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When your neighbour’s blessing reveals your evil mind

Opinion & Analysis
Have you ever done all that was within your power to go to the next level in your life only to see God seemingly ignoring you and answering your prayer on behalf of someone else so close enough for you to notice?

Have you ever done all that was within your power to go to the next level in your life only to see God seemingly ignoring you and answering your prayer on behalf of someone else so close enough for you to notice?

Sermon of the week with Pastor Erasmus Makarimayi

Sometimes you pray, fast, give and work so hard, but only to harvest wind. To make matters worse it appears God is allocating your neighbour the results of your sweat.

It appears as if the angel of the Lord did not get the address correctly when coming from the throne of God. This has resulted in frustration and jealousy among many people. Bitterness has crept in the Church and seeds of witchcraft have been sown in society as people question the integrity, sincerity and the justice system of God.

May I suggest to you that your insincerity in terms of loving God and your neighbour can cause you to learn and change the hard way. There are people that joined the church eons after you and are moving in tremendous blessing.

Sometimes God has to bless someone so close so that you gauge where you stand with your confession of serving God. Maybe as a church or ministry you have prayed and fasted for souls to come to Christ and those souls are going to other churches or ministries instead.

You probably participated in fasting for marriages, weddings, cars, houses etc and they have fallen on everyone else except you. Check your heart and repent.

The Bible makes it clear that God looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 in part clarifies: “For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

The God we serve transcends every imaginable limit and barrier. He exceeds our capacity and can do what no eye has seen nor ear heard nor mind perceived.

Whatever we ask for is within His sphere of ability. What we anticipate and ask for is guided by our exposure and the revelation of Christ in our lives.

Some believe that God heals headaches while others trust in His capacity to heal cancer or HIV and Aids. It is up to you to bargain with Him for what you want. Agree terms with Him. Know what you want and ask for it.

However, there are people that have been calling on God on a limited scale only to be frustrated when some who operate on higher faith and grace begin to experience things on an unimaginable level.

There are people that think they have power to control how God should exercise His power and grace. The parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16 drives the point home. Space will not permit me to quote it here.

The parable is sandwiched by Matthew 19:30 which reads: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” and Matthew 20:16 which reads: “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” Jesus tells a story where a householder contracted labourers to work in his vineyard. Some started in the morning and others later and some as late as 5pm.

When it came to payment all the batches were paid equal amounts. Those that had started early complained and the owner of the vineyard answers in Matthew 20:13, “But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?” Please read the parable since I cannot do a full exposition here.

Some of you will be shocked to see in heaven those you think are headed for hell. You will be surprised to see those you think are doing small things in the Kingdom with more crowns than you.

It is mere ignorance to suppose certain individuals will have high ranks. Jesus puts it this way in Mark 10:40, “But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”

Let us forego every proud claim, and seek for salvation as a free gift. Let us never envy or grudge, but rejoice and praise God for his mercy to others as well as to ourselves. Be Kingdom-minded and expect God to accomplish His mission through whoever He wishes and accept the part that God gave you to which you agreed.

Don’t allow hypocrisy to take a toll on you. If your faith is to own a bicycle, don’t cry foul when God gives private jets to those who asked and agreed terms and conditions and persecution. Agree your own terms with God. You are going somewhere.

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

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