Doing God's Will as in Heaven (Tamil) — Zac Poonen

Being Filled, Led, and Walking by the Holy Spirit

As I said, nobody could have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, he could only be with them. And because of that, in the Old Testament there were many limitations. People could not become one with each other, because the Holy Spirit was not within.

But today, even those who have received the Holy Spirit, they are not able to become one with each other. Why is that? Because it is not enough to receive the Holy Spirit. It is not enough to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Very often in Christendom, there is an emphasis to be filled with the Holy Spirit. But the Bible says about being led by the Holy Spirit. You can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but if you don't allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you will still live according to the desires of the flesh.

You can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but if you don't allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you will still live according to the desires of the flesh. You can be filled with the Holy Spirit, but if you don't allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you will still live according to the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5 .16. It doesn't say, be filled with the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. You must be filled with the Spirit, but then you must walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5 .18. You must be led by the Spirit, then you are not under the law.

To be under the law is to be defeated by sin. To be under the law is to be defeated by sin. Today, praise the Lord, there are many churches that preach, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. But there are not many who talk about being led by the Holy Spirit and walking by the Spirit.

We find so many people who claim to be filled with the Spirit, but they have all types of sin in their life. We must pray to God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. You don't have to go to any meeting for that.

Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the one who fills us with the Holy Spirit. You can pray to Him in your room. God met me in a room and filled me with the Holy Spirit. You don't have to go to a meeting.

Many people go to meetings and the pastor there is working everybody up to an emotional pitch. You don't know what Spirit you will receive there. I will tell you what to do. You go and kneel down beside your bed and pray to God.

Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. He doesn't fill people with the Spirit only in meetings. Jesus will come to you and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Then you must allow the Holy Spirit to lead you day by day.

He will always lead you in the same path that Jesus walked. Why? Because the Spirit that comes in you is the same Spirit that was in Jesus Christ when He was on earth. So if we let Him in one way, He will lead you also in the same way.

That was the way of death to Himself. Where you never do your own will but the will of God. Where you never seek your own but you seek God's will. Then you will always give the best to God because you are not seeking your own.

Many of you think that your problems will be solved if you are filled with the Holy Spirit. No, it will not be solved. You must make a decision in your life that you will never seek to please yourself.

But you will always give the best of your life to God. That you will give the maximum to God. There are two types of Christians. One is those who say, what is the minimum I have to give to God to go to heaven?

Or what is the minimum I have to do in order to be a good member in CFC? What is the minimum number of meetings I must go to? Minimum number of conferences? The one word for them is minimum. What is the minimum I must do?

Minimum I must do because then maximum I can do for myself. There is one type of Christian. They have a certain mindset. They never get the fire of God in their life. They bring an offering but their offering is like the offering of Cain.

But then there are other people, very few, who will say, what is the maximum I can do for the Lord? What is the maximum of my life that I can give to God? What is the maximum I can live for God in this one life?

I felt like that when I was 21. Now I am nearly 70, I feel exactly the same. What is the maximum I can give for God? My time, energy, that I will never seek my own. Where my comfort and food and everything is unimportant.

What I can do for God? Because I want the fire of God in my life. And I will tell you why. Because I know one thing. I have only one life. Only one life in which I can show my thankfulness to Jesus Christ.

And once these 80 -90 years are over, I will have millions and millions of years to be with Jesus in heaven. Then I can seek comfort and rest and ease and all that. Not on this earth. I am not going to retire even if I am 100 years old.

I am not going to seek my own rest or comfort or ease. Why? Because I have only one life. I am not going to get a second chance. All rest and comfort is in heaven. For me going on holiday and all is when we go to heaven.

I have no holidays on this earth. Not even 365 days. I have no time for it. Because I have only one life. I will have millions of years of holidays when I go to heaven. You live like that. The fire of God will be on your life everyday.

If you live like that, the fire of God will be on you everyday. You should not be filled with the spirit. You should walk in the spirit. Do not seek your own honor. Always be an ordinary brother. Do not try to be a big person in the church.

