Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North
Your Past Mistakes Don't Determine Your Future
You're paralyzed by what happened. But the person you're meant to become doesn't live in yesterday. Here's how to rebuild when captivity feels permanent.
Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North
You feel trapped by your circumstances and can't imagine anything better
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This message is for you if:
- You're afraid to spend money or enjoy life because tomorrow feels uncertain
- Work stress follows you home and poisons your relationships
- You've made a mistake and believe you're permanently damaged
- You know what you should do but can't stop thinking yourself into paralysis
Captivity is a mindset, not a sentence
When Jeremiah wrote his letter, he was writing to a nation locked away in Babylon. Not for a few months. For 70 years. These people had every reason to believe they would die in captivity-that their situation was permanent, that building anything was pointless, that enjoying life was naive.
God's message to them wasn't about escaping their walls. It was about escaping their thinking. He told them to build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat the fruit. Take spouses and have children. Increase, not diminish. He wasn't denying their captivity. He was refusing to let their captivity define their choices.
You may feel exactly like that right now. Your workplace stress doesn't end when you leave the office-it follows you home and poisons your family time. Your financial pressure won't let you spend money without fear. Your past mistake at work has convinced you that you're one error away from destruction. Your situation is real. Your feelings are valid. But your situation is not your destination.
The gap between what you think and what is true
Here's what God says in Isaiah 55:8-9: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." This isn't poetic language. This is a direct claim: you and God are not thinking the same thing right now.
When you're in fear, you think: "I will lose my job. My family will suffer. I cannot afford to enjoy anything. I am permanently damaged by my mistakes." These thoughts feel true because they feel heavy. But God thinks something entirely different about you. He thinks in terms of Shalom-a Hebrew word that appears 236 times in Scripture and means far more than just peace.
Shalom means wholeness. Completion. Safety. Wellness. Success. Blessing. Health. Prosperity. When God says His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, He's saying: I am thinking about your healing, your happiness, your wisdom, your security, all at the same time. I am thinking about you as a whole person, not just your problems. Solomon's name comes from this same word-it means prosperity and peace combined. God's thoughts toward you are that comprehensive.
You're thinking evil; He's thinking completion
Jeremiah 29:11 says it plainly: "The thoughts I have toward you are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The word 'evil' here doesn't just mean bad intentions. In the original language, it means adversity, friction, calamity, harm, hurt, illness, mischief, misery, sorrow, trouble. God is saying: I am not planning those things for you. I am planning the opposite.
Meanwhile, what are you planning? If you're afraid to spend money because tomorrow might be worse, you're planning scarcity. If you bring work stress home and can't be present with your family, you're planning disconnection. If you replay your mistake endlessly, you're planning shame. You're not just experiencing your circumstances-you're choosing thoughts that lock you deeper into captivity.
The shift God asks for is not denial. It's not pretending your job is secure or your money is endless. It's a choice to build and plant anyway. To eat fruit even when the garden is in rocky soil. To enjoy your spouse and children even when work is brutal. To move as though wholeness is possible because God says it is, even when your eyes only see crisis.
Build the house even while you're captive
This is the radical instruction God gave to people who had every reason to give up: Build your houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat the fruit. Take wives and husbands. Have children so you may increase and not be diminished. In other words: live. Don't wait for freedom to start living. Live now, while you're still in the hard place.
A mistake at work taught you something: you realized within days that your fear was worse than the mistake itself. For two or three days you couldn't work because of the dread in your mind. That's not weakness-that's proof that your thoughts have more power over you than your circumstances do. So shift the thought. You made a mistake. You apologized. You learned. You move forward. Building happens in the moving forward, not in the paralysis.
Weak people say "I am strong"-not because they're lying, but because they've discovered what God knows: your circumstances don't set your capacity. A valley is only a valley if you stay in it. A mountain only blocks you if you stare at it without moving. The person who builds a house while afraid, plants a garden while uncertain, enjoys dinner with family while stressed-that person is not naive. That person is obeying God's thoughts instead of their own catastrophic ones.
The thought of God is always building, never diminishing
Here's the pattern God keeps returning to: don't let your situation trap your thinking. Yes, you're struggling financially-but that's not permission to refuse yourself the comfort of a home you own or tend. Yes, your workplace is hard-but that's not permission to rob your family of your presence. Yes, you made a mistake-but that's not permission to treat yourself as permanently disqualified. Your circumstances are temporary. Your situation is not your sentence.
When God says His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace and not evil, He means it. He doesn't want you sick-He wants healing. He doesn't want you sad-He wants joy. He doesn't want you diminished-He wants you to increase. This isn't wishful thinking. This is the actual direction of His attention toward your life. The only question is: will you align your thoughts with His? Will you build the house even though you're afraid? Will you eat the fruit even though you're stressed? Will you have children and take a spouse even though the world is unstable?
That's what moves you from captivity to freedom. Not the removal of your hard circumstances, but the refusal to let them stop you from living as though wholeness is possible. Because it is. God sees your completion. He sees your wholeness. He sees the life you haven't built yet, the fruit you haven't planted yet, the relationships you're too afraid to deepen. And He's asking you tonight: will you see what I see?
