YOUR ANSWER IS FOUND IN A PERSON

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24–25

The flesh in us can produce a whole gamut of emotions and thoughts, from defeat, jealousy, greed, and lust to anger, inferiority, condemnation, and arrogance. As long as we are in this physical body, the flesh is active in us.

But we can rejoice because when Jesus died on the cross, the Word of God tells us that He “condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). All the negative thoughts and toxic emotions from the flesh have already been judged and punished at the cross. Today we can experience victory over the flesh through the power of the cross.

You can read all about the apostle Paul’s struggle with the flesh in Romans 7:18–19: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (emphasis mine).

Did you notice how many times the words “I,” “me,” and “my” are mentioned in just the two verses above? I’m sure you can identify with the apostle Paul here in his struggle with the flesh. It’s the struggle we all face when we are occupied with ourselves and warring with the flesh within us. It’s a life of vexation, angst, defeat, and despair.

This is not where God wants you to live, my friend. A believer doesn’t live in Romans chapter 7. Through Christ Jesus, we should be living in Romans chapter 8. Let’s read on and discover how Paul broke free from this bondage of self.

Just a few verses later, Paul cries out, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). The answer, my friend, is found in a person, and Paul tells us this person is Jesus: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:25).

Only our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ, can deliver us from the flesh. And in Christ, we can step into the first and second verse of Romans chapter 8, which proclaims, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (NASB). This is where we as new creation believers ought to live. Not in the domain of constant struggle and despair, but in the domain of no condemnation and victory.   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

TIME TO USE YOUR AUTHORITY

The problem with the body of Christ today is not that we are not praying. We are praying. But many of us are praying desperate prayers. We are praying, “God, help…God, please…God, do something about my problem!”

If you are smiling a little by now, most likely, you know about such prayers and might have prayed a couple yourself. My friend, God does not want you to pray pleading prayers all the time. He wants you to use the authority He has given you to pray powerful prayers, to boldly command and to “stretch out your hand” and see miracles happen.

When Moses stood before the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, the Bible tells us that he cried out to God. But God told him, “Why do you cry to Me?”

There is a time for you to cry out to God and there is a time for you to use your authority. God told Moses, “Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.”

The “rod” you have today is the name of Jesus. As you command in Jesus’ name, your “sea” will open and you will go on dry ground through the midst of your problem.

Do you realize that Jesus did not say, “Go and pray for the sick”? He said, “Go and heal the sick” (Matthew 10:8). So stop pleading and asking all the time, and start using the authority you have in Christ.

Jesus told the church, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…” (Matthew 28:18–19). My friend, God wants you to go and use the authority that He has given you. And as you go, miracles will flow!   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

GOD IS A PRACTICAL GOD

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  Matthew 6:31–32

Our God is a practical God, who is interested in providing for your practical daily needs. Take a look at Jesus throughout the four Gospel accounts.

To those who were hungry, He provided food by multiplying the loaves and fish. To the fishermen who toiled all night and caught nothing, He gave them more than a boatload of fish. Jesus didn’t stop there—whoever encountered Him received from Him what they lacked. He healed the broken hearted and gave sight to the blind. The sick who came to Him were all healed. Even the dead received His resurrection life!

My friend, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever! He is still providing. So whatever you need today, whether it is wisdom, favour, healing or divine strength, go to Him. He is a practical God.   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

ONLY BELIEVE

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:14–15

Do you know why Jesus chose the cross? He went to the cross so that whoever believes in Him can receive the gift of eternal life.

Whoever believes. That is all you need to do to step into the inheritance that was purchased for you with the blood of the Son of God. Believe in HIM. Believe in Jesus. Believe in what He has done for you at the cross. Believe that all your sins have been imputed to Him and all His righteousness has been imputed to you (see 2 Cor. 5:21). Believe in the divine exchange. Believe in His love. Believe that all your sins have been punished at the cross and that through Jesus you have received the gifts of righteousness and eternal life.

Look at John 3:15 again. Tell me, who qualifies for salvation? The Word of God doesn’t say, “Whoever obeys Him perfectly and keeps all His commandments.” It doesn’t say, “Whoever never fails again.” It simply says, “Whoever believes in Him.” Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. The only action needed on your part is to believe!

Pastor Prince, how can simply believing in Jesus make me righteous? There must be something more that I must do to earn and deserve God’s love for me.

