Isa 61:7 Can we read together?
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
I like taking God at his word. As God says, so Do I say.
I believe strongly in what God says, and because he says so, it shall be so in your life if at all you believe.
For your shame, you will have double. I don't know which area of your life where maybe you have suffered shame. But God says that there is a double portion of honour of glory for you.
If you believe, say, it is mine. The promise of God is for you.
So, each Sunday when we come, we come with the promise of God and we make it ours in our life.
But I will have two parts in my message today
l. The first part of my message will be self-inflicted shame and I will talk about Samson.
li. And the second part, I will talk about unintended shame.
PART 1 | SELF-INFLICTED SHAME
But let's start from the first one, which is a self-inflicted shape. You know? There is a shame that we inflict to ourselves.
In fact, what I want to do today is to help you understand that when we talk about shame, how does it look like?
MY EXPERIENCE 1 | NO HOUSE FOR 4 YEARS
By the way, my friend, that we tell you it's a very painful experience. Shame is very painful. I mean I know what it means shame. I have experienced it myself the way I told you during the week to those who attended the Bible Study. I suffered shame a lot in my life.
When you don’t have a house for four years. You are being chased away from the house you are renting because you are not able to pay $150 per month and the landlord comes to chase you from the house without notice.
It is shameful. Isn't it? Very shameful. All my stuff were outside and I found myself with my family not knowing where we were going.
Oh, thank God, because my Bishop was sensitive. He called me. I did not tell him, actually. He just told me, “Son, there's a place for you”.
I went there with my family. It was so shameful. And I had to take my stuff and put them into Jenny’s Place. My stuff went there. And they started selling my stuff. I don’t know if it was part of the dowry. Some of my stuff was sold. I can't claim them now, but God is faithful.
I suffered shame a lot in my life. The shame I suffered was related mostly to money.
MY EXPERIENCE 2 | STUCK IN EAST WITHOUT MONEY
I was in East BURUBURU. I always give you those testimonies just to show to you that when God speaks, I take the Word the way it is.
I was not able to pay the stay there. So, it was so embarrassing. You know my friend?
Let me just tell you. When I teach you about tithing, about offering, it's because some at some point, when I went through this, I said, “No. I have to be serious with my finances because the attacks were coming so much in that area”.
SETTLED THE SHAME MATTER WITH A COVENANT.
I had to settle my covenant with God. I said to God, “I vow to you that if you give me 100, I will give you 10. If you give me 200, I will give to you 20.
And I settled that matter because I suffered a lot. And many people think that when I talk about money that I need money.
No. I suffered. I know what I suffered and how shameful it was.
Martha is there. She knows how shameful it was for me.
So, you see? The doors are closed and you can't see anybody to give you anything.
And I will tell you the truth before the Lord. When I settled my Covenant with my finances, I had never suffered that kind of thing in my life anymore.
This Ministry is here. You know?
We have never had that thing of … you can't pay the bills … you can’t pay this …
My situation was so shameful that I settled the matter. I said, “Lord, I make a covenant with you. Everything you give to me, 10% will go back to you. I settled it and God settled me financially.
I don't need your money. I am teaching you the truth.
But I want to believe God that none of us will suffer financial embarrassment in Jesus name.
Today, God is my witness. We have our office there. I have my house. We have the electricity, all those things paid and settled.
And I said, “I will never suffer financial shame again in my life”.
Even concerning my children, God is so faithful that they have never been chased away from school.
I remember Jenny. One time, she had to call somebody for $100 only for the fees of my children. It was so shameful, so shameful.
You can't even pay $100. But today, my children are paying the school fees 10 times more than what we were paying in Congo and God is settling everything.
My friend, be serious.
You know? I don't joke with my life. I don’t.
So, it doesn't matter whether you're a pastor or not, if, for example, you can’t settle a bill in somewhere, they will embarrass you. Why? Because all they need is their money.
That is what happened to me at KAG. They knew I was a pastor, but what they needed was their money.
So, they were about to kick me out of that place because I did not pay their bill. I cried to God, but you know what? It is not about crying. It is about covenanting with God.
Open your hand where you are.
I want to pray for all of you. You will never suffer financial embarrassment in Jesus name.
