Why A Prophet?

(2 Chronicles 18:1-7, 2 Chronicles 20:20-21)

Apostle JB Makananisa, April 1, 2012
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

A Prophet is a man who speaks Gods opinion today for your life. He not only just speaks but he speaks only what God says.

2 Chronicles 18:1-7
Without prophets our lives cannot change. It appears to me that the 200 prophets who spoke a word of going to war were prophets of baal or another God. Why Jehoshaphat asked for a prophet of God if the 200 were prophets of God. Did he have a reason to doubt them as God’s prophets. Well it might be that they were prophets but doing that which is wrong.
There are prophets who speak what people like, satisfying the hearer. How can one live a bad life and expect a prophet to speak something great. Many people hate the prophets who speak the truth, some are imprisoned and they do not want to hear him. That will not disconnect him with God. The only thing you can do is believe the prophet.

2 Chronicles 20:20
If you believe in God then believe in the prophets of God. This man who is a prophet brings God’s opinion that will start change in your life.

2 Chronicles 20:20
Many believe and trust in heir prayers and efforts of casting devils and forget to believe in the prophets. The lady in 1 kings 17 and 18 experienced a life change
because she trusted the words of the prophet. You might also be having your last, only believe the prophets and you will be established.
Today prophets are trying to convince many by making them understand they are from God by saying names and birth dates. A prophet when he speaks needs someone to say Amen. That is agree with what he is saying. Satan gives you doubt that make you crush the words of a prophet, especially those of own nationality. Every situation just needs a word, one word to change one’s life forever.
When God says yes none can say no. If he says be healed, succeed, prosper, be promoted, it is exactly as he says. If you do not believe the prophet you become short sited.
King Saul was just a mere man who belonged to the least of the clan of Israel, but when God wanted him to take his position, he made him to meet a prophet (Samuel).

 

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2 Chronicles 18:1-7

 

18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” (ESV)

 

2 Chronicles 20:20-21

 

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.” (ESV)

Breaking Ground

(Matthew 7:1-5, Matthew 21:5-11, John 5:1-8)

Apostle JB Makananisa, Unknown Date
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

Matthew 7:1-5
Jesus was talking about people who were failing where they were but wanted to move somewhere else. Failing where you are might be telling you that moving forward might be dangerous also. Jesus says “break the ground where you are that you may see where you are going.” You can’t judge rightly if you can’t see clearly where you are going. There is no way that you can build somewhere else if you are failing to build where you are. You are poor here but you want to make someone a millionaire there, it is impossible. Jesus was saying that you are to find what is not making you break your ground. Stop judging others and deal with yourself, you need to break your ground for it is a way for God to advertise you. God can’t advertise someone who can’t break what is making him to fall. David when he met Goliad, he said that the battle between him and Goliad was not a new story for he had broken ground by defeating a lion and a bear in the wilderness. God wants people who are quiet and breaking their grounds. If you know where you are failing, you cannot allow satan to nail you there. If you can’t break your ground, it nails you to be there. Don’t look at anyone, just break your grounds. If you want to know where you are going; remove that plank in your eye.
Matthew 21:5-11
When I read here I was touched. Jerusalem was a developed place and Jesus was just turning around Galilee. This is the only record that shows that Jesus came to Jerusalem with the disciples. The first time he had gone there was when He was still a boy and got lost but this time He broke the grounds of Galilee and came to Jerusalem and when He was coming He never searched for a chariot. He commanded the disciples to go into the village and bring all He had commanded the disciples to bring. The disciples went and found exactly what Jesus wanted. Jesus never climbed the donkey nor a horse but all He climbed was a colt which had no experiences, He knew He had broken His ground in Galilee so it did not matter in which manner He was to enter Jerusalem for He was there for the glory of God. That is why He never came with anything that could be recognized. He didn’t have a protocol, listen you look like you have nothing to climb but in Jerusalem they will know you are coming.

