Fix Up Your Mistakes (Part II)

By Odon Bulamba (10 January 2003)

Divine forgiveness has great worth, but before asking for forgiveness you have to know that you are guilty, and if you don’t know that you are guilty it will be impossible for you to forgive. Christians must recognise who they are, and when you know this then go to God.

Sometimes Christians are hypocrites, for example when Oscar goes to Odon’s house Oscar starts cleaning up because he thinks it is a mess, but when Odon goes to Oscar’s house his house is just as bad, is not this hypocrisy? How can you take care of someone else’s soul if you can’t take care of your own soul?

Many Christians want to pray for those who are spiritually weak, but what about yourself, aren’t you weak? How can you pray for someone to be strong if you are weak? The Bible says that the ones who are strong are called to help those who are weak. If you are weak and want to help a weak person, you contradict the Word of God, so we must observe ourselves first.

When Jesus sent out His disciples to preach and perform miracles, they went a bit overboard, so Jesus told them that before He left this earth they must start in Jerusalem.

Weigh up things before starting anything, stop, think and observe, the faster you go the more hurt you will have. It is better to go slowly and let God lead you, avoid your feelings and try to think what is good for God. If you do something wrong to Angela and you say sorry because that is how your mother taught you, is this sorry the forgiveness from God? God says that first of all we must know that we are guilty, and when you are guilty you will stand up and say sorry. Asking for forgiveness is a sign of humility, but asking for forgiveness is not to please others.

Never ask for forgiveness to flatter others or to calm down the situation, it is something God has put in us to be humiliated, and when we do this God lifts us up. Unfortunately not many Christians forgive. Instead of humility there is arrogance, maybe some are proud of it but in the end it is their shame.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, this we know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Could you find all what is written in this passage in the church of God today? If you call yourself a Christian, you are the church of God. On the outside we have faith in Jesus Christ but we neglect the power of God’s word. Take one Word from this passage and think of its consequence. Proud people will never inherit the kingdom of God for this is how Satan fell.

Question, one day Jesus said that He would destroy the temple and raise it up again. Then He destroyed the money-exchanging people who were doing business in the temple, so was Jesus proud? Was His behavior proud? First of all Jesus took care of His temple, so what is your temple? It is you, so we must pull apart what the devil is trying to sell in us, because we are not allowed to do business deep in our hearts, we must do everything in our power to over turn the tables. In the Bible we have contradictions, well not as such but enough to trouble the mind, so we have to discuss together about what we have already learnt. Please be ready for that and don’t panic.

Why do we go to church on Sunday? Some people go to church because they were brought up to, and all they know is that Sunday is God’s day, but the other days are a question mark. So the day of the Lord for them is Sunday and the other 6 days belong to someone else. Other people go to church because they are invited or they are bored, but as for us Christians we must ask ourselves, why do we go to church? Why do we meet every Wednesday and Friday? Why are we here? We all must know what we want when we come to the meetings.

Is it essential for God and your family if you go to that place? Where are you going Marcia? “I’m going to the prayer”, why? “To pray”, but the Bible says to go to your room and shut the door and God will be with you there, “no, we are called to fellowship and I want to be with others”, but we know that we can be physically far apart yet, be together by God’s Spirit as one. So why do we come together to pray? These are the little questions we must know, if you think you already know these questions, you might be mistaken. We must progress so that we can learn more, if you think you know all this, pay attention, you will be confused. Don’t neglect the one who teaches you, it can be a child or someone old, but learn for your own good. May the Lord bless you.