I say, you will never suffer financial embarrassment in Jesus name. As you have come to this service, all your bills will be cleared in Jesus Name.
None of you have money will go back to poverty. None of us in this Church will be poor.
My God who called us for double for shame Service will restore your financial dignity.
I say, God will restore your financial dignity.
Those who have businesses, you will never close.
Those who have jobs, you will not lose your jobs in the name of Jesus Christ.
The financial needs you have, I pray that God will find a way to you to settle you in Jesus name.
Clap for the Lord because it is done in Jesus name.
WHY SELF-INFLICTED SHAME?
Please, when we provide a topic, it is not for the sake of it. It is not because it is a nice topic. You know? It is what God wants me to teach his people.
Those who are interested, can subscribe and also come to that realization, but I've come to understand that shame can also be self-inflicted.
It means that you can be the one causing your own shame. And I saw it in the life of this man called Samson.
Let us read Judges chapter 16, verse 21 to 24.
Jdg 16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
Jdg 16:22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
Jdg 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
Jdg 16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
THE ANATOMY OF SHAME
1. SHAME MAKES YOU SPEECHLESS
The first thing to take note concerning shame is that it takes away your voice. You become speechless. You know? There are things you will not be talking about because of shame.
As we have read this man Samson, he could not even talk. He could not say anything. You knpw? There are things even as a pastor, you know that you cannot preach them because you know that they are even not in your own life. Are we together?
Be careful.
When you suffer shame, you lose your voice, I always say, I’d rather lose money than lose my voice, you lose your voice in your house as a husband. You lose your voice as a parent over your children.
And you all know yourself that when you cannot even provide for your children, you will not have a voice over them. Not at all. Shame takes away your voice.
I talked to God. He is my God anyway. I said, "You know what God? I can go back to do and I can do my business where I can get money. I can do some consultancy and get money. Isn't it?
Before I come in Ministry I was discussing with God and I vowed I will never depend on anybody. I'd rather die than depend for my needs. I'd rather die. It can shock you, but it is the truth.
Because I don't want to suffer humiliation from somebody who will say, "You are depending on us. Look at the clothes you are putting on, we are the ones who gave you money". Never.
My friend, I know how to work. It can sound pride. It can sound arrogant, but I know the pain that can be in your heart, in your life when you can't provide, when you are eating for free.
You know like Apostle Paul was working for what? He was working for him to have what it takes for his needs and for the needs of others.
I want to let you know friends that God today will deliver you from depending on others in Jesus Name for your food, for your fare.
THE EXPERIENCE OF AN UNCLE WHO DUMPED ME
Can you imagine? I went to my uncle. There was an uncle when I was still in the University. I can't remember. I just went early in the morning to that place.
You know my friend? You better know I work hard. Why? Because I said, “Lord, I have to work because you have called me not to depend on anybody”.
I went to that uncle of mine. He was there in the hotel. He made me sit there outside from morning to evening and I never saw him. Then, there was a bill to pay for my fees. And I left I left that place angry and I said, “Lord if you don't provide for me, may I never have anything. I don't want. I don't want”.
My father called me and said, “Did you see him?” and I said, “No. I didn’t” and he said, “But, he 's the one who called you”.
You know? People know how they can humiliate you.
Today, God will settle that matter in your life. Can you say a good amen to that?
Friend, take your job seriously. You know people joke with their job. You have a job and you are playing with it. BE SERIOUS!
HELPED BY RELIGIOUS SISTERS TO COMPLETE MY UNIVERSITY
That's why when I finished University,…
You know? That Uncle even never gave me that money, but God used some religious sisters whom I always pray that one day I will see them again.
Those religious sisters looked at me and said to me, “We want to pay the fees for you”. And they did so for two years. I did not ask them. They are not my family members. They paid for me and then I finished.
HOW I STARTED WORKING TO HELP MY FAMILY
And then I told my parents that I couldn’t proceed father. I wanted to start doing something so that I can help them and my siblings.
I started working very early. And I thought to myself that I will never be jobless. And I've never been jobless anyway.
So, I was selling some newspapers because I know how to look for money. That is why in this Church, nobody can intimidate me about money.
Don't talk about money. When you give your tithe or your offering, it is you. If you want to give, do. If you don’t, don’t. It's not about manipulating anybody.