 

You look like there is nothing you can show but you are entering Jerusalem with a broken ground. They asked who Jesus was, mention your name. They will mention your name when you come in the name of the Lord. There is a noise because of a breaking ground, the disciples were quiet but Jesus said if they keep quiet there’s stones that would make a noise. Even if there is no one who can applaud you, there are stones that are making a noise telling you that someone who has broken his ground is entering Jerusalem. The stones will shout as they can’t be kept quiet. When Jesus said the stones will shout, Jesus was saying that even if they keep quiet, they are bound to talk about you. Break your ground.
John 5:1-8
If you read about that man, he had no one who could help him. He knew a method to get into the pool of healing but no one could help him. Even his name was not mentioned and the family was not even there. It is when everybody leaves you that God proves a point. When the ground breaks it shakes. When you see lack, the ground is shaking, they will leave you but you are not alone.
The bible says that after he was sick for many years Jesus came and saw that he was stagnant, this man was dying there. Jesus could see that he had been sleeping there for many years. There is a sign upon your life which resembles your stagnant life. You look poor but you are not. When you see poverty, know that your ground is breaking. If you are born in a village, you will not die there. You are born sick but you won’t die sick, you are born in a place that cannot be considered but you shall be known. You are born in poverty but you will not die poor. Don’t die there. When you see yourself failing to pay rent, look at yourself on a mirror and tell the house that it does not fit you, tell it that you are born to own a house and that you are coming out of it. If you see a car giving you a problem, tell it you are leaving it in the name of Jesus and that you will drive a better car. You are breaking your ground.

 

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Matthew 7:1-5

 

7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (ESV)

 

Matthew 21:5-11

 

“Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (ESV)

John 5:1-8

 

5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” (ESV)

Acknowledge The Love of God

(Luke 7:36-43, Romans 8:35-39, Matthew10:34-39, Romans 5:5-8)

Apostle JB Makananisa, Unknown Date
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

Luke 7:36-43, 47
Not long I found that if you are aware of His love for you, you will rest and there will be prayers you will never pray again. Many times we are not aware that He is aware. When Jesus was on the cross the pain was so severe that it could not be expressed but all of us were in His mind. When Jesus spoke He said “I lay down my life that I may take it back”, i.e. we were worthy to die. To say God loves you is to say that He has given you a chance when there was no chance. You will love God more because you know He loves you. Jesus availed Himself to those who were and are still ready and aware of His love. It is painful that someone would sacrifice His life and people would not be aware. Where we have just read, Jesus saw this woman and realized that she was aware of Him and could not judge her of her past.

 

When you come to Jesus aware of His love, He makes you a new creature and cancels all your past. If you read the parable, if you think you are righteous, you will always judge those you think are not righteous. Jesus is aware and ready to present Himself to anyone who is aware of what He has done, He doesn’t care about your past; all He wants is you to surrender all to Him. Just remember that people will always remind you of your past mistakes, the question is; are you aware that Jesus has loved you that His life was given up for you? He died in your position. If you acknowledge what He did for you then there will be certain things that you will not do, if you do them then you say you want to die for He died for you that you may live.

 

John 3:16
God decided to choose us and allowed His son to die for us. Reality comes when things are tough, Christianity is shown when you love Jesus; praising Him in any situation that you face. He chose us and let His son to die for us.

 

Roman 8:35-39
There are things that are there to separate us from His love, when they happen they make us not to be aware for His love upon our lives. Persecution will come but you as a Child of God must not leave the Lord for you know where He took you. You need to know that you were transferred from the darkness to the light. What are you facing that makes you to forget the love of the living God upon your life?

 

1 John 4:19
We didn’t know Him but now we are aware that He loves us and that is why we are to love Him too. You were not aware of the benefits of being loved by Him and you loving Him, benefits such as; miracles, blessings and etc. You must be aware of His love that you may hold on, carry on and move forward when it is tough.

 

Matthew 10:34-39
Jesus says “I have come to bring war whereby people of the family will fight you.” You will find that the very same people that you were raised with will be used to test the love of Jesus you have for Him. Are you sure you are aware that He loves you? So you rather leave your family and hold onto Jesus Christ of Nazareth. You cannot be robbed by your family if you are aware of the love of God upon your life. Jesus needs to be your first priority and then the family will follow. If you are aware, you will reach a level where you will realize that family comes second. Jesus has brought fire and not peace. The moment you believe that Jesus is the Messiah; you will begin to say “no” to wrong things. Maturity means to be independent, and if you have not matured in the matters of the Kingdom of God then those around you will dominate you. Christians are there with awareness, you can be divorced but still continue holding on to Jesus. Many of you will be tempted by family. You must learn to
say “no” to things which will compromise your love for Christ. In all generations there is a group of people who are blinded by materials. We need Christians who say “Jesus first, family and friends later.” If Jesus is first then you will not care who says what. Even your family loves you so much, they will dig you a whole and bury you. The moment you die when they finish crying they don’t remember you anymore. Don’t rob yourself.This is why we love Jesus!

