Wedding of Zac & Annie Poonen in June 1968 — Zac Poonen

Our loving Heavenly Father, God of Grace, Mercy and Peace, Our Mighty and Wonder-Working God, Our Loving and Living God, Our Never-Failing and Never-Changing God, God of Eternity, God of Perfection, God of Holiness, In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us, we come and bow at your feet.

We thank thee for the happy day when our night was turned into day. We thank thee for the mighty hand by which we have been pulled out of the muddy clay. We thank thee for the unchanging love shed abroad by the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

We thank thee for making us partakers of the Holy Spirit, partakers of the divine nature, partakers of the heavenly calling, heavenly glory by giving us the gift of everlasting life. We thank thee for thy grand and lofty purpose in saving us.

We thank thee for thy manifold wisdom, to us unworthy vessels, unto power and to the plenty heavenly presence. We thank thee for the honor given to us to hear thee speak from thy throne day by day according to our need.

Gratitude for Grace and Salvation

We thank thee for the glimpses of the glory and the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ being given to us on the earth as we hear thy word. We thank thee for the work of grace and salvation wrought of thee in the hearts of thy servants, of the Zechariah, Furnam, and of any who are to be joined together as thy partners in thy presence, before thy people for thy glory.

We thank thee for all the favor they both have enjoyed so far from thee. We thank thee for the mighty hand which has led them so far. We thank thee for using them both as I sanctified thyself in so many ways.

We thank thee for making thy will perfectly clear to them both and are concerned about their union. We thank thee for the desire given them both to glorify thy name to thy perception to their union. We thank thee that they are here now as their loved ones, as their friends, relations, teachers, fellow believers, we ask of them.

We pray they all may get their portion before they leave. Now we pray the kingship and lordship of Lord Jesus Christ be acknowledged in all this evening. Thy order be revealed and maintained. Thy love be fully tasted.

Thy grace be abundantly experienced. Thy name be highly honored. We pray victory over the enemy in us and in the world. May all who have worked so hard get the compound ready, things ready, be fully rewarded of the labor of love.

We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to stand and sing a song from the song team.

Adhikare krishne alpa omega adhiyanga.

We sing one more song on the page 2 of the song team in Tamil and page 5 in English, same song. Book of Isaiah and chapter 30. Yesayavampustha muktanam adhiyaram. And verse 21. Thirumuktharahasanam. Book of Isaiah the prophet chapter 30 and verse 21.

Hearing and Discerning the Voice of God

I am Daniel. Can hear a word behind this saying. This is the way. Vahki in it. When he turned right hand and when he turned left. You find in this verse a great secret. Not only for those who are being joined together, but for all who are here and many more.

And that's how you find God would help us to have new vision. Indira Mahadevan oporu vaivuthilai samithilaiyum devanu vasanamahapitamukku uthagathu. They all want to speak to us with word. There we go.

Whosoever you may be, you will find much help from this one verse alone for a lifetime. Ingal yaraha naalu sir inguda jeevikaaramila andhu ore vasanamahapitamukkum anega safaayangal adhigal ningal kaanalaam.

What did you know how to hear and discern, understand the voice of God. Devudu deva sattamahavu enambathahagal kethkavum. Athi purindhikondi, athi gerithu, athi prarama nadakka mathra kathukondal, athigal ungudu kittum.

Your joy, your happiness, your success, your fruitfulness depend upon that secret. Aiyal ungudu sandoshum, ungudu kanikudukunne, ungudu vidamahamunnerkum, ungudu sithu sagalamum, andhu ragasithu ungudu tunthikudumul adhigirukuruthi.

The ability to hear the voice of God. Devudu sattamahavu kethkum thiranai. And they sing to wear the voice of God. Andhu devudu sattamahavu kilpadi midiyaga balan. Oh, what a joy, what a privilege, what an honor we have as believers in Lord to hear the voice of God.

Aiyal kathruvayesu kuthumul vishuvasalavahirukkaranam, devudu sattumikattumidiya, yevudu salakyam, yevudu baakyam, yevudu vathamahare, vishimapnamu koduthu puthuthundu parange. But the very sad thing is, very few believers understand how to discern the voice of God.