No. Please. I beg you by the mercies of God, remove it from your mind because I know how to look for money. Isn't it? Yes.
a) Selling newspapers
So, I was selling newspapers. Because I was saying that I'll give something to my mother who was selling some few stuff at night so that I can have something little to it.
I can't in my life neglect my mother and my father. They worked hard for me to go to the University.
b) Working as a journalist in a Catholic Radio Station
At some point I said to my parents, “I have to work”. And I went to work as a journalist because I had to get something for my family. I did it with all my heart. That's why even today I can't afford not to help my parents because they did something for me which I can never forget and I started as a journalist.
I was getting some few money there bringing it home to help my family.
c) Working in the Ministry of Finances
When I finished there, I went to work in the Ministry of Finances and I started getting paid. And I was bringing money monthly to help my parents, my siblings and other people.
d) Called to full time ministry
When God called me to Ministry I said, “Lord, it is hard. How will I live? How will I cater speak for my family?” And God told me, “I will take care of you. Trust me”. And I did.
When I work hard in my Ministry, it is because I know the pain I went through and the shame I suffered in my life.
That's why you see sometimes I can look like I'm arrogant. I'm not arrogant. I know what I went through. So, I don't want anybody to intimidate me about money. Please. I'm not intimidating anybody. I know the shame I suffered and I entered in a covenant with God saying to God, “If you don't take care of me, I will drop this ministry and go back to do other business you’d want me to do”.
But God told me, “I will be with you. Have your eyes on me, not on people”.
That's why I've never had my eyes on anybody under heaven because I know how painful it is. I will never beg money for anybody because even the Bible says in Luke 16:3 that begging is shameful. Also, David said, “I was young and I'm old. I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his posterity begging for bread”.
And I said to/in my life, “I will never beg for bread from anybody”. Can somebody lift his hand in this country? Let me ask, “Did I ever call you for my bread? Did I ever call you for my needs?”.
I will never do that.
Today is double for shame and I want us to pray for those areas of shame in our lives that God will take them away in Jesus name.
4- SHAME COMES WITH MOCKERY
People were mocking Samson. People were like, “He disturbed us. Now we got him”. They put out his eyes and said, “We will see your God” and started mocking him.
Maybe you are there. Again in my life, I suffered mockery of all kind. It is real. Those are real things. How I pray that we don't come to a place where we pretend. We should not pretend.
Maybe you are suffering from mockery, but there is double for shame in Jesus Name.
My faith was mocked. This Church the way we started it was an object of mockery. I was mocked from people saying, “Who are coming in this Church?”
But the mockery of Samson here was because of himself. He was the reason why he was mocked.
5- SHAME EXPOSES THE INDIVIDUAL
And again Samson was exposed. That is the last thing to mention. Samson was ashamed and was exposed totally naked.
THE QUESTION IS THIS ONE … WHAT WAS WRONG WITH SAMSON?
PART 2 | 5 MISTAKES OF SAMSON
Five things were wrong with Samson. That's what I want to share with you today quickly and then we pray
LESSON 1 | BEWARE OF SIN
It gives me some few lessons that I have to consider concerning double for shame.
Beware of sin. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people”.
I want to let you know that sin is a reproach. Beware.
In Proverbs 28:13, the Bible says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whose confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”
Illustration 1 | A pastor with a married woman caught red handed in a hotel room
I remember there is a pastor from the KAG. I cannot remember his name. This pastor was going out with a married woman to Embu. When they were going, the husband of the lady was following them. When they reached the hotel room where they wanted to have fun, the man came with the camera men from all the Kenyan channels, forced the door and all the cameras were there to show and expose them.
Friends, beware of sin. Beware. Beware. Sin is a reproach.
Mostly, I'm talking about secret sin, that sin that we do in secret, that nobody sees. Beware. That is where shame comes from.
The sin that you do and say, “Nobody will see”. Beware of it my friend.
Beware of the sin on phone. Beware of all those pornography things on the laptops.
There is a way that the devil knows to expose the sin of people. Beware.
I always ask God that my life outside and my life inside would be the same. Beware of what you do and nobody sees. Beware.
