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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, part of the growing repentance remnant, cleansing as His Bride, getting ready for His soon return as our Bridegroom-----
Acts 2:37-38
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Continuing with the theme on Repentance (if you missed my previous messages - you can refer to the previous messages on Why Repentance followed by What is Repentance) - Today I want to look a bit deeper into Who should Repent... As there are various practices and beliefs amongst Christians as to Who should Repent.
Well, looking at the Apostle Peter's answer on the day of Pentecost, he used the words "everyone of you". Thus, the very first and basic answer is - that each and everyone should Repent at some stage or other in their lives.
And we all know as our basic theology as believers - in order to be able to Receive the Kingdom of God, is
- First to Repent, and receive Jesus as our Savior
- And then be Baptized at least in Jesus' Name - associating yourself with His death and Resurrection
- Which will then lead us to become Born again - or Born from the Spirit,
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And then from there we can then receive the indwelling Holy Spirit and also be baptized in the Holy Spirit - so we can receive the Power to be the witnesses for our Lord in this world (according to Acts 1:1-5)
But then, after all that, there is that "little grey area" - where many say and believe, that once we have been through this process - that there is no need for further Repentance anymore. And thus Repentance is only preached to sinners - but thereafter it is never preached again in the church - unless there is a call for those that might have "back-slided" - although some church denominations even believe that it is impossible for anyone to back-slide, once you are born again.
And yes - I will agree with you if you say any of that to me...
BUT: Then my next question is - "Are you living a Pure Holy Life everyday since you've been baptized by the Holy Spirit, walking in His Power and Gifts - and you experience what the word says in 1 John 3 - that we can not sin anymore" ??
I John 3:9 NKJV
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
If you can answer me with an absolute confident "Yes" - with no added "yes, but..." statements thereafter, then yes, I agree, then there is no more reason for you to repent.
But, as most of us will agree - maybe not out loud - but in our hearts, and in the back of our minds, we instinctively know - I still have some or other issue(s) I still need to resolve, or clear out, or get rid of, etc...although we might not want to admit it to anyone. And we keep very quiet about it - and when there are alter calls for times of Repentance, we stay put in our seats, and we do not move, for fear or embarrassment of what would others think if I go forward now...etc...
And this is where things now get tricky, and is causing a lot of confusion in the Church. Cause how do I now get rid of those issues I still struggle with - as I can't share it with anyone, and I can't face my pastor or ask him about it...- but deep in my heart I know - I still have this or that issue..etc.. ??
The question now is: Can I just "ignore" it - and write it off now - as not relevant - and argue that God loves me, and knows my heart, and I don't have to confess or repent anymore, etc... and that He has already forgiven me, and thus, there is no more worries for me, as I now live under Grace - and I can carry on living the way I want ??
But then, just after you said that - this guilt rises up in your heart - and you try so hard to suppress it - and even Quote Rom 8:1 - saying there is now therefore no more condemnation for me...etc.. But somehow the guilt just doesn't want to go away...and we live with those feelings in the back of our minds all the days of our lives.
Well, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 6 - that Grace is Not a License to Sin !!
Romans 6:14-16 NKJV
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Meaning - if you still have some or other sinful behavior creeping up on you so every now and then - and you discover or even know that you still struggle to overcome it, and just can't stop behaving in the right / Godly / Righteous way, but found that this "problem" is still controlling you in one way or another - then it is time for Repentance !
This also is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 7:1: " Therefore having these promises, beloved, [the promises in 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, that He will dwell among us, that He will be a Father to us; that you and I are His sons and daughters], let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Now, thanks to our Lord Jesus, He has given us grace to resolve those sinful behaviors that are still haunting us. We do not have to walk with guilt - or even worse - hide it away from any other believer or even from God. We can in fact come free from every little weakness, every little guilt, shame or fear we still have. We do not have to live with it till the day we die. In fact, if we stubbornly refuse to face it - we will in fact die of it - as it will eat like a cancer in the back of our minds, and eventually it will affect your physical body and even cause early death in your life.
As sin is sin - and there is just "no excuse" for it to be in our lives. We need to deal with it at some stage or the other. And today is a very good day and time, to take that thing by the horns, and sort it out !!!
Like Jesus said to Peter in John 13 when He decided to wash their feet - that when you have "bathed / washed - need only to wash his feet":
John 13:10-11 NKJV
Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
Meaning - while we are still living on this earth, and we as believers are still dwelling in the dust (i.e. we still have the sinful nature amongst us) - there are times, we still need to "wash our feet"... As the dust still has a tendency to cling to us, and cause us to make mistakes, fall into traps, get tempted, etc. And it is hard to live a Pure Holy Life unto God at all times. There are still times where we have Fear popping up, or even Offenses or Anger, etc.
Yes, we must do our best, not to fall into any temptation - and the Word tells us - Jesus will make a way for us to escape every temptation. But there are things that trip us up - it happens, and it does not make you any less of a believer or follower of Christ, just because you slipped up somewhere..!!
Mark 14:38 NKJV
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Philippians 2:12-16 NKJV
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Like the apostle Paul wrote here in Philippians 2 - that we must "work out our salvation in fear and trembling" !! Now that doesn't mean I now have to be saved by works also - No - it just means that I need to work with the Holy Spirit to get rid of every sinful issue in my life - and not hold back anything, or stubbornly refuse to repent, or forgive others, and just think I'm ok, I don't need to go through all these confession stories ever again.!!