Don’t write it off just because it sounds simple, and don’t underestimate the power of right believing. When you believe right—when you believe that you are made righteous through Jesus—you will end up producing the fruits of righteousness. The apostle Paul refers to “the fruits of righteousness” in Philippians 1:11, and he specifies that they are “by Jesus Christ.” When you set your eyes on Jesus and Jesus alone as the source of your righteousness and forgiveness, you will end up producing the fruits of righteousness, holiness, and moral character.

Indeed, the Bible tells us it is when we don’t see or have forgotten that we have been cleansed from our old sins that we end up lacking in self-control, godliness, and brotherly love (see 2 Pet. 1:5–9). Can you see how when you believe right, you will end up living right? So make Jesus, His forgiveness, and His love the centre of every part of your life!   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

THE GRACIOUS GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

If you struggle, as many believers do, with whether you deserve to be blessed, favoured, and victorious, you are asking the wrong question.

The question you should be asking is, does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favoured, and victorious? Because you are in Christ, having a blessed future is not contingent on how much you strive to be perfect or how hard you work at changing yourself. It is contingent on the person of Jesus.

The Bible proclaims, “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favoured, and victorious? Then so do you! This is what being in Christ Jesus means. It means that today, God assesses you and sees you based on the perfection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ righteousness is your righteousness. In fact, the Bible explains that because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, we are now the righteousness of God in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:21).

“Righteousness” is a legal term. It means to have right standing before God. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words defines righteousness as “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.” In other words, your right standing before God is based upon Jesus’ right standing before God.

Today, you are as righteous as Jesus because your righteousness is from Him. He purchased it for you at the cross. When you received Him as your Lord and Savior, He took away all your unrighteousness once and for all and gave you His gift of righteousness. This righteousness is something that you can never obtain or achieve through your right doing; it can only be received by your right believing in Jesus.

And do you know what happens when you receive this gift of righteousness? The Bible declares that “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17). Hey, when you reign, your addictions don’t. When you reign, sicknesses don’t. When you reign, fear, depression, and every obstacle that is obstructing you from living your life to the fullest will be torn down and flushed out!  (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

LET GOD LOVE YOU INSTEAD

“You have to love God more! You must have more passion for God!” You have probably heard this type of preaching and may have 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 (see Deuteronomy 6:5), and even Jesus taught that as the great commandment when He walked on earth (see Matthew 22:37). But that was before He died on the cross. At the cross, He became the very fulfillment 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 (see 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 on 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!    (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

OUR COVENANT-KEEPING GOD

Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”…So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River…”  Genesis 15:7–8, 18, NLT

When God promised to give Abraham the land, Abraham asked, “God, how can I be sure?” And as if His word wasn’t good enough, God went one step further and cut a covenant with Abraham, binding Himself irrevocably to it to reassure His friend that He would do as promised.

Let me say something about God’s covenants. They can never be broken, only replaced with a better one. My friend, God will do as He has promised you, and to set your heart at ease, He bound Himself to a covenant with you when He cut it with your representative, Jesus, at Calvary.

So rest easy in the knowledge that you have a covenant-keeping God who CANNOT break His covenant or renege on His promises. Simply lean on HIS faithfulness and like Abraham, you will walk in your inheritance and healing.   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

THE BLOOD OF JESUS PROTECTS

For more than 400 years, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Life for them was one of hard labour, pain, loss and even death. When Moses their deliverer came, what soon followed was one plague after another on the Egyptians. But none of the plagues caused Pharaoh to release the Israelites until they put the blood on their doorposts. What nine plagues could not do, the blood did! The Israelites were finally set free because of the blood.

Are you under any kind of bondage? Are your loved ones held captive by the destroyer who is bent on destroying them? Plead the blood of the Lamb of God over all that is yours and your family’s. When nothing else seems to work, His blood always works!

When I was a teenager doing a stint as a relief teacher in a primary school, one of the girls in my class was absent from school one day. I didn’t think too much about her absence until I returned home that afternoon. As I was praying, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for her protection and to cover her with the precious blood of Jesus.

It was revealed later on that she had been abducted by a notorious serial killer who had murdered a number of young children. My pupil recounted how she had been tied up and offered to the “deities” the killer had in his flat. Miraculously, he released her when the evil spirits found her to be an unsuitable offering.

