Jabulani Dube
I greet everyone who is here for the first time and those who usually come. It is God’s grace that we can worship Him this morning. Some are visiting the branches, and others are overseas. The Lord is at work. A group will be visiting overseas countries soon. Please remember them in prayer. We thank the Lord because we see Him at work here as well.
The choir sang a song which is a prayer that the Lord will give us oil for our lamps that they will shine until the Lord returns. May that be your prayer that you remain on fire until the Lord returns.
In Matthew 25 the kingdom of heaven is likened to 10 virgins, some of whom were fools and others were wise. The wait for the bridegroom was long and they got drowsy and slept. When they heard that He was on His way, the wise virgins prepared their lamps and went with the Lord. The foolish asked the wise for oil but they said no, the oil was for themselves, and they sent them to buy oil. When they arrived back, the door was closed. God said, ‘I do not know you.’ Heaven was closed even though they knocked. May it be our desire that when the Lord comes, our hearts are full and we have oil. May that be our prayer that when the Lord fetches us, we have oil and are ready to meet Him.
Today, I will speak about the lamp and the light. There are texts from the old and new testaments.
27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. Proverbs 20:27
Rev Stegen said that the word you preach should start with you. It should work in your life first. When you read the word, ask the Lord to speak to you first, not the one next to you.
Solomon, the son of King David, who was the wise king, asked the Lord for wisdom. He wrote the Proverbs.
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord. The lamp of the Lord is within us and it searches all our innermost parts. The lamp of Jehovah searches our innermost parts. We are the temple of the Lord. Our bodies are the temple of God. If you curse and fight, you do not treat the temple of God in the right way. When God created man, He put His life into him. If you live a life that does not please God, you defile the temple of God. Imagine doing deceitful and dishonorable things with your body which is the temple of God. The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, and it searches for anything wrong. Your mind and thoughts may lead you to do dishonorable things, but this lamp searches your innermost being. It searches all the innermost parts in the temple of God. He sees everything that is going on in the temple. Jesus searches continually to see if there is anything defiled. Each day the Lord searches whether there is nothing wrong in our innermost parts.
God has put a lamp in His temple to search it and find anything defiled. There is no switch to turn the lamp off so that you can do what you want. Whatever you think or dream, this lamp put within by the Lord, searches us.
That’s why Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like 10 virgins. The foolish had no oil in their lamps but the wise did. We need the wisdom of God so that we are complete and we have His spirit. If we are foolish, we will arrive without oil in our lamps.
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. Whether you believe or not, the Lord has put a lamp into each person and the Lord searches every corner, the innermost parts of man. The faith of man is very important. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. Do we realise that the Lord has put a lamp in each one? It searches all the innermost parts. Man, woman, child, every day the Lord’s lamp searches you. If you belong to the Lord, you must understand that this lamp searches within and it is alive. When the Lord returns, will He find that your lamp is out, and you are full of evil spirits?
God has also put a conscience within each person. If people murder, steal and sin, the conscience within has died. They no longer feel their conscience anymore. They murder children or even their family members. Others smoke, take drugs, they live in prison - their consciences have died. When they come to KSB, they hear the word of the Lord and He changes their lives.
When that lamp has received oil, there is light. If there is no oil, it will not light even though you try. Pray that you have this oil and that you will always burn for the Lord so that when He comes, He will find your lamp burning.
The lamp has been placed there. You cannot see it. If some darkness is revealed to you, go to the cross and ask for forgiveness.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:5-9
If the Lord has pointed out something wrong in your life, you will see now what should be done. God has a spirit that can search and see what life you live. After searching you, read in this text and do what the Lord has told you to do.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Walking in the light. What does this mean? What is it like to walk in the light? If we say we walk in the light and yet we practice dark things, the truth is not in us. If I lie and deceive others, the truth is not in me, and I walk in darkness. The word has entered and lightened you and now you can see your own darkness.
The blood of Jesus does not choose. It cleanses us from our sin. There is nothing that it does not cleanse. The blood of the Son of God cleanses from all sin. What blood is it if it doesn’t cleanse certain things? What kind of blood is it if you cannot overcome? If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. There is a unity in this blood. You no longer get irritated with someone else because the blood of Jesus unites us and we have passed through the cleansing of the blood. What blood is in you if it does not unite you with others? That blood creates unity, a brotherly love and oneness. You will not say that you cannot overcome certain things. What blood is it then that doesn’t help you overcome your sin? Is it truly the blood of Jesus? If sins still trouble you, how can it be the blood of Jesus?
