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Although we see the things happening, we sometimes just ignore the signs. And some of the signs that we can see is signs that tell us there's something that is about to happen, but we ignore it. I'm making an example of, I was coming from Kimberley to Pretoria on Thursday, and as I was just getting into the car, I somehow feel a weird, weird feeling, and it's a headache, it's a body that felt painful. And I knew for a fact that it's an attack that comes from the devil and his, what do you say, markers? Did the devil say markers? And so I knew it would have been a difficult thing. I knew it would be, if I can say, something that is powerful, that is coming. Therefore, he's attacking me like that. And sometimes I forget that there's a spiritual side and I always run for, what is it called, human things that I think it's humanly possible. But today I want to leave this and I want to talk about something that happened on Friday. Now, we all know what happened on Friday. Friday was Black Friday. Now, Black Friday is something I can say to you that everybody just know it's a good deal. But nobody knows sometimes that some of those deals are not good deals, it's just packaged in a way that you think it's good deals. But let's not forget that where it comes from. Because if you're looking at Black Friday, you should know that Black Friday actually comes from what is this place called? America, if I can say it that way. So there's something that we don't know. These are things that happened from there because it originates from the United States and it's a day that comes after Thanksgiving. So Thanksgiving is the Thursday and then the Friday. It's normally the last Thursday and the last Friday of November. So these are the days that normally Black Friday happened. But the roots date actually back to the 1960s in Philadelphia where the term Black Friday was used by police describing the chaotic crowds. And the heavy traffic as people flooded the city with holiday shopping. And obviously at that time it was the Army-Navy football game. And then retailers, what they did later, they rebranded the term reflect profitability. Now when they rebranded that, it's like why they rebranded it also like Black Friday? It's like coming from a red, maybe for the whole year your business didn't do well. But then suddenly on Friday of the Black Friday, you come from being in the red, you get back into the black now. The black indicates that you have profits now. Did you know that? So when you look at Black Friday, this is the back end of it. So the day becomes significant because of the sales and the discounts. That is why Black Friday came. But now today I want to talk to you about a different Black Friday. A Black Friday that happened, Jesus is crucified and then suddenly there was three hours or from noon to the third hour, it was black. So when Jesus was crucified, as He gave up His Spirit, there was a time of darkness. And that was what we call today, we call it Easter Friday. What is Easter Friday? Good Friday. Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for. The Good Friday. So we call it Good Friday. And Good Friday happened with this darkness. And when you're looking at the two of what I'm saying to you of Black Friday, there's a significant, almost the same, but something I can say to you that is not the same. Because, number one, when you are in red, it means your business is not doing well. So your business is not doing well. It means that you almost or you are about to give up on your business. And as you are about to give up on your business, it happens that now Black Friday is here. So the Black Friday is helping you to get out of that red. Let us turn our Bibles to Colossians, called the censor. Colossians, and I want to read from the second, 2 Colossians, and I want to read from the 13. Colossians 2, verse 13. Now Colossians 2, verse 13, it says that, It says, It says, Can you see? There is handwriting. Meaning the red pen that caused the black has been blotted out. Now when you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins and have canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. That's a different version. Now our sins created a debt, so you are indebted. Our sins created a debt, this symbolizing what we call on a Black Friday as the red ink. That red, being in the red. So your sins have caused you to be in debt with Christ. And we could not repay it. And because we could not repay it, Jesus took it upon himself and sacrifices himself on the cross to cancel this debt for us. He had made himself to be sinful. Because what the Bible also says is that cursed are the ones that hang on a cross. That's what the Bible says. So he cursed himself so that we can not be cursed. So being in debt and Jesus dying, he canceled our debts and freeing us and then reconciling us with God. Now when you go to Romans 3, and I'm going to go through the scriptures quickly, just so that you can have an understanding, or not have an understanding, I mean just give you some different angles as well. Romans 3, I would like you to write it down. So write down all the scriptures I'm giving to you just so that we can take it quicker to go through everything. And I'm not