"Your captivity is real, but it's not your destination-and God's thoughts toward you are already building the life you can't yet imagine."
- Pastor Ricardo Zaal
Key Takeaways
- Your thoughts and God's thoughts are operating in different dimensions When you're in fear, you shrink your world to fit the crisis. God never does. He thinks in terms of wholeness-your health and your happiness and your security and your purpose all at once. The gap between these two ways of thinking explains why you can't spend money without guilt, why you can't be present with your family, why you're paralyzed by a single mistake. You're matching your thoughts to your problem instead of to God's thoughts about your completion. Shifting this doesn't require you to deny the problem. It requires you to refuse to let the problem be the loudest voice in your head.
- Building happens while you're still in the hard place, not after God didn't tell the captive nation to wait for freedom before building houses or planting gardens. He told them to build while captive. This is not an instruction to pretend everything is fine. It's an instruction to refuse to postpone your life. If you wait until work stress ends to be present with your family, you'll wait forever. If you wait until money is stable to enjoy what you have, you'll never enjoy anything. If you wait until you've healed every wound to move forward, you'll stay in the wound. The act of building-of choosing to create, tend, enjoy, and increase-is what transforms captivity from a permanent condition into a temporary one.
- Weakness becomes strength the moment you move anyway The Bible says "Let the weak say I am strong." This doesn't mean pretending you're not afraid. It means moving despite the fear. It means building the house while your hands shake. Planting the garden while your mind whispers lies about scarcity. Being present with your spouse while work stress claws at your attention. This is not denial. This is defiance. This is alignment with God's thoughts instead of your own. Every time you choose to build when captivity says to freeze, you prove that your circumstances don't control your choices-your thoughts do. And if your thoughts control your choices, then changing your thoughts changes everything.
If you are in or around Pretoria or Johannesburg, come and join us on a Sunday - these messages are preached live every week at Fountain of Grace International, 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop my work stress from destroying my home life?
God told captive people to plant gardens and eat the fruit-to compartmentalize their pain and still access joy. When you leave work, consciously shift your thoughts. You cannot change what happened at the office today, but you can choose whether that will be the thought you bring home. Your family didn't cause your workplace problem and doesn't deserve punishment for it. Build the boundary between those two spaces by literally stopping for a moment-breathe, reset your mind to God's thoughts of peace toward you, then enter home. This takes practice, but it's the difference between being in captivity and being free.
What if my mistake at work really does cost me my job?
Then you will have learned something, survived something, and moved into something next. One mistake doesn't make you permanently disqualified. God's thoughts toward you include wisdom for the next step, not endless punishment for the last one. People who never make mistakes never do anything. The question isn't whether you'll make mistakes-you will, until you die. The question is whether you'll treat a mistake as information or as identity. Treat it as information. Learn. Apologize if needed. Move. That's building while captive.
Is it wrong to enjoy things when my life is still hard?
God's direct instruction was: plant gardens and eat the fruit. Yes, eat it. Not "plant it and save it for later." Not "plant it and feel guilty for enjoying it." Eat it. Enjoy your home even though finances are tight. Be present with your family even though work is brutal. Enjoy the meal even though tomorrow is uncertain. This is not irresponsibility. This is alignment with God's thoughts toward you, which include wholeness, not just survival. Refusal to enjoy what you have is another form of captivity. God wants you whole, not just alive.
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Won't you hide me in your love, hide me in your love Bring me to my knees May I know Jesus more and more Come live in me all my life Take over and breathe in me And I will rise Take over and breathe in me And I will rise On eagles wings On eagles wings And I will rise On eagles wings On eagles wings On eagles wings And I will rise On eagles wings Jesus, Jesus, Jesus And I will rise The river runs with love for me When you're looking down Over the mountains and the sea The river runs with love for me And I will open up my heart Let the healers set me free I'm happy to be in the truth And I will daily lift my hands And I will always sing of when you're looking down And I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever Let the healers set me free I'm happy to be in the truth And I will daily lift my hands And I will always sing of when you're looking down I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever I could sing I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever Oh, this foolishness I know When you love a sweeter life I can dance with joy like we're dancing now And I could sing of your love forever I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever And I could sing of your love forever I could sing of your love forever, sing, sing. I could sing of your love forever. And I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. Jesus, Jesus, I could sing of your love forever. our greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior this evening I just want to greet you knowing that when you are here there are so many things that you can actually say you could have been somewhere else but by the grace of God you are here by the grace of God you are here by the grace of God you are here so if you can share comment I would like to see you as you we go along because tonight is not just an ordinary night it's a night where God want to speak to you God want to show his thoughts to you he want to give you his thoughts he want to make sure that as you are here tonight that you can actually understand what is what he have for you what he have for you what he have for you so please do comment do share so that I can make sure that I can see you do share do comment so that I can see you and as I see you or God might have a word for you and if God have a word for you obviously we can make sure that this will be something Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Holy is the Lord Jesus Jesus the Lord if you can comment comment and share just so that I can know if there's somebody's watching with me somebody's watching with me if you are there and you can see me just comment just comment so that I can see you thank you Jesus Jesus Jesus oh it's crucify my God you gaining my forever because everything I need is you oh Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus come on how many times have I broken your heart God is asking it is you my beginning my forever and