Illustration 2 | A pastor exposed with slides of naked women
There is a pastor also back home. One day, he was broadcasting the way I do on Sunday with his laptop. He was projecting Scriptures. And then, suddenly, pictures of naked women started popping and the guy manipulating the computer could not know how to stop them.
Beware of secret sins. What you do and nobody sees is not safe. Beware. Because there is a way that that thing will be exposed. Beware.
You take some money and you are rubbing the documents there knowing that nobody will know. Beware.
Samson was just playing around women.
Write down this statement … If you eat with the devil in secret, he will expose you in public.
Do you know why? Because the devil was exposed in public by Christ. He never forgets that thing.
Let's have sex and nobody will know. My friend, it will come out. I've never known how things come out. But they do.
You see today we have Social Media. We have people who can be recording you here and there. Beware.
May you live a life of integrity and of the fear of God.
I always tell you I don't know how to hide my things. I don't know. I am not afraid if I forget my phone over the things that are in. I am not perfect I know but I make sure that my life would not be like … We have surprised you ...
LESSON 2 | BEWARE OF BAD HABITS
In Judges 16:20, Delilah said to Delilah, “The Philistines are on you Samson...”
Can you read what Samson said? “I will go out as other times before and shake myself”
You know why? Because he got used to be delivered.
Do you know that when you do something wrong and you always escape, you won’t even know what you will know and you won’t know how to escape.
Beware of those bad habits.
A habit is a pattern of behaviors. You know that you always come out. Yeah. No worry. One day you will do it and there will be no way to escape.
That was this man who used to be delivered. He was so sure that even if he sleeps, he will still come out.
That night, he did not know and they shaved him like he had cancer.
In verse 20, the Bible says that “He did not know that the Lord left him”.
Now you do you know that the Lord left you?
Now listen to me. You know? It comes a moment to where you do things and they are working, but the Lord has left you long time ago.
I am not impressed by the power that can be manifested. Somebody can manifest power but God has left them and they are not aware of it.
It can happen that you do some businesses and they are working, but you are not aware that God has left you.
Maybe you do a business and it works, you get some money and you're like, “Yes. God is with me”
Why? Because God is providing for you? But the truth of the matter is that he has left you.
That is how the Devil is a Deceiver.
In my life, I always check if God is with me.
I always tell God, “If you are not with me, I don't want this thing”.
It's not because you are having money that God is with you. Forget about it.
It's not because things are working well with you that God is with you. Forget about it. Even unbelievers who don't know God, things are working for them.
Beware of things you are used to.
Illustration 1 | The pastor who used to sleep with prostitute prior to the Sunday Service.
A pastor used to sleep with women on Saturday and on Sunday, he used to preach with power.
You see ? The Devil Makes you get used to something wrong so that you will drop your guards. Isn't it? Then, when you drop your guards and you are not aware, boom! You are exposed.
This pastor was with a prostitute woman on Saturday. Guess what? This woman puts her bra inside the coat’s pocket.
And that pastor came to Church all the way from the hotel room.
When he came to Church, during the praise session, the pastor wanted to wave the handkerchief to praise the Lord. He put his hand in his coat’s pocket thinking that it was the handkerchief, Just to realize that it was that lady’s bra.
Imagine the shame. That is self-inflicted shame.
Always check your pocket.
Illustration 2 | A man stripped and left naked in a room in Blue Spring Hotel in Nairobi.
That is a true story. i saw it in Blue Springs Hotel. I was there for shaving. I saw a man running to the reception with his boxer. I was like, what is it? The man was inquiring to the receptionist gasping, “Have you seen a lady?”. The receptionist was like, “Which lady? We have not seen a lady”
In fact, that lady took everything : phone, wallet, money, watch and left him only with his boxer.
Men, may I ask you a question, “What are you looking for?”
May we live a life of integrity. The devil knows how to humiliate you. Don't entertain this sin my friend.
Samson believed that he will come out as before, but that day, he tried but nothing happened.
There are people who lost God and the only thing they have remained with is movement. They are jumping, but God has left them.
LESSON 3 | BEWARE OF APATHY
Apathy is a place where somebody becomes less concerned.
Have you seen or met people who always say things like ... “I don't care. I don't care”
You see? There are those people in town.
This man Samson was a covenant breaker. He was told that there should be no razor on his head. He was told to not drink wine. He was told to not come close to dead bodies.
