THE POWER OF HOLINESS (4)
--- Living in Repentance
In His first message to Israel, while He was on this earth, Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near you (MATTHEW 4:17).”
This was also the first message of John the Baptist to Israel when he prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus.
All men have sinned (ROMANS 3:23).
And God has said that sin brings death and destruction, diseases and disasters into our lives, and every curse under the sun (DEUTERONOMY 28:15-68; ROMANS 6:23).
The main reason why Jesus died on the cross was to suffer the penalty of our sins so that our sins can be forgiven by God when we repent and confess our sins to God.
And when we repent and confess our sins to God, all the riches of heaven that we have asked for will manifest in our lives.
That is why Jesus taught His disciples in the Lord’s Prayer to repent of their sins daily.
In this way, sin will not remain in us to hinder the blessings of God from manifesting in our lives
(PSALM 66:18).
1. The blessing of living in repentance---You will be comforted
MATTHEW 5:4
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. [mourn = repent]
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
The believers who mourn over their sins are those who show godly sorrow.
This leads to repentance.
We would have suffered great pain and loss when we sinned.
But when we repent, God will forgive us our sins and restore back to us His blessings.
He will comfort us in our times of grief and pain.
And He will turn our sorrow into dancing, and our tears into joy.
2. The blessing of living in repentance---the blessings of heaven will appear in our lives
MATTHEW 4:17
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near."
MATTHEW 3:1-2
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2 and saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.”
In His message to the people of Israel, Jesus our Lord commanded the people to repent, so that they can enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven that has come near.
John the Baptist gave the same message at the beginning of his ministry also.
Heaven is all around you.
Heaven is in your heart, heaven is within you. Jesus told this even to the ungodly Pharisees (LUKE 17:21 NKJ).
However, without repentance, we cannot enjoy any of the blessings of heaven.
Without repentance, our sins are not forgiven, and death and destruction will continue to follow our lives.
But if we repent, then the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven will manifest in our lives.
3. Sin brings death and destruction, diseases and disasters into our lives
ROMANS 3:23; 6:23
3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
DEUTERONOMY 28:15-68
15 But if you will not obey the voice of Yehovah your God or be careful to do all His commandments and His statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.
All men have sinned.
And God has said that sin brings death and destruction, diseases and failures, and every curse under the sun.
The main reason why Jesus died on the cross was to suffer the penalty of our sins so that our sins can be forgiven by God when we repent and confess our sins to God.
MATTHEW 26:28
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
ROMANS 4:25
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
And when our sins are forgiven, the devil no longer has the legal right to destroy us.
And when our sins are forgiven, our Father in heaven has the legal right to bless us according to our prayers.
4. Jesus commands us to repent daily in the Lord’s Prayer, and as often as we need to forgive others
LUKE 11:3-4
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
MARK 11:25
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
The Lord’s Prayer is a daily prayer taught to us by our Lord Himself.
It is the most powerful, comprehensive prayer you can ever use.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to give us our daily bread every day, that is, every blessing we need from God every day to fulfil God’s calling upon our lives.
And the first blessing we need from God every day is the forgiveness of sins.
If we do this, the devil cannot touch us, and God will be able to bless us.
He will bless us according to all that we ask of Him.
5. Repent as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin
JOHN 16:13
13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
JOHN 16:18 ESV
18 And when He [The Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
The Holy Spirit lives in all believers to guide us into all truth.
When we have sinned, the Holy Spirit will convict us of our sins, so that we may repent.
And we must repent as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin in our lives.
If we hold onto our sins and do not want to repent, the Holy Spirit will give us no rest and no peace and no joy, until we repent.
If we delay in repenting of our sins, we open a door for the devil to enter our lives to destroy us.
EPHESIANS 4:26-27
26 In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
JOHN 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Do you want to stop the devil from destroying your life?
Do you want to live the abundant life every day?
Then repent daily, and repent quickly, and you will live under an open heaven continuously.
6. Decreeing the Decrees of Heaven
In Jesus' name, I declare and decree that .....
