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Finland's best days are ahead and the wind of God is blowing in Northern Europe. The Lord shall find faith in Finland when he returns. Jesus said in Luke 24 verses 49, remain in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Take your place in God's plan, full of boldness and the Holy Spirit. Subscribe and follow at Tommy Leto on social media. Welcome to the Nordic Revival podcast.

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Who has some visions and dreams? You know, there's things that can steal your visions and dreams. If you're fighting for survival, you have a hard time picturing some things about the future. But when you have that opportunity to begin to dream and have those heavenly plans and purposes, then your life will be directed in a different way. Not just to survive, but to live. Or to live for pleasure. People in the church in these modern times, it's almost like nothing is challenging them or provoking them for action because they are comfortable. We're living in the most comfortable time in the history of humanity. Maybe excluding the paradise. But we should have that vision that there's something burning within us. Although the Lord has blessed us, yes, we have friends. Yes, he set us free. Yes, he's provided for us. But there's a heavenly vision and a plan, a heavenly dream that we're pursuing that will not let us just sit around. Hallelujah. That will not just let us stay and live for The Bible actually says in 1 Timothy 5, 6, that who lives in pleasure is dead while they're living. I don't want to be dead while I'm still living. Who wants to be dead while they're still living? But when you have that heavenly plan, purpose, and that thing that moves you, it changes your perspective. Somebody's perspective is going to change today. How you see things... Because it comes from your heart. Hebrews 12 says this. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses. Who is this? Who are these witnesses? Well, the Bible coming through. The book of Hebrews chapter 11. The great hall of not fame but faith. The great champions of faith. Who by faith... saw the promises of God. So then we're coming to chapter 12 and it says we have this cloud of witnesses. Those that have gone before us. Do you know that those that have died in Christ, you'll see them again? Who has some people in your family who died in Christ that have already been and gone to be with Jesus? They're no longer on the earth, but now they're in heaven waiting for you to step over And then you'll have a reunion. Who thinks that's going to be great? One time I was at the airport and I saw people coming through. If you ever, you know, you're picking someone up from the airport, you usually see some families coming together. Young people. You see grandparents. When the grandchildren run through the doors and they give the grandparents a hug. It's a pretty wild thing to see because it's like you've seen these reunions but then you think about the moment when we're going to see everybody once our life on the earth is done and those reunions are great at the airport but I'm telling you that moment when we step in the glory it's going to be on another level amen so great cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight say with me every weight you can't run with weights you can't run with weights you have to lay those things aside to be able to run the race that God has for us and let and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"...looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." I want to talk to you just for a moment about eternal rewards. There's things you can get by running some race here on the earth. When you cross the finish line, they can put a medal around your neck. How many of you, when you were in school, you won some prizes? Now, I feel like we're living in a time where everybody wins a prize. That, you know, one time I... I was in this sports competition when I was like 15 years old and I got a third place and I got a medal. You know what the problem was? There were only three competing. But I got a medal. They gave me a medal. I got third place. That's what happened. So, you know, you can have these things and those can be great. Memories of great moments and times that you pushed yourself and you prepared for something. And you got that reward. You got that as something to recognize the investment you put into the training and everything. And then you showed up on the game day. You didn't back out. But you showed up. And then you ran. Or you competed. Whatever it was. it was that you did and then you have that trophy as a memory in your home as yeah yeah yeah that's what happened that day I won the prize but I want you to know there are eternal rewards that will never disappear and we're running a heavenly race that's why our eyes have to be fixed in the things that are eternal who's with me we're pursuing a heavenly plan, heavenly blueprint, heavenly vision. We got some heavenly dreams that we're pursuing after. Everyone here at one point in your life, you were pursuing something that was earthly. Some of you may recognize, man, the thing that I was pursuing wasn't just earthly, it was demonic. If you think about the life of Apostle Paul before he had an encounter with Jesus, he was persecuting the church finding those who were followers of the way and bringing them to face judgment even to condemn them to death that's not just the earthly agenda that's demonic agenda but then praise the Lord when he had an encounter with Jesus