Repentance Brings Forgiveness and Favor
Category: City Pastor's Teachings
When Zerubabel son of Shealtiel and Jesua son of Jehozadak, the
high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message
from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of prophet Haggai, whom the
Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s
messenger gave the people this message from the Lord. “I am with you says the
Lord!”
God delights in the
repentance
of a sinner. It doesn’t matter the kind of sin you have committed in the past,
it could have been “Advanced Fee Fraud (419)”, stealing, murder, etc.). Once
you realize you have sinned, you call upon the name of the Lord, He is willing
to forgive, but if you refuse to repent of your sins, continuous stagnation is
inherent.
In Haggai chapter One, God sent Prophet Haggai to the
Israelites to tell them the reasons why they were experiencing stagnation in
various aspects of their lives. He said they have not been taking the things
of God seriously and God is punishing them for not obeying
His commandments. He said they were acquiring wealth for themselves and their family members
but are not doing anything for the house of the Lord Almighty.
READ: Getting Favor From God
Haggai 1:2, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are
saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord!”
Like many of us believe there is no need to preach the gospel, there is no
need to sow into ministering for God, like some even feel that there is no
need to serve God in truth and spirit.
“Then the Lord sent this message through the Prophet Haggai: “Why are you
living in luxurious house and my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much
but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still
thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as
though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!’ Haggai 1:3-6
READ: Humility and Obedience Brings Favor
So when you have made so much wealth for yourselves, building mansions, houses
and buying fleet of cars, what are you doing about serving God, what are you
doing about helping to propagate the gospel of the Almighty God? Would you
rather propagate the works of the devil?
Are you just gathering wealth? God says it is time for you to serve Him, then
He will take pleasure in your service and He will be honored.
Have you wondered why you keep spending money on health issues, spending money
on repairing that car you bought all the time? Have you wondered why you keep
changing the fridge in the house, why you keeping changing electronics every
month, because they get spoil after a few days of purchase? Every time you buy
a new electronic, there is a power surge and it gets blown! And yet it's not
happening to others.
READ: Hour of Breakthrough
It is because you are not giving back to God from what He has blessed you
with. His word says, “You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And
when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies
in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building
your own fine house.” Haggai 1:9
So after laboring and working so hard you expect to gain so much which is the
right thing, but you gain only a little and yet that little is taken away by
health fees, fraudsters, thieves and other bad things because you refuse to
help propagate the gospel of the Lord. You have not given to His ministry, but
you are building mansions and buying jets, therefore He is punishing you for
this.
He said, “It’s because of you that heavens withhold the dew and the earth
produces no crops. I have called for drought to wither the grain and grapes
and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your
livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get” Haggai
1:10-11
READ: God Does Not Need your Offering, But Your Humility and Obedience
So it’s not only when you cheat your fellow man that you commit fraud. You are
committing a big fraud when you refuse to give to God what is due to Him. It
is a fraud when you refuse to help the poor and needy when God has commanded
you to do same!
But as soon as you
repent
of your
sins, and
you start serving God the way you should, then God’s compassion will shine
upon you, He will shower His blessings upon you and all those loses will
become gains for you, amen.
For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I
will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I
will shake all the nations and the treasures of all the nations will be
brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of
Heaven’s Armies.” Haggai 1:6-7
READ: Why You Are Suffering
Praise the Lord
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