going to read out of the King James Version, I want to read a different version so that you can also have a clear understanding. Romans 3, verse 23-25 God represented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His blood to be received by faith. So the blood of Christ was a payment for our sins, making us justified. So which means we are no longer condemned. Like when I say we are no longer condemned, you see when we're talking about the Black Friday, we say we're in the red. So we're no longer in the red. We're no longer condemned. So we're no longer condemned before God because He says that it is therefore there's no condemnation in them who are in Christ. So we're no longer condemned. And if I speak to you about this darkness of the Black Friday, I would like you to picture this. Picture a small door. This door is literally there to only fit one person. Picture that door. And now picture about 500 people trying to enter into that one door. How would you get it right? This will definitely cause a stampede. Do you know what a stampede is? A stampede is when people, a lot of people at the same time and trying to move into one place or run away from one place causing a stampede, meaning that the one will fall and the other one will trample on it and that person might be dying. That's a stampede. So therefore I'm coming back to Matthew where it says in Matthew 27, Matthew 27 verse 45, From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. Darkness came over all the land. So this darkness at Jesus' crucifixion symbolizing the judgment and the weight of sin, He bore on our behalf. It was also a sign of God's presence and the transformative power of the moment taking us from death, like to die, taking us from death which is being in the red like your Black Friday is saying, taking us from death to life. So if you can picture on Black Friday somebody running for a special running to death because the problem that we have is that we don't have enough money. Now we think that at least on Black Friday things will be cheaper. But is it worth your life? Is it cheaper than your life? Because now killing yourself for a mere few cents different. Now you come into a dark situation. When we go to John 8, now John 8 verse 12 says as follows, When Jesus spoke again to the people He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. But will have the light of life. So when Jesus spoke this, this is why He was such a sacrifice. He is a sacrificial lamb that was slain. So through His sacrifice the light of Jesus removed the darkness of sin. That being in the red, removing the darkness of sin, that being in the red. So the temporal darkness at the cross lead us or led us at that time to an eternal light. To an eternal light. I tell you now that when somebody goes on a Black Friday to a store, it is unfortunately you will be paying in different ways. Number one is you will be paying in your time. Because remember now a lot of people to get that deal are standing from 12 o'clock at night in front of a store, waiting for the store to open the next day. That is what they do. Some of them are so desperate just to get the thing that they want because they only have that kind of money that that thing is costing at the time. So there is no need in Christ. There is no need for chaos. No chaos. No need to trample for His gift. No need to. Because He has given it to you free. If you go to John 14 verse 27. Now John 14 verse 27 says as follow. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. So He said I do not give it like the world gives you. So how do the world gives you things? It gives you things that sometimes came maybe as something that will kill you. Unlike the chaotic competitor of Black Friday, if I can say the Black Friday sales, where people trample over you, where people kill you even to gain a sale. I have seen on a what do you call a news network I think. Network news or something. Let's call it like a news channel. Let's call it that way. I have seen on a news channel one year when they were showing the Black Friday. And you saw people literally first fighting for one thing. Like Islam, first fighting for one thing. Jesus' gift of salvation is literally no need to fight over it. It is given freely to you. And the nicest thing is His provision. He gives peacefully, not to fight over it. And it is in abundance for everybody to get it. Everybody can have it. No need to fight over it. And when you are looking at Romans 10 verse 9, If you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. So this is a salvation that is free, freely given to you. This is a salvation that is not a struggle or competition. It is a gift that is given freely to you. And it is not just given to you, but I need to emphasize this side. The emphasis lies on who believes. Because it is not given to those who do not believe. When you come to Black Friday, you fight for things, but less do you know that there is another scripture that says to you, Abundance is there for you through His riches. Let me explain to you what I mean by His riches. If you go to Philippians 4 verse 19, where Philippians 4 verse 19 says it, And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. What is all the needs? Does that include that? Lord, I am hungry. Is