Psalm 5:12
12For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.
What do you believe and say to your loved ones every day? For orthodox Jews, on Friday evenings in their homes, the father lays his hands on his children and pronounces God’s blessings over them. No wonder Jewish children grow up to be winners in the fight of life! They become some of the world’s greatest inventors, bankers, musicians and entertainers.
Although a minority race, the Jews have produced the most number of Nobel Prize winners. I believe that it is because they bless their children in the same way the patriarchs of the Old Testament did. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob released God’s blessings upon their children by laying hands on them and speaking forth the blessings. (Genesis 27:27–29, 38–40; 48:14–16)
In the New Testament, the apostles pronounced blessings over the churches they were preaching to. To the church in Philippi, Paul declared, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) John released a powerful blessing upon Gaius when he said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 1:2)
Even Jesus pronounced a blessing of deliverance on the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman — “go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter”. (Mark 7:29) This was a blessing of deliverance by proxy. The woman took it by faith and found that her daughter was well when she reached home. (Mark 7:30) Likewise, the centurion took the blessing by faith and healing came upon his servant back home. (Matthew 8:8–13)
The parents of a little girl did the same thing while worshiping in our church. Their daughter was in hospital in the final stages of cancer. When I pronounced the blessing of healing that Sunday, they received it and pronounced it over their daughter. She was soon discharged from the hospital healed!
My friend, bless your loved ones. Declare over them, “The Lord blesses you and surrounds you with His favor as with a shield.” Speak forth your own blessings by declaring, “Thank You Lord, You prosper me and I am in excellent health!”
Feed your FAITH and your doubts will STARVE.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Fight From Victory, Not For Victory
Ephesians 6:11
11Put on the whole amour of God, that you may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
God does not need you to defeat the devil today. Jesus has already done it and given you the victory. (Colossians 2:15, Romans 8:37) Your part is to enforce the victory by simply standing your ground, which is victory ground. In other words, you “fight” from victory ground by standing. You don’t fight for victory.
In Ephesians 6:10–18, the passage on spiritual warfare, the word “wrestle” appears only once (verse 12), while the word “stand” appears four times — “stand against the wiles of the devil”, “withstand in the evil day”, “having done all, to stand”, “Stand therefore”. (Verses 11, 13–14) Four times the Holy Spirit tells us to stand. Yet, many Christians are focusing on wrestling their way to victory!
My friend, you are already on victory ground. You already have everything in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:21, 23) You are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) The devil knows this. And that is why his tactic is to deceive you and make you think that you don’t have the victory.
So when he attacks you by saying, “Look at that small sum in your bank account! How are you going to pay the bills?” stand your ground. Declare, “I am not trying to be rich, I am rich. In Christ, I am rich!” It doesn’t matter how much you have in the bank. You are rich because you are in Christ. And as the need arises, the supply will be there if you believe that you are already rich.
It is the same with healing. The devil will try to attack you with symptoms in your body. He will try to put pain in your body, and make you feel weak here and there, so that you think that you are still sick. He is trying to make you believe that you don’t have your healing. That is the time to be conscious of Jesus’ finished work and declare, “I am not trying to get healed, I am healed! I am standing on the victory ground which Jesus has given me!”
Beloved, it makes a world of difference when you fight from victory and not for victory!
11Put on the whole amour of God, that you may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
God does not need you to defeat the devil today. Jesus has already done it and given you the victory. (Colossians 2:15, Romans 8:37) Your part is to enforce the victory by simply standing your ground, which is victory ground. In other words, you “fight” from victory ground by standing. You don’t fight for victory.
In Ephesians 6:10–18, the passage on spiritual warfare, the word “wrestle” appears only once (verse 12), while the word “stand” appears four times — “stand against the wiles of the devil”, “withstand in the evil day”, “having done all, to stand”, “Stand therefore”. (Verses 11, 13–14) Four times the Holy Spirit tells us to stand. Yet, many Christians are focusing on wrestling their way to victory!
My friend, you are already on victory ground. You already have everything in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:21, 23) You are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) The devil knows this. And that is why his tactic is to deceive you and make you think that you don’t have the victory.
So when he attacks you by saying, “Look at that small sum in your bank account! How are you going to pay the bills?” stand your ground. Declare, “I am not trying to be rich, I am rich. In Christ, I am rich!” It doesn’t matter how much you have in the bank. You are rich because you are in Christ. And as the need arises, the supply will be there if you believe that you are already rich.
It is the same with healing. The devil will try to attack you with symptoms in your body. He will try to put pain in your body, and make you feel weak here and there, so that you think that you are still sick. He is trying to make you believe that you don’t have your healing. That is the time to be conscious of Jesus’ finished work and declare, “I am not trying to get healed, I am healed! I am standing on the victory ground which Jesus has given me!”
Beloved, it makes a world of difference when you fight from victory and not for victory!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Don’t Be Dust-Conscious
Luke 13:11
11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up.
Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him — to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be physically bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.
Having a dust-consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.
And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
If you don’t want to be devoured by him, then lift your eyes above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you — righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh — you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)
My friend, the more you realize who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you — a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!
11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up.
Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him — to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be physically bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.
Having a dust-consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.
And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
If you don’t want to be devoured by him, then lift your eyes above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you — righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh — you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)
My friend, the more you realize who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you — a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!
Monday, August 11, 2008
God Uses The Weak To Confound The Mighty
1 Corinthians 1:27
27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
When you are faced with a big challenge, do you automatically look for the most powerful means to solve the problem? Well, my friend, that is not thinking the way God thinks. The Bible tells us that it pleases God to use what the world considers weak, foolish, base and despised to bring to nothing things which are mighty.
“What is that in your hand?” God asked.
“A rod,” Moses said. And with that rod, he performed miracles and confounded the might of Pharaoh.
“Five loaves and two fish,” a little boy said. And with that little boy’s lunch, Jesus fed 5,000 men, and his disciples gathered 12 baskets full of leftovers.
“The jawbone of an ass,” Samson said. And with that, he slew a thousand Philistines, who were the enemies of God’s people.
“Five stones and a sling,” said David the shepherd boy. And with one of his stones and the sling, he brought down Goliath, the mighty Philistine champion.
At a recent conference for Hokkien-speaking pastors, Pastor Mark, our Hokkien and Mandarin services pastor, realized how his spoken Hokkien pales in comparison to the refined and flawless Hokkien spoken by the other pastors there. Yet, it pleases God to use Pastor Mark’s colloquial Hokkien to lead many dialect-speaking folks, especially the elderly, to Christ.
Many of these elderly folks are testifying that for the first time in their lives, they are set free completely from fears of debilitating diseases, loneliness, deep-rooted superstitions, generational curses, the ravages of old age and even death.
My friend, don’t despise what seems weak and insignificant to the world. God can use them to bring down the giants in your life!
27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
When you are faced with a big challenge, do you automatically look for the most powerful means to solve the problem? Well, my friend, that is not thinking the way God thinks. The Bible tells us that it pleases God to use what the world considers weak, foolish, base and despised to bring to nothing things which are mighty.
“What is that in your hand?” God asked.
“A rod,” Moses said. And with that rod, he performed miracles and confounded the might of Pharaoh.
“Five loaves and two fish,” a little boy said. And with that little boy’s lunch, Jesus fed 5,000 men, and his disciples gathered 12 baskets full of leftovers.
“The jawbone of an ass,” Samson said. And with that, he slew a thousand Philistines, who were the enemies of God’s people.
“Five stones and a sling,” said David the shepherd boy. And with one of his stones and the sling, he brought down Goliath, the mighty Philistine champion.
At a recent conference for Hokkien-speaking pastors, Pastor Mark, our Hokkien and Mandarin services pastor, realized how his spoken Hokkien pales in comparison to the refined and flawless Hokkien spoken by the other pastors there. Yet, it pleases God to use Pastor Mark’s colloquial Hokkien to lead many dialect-speaking folks, especially the elderly, to Christ.
Many of these elderly folks are testifying that for the first time in their lives, they are set free completely from fears of debilitating diseases, loneliness, deep-rooted superstitions, generational curses, the ravages of old age and even death.
My friend, don’t despise what seems weak and insignificant to the world. God can use them to bring down the giants in your life!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Make Your Temple A House Of Prayer
Mark 11:17
17Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’.”
It would be great if every time we prayed, the answers came quickly. Thank God for immediate results, but what do we do when the results are not immediate? The promises of God are there for us, but when they have yet to manifest in our circumstances, what should we do in the meantime?
Jesus showed us what to do. After He had cursed the fig tree, the tree did not wither immediately. (Mark 11:14) What did He do then? He went to the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed it, saying that it should be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15–17) After cleansing the temple, when the disciples saw the same fig tree the next day, it had dried up from its roots! (Mark 11:20–21)
Today, you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16) And your temple should be a “house of prayer” or it becomes a “den of thieves”. These thieves, or powers of darkness, will steal and rob from your temple, which is your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19) They will steal and rob you of your strength, health, youthfulness, wisdom, hopes and dreams.
So make your temple a house of prayer by praying in tongues frequently. (Ephesians 6:18) When you pray in the Spirit, you are praying perfect prayers. This is because the Spirit Himself makes intercession for you when He prays through you in tongues. (Romans 8:26)
“Pastor Prince, how long must I pray?”
Well, how often in a day does the enemy attack you with fears, anxieties and worries? How often does that disease in your body remind you that it is there? How healthy and whole do you want to be?
Beloved, as you make your temple a house of prayer, the powers of darkness that have been stealing or robbing from you will be driven out of your life completely. You will see the manifestation of what you have spoken over your circumstances and you will see the withering of what you have cursed!
17Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’.”
It would be great if every time we prayed, the answers came quickly. Thank God for immediate results, but what do we do when the results are not immediate? The promises of God are there for us, but when they have yet to manifest in our circumstances, what should we do in the meantime?
Jesus showed us what to do. After He had cursed the fig tree, the tree did not wither immediately. (Mark 11:14) What did He do then? He went to the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed it, saying that it should be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15–17) After cleansing the temple, when the disciples saw the same fig tree the next day, it had dried up from its roots! (Mark 11:20–21)
Today, you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16) And your temple should be a “house of prayer” or it becomes a “den of thieves”. These thieves, or powers of darkness, will steal and rob from your temple, which is your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19) They will steal and rob you of your strength, health, youthfulness, wisdom, hopes and dreams.
So make your temple a house of prayer by praying in tongues frequently. (Ephesians 6:18) When you pray in the Spirit, you are praying perfect prayers. This is because the Spirit Himself makes intercession for you when He prays through you in tongues. (Romans 8:26)
“Pastor Prince, how long must I pray?”
Well, how often in a day does the enemy attack you with fears, anxieties and worries? How often does that disease in your body remind you that it is there? How healthy and whole do you want to be?
Beloved, as you make your temple a house of prayer, the powers of darkness that have been stealing or robbing from you will be driven out of your life completely. You will see the manifestation of what you have spoken over your circumstances and you will see the withering of what you have cursed!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Grace And Peace Multiplied To You
2 Peter 1:2–3
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
Imagine if God were to visit you in a dream tonight and ask you what He could do for you. What would you say to Him? Would you ask Him to give you a deeper knowledge of Jesus our Lord?
God’s Word tells us that when you receive revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, it will cause grace and peace to be multiplied in your life. It will cause you to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.
What is grace? It is the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God shown to us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. But the more we learn of the beauty and love of our Lord Jesus, the more we see His perfect work on the cross, and the more we position ourselves to receive a multiplication of God’s grace in our lives.
The verse says that peace too, is multiplied to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. The peace of God sets our hearts free from fear, stress, worries, anxieties and cares. Wouldn’t you want to have the peace of God presiding over your heart always?
God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain not just to godliness, but to life as well. Wouldn’t you say that health, money, a good job and a nice home for your family pertain to life? Well, all these things and everything else which God has already given is released to you through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord.
So let’s ask God every day, “Father, give me wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.” For to know Jesus is to have grace and peace multiplied to us. To know Jesus is to receive all things pertaining to life and godliness!
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
Imagine if God were to visit you in a dream tonight and ask you what He could do for you. What would you say to Him? Would you ask Him to give you a deeper knowledge of Jesus our Lord?
God’s Word tells us that when you receive revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, it will cause grace and peace to be multiplied in your life. It will cause you to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.
What is grace? It is the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God shown to us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. But the more we learn of the beauty and love of our Lord Jesus, the more we see His perfect work on the cross, and the more we position ourselves to receive a multiplication of God’s grace in our lives.
The verse says that peace too, is multiplied to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. The peace of God sets our hearts free from fear, stress, worries, anxieties and cares. Wouldn’t you want to have the peace of God presiding over your heart always?
God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain not just to godliness, but to life as well. Wouldn’t you say that health, money, a good job and a nice home for your family pertain to life? Well, all these things and everything else which God has already given is released to you through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord.
So let’s ask God every day, “Father, give me wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.” For to know Jesus is to have grace and peace multiplied to us. To know Jesus is to receive all things pertaining to life and godliness!
Receive As You Hear The Good News
Romans 1:16
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…
If you have been to motivational seminars, you would probably have heard the speakers say, “If you follow these five steps, then you will come to a place of financial increase.” They would probably have told you also that if you don’t succeed, it is because you did not follow the steps correctly or diligently.
Thank God that the gospel or good news does not work like that! The minute you hear or read the good news, and you believe and receive it, His Word goes forth to sozo (the Greek word for “save”) you, making you well, prosperous and whole, “for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”.
What is the good news? It is that God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to take our beating so that we can have His blessings without having to work for them. Right now, as you are reading this devotional, listening to a preacher or watching a sermon DVD, as you hear God’s Word, His power is released into your situation, working things out for you and turning your situation around for your good.
In Acts 14:8–10, we see Paul preaching the good news in Lystra. A man who was crippled from birth was listening to Paul. Paul, seeing that he had faith to be healed, said, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And the man leaped and walked! He heard the good news, believed it and was healed.
At a leadership conference in Oslo, Norway, where I was speaking, a pastor there shared how a well-respected businessman was healed while listening to one of my sermon CDs. This man was deaf in one ear. And when he was listening to the teaching on the tape, his deaf ear popped open without anyone laying hands on him or praying for him! He was just listening to the good news when his ear opened. Now, that is what I call the power of God unto his salvation, sozo-ing him, making his hearing whole!
My friend, these miracles happen not because we follow some kind of formula faithfully, but because we hear the good news preached and simply believe it!