Devudu sattamuthi pagatharinthu ola koodiya vidham, sila vishuvasalum matthum arindhirukkararage. And that's why they make many sad mistakes also. Athin aathan parithaamana thappithinigalim ahal seegirarage.

With so many good intentions and many many advantages, they make many mistakes. But the mistake made in the marriage time is very serious. It will bring you lifelong loss if you make a mistake in your marriage problem.

And that's why you find so many professors, so many doctors, so many teachers, so many nurses having unhappy homes all over the world. Unhappy homes. With many many high hopes, they began their married life.

And after a few months or a short period, they are disappointed. But that's too late. And that's why the voice of God is a very very important matter. God does speak. He's a living God. We thank God. These two who are going to be joined together have a testimony.

They are forgiven. They will themselves judge what's going on. They are not being joined by uncle, by auntie, by neighbours, by friends, by money, by looks. They are joined by God. I say truthfully. They are being joined by God.

They have heard the voice of God. And that's why they are being joined by Him, not by prayers or encouragement. And by money. God does speak. God works in the game. God's power comes by God's voice. I think it's Psalm 29, verse 4.

Psalm 29, verse 4. Can you see for yourself God's power in God's voice? Verse 4. The voice of the Lord is powerful. By the voice of God, burdens are lifted. By the voice of God, questions are answered.

By the voice of God, fears go away. By the voice of God, we receive new love. And new strength. And new energy. And new power. By the voice of God, we know the ways of God. And that's why we are going to get saved.

Marriage, Human Weakness, and Divine Guidance

Let there be no difficulty now. We don't become superhuman by being born again. We remain ordinary human beings. And that's why we are getting married. That's why you thought, I don't think it's required I will ever get married.

That's what many people thought. Required? I don't know. You will never get married. You will never get married. What did you hear? It's the same Shakira. Yes, it's the same. Not the same man. Same bald head.

Same man. Not changed. As where you are. Not a superhuman. We remain ordinary human beings when we are born again. We have common problem, common difficulty, common burden, common trial, common temptation.

My difference is the voice of God. Some know how he God was and away. Others don't know. And that's why they come under the trial. Others, they hear the voice of God and they come over it. They go on conquering and trapping outside.

Let there be any difficulty on their path. They can be more than conquerors by hearing God's voice. Because you can solve every problem by going upon your knees by hearing God's voice. In every matter, every question, every problem, every difficulty, you can pray together and find God's plan for the whole day.

See God work together. Hear God's voice every day. And receive God's message for your friends or enemies or relations. Same way, before going anywhere, find God will hear God's voice. And that's why I came there with them.

I reached about 31st, 21st. And then you shall hear the word behind me saying this is the way. Walk in it. And that is the only advice we can give this evening. That pray and wait specially upon your knees, both of you, every day.

Sometimes four times a day. Then obey God's voice. Very simple. God of love will speak with you. He is a loving God. He must speak with you. You can go to Him any number of times. Ask Him any question.

How hard it may be. Ask Him for the message for your friends, neighbors, enemies, ask Him for prayers. You are putting God's things together. Go to money pour. Or any pour. See that kind of companion.

God spoke to me to go so far away. So far. It cannot be. It cannot be. Don't argue. And next year also. No argument. And God says go to money any pour. No job for me. No happiness. God has spoken. And we must obey Him.

And the voice of God be oneness and unity and fellowship and cooperation. No jealousy, no contention, no pride and no partiality. We are being joined by God. We are being joined for God's glory. And recognize He is God's servant.

He has not changed yet.

He is God's servant. He will remain God's servant. He will not have to go away.

He is God's servant. He must obey Him. Our prayer is that He be God's servant. Obey Him. And both of you hear the voice of God. And I am sure they both are going to be much blessed by Him. And through the union many are going to be blessed.

We are being joined for the blessing of many people of many countries. And like the way we are being joined by the union in many parts of the world. Obey the voice of God. As we see in the Bible. When God speaks they run.

By God's mercy they gave.

By God's love they obeyed. So keep your ears sensitive. That is Bible says. Ear and ear left in his ear. Left in his ear. So please keep your ears.