everything I need is you come on Jesus Jesus everything I need is you let's do this let me start the service so greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now this evening I'm I want to share topic of Jeremiah which says the thoughts of God the thoughts towards you the God the godly thoughts towards you who let you see and strength be seen come on you draw me to your purpose as angels understand so so so this evening as I show to you the thoughts of God I want to I want to tell you that anytime when you come to it a program like this don't just stay at it don't just look at it say something so that God can can put my eyes towards your name and pick something for you oh my God just richly bless you may God take you far far way above what your natural eye can see just that amen it's a lot to me Rabbi Shikiribu Sandadra prophet as I'm as I'm speaking to you now you know the arrows that came to you God is about to to show you who is holding those arrows because so many people are holding that arrow and you think that they are the one that is actually holding the bow to help you but God will expose them to you to your word so true not by my not by power okay let me let me start with the word of God so that you can you can understand so after I'm done with the word of God is if God allows me and as I see your name on there I will do something and ask God to give you a word as you go about but let me let me start off by saying tonight is a prophetic online service and prophetically it means that it is something that God has in store for you that's it a prophetic word is a word that is a word that will help you to go forward according to what the Bible is saying the Bible says it so nicely now he says that a prophetic word that is uttered it will edify you right here okay it will edify you so as the word will edify you let this word tonight edify you let me just just this one off so that it doesn't disturb me all right now the word of God starts let's start in Jeremiah 29 verse 11 now sorry give me this one Jeremiah 9 verse 11 says it so nicely now 29 verse 11 say the word of God says that the thoughts I have towards you is some reason this book just went down I want to read it according to the word 29 verse 11 there we go for I know the thoughts I think towards you say it the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end to give you an expected end to give you an expected end now the word the word that was actually uttered was was sent for to somebody who was in captivity now the thought of Christ was this specific scripture was a word that was for a nation not just one person because we somehow have a tendency of looking at this word and we say wow this word is for me this is a word that is for me this is definitely a word that is for me it is a word for you because remember when God said this word he said this word to a nation not one person that was in Babylon in captivity and they were at that time in captivity for of 70 years and God promised them that after the 70 years comes I will give you this Jeremiah 29 verse 11 the thoughts I think towards you thoughts of the thoughts I think towards you for the thoughts I the thoughts that I think towards you say it the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end that is what God has said at that time now I want to explain to you also at the same time that when this was said it was said at the time where somebody was actually saying I don't want to be around this word that comes out I don't want to be even here because if you read a little bit backwards and you read round about in in in number four Jeremiah number 29 verse 4 he actually said to them look I understand that you are going through tough times I understand that things is hard for you I understand that most of the time where you are anything you have is not your own so what it means is that any time whenever you go through certain things you are actually going through a time where life is tough life is hard and being in captivity anything that is that you eat you don't eat out of your own so God is saying although it's tough around you it's been a hard time around you do yourself a favor and and even though you go through this so much as life is hard for you build some houses plant some gardens eat some fruit take up wives take up husbands to have children that you may increase seek peace this is what God has said at a time but just picture this as God is saying this at the time it's where somebody is in captivity and when somebody is in captivity most of the things doesn't make sense because Satan has kept you in so much it holds you so much in captivity that so many things you don't want to do it's like as if you are going that you are in a situation where where it happens that you as a person you because of your surroundings because the thinking of being in captivity it's hard for you therefore you cannot build even your own house therefore you cannot plant even a garden you don't see that there's an outcome and therefore you don't want to move forward but God is saying to you tonight I am thinking of towards you I am thinking that there's things that I have towards you and then this is a prophetic word that I have for you tonight and this prophetic word that I'm going to give through to you and even if you comment is put in the comment and I ask God of word for yourself because this is a time that I will be giving you the thoughts that God is thinking towards you specific you as a person specific not a general prophetic word a prophetic word specific for your for your life tonight and I'm not going to give it to you because of I just want to because I am going to give this word to you because God is saying that tonight because of this prophetic evening that we have this will be a time that you will hear what I have for you you will see what I have for you you will actually experience what I have for you so if if you are here and you comment anytime whenever you comment I might pick up something that God is saying towards you so even though the thoughts is you thinking so hard that whoa life is tough whoa life is hot whoa life is such a problem everything is just not going my way everything is just not according to the things that is going but God is saying to you forget about your thoughts tonight forget about your thoughts tonight think of the things that I have to watch you because I have set out for you a few things so let me say to you this way whenever you think as a person you think surround because your situation make you to think of your problems your situation make you to think of all the depressions frustrations hopelessness discouragement you you might be thinking even your financial crisis is your depths and all those things that is surrounding you and therefore your thoughts are leading you into a different way so as you are thinking tonight use it stops you to actually want to do something it stops you to want to do something anytime whenever you are watching please do comment or just put a thumbs up or something just so that I can see you are watching with me and then yes so SSS you are thinking you don't see things that is is actually of value to you you only see things that is actually bringing you down so as you are about to go down on the thoughts that you have the more you