 

Romans 5:5-8
– Promises
We have hope because He has promised. What keeps us going is not what we are facing but because of the words we confess in our hope. We believe that He will never leave us until the end of the world. The love of God keeps you going for God can not lie. You can be disappointed but God can never disappoint you. When people turn their backs on you because of your failures, your God will still be around for He cannot leave you as He doesn’t change His mind. You can’t compromise and sin and play with sin for a while, you must know that God is watching you and He is trusting that your faithfulness in Him will take you to your destiny. The promises from above are about to come to pass in your life. By holding onto Jesus I see you ending all you’re struggling. When you love Him, He leaves you for a while that they may talk as He is a God who changes the topics of your critics. They can compete with you but they cannot over take you, He has loved you, He is on your side, you and God are a majority. He loves you; He cannot allow your enemies to laugh forever for you will be the one to laugh last. Carry on hoping for the best because hope keeps you and holds so that you will keep following Christ for you know that Jesus loves you.

If you want Jesus Christ in your life, accept Him in your life now. Your friends and family will criticize you but you have made the right decision:

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to you today. I am a sinner, I cannot save myself. Forgive me of all my sins. Wash me with your precious blood. Set me free from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. I accept you into my heart as my Lord and Savior today. I cancel every agreement that I have with satan or that was made on my behalf with satan in Jesus’ name. I am born again! Thank you Jesus for saving me! In Jesus name amen!!!

In this journey you have taken to follow Christ, satan will still tempt what you have just said, you will truly be saved after you have overcome those temptations.

 

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Luke 7:36-43

 

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

 

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” (ESV)

 

Romans 8:35-39

 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

 

Matthew 10:34-39

 

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (ESV)

 

Romans 5:5-8

 

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Temptations

(James 1:12-14, Hebrews 5:8)

Apostle JB Makananisa, Unknown Date
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

There are two kinds of Temptations:
1. Temporary Temptation
2. Permanent Temptation

The difference between temptations goes with our destinies. As a child of God one must be tempted. A heathen cannot be tempted for whatever comes the way is seen as an opportunity. Temporal temptations are there just to delay us for the best, they are there simply to delays us i.e. any delay you face God uses it to reserve you because if you receive a blessing at a wrong time it will kill you. So you are reserved for a purpose, you were out aside and saw other people overtaking you but God knew what he was doing. On Temporal temptations, God just puts you aside and when they run, He takes you from the side and puts you at the end and when they reach the end they will find you.
There is Temptation which is Permanent that cannot be changed and it is there for God to prove your enemies wrong. The surname you are using, someone was using it which rendered him/her weak and defeated but as you are using the same surname which is Permanent, with the same surname God will prove your enemies wrong.

 

James 1:12-14
The moment you say you are a Pastor because of your lust which leads you there, you will face temptations that Pastors face. I found that whoever is preaching the Gospel must pay a price to reach a certain level. You are tempted because there are temptations and it is God who says enough is enough, endure and you shall be approved because you are fit for that temptation. Whatever you face might be a temptation but God didn’t bring these temptations for Satan is the tempter. Temptations come before the blessings; the bibles says “blessed are those who endure,” meaning you endure until you reach a point where God says you are fit. If you get a blessing without enduring, the blessing can be a curse to your life. As long as you are living, you will have certain desires; therefore you will be tempted, only those in the grave will never be tempted. The work of a temptation is to check if truly you are a Christian, are you what you saying you are? You are to endure in your failures holding onto Jesus. I’m telling you that as long as you endure, your day of victory will come.