his life's direction changed and you can see that he had a passion I'm sure like after 10 years of ministry he he could have taken it a little easier. Who thinks Apostle Paul could have taken it a little bit easier after 15 years? But he writes to Philippians that I haven't arrived yet. Basically, he was saying, my translation, I'm just warming up. I'm just getting ready. I haven't attained yet. I haven't reached perfection, but I'm forgetting the things that are behind me and I'm pursuing that great calling that God has for me. I want you to know, God has plans and purposes for us. And there are eternal rewards. There are eternal rewards. It's amazing. There's different trophies for NHL and there's different trophies for football and other sports that people dedicate their whole lives to. But these are, you know, you can like, there's nothing wrong with sports. These trophies, you can watch, you can see the games and so forth. But these are just temporary rewards. We're running this race for eternity. rewards. That's why you have to make a choice. I'm going to cut the weight. I'm going to cut those things that hold me back. You can make a decision this morning and say, I'm going to remove out of my life those things that hold me back. I'm going to get rid of that thing that has held me back because I want to run this race and I want to be pleasing to the one who called me. Say with me, it Eternal rewards. In other words, you're living for eternity. Now, it's actually great to celebrate. It's great to celebrate the milestones or the victories that we have here on the earth that we're like, yeah, I'm glad we were able to get to this point. Sometimes it's a number. You lead someone to the Lord. It's a day of celebration. You come together with your brothers and sisters in your home group or in your business. You reach a certain point that you're celebrating. And that can be a great reminder that, hey, we move forward. And then you're also giving glory to God that he's moving you forward. But the greatest rewards that we're pursuing after are eternal rewards. Go with me to 1 Peter chapter 5. Who likes the word of God? You know, word is food to our spirits. The problem with the spiritual food is that if you miss some meals, you don't get the same kind of reaction that your physical body gives you. If you skip breakfast, you skip lunch, and then you're about to skip dinner, your belly will remind you. How many of you know what I'm talking about? Whose belly is reminding you now? No, don't raise your hand. You skipped breakfast because you were dressing up for church, and now you wish you would have had something. But your belly is quickly reminding you did you forget something I need some food but your spirit's not the same way your spirit actually gets more hungry as it's been fed in other words the more you eat the word the more you're getting hungry for more because you're getting more and more strengthened that's why we have to focus daily we have to remind ourselves daily to eat the word to deposit that word into our spirits 1 Peter 5 The Bible says, the elders who are among you, I exhort. Who are the elders? The elders are those that have the reputation, who have, they have, they are set apart for the purpose of the work of God who has had the experience already to grow in the things of God so that they become examples. Sometimes we look at verses like this and it's like, bless those elders, but you don't even realize that God has raised you up. He's built you up. You're not the person you used to be. Some of you don't even know, but you actually fit into this category. God's raised you up. He's done a work on the inside of you. And now you are a blessing to others. This is not a movie theater where you come once a week to look at a show. But this is a place of building up. Your lives have been built up by the word and you're becoming productive. I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. Say with me the glory. Oh hallelujah. One of the things we covered this week is that just like Moses went up on the mountain to get the blueprint of God and just like Paul had an encounter with the Lord and the Holy Spirit overwhelmed him and he received that blueprint for what God had for him, there is a place of the glory of the Lord where the things of heaven are revealed, and you will not be pursuing just the things that are being constructed in the minds of men, but you're pursuing the very purposes and plans of God. Many people in churches, beautiful people with great potential, are simply pursuing the things that are being constructed in the minds of men. I don't want to just do the designs and settings of the minds of men. I want to do what God has for us. Glory that will be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God. Say with me, shepherd the flock of God, which is among you serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly. In other words, your heart's desire is to serve and see someone grow up. That's our attitude towards our children as fathers and mothers. That's your attitude towards someone that you've led the Lord. You want to see them well. You don't want to see them limited. I don't want you to get any better than I am. Just remember I'm the main spiritual authority here. Why is it so quiet? Just stay low. Don't shine too much. Because I'm the boss. No, you want your children. You want your friends. You want those that you've led to the Lord. You want them to excel and do the things that God has for them. Right? And you're not doing that by compulsion, but