think of that expression of hopelessness the discouragement the financial difficulties all those things if you are thinking towards those things your mind ought to be in a situation where you actually feel like no you are you feel like no no no life is not fair so this evening I want to tell you that God is actually here to show you different thoughts that he have for you different thoughts towards you different things that you've added on to your life so this evening come on come on come on come on so now let me go back so picture somebody in captivity looking at the situation that is surrounding him so when this person is surrounded the fact that he doesn't know I am going to go to let's say the next village because the next village is I'm in captivity that I cannot see the next village I'm in captivity because I cannot think of how about if life changed today picture this imagine just the moment that you as a person look at yourself and say to yourself wow life has given me so many tough things life actually give me lemons lemons lemons just lemonade I mean you have the lemon now why not make lemonade you have so many things that you you can actually do as a person that would whatever you have but you thinking differently and therefore tonight God is here to tell you some thoughts that he have towards you and remember God is saying this he said that literally in Isaiah 55 verse 8 and 9 for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my ways your ways declares the Lord as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts so if God starts is some way that you cannot even comprehend it I want to tell you tonight that this is thoughts that God has for you if God starts his or let's say another version say instead of thought it sees God has a plan for you meaning to say there's an intention or there's a purpose for God the the purpose that God have for you the plan that God have for you the intention that God have for you of peace now picture this if somebody is saying peace now the word peace there is a word Shalom now Shalom has a way of or let me say within the Bible it comes in 236 times that the word Shalom comes in and people literally roughly if I can say this way they roughly translated to peace but the word Shalom there is deeper than just peace it's way deeper than just peace because if I say to you Shalom sometimes people say it as a greeting of peace upon you Shalom as a as a greeting of peace but it has more than just peace if I go to the concordance Bible you will actually see the concordance Bible have a way that is way different than then then what the loose translation or let me say how they loosely translated I just want to get my concordance Bible open quickly I'll tell you now now when you loosely translate the word peace it says just Shalom I mean it just say peace but the word is deeper so if I can explain it to you it's to make you whole to make you whole means that if you are sick he will heal you is the word peace meaning to say is that it it it actually gives you favor it will give you good things perfect things so so when somebody is saying peace upon you or Shalom Shalom is your mind cannot literally comprehend it your mind can't comprehend it reason being there is that with the Hebrew word it is deeper than just the peace part now when you're looking at the peace part it also says safe it also say at the same time it's your wellness your wellness when I say wellness I'm I mean you being well you being blessed you is to bring you to a place of completion I think I think let me say the better word for it is to bring you to a place of completion now when you are complete if you are if you come to a place of completion is that there's no lack according to to Psalm 23 the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want so what is it that you want this peace that God brings upon you is that that peace to place you in a place of completion it brings you to a completion so when when when you're looking at the word Shalom it it's the same word that the word I mean the name sorry it's the same word that King Solomon is derived from because Solomon meaning prosperity and peace so therefore when King Solomon had it all he had wisdom he had prosperity he had peace you know so this other word that God is thinking towards you so when when God has all the thoughts towards you of Shalom it means that what is it that you are in need of because he want to bring you to a place of completion come on Jesus I cannot I cannot understand that when you're looking at so many things in your life and just look at your let let's look at your workplace let's work look at your workplace if you looking at your workplace for argument's sake your workplace it's a place where you go and give your time your expertise your your your mind like literally what you have in exchange for something else some people doesn't give you maybe the the the full amount of what you are monetary because most people think that when you go to a workplace you you you go to get the money but why do you think that so many people that does things without getting money from it are so blessed because God's thoughts towards you are more than what you can think of because if you think monetary only you miss the fact that God's want to give you health if you think health then you sitting with the problem you miss the wealth my friend let me tell you the moment you think maybe you you thinking of of the health but then God is thinking of your your happiness because what's the use of you going to a workplace getting the money you are wealthy but you're not happy don't put God in a thin like this don't put God in your pocket and think that that's the only thing he can afford because God is way bigger than what you can imagine come on I want to ask you I just want to ask you a picture yourself and in your mind for you as a person you are telling yourself if only I can get this specific thing I'll be happy I'll be where I want to be how many times have you said to yourself that if only let me let me say the first time that you started actually to to to work let me make an example the very first time when you started to work you said if only I can get maybe you and you earn at that time a 50 a 50 rent I'm just making an example and then you said if only I can get a hundred rent then it so happened that God is actually he gave you actually the hundred rent now then you get a hundred rent and then suddenly the rent is not enough then you go on and say if only I can get a thousand rent suddenly the thousand rent is also not enough so why not say God the towards the towards that you think towards me can I not allow you to take this year for I don't know what I'm in need of come on come on I want to I want to I want to give you the thought of God there's different ways that God can bring out that he starts there's different ways that he can gives out your thoughts thank you uncle Joe now picture this if God is saying to you I want to give you what I think of you how would you get the thoughts of God how would you be able to know the thoughts of God this one way is through reading his word because here you can actually get in his word you can actually in God's word you can actually get what he thinks towards you because he said it remember I earlier on I said