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…
If you have been to motivational seminars, you would probably have heard the speakers say, “If you follow these five steps, then you will come to a place of financial increase.” They would probably have told you also that if you don’t succeed, it is because you did not follow the steps correctly or diligently.
Thank God that the gospel or good news does not work like that! The minute you hear or read the good news, and you believe and receive it, His Word goes forth to sozo (the Greek word for “save”) you, making you well, prosperous and whole, “for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”.
What is the good news? It is that God loves us so much that He gave us His Son to take our beating so that we can have His blessings without having to work for them. Right now, as you are reading this devotional, listening to a preacher or watching a sermon DVD, as you hear God’s Word, His power is released into your situation, working things out for you and turning your situation around for your good.
In Acts 14:8–10, we see Paul preaching the good news in Lystra. A man who was crippled from birth was listening to Paul. Paul, seeing that he had faith to be healed, said, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And the man leaped and walked! He heard the good news, believed it and was healed.
At a leadership conference in Oslo, Norway, where I was speaking, a pastor there shared how a well-respected businessman was healed while listening to one of my sermon CDs. This man was deaf in one ear. And when he was listening to the teaching on the tape, his deaf ear popped open without anyone laying hands on him or praying for him! He was just listening to the good news when his ear opened. Now, that is what I call the power of God unto his salvation, sozo-ing him, making his hearing whole!
My friend, these miracles happen not because we follow some kind of formula faithfully, but because we hear the good news preached and simply believe it!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Way Of Escape
Psalm 23:5
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
The table is set. The bread and wine are there, and Jesus says to you, “Come, My child, partake.” But you tell Him, “Lord, I am unworthy!” You are also afraid to come because you have been taught that if you partake in your “unworthy” state, you will come under God’s fiery judgment.
My friend, Jesus has washed you whiter than snow and qualified you with His own blood, so you are as worthy as worthy can be! The most humble thing you can do now is to acknowledge His perfect sacrifice and accept His invitation with gladness.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul tells the church how to partake of the Lord’s Supper so that they will not drink judgment to themselves. The word “judgment” in verses 29 and 34 is krima in the original Greek text. It refers to a divine sentence. And in the context of this passage, the divine sentence refers to sickness.
But when was this divine sentence of sickness passed? It was passed when Adam sinned. (Genesis 3:19) When he sinned, death entered the world (Genesis 2:17), and man would grow old and weak, fall sick and die.
So it is not that God is passing sentences of sickness on people today. How can that be when Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) God is not in the business of condemning but saving. And the Greek word for “saved”, sozo, also means to preserve, heal and make whole.
God does not want you to suffer the divine sentence of sickness that is already in the world, so He has given you a way of escape, paid for by the blood of His Son. He wants you to be healthy and whole, without the diseases of the world, and He has made this possible for you through the Holy Communion.
So don’t be robbed of this tremendous blessing any longer because of erroneous teachings that put fear in your heart. Come boldly to the Lord’s table today and receive afresh His health, strength, wholeness and life!
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
The table is set. The bread and wine are there, and Jesus says to you, “Come, My child, partake.” But you tell Him, “Lord, I am unworthy!” You are also afraid to come because you have been taught that if you partake in your “unworthy” state, you will come under God’s fiery judgment.
My friend, Jesus has washed you whiter than snow and qualified you with His own blood, so you are as worthy as worthy can be! The most humble thing you can do now is to acknowledge His perfect sacrifice and accept His invitation with gladness.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul tells the church how to partake of the Lord’s Supper so that they will not drink judgment to themselves. The word “judgment” in verses 29 and 34 is krima in the original Greek text. It refers to a divine sentence. And in the context of this passage, the divine sentence refers to sickness.
But when was this divine sentence of sickness passed? It was passed when Adam sinned. (Genesis 3:19) When he sinned, death entered the world (Genesis 2:17), and man would grow old and weak, fall sick and die.
So it is not that God is passing sentences of sickness on people today. How can that be when Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17) God is not in the business of condemning but saving. And the Greek word for “saved”, sozo, also means to preserve, heal and make whole.
God does not want you to suffer the divine sentence of sickness that is already in the world, so He has given you a way of escape, paid for by the blood of His Son. He wants you to be healthy and whole, without the diseases of the world, and He has made this possible for you through the Holy Communion.
So don’t be robbed of this tremendous blessing any longer because of erroneous teachings that put fear in your heart. Come boldly to the Lord’s table today and receive afresh His health, strength, wholeness and life!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
When You See God’s Grace, He Sees Your Faith
Ephesians 2:8
8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Many a time, people ask me, “Pastor Prince, I know that God’s promises are true, but how can I be sure that His promises will come true in my life?”
My friend, if you want God’s promises to be sure in your life, you cannot depend on youself. If you depend on youself — your obedience, goodness, service and even faith — you will not be able to receive God’s promises. But when you depend on God’s grace — His unmerited, unearned, undeserved favour towards you — that is when His promises become sure in your life.
This was true of the woman with the issue of blood. (Matthew 9:20–22) She didn’t go around saying, “I must have faith… I hope that I have enough faith… I will have faith… I will not lose faith.” No, she was only conscious of the grace of Jesus — how He always healed the sick, how powerful He was in raising the dead and how willing He was to use that power for her healing.
She just saw His grace abounding towards her, so much so that she said, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” And when she came behind Jesus and touched the very hem of His garment, she was healed. At the same moment, Jesus stopped, turned around and said to her, “Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.”
When the woman saw His grace, God saw her faith! And so it was by grace, through faith, that God’s promises became sure in her life.
God wants you to see His grace. And when you see His grace, He sees your faith. God says, “For by grace are you saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) The Greek word of saved, sozo, doesn’t just mean to save from hell, but also to heal, preserve and make whole. So it is by grace that you are made whole, kept healthy, preserved and prosperous. It is by grace through faith that God’s promises become sure in your life.
My friend, don’t worry if you feel that you lack faith. Begin to see God's grace in your situation and he will see that as faith. And because He sees your faith, you will receive the breakthrough you need!
8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Many a time, people ask me, “Pastor Prince, I know that God’s promises are true, but how can I be sure that His promises will come true in my life?”
My friend, if you want God’s promises to be sure in your life, you cannot depend on youself. If you depend on youself — your obedience, goodness, service and even faith — you will not be able to receive God’s promises. But when you depend on God’s grace — His unmerited, unearned, undeserved favour towards you — that is when His promises become sure in your life.
This was true of the woman with the issue of blood. (Matthew 9:20–22) She didn’t go around saying, “I must have faith… I hope that I have enough faith… I will have faith… I will not lose faith.” No, she was only conscious of the grace of Jesus — how He always healed the sick, how powerful He was in raising the dead and how willing He was to use that power for her healing.
She just saw His grace abounding towards her, so much so that she said, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” And when she came behind Jesus and touched the very hem of His garment, she was healed. At the same moment, Jesus stopped, turned around and said to her, “Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well.”
When the woman saw His grace, God saw her faith! And so it was by grace, through faith, that God’s promises became sure in her life.
God wants you to see His grace. And when you see His grace, He sees your faith. God says, “For by grace are you saved through faith.” (Ephesians 2:8) The Greek word of saved, sozo, doesn’t just mean to save from hell, but also to heal, preserve and make whole. So it is by grace that you are made whole, kept healthy, preserved and prosperous. It is by grace through faith that God’s promises become sure in your life.
My friend, don’t worry if you feel that you lack faith. Begin to see God's grace in your situation and he will see that as faith. And because He sees your faith, you will receive the breakthrough you need!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Jesus Is Willing, Be Healed!
Matthew 8:3
3Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”…
Do you know that it is God’s will for you to be healed? In fact, Jesus always healed the sick who came to Him. The blind, lame, maimed, mute, deaf and demon-possessed — He healed them all. (Matthew 8:16)
TheBible says that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. (John 14:9) You want to see what God is like? Look at Jesus! He never gave sickness to anybody. You never find Jesus looking at a person, a fine specimen of a man, and saying, “Come here. You are too healthy. Receive some leprosy!” In fact, when a leper came to Him for healing, Jesus, full of compassion, told the leper, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Unfortunately, there are Christians who say, “It is God’s will for me to be sick. God has some purpose, some mysterious purpose for my situation. It is all part of His divine plan and we shall all know in the sweet by and by, the reason why!” But these same people go to their doctors to get well. They take their medication and rest. Why do they do that if they really believe that God wants them sick? Doesn’t make sense, does it?
Come on, what makes perfect sense is this: God wants you well. He wants you whole. His will is for you to be healed! In fact, He is so willing that He took all your sicknesses and diseases upon His own body, so that you don’t have to suffer them today! He allowed Himself to be beaten and scourged, so that by His scourging — by His stripes — you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) Since He has already suffered the pain on your behalf, why should you suffer it today?
So my friend, if you are sick, know that God did not give you the disease. Read every healing miracle that Jesus did in the gospels and see how Jesus is the Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:26) Hear His gracious words, “I am willing, be healed,” and know that they are as much for you today as they were for the leper!
3Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”…
Do you know that it is God’s will for you to be healed? In fact, Jesus always healed the sick who came to Him. The blind, lame, maimed, mute, deaf and demon-possessed — He healed them all. (Matthew 8:16)
TheBible says that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. (John 14:9) You want to see what God is like? Look at Jesus! He never gave sickness to anybody. You never find Jesus looking at a person, a fine specimen of a man, and saying, “Come here. You are too healthy. Receive some leprosy!” In fact, when a leper came to Him for healing, Jesus, full of compassion, told the leper, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Unfortunately, there are Christians who say, “It is God’s will for me to be sick. God has some purpose, some mysterious purpose for my situation. It is all part of His divine plan and we shall all know in the sweet by and by, the reason why!” But these same people go to their doctors to get well. They take their medication and rest. Why do they do that if they really believe that God wants them sick? Doesn’t make sense, does it?
Come on, what makes perfect sense is this: God wants you well. He wants you whole. His will is for you to be healed! In fact, He is so willing that He took all your sicknesses and diseases upon His own body, so that you don’t have to suffer them today! He allowed Himself to be beaten and scourged, so that by His scourging — by His stripes — you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) Since He has already suffered the pain on your behalf, why should you suffer it today?
So my friend, if you are sick, know that God did not give you the disease. Read every healing miracle that Jesus did in the gospels and see how Jesus is the Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:26) Hear His gracious words, “I am willing, be healed,” and know that they are as much for you today as they were for the leper!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Don’t Look To Your Faith, Look To Jesus
Hebrews 12:2
2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...
If you are sick, you must know that you are already healed because of the finished work of Christ. Don’t ask, “Do I have enough faith to be healed? Do I have the right kind of faith to be healed? What if I am lacking in faith?” You are focusing on yourself and your faith, instead of Christ and His finished work.
You should be asking, “Did Jesus really take away this sickness? If He did, He must have done a perfect work.” In other words, fix your eyes on Jesus and His perfect work.
AB Simpson, who lived in the 19th century, wrote an article entitled, Himself. In it, he mentioned his exhausted nervous system, and broken down heart which could have proved fatal any time. So he sought the Lord for healing. God showed him Matthew 8:17, which says that Jesus “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses”.
AB Simpson said that though he believed that Jesus had borne away his sickness, he saw many hindrances which stood between him and his healing. And they all boiled down to one thing — his preoccupation with his faith! He had believed that if only he had the “right” kind of faith, he would receive his healing instantly.
He eventually came to the realisation that he had to remove that last hindrance — his focus on his faith — and just rest in the finished work of Christ. That revelation marked his complete recovery from his sickness.
When you ask yourself, “Do I have enough faith?” you have already put faith as a hindrance between you and Jesus’ finished work. The more you focus on your faith, the more faith slips away. But if you focus on the finished work of Christ and see God’s grace towards you, God sees that as faith! Without realising it, faith is there in your heart to believe that you will not die of what Christ has already borne away for you completely, and you will see your miracle manifest!
2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...
If you are sick, you must know that you are already healed because of the finished work of Christ. Don’t ask, “Do I have enough faith to be healed? Do I have the right kind of faith to be healed? What if I am lacking in faith?” You are focusing on yourself and your faith, instead of Christ and His finished work.
You should be asking, “Did Jesus really take away this sickness? If He did, He must have done a perfect work.” In other words, fix your eyes on Jesus and His perfect work.
AB Simpson, who lived in the 19th century, wrote an article entitled, Himself. In it, he mentioned his exhausted nervous system, and broken down heart which could have proved fatal any time. So he sought the Lord for healing. God showed him Matthew 8:17, which says that Jesus “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses”.
AB Simpson said that though he believed that Jesus had borne away his sickness, he saw many hindrances which stood between him and his healing. And they all boiled down to one thing — his preoccupation with his faith! He had believed that if only he had the “right” kind of faith, he would receive his healing instantly.
He eventually came to the realisation that he had to remove that last hindrance — his focus on his faith — and just rest in the finished work of Christ. That revelation marked his complete recovery from his sickness.
When you ask yourself, “Do I have enough faith?” you have already put faith as a hindrance between you and Jesus’ finished work. The more you focus on your faith, the more faith slips away. But if you focus on the finished work of Christ and see God’s grace towards you, God sees that as faith! Without realising it, faith is there in your heart to believe that you will not die of what Christ has already borne away for you completely, and you will see your miracle manifest!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Let God Love You Instead
1 John 4:10
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
“You have to love God more! You must have more passion for God!” You have probably heard that before and maybe even tried your best to love God, only to fail miserably.
But what is the true definition of love? Let the Bible define it for us: “… this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” Yes, it is not about our love for Him, but His love for us!
“Pastor Prince, the Bible says that you must love God with all your heart, soul and strength!”
Yes, that is true according to the law (Deuteronomy 6:5), and even Jesus taught that as the great commandment when He walked on earth. (Matthew 22:37) But that was before He died on the cross. At the cross, He became the very fulfilment of this law for us when He loved us with all His heart, soul and strength, by laying down His body and life on the cross for us.
Today, we are no longer under the law but under grace. And grace tells us that God loves us, not that we love God. Yet, we will love Him when we see how much He loves us. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8) That’s how much He loves us!
Beloved, God has seen you trying your best to love Him. And because He loves you, He wants you to sit down and be still, and let Him love you instead. He wants to love you with all that He is and all that He has. He loves you unconditionally regardless of who you are or what you have done because His love is not dependent on you but Himself. He will never stop loving you.
So let God love you today. Don’t worry about loving Him. The more of His love you receive, the more you will fall in love with Him!
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
“You have to love God more! You must have more passion for God!” You have probably heard that before and maybe even tried your best to love God, only to fail miserably.
But what is the true definition of love? Let the Bible define it for us: “… this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” Yes, it is not about our love for Him, but His love for us!