But look at his life. He was just doing the opposite.
We need to be very much careful.
In Psalm 74:20, the Bible says, “Have respect unto the covenant for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitation of cruelty”
Please. Please. Mind your Covenant with God.
That is where I have come to understand that this man Samson was not smart. This lady he was with in his bedroom had a covenant with the Philistines. And she was operating from the Covenant. And him was a man who was to keep the Covenant, but he was breaking it.
Friend, know that your safety is in the Covenant.
I cannot stop doing what I am doing. I know what I went through. Have respect unto the Covenant.
Samson was a covenant breaker. He was breaking the Covenant of sexuality by sleeping with harlots. Samson can never see a woman moving in town.
We have brother/sister Samson in Church.
Beware. May you receive the grace to keep your covenants with God.
Serving God is for me a covenant. I can't stop it. My safety is in it.
Serving you the way I do, I can't stop it. It is my safety.
We are in a very unsafe place. The world is very unsafe.
LESSON 4 | BEWARE OF MISMANAGEMENT
I’ve come to understand that mismanagement leads to shame.
Proverbs 13:16 … “Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly...
I have come to understand that even when I was going through financial challenges, it was not the devil, but my mismanagement.
For me, all the money was to be eaten. I never knew how to tithe. I never knew to save money. When you are mismanaging your resources, you will suffer shame.
That is why I've come up with the following statement … Not every problem is a demonic problem. Some are wisdom (mismanagement) problem.
There are problems which are not about demons. It is about me knowing how to manage all that I have.
How will you feel is you come in Church in a place like this, then we have not paid anything, and we are collecting the money to stress people?
That is mismanagement.
I pray today that by the grace of God, you will be a good manager of your resources.
You know the story of that prodigal son? What made him to suffer shame? Because of wasting his money/resources.
Samson was a professional waster.
I pray you will not be wasteful. I say, I pray will not be wasteful.
You know?
God sees how you handle 1000 before he gives you ten thousands. He sees how you handle 10000 before he gives you 100000. He sees how you handle 100000 before he gives you 1000000. He sees how you handle 1000000,so he can give you 10000000 and so forth.
When we talk about management of resources, it's not just about money, it's also about managing your time.
The problem we have in Africa is a management problem.
You know? We started recording the Bible Study for Next Week on Wednesday this week.
Hilda was reminding me, “Dad, just imagine that the electricity went for two days. We were calm because we went ahead”
A good manager plans and those are the things we need to teach in Church.
There are people who don't have any financial plan. They don't have. Am I right? They don't have.
The small money they have is to buy KFC and post the bones on social media.
For example, I can't send my children in school far from my house. I can't. That is madness because I want to be sure my children are close to the house. In case of anything, I can pick them.
So, the problem of Samson was acting without thinking. And there are people who act and think later. That is our poor management.
You need the grace to think.
If you can afford to buy an I-Phone, it is okay. If not, what is your problem? Isn't it Madness? It is. As far as I am concerned, I cannot do such a thing now.
This laptop you see here was a gift given to me in 2012. Can’t I buy a new one? I can. But it is all about priorities. I have many other things to do. It isn't a priority now.
A good manager looks at some facts :
1- A good manager looks at the priority
2- A good manager looks at the purpose
3- A goog manager looks at the principle
A good manager always asks himself : what is the purpose of it? If it has no connection with the purpose I don't need it.
Those are the things we need to know even in Church. That is why there are people who will have money, yet go back to poverty. Not because of demons, but because of mismanagement.
My children go to school five or 10 minutes from the house.
Now, receive the grace of a good manager.
There are people who will envy others tomorrow. Why? Because those other people who are becoming wealthy, it is not only because they have money, but also, because they manage the little they have to reach where they are.
Am I right?
And you have your eyes on their properties instead of having them on managing well what you have.
LESSON 5 | BEWARE OF THE ENEMY WITHIN
Let me shock you this morning that your worst enemy is not the devil. Your worst enemy is yourself.
You know? Sometimes, when you say, “In the name of Jesus, devil I bind you”, the devil is like, “I'm not even there”.
If you take your life casually, don't blame anybody tomorrow.
If at all I was running after women in my life, I don't think that I could have been where I am by the grace of God today.
