2023-12-06_Wednesday Service_Empowered Destiny: Grace is available for you. By PBC Missions Pastor, Pst. Victor Kimani

We sang about Jesus conquering the grave.

He came that we may be saved from our fallen nature.

And Jesus conquered death.

Jesus conquered the grave.

Jesus conquered sin and its effects, and today we celebrate the victory of Jesus.

He was born that you may be free from the bondage, the burden, the effects of sin and even death.

So we thank God that Jesus was born, hallelujah, and this is the month we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

It is important that we emphasize that, as I bring us a message which empowered destiny grace is available for you.

Grace is available for you, and in our Thymian Fish book, on page 215, this is a quote by Pastor Ambrose the empowered destiny will favor us for predetermined purposes that will display God's goodness to all.

That, the predetermined purposes of God will display His goodness to all of us.

And may that predetermined purpose, that predetermined purpose, display good things in your life.

Even as we continue to celebrate God in this season, I bring us a message once more empowered destiny Grace is available for you.

Our scripture is from John, chapter 5, from verse 1 to 9.

John 5 · chapter mention

It's about the healing at the pool.

Some time later, jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.

Now there in Jerusalem, near the ship gate pool, a pool which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five colonnades.

Here a great number of disabled people used to lie the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, one who was let me pick it from my Bible one, verse 5, one who was there had been an invalid for 38 years.

One who was there had been an invalid for 38 years.

I bet that is not a short time by any standard.

But when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him do you want to get?

Well, sir?

The invalid replied I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.

Well, I'm trying to get in.

Someone else goes down ahead of me, verse 8,.

Then Jesus said to him get up, pick up your mat and walk.

Verse 9 says at once.

At once, the man was cured.

He picked up his mat and walked.

Father, we thank you that your word is true.

Jesus, you came, gave your life at Calvary.

Jesus, you are crucified a shameful way to die for our sins.

You are buried in a grave and, jesus, on the third day you rose again and today you are seated at the right hand of the Father, the place of authority interceding for us, standing in the gap for us, and we rejoice that, because you died, there is grace available for each one of us.

Thank you, jesus, for dying on the cross for us.

We give you praise and honor because you are prayed in Jesus' name.

Jesus is in Jerusalem and is in one of those celebrations and there are people gathering from all over the world.

Normally, whenever there was this Jewish festival normally they pass over the Pentecost or the Tabernacle there will be people gathering and that is the same thing that happened during the Pentecost.

There were people coming from all over the world to celebrate this wonderful feast and Jesus enters through the ship gate.

Jerusalem has many gates, and big ones like the Lawn Gate, the Dung Gate and many others, but this one is a unique gate.

To enter this gate you had to just bend a bit because it was not a gate meant for people, it was a ship gate.

Jesus enters through the ship gate into the temple codes and this ship gate was leading into the temple codes and it was a gate which was used by shepherds when they were driving the ship to be clenched at the pool of Bethesda before they could be sacrificed in the temple.

So the pool was also called the ship pool, which was used for the washing of the sacrifices.

So you can imagine here Jesus, the Lamb of God, and remember, even during the Christmas season, he is not born in one of those prestigious hospitals that you would imagine of his day.

He's born in a lowly manger with the ship and the goats and the cows.

So he identifies with a sacrificial system of the day and therefore, as he's going through the ship gate, he enters into this area, the pool area, the pool of Bethesda.

Bethesda I'm borrowing this from Pastor Ambrose in Hebrew means the house of Masih.

Pastor Ambrose has been teaching us that Bethlehem means the house of what Pastor Ambrose is listening, the house of bread.

Bethel means the house of God.

Bethesda means the house of Masih or the house of kindness or the house of grace.

Did you know that five represents grace and there are five colonnades, five columns at the pool.

Interesting that there are five colonnades and five represents grace and the pool is called Bethesda, the place of Masih or the place of kindness or the place of grace.

And if that is not enough, we are reading from John, chapter five.

So the number five, the representation of grace, is becoming very pronounced as we share this word today.

Let me say you are set up and there is grace for you.

Step out, there is grace for you.

I say it, step out, there is, it's like I'm making an announcement.

Grace for you.

What is grace?

Grace is unmerited favor.

There is unmerited favor for you.

Favor you did not work for.

Favor you did not merit.

You know.

Favor you did not serve, but God has released that favor to you Hallelujah.

So let me also say you were greatly favored, hallelujah.