Why was this pupil released unharmed? I believe that she was presented to the deities on the same afternoon that I pleaded the blood of Jesus over her. Of course, the evil spirits did not want her because the Most High God would not allow them to have her. God was protecting her. She was set free because of the blood of Jesus!

You see, when you plead the blood of Jesus, the destroyer cannot come near. When he sees the blood, he must respect the blood. He cannot touch what is covered by the blood. The blood of Jesus truly protects and sets you free!   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission). 

JESUS, OUR PERFECT HERO

His mouth is most sweet, yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!  Song of Solomon 5:16

Jesus is someone whom you can be completely real with. You can hang out with Him and be yourself, with no pretense and no play-acting. Jesus is ever-loving toward you and you can talk to Him about anything. He enjoys conversing with you about your dreams, aspirations and hopes. He wants to heal you of things in your past that you may be struggling with. He is interested in your present challenges. He wants to weep with you when you are down and rejoice with you in all your victories.

Jesus is love and tenderness personified. Be careful not to confuse His tenderness with the effeminate and weak images that you have seen depicted in some traditional paintings of Him. He is tenderness and strength wrapped up in one. He is meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, velvet and steel. You see, sometimes, when we attempt to be assertive and strong, we bulldoze over people’s feelings and end up hurting them with our words. When we attempt to be tender, we overdose on niceness and reduce ourselves to doormats to be taken advantage of by others.

Let’s turn away from ourselves and look at Jesus. He could sternly force a pack of scheming Pharisees to back off in one instance, challenging them by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). In the very next moment, this same Jesus could look straight into the eyes of a broken woman caught in adultery, and with compassion resonating deeply in His voice, ask her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).

This is our God!

In one moment, a tired Jesus could be fast asleep in a wind-swept fisherman’s boat, oblivious to the rough Galilean waters crashing against the hapless vessel. But in the very next moment, you see Him staring unflinchingly at the lashing waves, His well-toned carpenter’s arms raised to the sky. With His single declaration of absolute authority over heaven and earth, the waves submitted and calmed instantaneously into a placid mirror of stillness (Mark 4:37–39).

Jesus is 100 percent Man and at the same time 100 percent God. As Man, He understands and identifies with all that you have gone through, are going through and will ever go through in this life. But as a loving God, all His power, authority and resources are on your side. Beloved, whatever you are facing today, let your heart rest easy in His perfect love for you.   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission). 

BLESSED WHEREVER YOU ARE

You may have heard of people who think that to have better “luck,” they have to move to a new home, work for a certain company or even migrate to another country.

The truth is that it is not the place that gets you the blessings, but whether God’s blessing is on you. And for you, child of God, you are already blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:3). He has paid for your blessings with His blood. So the blessing is not on the land but on the man!

It was in the city of Jerusalem that Jesus was whipped, cursed and spat on. And it was outside the city on Calvary’s hill that He was pierced and crucified. That is why you are blessed in the city as well as outside in the country! In fact, you are blessed regardless of your location.

Perhaps you work in a non-Christian company and your boss doesn’t quite like you. In fact, he sometimes mistreats you. But God can still bless you in spite of your boss. You get blessed because you believe God for it. It has nothing to do with your boss or the company.

Why then don’t you seem to see the blessings?

My friend, if you don’t see the blessings, check what you have been believing and saying. Some people complain and blame everyone and everything around them—their parents, race, gender, environment and government—for their lack of blessings. Beloved, I want you to believe and confess that you are blessed because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, not because you are of a certain race or work in a certain place.

It does not matter where you work or live, what colour your skin is or what you do for a living. If God blesses you, you are blessed! And it is all because of Jesus. So say to yourself, “I am blessed wherever I am—blessed in the city, blessed in the country!”  (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

ASK BIG

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

John 14:13

I want to begin this day by giving you this challenge: ask God for big things! What do you desire to see in your life—in your family, health, finances, and career? What would you ask God for if you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that He is good and that His love for you endures forever? Ask God for them! Jesus came so that you might live a life that is marked not by lack, but by abundance; not by despair, but by the fullness of His love, joy, and peace.

I would like you to write down in your journal what you would ask God for if you knew that He hears your prayers. What are your dreams, hopes, and aspirations? What would you like to see come to pass in your life? What are you battling with today? Which area of your life would you like to see God’s power work in? Write it down. Write it all down. Write what you want to see happen with Bible hope in your heart that He hears you and will supply. Write with a certain, joyful, positive, and confident expectation of good.