Do not try to be a big person in the church. Let your desire and desire be unknown or unknown or hidden in the church. If someone says that they do not know your name, do not worry about it. Walk in the spirit.

In the old testament, you did not get these privileges. See, in the old testament, there is no command saying take up your cross and follow Jesus. No, that is not found in the old testament. Nobody knew what it means.

Now we have this wonderful privilege. Then we can live a heavenly life on earth. Because the cross will cut off all the earthly things from our life. Because the cross will cut off all the earthly things from our life.

Peaceful Homes as a Spiritual Inheritance

The same applies to our family life. Before we pray for our children, it is good to think about our family life. There is no use in dedicating the children without any understanding. There is no use in dedicating the children without any understanding.

The Jews brought their children to the church to dedicate to God. In Luke chapter 2, we read that when Jesus was a small child, he was brought to God's church. Simeon picked him up and prayed. Some of Jesus' disciples were just a little younger than him.

Maybe one year after Jesus was brought to the temple, one mother brought a little child. That was Simon, who later on was named as Peter. Jesus gave him the name of Peter. But the mother had given him the name Simon.

He came and dedicated. She didn't know what this child was going to be. A nice sweet child. She didn't know that one day he was going to be the greatest apostle of Jesus Christ. Around the same time, somebody brought another child.

That child was also a sweet looking child. His name was Judas. Son of Iscariot. That also looked a very sweet child. And the mother dedicated it to God. She did not know that this child is going to grow up to betray Jesus Christ.

And that Jesus would say it is better this child was never born. You know when you look at a little child, you don't know what it is going to be 30 years from now. Is he going to be an apostle or is he going to be a thief?

That depends a lot on the parents. You know when our children are small, we put some values into their head. And our children as they grow up, they see those values in the house. And they also hear about the values from their parents.

And I will tell you the way you live at home is more important than what you teach your children at home. We can speak with our mouth a certain volume to our sound. But the way we live, it is a much louder sound.

The way you live it in your home is like a big loudspeaker. And that is what your children are listening to. So if you are living in sin, fighting and quarreling at home, and you tell your children, you must always be peaceful children, don't fight with each other.

That is what you say with your mouth. But they see you fighting with your wife every day. That is like a loudspeaker. And this word, children don't fight with each other, that means nothing to them. There is a saying in English, I can't hear what you are speaking, because your life is speaking more loudly.

I can't hear what you are speaking, because your life is speaking much louder. I want to tell you, your children are listening to a sound that is coming from your life. I want to tell you, your children are listening to a sound that is coming from your life.

In India, there is a culture, where children are left with property. For the property that the parents have left, the children go to the north and fight. Your children won't go to the court case, I want to tell you what property is left with them.

Give them a peaceful atmosphere at home. If they can receive a peaceful atmosphere in the home, that is the best inheritance you can give your children. They cannot fight in the court for that. And that is better than giving them money.

Discernment and Peace in Christian Homes

And the other thing, is to give them an atmosphere, where in the home there is always faith in God. God can solve every problem. So, let's turn to Luke chapter 10. We read here that Jesus said, sent 70 people out, two by two, verse 1.

And he sent them without any money, verse 4, don't carry a purse, don't carry a bag, no shoes, nothing. Verse 4, don't carry a purse, don't carry a bag, no shoes. These are the words said for these days.

In Luke chapter 22, he changed this rule. When you go to the world, take a purse, take a bag, but now, he was still not telling them to go into the world, he was only going to tell them to go to Israel.

And among the Israeli people, it was a common custom to always accommodate any stranger in your house. Even a total stranger, come and stay with me, eat with me. So, if you were moving around in Israel, as an Israeli, you never had to take a purse or money with you.

Because wherever you go in Israel, somebody will accommodate you and give you food. Even if you are a backslidden preacher, they will give you food. You know, like in many villages in India also, the simple people are like that.

But, even though there may be a hundred houses in the village, he told his disciples, don't just go and stay in a house just because they invite you and give you food. All the hundred will invite you.

No, you must select which house you go and stay. So, when you go to a house, you must discern, is this a house of peace? Maybe it will take you one day to discern that. Sometimes you can discern much sooner.

