many people go through lots of, you know, get involved in lots of unnecessary habits and eventual, you know, practices and all that. But then you and I are consistently able to meditate from the word of God and please don't assume that you are making efforts. Except by the grace, there is no one who could stay consistent in this journey called as Christian life. Alright. A warm welcome to this short series, short session I would say. And we are going to meditate on a specific topic today. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verses 1 to 7. And the title for today's conversation, today's discussion and meditation would be from the same title NKJV version. that is fear God and keep your woes. Two different things. Fear God and keeping your woes. V-O-W-S. Right. Now, what is this fear God? You can fear God because he is definitely someone who is powerful enough to avenge us, to take revenge on us, to definitely, you know, he is God of fury. If you look at the old covenant, the children of Israel in the wilderness, they have really committed a lot of sins against God the Father and they have irritated him to the core. At some point, God had to send serpents to bite his own children. Can you imagine? He is not someone who was of that nature. The nature of God is full of love and compassion. and such a wonderful father in heaven. These guys irritated him to the core. Can you believe that he had to send serpents to make the serpents bite them and kill them and send fire from heaven. All this happens in the book of Exodus. He is known for that, right? And many people irritate him. They move away from God and see all these things he is doing to teach them one thing, right? I love you so much and how is that you can insult me, right? And how is that you are not able to understand the value of my presence? And I am the creator of heaven and earth. I am the God of the universe, not only God of the earth. Right? This is old covenant. I can go on with a lot of examples. First Kings, Second Kings, if you take and read, you will understand that each time the children of Israel had been moving away from God, God would literally get them back by sending their enemies and take them captive. and then they would cry out to God and God immediately get them back or help them to defeat their enemies. Again, they would be, this is called a stiff-necked attitude. This is called as, you know, stout heart and proud heart or hard heart, right? There is another series which we will be kicking off very soon. The different forms of human heart. There are different forms of heart and all these things are circumstance based, you know. It is because of the situations that you go in life, go through in life you know when you get upliftment there is pride in heart when you are pulled down then obviously you become humble you know humbleness in heart and make and cry cry out to God saying that please deliver me from this problem and all that God is merciful that is his nature and that is the beauty of God and and that is what really amazes me how is that we are able to always rebel against God some people are really really hard nuts to crack and even after going through so many experiences in life and for so many years having seen how God reacts whenever they walk away from God because God loves you, right? This is actually called as fear of God. Fear of God means you have understood the love of God and therefore you respect him. Therefore you honor him. Therefore you made a decision that you cannot live being separated from his presence. Yes, this is how Jesus Christ lived his life. This is how Paul the apostle lived his life. Always being tightly coupled with the love of Christ. Nothing could separate me. No affliction, no tribulation, no infliction, no troubles in the world can separate me from the love of Christ. Paul the apostle writes in one of his epistles. What got him there? He was a murderer. But what got him there is what he understood. How? His Jesus had fellowship. His master Jesus had fellowship with the Father. That's called as the fear of God. Trembling fear, oh God may punish me and all that. That's old covenant. New covenant is love. Think of the sacrifice on the cross. God so loved the world that he sent his only son to be laid his sin offering on the cross. While we were sinners, Bible says in John 3.16. Such a God is going to also get into angry state. The wrath of God shall descend on us. if we insult the blood covenant and his holy spirit bible says in hebrews 10 29 and also you can read it in john 3 36 the wrath of god shall descend on you when you keep insulting his son when you keep ignoring his son new covenant also god's anger is there but new covenant anger is not going to be reactive immediately it will not be seen but it will be reserved for the day of judgment that's even more terrible old covenant people one way i would say they are blessed why Because immediately God punishes them and immediately they have an opportunity to repent and reconcile with God and you know get back to the original course in their journey Probably they took some deviation the detour Now they are able to come and meet the right pathway that takes them to the right destination They have a chance. But you and I, the new covenant, it's even more dangerous. That's why every single day you need to walk in consecration. You need to walk in sanctification. You need to walk in light. You need to walk in wisdom. You need to walk in diligence. Efficiency 5, you take can read yeah and what can get you there his holy spirit and his anointing now this is all about the fear of the lord according to old covenant and new