“Pastor Prince, the Bible says that you must love God with all your heart, soul and strength!”
Yes, that is true according to the law (Deuteronomy 6:5), and even Jesus taught that as the great commandment when He walked on earth. (Matthew 22:37) But that was before He died on the cross. At the cross, He became the very fulfilment of this law for us when He loved us with all His heart, soul and strength, by laying down His body and life on the cross for us.
Today, we are no longer under the law but under grace. And grace tells us that God loves us, not that we love God. Yet, we will love Him when we see how much He loves us. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8) That’s how much He loves us!
Beloved, God has seen you trying your best to love Him. And because He loves you, He wants you to sit down and be still, and let Him love you instead. He wants to love you with all that He is and all that He has. He loves you unconditionally regardless of who you are or what you have done because His love is not dependent on you but Himself. He will never stop loving you.
So let God love you today. Don’t worry about loving Him. The more of His love you receive, the more you will fall in love with Him!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Righteousness Is Not Right Doing But Right Being
Romans 4:5
5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
What do you think righteousness is about? Something you do or something you are? Right doing or right being?
The Bible tells us that after Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross, God imputes righteousness not to those who strive to obey the law (Galatians 2:16), but to anyone who simply believes in His Son. Because Christ took our sins and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), the moment we believe in Him, God treats us as righteous apart from our works or obedience. (Romans 4:5–8) This is new-covenant righteousness — a righteousness that comes by faith and not works.
You are not righteous because of how morally upright you are. You are not righteous because you exercise self-control. You are not righteous because you read 10 chapters of the Bible daily. You are not righteous because you feel righteous. But you are the very righteousness of God in Christ solely because the sacrifice of Jesus made you so. When you believe this, your faith is accounted for righteousness.
And this is what God wants you to use your faith for. If you are righteous by your deeds, you don’t need faith. You also don’t need faith to know that you still sin. But you need faith to believe and declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, in the midst of your struggles with temptation and sin.
For example, when you feel lousy because you have just shouted at your wife, God wants you to exercise faith to see yourself still righteous in the midst of that failure. This living revelation that you are still righteous will give you the strength to love your wife and reconcile things with her.
But the devil may remind you of your foul temper and question your integrity: “How dare you call yourself righteous when you just did that!” Just ignore his lies and boldly declare," I am not righteous because of what I have done or not done. I am righteous only because of the blood and finished work of Jesus at the cross!”
5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
What do you think righteousness is about? Something you do or something you are? Right doing or right being?
The Bible tells us that after Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross, God imputes righteousness not to those who strive to obey the law (Galatians 2:16), but to anyone who simply believes in His Son. Because Christ took our sins and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), the moment we believe in Him, God treats us as righteous apart from our works or obedience. (Romans 4:5–8) This is new-covenant righteousness — a righteousness that comes by faith and not works.
You are not righteous because of how morally upright you are. You are not righteous because you exercise self-control. You are not righteous because you read 10 chapters of the Bible daily. You are not righteous because you feel righteous. But you are the very righteousness of God in Christ solely because the sacrifice of Jesus made you so. When you believe this, your faith is accounted for righteousness.
And this is what God wants you to use your faith for. If you are righteous by your deeds, you don’t need faith. You also don’t need faith to know that you still sin. But you need faith to believe and declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, in the midst of your struggles with temptation and sin.
For example, when you feel lousy because you have just shouted at your wife, God wants you to exercise faith to see yourself still righteous in the midst of that failure. This living revelation that you are still righteous will give you the strength to love your wife and reconcile things with her.
But the devil may remind you of your foul temper and question your integrity: “How dare you call yourself righteous when you just did that!” Just ignore his lies and boldly declare," I am not righteous because of what I have done or not done. I am righteous only because of the blood and finished work of Jesus at the cross!”
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
God Wants You Cross-Conscious
1 Corinthians 2:2
2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, said that he determined to know nothing among them except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. In other words, Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, had his mind full of Jesus and His finished work.
Beloved, God wants your mind full of the cross of Jesus. He wants you cross-conscious.
But what does it mean to be cross-conscious?
To be cross-conscious is to see Jesus, who loves you so much that He willingly died for you on the cross. To be cross-conscious is to look to Jesus, who offered His own body to be punished, so that your body can be free from all punishment.
To be cross-conscious is to fix your eyes on Jesus, who has provided for your deliverance and victory at the cross. At the cross, all your enemies were vanquished. All your diseases were destroyed. Your poverty was removed at the cross. Your sins were wiped out at the cross.
When the Israelites tasted bitterness in the waters of Marah, God showed Moses a tree, which he cast into the waters, making them sweet. (Exodus 15:23–26) The tree represents the cross, which turned the bitter waters sweet. Today, Calvary’s tree has turned your bitter situations sweet. Because of the cross, you can expect to see the bitter situations in your life made sweet!
When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem — the deadly serpent — nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6–9)
Today, you will not die but live too when you see all your sins judged at the cross, and with that, all your sicknesses, diseases, pains, failures and defeats! At the cross, all that is deadly in your life has been removed!
2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, said that he determined to know nothing among them except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. In other words, Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, had his mind full of Jesus and His finished work.
Beloved, God wants your mind full of the cross of Jesus. He wants you cross-conscious.
But what does it mean to be cross-conscious?
To be cross-conscious is to see Jesus, who loves you so much that He willingly died for you on the cross. To be cross-conscious is to look to Jesus, who offered His own body to be punished, so that your body can be free from all punishment.
To be cross-conscious is to fix your eyes on Jesus, who has provided for your deliverance and victory at the cross. At the cross, all your enemies were vanquished. All your diseases were destroyed. Your poverty was removed at the cross. Your sins were wiped out at the cross.
When the Israelites tasted bitterness in the waters of Marah, God showed Moses a tree, which he cast into the waters, making them sweet. (Exodus 15:23–26) The tree represents the cross, which turned the bitter waters sweet. Today, Calvary’s tree has turned your bitter situations sweet. Because of the cross, you can expect to see the bitter situations in your life made sweet!
When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem — the deadly serpent — nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6–9)
Today, you will not die but live too when you see all your sins judged at the cross, and with that, all your sicknesses, diseases, pains, failures and defeats! At the cross, all that is deadly in your life has been removed!
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Monday, June 30, 2008
You Are Complete In Christ
Colossians 2:10
10and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you see someone who is imperfect and lacking in many areas, or someone who is whole and complete in Christ?
There are believers who see themselves as incomplete. This is because they are conscious of their lack and imperfections. They say, “There are so many things imperfect about me! How can I be complete if there are so many things I am lacking in?” They see their weaknesses, condemn themselves and feel inferior to others.
The good news is that God does not see the way man sees. Man sees the flesh. God sees the spirit. He sees us already complete in Christ. In spite of our imperfections, He sees us as new creations, partakers of His divine nature and more than conquerors over our faults. And He wants us to see ourselves the way He sees us.
Know that what we think we need or are lacking in, whether it is godly character traits or physical health, we already have in Christ.
I used to think that I had to ask God to make me more patient, until I realised one day that Jesus is my patience. Since then, I no longer ask God to make me wiser either, because Jesus is my wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:30) I am not waiting to receive more healing because Jesus is my complete healing at this moment. And I am not yearning for peace and rest one day because Jesus is my peace and rest today. Right now, I have everything because I stand complete in Christ!
My friend, you are not going to be complete in Christ someday — you are already complete in Christ! And what remains for you to do is to walk daily in that completeness by believing that it is true and confessing that what you need right now, Jesus is to you. He is your complete forgiveness, complete righteousness, complete favour and complete protection.
So don’t focus on the lack you see in your life. Focus instead on how in Christ, you are complete in everything at this moment. And instead of weaknesses, lack and defects, you will see His strength, wholeness, soundness and completeness showing in you!
10and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you see someone who is imperfect and lacking in many areas, or someone who is whole and complete in Christ?
There are believers who see themselves as incomplete. This is because they are conscious of their lack and imperfections. They say, “There are so many things imperfect about me! How can I be complete if there are so many things I am lacking in?” They see their weaknesses, condemn themselves and feel inferior to others.
The good news is that God does not see the way man sees. Man sees the flesh. God sees the spirit. He sees us already complete in Christ. In spite of our imperfections, He sees us as new creations, partakers of His divine nature and more than conquerors over our faults. And He wants us to see ourselves the way He sees us.
Know that what we think we need or are lacking in, whether it is godly character traits or physical health, we already have in Christ.
I used to think that I had to ask God to make me more patient, until I realised one day that Jesus is my patience. Since then, I no longer ask God to make me wiser either, because Jesus is my wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:30) I am not waiting to receive more healing because Jesus is my complete healing at this moment. And I am not yearning for peace and rest one day because Jesus is my peace and rest today. Right now, I have everything because I stand complete in Christ!
My friend, you are not going to be complete in Christ someday — you are already complete in Christ! And what remains for you to do is to walk daily in that completeness by believing that it is true and confessing that what you need right now, Jesus is to you. He is your complete forgiveness, complete righteousness, complete favour and complete protection.
So don’t focus on the lack you see in your life. Focus instead on how in Christ, you are complete in everything at this moment. And instead of weaknesses, lack and defects, you will see His strength, wholeness, soundness and completeness showing in you!
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Believing Is Receiving
Mark 5:28–29
28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
You have heard people of the world say, “I will only believe it when I see it.” Generally, that is the way the world thinks. But God’s ways are not like the ways of the world. The world says, “If I can’t feel it or see it, I cannot believe the miracle is here.” God says, “If you believe it before you feel it or see it, you will see your miracle.”
Believing first before seeing the evidence of what we are believing for is called faith. Faith is like a spark and Jesus is the dynamite powder. When He was on earth, there were many people who touched Him, but only those who touched Him in faith received their miracle. For example, when the woman with the issue of blood came to Him in faith and touched Him, it sparked off an explosion of healing in her body.
Hearing about how good, kind and loving Jesus was fired her faith to believe that He could and would heal her. So convinced was she (even when the condition in her body was still evident) that she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Did she experience her healing first before she believed? No, she believed first in Jesus’ goodness and power, acted in faith and only then felt the healing in her body.
In the same way, God wants you to believe in His goodness and love towards you. He wants you to know how willing He is to act on your behalf to bless you, and how, with Christ, He has already given you every good thing. (Romans 8:32)
He wants you to declare by faith that all is and shall be well with you, and expect to see just that. And then, no matter how long you have had the problem, no matter how bad the experts say it is, an explosion of healing and restoration will take place, and you will see your miracle!
28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
You have heard people of the world say, “I will only believe it when I see it.” Generally, that is the way the world thinks. But God’s ways are not like the ways of the world. The world says, “If I can’t feel it or see it, I cannot believe the miracle is here.” God says, “If you believe it before you feel it or see it, you will see your miracle.”
Believing first before seeing the evidence of what we are believing for is called faith. Faith is like a spark and Jesus is the dynamite powder. When He was on earth, there were many people who touched Him, but only those who touched Him in faith received their miracle. For example, when the woman with the issue of blood came to Him in faith and touched Him, it sparked off an explosion of healing in her body.
Hearing about how good, kind and loving Jesus was fired her faith to believe that He could and would heal her. So convinced was she (even when the condition in her body was still evident) that she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Did she experience her healing first before she believed? No, she believed first in Jesus’ goodness and power, acted in faith and only then felt the healing in her body.
In the same way, God wants you to believe in His goodness and love towards you. He wants you to know how willing He is to act on your behalf to bless you, and how, with Christ, He has already given you every good thing. (Romans 8:32)
He wants you to declare by faith that all is and shall be well with you, and expect to see just that. And then, no matter how long you have had the problem, no matter how bad the experts say it is, an explosion of healing and restoration will take place, and you will see your miracle!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Proclaim Jesus’ Death To Your Enemies
Proclaim Jesus’ Death To Your Enemies
1 Corinthians 11:26
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
In the Old Testament, whenever the children of Israel sacrificed a lamb for a burnt offering as they faced a strong enemy, victory was theirs. For example, in 1 Samuel 7:7–11, when the Philistines were coming against them, the prophet Samuel offered a lamb as a burnt offering. As it was being offered, the Lord came like a loud thunder on the Philistine army, confusing them. This led to victory for the Israelites.
Every time something bad happened to the children of Israel, by offering a lamb sacrifice, they were proclaiming the Lord’s death, and the battle would turn in their favour.
Today, when we are faced with an enemy or stuck in the thick of battle, how do we offer our burnt offering? How do we proclaim the Lord’s death and come out victorious? Do we ask Jesus to come down to where we are at and die on the cross all over again?
No, we don’t do that! Jesus died once for all our sins — past, present and future. (Hebrews 10:12) His work is perfectly perfect and completely complete, so He doesn’t have to die for us again. Today, we proclaim His death simply by partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
Every time you partake of the bread and wine, you declare to the principalities and powers of darkness that the Lord’s death avails for you. Every time you partake, you are saying that because Jesus has been judged and punished in your place, you cannot be judged and punished. Because Jesus died in your place, you will not die. And because He conquered death and stripped the devil of his powers, you will not be defeated. The victory is already yours!
That is why the psalmist David said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” (Psalm 23:5) The Lord’s Table is prepared for you in the presence of your enemies because when you partake of the bread and wine, you will see your enemies tremble and scatter! Why? Because when you proclaim the Lord’s death through the Holy Communion, you are reminding them of their humiliating defeat at Calvary’s cross! (Colossians 2:15)
1 Corinthians 11:26
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
In the Old Testament, whenever the children of Israel sacrificed a lamb for a burnt offering as they faced a strong enemy, victory was theirs. For example, in 1 Samuel 7:7–11, when the Philistines were coming against them, the prophet Samuel offered a lamb as a burnt offering. As it was being offered, the Lord came like a loud thunder on the Philistine army, confusing them. This led to victory for the Israelites.
Every time something bad happened to the children of Israel, by offering a lamb sacrifice, they were proclaiming the Lord’s death, and the battle would turn in their favour.
Today, when we are faced with an enemy or stuck in the thick of battle, how do we offer our burnt offering? How do we proclaim the Lord’s death and come out victorious? Do we ask Jesus to come down to where we are at and die on the cross all over again?
No, we don’t do that! Jesus died once for all our sins — past, present and future. (Hebrews 10:12) His work is perfectly perfect and completely complete, so He doesn’t have to die for us again. Today, we proclaim His death simply by partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
Every time you partake of the bread and wine, you declare to the principalities and powers of darkness that the Lord’s death avails for you. Every time you partake, you are saying that because Jesus has been judged and punished in your place, you cannot be judged and punished. Because Jesus died in your place, you will not die. And because He conquered death and stripped the devil of his powers, you will not be defeated. The victory is already yours!