Very very sensitive every day. Whatever you do do by God's voice.

And God bless you. God bless you. Thank you for saving me.

A Testimony of Salvation and Calling

When I was in sin. Even though I called myself a Christian I did not know these. But I thank you for thy love which came seeking for me and which sought me and found me, washed me and cleansed me in the blood and made me a new creature brought me into fellowship with thyself.

Loving Father I thank you for that day when I could really look up to thee and call thee my own Father. Thank you Lord for that day and I thank thee ever since that day all these years in spite of many failures in spite of many ups and downs how thou hast kept me and held my hand by thy mighty hand.

Lord I just praise thee and worship thee. O Lord many pitfalls thou hast saved me from many a snare of the devil thou hast delivered me from and I just praise thee for every bondage from which thou hast set me free.

Thank thee dear Lord Jesus that thou art a living savior to me in my experience and that thou art not just someone in history but one living, resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I thank thee Lord for that day when thou didst deign to call me for thy service.

O Lord to preach thy word Lord I thank thee even after that in spite of many times in which I have not been what I should be and I have not been as faithful in my service as I should have been yet thou hast not left me Lord.

I know from experience that thy promise is true. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I thank thee Lord for that unconditional promise thou hast made to me in thy word. I thank thee dear Lord for bringing me even to this day in my life when thou hast provided for me one whom thou hast ordained from eternity to be my partner in the coming years of life.

I thank thee Lord and we pray as we offer ourselves together up to thee this day as one living sacrifice that thou wouldst consume it upon thine altar. Lord set thy seed upon this day by sending thy heavenly fire into our midst consume us Lord for thy service it is our only desire.

We pray that our lives might bring glory to thy name even if we don't have much of the things of this world even if we don't have the honor and reputation and fame Lord even if it means reproach and sorrow and toil and blood and sweat and tears we pray thou keep our hands on the plow until the very end that we might not look back our lives might bring satisfaction to thy heart daily.

Lord we beseech thee that our lives might bring such satisfaction to thy heart that thou wouldst forget the thorns that pierce thy brow and the nails that pierce thy hand. Thou wouldst see in our lives the travel of thy soul and be satisfied.

Lord this is our desire. This is our only desire. We are not able Lord to live up to this but we thank thee for the power available to us by thy Holy Spirit. And so Lord we rest on thee and in thy name we go forth to face life together as those in thou hast for it aims to be one to glorify thee.

So Lord I ask that thou wouldst prepare me to be the husband that thou wouldst expect me to be. I pray thee Lord that thou wouldst prepare me in every way for service in a greater measure than in the past days.

And I thank thee for thy promise to me that the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former. And I believe that this is true Lord for this is thy word. Heaven and earth may pass away but thy word will not pass away.

And so Lord trusting in the promises of thy word trusting in the strength that is available to me in thy spirit. Lord I face this new responsibility. And I ask thee to cleanse me afresh at this time from every defilement in my unknown past in every part of me just make me pure and holy afresh in thy sight.

Lord I ask that thou wouldst fill me with thy Holy Spirit and pray that through our lives united together the rivers of living water may flow. Dear Lord whatever our past failures may have been they may be cleansed away blotted out of thy sight according to thy promise their sins and iniquities.

I will remember no more and pray. Dear Lord in the coming years thou wouldst make us a blessing to everyone we meet whether rich or poor. Take us anywhere Lord make us stand before the rich or the poor.

That choice is not ours it is thine and we would not try to influence it. Send us anywhere we are thy servants we long to bring satisfaction to thy heart. Our meat is to do thy will. Our meat is this that when we come to the end of our lives we might be able to say that we have satisfied thy heart.

We have finished thy work and done thy will. Lord this is our only desire that when we get up into glory that day when we see thee face to face we might hear those joyful words from thy lips saying well done thou good and faithful servant each one of us.

This is our desire Lord help us. And if it be thy will Lord even if it means that we shed our blood for thee prepare us for that. And Lord we are ready even for that. Just take us and possess us completely.

Lord at this time every bit of us every single pie of money that we have every bit of energy that there is in these bodies and every bit of time that is ours. Lord it is thine it is thine. Lord to the best of our knowledge we give ourselves to thee.