I've learned to take my life seriously so that I will not blame anybody tomorrow.
Nobody is your enemy. You dig your own grave yourself.
You are the worst enemy of yourself.
I always like being in good term with people because I never know tomorrow.
I always give you the story of pastor Harris who is my supervisor here in Kenya. He is a father to me in Kenya. I just sit and I say like, “How if I was arrogant toward that man? He is the one writing everything I need to the government of Kenya.
I met pastor Harris through Martha.
I remember I went to his Church one day. He totally ignored me. I was like, what is happening?
I just went to see him and say, "Hey I hope everything is okay”. He told me, “I'm angry with you”. I say, “What have I done?”
He explained to me what happened. I was even almost about to kneel down because I was not aware of what was happening.
I apologized. Then, he gave me 1500 Ksh and told me, “No worries. It is okay”.
After that, I needed documents in the immigration, he is the one who did everything I needed.
May you be in good terms with people.
Did you get the 5 lessons?
If you put those 5 things together, it is shame
Sin
Habits
Apathy
Mismanagement
Enemy
May those 5 lessons be a reminder to you all the time.
UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.
Always remember that there is an enemy around.
You know? If there is something that keeps me, I will tell you the truth, it is ... I always remember that I have enemies. You will never know who your enemy is.
Samson failed to know that the enemy was that Delilah. She was the one cooking things against him.
Everything he was telling this woman, she was telling the Philistines. And Samson could not understand.
Everything he was telling Delilah was what was happening to him and he could not connect like, “How come if I tell her this, this will happen to me?”
May you have wisdom.
Can you come to a place where you understand that since you allowed the relationship with that person, problems are following you?
There are people, the moment you start a relationship with them, problems start.
You are binding demons, but demons are not the problem. That person is.
Some people who are looking at me today, I told them, “Your problem comes from the one you are living with”. Some struggled to accept. But it was the truth.
Can you also come to a place where you can observe your life and say, “Since I started with this person, my life started moving”?
Have you ever met people, since you started working with them, your life is changing level? And moving forward?
Listen to me. The law of cause and effect is real. You do this and it is producing this. Can’t you see that there is a pattern? Can't you stop a little bit and say, “Something must be wrong here. What is the relationship between this and that?”
Are you hearing me?
Sometimes believers just don't want to think.
In my own marriage, it came a moment where my first born passed on.
The second one also Honneur almost was about to die.
Stop a little bit and ask yourself, “What is happening here?”
I went to pray and God showed me what was wrong.
Can you open your eyes? Since you started that relationship, you are having strange sicknesses and diseases.
When I teach such things, some people will argue that I am against their relationships or I am against people getting married.
By yourself, don't you see that since you started with this folk, you have pimples everywhere on your face?
You do not need to look for a prophet to cast out a demon. Just check who you are connected with.
Just an example. I am using the mic and it is not working. what do I do? I plug and unplug. I switch of and I switch on. Then, i get another one. And it works.
Listen to me. some people need to be fired from your life. Even our children. You need to know what is happening to you since you started with that friend in school or at home.
Even my son Honneur, the school told me, “Since he started with that other pupil, he started being distracted”.
Unplug my friend. You need people in your life whom you can say, “Since you came in my life, I know how to pray. I know how to read the Bible”
Now. Since that man came in your life, you lost prayer, you lost meditation, you lost everything... CAN’T YOU OPEN YOUR EYES?
That is my problem. Samson could not see.
There are people who are blinded. May God open your eyes.
PART 2 | UNINTENDED SHAME
It is the shame that you are not the one who wanted. You are not the one who produced it. But it just happened.
There are some situations that happen despite the fact that you are faithful to God, faithful in your giving, faithful in your service, faithful throughout.
Now in second Samuel chapter 9 verse one, we read, “David said, is there yet any that is left on the House of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake”
verse two there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba.
Now listen. Ziba was a strange personality. After Saul died, together with his 3 sons, Ziba was left managing all the properties of Saul.
Today, God will deal with the Ziba of your life who are just waiting your death to rule over all your properties.
Verse 3 | and the king said, is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him, and Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
Listen to Ziba. He was sitting on the properties of Saul without even caring for Jonathan’s so.