 

Hebrews 5:8
Listen temptations provokes your obedience; though Jesus was a son He learned obedience by suffering. He endured the pain because of the joy that was set before Him for He understood where he was going. We must know the end of the trials. If you read about how Abraham left his family you will realize that he left without God showing him where his destiny would end. We need Christians who can’t complain, who know the end before the beginning. When you hear pain and hunger, God would be saying that you must wait for a while.

 

Just like Saul from the book of Samuel, God will change your heart and all things shall come to pass. When you were suffering pain God was speaking and saying that you should carry on. Jesus suffered and learned obedience from suffering; He did something that many of us can’t do. In the book of John chapter four Jesus was hungry as He was at the well. The disciples saw a need of going to buy food but He knew that He was there for His purpose in life and not to eat or drink.
Many of you when God takes you to a well you forget the purpose that God has given you. Jesus was there not to drink but to change someone’s life. When you seem to be nearer to your well do not think you have arrived for a well is not an ocean. Move and go to your destiny. All the temptations you are facing are there to take you to a higher position. The moment you feel pain you will worry about death but be different, instead in the midst of your pain get up and thank God. When you have no finances just close the door and worship your God.

 

Adobe Acrobat

James 1:12-14

 

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. (ESV)

 

Hebrews 5:8

 

Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (ESV)

To Be Born Again

(John 3:3-4, 1 Peter 1:21-23, John 8:32, Ephesians 3:19-20,Romans 6:6-10, Revelation 1:6, Job 19:25-26, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Romans 8:32)

Apostle JB Makananisa, Unknown Date
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

John 3:3-4
Many people say they are born again but they don’t really know that to be born again is more than a transformation. Nicodemus went to Jesus and said to Him that they (Him and other Pharisees) knew that He could not do the things He did if He were not from God. Nicodemus was implying that they were not coming from God and were leaders without power. Jesus addressed to Nicodemus how he could get that power for if he understood that Jesus came from God and for him to reach the level of Jesus, he would have to be born again. What Jesus was speaking was very dangerous. Nicodemus’ understanding was not of the same level as Jesus’ level of understanding. Jesus was talking about being born again and Nicodemus was talking about being born once (by the will of the flesh) and having many experiences. Jesus was saying if truly you need to be born again you are supposed to live another life than the one you know. You must experience new things than those you have experienced. Nicodemus was already 70 years old and wondered how he could go back to being small and taught again to grow.

 

1 Peter 1:21-23
If you can be born again you will be aware, you will have a revelation which will bring forth understanding. Listen, many people are going to church but lack awareness. Let awareness be revived that you may be able to realize that it is not experience but what God says. All your experiences and failures won’t count or matter before God. If you are aware, you will see and if you see you will discover. Listen unless you are aware, you will never find what will makes you to discover. Many of you the reason why you say you are born again and are still sinning is because you have not yet discovered your life. When you are born again you know the life that you were living and you will not go to it again.

 

John 8:32
You will know the truth and you will be free. For you to be born again is to be living in freedom and the life of the past should not matter anymore. Many of us don’t know that to be born again is to be transferred from a meaningless light to the Kingdom of Light. In darkness you are not visible and you cannot see where you are going but in the light you know where you are going; you can discover and understand your destiny.

 

Ephesians 3:19-20
When you are born again you know where you are going, you have plans but you are able to crush them and plan new ones. You reach a level of knowing the love of Christ and by so doing, when you ask and think God does above. The reason why we are not fruitful is because we undermine the stage of being born again but the moment you are born again you have sight to discover, to know and you are filled with the fullness of God; you think things and God does them. If you are born again realization comes, you can see and discover and know that there are things that in the name of Jesus they will happen. If you are born of God you are one with God, you will think like God and what you think will happen. Don’t lack the benefits of being born again. You were born in a family of lack, now that you are born of God you can prove that all things are possible.

 

Romans 6:6-10
Check yourself, if your old nature is still there question if truly you are born again, if you worry like a heathen your birth in God is questionable. To be born again is to have the ability of the one who gave birth to you and who gave birth to you cannot fail therefore your nature won’t allow you to fail. To be born again your character and your prayer life needs change. Look at yourself and don’t wait for anyone to judge you; look at yourself before someone else accuses you. The moment you understand, when you think, something will happen and whatever you ask will be granted. The moment I knew I was born again, I said I don’t want to be like anyone else but like Jesus.