willingly. Not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. You want to see the kingdom of God move forward. You want to see Christ formed in them. You want to see the character of your heavenly father formed in them. You want them to become productive. You want them to be productive so that out of their life is going to come something good. There's nothing like it to see someone that you've invested into do great things. Right? I like the concept of somebody's very skilled in a craft and then them having an apprentice who can rise up to that level and even go further. Now, I'm for education. We have a Bible school. But one thing that I believe we really need is this attitude in Finland. There was time many years ago when we were living in... There was this specific place. Now, if you don't like sushi, that's fine. But we found this restaurant. This businessman took me to this restaurant. I think he must have been in his 70s. A real sushi chef from Japan. This guy was like the genuine article. He was a pro. And he had an apprentice next to him. And this guy was like, guy was, he knew how to make things. He knew how to prepare the fish properly. Like if you ever see a sushi and the word buffet together, those two things just don't work out. I'm just saying that if you can eat unlimited amounts of sushi, I just, you know, maybe find another place. If you own a place like that, I apologize, but had to be said. But But next to this chef who was up in age, with Finnish standards, he should have been retired already. But he had the skill and he had someone next to him whom he was raising up to have that same skill. And this was not like a three-month thing. He was with him for years and years and years. Years growing and learning. understanding, developing the craft. And this is just natural things. So not for dishonest gain, but eagerly, nor as being lords over those entrusted to you. In other words, you're not getting excited, now I get to boss somebody around. That's not really a Finnish quality. Finns are afraid to even give in any direction sometimes. But not to have that attitude, but to help someone, but to see them built up. But being examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears. In other words, the Lord is the chief shepherd of the flock. We are, if God's trusted us with a position in the realm of pastoring or helping people, we are under shepherds, under the chief who is the Lord, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And we will one day give an account how we treated those people. So if we have, and this is how the verse finishes up in verse four, you will receive, when this chief shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away. In other words, When you have these qualities, characteristics in raising people up in the knowledge of the Lord, then you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away. People's applauds and handclaps will fade away really quickly. Your plastic trophy with your name on it. It can be nice, but some of you are looking at me like, a real metal one even if you got a real metal one it's not even a plastic one those things will fade away but the rewards that we're talking about here are things that are eternal can you say amen in other words that vision that dream that you carry on the inside of you you're actually running this race as an eternal heavenly race and you're expecting eternal rewards so therefore you're cutting off the weight You're cutting off, you're distancing yourself from sin. You don't want to have anything to do with sin. Your attitudes, your mindset, your motives, even when I was talking about the woman with just the widow with the might, giving all that she had, that you continue with that same attitude. You're serving the Lord from your heart. You're not there to be seen. You're not even there to be liked. Now I would add you're not there to be purposefully disliked either but I'm just saying that you're not there to be liked you're not living for the applause of men or the approval of men but you're doing what God's called you to do for there is a crown of glory that is reserved for you can you say hallelujah in James 1 and 12 James 1 and 12 says blessed is the man who endures temptation for when he has been approved He will receive the crown of life. Say with me, the crown of life. Crown of life. There's things that we have to cut out. What is temptation? Temptation is a pull to commit something that the Bible labels as sin. It's a pull. Now, it's not a sin to be tempted. Say with me, it's not a sin to be tempted. But what happens when you yield to the temptation, then it births sin. Does that make sense to you? Some people give up. Oh, no, I had a bad thought. No, get rid of it. I said get rid of it. Just because you had a bad thought doesn't make you a bad person. But you have to deal with those thoughts. Otherwise, they will stay in your head. On the outside, you look great, like everybody's looking today. But then you're struggling with these thoughts. You have to make a decision. See, your mind is the battlefield. You have to deal with those thoughts. It's your choice. What you do with them. You hear a testimony. You see people that are smiling. You can have an attitude. Can't believe. I have nothing to smile about. In other words, you get an attitude. You get jealous. You can get envious. You have to deal with those thoughts. That's not me. I'm happy that my brother. I'm happy that my sister is blessed. I am going to rejoice with them. Hey, hallelujah.

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Hallelujah.