May God reveal the Ziba of your life before he died.
We have Ziba who are just praying for your death.
Ziba knew that Mephiboscheth was there. But the question is, what was he doing for him? Nothing.
All he can say about him is that he is lame.
Verse 4 | The king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
Ziba’s answer was a way of saying that Mephiboscheth was very far.
Mephiboscheth should be in the palace. But what is he doing in the house of Machir in Lo-Debar?
Do you know that some places where you are is not where you should be. Some of you you should be in the palace, but you are living in the house of Machir.
Today, you are leaving such places in the Name Of Jesus Christ !
Verse 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
Today, you are leaving out of the house of Machir.
Ziba was a wicked man. Can you imagine that this boy Mephiboscheth was the heir of all the properties, but he was living as a beggar and in poverty?
Wait a minute.
THE 4 EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF HUMAN BEINGS
Every human being on the earth have four major emotional needs:
ACCEPTANCE. AFFIRMATION. AFFECTION. APPRECIATION.
NEED 1 | ACCEPTANCE >< LO-DEBAR
Lo-debar was a place of those who were rejected, unwanted.
Let me tell you something and I pray even in this church. Please. Everybody needs acceptance isn't it?
Mephiboscheth was suffering rejection. He was rejected. I want to pray for somebody today who is suffering rejection. I want to let you know in Ephesians chapter 1:6 the Bible says that you are accepted in Christ.
What did I say?
Say with me I am accepted in Christ.
Acceptance is very important. And you know what I mean? There’s nothing as painful as being
Rejected. Have you been rejected in your life?
I have been rejected in my life. I have been not accepted.
I applied for a Visa in Australia Embassy by faith back to 2010. My application was rejected the same same day.
With a Zero dollar bank statement. What a faith? But I believed God anyway.
I will apply again anyway
Listen to me. Nobody will accept you until you accept yourself.
Accept yourself. I say again, accept yourself. Hallelujah!
I have learnt to accept myself. You know what? People were not liking the shape of my head.
Later I came to understand that my head was good. I am a bright man. I carry wisdom.
Young men young girls, accept yourself.
People were mocking also the shape of my body.
Now look at me seriously, what do you think about my shape? [Laughter]
Some people will tell you statement like, “I don't like women who look like Michelin the tire”
You just say I am good I accept myself.
I tell my children, accept yourself. Because if you are short, people will say that you are short.
If you are tall, people will still say that you are tall.
If you are big, people will see that you are big. If you are small people will say that you are slim.
You will find a man who does not accept your weight. He will tell you to go to the gym and lose some weight.
Then you go to the gym, you lose the weight and then complains again that you have become too slim.
You start adding some weight and then he complains again.
It all looks like you are meant to have a weight that pleases them.
Accept me the way I am. If you don't accept me, I will change because of you.
I am handsome. Hallelujah!
Don’t expect people to accept you. Accept yourself.
In the first place, am I the
one who chosen to be short or tall?
God knows what he does. Each height has its own advantage. So, accept yourself.
Receive the great to accept yourself. Don’t allow Ziba to reject you.
Accept your skin. Why do you want to become like white?
Today, you are getting out of Lo-debar. Today you are getting out of the place of rejection. Hallelujah!
Listen to me. There is a difference between being rejected and feeling rejected.
Being rejected can be a fact, but feeling rejected is your choice.
A man like me for example, no one can reject me. If you reject me, you will be the one to be in loss, not me.
When you say that you feel rejected or you feel unappreciated. It’s a feeling. And I'm asking you a question, is your feeling true? No. It is you.
NEED 2 | AFFIRMATION >< LAME.
When Ziba says that Mephiboscheth is lame, he means in another word that he is not fit for the Kingdom.
You know what ? We have many Ziba. Those are the people who never see your strength. All that Ziba can
see is your weakness.
Are you hearing me?
Listen to me. If the only thing you see in people is their weaknesses, you are Ziba.
You come in Church. The only thing you see is that they did not serve you tea. Is it a problem? Mature and serve yourself with joy.
Or the fact that the mic was being fixed during the service…etc.
There are people who delight in overemphasizing on others’ weakness.
If I might ask a question to Ziba, “For a fact in your life, the only I did to you is wrong? Are you sure? There is nothing good I did to you? There is nothing good you got from this Church?”