 

Revelation 1:6
You are not limited, you are like Jesus. You may be a failure but it was of the past and as you are now born again, you are not in the place of distress. We need Christians who know where they are going and no longer compromise. We need Christians who are up and not down. You can’t waste time in prayer; before you pray check yourself. Many justify themselves before checking themselves and this is a mistake many Christians commit.

 

Job 19:25-26
Job said though he had sores and it looked as though it were better for him to die, after everything that had happened he would still see God. A person who is born again is there to break records. Everyone born outside Jerusalem was regarded as nothing as they had nothing to prove that God is on their side. When Peter and the other disciples said that the Messiah was from outside Jerusalem many did not believe in them. There are some people who know what is happening with your life but don’t know your destiny. When you are born of God, when you come from a place that is not known, you will be a surprise to those who have rendered you useless.
I know that this God we serve doesn’t care where you were born, He checks if He is the one who gave birth to you and if He is the one, there is no sickness which will stay longer in your body. If you are born in a family of diabetes, you will come with a different blood status, they are poor but you can’t be poor for you know the one who gave birth to you. You are different. We need Christians who know that they are born again. Many are still holding onto your failures and decisions and mock your Christianity, but they don’t know that God is able. Know yourself and don’t wait for signs, be that sign; God will make sure that you will not fail.

 

1 Corinthians 2:12
This Spirit that you are given when you are born again makes you to know. You pray direct prayers and not many idle prayers, there are things that you need to know that you have been given freely and you don’t even have to pray for them. You people are to be rich and healed for it is free. By His stripes you are healed therefore you can’t pray for healing. There is a Spirit that will make you know that you are to receive things freely; for you to receive blessings it is something you are to know and agree with. If you have received the Spirit of God when you are born again, which kind of spirit then makes you to pray unnecessary prayers?

 

Romans 8:32
If God gave you Jesus without you fasting, then why do you fast for all that God has given you through Jesus. Your Father is very rich, you can’t be poor. When you are lacking to get what you want, it might be questionable regarding the kind of Spirit you have received. If truly you are born of God, that poverty is a testimony, are you worried? Testimony. You can’t compete with your enemies because you are not their type. You are not that type of suffering, of shame, of falling, of lack, of unemployment; whatever you touch you will go forward. Jesus is on your side, you cannot fail. You are succeeding.

 

Adobe Acrobat

John 3:3-4

 

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (ESV)

 

1 Peter 1:21-23

21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (ESV)

 

John 8:32

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (ESV)

 

Ephesians 3:19-20

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (ESV)

 

Romans 6:6-10

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. (ESV)

 

Revelation 1:6

and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

 

Job 19:25-26

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God, (ESV)

1 Corinthians 2:12

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (ESV)

 

Romans 8:32

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (ESV)

Overcoming Sin

(1 John 3:5-6, James 4:17, Romans 3:23, Psalm 32:1, Galatians5:17-20, Romans 7:17, 1 John 1:8-9)

Apostle JB Makananisa, Unknown Date
Part of the Sunday Service Sermons series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

1 John 3:5-6
Sin is our enemy. We are all Christians but categorized in different levels of Sin. Behind every Sin there’s a demon. The meaning of Sin means: satan in therefore the moment you Sin you open the door to satan. It is useless to come to church whilst you know your Sins and doing nothing about them. A Christian has a conscious and before doing something wrong there’s a feeling you are ought to feel. Every Christian is having awareness which is derived from the conscious. Before you talk, you must think. You must not talk like you don’t know where you come from, you must live like a child of God. The Sin you do tells us that you have not seen God and to not know Him it is dangerous. We all have our weaknesses and where we are weak, we need God but we are not to dwell in our weakness for they are the ones to make us stronger, drawing us nearer to God.