to you that God says it so nicely in Isaiah 55 verse 8 and 9 now for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts so now if God's thoughts is high why not allow him and and and don't be letting people stop you from getting a big head for because when you think higher of yourself then others think of you don't worry if people say no because when you think of you higher than what others are it is the same way God is thinking of you picture this because the moment you lift your mind the moment you lift your toward higher than what God is thinking of you like I mean like God is thinking of you you will understand there's so many things that you can actually gain through that so now let me go back and give you the ways that you can know what God is thinking of you let me explain to you this way God goes into the Bible and somebody read it and then he hear God is saying I am the apple of his eyes I am the apple of God's eye and what do you think of an apple of God's eye because in Afrikaans it is my passable I am my father's an apple of my father's eye imagine if you are the person that God is seeing you with so many things that he want to make sure that you are about to know of but unfortunately you doesn't as a person you don't seed therefore he use number one is using his word which is in the Bible sometimes God is even giving you a audible voice audible voice I mean if you're looking at it the time really was was Samuel was was is it Samuel okay let me see yeah a simile who was it again the guy that that was with Ely at the time and then any every time when God is speaking he he keep keep on going back to and say but I'm not understanding you calling me no no no I'm not calling you the second time I'm you you were calling me um please help me out if you can remember that because for some I don't get that now but this are this this is when God is speaking and an audible voice so when he spoke in that audible voice the prophet actually realized or now I understand this guy being the small that he is he doesn't know the voice of God as yet so let me tell him whenever you hear that again say speak Lord I'm listening so God speaks in audible voice I mean when Elijah was under the tree he spoke in a soft voice so these are the ways God can speak to you then there's also he lay a thought on your heart maybe he lay a thought on your heart to say that for some reason I see this child is struggling so give this child maybe a dummy and the the child was crying the whole time the moment you give the dummy because God has laid that on your heart to give the dummy for a child that hasn't been using a dummy before maybe it's the child is three months for five months the moment you give the dummy that the child is suited and the child doesn't cry so that's laying a thought on your heart laying a thought on your heart is for argument sake somebody walk in in in in in in the supermarket and then you can see the person is stressed out and the next thing God laid on your heart that you should give the person a fifty ring God is speaking to you God is speaking to you but you didn't know the thought that he have for you is to sow that seed so that the moment you sow that seed that seed will be a seed that will grow you as a person into a prosperity seed the thought that God have for you is literally something that can be said to you in an in a prophetic utterance so how does God speak also in a prophetic utterance now when somebody is talking about the utterance it's when somebody comes and use the gift of a prophetic gift and gives you a word that God has specifically planned for you so when God is saying to you prophetically where you don't even have to interpret it because sometimes God is speaking in in in in how do you what you call it parables when he speak in parables he actually make it do to dig deeper because sometimes when when he say to you I am the shepherd you then have to think what is the way of a shepherd come on tell me when when you're looking at the shepherd what do you think of a shepherd when God is your shepherd what do you think you as a person what is God thinking what is God saying about you what is God as a shepherd going to do for you so if I can tell you now there's so many times that God is speaking through so many people but some of us has been so many times been blindsided by you call them a false prophets now sometimes you should understand that there's a there's a there's a certain thing that you need to know about about the prophetic the prophetic is something that somebody can just interpret a little bit the other way around maybe maybe God says something about marriage and then you as a person interpret it as marriage then what happened is that God was probably speaking about a a covenant or a a relationship and as a prophet at that time to you the wording you couldn't get to the word correctly maybe I'm just making an example the persons that you're speaking to is English and you are Africans and your your English doesn't want English so when that then happen it actually makes the person to be seen as a false prophet but it does not mean it's a false prophet remember a prophet that does not confirm according to the word of God that person you can say is a false prophet because there's never a time that the person acknowledged God in whatever they are doing so whenever you you you you get to a point where actually you as a person you like let me let me make an example God is asking you to to go to a place and say to the people God is about to bless you and because you are not sure if it is God that is speaking or not and you start stuttering as you give the message what then happen is that the person can see you also as a false prophet because sometimes also you should understand that we we we we do know in part and therefore we prophesy in part and I would like to to to so that you can you can actually go out and say certain things and say look you were saying God was saying something about this can you go back a bit and tell me what is is God meaning by that because if you're looking at it now sometimes you find yourself in a situation where let's say let's say for instance you as a person can can can actually I can explain let me let me let me just say it this way now if if you see a light I will just show you yeah let me let me make an example of this if you see a light and then when you say light this is a light I'm just going to show you a light quickly this is a light but when you're looking at it look what the light is doing the light goes dumb the light goes brighter the light might even go a clear white light it might even go a yellow light but the fact of the matter is that I just want to show you the fact of the matter is you see how bright this light is and then how dumb the light is when you as a person tells me there's a light but you did not tell me was it a bright light or was it a dark light was it a yellow light or a brighter white light you don't know because when we prophesy we prophesy in part because if I say to you a light I might have meant there is a light in the end of a tunnel like in a parable but God is here tonight to give you a direct word for you as a person because when there's a word specifically out for you as a person that is the thought that God has towards you that is