But you must discern that. You find an atmosphere of peace in this house. See, it says in verse 5, whenever you enter a house, say peace be to this house. And if the man of the house is a man of peace, then your peace will rest upon him.

Otherwise, when you say peace be upon this house, it will be like throwing a ball against the wall, the ball will come back to you. It says the peace will come back to you. So, look around, and look for a house where there is peace.

And especially the man must be a man of peace. And you must stay only in that house, verse 7. Whatever they give you, eat and drink. Don't ever say, I want this or I want that. Whatever they give, simple food, anything, just say thank you and eat it.

You must never have any demands on others. And you are serving them with the gospel. So their food is, it says in verse 7 middle, that food is like, you are working that you are getting your wages for that.

That you are not in debt to them, you are serving them, they are serving you. But it says here, don't keep moving from house to house, verse 7. Why? I mean, if you are staying there for one month, why always stay in one house?

They didn't usually stay so long, but whatever number of days, only one house. There was a reason. Because the Lord said, you will not find many houses, which is houses of peace. Because, many houses are not houses of peace.

It is difficult to find houses of peace. Out of 100 houses, if you find one house of peace, you are lucky. Out of 99 houses, there is always fight and confusion. So, if you are lucky enough to find a house of peace, stay there.

If you can't find a house, sleep on the streets of that city. Do you know how important it was for Jesus? Don't stay in a house of no peace. Jesus will not stay there. If your house is a house of peace, Jesus will be there.

If you say, my wife is a quarrelsome person, it doesn't matter. The man must be a man of peace. That's enough. He didn't say here, the woman also must be a woman of peace. Let the woman be a quarrelsome person.

I told you, without two hands, you can't make a noise. So, the man must be a man of peace. That is the house in which Jesus will live. So, I want to say to you, that is the inheritance we must give our children.

Maybe a small house, you cannot even give 1000 rupees to your children when you die. Never mind. Have you given them 20 years they have seen peace in your house? They get married when they are 25 or something.

25 years they have seen peace in your house. That is better than giving them 1 crore of rupees. You say, Lord, my children are growing up and I have not understood these truths. Never mind, God overlooks the times of ignorance.

But from today, can you decide from today that you will be a man of peace? Don't worry about your wife. Man has to be the leader. What does it mean when it says the man must be the head of the house? That is not like some dictator saying, I am the Maharaja here.

No. It is to be the leader like Jesus was a shepherd who went in front of the sheep. To be an example as a man of peace. Not only with your wife. But your wife must see that you are not the type of person who fights with your neighbor.

Sometimes we can have very troublesome neighbors. Yeah. But be peaceful with them. If they are causing you some trouble, go gently and share with them this is a bit of a problem. And ask them, are we causing you any problem?

Please tell us, we will also set it right. If you are a humble man, you can easily be a man of peace. But if you stand on your dignity and say, why should I go there? Let them come to me. He is not going to come because he is also a proud man.

And Jesus will not be in his house and will not be in your house also. I want Jesus to be in my house. And Jesus has been in my house for many years. And I decided, I am going to be a man of peace. I am not going to fight with anybody.

If somebody comes and wants to have a fight, they will have to do all the shouting. I am not going to shout. I don't want to fight with auto rickshaw drivers. I don't want to fight with the porters in the railway station.

I don't mind giving them 2 or 3 rupees more or 5 rupees or 10 rupees more. They are much poorer than me. If they get little money for their children, I am happy. Don't fight with a vegetable man or anybody.

No, be a man of peace. God will give you much more money. I mean, if you don't want to buy something, don't buy it. That's all. But don't fight. No, we must be men and women of peace. And our children must see that we are people of peace.

That is one of the most important things. When the Lord is in your home, you don't have to be afraid of anything. The devil cannot come into your home. I remember, for 6 years, we used to have a meeting in our house from 1975 to 1981.

For 6 years. And sometimes, demon possessed people would come there and we had to cast out the demon. Somebody would bring them. And people would tell me, Oh, brother, don't cast out the demon inside the house.