covenant standards i'm condensing and explaining it to you in shorter tense because this is a short session i want to talk more but there is no time and your woes when things are going on absolutely against you you come to god you pray and you make some decisions. What are the woes you make? Many woes we make saying that I will never watch television again. I will never watch pornography again. I will never get into idolatry again. I will never get into adultery again. I will never take bribe. I will never do this. I will never do that. Alright. And not only that, if you bless me God and deliver me from this situation, I will give 50% of my earning and income to the poor. All these decisions you take, these are wonderful woe you make before God. It's like taking an oath on the day of you know, the commemoration or the ministers, they are going to be anointed as ministers, right? On the day they take an oath, I will serve my country, I will do this and all that. Ultimately, nobody thinks of that after they get into the position because they are worldly people. But how about you? When you make that oath to God, when you take that oath before God, God remembers that and he will judge you accordingly, right? He is not going to come and say that, hey, where is my offering? Where is that commitment that you had made? You know, it is less by $1,000. It's less by 10 rupees. You won't make such calculations. But all the questions are reserved for the day of judgment. That's called as making vows before God. And when you make vows, be very careful. I'm telling you. Make the right decisions. And don't be super reactive. Don't be over reactive. Don't exaggerate. Commit to God whatever you can commit. Did God ask you anything? See, even if you don't commit, you are seeking for His mercies. God will still deliver you. but then it's your attitude your attitude is great that you are making worse to God saying that I will do this I will do that and all that but don't think or come to this conclusion because you make such worse you're impressing God therefore without a choice God is able to help and deliver you even without you making why he says my mercies are great it's far above then have far above heavens I say 55 that mercies are enough to deliver you but what is your attitude, right? You receive all the blessings and you would not bless God's people again back, I mean to say. That is where your attitude is put to test. Many people, they take the vow with the right heart only, but after they are delivered, they forget God. They also forget vows. This was the problem with Israel, right? In the wilderness, they make vows because they want to come out of that situation. Oh, we won't do this again and all that. After everything is fine, few days later, again back to sin. Similarly, right, When God delivers them from all their enemies, first kings and second kings, then immediately they will get into adultery and adultery and they will marry the Jebusites, Canaanites and all that people and Samaritans and all that they mingle. God will strike them. Again, they will make, oh, we won't do it and all that. Are you a kind of a seasonal Christian? When nothing goes well, you will seek God. Oh, it will be obedient. When all goes well, you will forget God. What kind of human being you are? What kind of creation you are? and don't you realize even now also it's not God who is reigning in you if you are an opportunist if you are a hypocrite if you are practicing this act of hypocrisy if you are abiding in that you are being ruled by a bunch of demons and unclean spirits are reigning in you never ever walk in that assumption see I pray no God delivers me immediately that is his mercies and for that also you have to give an account right for misusing his mercies remember that So, let's get into the session. This is the title context setting and we took few minutes. Walk prudently. I am reading from Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and this is the book of NKJV, NKJV version. walk prudently when you go into the house of God and draw near see let me stop there walk prudently when you go to the house of God prudently means what you know carefully diligently sensibly meaningfully all this leads right which means what don't play with God don't play all the your dirty games with God as how you play with human beings don't be political don't act like a diplomat And don't be a hypocrite. Be truthful when you get into God's presence. And speak what you can follow. Don't speak and then try to follow. Because you will anyway fail. And ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance in leading. Because you are standing on the holy ground. The presence of God. Show that respect. And draw near to hear. Rather than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they do not know that they do evil. very very important principle principle number 2 is whenever we enter into the throne room of God prayer room for example or presence of God or go to church we will be busy talking to God which is good and not against it all of us should open our heart and mind and talk to God but more than you talk to God you need to pay attention to what God talks to you He speaks to your heart God is interactive person you know that obviously you have any doubts in that that you will only talk. Is it like a monologue? One way communication? It always a dialogue Our God loves talking back to his people Just that people are deaf to his voice numb in their heart they don feel anything they don hear anything why because their ears are not tuned to the voice of the lord to the voice of the holy spirit that is screaming on top