the thought that God is actually telling you specifically you are going through whatever you're going through like for argument's sake I'm just making an example you at work and then at work there's a certain specific thing that you anytime you go to work you you you are so much afraid because you have made a mistake and because of that mistake you might be losing your job and then you cannot do your job correctly because you're too afraid of losing your job like the way job was saying what I fear has overcome me or has come over me sorry and because job said it what I fear has come over me I have already portrayed or I've already put in my mind I've already put a thought out that I will lose my job but God is saying tonight to you I have a thought for you of peace a thought of peace is a thought of completion for you to make you whole to complete in whatever you are going through he's completing your purpose the plane or the the mind that they have for you if you are not with me tonight or you're not understanding put in the comment and say that doesn't make sense if you are feeling that I want God to speak to me specifically in a specific area let him speak to me because tonight I have asked him that God as you have set out this program let me then be the vessel that is you you use to put through this word to put through this word because tonight you as a person you are blessed to be here because to hear the mind of Christ to know the mind of Christ to have the thoughts of Christ is not a something that you can take for granted because as God is saying in Isaiah 55 verse 89 for the thought the thoughts are not the thoughts I mean my for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than yours come on I want I want you to to to understand that you are blessed to be here tonight you are blessed just to listen to this message because this message was written for somebody who is in the same situation that you are in because you are in captivity for far too long you have been hold captive for far too long did the holding of your captivity have made you to think that there's no other way that there's no other this life I love every time I am going through this pain it's only this pain I know and therefore I have accepted it but God starts it for you is a thought of Shalom a thought of whole completeness so that there would not be a pain in your life even if there's a pain he is still saying to you that you should be doing a few things even if the pain is still there he's telling you even though you are in pain build your houses plant your gardens because the situation that you are in is not your destination it's not a situation that is actually to death for you when you die you'll be in that same situation build pardon me build houses for you plant gardens for you and don't just plant the gardens don't be like like like mama hood mama hood have this nice plates and this nice classes that only people that have not been to your house will eat out of and that will will stay in the display what they call the display like a vanity case or whatever you call it like don't be like our mothers before because they have a certain way that this this plates are only used for when guests are coming God is saying to you even though you go through toughest of the tough things still eat that fruits have a life enjoyed don't be in a in a situation where you feel like I am going I'm struggling financially and because I'm struggling financially the problem I'm having is that as I'm going through a struggle financially I am not even able to take this money to buy something because I'm afraid that if I take this money and buy something tomorrow I won't be having money again come on God is saying to you I wait wait wait let me let me go back so that you can understand what I'm saying this Jeremiah 29 verse 11 has been written for somebody who was who has been in captivity and that person will be in captivity for 70 years to go and at that time the Bible says in Jeremiah 29 he says it I'm going to read I'm going to read it for you from the verse for thus sayeth the Lord of hosts the God of Israel unto all that are carried away captives whom I have away from Jerusalem unto Babylon so these are people that has been captive or held captive by their own thinking these are things that you are going through you and me are going through because you and me we've been going through so many tough things that it's actually hard for you to look towards a better life the life that you are in captivity of is making you to have blinkers like a donkey you have blinkers that you cannot see far this is what the the Lord is saying thus sayeth the Lord of hosts the God of Israel unto unto all that are carried away captives whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon build your houses and dwell in them so what what does God actually saying to you here he says to you that even though you know you are having a hard time even you know it's tough out there don't think that this is the last situation that I am in and that is it therefore God is saying build your houses and not just build it but live in it so so meaning to say that even though you are going through a lot of things and it's tough and it's hard don't be a person that doesn't know what I'm talking about I know what I'm talking about when I say to you I mean you've been going through so many things you've been going through a hard time you've been going through tough time you've been going to sadness adversities afflictions grievance hurt illness whatever you've been going through you you you've been going through those things I understand and I fully fully fully understand but even though you go through these things still build the house still do something that you know will be of something that will help you in the future I mean picture this if we look at the if we looking or let me not say we let me say let me say if the farmer look at the right time to plant the seed he might never be planting anything and therefore we will not be eating anything come on come on I want you to understand that if you as a person go through the toughest of the tough it still doesn't mean that God is not thinking of you the devil is putting some things in your mind and telling you huh can you see you are saying that God is good God is awesome God is miraculous God is the God of everything and then the next thing you find yourself that you're having cancer come on am I speaking to somebody no no when you are having cancer you are now thinking already I'm going to die that's the Bible says it that when you're having cancer is that the end of your life now but the Bible says it so nicely he says build ye houses and dwell in them that's Jeremiah 29 verse verse 5 so meaning to say that even though you have cancer it is tough I understand I haven't been in anybody's footsteps that have cancer but what I'm trying to say is that even though you know that you are not well it does mean that there might be another light at the end of the tunnel because God's thoughts towards you are of peace peace meaning he wants to bring everything into completion in your life he wants the problem that you are sick he want healing for you the towards that God is there for you is is literally saying to you this way let me let me let me go further