Because there are small children and all in your house. Take them outside somewhere. I said, no, I am not afraid. The devil cannot get inside my small children. So many demons were cast out in our house.

It didn't affect my children. It would give them some faith. Oh, demons are afraid of the name of Jesus. I heard a story once. I think it was China or somewhere. There was a man who would cast out demons.

In a village, everybody knew, this man has faith in the name of Jesus. Anybody who had demon possessed, they would bring him to his house. So one day, they brought one person like that, demon possessed.

That man, the pastor was not there. But his 12 year old son was there. So he said, daddy is not here. But come, we will pray. How has 12 year old son got faith? Because he had seen his father so many times.

And he knew it has got nothing to do with the father. It has got to do with the name of Jesus. That's all. So he prayed. In the name of Jesus, which my father believed in. Get out of this. Day 3. Our children can learn something.

They learn more by what you do, than what you teach them. So, it's not only peace. Faith. See, that boy, he had faith because he saw his father doing something. Maybe some panic situation in the home.

And the children must see the parents. We will pray. God will solve that problem. See, 2 Timothy 1. That's a beautiful example of a home. Paul tells Timothy. Verse 5. Paul doesn't talk much about Timothy's Bible knowledge.

See, those days they never had Bible like this. Nobody had a Bible in the home. Because Bible's Old Testament was all written by hand. Expensive leather pieces. Because thousands and thousands and thousands of rupees to just have a little bit of the Bible.

Even rich people could not afford it. So, only in the synagogue they would have one copy. So, you couldn't get so much Bible knowledge because you didn't have it at home. We have the Bible at home and we don't read it enough.

That is our problem. But, even if you didn't have the Bible, they could hear the word of God when they went to the meeting. And they could get faith. So, Timothy's grandmother was the first woman who came to faith.

2 Timothy 1 .5. I am mindful of the sincere faith which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and then I am sure in you also. How did Timothy become such a man of God when he was 18 -19 years old?

See, Paul had a lot of discernment. And we read in Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter 16. We read that Paul met this boy called Timothy over here for the first time. When he came to, first of all we read he came to a place called Lystra in verse 1.

And there, there was a certain disciple named Timothy. His mother was Jewish, his father was Greek. He must have been 19 years old perhaps. And he was well spoken by all the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

Not only in his home church, another church many kilometers away, they also heard there is a young man called Timothy here who is very zealous and hard-hearted. Paul spent little time with him. He said, I have never seen a young brother like this.

He said, Timothy, I want you to come on my team. You know, in those days, if Paul selected you for his team, you were really one of the best believers in that area. I mean, if Paul selected me, I would have thought, boy, that's the greatest honor I can get.

And he would not select any half-hearted person. But he selected Timothy. How did Timothy come to that position? First of all, because he had a grandmother who may not have had much Bible knowledge. I am sure that grandmother never stood in the pulpit and preached.

But she had faith. And she gave that faith to her daughter. Now, they were Jewish people. See, the grandmother was not a Christian. She grew up as a Jew when she was a child. Only later on she became a Christian.

When she became a Christian, she gave that faith to her daughter. Or even as a Jewish person, she gave faith in God to her daughter. But her daughter became a backslider. How do we know that? Because she married a Greek person.

The law of God was very clear. If you are a Jew, you must only marry a Jew. But she went and married some unbelieving businessman who was a rich man. That must have brought great grief to Lois, her mother.

And she kept on speaking to her. She was married now. She had a little boy. And the grandmother kept on speaking to her daughter. And brought her back to the faith. See how a mother can bring a backslidden daughter back to the faith.

Even though she is married an unbeliever. See, some of us, our children have already grown up and they have gone in wayward ways. Here is an example, Lois. Who prayed and brought her married daughter back to the Lord.

Her husband was not converted. He was just interested in making money perhaps. But this daughter repented. And she said, okay, I have failed. But I am going to make my little boy grow up to be a wholehearted disciple.

The father was not much interested. She worked with her son. How do we know that? Because Paul, when he writes to Timothy, he doesn't say this faith was in your father. He says this faith was in your mother.

See, the Bible says, fathers must bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Paul himself wrote that in Ephesians. But when it came to Timothy, his father did not bring him up that way.

