WATCH WHAT JESUS DOES

You may have heard from friends or seen in Christian books the popular question, “What would Jesus do?” It is a question Christians are taught to ask themselves when faced with a problem.

But when you ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” in any situation, it is subject to your own interpretation and theology. For example, if you are from a church that doesn’t believe that Jesus heals today, you may think that this is how Jesus would pray for the sick, “O Father, give him patience to endure his sufferings,” and proceed to pray that way for a sick person. So when you try to think of what Jesus would do, you are going back to your flesh!

Maybe the reminder should be, “Watch what Jesus does.” When I preach, I watch what Jesus is doing or leading me to do. If He prompts me to say or do something, I say or do it. I know that I am not in the pulpit to manifest Pastor Prince or his flesh, but to manifest Jesus Christ, with whom nothing is impossible!

One Sunday service, prompted by God, I shared with the congregation that He wanted to restore lost items. The following week, a church member wrote, “Last Sunday, Pastor Prince, you mentioned that the Lord would help us recover lost items. I knew that the word was for me. My diamond bracelet and ring had been missing for weeks…Praise God, when I returned home that day, my maid placed the lost items in my hands. She found them at 10.30 that morning while I was still worshiping in church.”

On another occasion, I was praying for a wheelchair-bound lady when I felt God telling me to pull her up from her wheelchair. Boy, was I glad that before I realized what I was doing, she was standing up on her feet unaided! Now, if I had taken some time to think—“My goodness, what am I doing?”—my thinking could have obstructed my obedience to God’s prompting.

So when you are led to talk to someone, watch what Jesus does. When you pray for your child, watch what Jesus does. When you confess God’s Word into your situation, watch what Jesus does! Keep your eyes on Jesus, with whom nothing is impossible!  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).

 

DESIRE GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR, NOT FAVORITISM

And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.  Acts 7:9–10

It is important for you to recognize that there is a significant difference between God’s unmerited favor and favoritism. God’s unmerited favor is based entirely on Jesus’ merit, and we received it through His finished work at the cross. We did nothing to deserve His favor. It is completely unmerited. Favoritism, however, stinks of self-effort. Individuals who rely on favoritism for promotion have to resort to apple polishing, office politics, manipulative tactics, backstabbing, and all kinds of compromises just to get what they want. They use all their efforts to open doors for themselves, and in the process, they lose themselves.

God has a higher and better way for you. It hurts Him to see His precious children groveling like sycophants just to get ahead in life. If a door closes, so be it! Believe with full confidence that God has a better way for you. You do not have to depend on favoritism to keep opportunities open for yourself when you have God’s unmerited favor!

That was how Joseph operated. He depended on the Lord for his success, and not on favoritism, which would have required him to compromise his beliefs. When Potiphar’s wife, who was likely one of the most beautiful women in the land, kept trying to seduce Joseph to sleep with her, Joseph stood his ground on the firm foundation of unmerited favor.

He refused, saying, “There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he [Potiphar] kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

From his words, it is clear that Joseph knew the source of his success, favor, and blessings. He did not see giving in to Potiphar’s wife as a great wickedness and sin against Potiphar alone, but against God too. He knew that every blessing that he had experienced was a result of the Lord’s favor on him. He knew that it was not Potiphar who promoted him from the position of a lowly slave to become the overseer of Potiphar’s entire estate. It was the Lord!

Similarly in your life, know and rejoice that it is the Lord who is the source of your blessings and success! You don’t have to resort to trying to win the favor of significant people in your life. It is the Lord’s favor on you that sets you up for recognition, promotion and increase.  (Article & Picture; courtesy of Joseph Prince Ministries used with kind permission).