That is why the psalmist David said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” (Psalm 23:5) The Lord’s Table is prepared for you in the presence of your enemies because when you partake of the bread and wine, you will see your enemies tremble and scatter! Why? Because when you proclaim the Lord’s death through the Holy Communion, you are reminding them of their humiliating defeat at Calvary’s cross! (Colossians 2:15)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
There Is No Spot In You
Song Of Solomon 4:7
7You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.
Jesus tells us, His bride, “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” But our reply to Him tends to be, “Me? All fair and no spot? You don’t know me, Lord!”
Do you really think that God does not know you?
God sees reality like no one else sees it. He sees the perfection of His Son’s finished work in your life. By one offering of Himself at the cross, Jesus has perfected you forever! (Hebrews 10:14) You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) And you will never find any spot in this righteousness that Jesus died to give you.
So God wants you to see yourself righteous — all fair and no spot in Christ. Every day, be conscious of your righteousness in Christ. Say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ! There is no spot in me whom He has perfected with His blood!” When you do that, you are honouring Jesus and His finished work.
If you are conscious of your sins, then you are not honouring the work of Christ. You may think that you are being humble or holy by being sin-conscious, but do you know that the Bible calls sin-consciousness an “evil conscience”?
Hebrews 10:21–22 tells us that since we have Jesus as our High Priest, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience”. What does the writer of Hebrews mean by “an evil conscience”? If you read the beginning of the same chapter, you will find that he is talking about a “consciousness of sins”. (Hebrews 10:2) Paul calls it a “conscience seared with a hot iron”. (1 Timothy 4:2) The Greek word for “seared” here is kauteriazo. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, kauteriazo here refers to people who “carry about with them the perpetual consciousness of sin”.
So don’t carry with you an evil or seared conscience. Your lifetime of sins has already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Be conscious, instead, of your perfection and righteousness in Christ. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you can boldly declare, “I am all fair, and there is no spot in me!”
7You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.
Jesus tells us, His bride, “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you.” But our reply to Him tends to be, “Me? All fair and no spot? You don’t know me, Lord!”
Do you really think that God does not know you?
God sees reality like no one else sees it. He sees the perfection of His Son’s finished work in your life. By one offering of Himself at the cross, Jesus has perfected you forever! (Hebrews 10:14) You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) And you will never find any spot in this righteousness that Jesus died to give you.
So God wants you to see yourself righteous — all fair and no spot in Christ. Every day, be conscious of your righteousness in Christ. Say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ! There is no spot in me whom He has perfected with His blood!” When you do that, you are honouring Jesus and His finished work.
If you are conscious of your sins, then you are not honouring the work of Christ. You may think that you are being humble or holy by being sin-conscious, but do you know that the Bible calls sin-consciousness an “evil conscience”?
Hebrews 10:21–22 tells us that since we have Jesus as our High Priest, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience”. What does the writer of Hebrews mean by “an evil conscience”? If you read the beginning of the same chapter, you will find that he is talking about a “consciousness of sins”. (Hebrews 10:2) Paul calls it a “conscience seared with a hot iron”. (1 Timothy 4:2) The Greek word for “seared” here is kauteriazo. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, kauteriazo here refers to people who “carry about with them the perpetual consciousness of sin”.
So don’t carry with you an evil or seared conscience. Your lifetime of sins has already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Be conscious, instead, of your perfection and righteousness in Christ. Because of what Jesus has done for you, you can boldly declare, “I am all fair, and there is no spot in me!”
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Let Your Heart Be Established By Grace
Hebrews 13:9
9… it is good that the heart be established by grace…
God does not want your heart full of worries and fears, tossed and turned by every challenge that comes your way. He wants your heart at rest and established by His grace towards you.
But when you think that the breakthroughs to your challenges depend on your ability to obey God, then your heart will never be at rest. It will be full of worries and anxieties. Why? Because you can never obey God perfectly.
But when you depend on God’s grace, that is, His undeserved, unmerited favour, the opposite happens — your heart becomes established. When you know that the only thing that qualifies you to receive God’s blessings is faith in the finished work of Christ, your heart becomes established. Then, you will walk without fear of your troubles swallowing you up. You will walk with full assurance that His blessings will be manifested in your life.
My friend, God wants your heart established, knowing that His righteousness, healing, protection and prosperity are yours — all paid for by Jesus’ finished work at the cross. God’s blessings are sure in your life because they are not dependent on your ability to keep His laws.
You see, under the old covenant, you receive God’s blessings only if you keep all His laws. (Deuteronomy 28:1–2) If you sin and fail to keep even one law, you are disqualified from receiving His blessings. But today, under the new covenant, your sins no longer disqualify you because God Himself has said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
So let your heart be established by God’s grace. Because of His grace, you have full access to His blessings. You no longer have to worry about whether you are good enough. You can stand firm on the promises made in His Word and enjoy His blessings today because Jesus has paid the price. Your part is only to believe and receive!
9… it is good that the heart be established by grace…
God does not want your heart full of worries and fears, tossed and turned by every challenge that comes your way. He wants your heart at rest and established by His grace towards you.
But when you think that the breakthroughs to your challenges depend on your ability to obey God, then your heart will never be at rest. It will be full of worries and anxieties. Why? Because you can never obey God perfectly.
But when you depend on God’s grace, that is, His undeserved, unmerited favour, the opposite happens — your heart becomes established. When you know that the only thing that qualifies you to receive God’s blessings is faith in the finished work of Christ, your heart becomes established. Then, you will walk without fear of your troubles swallowing you up. You will walk with full assurance that His blessings will be manifested in your life.
My friend, God wants your heart established, knowing that His righteousness, healing, protection and prosperity are yours — all paid for by Jesus’ finished work at the cross. God’s blessings are sure in your life because they are not dependent on your ability to keep His laws.
You see, under the old covenant, you receive God’s blessings only if you keep all His laws. (Deuteronomy 28:1–2) If you sin and fail to keep even one law, you are disqualified from receiving His blessings. But today, under the new covenant, your sins no longer disqualify you because God Himself has said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)
So let your heart be established by God’s grace. Because of His grace, you have full access to His blessings. You no longer have to worry about whether you are good enough. You can stand firm on the promises made in His Word and enjoy His blessings today because Jesus has paid the price. Your part is only to believe and receive!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Jesus Took Your Place So That You Can Take His
Matthew 27:46
46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Do you know that it was at the cross that Jesus addressed His Father as “God” for the first time? He had always addressed His Father as “Father”. But at Calvary’s tree, He addressed His Father as “God”.
Jesus lost that Father-Son relationship when He was representing you and carrying your sins on the cross so that today, you can call God, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15), and have a loving Father-son relationship with God forever. He was forsaken by God when His world became very dark on that lonely hill so that in your darkest hour, God will always say to you, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5)
At the time when Jesus needed God most, God turned His back on Him. God had to turn His back on His Son because His eyes are too holy to behold all the sin that was in His Son’s body. And because God turned His back on Jesus, He will never turn His back on you. Instead, you will see God’s face of favour shining on you all the time!
Jesus also took your place of no protection at the cross. For the first time, He gave up divine protection so that you can enjoy it all the days of your life! And because He became sin, He took your curse at the cross so that today, as you take His gift of righteousness, you receive only blessings from God.
Jesus received the full brunt of God’s wrath in His body once and for all when He carried your sins. All of God’s anger and condemnation fell on Him, consuming all your sins until there was no anger left.
Today, God is not angry with you. The body of Jesus absorbed everything — your sins, curses, and God’s wrath and condemnation. So live life expecting to see not the judgment, but the goodness and blessings of God!
46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Do you know that it was at the cross that Jesus addressed His Father as “God” for the first time? He had always addressed His Father as “Father”. But at Calvary’s tree, He addressed His Father as “God”.
Jesus lost that Father-Son relationship when He was representing you and carrying your sins on the cross so that today, you can call God, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15), and have a loving Father-son relationship with God forever. He was forsaken by God when His world became very dark on that lonely hill so that in your darkest hour, God will always say to you, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5)
At the time when Jesus needed God most, God turned His back on Him. God had to turn His back on His Son because His eyes are too holy to behold all the sin that was in His Son’s body. And because God turned His back on Jesus, He will never turn His back on you. Instead, you will see God’s face of favour shining on you all the time!
Jesus also took your place of no protection at the cross. For the first time, He gave up divine protection so that you can enjoy it all the days of your life! And because He became sin, He took your curse at the cross so that today, as you take His gift of righteousness, you receive only blessings from God.
Jesus received the full brunt of God’s wrath in His body once and for all when He carried your sins. All of God’s anger and condemnation fell on Him, consuming all your sins until there was no anger left.
Today, God is not angry with you. The body of Jesus absorbed everything — your sins, curses, and God’s wrath and condemnation. So live life expecting to see not the judgment, but the goodness and blessings of God!
Monday, June 16, 2008
God Says ‘I Will’ In The New Covenant
Hebrews 8:10,12
10… I will put My laws in their mind… I will be their God… 12… I will be merciful to their unrighteousness… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
You may be feeling stressed at work today because your boss just gave you a list of things to do. Maybe he told you, “You have to type this letter. You have to meet this client. You have to write this report. You have to…” Wouldn’t it be nice if your boss had, instead, said, “I will type this letter for you. I will meet this client for you. I will write this report for you. I will…”?
Well, your boss may not be that gracious, but your Father in heaven is! When He found fault with the old covenant and established the new covenant (Hebrews 8:7–8) in His Son’s blood, His “Thou shalls” became “I wills”.
You see, under the old covenant, the focus is on you — Thou shall not… Thou shall not… Thou shall not… It is about your performance, your obedience, your works. But under the new covenant, God says, “I will put My laws in their mind… I will be their God… I will be merciful to their unrighteousness… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” It is no longer you working for God, but God working for you, in you and through you!
“Isn’t there something for me to do?” you may ask.
My friend, the only thing for you to do is to believe God’s “I wills”. The more you believe His “I wills” or promises, the more you will see His heart for you and the more your faith will grow.
It is foolish for me to just tell you, “Come on, man, have faith!” You will still not have faith because I am not giving you anything to build faith in you. But if I were to tell you all about what God says He will do for you, faith will arise in your heart. Faith is a response to knowing what God says He will do for you.
So the best thing you can “do” under the new covenant is to not focus on what you must do for God, but what God says He will do for you!
10… I will put My laws in their mind… I will be their God… 12… I will be merciful to their unrighteousness… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
You may be feeling stressed at work today because your boss just gave you a list of things to do. Maybe he told you, “You have to type this letter. You have to meet this client. You have to write this report. You have to…” Wouldn’t it be nice if your boss had, instead, said, “I will type this letter for you. I will meet this client for you. I will write this report for you. I will…”?
Well, your boss may not be that gracious, but your Father in heaven is! When He found fault with the old covenant and established the new covenant (Hebrews 8:7–8) in His Son’s blood, His “Thou shalls” became “I wills”.
You see, under the old covenant, the focus is on you — Thou shall not… Thou shall not… Thou shall not… It is about your performance, your obedience, your works. But under the new covenant, God says, “I will put My laws in their mind… I will be their God… I will be merciful to their unrighteousness… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” It is no longer you working for God, but God working for you, in you and through you!
“Isn’t there something for me to do?” you may ask.
My friend, the only thing for you to do is to believe God’s “I wills”. The more you believe His “I wills” or promises, the more you will see His heart for you and the more your faith will grow.
It is foolish for me to just tell you, “Come on, man, have faith!” You will still not have faith because I am not giving you anything to build faith in you. But if I were to tell you all about what God says He will do for you, faith will arise in your heart. Faith is a response to knowing what God says He will do for you.
So the best thing you can “do” under the new covenant is to not focus on what you must do for God, but what God says He will do for you!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
You Have The Victory!
Romans 8:37
37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
If God’s Word says that we are more than conquerors through Christ, then we are. We are not going to become, we already are. We may be experiencing some failures or setbacks in life right now, but only good will come out of our situations because God says that “in all these things we are more than conquerors”. We have victory!
You see, God has placed us in Christ, in the highest place of the universe where He has exalted His Son. We are not trying to get to victory ground, we already are on victory ground. We don’t confess God’s Word to get victory, we confess His Word because we already have victory. We don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory.
The devil will try to steal our victory. He will come against us with lies and fears, and cause us to be conscious of our failures, weaknesses and symptoms in areas such as our health. But we are not trying to be healed, we are healed. We are healed because God’s Word has already declared that “by His stripes we are healed”. (Isaiah 53:5)
A sister in our church was seeing two psychiatrists. She was under psychiatric care and medication for panic attacks for the most part of her life. She said that when she started coming to church and learning about Jesus, the truth of God’s Word began to dawn on her heart.
She started believing that victory over her condition was already hers and began confessing it. From then onwards, all her fears were removed and her panic attacks were no more. Today, she has a sound mind, is free from all medication and knows that her life is greatly blessed through Jesus who loves her.
The moment you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you are born again and the new person inside you is more than a conqueror. You are already on victory ground and you have victory over every challenging situation in your life!
37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
If God’s Word says that we are more than conquerors through Christ, then we are. We are not going to become, we already are. We may be experiencing some failures or setbacks in life right now, but only good will come out of our situations because God says that “in all these things we are more than conquerors”. We have victory!
You see, God has placed us in Christ, in the highest place of the universe where He has exalted His Son. We are not trying to get to victory ground, we already are on victory ground. We don’t confess God’s Word to get victory, we confess His Word because we already have victory. We don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory.
The devil will try to steal our victory. He will come against us with lies and fears, and cause us to be conscious of our failures, weaknesses and symptoms in areas such as our health. But we are not trying to be healed, we are healed. We are healed because God’s Word has already declared that “by His stripes we are healed”. (Isaiah 53:5)
A sister in our church was seeing two psychiatrists. She was under psychiatric care and medication for panic attacks for the most part of her life. She said that when she started coming to church and learning about Jesus, the truth of God’s Word began to dawn on her heart.
She started believing that victory over her condition was already hers and began confessing it. From then onwards, all her fears were removed and her panic attacks were no more. Today, she has a sound mind, is free from all medication and knows that her life is greatly blessed through Jesus who loves her.
The moment you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you are born again and the new person inside you is more than a conqueror. You are already on victory ground and you have victory over every challenging situation in your life!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Convince Yourself, Not God!!