Timothy, Eunice, and the Faith Passed Through Generations

What shall you do if your husband has got no interest in bringing up the children in godly ways? Don't say, oh, my husband is like that. Never mind. Follow the example of Timothy's mother, Eunice. What did she do?

She didn't say, my husband is like this. If he wants to go spend his time making money, let him do that. But I am not going to let my son grow up like that. I am going to spend more time with my son than his father.

My husband is always there in the business. I am at home with this little boy, Timothy. He is going to be a disciple of Jesus. She taught him faith in God. She taught him faith in God. If there is a difficult situation at home, or if the husband fights with his wife, or if there is some other problem, little Timothy would see his mother patient, faith, praying, believing that God will take us through this difficult situation.

And that little boy grew up and he had faith. See, the faith was in the grandmother first. And she gave it to her daughter. And that daughter could give it to this little boy. And this boy grew up and became an apostle.

Isn't it wonderful, sisters, if you can bring up your little children to be apostles? Isn't it wonderful, sisters, Or your daughters. You know there was an evangelist called Philip. You read about him in Acts chapter 21.

Verse 8, it says, we stayed in the house of Philip the evangelist. This man had four daughters. And those Jewish people were like Indian people. They are always disappointed when a daughter is born. So when the daughter is born, they say, Never mind, next time you will have a son.

Second, Daughter. Never mind, trust God. Third child, Daughter. Fourth child, Daughter. What to do? But Philip was not like that. He said, I am living in the new covenant. In the new covenant, God says he will pour out the spirit, even the daughters will prophesy.

So he trained his four daughters. You girls may not stand in the pulpit, in the church. That's what Philip told his daughters. Don't worry. You will meet so many girls in your school. There are so many girls you play with.

There are so many girls you meet in the houses you go to. So many come here. These girls when they grow up, become teenagers, they have so many problems. Speak the word of God to them. And he trained them up so well, that all four girls became wholehearted Christians.

And they would speak God's word to all their friends. If somebody came to the house, they didn't watch television, they shared the word of God with them. They didn't have television in those days, but whatever they had.

Girls can waste their time with so many things. But Philip trained his daughters, to share God's word with all their girlfriends. And they had such a testimony, that everybody knew, these girls are always sharing God's word.

Prophesying and Serving God in the New Covenant

Why did God give Philip four daughters and not four sons? Was it God made some mistake? Was it some accident? Sometimes today, when somebody has a child, they say that is accident. God has no accident.

Like I said yesterday, before the world was created, he knew these girls are going to be born to Philip. And he decided, Philip must have four girls. Why? Because in that area, there were so many girls who needed to find Jesus.

Like in our Indian society, those men could not go and witness to those girls. So God needs girls also to be prophesying for him. But for that also, the father and mother must train the children. See, prophesying does not mean only standing in the pulpit.

What does it mean when it says they prophesied, all four of them? See, 1 Corinthians 14, and verse 1, verse 3, this is the meaning of prophecy today. To speak to people for edification, exaltation, consolation.

It does not have to be in a pulpit. You can sit in your room, in your house, some sister comes to the house. A woman comes there. And you are one woman sitting there and you are prophesying to that woman.

What are you doing? You are prophesying, speaking for edification, exaltation, consolation. So Philip had these four daughters and that is what they were doing to all the girls who came to their house.

That would be wonderful if you have four daughters like that. I would be delighted if I have ten daughters like that. Who can share God's word with others? That is better than having useless sons who do not live for God.

Do not just think whether you have a son or a daughter. What does it matter if you have a son or a daughter? Eunice had a son, but Philip had four daughters. It makes no difference. The promise in the new covenant is Acts of the apostles chapter 2 verse 17 I will pour out my spirit on all mankind and your sons and your daughters will prophesy.

Not only your sons your daughters also will prophesy. We want all of our children to prophesy. If you have one son or ten sons if you have one daughter or ten daughters claim this promise Lord all my children must prophesy.

They may never stand in a pulpit because that is not their calling but they must live for God. It is a wonderful thing when parents have got that desire for their children. You see, my father had a desire for me like that when I was two months old December 1939.