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I'm not going to covet what belongs to someone else. I'm not going to covet their stuff. I'm not going to covet their wife. I'm not going to covet their husband. I am going to rejoice with them. I'm going to keep my heart right. And I'm going to keep my thoughts straight. In other words, you are cutting away the things that would hold you back. And you say, praise the Lord, I'm going to get victory over this thing. Because I'm looking for something that is eternal the crown of life second corinthians 4 and 16 second corinthians 4 and 16 second corinthians 4 and 16 bible says therefore we do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction say with me our light affliction Our light affliction When he was persecuted, when he was beaten, he was locked up in prisons multiple times. All the things, he was shipwrecked. But he calls it a light affliction. How can you call it a light affliction? For a modern man, for a modern woman, a problem in the cell service, the mobile phone service is enough to get them depressed. Looking at your phone and say, my life is over. There's no hope. I lost my internet connection on my mobile device. There's no reason to live anymore. I can't even get home. I don't know how to navigate without my phone. Some people, I swear, they wouldn't even be able to make it home from the church without the navigation. You can see it in their car outside the church. Where do you want to go? Home. Drive up. Turn to the right. In two meters okay not to the left to the right so it's almost like our attitude is we're so easily like so you don't need much you don't need much the day is two degrees too hot it rains a little bit which is great because you need rain sometimes oh it's wet i'm not going to church it's wet outside Get my shoes wet. I'm staying home. Or whatever it is. These little things can distract you from what is actually God's eternal purpose and plan for your life. So Paul calls everything that he went through a light affliction. Why? Because it's working for us far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. In other words, his eyes were on the eternal rewards. He was keeping things in a rightful balance. This generation should be the most productive generation in the kingdom of God. Yet sometimes when you look at it, it would feel like, man, Apostle Paul was pretty productive and he didn't have any of the tools that we have. If he had the ghost, he would have to use a donkey or a horse to get somewhere. Or he would have to walk. Who understands what I mean? We have all the tools. We have an ability to... Yet it seems like there's not as much fruit in many lives. See, I'm looking for fruit. I want to see eternal fruit. I want to see eternal rewards. That requires us not to be distracted by the things that would get our focus off from our Lord into the things. And then we would lose either heart. We're like, ah, this is not worth it. Because of eternity, it's worth it. Say amen. So we are actually trustees. We have been trusted with things like we read from 1 Peter. We've been trusted to become an example so that we could produce incredible fruit. This group here today, this group is enough to shake a whole nation. The nations of the world were shaken by just 120 Holy Ghost filled people from the upper room. And we have more than that here. There's enough power here to shake all of Finland and Northern Europe. When we put our eyes on and we begin to pursue the heavenly plan and purpose that God has for us and our mindset and our eyes are locked into the right place. Can you say hallelujah? In 2 Timothy 4 and 6, Paul's writing in 2 Timothy 4 Paul's writing, in the very end of his life, he says, I believe you're with me on this, that you're one of those people who love the appearing of the Lord. Who's with me? See, if you are doing things that you should not be doing, you will not love his appearing. But when you're busy, when you're engaged, when you are committed, when you are in the place that God has for you, with the right heart and purpose motives doing what he's called you to do then you love his appearing can you say hallelujah you love his appearing and you say lord jesus come can you say amen and final verse i'll give it to you today first corinthians chapter 9 first corinthians chapter 9 and verse 24 bible says do you not know that those who run in a race all run in a race all run but one receives the prize Run in a such way that you may obtain it. So there's different ways to run the race. Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for a prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty, thus I fight, not as one who beat Hallelujah. If I can have somebody on the keys to help me out. Thank you. Hallelujah. In other words, Paul had seen already great things, but he recognized that he had to keep his eyes, his focus on the right place. Can you say amen? That he himself would not be disqualified that he himself would not be a castaway in the end of his life this is one of the greatest apostles in the last 2000 years by fruit but he had an eternal perspective from the time that he had an encounter with Jesus his perspective changed the plans purposes The blueprint that he was following changed. And I just want to encourage you today. There is a heavenly plan and purpose that God has for each one of us. Together as a church, if you're a member in this church, that we're united in prayer. We are united around the Great Commission to reach the souls of men that are now in darkness with the good news of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But to also take our place. There's a place that God has for you. There's a purpose. There's a dream. There's a vision for each one. I mentioned this last week about this man from the city of Rovaniemi who had a crazy idea to take his bicycle all the way to Egypt. That's wild. And then he said, I'm going to run back to Rovaniemi. And that's what he did. I think it was about 10,000 kilometers. First bicycling and then running. He just had that vision and dream. I'm telling you, whatever it is that God has for you, we must pursue and then when we are locked in on that plan that God has for us we need to be we need to be focused we need to be focused on the things that God has for us what does he have for you what does he have for you some of you you're right in the center of that some of you You need to prepare for what God has for you. And I'm for education. That's why we need to... I would