Accept us. Lord we believe that thou hast accepted it and we praise thee. Lord just worship thee and adore thee from our heart for this wonderful acceptance that assurance thou hast given us. Thou hast accepted.

Lord we just praise thee. We crown thee a fresh king of kings. Lord of lords king of our lives and confess again that thou alone art worthy to receive all the glory and honor. We offer it to thee in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Annie's Prayer of Consecration

Loving Heavenly Father. Lord God my King and my Redeemer I also worship thee for bringing me to this day. I thank thee for saving me and for making me thy possession. Lord I thank thee for all the joy thou hast given me each day in my life.

Thank thee for the joy of having my sins fully cleansed and forgiven. I thank thee that thou hast made me thine. I also surrender my body and my whole being to thee unconditionally. We surrender ourselves to thee.

We thank thee that thou hast accepted this sacrifice and we pray that we might mean it every day of our lives as long as thou dost give us breath and that our lives might be used for thee to bring glory to thee.

We surrender all all to thee. We want our lives to bring satisfaction to thee. Lord we thank thee for all the promises thou hast given us. Thank thee Lord that thou art going before us. Thou art with us.

Thou hast promised that thou wilt never leave us nor forsake us. Lord we just thank thee and bless thee and magnify thee and adore thee in whom is precious to me. Amen.

Wedding Vows and Covenant Commitments

Loving Heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus of Australia once again we seek thy face.

On behalf of thy servant thy handmaiden we are to be joined together.

Before we give promises and vows they might be brought in thy full possession. Whatever they say I promise it will be done with all their heart being thy presence and free to stay at obey thee wholeheartedly by making them to feel thy presence and that their union may please thee and bring honor unto thee and I still be upon their union.

Hold thy pure unchanging love in their hearts. As they are about to give promises we will be very closely intimately together very solemnly declare in the presence.

Of God Almighty and the Lord.

Jesus Christ my Savior that I have no impediment whatsoever in my life to hinder me from a healthy normal married life. Hereby I call upon all here present. In the presence of God Almighty and the Lord.

Jesus Christ my Savior who loved me and gave himself for me. In the presence of God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ my Savior who loved me and gave himself for me. That I take Annie as my life partner fully believing with all my heart that she has been chosen for me by my loving Savior according to his perfect will as revealed to both of us after much prayer and waiting upon the Lord.

I promise to love her to cherish her to respect her to honor her and to be faithful loyal and true to her in sickness or health in adversity or prosperity. I promise to share with her everything in the Lord.

Regarding her as my friend as my companion as my life partner as my co-worker and as my as joint heir to the grace of life. I promise to keep my married life very very sacred. Regarding her body and my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I promise to give the Lord Jesus Christ the first place in my heart and my home and I promise to do his perfect will in every small matter throughout my married life. I promise to obey my Lord Jesus Christ in whatsoever he may command me.

May the Lord help me. I, Annie very solemnly declare in the presence of God Almighty and the Lord is my Savior that I have no impediment whatsoever in my life to hinder me in my married life.

Hereby I count upon.

In the presence of God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ my Savior.

Who loved me and gave himself for me that I take Zachariah as my life partner fully believing in all my heart that he has been chosen for me by my loving Savior according to his perfect will as revealed to both of us.

After much prayer and waiting upon the Lord I promise to keep myself in subjection to him regarding him as the head of the house in the Lord. I promise to love him, to respect him to honor him, to obey him and to be faithful loyal and true to him in sickness or health in adversity or prosperity.

I promise to share with him everything in the Lord regarding him as my.

Friend, companion.

Life partner, co-worker and joint heir. With the grace of life I promise to keep my married life very very sacred. Regarding his body and my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit I promise to give the Lord Jesus Christ and his word a first place in my heart and my home I promise to encourage him in God's service with all my heart and I promise to honor and magnify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord my married life. May the Lord help me.

Prayer for a Christ-Centered Marriage

In all our hearts that they are joined together in the will of God we believe much prayer has gone up from many people and we do praise them. And now O Lord we do look to thee that the purpose for which thou has joined them together may be fully fulfilled in these days to come.