My father was working in Coimbatore and brother Buxing came there for some meetings. So my father went and called brother Buxing to my home and said please pray for my new born baby. So brother Buxing took me up in his arms and laid his hands on my head and prayed Lord let this baby grow up to be a servant of God.

Who asked him to pray? My father. It is a wonderful thing when you as a parent want your children to grow up to serve God. Then when I was 15 years old my father sent me to the military academy to join the Navy.

My father sent me to the military academy to join the Navy. He said I want you to work hard and become the admiral of the Navy. I also wanted to be that. But then about 5 years later I got converted. I was 19 years old.

Jesus came into my heart. Jesus came into my heart and changed my life. And after another 5 years when I was 24 years old the Lord said Leave your job. Forget about admiral. Forget about admiral. You serve me.

That is better than all this earthly honor. That is better than all this earthly honor. I never asked my father. Without asking my father I wrote my resignation letter. After that I wrote to my father.

My dear father I resigned from the Navy. I am going to serve the Lord. Do you know what my father said? I am very happy. That is much better. He was really happy. I was surprised. What I want to say is Will you be happy if your child wants to serve God?

My father never knew all these wonderful truths that you are hearing from me. He was a believer. He was a sincere man but he never had light on all these wonderful new covenant truths. But with this little understanding he knew that to serve God is the best thing in the world.

Raising Children to Serve God Through Ordinary Work

What I want to say is this. If you have a son or a daughter Say Lord I want to bring up that child to live for you. They may not be full time workers. Only 1 out of 100 or 1 out of 500. God calls to serve him fully.

But many people like the apostle Paul they work and they serve the Lord. I believe in India today it is much better to work and earn your living and serve the Lord. That is the best way. That is how all our workers are working.

I believe that is the best way. That is how I myself have been working for more than 30 years now. I earn my own living and I serve the Lord. I earn my own money and I serve the Lord. So teach your children to earn their own living.

But at the same time don't teach them that your job is important. If you ask Paul what are you doing. Suppose you meet Paul. Hello, what is your name? Paul. What are you doing? I am an apostle. I thought you were a tent maker.

Somebody said you are a tent maker. That is only to earn my living. Do you have that attitude? What are you doing? I am serving God. I thought you were teaching in one school. That is only to earn my living.

I thought you were an engineer. That is just to earn my living. I am a servant of God. Somebody supports you? Yeah, the school gives me monthly salary for teaching. I work in the company. The company pays me every month.

That is only 8 hours. I am a servant of God. Train your sons and daughters to be servants of God. Tamil Nadu needs many such people. Even the sisters. You know the way you bring up your children. That itself you can prophesy to other mothers how to bring up children.

There is a great need. So be like Philip who brought up his daughters to serve the Lord. Like Eunice who brought up her son to serve the Lord. I don't think Philip's daughters were full time workers. Later on they may have got married to somebody.

But they were prophesying 18, 19 years old and they were prophesying. That's wonderful. You have a home where everybody father and children are all serving the Lord. They come together. They pray whenever they have a difficulty.

Philip was not a rich man. He was an evangelist. He had 4 daughters. They did not grow with all his worldly stylish things and all that. But he brought them up to fear God. What an example we have in the Bible.

A Family Commitment to Peace, Faith, and Witness

Let's take that challenge. We are going to make our home a home of peace. We are going to give faith to our children. That God can solve every problem. And we are going to encourage our children to share what they have learnt of God with others of their friends.

And boys and girls can both prophesy in the new covenant. So we will teach our children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And we will teach our children to commit to prophesy. Even our girls. Because Acts 2 .17 says even the daughters will prophesy.

See, unfortunately in India we don't encourage our daughters to seek for that thing. Because we think prophesy means you must stand in a pulpit. No, you can prophesy to one sister in your home. You can prophesy to one girl in your college.

Everybody must commit to prophesy. So when we dedicate our children to God. Remember Simon Peter was dedicated. Judas Iscariot was dedicated. But they grew up in a completely different ended up in a completely different way.