Why am I saying you are greatly favored?

You are greatly favored because the grace of God is upon you.

Hallelujah, the favor of God is upon you.

And I'm just blessing us, you know, telling us how favored we are, so that we can be lifted up from the challenges and situations we face every day and forgetting the favor of God over your life.

Since the beginning of the year up to now.

We have already moved into the 12th month of the year and we are just having a few more days to go, and you should know that you are greatly favored by God.

If you try to imagine the number of people today that could be in hospital trying to breathe this air freely given to you by God, and they are paying for it.

It reminds you you are greatly favored.

If you imagine the vehicles you took since the beginning of the year to this time, and there were accidents on the way, but the Lord preserved you.

You are greatly favored, hallelujah.

There is grace enough for you.

Therefore, step out, step out with your head, head high, because you are favored of the Lord.

You know, one of the Christmas messages was about favor.

You know, favor has come.

Before Christ came, there was no favor.

But now that Christ has come and Christ has died and gave his life for you and me, you are the favored of the Lord.

If you are favored of the Lord, can I just shout?

Can I hear hallelujah somewhere?

Yes, you are favored, you are greatly favored of the Lord and God's unmerited favor is upon you.

You know, sometimes we put so many standards on ourselves and we say, okay, I must pray so much, I must fast so much, I must do so many things.

We become like teachers of the law and Pharisees and we try to quantify the blessings of God by doing so much that we may be blessed.

Let me tell you this.

When God will bless you, because he has already blessed you, he will bless you anyway, hallelujah, don't give yourself standards that I must do this, I must do that for me to be favored by God.

No, god is not doing.

You know, patea, potea, when the favor of the Lord is upon you, nothing, nobody, can stop you from receiving that favor that God has released for you.

And I'm telling you again, because God is good and good all the time, I say again you are greatly favored.

I think you need to tell yourself I am greatly favored, I am greatly favored.

I'm telling myself I'm greatly favored because it is true.

Let me begin us off with our first point.

There is grace for every need.

There is grace for every need.

There is unmerited favor for every need In this one.

We take it from verse three and the Bible there says here a great number of disabled people used to lie, they blind, they lame, they paralyzed and many others who are struggling and suffering from different conditions.

But I want to remind us that they were in a place of grace, so there was grace enough for all of those conditions.

Unfortunately, the situation was such that the person who would get into the waters when the waters are stirred will be the one that receives healing.

But that is not the case now.

You and I are greatly favored and there is grace for every situation we see.

Here are people who are hopeless, depressed, sick, disabled, desperate, and in waiting for their waters to be stirred.

I can imagine you know that scenario.

It is good sometimes to use the power of thinking or imagination.

I can imagine those who are probably deaf will be the ones who are closest to the edge of the pool because they were able to see, they could be able to move, but the only thing they could not do is they were not able to hear.

So when it comes to that point, when the waters are being stirred, then those ones who are able more than the others will be the first ones to get into the pool.

So, according to the rule of those who are able, more able than the rest, or the ones who can be able to make it through that disability, they will be the first ones to get into the third waters first.

So in this case, even though there was grace, grace was there, but limited, in the sense that it was only there for those who were able to make it, and make it quickly.

However, there is grace today and this grace is able to meet your every need.

Hallelujah, god has richly favored you with so much that you can put your hope in His grace.

You know again, you can say, oh Lord.

I may not understand so much about what I'm going through, but there is one thing I know that your grace is sufficient for me.

Yes, I may not have the ability to comprehend, to understand some things, because I'm only human, but there is one thing that I know that the grace of God is sufficient for me and that I'm able to circumvent every circumstance and situation in my life by the grace of God, not because I deserve it, not because I have made it, not because I'm better than everyone else, but just because of God's grace.

Paul says I am who I am because of the grace of God.

Hallelujah, you are set out.

Step out, grace is available for you.

You cannot stay in that depressed state.

You cannot stay in that place of hopelessness.

You cannot stay in that place of despair.

Step out, there is grace sufficient for you.

If these people were lying around waiting for water to be stirred, how much more is the grace of God available for you today?

Because the Word has been written for you today.

They didn't have a Bible to read that they would appropriate that grace.

You have the Bible that you can read and say oh Lord, your grace will sustain me.

Hallelujah, there is grace for every situation.

What do we need to do to trust in the Lord in our circumstances?

Trust in the Lord, put your hope in Him, have your confidence totally placed on Him, because one of His character is God is faithful.