If you want to marry a girl and you go to investigate to her friend who has a Ziba spirit, they will discourage you.
Don’t try.
They will be like, “Do you know how many abortions she has committed? She has a spirit husband. Why are you looking at her? Can’t you see me? [Laughter]”
Friends, please, don't be a Ziba for others. Do not talk only about the weaknesses of others.
You know what Ziba was doing? He was trying to discourage David.
But you know what? When you are disqualified, the grace of God will qualify you.
Paul says what? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
Friends, you should learn to affirm yourself.
I am handsome
I am blessed
I am great
I am a man of God
I have the anointing of God in Me
There Are People God has appointed to come in the Word of life and they will still come in Church.
if somebody sees the weaknesses of this church and say I'll never go there my friend, go where there is perfection.
Is there any church that is perfect? None.
Listen to me. I need somebody who can love me even when I am weak.
You need to come to a place where you say to yourself, “I have weaknesses and I accept me”.
I have learned to accept my own weaknesses. I share with you how I had weaknesses with anger.
I accept my weaknesses. So when somebody comes and reminds me my weaknesses, they are not not telling me something strange. I know.
May you learn to affirm yourself. Don't wait to be affirmed from outside. Affirm yourself.
Some folks told me, don't go to town. You know?
You cannot get people coming in town. It’s very difficult.
I say, you are you and me I am me. I'm different.
Guess what? We are here for four years and we will never close. We will go from place to place.
Learn to affirm yourself. Even our children should learn the same.
Nobody will do it for you.
NEED NUMBER THREE AFFECTION >< HOUSE OF MACHIR.
Machir means purchased.
Listen to what Mephiboscheth says about himself …
2 Samuel 9:5,8 KJV
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. [8] And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am ?
You see? He’s calling himself dead dog. He’s talking the language of the house of Machir.
It's a place where others pull you down.
Jesus says, “Don’t make the house of my Father a den of thieves”.
You know what? Our children will speak the language they listen to at home.
And I believe that all the time that Mephiboscheth was in the house of Machir,
they were treating him as a dog, reminding him that he was a dead dog
And he accepted it.
Can an we come to a place where we appreciate one another in the name of Jesus Christ?
Everybody in this world needs affection.
Romans 5:8 KJV
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Parents, can be show some affection to our children the way they are?
I know from my place, when the wife wants to insult the husband, she will
insult the child.
In school where we were, everybody was born outside the country (Toulouse, Paris, ..). Because of inferiority complex, I was to lie that I was born in London.
Now if you are born in the village don't change your passport.
It is later that I accepted it.
There are people who even suffer to accept their parents the way they are.
NEED NUMBER FOUR APPRECIATION >< AMMIEL.
Ammiel means God is my relative.
I have come to understand that most of the time, our relatives are not appreciative. Right?
My parents called me to report that my siblings are unhappy about me.
Instead of being appreciative, they never call me to check on me, but only when they need something from me .
A times, the people who will cause you problem in life are your relatives.
Jesus came amongst his relatives and he could do no miracle there.
Paul says,
1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Can people call the Pastor just to find out how he is?
That’s appreciation.
People are not appreciative. But quick to criticize.
I know it in my life and in this ministry, I moved from
Nairobi to visit some people.
Can you be appreciative to what is happening in Church? For the tea you have every Sunday?
This Sunday is a Thanksgiving Sunday.
Just be thankful.
In your life if you don't appreciate others, you will suffer shame.
The Grace of God covered Mephiboscheth.
The Grace of God prevailed over the voice of Ziba.
When Ziba says, “He is lame, he is in Lo-debar, he is in the house of Machir…”, Grace said, “He will come to the palace”.
CONCLUSION
GRACE IS THE CURE TO SHAME.
WHERE PEOPLE SAY, YOU DON’T DESERVE, GRACE SAYS, YOU DESERVE.
WHERE PEOPLE REJECT YOU, GRACE SAYS, YOU ARE ACCEPTED.
CAN WE APPRECIATE THE GRACE OF THE LORD TODAY?
GO TO ISAIAH 61:7 AND CLAIM IT FOR YOUR LIFE.
PASTOR TD KASUKU
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