 

James 4:17
Too much knowledge regarding the word of God is very dangerous, there more you come to church the easier it is to go to hell for if you do not do good you Sin. SIN IS OUR ENEMY. Our goal must be heaven. The reason why we are dying here (earth) is because our eyes are focused here (earth) rather than focusing on Heaven because many make their bellies their god. Sin will always make us to lose the best things. You can’t open the doors of heaven if you can’t open them here. Your reality of worship is when you hate Sin but if now you are worshiping with Sin you will be closed here and in heaven meaning that your worship will be diluted by your Sin. If you’re conscious is dead in your weakness know that’s where you Sin. If you are struggling with Sin, find strategies to fight it or stay away from it. Let us find where our conscious is not working, when it is not working you can hide your Sins. It is useless to serve in the house of God if you continue in Sin.

 

Romans 3:23
Christians have a standard that God has set; Sin breaks that standard that God has given you, the standard of Life. You can’t judge are Christian because God has His own standard for everyone. There’s a standard that God has set, that whether you are facing tribulations or not you will always have peace. What we are supposed to be is determined by what we are doing. Never judge your level for what is important is to hate Sin.

 

Psalm 32:1
The reason why we are going down is not because God is not aware, it might be that you a not aware. You need to always check your life. When you come to God people around you remember your past Sins, but God is there to cover them. Don’t judge yourself by the Sins of yesterday for through repentance God covers your Sins. You need to know yourself that you may not be reminded by satan of you past mistakes. You are not blessed because of certain possessions in your life but by a righteous stand with God. You will be the one to cover your Sin if you are not aware of you weaknesses making yourself to appear righteous before people but wicked before God.

 

This is the mistakes we are facing; we go by groups, talking useless things which are not biblical. It is only when you pray that satan and demons watch you. To leave Sin is not nice in this world for there are desires. If you know the principles of the word of God then you will be willing to stop Sinning. You can be like Lot who didn’t want his children to be part of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Once Sin conquers you, it is no longer you who live but Sin. Sin is very dangerous. Please know your Sins! The moment you confess and stop Sinning you become Holy. If there is a Sin you continually repeat and you always confess it know that you’re consciousness in that area is dead. If you are not aware of your Sins it is very dangerous but don’t condemn yourselves just come back to God.

 

Galatians 5:17-20
The bible is a mirror of our souls where you can take the bible and check if you are living right then if not you are to go and pray to God asking for forgiveness. Life is too short. Verse 17 says that by living right you know that you are edifying your Spirit, never try to protect yourself. If you are a child of God, you must know that your soul and the Spirit of God upon your life is very much important so that you may be edified and be led by the Spirit. The more you are in spirit the more you can’t see the flesh. There are certain things you can’t watch for what you watch you become. Listen, you are happy where your heart is. Where you riches are your heart is there, so you must watch where you are spending your time. Let us show that we are Christians. As Christians within the church, we need to live in unity with each other. We need to know where we are failing and we are not to justify ourselves nor are we to protect ourselves. Every Christian is having a discerning spirit therefore as a Christians you are to know what is evil and good. You need to reach a level whereby you hate Sin. When light is too much on you because of the word of God, people around you will not do wrong for you will see the wrong in them and reprimand them. This is not the time to hide peoples Sins though they may be close to you, for we are the light of this world. Where do you belong? This is how you know there’s Sin in you, you go and check your heart, and if you judge yourself no one will judge you. We need to be conscious in doing what is right all the time. A Christian can still be sick of any disease but what is important is your response towards the sickness. Sometimes you can live longer so that you may repent. Let us try to check our lives where our conscious is weak for there, is where we commit mistakes. You can destroy your conscious by confessing all the time for you become used to your Sin. Heaven is our home. Know your area of Sin that you may deal with it. We need to learn that it is not money that makes us better but God for money can make you stingy.

 

Romans 7:17
17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (TNIV)

 

1 John 1:8-9
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (TNIV)

 

Please if we say we have no Sin we are liars, can we go every day and check our lives. We need to be aware of our Sins that God may forgive us. Please, be aware of your Sins! What works well in a Christian’s prayer is peace and as a Sinner there is no way you can have peace. You must confess your Sin.

 

Adobe Acrobat

1 John 3:5-6

 

You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. (ESV)

 

James 4:17

 

17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (ESV)

 

Romans 3:23

 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (ESV)

 

Psalm 32:1

 

A Maskil of David.

 

32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. (ESV)

Galatians 5:17-20

 

17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, (ESV)

 

Romans 7:17

 

17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (ESV)

 

1 John 1:8-9

 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)