that a need? Oh yes, it does. So He gave abundance of that need. But Lord Jesus, my clothes are not clothing anymore. Is that a need? It is definitely a need. And some people will tell you that a car is not a need. They say it is a want. Tell me, if it is that your life is in so much danger, you need to see the doctor immediately. Would you call an Uber? That will make you wait for 15 minutes. Or is it best to just get into a car and drive off? If you have your own car, it is easier. It is going to save your life. Your wife is in labor, and it is a matter of... Who was the one of the children who was smothered with the labor? Levin. The one who was too big. So what happened? Levin was born on bigger kilos than the normal. And obviously, it came with a lot of stress on her. So while the mom is trying to push, obviously being too big, it took too long for her to come out. So it places her under the stress, the child now. Imagine if there were not a car at that time. Imagine if we didn't have a car at that time. I am not going to explain the reason why we didn't have a car, because that was also demonic. Because... But it wasn't long before that our car was taken. And the car was taken, making us... When my wife got into labor, it took a long time for a car to come to take us to the doctor. And imagine if there were not a car across the road. So Ella was opposite, across the road. So she was across the road. If she didn't have a car, and we would have called an ambulance, she would have been gone, because she was too big to take out at home. The doctors and the nurses knew better how to help her that being in the stress of taking too long. So therefore, God has given us an abundance of all things. It's just for us to start walking in it. I had a conversation with somebody during the course of this week. Well, not I had a conversation, but obviously we had... It was a conversation that I came in at the later stage. And it made me to think that we really need to take God on His word. I'm not going to talk about the conversation, but the conversation made me to realize that we really, really need to take God on His word. We need to literally, literally say... I'm not going to leave you God. Unless you do what you said you will do. And stand on it, and be violent about it. If I can say it that way. Philippians 4 verse 19 says it so nicely. But we don't have to wait for bargain or go in depth for our needs. Because if you're looking at Philippians 4 verse 19, it says that God will meet all your needs. So whether He met it as yet or not, He will do it. So it's no need to do like others. They do on Black Friday. They get themselves in depth. They take a credit card to the limit just to get that deal. And when they take that credit card to the limit, they put themselves in more problems. In more of the red. We don't have to wait for bargains. We have the abundance of it every day through Christ Jesus. Second Corinthians 9 verse 8 says the following. And God is able to bless you abundantly. So that in all things and at all times. So that in all things and at all times. Having all that you need. You will abound in every good work. So what is it that you need to do? I think I need to read this one in the other version as well. Second Corinthians 9. Now second Corinthians 9 and I'm reading verse 8. So 9 verse 8 says. And God is able to make all grace abound towards you. That He always having all sufficiency. In all things may abound to every good work. All sufficiency. So God's provision is not limited. God's provision is not limited. It's not even seasonal. It doesn't wait for Black Friday. It doesn't wait for Christmas to get Christmas clothes. God's provision is every day, every time, every single season. God's provision is not limited to even the thing that you think He can't do. It's the thing that He can do even exceedingly abundantly above. The things that you think, God can't heal me because I'm about to die of cancer. He's doing exceedingly abundantly above all we can think or even imagine. When doctors tell you, you only have six months to live. Then He comes up and He tells you, hey, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's the last thing. Me, I have the last thing. I have the last thing. Doctors can't tell you anything. That's it. So when you're looking at Black Friday. Imagine waiting the whole year for a TV that you could have bought in January. But remember one thing. When God blesses us, He doesn't bless you to be only a blessing to yourself. He blesses us to bless others as well. Because when you're looking at it, He said give and it will come back to you. Good measures, press down, shaken together. Running over, not just shaken together. It's like somebody who's on a... If you take the leaf, the black refuse bag, and you take leaves. You start throwing them in. When you throw in, you see the bag is full. When you see the bag is full with leaves, you just shake it. It's a good measure, shaken together. So you shake that leaves and then press it down. And the more you press it down, the more of the leaves you can include or add. And the more you add onto that leaves, it starts running over. That's the blessing that will fall in your bosom. That is God's blessing to you. Say about quarter to eleven. So, when I look at it, this is the abundance that God has given us. God has given us abundance of everything, no need to wait for a black Friday. Even if you're looking at it, healing stripes already on the same day I've spoken to you about, has been given to you as well. The day when He died on the cross of Calvary, that's the day He gave you healing. He said Isaiah 53 verse 5. But He was pure for our transgression. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him. And by His wounds, we are healed. By His wounds, we are healed. So no need for you to wait for a black Friday so that you can come out of the red where the blood has been shed. You are healed. Jesus suffered on that cross. You know when He suffered on that cross, it's like He was pierced. So that not just spiritually but also physically and emotionally He went through all of it for you not to go through it. For you not to go through it. Therefore, I'm saying to you, that healing is available to you now as we speak. Not something that we must wait for after death. Not like people say, In Heaven, there's no sick people. Why do you have to wait for Heaven? Well, God has provided healing for you already. In Heaven, there's no need to look for healing because there's no healing, there's no sickness. So it means that you are perfectly made. 1 Peter 2, let's say, 1 Peter 2, verse 24. This is a reiteration that Jesus wants to bring healing to our lives. So His death, it actually reversed the curse of sin and sickness. It reversed the curse of sin and sickness. Like I previously mentioned, I actually go this one before. I was too fast. But I want to come back to it now. It says, redeemed from the curse to receive a blessing. Remember I said to you, He was cursed for us to be blessed. Galatians 3, let me go tell you, Galatians 3. Galatians 3 says, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, curse is everyone who is hung on a pole. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. So Jesus became a curse by hanging on the cross to break the power of sin and enable us to inherit God's blessing. This includes salvation, the Spirit, and also abundant life. Abundant life. And one of the things that I can say to you also is that when you're looking at the day Christ died, which was also on a Friday, it brought so much rejection to Him. You know when you feel like all is against you, it's what a rejection. It's like literally a rejection. Because if I go to Isaiah 43 verse 3, Isaiah 43 verse 3 says, He was despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering, a familiar with pain, like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised and we held Him in low esteem. So He was rejected for us to be accepted. So we were so much accepted, so His rejection secured our eternal relationship with Him as well. If you go to Ephesians 1 verse 5, I think 5 and 6, it says that He pre-designed us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will, to the praise of His glory grace which He has freely given us in the one He loves. So because of Jesus we are no longer outsiders, but we are adopted in God's name. So we are no longer rejected, we are no longer rejects. We are not rejects, we are accepted in Christ Jesus. Fully accepted and loved. Not just accepted, but fully accepted and loved. Fully accepted and loved. So when Jesus was rejected, it actually helped us to be accepted. Do you know that Jesus sold for us so that we could be His? They sell Him, not they. There's one guy who we all think that he's a big sinner, because afterwards he went to go and hang himself, but he was actually part of the plan. So you cannot say, you see what is the problem with us as human beings? We think that we need to have everything in order, in alignment. Not knowing that, I think your brother had a status that says that, it actually said at that time, and I loved it at that time, I can't remember it now, I wanted to write it down, but I was driving so I couldn't write it down at that time. He said that, if I can choose the mistakes I made before to take it away, I will also be deleting all the wisdom that I got from him, from that mistake. I'm rephrasing, but it's something in that line there. Imagine, all the problems that you had, you want to take it away, which means that the problems that you had now doesn't allow you to be wise, to deal with something the same in the future. So it means that you're also taking your wisdom away as well. So when I look at it, Judas was the one that sold Jesus, but lo and behold, he wasn't the problem. He wasn't the problem. He was one of the stepping stones for us to be Jesus. It's one of those things that people think that, ah, life must be hanky-dory and fine. You know what we say, good things must be balanced. Good things won't be balanced if you don't get some now and then a spanner in the wheels. It won't balance. So Matthew 26, he says, what are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you? Look at his negotiation skills now. Judas, what are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you? So they counted out for him 30 pieces of silver. Imagine 30 pieces of silver. If you're looking at that 30 pieces of silver, there's some significance, but I'm not going to talk about it now, but you should understand that there's a tree in it, and I'm not going to get into that, but this being sold out, Jesus was betrayed and being sold for 30 pieces of silver, but this act actually led him redeeming us with his blood, purchasing us for Christ, for God. So imagine he bought us for God. They took the tea, pieces of silver. If you go to 1 Corinthians 6, verse 20, you were bought at a price, therefore honor God with your bodies. There's a coup. How do you honor God with your bodies? I'm not going to tell you. Let me leave it at that. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us, showing us our immeasurable worth. It means that we are worthy that he was sold for 30 pieces of silver. We are so much more than just that 30 pieces, because he paid the price for us. This compels us to live for him fully sold out to his purpose. Fully sold out to his purpose. In conclusion, Jesus paid the price for our sins with his blood. He canceled our debt and he brought us into abundance. So his sacrifice means we no longer struggle in fear. No need to fear anymore. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love and of a sound mind. No need to fear. We lack nothing according to the glory and riches in Christ. So there's no lack for us or any condemnation, because therefore there's no condemnation in him who is in Christ. So these are the things that he gave. So Black Friday is not necessary for you to have a Black Friday, thinking that, wow, things are not balancing. Taking up so much scolar for things. But we love in freedom. We love in peace and we love in blessings of his kingdom. So no need for queues. Imagine queuing from 12 o'clock the previous night for a shop that opens at 8 o'clock in the morning. No need to queue. No need for stampede. Imagine 500 people going into a door that can only take a few people at the same time. But everybody pushes for that door. No need to do that. No need for scolar door. No need to go in depth to just get that one day of having that whatever, whatever. No need to. It's freely given. It's freely given, overflowing with grace and provision for all areas of your life. And provision for all areas of your life. And provision for all areas of your life. I've come to the end of the message. And I would like, yeah, bring that for us please. And I would like us to also take this moment, just take this moment and think of his blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary. Shed for our iniquities. Father God we come before you with hearts full of gratitude. Grateful that you have died on the cross for us. For the sacrifice of your son. Your son Jesus Christ. We ask that you prepare us to partake in this holy moment. A moment with reverence and faith. May this time draw closer. This time draw closer and closer to you. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. I want to open up Matthew 26. Matthew. I knew it. Are you Matthew or Matthew? Matthew. Okay. Matthew 26 verse 26. And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread and blessed it. So like the others are saying, for I received from the Lord what I also pass on to you. The Lord Jesus on the night, He was betrayed. He took the bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying this is the cup. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me. Then going back to the scripture, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, Take it. This is my body. And He took the cup and He gave thanks and gave it to them, saying drink ye all of it. For this is my blood and the new testament which is here for many, for the remission of sins. But I say also unto you, I will not drink again for the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new, with you in my Father's kingdom. And then when they sang a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. Now Lord Jesus, we thank you for the sacrifice on the cross, the cross of Calvary. As we take this bread and this cup, we remember your body that was broken for us and your blood shed for our salvation. Bless this as we partake together in remembrance of you. Can I ask you? O the blood of Jesus, O Jesus, O the blood of Jesus, it washes whiter than the snow. I'm grateful for the blood of Jesus, I'm grateful for the blood of Jesus, I'm grateful for the blood of Jesus, it washes whiter than the snow. Everybody got that? I'll take yours as well. O the blood of Jesus, O the blood of Jesus. I'm just allowing a few minutes just to do an inspection, do an introspection. O Jesus, it washes whiter than the snow. Heavenly Father, thank you for this time of communion. We are so grateful for the sacrifice of your Son. And we thank you for forgiveness and life that we have through Him. The life we have through Him help us to live in remembrance of His great love. Help us to know that when His body was bruised, this brings healing to us. When the blood was shed, this brings salvation to us as well in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. May His peace of Christ be with us all as we continue to walk in love and in grace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest in the Bible as all until Jesus comes. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever in Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. Amen.