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus is faithful. God is faithful. If we confess our sins, He forgives us. Some people say that you should go into your room, lock the door and confess your sins to God. But the Bible says confess your sins to one another. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You may have been known by certain characteristics in your family or as unrighteous or immoral, however, when Jesus comes, He makes you righteous. His blood makes you righteous.
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:9,10
John writes to believers, not unbelievers. Do brethren hate one another? I hate my father, my mother but you are a believer. If you hate your brother, you are in darkness. You may say that you love your sister or father but in your heart you hate them. Whoever says he is in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness. Brethren, this can be in the congregation. The Bible is clear.
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:11.
Among brethren hatred is found. Those who are like this walk in spiritual darkness. The Lord is light, when He comes, He reveals the darkness. The hatred will end because the light has come. You may testify that you used to hold grudges and have hatred but when the Lord came things changed.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 1 John 2:12,13
Fathers and young men, I am writing to you that you will be overcomers. Fathers and young men you must overcome. There is victory through the blood of Jesus Christ. Young ladies, do you overcome evil through the blood of Jesus Christ? Young man, lady, mother, have you overcome evil? That is the word that should keep you busy. If you have sin within, darkness has overcome you.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:14
The word of God can overcome when it has done its work. Has it done this work in your heart? If you are sent somewhere, do you get angry? Then the word of God has not done its work in you. If you curse, have evil thoughts and evil dreams, has it done its work? Young men, young women, fathers have you overcome?
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17
There are many desires and lusts that rule people, but the world will pass away. But he who does the will of God abides forever. We need to abide in the Lord and do His will so that we may abide forever.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
We must understand how to live in the Lord so that lamp can shine within. We have One greater than everything in us. We serve an almighty God who rules in our lives. If He is in us there is nothing that can shake us. We serve a great God who forgives and cleanses our sin.
5 They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 1 John 4:5.
People speak about worldly things yet they say they are believers. How can people look at porn which the world looks at, but they say they are believers?
6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:6
Whoever knows God listens to us. The one who is not of God, cannot hear anything. Someone who is not of God does not understand. You can listen to sermons, but you do not hear, you are not of God. After the Sunday service, you continue in your sins - you are not of God, you cannot hear. Do you hear or not? If you are not of God, you are nothing. Have you discerned? Can you hear or not? If you do not understand, you are not of God.
By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. You will see if your child, wife, husband, sister has gone stray if you have the spirit of God. If you do not see it, you will not see when things are not going well. You will notice that a person used to read the Bible, used to pray, but now they no longer do. If you do not have the spirit of God, you will not see that the person has gone astray.
In Galatians Paul tells us not to be deceived. Some get lost in their walk with the Lord. They get deceived. If they have spirit of God but then have evil thoughts, they have been led astray. If there is no unity, then the person has been led astray.
Conclusion Michael Ngubane.
God’s word is clear and it is the truth. The lamp searches what I do and the way I do things.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. You have searched me and know me. How great is your knowledge. Psalm 139:2-6
God knows us better than we know ourselves. We can hide things, but God’s light brings everything to light. This lamp searches our innermost parts. There is nothing hidden, everything is open for the Lord to see - our going out and coming in, God knows everything. You can make yourself look good in front of people, but God knows exactly what our lives are like. We can dress well when we attend church, but God sees beyond that and He sees more than we can imagine. We see the outside, but the Lord knows every desire and thought. He can see it coming from far.
In Genesis 1:3 the Lord created the heavens and the earth. The Lord said, ‘Let there be light.’ This light differentiated things. It took what was dead and gave it life. That light makes hidden things clear. That light showed what was inside and made things transparent like glass.
There is nothing you can hide from God. He can see right through us and see us exactly as we are. If we walk in the light as the children of God, we live for the Lord. There is no darkness in us because the Lord’s light has entered, and He sees us as we are. The light has put our sin into the open. The light shows us if we are living in the light or in darkness. The Lord says there is no darkness in him and in our lives, there should be no darkness.
Has this light penetrated your life? Can everyone observe that the light has changed you? We cannot see the thoughts and desires of others, but the Lord can. Can we understand this light? If it has worked in our lives, we should walk with fear and trembling before the Lord. If you realise that this light has not worked in your life and you are confused, stay behind and ask questions so that you can get help. If you see that you are in darkness and you wear a black cloak, stay so that you can receive help. As children of God if we are in the light, there is brotherly love and unity. Come to Him. If there is a wall between you and God, make things right. We cannot hide our sins from God. You can hide them from the world but not from God.