Don’t just ask God for small things. Ask Him for big things! For instance, don’t ask Him for just a job. Ask Him for a position of influence. Don’t just ask Him to restore your health. Ask Him for a long and healthy life filled with many good days. Enlarge your faith to believe in God’s goodness. He is pleased when our faith is big. He is not offended when we ask Him for big things.

Would you do that right now? Just take a few moments and pen down your requests to God—God, who is almighty and more powerful than we can ever imagine. God, who hung the planets in their places and spoke order into the world. God, who led His people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God, who rained manna from heaven and brought forth water from dry rock. God, who turned bland waters into the finest wine. God, who made the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear. God, who multiplied five loaves of bread and two small fish to feed five thousand men. God, who raised the dead and conquered the grave.

Ask what you need of God, who loves YOU with an everlasting love!  (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).  

YOU ARE COMPLETE IN CHRIST

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.

What we think we need or are lacking in, whether it is godly character traits or physical health, we already have in Christ.

My friend, you are not going to be complete in Christ some day—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 manifesting in you! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).  

FREE AND UNDESERVED

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.  Romans 11:6, NLT

I love the apostle Paul’s description of God’s grace: free and undeserved! When you truly experience this free and undeserved favour and love from God, you don’t have to worry about performing. His love and unmerited favour within you will flush out all the wrong thinking and wrong believing, and you will produce good works—true fruits of righteousness that are lasting, sustainable, and enduring!

You may have heard a teaching going around where grace is defined as “divine empowerment.” Be careful about defining grace as mere empowerment—that is diluting and reducing what grace truly is.

Grace produces divine empowerment, but in and of itself, the essence of grace is His undeserved, unmerited, and unearned favour. When are you in your most undeserving state? When you have failed. Unmerited favour means that when you have failed and are in your most undeserving state, you can receive Jesus’ favour, blessings, love, and perfect acceptance in your life. Let me tell you, when you understand and receive grace as God’s unmerited favour, not only will you be empowered, you will be healed, and you will be changed from the inside out.

The real danger with defining grace as just divine empowerment is that we can unconsciously flip grace around and instead of seeing it as God’s work in our life, we make it our work. From being centred on what Jesus has done, the erroneous definition of grace as “empowerment” swings it to being about what you must do and how you must perform now that you have received this grace, this “divine empowerment.” Can you see this? With such a definition of grace, the onus to live the Christ life falls back squarely on your shoulders.

My friend, make sure that what you believe in your heart always points you back to Jesus and Jesus alone and not to yourself.

Remember, it is all about His work, His doing, His performance, and His love in our lives. It never points back to you. Don’t be hoodwinked by those who move away from the pristine definition of grace as God’s unmerited favour and end up making it all about you and what you need to do. That’s not grace. Grace is God’s doing—from inception and all the way to the end.

Today, receive His abundant grace—see that God has already started a good work in your life and He alone will lead you to and give you the victory in your area of need.   (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used With Kind Permission).

NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU!

Years ago, while travelling on a domestic flight in the United States, I was seated next to a woman whose whole body was tense with fear. Concerned, I asked if I could help her in any way. Between sobs, she told me about her fear of flying. I told her, “Don’t worry. I am on board. Nothing will happen to the plane.” I did not say it with pride. I said it knowing that the Lord was on board the plane with me and that I would have a safe journey because He has promised that “nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Once, when Jesus was in the boat with his disciples, He told them, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). Believing that they would cross over to the other side, He fell asleep in the stern. A great storm arose, but it could not rouse Him from His sleep, only the cries of His terrified disciples did. They had forgotten what Jesus had said about them crossing over to the other side. They had also forgotten that with Jesus in the boat with them, there was no possibility of them going down. Nothing could by any means hurt them because Jesus was with them.

Even being thrown into a fiery furnace could not hurt three young Hebrew men because they believed that God would deliver them. They had proclaimed to the heathen King Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17). And in the midst of their fiery trial, their deliverer not only walked with them in the fire, He also delivered them from all harm. King Nebuchadnezzar even said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).

Beloved, in the midst of your storm or fiery trial, because Jesus is with you, nothing shall by any means hurt you! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used With Kind Permission).