God does not disappoint us, even sometimes when the prayers are not answered at the time we expect.

We know that God is still working.

Probably you are here and you've been praying, coming to the Wednesday service and crying out to God, and your answer has not yet come forth.

Let me tell you there is no prayer that goes to waste.

There is no place in heaven where they trash prayers.

I'm telling you, in the fullness of time, god will answer your prayer because God is looking for an opportunity to glorify Himself through your situation and God will answer your prayers.

Do you know sometimes that why your answer does not come quickly is because it also takes other things to happen?

Probably some things must be happening around your prayer request.

Probably there's somebody who needs to be promoted somewhere so that a situation is created for you.

Probably there is a house that has to be built somewhere and finances have to come to you, but that house must be ready and then the finances will be released to you.

Then you'll be able to have the capacity to settle into that house.

God is working, hallelujah.

We are human, we are so limited, we may miss these things, but let me tell you, far be it from us that we should fail to pray because God is still working and there is grace sufficient for you.

You know, naaman was a great man, a general, and he was sold to dip himself in the river Jordan seven times.

You know, and you can imagine such an unconventional way of healing, and God did it.

You know the shadow of Peter, the handkerchief hey, they kick with me the handkerchief of Paul.

I was saying the handkerchief, so you can imagine where I come from.

Yeah, the handkerchief I'm also saying it very slowly the handkerchief of Paul.

God would heal in very unconventional way.

And I'm not saying that you should take handkerchief now and just put it on your head and say I keep it.

No, no, no, no, don't do that, because God was doing that specifically at that time for a purpose.

But what am I saying?

There is grace for every need, there is grace for every situation.

God is rich in grace.

God is rich in grace to reach you.

God is rich in grace to reach you and there is no situation too big for God, no situation too big for grace.

So here they were, lying, they lame, they blind, they paralyzed, and others.

Let me go to the second point.

Grace will locate you.

I say grace will locate you.

In verse five and six the Bible says one who was there had been an invalid for 38 years.

Can you imagine that there are people in this congregation that are not even 38.

This one was an invalid for 38 years and you can bet that was not a short time.

I want us to imagine this is the pool.

The pool is just after the pulpit area and there are people all over here waiting for the waters to be stirred.

And I want us to imagine Jesus walking, taking the stairs and walking to this man who has been paralyzed for 38 years.

And I'm trying to imagine where is the concentration of the rest who are struggling in their different incapacitations.

Jesus walks to this man who has been in this condition for 38 years.

Very specific, very deliberate, very intentional.

Let me tell you the time for your visitation is coming, hallelujah.

The time for your visitation is coming and Jesus is coming through for you.

Yeah, jesus is coming through and coming through for you.

This is one of those examples.

Jesus came through for this one.

38 years of paralysis, there was no hope.

There was no hope for this man at all.

You can imagine that.

Eight years I'm trying to imagine that he was in this condition and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and probably he may have had relatives who came and tried to help him, but all the time they would not be able to make it.

38 years.

May the grace of God locate you in your situation.

May the grace of God, God's unmerited favor, locate you in the name of Jesus.

Is it a financial problem?

There is grace for that.

May the Lord locate you by the power of his grace.

Is it a marital problem?

May the grace be released to minister to that situation.

Is it about employment?

Is it about business?

May the grace of God locate you in that situation.

Why?

Because God is looking for an opportunity in your life to be glorified so that you can give testimony.

Why the people out there in the world cannot give testimony.

They don't know God.

But because you know him and because you are praying to him, he desires that his grace is released to you, that you may come back and give glory to his name because of what he has done for you.

May the grace of God locate you.

May the grace of God locate you.

May you not give up, may you not give in.

May the grace of God, god's unmerited favor favor you did not merit, not because you are praying so hard, not because you are fasted, but God's unmerited favor.

May it locate you, like it located this man who was paralyzed for 38 years.

I can imagine.

Probably he prayed and he kept asking when will my healing ever come?

And he must have been so desperate to the point where I just gave up and knew that finally, for me, I don't think I'll ever walk in my life.

This is my Lord.

I will forever be paralyzed and that is it, until the day I will leave this world.

And probably you could be in that situation and you are hard pressed, wondering whether God will really come through for you.

If he came through for this one who was paralyzed for 38 years, he can come through for you also.

Why am I saying this?

It is not written in the Bible for nothing, hallelujah.

It is not written for nothing.

It is written for your appropriation.