have loved to see more kids this last week on this Dream Week. Because we need to see children. There's no reason for people to be going to school when they're 35. You know? And if you're 35, you're going to school. Just lock in with the plan of God now. But I'm just saying that there should be things that God speak into the hearts of even the little children, even the preteens, teenagers, that they are locked in, they're preparing. This is what I know God has for me. If it requires training, you go to the school, not for the sake of getting a diploma on your wall, but to prepare for it. And then go for it. Lock in with right people that can help you fulfill what God has for you. And then pursue it with all of your hearts. I'm telling you there's something even worse than death that's unfulfilled callings of God and plans and purposes that God has for you but do not be discouraged today if you hear my voice it's not too late even if you're up in age I'm telling you God will make the final years of your life to be very fruitful if you make that choice today that I will now fully submit and yield my life to the Lord I want you to just close your eyes for just a moment and talk to the Lord if you're not in the place that you know that God has for you just from your heart begin to speak to him some of you may need to make some adjustments because you've been too focused on those temporary things I was quoting from the Bible from the verse those who live for pleasure they're already dead while they're living we're not living for pleasure God will bless you his favor is on you he pours his goodness on you but you have a heavenly purpose and a plan that's burning on the inside of you. That's what we're pursuing after. And we know it's by the grace of God. But we are occupied in the things that God has for us. We don't want to miss any days, efforts, or investments that are directed to the wrong direction. We want to do what God's called us to do. Hallelujah. Talk to the Lord, just from your heart. I'm talking to the saints of God now. I'm talking to the people. I'm talking to the elite people. God's called for His kingdom for such a time as this. Let's not waste anything. Don't compare yourself with others. What God's called you to do is very vital and important. And I want you to excel in it. I want you to do it with excellence. I want you to do it in the grace of God. Stay in the will of God, for there are eternal rewards that God has for you. And in eternity, we will rejoice together before the throne of God as we cast our crowns before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We lay everything down before him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on. Make some adjustments in your heart. If you've had a bad attitude. If you got upset because somebody didn't recognize you. Listen, you're doing this for a greater cause than just to be recognized by men. To be recognized by someone else on the earth. I'm telling you, there's big things. Big rewards. Crowns. Heavenly rewards that God has for you. Hallelujah. Can you say hallelujah? Hallelujah. What will the Lord do through you? Even the end of the year. How many in business today? You have your own business? Or you know God's called you. Wave at me. Just say. Your own business. Own business. In addition to that, how many of you are working at a marketplace? You have a job. You're in a place. You get up in the morning. You go out and you work. Yeah. Yeah. So you're being a light in the world. You're there in that place. Carrying the light of heaven. How many of you here? Is there someone here who is in the the political realm and the governmental realm, local or national. No hands. I know there's few people that are involved in the realm of the government and politics. But I'm telling you, we need more people like that. Because if we don't get godly people there, you know who wants to get there? It's the people you least want to get there. The crazies, the lunatics, the power-hungry people are going to be running the whole country. Okay, that went over really well. I got a half an amen on the left. What I mean is that the people that you would least like to get there will get there if the people that actually have the right heart are not going to be rising, stepping up. We need some righteous people to call end to some things in the land. There are wicked things that are taking place. The percentage that the public sector holds in Finland is absolutely absurd. And it's within that realm of the government that the decisions are made, how the funds are allocated. And much of the funds that you pay, ridiculous amounts of money in taxes, are being allocated into wicked purposes because the church has been quiet. But we're not quiet anymore. You're not quiet anymore. We'll speak for what's right. And God's raising up a new generation. How many of you here, you feel you're called to, or you're now fully in the full-time ministry? Raise your hand. Evangelists, preachers, teachers, prophets. Hallelujah. I just want people to be in their place that God has for them. Some politicians have gone into ministry. Some ministers have gone into politics. Some business people think that it's easy to be in ministry. Let me just start a church because I got a little bit of money. Some people that have had a church thought, I'm just going to go into business because this is too much. But it's important that everybody is in their rightful place. Amen? Why are some of you looking at me like I stole a toy from you? I'm just trying to help you. I don't want anything from you. I just want you to do what God's called you to do. Sometimes we're like, I want my toys. Don't take it from me. Relax. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. If you're called to the ministry, Make plans to prepare. Next intake for the Bible school is in January. There has to be a work in you in order for it to be brought through you. Connect with Kingdom Business if you're in business. Let's together work together to see the plans and purposes of God come to pass. Can you say hallelujah? Thanks for listening. You can connect with me on social media at Tomi Lehto. And you're warmly welcome to join us on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. at River Church Finland and also our annual camp meetings. It would be great to see you in person. You can enroll to our Bible school, River Bible Institute Finland at our website rbi.fi and fulfill the call that God has for you. We'll see you next time. and have a joyful day.