EXERCISE WISDOM AND WALK IN PROTECTION

Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!  Hebrews 13:2, NLT

If you look carefully at the Scriptures that Satan used to try to get our Lord Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, you will find that it has nothing to do with endangering yourself to test God’s protection. Psalm 91:11–12 is not encouraging you to throw yourself in harm’s way. It is saying that as you go about the course of your daily life, “in all your ways” the Lord will protect you. The Hebrew word for “ways” in verse 11 shows this clearly—it is the word "derek", which means path, road, or journey.

As you go about your daily path, there are times when the enemy may have put snares ahead of you that you are unaware of. But God will give His angels charge over you, to go ahead of you to protect you from those snares. It doesn’t mean that you should go and do something foolish and harmful to yourself to test God’s protection! Even as we trust the Lord for His divine protection, let’s exercise wisdom as well.

You may be familiar with Mark 16:18, which says, “If they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.” Now, if someone challenges you to drink poison and you willfully drink it to show that it will not hurt you, that’s just being foolish. Psalm 91:11 is talking about the paths you take as part of your normal life. Drinking poison intentionally is certainly not part of your normal life. What Mark 16:18 is saying is that should you drink something harmful without realizing it in the course of your day, the Lord will protect you from being harmed!

I have a missionary friend who told me how someone had tried to poison him while he was in the mission field. In the end, the person became a believer in the Lord Jesus because he saw the missionary innocently drinking the entire glass of poison—and suffering no ill effects. That’show Mark 16:18 applies!

And I hope you realize that God’s protection does not always have to come in the form of spectacular angelic interventions. I believe that every day, His protection over us is so supernaturally natural that many of us don’t even realize that we have been protected. Perhaps as you were stepping off the curb, you felt something hold or pull you back, and right then, a car sped past you. What do you think held or pulled you back? It may well have been an angel, not necessarily spectacularly, but supernaturally protecting you! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).  

GOD’S SUPERABOUNDING GRACE FOR YOU

If you were in the same synagogue as the man with the withered hand (see Luke 6:6–11), how would you see him and what do you think you would say to him?

Jesus was preaching in that synagogue when He saw the man with the withered hand. But He also saw superabounding grace around that hand for healing and wholeness. He sees differently from us. He sees the invisible. He sees that the kingdom of God is here, ever-present in any situation, with superabundant supply. We see only the visible, which is tangible, temporal and which seems so real to us.

But Jesus saw superabounding grace on that withered hand for healing because you do not tell a man with a withered hand, “Stretch out your hand,” unless you see the supply, the superabundance for wholeness for that hand. Jesus called forth the superabounding grace to envelop that man’s withered hand, and the hand was made whole.

It is possible for someone who is sick to have superabounding grace on him and yet that superabundance of grace does not heal his body. That is because he keeps acknowledging the lack or the problem he sees. He is more concerned with that which is visible and temporal.

Instead of calling forth, and acknowledging and confessing the superabundance of God’s grace, he confesses his negative circumstance all the time. So even though the superabounding grace is there, it is there in vain. Isn’t that sad?

Jesus called forth life, and life sprang into visibility. We must call forth what we want to see. Say, “Father, I thank You that right now, though my health is under attack, there is superabounding grace available for my healing and health. I call it forth and receive it now in Jesus’ name. Amen!”

My friend, don’t be conscious of what you see lacking or missing. Be conscious of God’s superabounding grace for you and avail yourself of it! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).  

IT'S WRITTEN ON YOUR HEART

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13

God has made it so easy for us in the new covenant to be directed by His wisdom and love. We no longer have to run to prophets to find out His will for us. He Himself leads us! For those of you who want to serve the Lord, but don’t know where to start, just ask yourself what is in your heart. If you have a desire to work among children, then do so. As a new covenant believer, that’s how your Father leads you. He puts His laws in your mind and writes them on your heart!

Perhaps you feel a prompting to bless someone financially, even though the person looks prosperous. Follow that prompting because today, God speaks to you directly and He has made it easy for you to know His will through His promptings in your heart. We all know how looks can be deceiving. For example, many con artists believe that church folks are gullible. Therefore, they dress down with a well-rehearsed sob story so as to move you to give to them. On the other hand, there are noble people who dress up on Sundays to honour the occasion, but they may be in dire straits financially. Hence, we need to follow the promptings of our hearts and not the sight of our eyes. So when you feel a desire to do something good for someone, do it, knowing that you have a brand-new heart that hears God, and that it is God who works in you both the willingness and the ability to do it!  (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).

