If These 7 Things Are Happening, God Has His Hand On You

Summary

Pastor Ezekiel Moody answers a young man’s question: How can someone know whether God’s hand is on their life? He argues that the answer is not a particular feeling, religious status, or outward appearance, but observable patterns of faith and conduct.

Moody presents seven marks, drawing chiefly on biblical passages and also citing books preserved in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. He says some warnings were not included in many English-language Bibles; those claims are presented as his perspective in the sermon.

Seven Marks of God’s Hand

1. Watchfulness under deception Test confident religious claims against Scripture rather than accepting them because of a preacher’s authority, a large audience, or spiritual intensity. Moody describes a willingness to slow down and ask, “Where is this in the text?”

2. Endurance when others oppose you for your faith Faithfulness may bring rejection, including from family or community. The mark is not seeking persecution, but enduring it without responding with cruelty or hatred.

3. Readiness amid ordinary life Daily routines—work, meals, weddings, and family life—should not become an excuse for spiritual complacency. Moody uses Noah as an example of remaining prepared even while life appears normal.

4. Vigilance without trying to predict the date Christians should stay ready for Christ’s return, but no one can know its day or hour. Moody warns against date-setting and describes readiness as a steady, responsible way of living, not panic or constant speculation.

5. Spiritual power beneath outward religious form Church attendance, religious clothing, and Christian language are not proof of transformation. Moody says the evidence is the gradual appearance of the Spirit’s fruit—such as love, patience, gentleness, and self-control—in a person’s life.

6. Humility rather than presumption Believers should not boast that they are chosen or regard themselves as superior to others. Moody invokes Paul’s image of branches grafted into an olive tree: faith is received by mercy, so it should produce humility and reverence.

7. Mercy toward people in need The sermon’s central test is Jesus’ teaching about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Moody emphasizes practical, often unnoticed care for the hungry, thirsty, strangers, and others who are overlooked.

Practical Instruction

Moody recommends choosing one of the seven marks and examining one’s life against it rather than trying to tackle all seven at once. For example, he suggests reading Galatians 5 and reflecting on the fruit of the Spirit, or finding someone in need and helping them without seeking recognition.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Pastor Ezekiel Moody — the sole speaking voice in the subtitles.
• The young man in the second pew — quoted asking how to know whether God’s hand is on his life; he is not otherwise heard.
• Josiah, Moody’s grandfather — mentioned through stories and purported notes in his Bible; he is not heard.
• Biblical passages cited: Matthew 24; Matthew 25; Jude 14–15; 2 Timothy 3:1–5; Galatians 5:22–25; Romans 11:20–22.
• Other religious texts mentioned: the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees.
• Tradition and historical references discussed: the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the King James Bible.