and he says and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them I mean why do you want to go through so many tough things at work now and now it's heavy at work you feel under pressure at workplace they are swearing your mother they saying your this and your that and the other but at the end of the day when you come home you come with that same mood and now you can't even enjoy your family he means that this plant the gardens and eat the fruit so he means that even though at work it's hard for you it's tough for you even if it means at home it's tough for you it does not mean that you should take that problem to work or you should take the work problem home go and enjoy your house because you need to eat the fruit of your house you need to eat the fruit of your workplace go and enjoy it because the thoughts that God has to watch you even though you feel that you are in captivity at this moment even though you feel that you are in captivity this moment God still have a thought towards you you are blessed to be here and because you are here tonight God is going to show you the thoughts that he have to watch you come on I want to I want I want you to to to take the time and understand the prophetic word out tonight for you the prophetic word that is out for you tonight the thought that God has for you come on the thought I mean if you're looking at it his thoughts are not our thoughts his thoughts are not our thoughts tonight and I want you to to to to to picture this because if you're looking at it the Bible says do not despise prophetic utterance prophetic declarations come on speak to me God you are God and I'm just a mere man God you are God and I'm just a mere man I don't know things you know it whenever I think I think evil but your thoughts are better than mine therefore you said in your words in your word you say for I know the thoughts that I think I as the Lord think say it the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil I am not going to go into thoughts of peace and not evil to give you an expected end I'm not going to get into that tonight because tonight I just want you to understand that God can give you his thought to want so many things because when you're looking at it like let me be a human being for a few minutes let me let me be me let me be me made a mistake at work and the type of work I'm doing there's no there's no mistakes made that we don't we don't play or let me say workplace doesn't play it's all about straight straight ways things must be done straight directly and then I made a mistake and and and for for some of you that knows the the law around what they call it poppy it's poppy act the poppy act is the is your personal information like ID number whatever whatever whatever those kind of things for some reason I made a mistake of just put it somewhere that I wasn't supposed to put it and then the next I get in trouble obviously these are the things that then made me to for about two or three days I literally couldn't work I I was too scared of losing my job I'm a human being I'm not God you might be calling me a pastor you might be calling me a prophet you might be calling me man of God you might be calling me money of you might be calling me sir but I'm a human being like you I have feelings I think as well so picture this whenever I think of my problems I don't know the thoughts that God has towards me therefore I don't eat the fruits I don't build the houses and love in them come on am I am I the only one that goes through such things as a key you know stay you know what what what the man says but for the mark am I the only one that makes mistakes am I the only one that that that knows that whenever I'm a human being I'm bound to be making a mistake I will be making mistakes till their kingdom come it shows that I'm doing something so come on please if you think of it let me let me give you your thoughts maybe maybe you you you don't you don't you don't know your thoughts you you don't know your thoughts imagine those fears that you're thinking number one those fears you are fearing of your life because your boyfriend has said to you if you I get home tonight and you have not made me food you're going to get it come on is this a real fear that you are going through is is this a real fear that you are going through that if you as a human being are in a financial crisis you have overspent you you have for some reason you you have not budgeted for a certain thing and then suddenly they are coming to fetch the car they are coming to fetch the house am I going through am I the only one that's going through this kind of thing these are the thoughts that I have God says you have a better thought for you I'm thinking out of frustration I'm frustrated with the situation I'm in therefore I'm just thinking of this frustration in my head I'm depressed man am I the only one that is depressed maybe I'm the only one thank you really we are always making mistakes but it's the way we making that must rectifying that mistakes is the difference Wow love it love it so so so what you are saying is that on smacker food yeah my who mark on some rich is on to say yammer at the foot come up yammer I'm sorry I made a mistake mistake kill me for what it's worth but I've made a mistake and I'm sorry if it is a mistake remember you do it once it's a mistake you do it twice it's not a mistake or sometimes the second time might be a mistake because it came out wrongly but when you do it the third time you have not learned from the first and the second time therefore you might not be seeing it as a mistake anymore but how do we know when it's a mistake because when it is a mistake is that it will it will hurt somebody else or it will hurt you in the long run because mistakes are made that you can rectify it not to hurt anymore but when you keep on doing it it's no longer a mistake come on now I want to I want to tell you the thought that God has towards you is to build that house and eat I mean to build that house and and stay in that house to plant that garden and eat that fruits to take up wives to take up husbands if you have a wife if we have a husband have some children so that you may increase this is what he said because this is what he said even though you're going through hardship that's say the Lord we have where is it no four verse four he said no verse five build your houses when and dwell in them plant gardens and eat the fruit of them take your wives and beget sons and daughters and take wives for your sons and give your daughters husbands so that they may be their sons and daughters that you may be increased and not that the many didn't diminish diminish diminish okay to diminish to English the English is English in me again but but but what it means is to to to so that you you must you must not go down or you must not vanish understand the name is demon demonish or so that you don't go away if I can say that way that is what God is saying that's a choice second time making a mistake that's a choice thank you thank I love it love it picture this when God is saying to you that even though you are going through tough times the thoughts that he think towards you is thought of peace now peace peace is something that let me let me explain to you peace if you have not if you have not heard this