REDEEMED FROM EVERY TYPE OF SICKNESS

The One who cleansed lepers, opened blind eyes and made the lame to walk took your sins, sicknesses and every curse when He hung on Calvary’s tree. The curses that were meant for you because of your sins fell on Him instead. He was cursed in your place to redeem you from every curse that comes as a result of breaking God’s laws.

What are these curses? They are listed in Deuteronomy 28. It is a long and detailed list. Don’t get frightened when you read the curses, but rejoice because Christ has redeemed you from every single one of them, including those curses of sicknesses!

Are you stricken with tuberculosis, fever or inflammation (see Deuteronomy 28:22)? Christ has redeemed you from every one of these conditions!

Do you have painful boils, tumors or an itch which doctors say cannot be healed (see Deuteronomy 28:27)? Christ has redeemed you from every one of these conditions!

Perhaps yours is a serious and prolonged sickness (see Deuteronomy 28:59). It doesn’t matter. Christ has redeemed you from every prolonged sickness!

“Well, Pastor Prince, you have covered tuberculosis, fever, itch…but what about my disease? It is not covered in Deuteronomy 28. Did Jesus forget my disease?”

No, His work is perfect! Look at Deuteronomy 28:61: “Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed.” That covers everything. So if Christ has redeemed you from this curse, then He has redeemed you from every type of sickness! I don’t care what new type of sickness the world discovers because Christ has redeemed us from every type of sickness!

Now, if you have a particular sickness, say, “This (name the sickness) is part of the curse of the law. But Galatians 3:13 says that Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I have been redeemed from (name the sickness)!” Believe and confess that every day, and as surely as Jesus took every curse of sickness, your healing will break forth! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).  

JESUS—THE PRINCE OF PEACE

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6–7

No matter what challenge, crisis or circumstance you are faced with today, allow His provision of peace to flow in and through you. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came to bring you peace, to anchor and to establish your heart even through the most turbulent of times.

No matter how boisterous the storm appears, how high the unemployment rates are or how low the world economy crashes, allow His peace to reign supreme in your heart and mind. It’s a peace that surpasses all human understanding, and it provides you safety, soundness of mind, stability and even sweet sleep.

How can you let your heart not be troubled nor afraid? By receiving a fresh dose of perfect peace directly from the Prince of Peace today. Turn your cares into prayers. His robust peace will bring you safely through every storm!  (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission). 

YOU HAVE IT, SO SAY IT!

Have you come across people who have little, yet even that little is taken away from them? On the other hand, there are those who already have much, yet they receive even more.

Jesus said, “To everyone who has, more will be given. From him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t go on to say what it is we have. He simply says, “But to everyone who has.”

Jesus is talking about a firm belief in God’s Word that gives one the courage to say, “I have it!” If you say that you have it, you have it, and more will be given to you. But if you say that you don’t have it, when you actually do because God has freely given us all things (see Romans 8:32), then even what you have will be taken away—not by God but by the devil! The devil does not want you to walk in God’s blessings. So when you say that you don’t have it, he can rob you of your blessings because he has your agreement!

When you need something, God says that you are to ask of Him. And when you ask, believe that you receive it (see Mark 11:24). Say you already have it even if you don’t see it in the physical realm yet, and one day, you will see it!

God is not saying, “Oh come on, pretend that you see it. And if you pretend long enough, you will have it.” This is not a game! God is telling us to call forth those things which don’t exist as though they do (see Romans 4:17).

Today, we are talking about the haves and have-nots in the church. If you believe that it is yours, you will have it. You will see yourself possessing it and enjoying it, and more will be given to you. But if you say, “Well, I don’t feel it and I’m not sure if it will come,” in essence, you are saying that you don’t have it when you actually do. Then, even what you have will be taken away. So say you have it today! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince used with kind permission).  

TEST EVERYTHING YOU HEAR WITH GOD'S WORD

Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21

I encourage you to test everything you hear with God’s Word. I always tell my church to read the Bible for themselves instead of simply swallowing all that any preacher, including myself, says. Be wise and don’t just swallow everything—hook, line, sinker, fisherman and even his boots! Be discerning when you hear something that does not sit well in your spirit, such as when a preacher tells you that “God gives you sicknesses to teach you a lesson.” Ask yourself, “Is this in line with the new covenant of God’s unmerited favour? Are there new covenant scriptures to back up this teaching?”