They do not know fully nor do we O Lord just what lies ahead of them but we do thank thee that together in the Lord they can face every problem and every trial and every difficulty in the Lord. And we pray O Lord to keep them close to thyself.

We know Lord that the devil will seek in many ways to try and separate them from thyself in many little subtle ways in home life to somehow lower the standard. But we do pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that our brother and sister may be kept very very close to the Lord and that the very vows and promises they have made may be truly fulfilled in their life.

We do ask thee dear Lord to bless them both and to use them abundantly for thy glory in these days to come. O Lord we thank thee for their yieldedness for the Lord's service and Lord thou art meeting men and women devoted entirely to thee.

And we do pray Lord to take up our brother and sister and to use them for thy glory and praise. We do ask thee Lord that wherever their home is it may be a fragrant home may be a home full of Christ that all who enter into it and come into it may be aware of the presence of the Lord.

And we do pray thee Lord to use their home for thy glory and grant it may mean that many may find the Lord Jesus Christ through coming into contact with them and in their home. And Lord if thou should give them a family we pray thee to give them wisdom and understanding how to bring up children in the knowledge and the fear of the Lord and we ask thee Lord that the whole family may be for the glory of the Lord.

So our loving Father we give thee our praise for answering prayer for today. Thank thee for many prayers that are going up for them today. And we enter into all that prayer and ask thee Lord to fully fulfill it and abundantly glorify thy name through both their lives in togetherness as heirs together of the grace of life.

We ask it in the dear name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Zac's Testimony of Conversion and Calling

We will sing this song and pray too. The Bible teaches that when Jesus puts forth his feet he goes ahead of them and I want to share with you just a few things about what the Lord Jesus Christ has been in my life.

I was born in a Christian family so I thought I was a Christian automatically. I used to go to church, Sunday school, read the Bible, say my prayers. I used to go to church, Sunday school, read the Bible, say my prayers but I never knew he was a friend or a personal friend.

I knew about him but I did not know him as a personal friend. When I was 15 I joined the military academy and I was there for 3 years and then another year and a half before I was commissioned in the Indian Navy.

And it was only then when I was 19 and a half that I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. Then I knew the Lord Jesus Christ not only as a person of history but as a living person who was with me wherever I went.

Then I knew what real Christianity was. Then the words in the Bible became living to me.

And my whole life was changed.

Jesus Christ turned my life upside down from that time. Up till that time my ambition in life was to become the admiral of the Indian Navy. But when Jesus Christ took possession of my life he showed me the valuelessness of earthly things.

He opened my eyes to see the value of things which were eternal and he showed me that there were things far more important than the things I was striving for. From then on I longed to please him. From then on I longed to please him.

My earthly ambitions went away they were replaced by something higher and purer. Jesus set me free from the bondages taken. And in 1964 on the 6th of May the Lord Jesus called me for his service. I remember it so clearly that I cannot forget it for he called me so clearly from his word.

It wasn't the man's call it wasn't my own feeling. And the Lord proved to me that that was his call by releasing me from the Navy in an impossible situation. That was a confirmation to me that the Lord had called me.

That was a confirmation to me that Jesus Christ, still, even today had all authority in heaven and in earth. And then as Brother Bakht Singh just said I thought I'd never get married. I sincerely thought that at that time and I was willing to be single if the Lord called me for it.

But there comes a time in life when the burdens of the Lord's word need to be shared. I believe that when some of the children of Israel sent spies into the land of Canaan they brought back the grapes of Eshcol and one man could not carry the bough himself.

He needed somebody else to carry the other end of the bough with him. So I came to that realization too. But I needed somebody else at the other end of the bough to carry the fruit of Christ to this world and it's very wonderful how the Lord led me to find the one whom he had chosen for me.

I can honestly say before the Lord I never sought or hunted for a wife. Even if Adam did not go to God saying Lord give me a wife. I did not go. It was the Lord who saw Adam's need and provided the one whom he knew would fit Adam's need and in just the same way the Lord showed me.

This may seem very strange to you but I know in experience that the same God who led Adam led me. It's not a different God who provided Adam his wife. It's the same God he is as living today as in Adam's time and he is as interested in you and me as he was in Adam.