Mark 5:28
28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
With a crowd thronging Him, Jesus was touched by a lot of people that day (Mark 5:31), but only the touch of one woman drew a response from Him. Her touch sparked off instant healing in her body, releasing her from a sickness that had plagued her for 12 years.
Do you want to know how to touch God and receive the miracle you need?
When the woman heard that Jesus was coming by her village, she said to herself, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” On her way to see Jesus, she probably told herself many times, “If I touch His clothes, I will be healed. I will be made whole.” We don’t know how long she had been saying that to herself, but she convinced herself that Jesus would heal her.
If you are sick, convince yourself that Jesus is your healer and that by His stripes you are healed. You don’t need to convince God. He is not the one who needs to be persuaded because His blessing is already pressing on you! It is you who needs to be persuaded that God has already given you your miracle. That is the reason you confess His Word — to convince yourself, not God, to persuade your heart, not His.
Some people confess their faith to others to convince God indirectly. For example, if they are believing God for a child, they go around telling their friends, “I am believing God for a child.” They are actually trying to convince God to bless them. They are telling God, “I’ve told so many people what I am believing You for. It would be very embarrassing if You don’t make it happen.” Their confession proceeds from unbelief and is used to manipulate God.
It is okay to tell others if you want to, but don’t do it to prove your faith or to convince God. You just need to convince yourself that God loves you and delights in blessing you. Just say to yourself, “By His stripes I am healed. I am fruitful. I will not suffer lack. I am greatly blessed, highly favoured, deeply loved!” And let God take care of the rest.
28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
With a crowd thronging Him, Jesus was touched by a lot of people that day (Mark 5:31), but only the touch of one woman drew a response from Him. Her touch sparked off instant healing in her body, releasing her from a sickness that had plagued her for 12 years.
Do you want to know how to touch God and receive the miracle you need?
When the woman heard that Jesus was coming by her village, she said to herself, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” On her way to see Jesus, she probably told herself many times, “If I touch His clothes, I will be healed. I will be made whole.” We don’t know how long she had been saying that to herself, but she convinced herself that Jesus would heal her.
If you are sick, convince yourself that Jesus is your healer and that by His stripes you are healed. You don’t need to convince God. He is not the one who needs to be persuaded because His blessing is already pressing on you! It is you who needs to be persuaded that God has already given you your miracle. That is the reason you confess His Word — to convince yourself, not God, to persuade your heart, not His.
Some people confess their faith to others to convince God indirectly. For example, if they are believing God for a child, they go around telling their friends, “I am believing God for a child.” They are actually trying to convince God to bless them. They are telling God, “I’ve told so many people what I am believing You for. It would be very embarrassing if You don’t make it happen.” Their confession proceeds from unbelief and is used to manipulate God.
It is okay to tell others if you want to, but don’t do it to prove your faith or to convince God. You just need to convince yourself that God loves you and delights in blessing you. Just say to yourself, “By His stripes I am healed. I am fruitful. I will not suffer lack. I am greatly blessed, highly favoured, deeply loved!” And let God take care of the rest.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Life Above The Sun
John 10:10
10… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
When you are not enjoying abundant life, you will feel as if life is full of toils. In your heart, life is meaningless and empty. You feel like someone “grasping for the wind”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
It seems as if nothing you do adds up to much. The Bible calls this life “under the sun”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11) Someone who lives life under the sun may or may not know God, but God is either forgotten or not the centre of things in his life. His thoughts are earthly and he does things to gratify his flesh. In the end, he finds life depressing and unfulfilled. Life under the sun is full of despair.
But this is not so with someone who lives life above the sun with God. For life with God is filled with joy and pleasures at His right hand. (Psalm 16:11) Life is abundantly full and good just as Jesus promised — “...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
When you live life above the sun, your thoughts are heavenward and you become Christ occupied. And you live for Him because you know that all things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16) When you live for His glory, your life takes on a new meaning and purpose.
God’s Word says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17) The Greek word for “consist” means “held together”. In Christ, all things are held together. And that is why when Christ is the central figure in your life, you will have it all together. Your mind will be held together. Your hopes and dreams will be held together. Your family will be held together by the cords of His love. You will not lose anything in life.
Your life will not be empty but full and filled because “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory”. (Colossians 1:27) It is a wonderful life — this life lived above the sun. And you will have an even more wonderful life to come in heaven!
10… I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
When you are not enjoying abundant life, you will feel as if life is full of toils. In your heart, life is meaningless and empty. You feel like someone “grasping for the wind”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
It seems as if nothing you do adds up to much. The Bible calls this life “under the sun”. (Ecclesiastes 2:11) Someone who lives life under the sun may or may not know God, but God is either forgotten or not the centre of things in his life. His thoughts are earthly and he does things to gratify his flesh. In the end, he finds life depressing and unfulfilled. Life under the sun is full of despair.
But this is not so with someone who lives life above the sun with God. For life with God is filled with joy and pleasures at His right hand. (Psalm 16:11) Life is abundantly full and good just as Jesus promised — “...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
When you live life above the sun, your thoughts are heavenward and you become Christ occupied. And you live for Him because you know that all things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16) When you live for His glory, your life takes on a new meaning and purpose.
God’s Word says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17) The Greek word for “consist” means “held together”. In Christ, all things are held together. And that is why when Christ is the central figure in your life, you will have it all together. Your mind will be held together. Your hopes and dreams will be held together. Your family will be held together by the cords of His love. You will not lose anything in life.
Your life will not be empty but full and filled because “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory”. (Colossians 1:27) It is a wonderful life — this life lived above the sun. And you will have an even more wonderful life to come in heaven!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Be Conscious Of Your Everlasting Righteousness
Daniel 9:24
24“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…
On Sunday, we hear a message that says, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” On Monday, we are still confessing, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” But come Wednesday or Thursday, we begin to confess our sins! Then, when Sunday comes, we get a fresh revelation of our righteousness in Christ and we start to confess our righteousness again. Why do we do that?
It cannot be that on Sunday, we are righteous. Then, a few days later, we become unrighteous because of sin, but are “re-righteoused” when Sunday comes again. No, our righteousness is an “everlasting righteousness”! Jesus has obtained “eternal redemption” for us. (Hebrews 9:12) By one offering of Himself, He has “perfected forever” them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
“But Pastor Prince, I just sinned. How can I still be righteous?”
My friend, it is not what you do that makes you righteous. It is what Christ has done at Calvary. Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” It is the obedience of one Man — Christ, and not your obedience, that has made you righteous!
God wants you established in what Christ has done. He wants you conscious of your everlasting righteousness in Christ. How do you do that? You can listen to anointed messages that remind you of your righteousness in Christ. And don’t just know it in your head. Speak it. Every morning, tell yourself, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
You don’t need a revelation of how sinful you are. You know it when you sin. The devil reminds you of your sins. Even your friends and loved ones sometimes point out our sins. What you need, instead, is a revelation of how forever righteous you are in God’s eyes, especially when you sin.
And when you are conscious of this gift of righteousness that is everlasting, you will reign in life! (Romans 5:17) You will reign over sin, bad habits, sicknesses, lack and everything that holds you back from a victorious life!
24“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…
On Sunday, we hear a message that says, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” On Monday, we are still confessing, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” But come Wednesday or Thursday, we begin to confess our sins! Then, when Sunday comes, we get a fresh revelation of our righteousness in Christ and we start to confess our righteousness again. Why do we do that?
It cannot be that on Sunday, we are righteous. Then, a few days later, we become unrighteous because of sin, but are “re-righteoused” when Sunday comes again. No, our righteousness is an “everlasting righteousness”! Jesus has obtained “eternal redemption” for us. (Hebrews 9:12) By one offering of Himself, He has “perfected forever” them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
“But Pastor Prince, I just sinned. How can I still be righteous?”
My friend, it is not what you do that makes you righteous. It is what Christ has done at Calvary. Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” It is the obedience of one Man — Christ, and not your obedience, that has made you righteous!
God wants you established in what Christ has done. He wants you conscious of your everlasting righteousness in Christ. How do you do that? You can listen to anointed messages that remind you of your righteousness in Christ. And don’t just know it in your head. Speak it. Every morning, tell yourself, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ!” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
You don’t need a revelation of how sinful you are. You know it when you sin. The devil reminds you of your sins. Even your friends and loved ones sometimes point out our sins. What you need, instead, is a revelation of how forever righteous you are in God’s eyes, especially when you sin.
And when you are conscious of this gift of righteousness that is everlasting, you will reign in life! (Romans 5:17) You will reign over sin, bad habits, sicknesses, lack and everything that holds you back from a victorious life!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
God Is Not Judging You!
Romans 8:33
33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
In some circles, people see God as a judge who has exacting demands for man. And when they fall short or when things go wrong in their lives, they feel that God is judging them.
My friend, the truth is that if you are a believer, God does not bring any charge against you. Instead, He justifies you because of the blood of His Son. In fact, God’s Word goes on to say that the One who has the right to condemn you, chose instead to die for you, and is risen at the Father’s right hand to be your righteousness! (Romans 8:34)
But what the devil tries to do is to get you to believe that God watches you with a critical eye and judges you when you do wrong. Satan has deceived many sincere Christians into believing that if they have done something wrong, sickness or some other evil thing has a right to come onto their bodies or into their families. And when these things happen, he convinces them that they are suffering God’s judgment because of their wrongdoing. In the meantime, these sincere Christians struggle with condemnation because they think that they are the cause of these problems.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Ever since the cross, where Jesus was judged in your place for every one of your wrong actions, thoughts and words, God no longer judges His children. You need not accept condemnation or evil things happening to you because Jesus took your punishment at the cross.
So when you start to feel condemned for your actions or when you experience negative circumstances, say, “It is written: It is God who justifies me. I am completely forgiven and made righteous before Him. I refuse to accept condemnation and I reject every symptom of the curse that I am seeing in my circumstances!”
Then, simply stand on the truth of God’s Word, and watch Him bless and deliver you!
33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
In some circles, people see God as a judge who has exacting demands for man. And when they fall short or when things go wrong in their lives, they feel that God is judging them.
My friend, the truth is that if you are a believer, God does not bring any charge against you. Instead, He justifies you because of the blood of His Son. In fact, God’s Word goes on to say that the One who has the right to condemn you, chose instead to die for you, and is risen at the Father’s right hand to be your righteousness! (Romans 8:34)
But what the devil tries to do is to get you to believe that God watches you with a critical eye and judges you when you do wrong. Satan has deceived many sincere Christians into believing that if they have done something wrong, sickness or some other evil thing has a right to come onto their bodies or into their families. And when these things happen, he convinces them that they are suffering God’s judgment because of their wrongdoing. In the meantime, these sincere Christians struggle with condemnation because they think that they are the cause of these problems.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Ever since the cross, where Jesus was judged in your place for every one of your wrong actions, thoughts and words, God no longer judges His children. You need not accept condemnation or evil things happening to you because Jesus took your punishment at the cross.
So when you start to feel condemned for your actions or when you experience negative circumstances, say, “It is written: It is God who justifies me. I am completely forgiven and made righteous before Him. I refuse to accept condemnation and I reject every symptom of the curse that I am seeing in my circumstances!”
Then, simply stand on the truth of God’s Word, and watch Him bless and deliver you!
Monday, June 2, 2008
See God As The Good Father
Luke 15:31
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
Faith is believing that we have a good God, and that He protects and provides for those who trust in Him.
Remember the parable of the prodigal son? (Luke 15:11–32) Jesus shared it to illustrate how good our heavenly Father is. The wayward son had squandered his father’s inheritance before he decided to go home to ask his father to make him a hired servant.
But before he could reach home, his father saw him from afar, ran towards him and embraced him. And instead of making him a hired servant, he turned to his servants and said, “Bring out the best robe! Get a ring and sandals for my son! Let’s kill the fatted calf and celebrate!”
Now, when the older son returned from work and heard about the celebration, he became angry and refused to enter the house. When his father came out to ask him what was wrong, the older son complained, “Look, I’ve served you all these years. Yet, you never gave me a calf to celebrate with my friends. But as soon as this prodigal son of yours comes home, you kill the fatted calf for him!”
Notice what his father told him: “Son, you are always with me and all that that I have is yours. We should celebrate because your brother was dead but is alive again. He was lost but is now found.”
Can you see how the older brother perceived his father? He saw his father as a hard and stingy man. He believed that he had to work to get something good from his father. He didn’t realise that he already had an inheritance! He could have killed the fatted calf anytime for a celebration!
Like the father in the parable, God has already given you an inheritance in Christ. Don’t fail to enjoy it by doubting God’s goodness or by believing that you must work for it. See your Father’s heart of love and goodness towards you, and celebrate your inheritance today!
31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
Faith is believing that we have a good God, and that He protects and provides for those who trust in Him.
Remember the parable of the prodigal son? (Luke 15:11–32) Jesus shared it to illustrate how good our heavenly Father is. The wayward son had squandered his father’s inheritance before he decided to go home to ask his father to make him a hired servant.
But before he could reach home, his father saw him from afar, ran towards him and embraced him. And instead of making him a hired servant, he turned to his servants and said, “Bring out the best robe! Get a ring and sandals for my son! Let’s kill the fatted calf and celebrate!”
Now, when the older son returned from work and heard about the celebration, he became angry and refused to enter the house. When his father came out to ask him what was wrong, the older son complained, “Look, I’ve served you all these years. Yet, you never gave me a calf to celebrate with my friends. But as soon as this prodigal son of yours comes home, you kill the fatted calf for him!”
Notice what his father told him: “Son, you are always with me and all that that I have is yours. We should celebrate because your brother was dead but is alive again. He was lost but is now found.”
Can you see how the older brother perceived his father? He saw his father as a hard and stingy man. He believed that he had to work to get something good from his father. He didn’t realise that he already had an inheritance! He could have killed the fatted calf anytime for a celebration!
Like the father in the parable, God has already given you an inheritance in Christ. Don’t fail to enjoy it by doubting God’s goodness or by believing that you must work for it. See your Father’s heart of love and goodness towards you, and celebrate your inheritance today!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Lord Is Your Refuge
Psalm 91:1–2
1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
Every day, we are bombarded with news of conflicts, natural disasters, diseases and new strains of drug-resistant viruses. We also hear of people losing their loved ones in freak accidents. And we ask ourselves, “Is there a place where I can take refuge from a world gone mad?”
Yes, there is! God foresaw all these things and He has promised in His Word protection from every evil known to man. There is no trap set by the devil that our Father cannot deliver us from, if we trust in Him and take Him as our refuge. That is His promise in Psalm 91.