of his voice you know holy spirit is screaming on top of his voice hey this is what god is trying to tell you hey this is your response. Hey, this is the correction. This is the instruction. This is you never tune. Daniel, his servant, prays for 21 days and you know what he is praying. He is praying that only one day he prayed about his petition. But after that he was waiting in the presence of the Lord to hear the voice. To receive the response. He would not eat anything. Look at that confidence. Look at that dedication. Look at that commitment, look at that, what I say, that orientation, that attachment and I don't know what other words to use. Are we learning something here? When you enter into the presence of God, you are not supposed to be the only person talking. Do not be that over talkative person and oh, you know how long I have been praying. You don't have to pray long. Just pray and just wait for God. God will talk to you and you will continue to pray, but it is not who you are talking. It is not you who is talking there but it is the holy spirit who is interceding for your needs joining hands with your spirit and he is the one actually leading that many times in my prayer i would go with some agenda i i i i respect the presence of god therefore i just don't go and walk into his presence hey father i've come come on let's talk nothing like that i will go with a prepared agenda. My family is the witness. They know. Of course, I don't reveal what is the agenda, but they know. When fasting and prayer, we go with an agenda, family agenda. Therefore, they know the structure of my prayer life. All of us should do that. Jesus went with an agenda, always. He never went and, come on, Father, you tell me. No, he went with an agenda. But then, he will ask Father to fulfill the agenda according to his divine will. He will never force the Father, you fulfill all my agenda, nothing like that. Okay, my point is different. When you have spoken your agenda, sometimes what happens is he will be responding to half the agenda. He will say half the agenda is not the time to respond. I will come to you. Sometimes what happens, this is called a supernatural experience. the moment I would open my mouth to pour out my petitions, Holy Spirit will say, hang on. Your agenda is not the agenda for today's prayer. I have a different agenda. What a wonderful experience, you know. I would literally feel in my heart that God is trying to say something. God is trying to do something. God tries to talk something to me to reveal his divine will and plan. I will immediately, you know, crush that paper and throw it to the dustbin. And immediately I'll be focusing on what the Holy Spirit wants to talk to me. And he will be unified with my spirit. And the Holy Spirit will talk through me, talk through me. And every word of my mouth doesn't belong to me. It was not from me because I don't know what I'm talking. But ultimately I will understand what I'm talking. Because it's a revelation. It's like prophecy that proceeds from deep within you. All of your prophets, all of your prophetess. You don't have to go and stand in that line. long queue, this prophet, that prophet you are all prophets the promises of God are all prophecies and the Holy Spirit is the greatest prophet who will work with you, who will work right from inside of you to reveal the divine will and plan of God therefore learn to tune your ears to the voice of God there are different ways sorry, there are different categories, that's why I'm covering all the categories, the last category is supernatural category, all of you have gone through such experiences, you go with an agenda and God says to him, I have a different agenda for you. Pay attention to God and therefore you will learn to walk in your spirit. That is what is Galatians 5 talking about. Walk in the spirit. Ephesians 5 also is talking about it. All of you with me? I am feeling a little tired. For a dream comes through much activity. Ecclesiastes 5.3. For a dream comes through much activity and a fool's voice is known by his many words. For a dream comes from much activity in the sense, if you keep working with God, it's an activity, effort. Every activity is made of efforts, right? Or every effort builds an activity. It's an activity. You are putting efforts to talk to God. When you go with an agenda, God will plant, implant the dream and vision. He will convert your agenda to the next level and he will help you to understand, hey, this is what I'm planning. And he will give you that vision. You will go, you will enter inside your prayer room with a piece of paper. You will come back with a blueprint. You will walk outside the room with a blueprint saying that this is the response I have received from my father. You know, what a wonderful experience it is. All of you should go through that experience. If you have not gone through that experience, which means you are not deeply involved in prayer, interacting with God. You have not gone through this beautiful experiences of listening to the voice of God, for which you need to spend time in reverence, in respect. You can't go and pray God in the two minutes Maggie noodles prayer, right? Only this much time I've got. God, I'm tuning my ears. Come on, talk to me. You are in a rush. No, go. God is not your priority. Prayer is not your priority. You're busy with many other things in the world. Why should God talk to you? If you were God, will you pay attention to such people? No. Where is my respect that is due Where is the reverence Where is the honor that is due God is asking In the Bible it is there multiple places Otherwise Bible calls you a fool Yes I didn just now I read it from you from the Bible It's not, I'm saying, I'm calling you a fool. When you make a vow to God, now going to the next section. First is about praying, praying methods. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it. I covered it already, right? When you made a vow and God delivers you from that problem, immediate attention should go to the what did I promise I will fulfill it I have made so many woes in my life and I want to thank God that the Holy Spirit had been gracious enough to lead me, remind me, help me to fulfill those woes by the grace of Jesus, yes and I will tell you what, you will be led into temptations also, God will test your spirit whether you are sticking to that woe, he will bring situations where you are not able to fulfill your woe and God will be watching, what is this guy going to do now rush into his presence and ask God, God, you know, what a guilt I have in my heart that I am not able to fulfill your vow. Help me here. God will immediately respond. I have gone through those experiences too. Right? Do not delay it for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have owed. You are again a fool. If you have not fulfilled your woes to God. It is better not to owe than to owe and not pay. I told this before only. Who did God force you to owe? You make prayers, you place your petitions, make your request known to God, be anxious for nothing. Philippians 4, 6 says that you have confidence that His mercies will help you, deliver you and all that. Leave it there. Because you know who you are, right? You are in the learning spree. Don't make too many O's. Just make one O. Start from one. One is a good number. Start from one and then slowly increase it. People will pour out everything if I get this. This is called as emotional excitement. Please don't get into that. You will fail. and you will have to give an account. God will judge you because you are the one. That's why I'm telling you be very serious when you enter into the prayer room. God's presence is there. You should feel it. Supernatural experience. It is better not to owe than to owe and not pay. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin. Sin starts from mouth. Trouble also starts from mouth. All these quarrels, brawls, you know, avenges, revenging, bloodshed, murder all know if you introspect and see it will start from out that's why when you enter into the presence of God the words of your mouth definitely you really watch out okay and nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error you know people it was a mistake sorry they will say the same thing to God they are very very you know they have lot of piety for God and all that and it was a mistake God I never thought this was going to be so difficult and all that. You are a fool. How can you make such a vow before God, creator of heaven and earth, without thinking? Let your words be few. That's what Bible tells. Don't open this big hole on your face and start pouring everything like the tap delivers water when it's opened. Let your words be few. If you get an appointment with Prime Minister of India or President of US, how will your words be? You will prepare the script months ago and you would have rehearsed it some million times. Because you make a mistake, you won't rub your shoulders with the Prime Minister or President, powerful people or political people that too. But who is God? How do you treat God? He is the one who runs the governments. He is the one who changes the hearts. On his shoulders government is running. You know how powerful he is? Heaven is his throne and footstool on earth. What a mighty God. Don't play your dirty games with God. Find a different person. I am talking this because I care for your soul. I can't imagine what will be your White Throne Judgment Day looking like. Be careful. Right? Why should God be angry at your excuse and excuse? You are kindling God's anger. Better for you not to make wow. Change your attitude before you make wow. Be serious. And destroy the work of your hands. It will become a curse. for in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity but fear God with that we close fear means we understood right it's respect and honor it's in reverence you are very serious about your relationship with God when you make a vow when you pray in the methods of prayer we taught you and what is vow we also taught you be very careful not only before God before men also These are all practical illustrations while you are walking in this world also. You follow the same principle. Why are you such a blabberer and always, you know, what is the chatterbox, opening up the mouth, before even the question is over, immediately an answer comes in. The guy itself did not finish the question. Bible calls you a fool. No Christian brother or sister should be foolish. Be wise, be prudent like Daniel. May God bless you. subscribe to our channel please get access to all our playlists do not miss on any video notifications continue to remember me and our ministries in your personal prayers pray for me 10 seconds closing your eyes that's enough you are my praying partner you are my ministerial partner and please do not forget to share this channel details and these messages we are releasing with at least one soul per day target one soul per day and god will build his kingdom and may the souls be saved. Not getting into religious conviction, but we need to share the word of God. We need to tell people who this Father in Heaven is, who this Jesus is and what are the principles of life and what must be their spiritual values and priorities. God bless you. Take care. See you.