now the peace that God is saying is Shalom now the Shalom is is is is mildly you know when when something is mild it's mildly translated to peace but there's a deeper meaning to it so God's thoughts or God's intention or God's plane or purpose for you are of peace now when I say Shalom means mildly the I mean it's Shalom is mildly translated to peace in the English word it your the Hebrew word for for for for peace a Shalom and it comes out 236 times in the Bible now now that Shalom is if I can say this way is to bring you to a place of completion now when somebody is saying to bring you to a place of completion what he or she is meaning to say that if there is somebody who is sick the completion is to get healed if somebody is is not happy he brings happiness you know if so so so that come that Shalom there is is success is to be blessed is to give you a health prosperity to keep you safe it's like it's like it's a wholeness to to to make you whole it's it's such a big word it's such a deep word but it's it's literally vaguely translated to peace only because if you look at that Shalom it's it's it's why wow because if you're looking at it just to go back one step again the the the name Salomo comes from this Shalom meaning to say prosperity and peace and picture that King Salomo how far he went because King Salomo had it all the wisdom so when I say thoughts of peace or Shalom I mean it all that the thoughts that God has to you towards you is to have it all so so whenever you God is saying to you I'm giving you wisdom it means that he makes you wise to know between how to do things so so picture that come on so now I wanted also let me let me just go one step further I don't want to take too much time again let me let me take take take you one step further now God's thoughts are not of evil not of evil now here 29 11 for I know the thoughts I think towards you say it the Lord thought of peace meaning this all other things that I've just said to you and not of evil now the word there of evil is now is is is is also it's it's it's also like literally a different difficult one I wanna I wanna I wanna quickly go to the strong concordance and just give you a now the strong concordance says it so like it's not of bad not of evil naturally or morally not just morally this includes a form or a subjective noun like the adversity he doesn't want to give you adversity he doesn't want to give you a friction he doesn't want to give you calamity he doesn't want to displease you he doesn't want to distress you he doesn't want to grieve you he doesn't want to harm you he doesn't want to hurt you he doesn't want to give you illness so is all these things and the word is is is is literally mischief it's misery it's it's it's sorrow it's trouble so God doesn't want to give you all those things and if he doesn't want to give you those then I'm asking you the question why are we focusing on only this the sadness I'm going through the adversity I'm going through the affliction I'm going through affliction may last for a night but joy come at in the morning that is what God is saying and I like the way God is putting things together because he put it together for his glory so wherever you are you are going through tough things you are going through rough things you are going through affliction you are going through all of those but he said to you build those houses and love in them have those garden and eat that fruit because if you do that you will understand the thought of God for you for some reason I think I'm going to leave it at this because if God's thoughts towards you is of peace meaning of wholeness where the sickness brings healing where there's pain he brings comfort where there's a there's a cry he brings joy though those are the things that God is thinking towards you that you should be having but but because of you being in captivity of your situation you cannot see that you should be building the houses and live in those houses the things that you are going through that you should be going through it even though you go through affliction and whatever you are going through God is still saying to you you should go on with your life and enjoy it that is why the 29 verse 5 says it build your houses and dwell in them plant the gardens and eat the fruit of them not going through tough time and see all the evil surrounding you but not enjoying the blessing of life that God has been given to you because the thought of God is for you to have a completion to be have a wholeness to have everything that you you need in life and I like the fact that anytime whenever you are going through affliction the Bible says it so nicely let the weak say I'm strong let this I want to I want to get the verse and I want to okay let me let me just get it quickly the Bible says it so nicely and and and this is what it says Joel 3 verse 10 beat your plushies into swords and your pruning hooks into space let the weak say I'm strong so so even in my weakness the Bible says he is strong he comes out strongly I want to take this opportunity and say to you tonight even though you go through a tough time always focus on building focus on building because a value a valley I mean because a valley can only be a valley for as long as you stay in it if you don't want to move up you'll be in that valley forever a mountain can only stand in front of you if you look at it and not move over it or start moving it Jesus Jesus Jesus heavenly father I thank you for a time like this my God you are the omnipotent you are the king of kings the lord of lord lily of the valley sweet rose of Sharon bright and morning star that is my father You give us success. You see us, my father. You give us prosperity. Good prosperity, my Lord. And that's why I can just go back to your word, my father, what do you say that you are the Prince of Peace? Jesus, Jesus. Tonight ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come, show us tonight. Come, give us tonight, give us tonight that you have given us that peace, the peace of prosperity in Jesus' wonderful name. In Jesus' wonderful name. That means a lot to me, Rodi. Not just for me, but the Lord has seen your heart too. And my Lord, your heart's longing for you. Not just where you think it should be, but also, of course, in your life. Let God, may God, of course, come into your life and for your sake, sorry, for your sake, how he, the God of peace, of salam, the God of where you seek happiness, he will give it to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God touch you, not just for the fact that this is a message tonight, but for the fact that this message is there to make sure that you tonight, when you go back, you will say, wow, God, he is good. God, although I have not seen it, now I realize he is good. In Jesus' wonderful name, which I tonight. I came at the end of this service, or this prophetic night, and I want tonight that we will continue with the thoughts that God has for you next week. The thoughts of salam. Next week on Thursday we will see each other again. And may God see in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Next week on Thursday, we will see each other again. Please do share the message to somebody who might be in need of this. If somebody might be in need of this, God bless you. God bless you. Amen.