Whether it is an earthquake at midnight, a crazy sniper, an unknown virus or a terrorist attack at noonday, God says, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” (Psalm 91:5–6)
Because you have made Him your dwelling place, angels are watching over you right now. (Psalm 91:9–11) They give heed to the voice of God’s Word, so you should give voice to God’s Word. This means that you should agree with and speak what God’s Word says about His preserving and protecting you. Then, angels are sent to minister to you. (Hebrews 1:14)
My friend, don’t say, “If it can happen to them, it can also happen to me!” Say, “A thousand may fall at my side and 10,000 at my right hand, but it will not come near me!” (Psalm 91:7) The world says that there is danger everywhere. God says, “You are in this world but not of this world. You have My protection because you are of Me and in Me.” (John 17:14–23)
You have access by faith into the secret place of the Most High where no evil can touch you. There is no need to fear living in the end times because the Lord is your refuge and your fortress. His Word says so. And those who trust His Word completely, find His Word completely true!
1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
Every day, we are bombarded with news of conflicts, natural disasters, diseases and new strains of drug-resistant viruses. We also hear of people losing their loved ones in freak accidents. And we ask ourselves, “Is there a place where I can take refuge from a world gone mad?”
Yes, there is! God foresaw all these things and He has promised in His Word protection from every evil known to man. There is no trap set by the devil that our Father cannot deliver us from, if we trust in Him and take Him as our refuge. That is His promise in Psalm 91.
Whether it is an earthquake at midnight, a crazy sniper, an unknown virus or a terrorist attack at noonday, God says, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” (Psalm 91:5–6)
Because you have made Him your dwelling place, angels are watching over you right now. (Psalm 91:9–11) They give heed to the voice of God’s Word, so you should give voice to God’s Word. This means that you should agree with and speak what God’s Word says about His preserving and protecting you. Then, angels are sent to minister to you. (Hebrews 1:14)
My friend, don’t say, “If it can happen to them, it can also happen to me!” Say, “A thousand may fall at my side and 10,000 at my right hand, but it will not come near me!” (Psalm 91:7) The world says that there is danger everywhere. God says, “You are in this world but not of this world. You have My protection because you are of Me and in Me.” (John 17:14–23)
You have access by faith into the secret place of the Most High where no evil can touch you. There is no need to fear living in the end times because the Lord is your refuge and your fortress. His Word says so. And those who trust His Word completely, find His Word completely true!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
How You Know You Will Inherit It
Psalm 89:34
34My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
When God promises you something, do you take Him at His Word? Or do you, like Abraham, ask, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Genesis 15:8)
God did not reprimand Abraham for failing to take Him at His Word. That is how gracious God is to His people. He even came down to Abraham’s level of faith and did something to assure Abraham that He would always keep His promises — He made a covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 15:9–17)
God did not do it for His own benefit. God is a God of His Word. He does not break His Word. But He bound Himself to a covenant because He knew that Abraham needed to know in his heart that He would do whatever He had promised him.
Man finds it hard to just believe words. For example, when you buy a house, a contract is drawn up and signed by both parties, and lawyers are involved. You need a contract because you cannot trust the other person’s words and he cannot trust yours either.
Likewise, we find it hard to take God at His Word. So God makes a covenant with us, not because He cannot be trusted, but because He knows that we find it hard to just believe what He says. God knows that man will wonder, “What if God wakes up on the wrong side of His bed tomorrow and decides to fry me instead of bless me?”
But because God has made a new covenant with us, which is established by the blood of His Son, we can, like Abraham, not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God, but be strengthened in our faith, being fully persuaded that God will do as He has promised. (Romans 4:20–21) We have the assurance that God will not wake up one day and say, “Forget the new covenant. I want to remember your sins now and curse you instead of bless you!”
My friend, the new covenant blessings for you are guaranteed because God has bound Himself to the covenant. And He is a covenant-keeping God who is willing and more than able to do everything He has promised you!
34My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
When God promises you something, do you take Him at His Word? Or do you, like Abraham, ask, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Genesis 15:8)
God did not reprimand Abraham for failing to take Him at His Word. That is how gracious God is to His people. He even came down to Abraham’s level of faith and did something to assure Abraham that He would always keep His promises — He made a covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 15:9–17)
God did not do it for His own benefit. God is a God of His Word. He does not break His Word. But He bound Himself to a covenant because He knew that Abraham needed to know in his heart that He would do whatever He had promised him.
Man finds it hard to just believe words. For example, when you buy a house, a contract is drawn up and signed by both parties, and lawyers are involved. You need a contract because you cannot trust the other person’s words and he cannot trust yours either.
Likewise, we find it hard to take God at His Word. So God makes a covenant with us, not because He cannot be trusted, but because He knows that we find it hard to just believe what He says. God knows that man will wonder, “What if God wakes up on the wrong side of His bed tomorrow and decides to fry me instead of bless me?”
But because God has made a new covenant with us, which is established by the blood of His Son, we can, like Abraham, not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God, but be strengthened in our faith, being fully persuaded that God will do as He has promised. (Romans 4:20–21) We have the assurance that God will not wake up one day and say, “Forget the new covenant. I want to remember your sins now and curse you instead of bless you!”
My friend, the new covenant blessings for you are guaranteed because God has bound Himself to the covenant. And He is a covenant-keeping God who is willing and more than able to do everything He has promised you!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Be Christ-Conscious
Ephesians 1:7
7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and said, “Today, I will not sin.” And as you leave your house, you say, “I must be careful not to fall into sin today. I don’t want to sin. I will not sin!”
My friend, when you do this, you are no longer Christ-conscious but sin-conscious, even though you have not sinned yet.
Men, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t want to look at any woman in case I lust”? You are being sin-conscious when you think like that. And sooner or later, you will lust in your heart. You may not sin outwardly, but you will sin inwardly.
Have you also tried confessing every sin? I have! As a teenager, when a bad thought came, I would quickly say, “Sorry Lord, forgive me for this thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, another thought would come and I would quickly say, “Forgive me Lord, for that thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, if I happened to doubt His forgiveness, I would confess my unbelief and ask for forgiveness: “Forgive me Lord, for doubting You.” Before I knew it, I was oppressed in my mind and so sin-conscious instead of Christ-conscious!
My friend, when you fall into sin, God wants you to be Christ-conscious. That means that when you have missed it or blown it, God wants you to be conscious that in Christ, you have forgiveness of sins through His blood. God wants you to be conscious that Christ was wounded and bruised for your sins, and that the chastisement for your peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5)
When you are Christ-conscious, you will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) You will know that you are the righteousness of God in Christ because He who knew no sin was made sin for you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He took your sin and now you have His righteousness.
So when you fall, don’t be conscious of your failure and feel bad or condemned. Instead, be conscious of who you are in Christ, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue your walk with God
7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and said, “Today, I will not sin.” And as you leave your house, you say, “I must be careful not to fall into sin today. I don’t want to sin. I will not sin!”
My friend, when you do this, you are no longer Christ-conscious but sin-conscious, even though you have not sinned yet.
Men, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t want to look at any woman in case I lust”? You are being sin-conscious when you think like that. And sooner or later, you will lust in your heart. You may not sin outwardly, but you will sin inwardly.
Have you also tried confessing every sin? I have! As a teenager, when a bad thought came, I would quickly say, “Sorry Lord, forgive me for this thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, another thought would come and I would quickly say, “Forgive me Lord, for that thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, if I happened to doubt His forgiveness, I would confess my unbelief and ask for forgiveness: “Forgive me Lord, for doubting You.” Before I knew it, I was oppressed in my mind and so sin-conscious instead of Christ-conscious!
My friend, when you fall into sin, God wants you to be Christ-conscious. That means that when you have missed it or blown it, God wants you to be conscious that in Christ, you have forgiveness of sins through His blood. God wants you to be conscious that Christ was wounded and bruised for your sins, and that the chastisement for your peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5)
When you are Christ-conscious, you will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) You will know that you are the righteousness of God in Christ because He who knew no sin was made sin for you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He took your sin and now you have His righteousness.
So when you fall, don’t be conscious of your failure and feel bad or condemned. Instead, be conscious of who you are in Christ, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue your walk with God
Feelin better...
It's a good day today!
Feel so much better now..We have talked it out and hopefully
things will be great!
We have to move on...
I was able to hold down my pride and for once, settled everything
all for JESUS' sake..not mine.
I have put aside my pains and hurt.
Surprisingly, it ended well:)
Cannot say a word.
Yeah! When you trust in Jesus...you can't help but be dumbstrucked! lolx!
Everything happens too fast ...
Some changes may be painful, hurtful and devastating but it's all for good
and brand new things to come!
I feel a thorn has been pulled out of me-- setting me victoriously FREE!!!
Halleluyah!
Feel so much better now..We have talked it out and hopefully
things will be great!
We have to move on...
I was able to hold down my pride and for once, settled everything
all for JESUS' sake..not mine.
I have put aside my pains and hurt.
Surprisingly, it ended well:)
Cannot say a word.
Yeah! When you trust in Jesus...you can't help but be dumbstrucked! lolx!
Everything happens too fast ...
Some changes may be painful, hurtful and devastating but it's all for good
and brand new things to come!
I feel a thorn has been pulled out of me-- setting me victoriously FREE!!!
Halleluyah!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Rejoice, O Barren!
Isaiah 54:1
1“Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not laboured with child!
Barrenness. What a frustrating and painful condition. Yet, God’s Word in Isaiah 54 to those who are experiencing barrenness is “Rejoice!”
Why? Because in the previous chapter, it tells us that the chastisement for our peace fell upon Jesus. (Isaiah 53:5) The word “peace” here in Hebrew means completeness, soundness, health and prosperity. In other words, all these benefits are yours today because Jesus has already been punished at the cross for your peace. That is why you can start rejoicing.
So God wants you right now, in whatever area you are barren in, to start rejoicing as if the fruit or yield you want to see has already come. He wants you to start thinking, speaking and acting as if the barrenness is no more.
If you are financially barren, start planning for what you would do when your finances increase. I am not saying that you go out and spend recklessly, but start making plans for wealth and increase. The time to do this is when you are still in what your natural eyes see as a barren stage.
You may say, “But Pastor Prince, you don’t understand, the banks are chasing me!”
God says, “Rejoice because you are the prosperous one in Christ.” In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing, including prosperity. (Ephesians 1:3) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
If you are sick, start planning to do what you have not been able to do. Don’t rejoice only when the healing manifests and the pain is no more. Rejoice now in your healing because Jesus has already borne your diseases and carried your pains, and by His stripes you have already been healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)
Whatever barren situation you are in, rejoice and tell God, “Father, because of the sacrifice of Your Son, I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You have already given me everything. So I am going to act like it is so and rejoice!”
1“Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not laboured with child!
Barrenness. What a frustrating and painful condition. Yet, God’s Word in Isaiah 54 to those who are experiencing barrenness is “Rejoice!”
Why? Because in the previous chapter, it tells us that the chastisement for our peace fell upon Jesus. (Isaiah 53:5) The word “peace” here in Hebrew means completeness, soundness, health and prosperity. In other words, all these benefits are yours today because Jesus has already been punished at the cross for your peace. That is why you can start rejoicing.
So God wants you right now, in whatever area you are barren in, to start rejoicing as if the fruit or yield you want to see has already come. He wants you to start thinking, speaking and acting as if the barrenness is no more.
If you are financially barren, start planning for what you would do when your finances increase. I am not saying that you go out and spend recklessly, but start making plans for wealth and increase. The time to do this is when you are still in what your natural eyes see as a barren stage.
You may say, “But Pastor Prince, you don’t understand, the banks are chasing me!”
God says, “Rejoice because you are the prosperous one in Christ.” In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing, including prosperity. (Ephesians 1:3) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
If you are sick, start planning to do what you have not been able to do. Don’t rejoice only when the healing manifests and the pain is no more. Rejoice now in your healing because Jesus has already borne your diseases and carried your pains, and by His stripes you have already been healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)
Whatever barren situation you are in, rejoice and tell God, “Father, because of the sacrifice of Your Son, I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You have already given me everything. So I am going to act like it is so and rejoice!”
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Facts Change But God’s Word Remains
Facts Change But God’s Word Remains
John 8:32
32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Consider the cold, hard facts that these three people faced: The aunt of a lady in our church saw her X-ray which showed that one of her kidneys was cancerous. A couple in our church read their medical reports which said that they would never be able to produce a child. A lady in our church who acted as a guarantor ended up being asked by the finance company to pay it $34 million.
When such situations hit us and we allow the facts to settle in our hearts, we will end up feeling greatly troubled. But when we let the truth of God’s Word settle it all, we will sense the Holy Spirit bearing witness to the truth that we are believing. He is the Spirit of Truth. (John 16:13) He is not the Spirit of facts and does not bear witness to facts.
It may be a fact that you are sick. The medical experts say that you are sick. The X-ray report shows that you are sick. But God’s Word says that by His stripes you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) That is the truth about your situation. What is the difference between facts and truth? Facts change, but God’s Word remains!
When God’s people choose to defy the facts and walk instead in His truths regarding their situations, the Holy Spirit in them will bear witness to the truths that they are believing.
The lady with the cancerous kidney underwent an operation to remove the organ. But she received supernatural restoration as later X-rays showed two kidneys instead of one!
The childless couple received their miracle bundle of joy after seven years. Today, they are proud parents of not one, but four children!
The church member with the $34 million debt told the finance company that it was not being fair to her and that God would protect her. The management miraculously decided to cancel her debt!
The next time you are hit by some disturbing facts, let God’s Word settle the truth about your situation. And as the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truths that you are believing, the facts will change and you will receive your miracle!
John 8:32
32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Consider the cold, hard facts that these three people faced: The aunt of a lady in our church saw her X-ray which showed that one of her kidneys was cancerous. A couple in our church read their medical reports which said that they would never be able to produce a child. A lady in our church who acted as a guarantor ended up being asked by the finance company to pay it $34 million.
When such situations hit us and we allow the facts to settle in our hearts, we will end up feeling greatly troubled. But when we let the truth of God’s Word settle it all, we will sense the Holy Spirit bearing witness to the truth that we are believing. He is the Spirit of Truth. (John 16:13) He is not the Spirit of facts and does not bear witness to facts.
It may be a fact that you are sick. The medical experts say that you are sick. The X-ray report shows that you are sick. But God’s Word says that by His stripes you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) That is the truth about your situation. What is the difference between facts and truth? Facts change, but God’s Word remains!
When God’s people choose to defy the facts and walk instead in His truths regarding their situations, the Holy Spirit in them will bear witness to the truths that they are believing.