1. By God’s grace, I will live in daily repentance, so that I will be comforted.
(MATTHEW 5:4; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10)
2. As I live in daily repentance, I can enjoy every blessing of the Kingdom of Heaven.
(MATTHEW 4:17; MATTHEW 3:1-2)
3. I will daily ask God to forgive me my sins, for sin brings death and destruction, diseases and disasters, and every curse under the sun, into my life.
(ROMANS 3:23; 6:23; DEUTERONOMY 28:15-68)
4. Jesus died on the cross to suffer for the penalty of my sins so that my sins can be forgiven.
(MATTHEW 26:28; ROMANS 4:25)
5. I will use the Lord’s Prayer daily to repent of my sins and to forgive those who have sinned against me, as often as the need arises.
(LUKE 11:3-4; MARK 11:25)
6. I will repent as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, so that I can live the abundant life continuously.
(JOHN 16:13; JOHN 16:18 ESV; EPHESIANS 4:26-27; JOHN 10:10)
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A TESTIMONY
"God set a sister free from demonic oppression as soon as she repented of her sin of witchcraft”
BROTHER ANDREW:
“About 7 years ago, a sister from our Outreach in Balik Pulau called me around midnight and asked me to pray for her.
She was having severe pain in her head.
“She said that she had been suffering from severe pain in her head for the last one month, with the pain appearing every time around midnight.
“The Holy Spirit right away told me that she is suffering from demonic oppression.
So I asked her: ‘Have you done any cleansing of your home where you lived?
Do you have any objects of idolatry and witchcraft in your home?'
“This sister stayed in a warehouse where she kept all the recycled material that she has collected or bought.
She will sort them out and then sell them to others.
“She said, ‘No, I have no objects of idolatry and witchcraft in my warehouse.
But 10 years ago, my partner and I called a Thai monk to bless our warehouse when we first started this recycling business.
"My partner has left this business for a while now, but I feel that since it was so long ago, I did not need to do anything about the blessing by the Thai monk.
“I then told her that the blessing by the Thai monk has allowed hundreds of demons into her warehouse where she stays.
And these demons will remain even for 100 years if we not repent of our sins of witchcraft.
“I told her that we must repent immediately of this sin of witchcraft, and she agreed.
So on the phone, we both confess to God this sin of getting the Thai monk to bless her warehouse.
“We then broke every curse that had come into her home and her life because of this sin.
We then commanded every demon that has come into the warehouse and into her life to leave because of this sin and never return.
“After our prayer, the pain left her head immediately and never returned again.
She testified of this miracle of deliverance the following Sunday at our evening service in Balik Pulau.
“To God be the glory!!!
Great things He has done!!!”
Shalom.
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A TESTIMONY
"God healed the fibroid in my womb
as soon as I forgave a woman who harmed my family”
SISTER SSS:
"When I met Brother Andrew more than 10 years ago, He prayed for my heart disease and taught me to eat healthily.
I had suffered severe pains daily from my heart diseases, and after prayer, I was healed instantly.
“However, I also had severe bleeding and pain during my monthly period when I first met Bro Andrew.
My monthly period would last for about 10 days and I will lie down on the floor in great pain, the blood bleeding heavily from my womb.
And though the pastor and many sisters prayed for me, I was not healed.
“One time, I fainted from the pain and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
The doctor there told me that I had a fibroid in my womb, and he will not operate because I was a heart patient in the past.
“About a year later, the pastor taught on forgiving and blessing our enemies from 1 Peter 3:9.
After one month of listening to this teaching, the Holy Spirit reminded me of my sins of cursing the womb of another woman.
My husband had run away with this woman.
“Ever since I cursed the woman, I had suffered severe bleeding from my monthly period, for about 5 years.
“I therefore quickly humbled myself and repented of my sin of cursing the womb of the woman who ran away with my husband.
“As soon as I did that, my monthly period became normal again.
There was no longer any pain or severe bleeding.
“I give God all the glory, for His mercy and grace in my life.
I gave my testimony to my Home Fellowship and to the church during the following Sunday Service.”
Shalom.