And the Lord showed me his will so clearly.

Through circumstances.

Through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit as I prayed for many weeks through the witness of fellow believers mature in the Lord with whom I prayed. And one day in my quiet time the Lord gave me such a clear word.

I wasn't looking for it but I found it when I was reading my quiet time portion one night. It was the day I had decided that night. My quiet time portion must read till 44. And I read in verse 15 and 16 about those who were to serve the Lord full time who were to stand before the Lord all the time.

And then as I came to verse 22 it says there about these full time workers taking wives. I was struck when I saw that word. I never realized that God could speak so clearly. I wasn't looking for this word.

In fact if I had hunted for such a word I probably wouldn't have found it. But the Lord speaks if we have a regular quiet time. He speaks many times as clearly as this. And that's how the Lord led me to this day.

And our desire together is to bring glory to the Lord Jesus. The Lord knows our heart that we no longer seek the riches and honor of this world anymore. For they are rubbish in the sight of God. There are so many desires the Lord has given us in our heart to bring satisfaction to Him.

And this hymn which we just sung is something which the Lord helped us to compose to express the desire of our heart to serve Him. And these words express that which we long to do though as we said here we find in our strength unable but only able in His strength.

So we would ask you to pray for us. Many of you have been praying regularly. We are really grateful to each one of you who has prayed so much for this day. I know this, this day would never have come if it were not for many especially servants of the Lord who have been praying for me.

And so grateful to so many of you who have come from such distances to express your love and affection for us. Above all let me say this there is something which would bring far greater joy to our heart.

And that is if you too experience the Lord Jesus living in your life. Let me invite you to open your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is as much difference between Christianity by name and Christianity in experiences.

There is between heaven and earth. May the Lord lead you into that which He has led us into. Thank you each one for coming. I also want to share with you a few things for the glory of God.

Annie's Testimony of Faith and Guidance

Very early in my childhood my father had taught me that it was not necessary.

Just to be a Christian in name.

And I praise God for giving me a way eleven years ago when He helped me to turn to Him. Then He opened my eyes to see what a righteous sinner I was and even now that's what I am.

And He showed me what the Lord Christ had suffered for me.

I praise Him for that because that made a lot of difference in my life many of my difficulties the Lord helped me to be based on that.

And I praise God and give glory to the Lord for that. A few months after that.

The Lord helped me to obey Him in the awakens of baptism and then the Lord has been leading me teaching me so many things. When I came to medical college the Lord convinced me and told me that He wanted me to work in a certain electricity hospital.

And the Lord taught me much by preparing me for that hospital.

And He kept my consecration to Him because of that reason.

For that also I give all the glory to God.

Often I would have left that consecration but the Lord kept on reminding me of that consecration and when I was praying regarding my marriage the Lord spoke to me very definitely and He gave me much peace in my heart.

That this is His will.

I was reading that verse from Luke chapter 12 and the Lord spoke to me through that same chapter and in this verse 29 to 31 the Lord spoke to me.

In a new way.

He is not what we shall eat or what we shall drink neither be we of doubtful mind for all these things to the nations of the world we suffer and your Father knows that we have need of these things but rather keep me the kingdom of God and all these things I will add them to you.

The Lord gave me much peace because marriage can often mean what verse 29 implies earthly things can always come in between. So I am grateful to the Lord for giving me this verse that is His verse and the Lord a few minutes ago gave me a definite experience.

That I am still in His way.

And He gave me the assurance.

That He has anointed me by His Holy Spirit and that time He gave me a verse which again is very precious to me and that is 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 18 we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The Lord told me how in my past life many of the things I was looking at were temporal things and He had opened my eyes more.

To show that I should look for eternal things and work for Him from the point of view of eternity. And I praise God for bringing each of you here to share with us in our joys. God bless you. It was in the Christmas week of 1939 when my son Chakraiah was a little babe 2 months old.

When a boy came to our house in Coimbatore took up this little boy and dedicated him to God and prayed that God might use him as His servant. We thank God that his prayer has been answered. I thought when he was a naval officer.