The lady with the cancerous kidney underwent an operation to remove the organ. But she received supernatural restoration as later X-rays showed two kidneys instead of one!
The childless couple received their miracle bundle of joy after seven years. Today, they are proud parents of not one, but four children!
The church member with the $34 million debt told the finance company that it was not being fair to her and that God would protect her. The management miraculously decided to cancel her debt!
The next time you are hit by some disturbing facts, let God’s Word settle the truth about your situation. And as the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truths that you are believing, the facts will change and you will receive your miracle!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lord, I Cannot, But You Can!'
Philippians 2:13
13For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own? You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer will power, you saw improvements for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself binging on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your “I’m going to quit” programme!
The changes were temporary because it was you doing it.
A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with will power, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, “If there is a will, there is a way!” But he discovered that with will power, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again.
When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God’s grace, he told God, “I realise that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can, Lord.” And every time he lit up, he would say, “Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You.” He would even say, “I am still righteous because of Jesus’ blood.”
Well, in the same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, “It is entirely God, none of me! It is all by His grace.” This man completely lost all desire to smoke. That is true transformation.
When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. God removes the old want to’s and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out!
So look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!” Then, what you experience will not just merely be behaviour modification, but true and lasting inward transformation!
13For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own? You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer will power, you saw improvements for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself binging on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your “I’m going to quit” programme!
The changes were temporary because it was you doing it.
A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with will power, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, “If there is a will, there is a way!” But he discovered that with will power, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again.
When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God’s grace, he told God, “I realise that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can, Lord.” And every time he lit up, he would say, “Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You.” He would even say, “I am still righteous because of Jesus’ blood.”
Well, in the same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, “It is entirely God, none of me! It is all by His grace.” This man completely lost all desire to smoke. That is true transformation.
When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. God removes the old want to’s and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out!
So look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!” Then, what you experience will not just merely be behaviour modification, but true and lasting inward transformation!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
You Are Perfect In God’s Eyes
Hebrews 10:12,14, KJV
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honour His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ.
To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.
The Bible tells us, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in the eyes of God!
Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect! So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.
When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely. Holy Spirit, thank you for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”
My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honour His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ.
To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.
The Bible tells us, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in the eyes of God!
Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect! So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.
When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely. Holy Spirit, thank you for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”
My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)
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You Are Perfect In God’s Eyes
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Christ-like Ways To Reduce Stress
An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."
1. Pray.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. ( Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.
If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps,etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.:)
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good " Thank you, Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can.)
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU>
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
(Romans 8:31)
:)
1. Pray.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. ( Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.
If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps,etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.:)
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good " Thank you, Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can.)
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU>
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
(Romans 8:31)
:)
Friday, May 16, 2008
Confessing Your Righteousness Pleases God
2 Corinthians 5:21
21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Do you know what happens each time you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ”?
God the Father is pleased. When you confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, it reminds Him of what His Son has done for you to become righteous.
Also, by making you righteous, God is showing Himself righteous — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”. (Romans 3:26)
Each time Jesus hears you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” it brings much pleasure to His heart because you are laying hold of what He suffered and died to give you.
The Holy Spirit, who now indwells you to convict you of righteousness (John 16:10), rejoices when you confess, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” He is pleased when you flow with Him.
The delight of the Godhead is not the only thing you gain when you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33)
Whether it is food, clothing or other necessities in life, “all these things” will be added to you. They will not just be given to you, but added to you as your inheritance when you seek first His righteousness.
You don’t need to use your faith for every single need in life. You just need to use your faith for one thing — to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, and it will cause all the blessings you seek to come after you and overtake you!
21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Do you know what happens each time you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ”?
God the Father is pleased. When you confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, it reminds Him of what His Son has done for you to become righteous.
Also, by making you righteous, God is showing Himself righteous — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”. (Romans 3:26)
Each time Jesus hears you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” it brings much pleasure to His heart because you are laying hold of what He suffered and died to give you.
The Holy Spirit, who now indwells you to convict you of righteousness (John 16:10), rejoices when you confess, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” He is pleased when you flow with Him.
The delight of the Godhead is not the only thing you gain when you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33)
Whether it is food, clothing or other necessities in life, “all these things” will be added to you. They will not just be given to you, but added to you as your inheritance when you seek first His righteousness.
You don’t need to use your faith for every single need in life. You just need to use your faith for one thing — to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, and it will cause all the blessings you seek to come after you and overtake you!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Redeemed From The Curse Of Sickness!
Another powerful message from Pastor Prince!
Yeah! God wants us all to be well! Sickness, disasters doesn't come
from Him because He is mad or anything. God is not mad with us anymore
because He has already sent His only Son, to redeem us from it all.
Not just by our sins but also on our sicknesses!
Surely, Jesus has bore our diseases!
Yeah! God wants us all to be well! Sickness, disasters doesn't come
from Him because He is mad or anything. God is not mad with us anymore
because He has already sent His only Son, to redeem us from it all.
Not just by our sins but also on our sicknesses!
Surely, Jesus has bore our diseases!
Believe And Act On The New Covenant
1 Samuel 17:45
45Then David said to the Philistine, “… I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
Ever wonder why two people can hear the same thing and yet have very different responses? For one, what is heard makes him afraid and discouraged. For the other, his heart is so filled with faith that he dares to come against the devil and what he is doing.
In the Valley of Elah, Goliath the Philistine giant taunted the armies of Israel for 40 days. When David came on the scene, he heard the same mockings of Goliath the rest of the Israelites heard. But somehow, those same words which caused fear in the soldiers angered David. What did David know or see which the others failed to see?
David knew that he had a covenant with God. Now, King Saul and all the soldiers with him that day also had the same covenant, but only David believed the covenant. And he was the only one who acted on his belief. So God caused his giant to come tumbling down.
If David had such a great victory even though he was under the old covenant, how much more you and I who are under the new covenant! Today, God is asking, “Where are my Davids who will believe the new covenant?”
What is the new covenant? It is the covenant of grace. And grace means unmerited, undeserved, unearned favour. God wants us to know that He has cut this covenant with us. And according to the covenant, we have undeserved favour. We are blessed because Jesus took our beating. Because of what Jesus has doneon the cross, we have victory over every giant.
Isn’t that good news? Today, God wants you to stand before your “giant” and declare that in spite of what you are going through, in spite of what is happening, you believe that God is for you because of what Jesus has done for you. And then, before your very eyes, you will see the giants of accusation, intimidation, condemnation, disease and debt fall flat before you!
45Then David said to the Philistine, “… I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
Ever wonder why two people can hear the same thing and yet have very different responses? For one, what is heard makes him afraid and discouraged. For the other, his heart is so filled with faith that he dares to come against the devil and what he is doing.
In the Valley of Elah, Goliath the Philistine giant taunted the armies of Israel for 40 days. When David came on the scene, he heard the same mockings of Goliath the rest of the Israelites heard. But somehow, those same words which caused fear in the soldiers angered David. What did David know or see which the others failed to see?
David knew that he had a covenant with God. Now, King Saul and all the soldiers with him that day also had the same covenant, but only David believed the covenant. And he was the only one who acted on his belief. So God caused his giant to come tumbling down.
If David had such a great victory even though he was under the old covenant, how much more you and I who are under the new covenant! Today, God is asking, “Where are my Davids who will believe the new covenant?”
What is the new covenant? It is the covenant of grace. And grace means unmerited, undeserved, unearned favour. God wants us to know that He has cut this covenant with us. And according to the covenant, we have undeserved favour. We are blessed because Jesus took our beating. Because of what Jesus has doneon the cross, we have victory over every giant.
Isn’t that good news? Today, God wants you to stand before your “giant” and declare that in spite of what you are going through, in spite of what is happening, you believe that God is for you because of what Jesus has done for you. And then, before your very eyes, you will see the giants of accusation, intimidation, condemnation, disease and debt fall flat before you!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Forgive And Let God Take Care Of The Rest
Forgive And Let God Take Care Of The Rest
Ephesians 4:32
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
People like to say, “I can forgive, but I cannot forget.” Have you heard that before? Now, in the first place, nowhere in the Bible does God tell you to forgive and then to forget. It is not in the Bible! The devil is adding something here to make the whole thing burdensome.
God only tells us to forgive because God in Christ has forgiven us a debt we cannot pay. When we do this, we do ourselves a favour because bitterness and unforgiveness in the heart can sometimes destroy our health!
So just forgive and let God take care of the rest. When you really forgive, sometimes, He makes you forget. But sometimes, you still remember the incident because it was a major thing in your life. Yet, when you look back at it, the pain is no more there. The sting is gone and you are not bitter.
Joseph forgave his brothers before they came and bowed before him. He remembered what they did to him, but he did not remember it with bitterness. (Genesis 50:15–21) So you may remember the incident, but the bitterness is gone because you have put the cross in the picture — “God in Christ forgave me. Daddy, I forgive you. Mama, I forgive you. My cousin, I forgive you.”
When you forgive, forgive by faith, not by your feelings. We live by faith, not feelings. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Some people are waiting for feelings — “I am waiting, Father, for the right emotion to come on me to forgive.” You will wait forever!
No, forgive by faith, and do it once and for all. Spend time in prayer. Take out your diary and write it down: “Father, I bring this person before you. You know what he did to me. Father, as You forgave me through Jesus’ cross, even though I did not deserve it, by faith, I now forgive this person and I let my anger against him go in Jesus’ name. Amen!”
Once you forgive by faith this way, you will see the sting of bitterness removed from your heart. You will experience the peace and joy of God filling your mind, and see a greater measure of wholeness in your body
Ephesians 4:32
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
People like to say, “I can forgive, but I cannot forget.” Have you heard that before? Now, in the first place, nowhere in the Bible does God tell you to forgive and then to forget. It is not in the Bible! The devil is adding something here to make the whole thing burdensome.
God only tells us to forgive because God in Christ has forgiven us a debt we cannot pay. When we do this, we do ourselves a favour because bitterness and unforgiveness in the heart can sometimes destroy our health!
So just forgive and let God take care of the rest. When you really forgive, sometimes, He makes you forget. But sometimes, you still remember the incident because it was a major thing in your life. Yet, when you look back at it, the pain is no more there. The sting is gone and you are not bitter.
Joseph forgave his brothers before they came and bowed before him. He remembered what they did to him, but he did not remember it with bitterness. (Genesis 50:15–21) So you may remember the incident, but the bitterness is gone because you have put the cross in the picture — “God in Christ forgave me. Daddy, I forgive you. Mama, I forgive you. My cousin, I forgive you.”
When you forgive, forgive by faith, not by your feelings. We live by faith, not feelings. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Some people are waiting for feelings — “I am waiting, Father, for the right emotion to come on me to forgive.” You will wait forever!
No, forgive by faith, and do it once and for all. Spend time in prayer. Take out your diary and write it down: “Father, I bring this person before you. You know what he did to me. Father, as You forgave me through Jesus’ cross, even though I did not deserve it, by faith, I now forgive this person and I let my anger against him go in Jesus’ name. Amen!”
Once you forgive by faith this way, you will see the sting of bitterness removed from your heart. You will experience the peace and joy of God filling your mind, and see a greater measure of wholeness in your body
Monday, May 5, 2008
Working Out Of Rest
Hebrews 4:3
3For we who have believed do enter that rest…
Naturally speaking, when we rest, we don’t work. So what does working out of rest mean? Well, let me share with you what the Lord had taught me.
Many years ago, when I first started preaching, I would prepare diligently for all my sermons. All my points were really fine-tuned and I made sure that everything was in place. I would think to myself, “Man, I am going to share this... and that…”
But when I preached, I would forget to mention certain points. Because of that, I would get angry with myself. I would tell myself, “That was such a good point. Why didn’t I share it? How could I forget?”
Then, God began to speak to me. He said, “Son, your preaching is not out of rest. It is out of your memory.” What He said next changed my life, not just in the area of preaching, but also in every other area of my life, and I pray that it will bless you too. He said, “Prepare what you need to prepare. But when you stand in front of the people, whatever you need to say, I will give it to you.”
Yes, there must be preparation, whether it is your sermon or sales presentation. I am not telling you to be lazy and just do nothing. You need to prepare and do your homework, but don’t depend on it. Just trust God and tell yourself that whatever you forget, God wants it forgotten. And whatever you didn’t plan to say but said, it is because God wanted it said. Don’t be stressed out and brought out of your rest by thinking, “I must know everything, I must remember everything and deliver everything I have prepared!”
No, believe God and be at rest. When the time comes, whatever you need to know, there and then, God will let you know. Whatever you don’t need to know, you don’t need to know. And don’t worry about what you didn’t say — believe that God didn’t want it said.
My friend, when you live life like that — trusting God and resting in His love for you — you become cool and collected. And when you are peaceful and at rest in Him, what you do prospers!
3For we who have believed do enter that rest…
Naturally speaking, when we rest, we don’t work. So what does working out of rest mean? Well, let me share with you what the Lord had taught me.
Many years ago, when I first started preaching, I would prepare diligently for all my sermons. All my points were really fine-tuned and I made sure that everything was in place. I would think to myself, “Man, I am going to share this... and that…”
But when I preached, I would forget to mention certain points. Because of that, I would get angry with myself. I would tell myself, “That was such a good point. Why didn’t I share it? How could I forget?”
Then, God began to speak to me. He said, “Son, your preaching is not out of rest. It is out of your memory.” What He said next changed my life, not just in the area of preaching, but also in every other area of my life, and I pray that it will bless you too. He said, “Prepare what you need to prepare. But when you stand in front of the people, whatever you need to say, I will give it to you.”
Yes, there must be preparation, whether it is your sermon or sales presentation. I am not telling you to be lazy and just do nothing. You need to prepare and do your homework, but don’t depend on it. Just trust God and tell yourself that whatever you forget, God wants it forgotten. And whatever you didn’t plan to say but said, it is because God wanted it said. Don’t be stressed out and brought out of your rest by thinking, “I must know everything, I must remember everything and deliver everything I have prepared!”
No, believe God and be at rest. When the time comes, whatever you need to know, there and then, God will let you know. Whatever you don’t need to know, you don’t need to know. And don’t worry about what you didn’t say — believe that God didn’t want it said.
My friend, when you live life like that — trusting God and resting in His love for you — you become cool and collected. And when you are peaceful and at rest in Him, what you do prospers!
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God Helps The Helpless
Psalm 63:7
7Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
I have had people tell me, “Pastor Prince, please pray for me. I can’t see a way out of the mess I am in. I know this whole thing is my fault. Right now, I don’t even know whether God will hear my prayers.”