Every word of God is true and it will come to pass.

It only needs to jump out of the scriptures into your heart, and when you appropriate this truth, god will bring it to pass for you.

Jesus was specific.

I am telling you, god is specific.

You know out of this world, even when we are raising worship, even in different languages, eight billion people, eight billion plus people, each one of us lifting up our voices to God.

God is able to identify you among all those people.

He knows the numbers of your head, the numbers of your hair, each one of them.

Even when you are just stretching your hair and one of them falls, he knows a hair.

Number 15 has fallen and it has to be replaced.

God knows, god knows you before you are formed in your mother's womb.

God knew you before you even came to pass.

One of your days came to pass.

God knew about you.

There is grace sufficient, and may God locate you.

The compassion of Christ is beyond the understanding of men.

The compassion of Christ is beyond the understanding of people cannot understand such a compassion that Christ has, that you would even minister to someone in this condition.

And where are the disciples?

Where are the rest of the people?

May the grace of God in Christ locate you where you are.

God is Emmanuel, and this is the Christmas message that God is not far away.

God is with you, god is with me, god is with us.

So, whatever you are going through, remember God is with you.

Even when I go through the valley of the shadow of death, when I go through, you are not staying there, you are just moving through.

He is the good shepherd, he is your source, he is your provider, he is your sustainer, he is your keeper.

He cannot keep you this long not to locate you.

He cannot take you this far not to locate you.

Those who wait upon the Lord, he shall renew their strength, don't get tired of waiting.

Hallelujah, as you come into God's presence, you are encouraged, you are strengthened, you are given hope to stay.

You are given hope to stay on and wait on, because there is grace sufficient, and there is grace that will indeed locate you.

Jesus is asking him do you want to get?

Well, you know one thing Jesus does not want to.

You know to do things before.

You have also responded to him, because Jesus knows your need, but you need to pray and ask him specifically what you need.

Remember, in most cases, jesus would ask the person who requiring a miracle what do you want me to do for you?

He gives you the ability to participate in this process of healing or deliverance, so that he can set you free and you can be of the same mind and spirit.

So he's asking this man do you want to get?

Well and look at his answer?

So the invalid replied I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.

While I'm trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.

Jesus was not asking for an explanation.

Why have you not been healed for 38 years?

This was a simple question and the answer would have been a simple yes.

But remember that this person was confirmed to the situation around him and the only thing he knew is that it is only through another person that I will be able to receive my healing.

Therefore, he doesn't look at Jesus and see an opportunity for healing.

He's looking at Jesus and saying an ordinary man who is coming to tell me to.

You know what I want really.

Are you sure about what you're asking me?

Whether I want to get well?

Maybe you will ask Jesus, are you sane?

Can't you see for yourself that I'm paralyzed?

How dare you ask me such a question?

But this person started explaining himself and sometimes God wants to answer your prayer and you're starting to give excuses.

I want to take you to this place.

Then you're starting to say how difficult it is.

How do I get you to this office?

Oh God, I don't qualify, I don't have what it takes, just like Moses when he's told by God I want you to lead the children of Israel to the promised land.

Then he says oh God, I am a stammer, I am a staterer, but God has chosen you for that position.

God is saying I'm lifting you up from where you are, the reason for you to rejoice because grace has located you.

It was a simple question with a very simple answer, but it can also be a very complicated question.

The mind is wandering away from the answer because of your limitation and limitedness.

You will always give an excuse because you don't know what God can do.

You know God qualifies you.

When God qualifies you, there is what the world will say about you.

But when God has qualified you, god has qualified you, hallelujah.

Somebody is getting a job, not because they qualify, but because God has qualified them.

Are we together?

Is that possible?

We are almost doubting.

Are you sure?

In this day and age, can I be qualified by God Really?

Can it happen?

And I don't have a CV?

You know those are excuses, hello, and I'm not saying that it is bad to have a good CV.

I'm only saying we must also know that God does not operate with the standards of men.

Hallelujah, god does not.

We must get to that understanding.

We should not be conformed to the patterns of this world.

We should appropriate scriptures for ourselves.

If somebody out there is drinking at Westlands and they are trusting God to bribe somebody for a job, and you are here praying, you cannot be taken in the same standard.

That is why you are here.

You must exercise your faith.

You've been here for one hour, not for nothing, hallelujah.

Now you cannot tell me also that you are waiting to be taken to the same standard with this person.

Yeah, no, no, no, no.