As I've found that while we are still growing up (or rather Maturing) in the Spirit of God - and we don't know the Word very well as yet, or we struggle to hear the Voice of God in our lives every day, it is very easy to fall into all kinds of temptations - as we are ignorant to the vices of the enemy - and the enemy will use anything (and even anyone - especially those close to us, whom we love and trust - to say and act in a sinful way) - to cause us to fall into some or other "trap" he is planning for us, just to get his filthy hooks into our lives.
And often it is only through hard experiences and getting hurt a couple of times, that we start to learn and realise - this is the work of the enemy - and I need to be more watchful what I do, where I go, or even what I read, what I listen to, etc... (Eph 6 - our fight isn't against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers in the air)
Thus - if any of this is speaking to you - then just know - Repentance is a wonderful GIFT from God, and it stays available for you and me every day of our lives, and He is even inviting us to come to Him at any time, and come and ask for His forgiveness again and again for whatever issues we are facing next. And then also the Blood of Jesus and His Eternal Word is always available for us to wash us again and again - and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
I love 1 John 1 and Hebrews 10 - there is such a depth in these chapters, and I want to encourage you, to go and read them, and even study them, so you can know them off by heart - and learn to apply these truths in your life every time you find yourself that you missed something, or are still behaving according to the fleshly sin-full nature, and not according to Word and the Will of the Holy Spirit of God.
Remember it is the Work of the Holy Spirit to bring Conviction in our hearts (John 16) - so when we feel or sense convicted about something - or you feel guilty - or something from the past suddenly pops up out of nowhere, and you wonder where is this now coming from - just check yourself for a moment, ask yourself - have I repented of this thing, or have I truly forgiven that person - or have I just shoved it under the carpet, suppressing it - closed the door on it - and never really dealt with it.
If you know that you know you have repented of it - then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is anything else He wants you to deal with, or if this is a temptation from the enemy trying to catch you again in one of his traps.
But, if you know that you haven't really dealt with that issue yet - then it is time to work through a repentance process - asking for God's forgiveness, and applying the Blood of Jesus in your life - so you can come free from that guilt.
I have found the more I obey these nudges from the Lord, and own up to my part and fully admit and confess that I'm guilty in whatever the Holy Spirit shows me - even if I feel it was someone else that caused me to behave in whatever way - but instead, I submit to His Authority and admit to the Holy Spirit - I'm guilty - and I ask for our Lord's Forgiveness and I receive the Blood of Jesus for my sins...and forgive everyone else of their trespasses..etc.. - then He comes, and removes all that guilt and shame and even the pain plus the memories from me - and I often experience healing in my body - with some aches and pains that just vanishes - and I just feel more clean and free and even stronger and lighter with more energy again.
Thus, to close for now - I encourage you - even if you feel you can't admit that "thing" that is still haunting you to anyone else - at least be open and honest about it to the Holy Spirit. Talk to Him about it in prayer. And then choose to Repent. Be open to Him, and allow Him to help you deal with that issue. It is always good to find someone you can talk to - but if you don't, at least face it and deal with it in your prayer closed - and don't hold back on anything...
The Book of James, chapter 5, verse 16 also speaks to repentance and the blessing of sharing that with others: " Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
And below are the 2 portions of scripture that encourages me so much - reminding me that He is the One that Cleanses me from all unrighteousness...and it is His Blood that purifies and cleanse our hearts from that evil conscience - which are so often accusing us.
And I suggest, while you read through these scriptures - also have communion - and just allow the Holy Spirit's presence and forgiveness to wash over you !!
I John 1:5-10 NKJV
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that 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. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Hebrews 10:19-20, 22-31 NKJV
"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Also see Col. 2:9-15, and Eph 5:25-27)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
AMEN !
I invite you again - join us on Wednesdays @ 10:30am PDT - for our weekly Zoom meetings - Cleansing His Bride - where in private 3 minutes with the Holy Spirit we look at various Repentance points, later sharing if you wish the lessons we've learned, encouraging each other. And you are welcome to join our fellowship. See below for the Registration - in order to receive the Zoom details.
OR: you can follow us live via our National Day of Repentance YouTube Channel - as we are now livestreaming to YouTube every Wednesday !! Just go to the LIVE Tab - or click on the Logo when we are live - and you will immediately be connected to the meeting.
Here is the link from our meeting this past week.
https://youtube.com/live/Gcd5k6dpJ2M
Looking forward to meet you all online sometime soon...
Your sister in Christ
Blessings
Susan Hammer
South Africa
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At NDR our Give-12 Project still continues.
We are not anywhere near reaching our goal. If each person reading this mail, can donate $12 or more each month, those funds will support the Holy Spirit Fire of Repentance spreading like a spiritual spear, increasingly touching hearts and nations, especially in Africa. We have virtually no overhead; Susan and I are volunteers; but we are inundated daily by very real requests for support from repentance-based pastors, Ambassadors of God's First Fruit: Love.
Please sow into this mighty move of God.
Here follows a very short testimony from our sister Apostle Sebita in Malawi, with some video clips on YouTube and followed by some photos of the day for you to see what they were doing today:
Today, women have learned how to make multipurpose soap and this skill will locally help the women to make soap for their profit and help their homes as they lessen the poverty status in the villages, our aim as repentance is to take this skill to women in different districts so that our women will be innovative and independent.
https://youtube.com/shorts/JjtHIAu3Lt8
https://youtube.com/shorts/jyQWrRCPdJM
https://youtu.be/7P3gsQ7E7EA
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