The answer is obvious once you align it with Jesus and what He has done on the cross for you! Why would God give you sicknesses when Jesus has taken every sickness and disease upon His own body at the cross? With full assurance in your heart that sickness is not from God, you can have faith to be healed! But what assurance can you have if you believe the lie that the condition is from God? Now, instead of thinking that God is against you, you realize that He is on your side! Your confidence is restored, faith is renewed and His healing can flow unabated through every cell, tissue and organ in your body!

Let me just share with you the words of Miles Coverdale, who said, “It shall greatly help thee to understand scripture, if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and unto whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstance, considering what goeth before, and what followeth after.”

Essentially, he was saying that to understand the Bible, we need to read everything in its context. What powerful advice from the man who translated and produced the first English Bible in the 16th century.

My friend, rightly divide the covenants whenever you read the Bible and you will never be ashamed. Now that you have received Jesus into your life, you are under the new covenant and it is your new covenant right to enjoy Jesus’ unmerited favour to succeed in life! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

HOW DO YOU SEE GOD?

The way you see Jesus, the revelation that you have of Him, will not affect God’s acceptance of you. But it will affect your acceptance of what God has for you. It will affect how you receive from Him.

Consider the Roman centurion who told Jesus, “You don’t have to come to my house. Just speak the word and my servant at home will be healed” (see Luke 7:6–7). Compare him with Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue, who told Jesus, “My daughter is dying. Please come to my house and lay Your hands on her, and she shall live” (see Mark 5:22–23).

Do you know that Jesus does not have to go to your house to heal you? So why did Jesus follow Jairus to his house? Jesus had to come down to Jairus’ level of faith. Jairus believed that his daughter could be healed, but only if Jesus came and laid His hands on her.

The centurion was different. He said, “Lord, You don’t have to come to my house. I know who You are.” This centurion believed that Jesus did not have to come to his house for his servant to be healed. He believed that Jesus only needed to speak the word. He said to Jesus, “Just speak the word and my servant at home will be healed.”

Do you know who Jesus is? The centurion had a greater understanding of who Jesus is than Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, and he wasn’t even a Jew!

Jesus asked his disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He even remarked, “O you of little faith” (Matthew 6:30). But to the woman whose daughter was demon-possessed, He said, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28). And to the centurion, He declared, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

My desire is for you to have an accurate understanding of who Jesus is because when your revelation of Jesus is big, you will know what has been freely given to you. And when you know what is yours in Christ Jesus, you will be rich in all things! 

 (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

OPEN UP THE SCRIPTURES

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17, NASB

When I was studying the Emmaus story, I asked the Lord why He chose to restrain the eyes of the two disciples such that they couldn’t recognize Him (see Luke 24:13–35). I asked Him, “Wouldn’t it have been better for them to see You with Your nail-pierced hands?” Wouldn’t it have been better if Jesus had walked down the busiest streets of Jerusalem, lifted up His hands, and hollered, “Yo! Everyone, check this out!”

But Jesus knew that doing that would not produce true faith. He revealed to me that it was more important for the disciples to see Him in the Word than to see Him in person. Wow, those words brought so much hope and encouragement to my heart. If the faith of the disciples was based on them seeing Jesus physically in the flesh, then what hope do we have today? Jesus purposefully restrained their eyes so that they would see Him first in the Scriptures. That places you and me on equal ground and with equal opportunity as the two disciples. Jesus wants us all to see Him in the Word.

God’s Word tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17, NASB). This means that the more you hear Jesus unveiled, expounded upon, and pointed to in the Scriptures, the more faith will be imparted to your heart to believe everything God’s Word says about you. Could it be that the reason many believers are still living in defeat today is that Jesus has not been unveiled in the Scriptures to them?

The gospel is all about Jesus. It’s not about right doing. It’s all about right believing about Jesus that makes a difference in people’s lives. The apostle Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Rom. 1:16–17).

That’s the gospel that I am not ashamed of. I pray that you will experience your own Emmaus Road journey as you open up the Scriptures and allow His Word to bathe your heart in the warmth of His loving grace and tender mercies. It’s truly all about Jesus! (Article and Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).