If you think about it, a whole lot of our troubles are of our own making. But it is when we deserve the punishment and not the blessing that we can receive grace — the undeserved favour and unmerited help of God!
When we stop trying to be deserving of God’s help, we find God more than willing to be our saviour. But when we continue to try to work things out, we are our own saviours. God will say, “Save yourself because I can’t help you when you don’t need My help.”
You might be thinking, “But Pastor Prince, don’t you know, God helps those who help themselves?”
Contrary to popular belief, this saying that “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible! God does not help those who help themselves. God helps those who are helpless and dependant on Him. He helps those who look to Him as their only source of help for their problem.
If you say, “My problem is that I am so weak.” God says, “That is not a problem. I am your strength.”
If you say, “Lord, my face is the problem. I am ugly.” God says, “My face will shine on yours. I am your glory.”
If you say, “Lord, I am the problem. I am a nobody.” God says, “I will make you a somebody.”
Unfortunately, many of us are still trying to help ourselves, thinking that for certain matters, we don’t really need God. But God says, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Do we really believe that? Or do we believe that without Him, we still can do some things to help ourselves?
Only when we realise that we can do nothing, and are nothing in and of ourselves, can we do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13) Then, we will see the undeserved, unmerited help and favour of God deliver us from every evil!
7Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
I have had people tell me, “Pastor Prince, please pray for me. I can’t see a way out of the mess I am in. I know this whole thing is my fault. Right now, I don’t even know whether God will hear my prayers.”
If you think about it, a whole lot of our troubles are of our own making. But it is when we deserve the punishment and not the blessing that we can receive grace — the undeserved favour and unmerited help of God!
When we stop trying to be deserving of God’s help, we find God more than willing to be our saviour. But when we continue to try to work things out, we are our own saviours. God will say, “Save yourself because I can’t help you when you don’t need My help.”
You might be thinking, “But Pastor Prince, don’t you know, God helps those who help themselves?”
Contrary to popular belief, this saying that “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible! God does not help those who help themselves. God helps those who are helpless and dependant on Him. He helps those who look to Him as their only source of help for their problem.
If you say, “My problem is that I am so weak.” God says, “That is not a problem. I am your strength.”
If you say, “Lord, my face is the problem. I am ugly.” God says, “My face will shine on yours. I am your glory.”
If you say, “Lord, I am the problem. I am a nobody.” God says, “I will make you a somebody.”
Unfortunately, many of us are still trying to help ourselves, thinking that for certain matters, we don’t really need God. But God says, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Do we really believe that? Or do we believe that without Him, we still can do some things to help ourselves?
Only when we realise that we can do nothing, and are nothing in and of ourselves, can we do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13) Then, we will see the undeserved, unmerited help and favour of God deliver us from every evil!
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Sunday, May 4, 2008
Neil Diamond sings "Amazing Grace" on American Idol
This is what God's Grace can do..Halleluyah!
Praise God!
Praise God!
'God, What's The Hurry?'
Luke 15:22
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.’”
If you are a believer, you are probably familiar with the story of the prodigal son that Jesus shared. Who do you think represents the father in the story? Jesus’ Father in heaven, of course. Jesus was giving us a picture of His Father, who is also our Father.
In the story, the father was seen running towards his son, who was returning home. (Luke 15:20) Do you realise that God is never described as being in a hurry in the Bible? God is always cool and composed. The only time He is portrayed as being in a hurry is in this story. The father held up his robe and ran. Where was he running to? And why was he in such a hurry?
The father was in a hurry because he had seen his son, who was still a long way from home. He was running towards His child. He could not wait to hold His child tight in His arms and to kiss him. (Luke 15:20)
The father was in a hurry to clothe him with the best robe. Once, a prince named Jonathan gave his princely robe to David, bestowing on him his princely position. (1 Samuel 18:4) God has put the best robe on us, and in doing so, He was not bestowing but reinstating our positions, which we had lost when Adam fell, as kings of the Most High God. (Revelation 1:6)
The father was in a hurry to put a ring on his hand. Like the authority held by the signet ring of a rich man’s son, God is eager to put back into our hands the authority to invoke His name so that we can walk in dominion every day.
The father was in a hurry to put sandals on his feet to assure him that he was still his son — only servants went about barefoot. God never wants us to feel like outcasts. We are always His sons and daughters.
Beloved, if God appears to be in a hurry, it is because He is in a hurry to assure you of your position as His precious child!
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.’”
If you are a believer, you are probably familiar with the story of the prodigal son that Jesus shared. Who do you think represents the father in the story? Jesus’ Father in heaven, of course. Jesus was giving us a picture of His Father, who is also our Father.
In the story, the father was seen running towards his son, who was returning home. (Luke 15:20) Do you realise that God is never described as being in a hurry in the Bible? God is always cool and composed. The only time He is portrayed as being in a hurry is in this story. The father held up his robe and ran. Where was he running to? And why was he in such a hurry?
The father was in a hurry because he had seen his son, who was still a long way from home. He was running towards His child. He could not wait to hold His child tight in His arms and to kiss him. (Luke 15:20)
The father was in a hurry to clothe him with the best robe. Once, a prince named Jonathan gave his princely robe to David, bestowing on him his princely position. (1 Samuel 18:4) God has put the best robe on us, and in doing so, He was not bestowing but reinstating our positions, which we had lost when Adam fell, as kings of the Most High God. (Revelation 1:6)
The father was in a hurry to put a ring on his hand. Like the authority held by the signet ring of a rich man’s son, God is eager to put back into our hands the authority to invoke His name so that we can walk in dominion every day.
The father was in a hurry to put sandals on his feet to assure him that he was still his son — only servants went about barefoot. God never wants us to feel like outcasts. We are always His sons and daughters.
Beloved, if God appears to be in a hurry, it is because He is in a hurry to assure you of your position as His precious child!
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Called From Your Mother's Womb
Galatians 1:15
15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace...
God has specially called you from your mother’s womb. You have a calling and a destiny in Christ!
There are Christians who are called by God to be doctors. But I believe that among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs for the healing ministry. They are passionate about seeking cures to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.
Likewise, I think that there are Christians who are called by God to be teachers in secular schools. But among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs to be Bible teachers. What gives them tremendous fulfilment is seeing lives saved and transformed under their teaching.
What about those famous magicians you see performing tricks on television? They have a love for the mystical and supernatural. If they were to become Christians, they might just become prophets with ministries marked by the miraculous!
The apostle Paul knew that he was called from his mother’s womb. He had a misguided passion for God though, as he was persecuting the church, until he had his encounter with Jesus. (Acts 8:3, 9:1–6) If Paul, a terrorist to the early church, could be touched by Christ to become an apostle of grace, what about today’s terrorists who kill in the name of God? For all you know, if they receive Christ, they might just become trailblazers in the kingdom of God!
Now, don’t think that your calling has to do with your qualifications, abilities, achievements or even your walk with God. You were called from your mother’s womb. As a foetus in your mother’s womb, there was not much you could do — good or bad. That is why your calling is all by His grace. And since He has given you a calling, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the desires that He has placed in your heart, the passions that drive you in life, and fulfil your calling and destiny in Christ!
15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace...
God has specially called you from your mother’s womb. You have a calling and a destiny in Christ!
There are Christians who are called by God to be doctors. But I believe that among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs for the healing ministry. They are passionate about seeking cures to alleviate the sufferings of humanity.
Likewise, I think that there are Christians who are called by God to be teachers in secular schools. But among them are those separated from their mothers’ wombs to be Bible teachers. What gives them tremendous fulfilment is seeing lives saved and transformed under their teaching.
What about those famous magicians you see performing tricks on television? They have a love for the mystical and supernatural. If they were to become Christians, they might just become prophets with ministries marked by the miraculous!
The apostle Paul knew that he was called from his mother’s womb. He had a misguided passion for God though, as he was persecuting the church, until he had his encounter with Jesus. (Acts 8:3, 9:1–6) If Paul, a terrorist to the early church, could be touched by Christ to become an apostle of grace, what about today’s terrorists who kill in the name of God? For all you know, if they receive Christ, they might just become trailblazers in the kingdom of God!
Now, don’t think that your calling has to do with your qualifications, abilities, achievements or even your walk with God. You were called from your mother’s womb. As a foetus in your mother’s womb, there was not much you could do — good or bad. That is why your calling is all by His grace. And since He has given you a calling, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the desires that He has placed in your heart, the passions that drive you in life, and fulfil your calling and destiny in Christ!
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The Mind Of Christ Doesn't Grow Old
1 Corinthians 2:16
16... we have the mind of Christ.
“Oh dear, my memory is not as good as it used to be. I must be getting old.”
Have you heard that before? Maybe you have even said it yourself a couple of times!
But who says that as you grow older, you are supposed to forget things?
When the late Reverend Kenneth E Hagin was in his eighties, he was still healthy and strong. This amazing man of God would run around the platform as he preached. And if you have ever heard him preach, you would have heard him say things like, “In 1936, on September 13 at 3.30pm, it was a Wednesday…” Even at that age, the man’s memory was superb!
But he shared one time about how he had started to forget things when he was in his fifties. He had read a medical journal which said that every day millions of cells in our brains die. He didn’t realise it, but those words got into his spirit and he started to forget things.
So he asked the Lord, “What is happening to me?” And the Lord said, “You read that article and you believed it.” He repented and asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord said, “Confess My Word. My Word says that you have the mind of Christ, and the mind of Christ never forgets.” He started to confess that he had the mind of Christ and that was how his memory remained sharp for the rest of his life.
My friend, the Word of God says that you have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is not forgetful, slow or old! I don’t care how old you get. You don’t have to become forgetful. Don’t believe and confess what medical science or your friends say. Believe and confess the Word of God which brings life.
The power of life and death is in your tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) So use your tongue for life. Don’t sit around saying, “I am getting old and forgetful.” Say, “I have the mind of Christ. My mind is sharp and quick because it is the mind of Christ!” Believe it, confess it, and see your thinking and memory live up to it!
16... we have the mind of Christ.
“Oh dear, my memory is not as good as it used to be. I must be getting old.”
Have you heard that before? Maybe you have even said it yourself a couple of times!
But who says that as you grow older, you are supposed to forget things?
When the late Reverend Kenneth E Hagin was in his eighties, he was still healthy and strong. This amazing man of God would run around the platform as he preached. And if you have ever heard him preach, you would have heard him say things like, “In 1936, on September 13 at 3.30pm, it was a Wednesday…” Even at that age, the man’s memory was superb!
But he shared one time about how he had started to forget things when he was in his fifties. He had read a medical journal which said that every day millions of cells in our brains die. He didn’t realise it, but those words got into his spirit and he started to forget things.
So he asked the Lord, “What is happening to me?” And the Lord said, “You read that article and you believed it.” He repented and asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord said, “Confess My Word. My Word says that you have the mind of Christ, and the mind of Christ never forgets.” He started to confess that he had the mind of Christ and that was how his memory remained sharp for the rest of his life.
My friend, the Word of God says that you have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is not forgetful, slow or old! I don’t care how old you get. You don’t have to become forgetful. Don’t believe and confess what medical science or your friends say. Believe and confess the Word of God which brings life.
The power of life and death is in your tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) So use your tongue for life. Don’t sit around saying, “I am getting old and forgetful.” Say, “I have the mind of Christ. My mind is sharp and quick because it is the mind of Christ!” Believe it, confess it, and see your thinking and memory live up to it!
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God Will Surely Show You Kindness
2 Samuel 9:7
7So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
When the people in the palace heard that King Saul and his son Jonathan had died in battle, they panicked. Fearful that David was coming to seize the throne, and kill all the sons and grandsons of Saul, they ran for their lives. A nurse took Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and ran. But as she fled, the five-year-old boy fell and became lame in both feet. (2 Samuel 4:4)
The poor boy would not have been crippled if they had known that David actually loved Jonathan and Saul, and would have looked after Jonathan’s boy because he had made a covenant with Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:3)
In this story, King Saul represents the human race. He is like Adam who sinned against God and forfeited all that God gave to man. He had the position, but not the power anymore because of sin. Jonathan, who came from Saul, represents Jesus, who came as a human. Jonathan was not like Saul — he was good, just as Jesus is not like Adam — He is the perfect Man. David represents God. So Jonathan’s covenant with David speaks of Jesus’ covenant with God. Mephibosheth represents believers today who are “lame” in some way — sick, depressed, fearful, poor and so on.
Now, Mephibosheth became lame because of bad news that was based on a lie. Many believers today are suffering needlessly because they believe the wrong things about God. They think, “My sin has found me out! God is coming after me!”
Well, I have good news for all Mephibosheths: David is not after your life! When David looked for Mephibosheth, it was to show him kindness, to take care of him and restore to him the land that belonged to Saul his grandfather.
Likewise, God is not out to get you. He knows all about your sins and still loves you. That is why He sent Jesus as the payment for your sins. And because of Jesus’ covenant with Him, He says to you, “Don’t be afraid, I will surely show you kindness. I will restore all to you and you shall always eat at My table!”
7So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
When the people in the palace heard that King Saul and his son Jonathan had died in battle, they panicked. Fearful that David was coming to seize the throne, and kill all the sons and grandsons of Saul, they ran for their lives. A nurse took Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and ran. But as she fled, the five-year-old boy fell and became lame in both feet. (2 Samuel 4:4)
The poor boy would not have been crippled if they had known that David actually loved Jonathan and Saul, and would have looked after Jonathan’s boy because he had made a covenant with Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:3)
In this story, King Saul represents the human race. He is like Adam who sinned against God and forfeited all that God gave to man. He had the position, but not the power anymore because of sin. Jonathan, who came from Saul, represents Jesus, who came as a human. Jonathan was not like Saul — he was good, just as Jesus is not like Adam — He is the perfect Man. David represents God. So Jonathan’s covenant with David speaks of Jesus’ covenant with God. Mephibosheth represents believers today who are “lame” in some way — sick, depressed, fearful, poor and so on.
Now, Mephibosheth became lame because of bad news that was based on a lie. Many believers today are suffering needlessly because they believe the wrong things about God. They think, “My sin has found me out! God is coming after me!”
Well, I have good news for all Mephibosheths: David is not after your life! When David looked for Mephibosheth, it was to show him kindness, to take care of him and restore to him the land that belonged to Saul his grandfather.
Likewise, God is not out to get you. He knows all about your sins and still loves you. That is why He sent Jesus as the payment for your sins. And because of Jesus’ covenant with Him, He says to you, “Don’t be afraid, I will surely show you kindness. I will restore all to you and you shall always eat at My table!”
Labels:
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vitamin for the soul
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