You are praying, you are trusting God.

Therefore, you must believe God can do a miracle for you.

What is a miracle really.

Is God a miracle worker?

Really, are you sure?

Or are you still thinking about certain standards?

If God has done it for others, he can do it for you, and if he has done it again, he can do it again and again and again and again.

Let's appreciate the Lord.

He is our faithful friend.

Southern Valid Continues Giving Excuses.

You know history.

This is what happened.

I am from this family.

We never get to this level.

We struggle.

None of us in our family has ever held 10,000 shillings.

You know, we have always been in this condition.

This is the place where we belong.

Stop telling me about God and these things, because they will never happen.

In our family, nobody gets married.

You know, we have always struggled with these things.

God is saying he wants to set you free.

Hallelujah, he wants to set you free.

He came to set you free.

Do not limit yourself to the standards that have been kept over your life, over your family, the shillings and the shields, the places where you cannot be able to get over.

God is able to lift you up from where you are because His grace is sufficient for you.

Then Jesus said to him Get up, pick up your mat and walk.

You know, when you are reading the Bible you will look at it like it's a very simple thing to do.

38 years you have been paralyzed.

Now you are being told to get up.

Somebody who is paralyzed cannot even be able to move.

Now Jesus is telling this man Get up.

The first instruction.

Instruction number two pick up your mat.

He's even being given work to do and walk.

I'm thinking probably Jesus would have told him and even touched him.

Where is the problem?

We like using the touch language.

You want to feel that part, touch that part that is hurting, that healing may be released.

Jesus doesn't do that.

He just gives instruction Get up.

Maybe this person would have asked who are you?

How dare you ask me to get up?

Are you real?

Are you sure you are crazy?

How can you tell me to get up, don't you see?

Maybe Jesus would have been lifting him up just to give him the strength and the faith for him to stand up.

But I can imagine this man had some faith.

He believed in this stranger and he said probably Let me try.

I can imagine he was trying to twitch his toes to feel whether there were any senses lying there, trying to feel the senses and he felt that, wow, maybe, probably I could.

I can feel strength coming to my joints and I can imagine him feeling the strength go to the knees and I can see him trying to rise up.

And by the grace of God and by the faith released upon him, he was able to rise up.

And when he got up, the Bible says he took his mat and at once the man was cured from his infirmity.

Set out, step out.

There is sufficient grace over your life.

If this man was doubting that, healing would not be possible, he believed finally and healing came through for him.

Let me ask, while that was happening and I want us to imagine the picture of all these invalid people that were here and Jesus talking to this man right here, and I can imagine the conversation going on when were the rest of the disabled people?

What were they doing?

I can imagine the conversation going on between Jesus and this man who was paralyzed, and probably some of them were watching to see whether Kama'u will really work.

Most of them were spectating.

Kama'u has worked.

He has taken his mat.

I'm trying to imagine if I was among them and I was probably blind.

Jesus will not have.

Let me like that the Bible says at once, the man who was suffering for 38 years worked.

There were others, many others that were spectating and the Bible does not tell their story.

They missed their moment.

May you not miss your moment or time of visitation.

May you not miss the moment you hear other people's testimonies about what God has done.

They overcame him by the blood of the lamp and by the word of their testimony.

Every testimony testifies of the power of God.

Step up, step out.

There is grace sufficient for you, father.

We thank you and I wanted to take time and just appropriate that grace of God over your situation.

Father, we thank you that there is no condition beyond the blood of Jesus Christ, there is no situation without sufficient grace.

Oh, god of heaven, we are gathered here tonight because we believe, because we believe you answer prayer, because we believe there is divine visitation, because we believe you are able to reach every need in this place.

Father, we pray, with the grace of God that is able to minister to your situation, be released tonight.

And, father, we are thankful.

Father, we are grateful that we can see testimonies and testimonies and testimonies emerging from this congregation and those who are watching online, because of what you have already done.

Because you have already done it, and, father, we want to celebrate you because of what you have done.

We thank you, master, and we bless you because you have prayed, even believing and trusting in the name of Jesus, our Lord, redeemer and Savior.

And we all said amen.

So walk in the grace released to you, walk in the victory the Lord has released upon you, arise and shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

And now, may the grace of our Lord, jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us, now and forevermore.

Amen, you are blessed, and may the Lord watch over you, keep you, protect you, provide for you, meet you at your point of need, because there is grace sufficient for you.

Amen and amen.