2 Peter 3:18
18… grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…In the Old Testament, three types of burnt offerings were brought to God. I believe that the rich brought offerings of young bulls (Leviticus 1:3), the not-so-rich brought sheep (Leviticus 1:10) and the poor brought turtledoves. (Leviticus 1:14) Though of varying sizes and values, the different burnt offerings were all accepted as sweet aroma to the Lord. (Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17)These burnt offerings speak of Jesus and His perfect work at the cross. Today, to bring a “rich” offering means that you have a large revelation of Jesus and His finished work. To bring a “not-so-rich” offering means that you have a smaller revelation of Jesus and His finished work. But whatever the size of the revelation you have of Jesus, God accepts you just the same because Jesus is the only measure of your acceptance before God.However, God wants you to grow in your revelation of Jesus because your well-being hinges on it. Before that first Passover night, all the children of Israel had received the same Word of God — “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”. (Exodus 12:13) But I believe that some households lived through that night trembling in fear as they heard the loud wails outside their homes, while other households rested in God’s Word, ate their Passover lamb and spent the night rejoicing in His protection, deliverance and love for them.You see, as long as the households came under the blood, they were all saved, trembling or not! But when they didn’t have a revelation of the power of the blood to save them from the destroyer, fear came in even though the blood availed for them. In the same way, God does not want you to struggle through trying times with fear, apprehension and stress. He wants you to enjoy and rest in a greater revelation of Jesus as your deliverer and salvation.In 2 Peter 1:2, it says, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you…” God wants you to experience more of His grace and peace in your life. How? The verse continues, “… in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. The more knowledge of Jesus you have, the more God’s grace and peace will rest on you!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Have A Large Revelation Of Jesus!
Have A Large Revelation Of Jesus!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
The Blood Alone Saves
The Blood Alone Saves
Exodus 12:13 13Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you…
On the night of the first Passover, many of the children of
Israel were probably anxious. Imagine one Israelite asking
another nervously, “Did you hear that the angel of death is
passing through tonight?”
“Yes! We were told to put the blood of the lamb on the
doorposts of our home and everything would be all right. Is
that true?”
Like the Israelites, you might be wondering, “Can the blood
really protect me? How much blood do I have to put on my
doorposts? Will the angel of death get me if I am fearful?”
My friend, don’t add to God’s conditions. He said, “When I
see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not
be on you to destroy you.” He did not say, “When I see the blood,
plus your understanding, efforts, obedience, faithfulness and
refusal to give in to fear, then I will pass over you.”
It is the blood of Jesus alone that delivers you. If you
think that it is because of your faith, then you will always
be wondering, “Do I have enough faith?” No my friend, it is
His blood alone that saves. And when God sees that you see
that it is the blood alone that saves, He calls that faith in
the blood, and every plague will pass over you!
God wants you to know that it is Jesus’ blood alone
that saves because every time you think that your deliverance
depends partly on God and partly on you, you will not have a
settled peace in your heart. But when you know that it is the
blood alone that saves, you will have an unshakable peace.
It was the blood that saved the children of Israel from the
destroyer on that Passover night and it is still the blood
that saves today. And all you need to do for the blood to
avail is to say, “Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus
alone covers me and my family. No evil, plague or disaster
will befall me or my family because of the blood!”
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
See The Abundance Within You
See The Abundance Within You
Luke 17:21 21… For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
When you were younger, were you often scolded for not
finishing all your food or leaving the lights and fan on when
you left your room? Were you constantly reminded that there
are people starving in the world, that electricity costs a lot
of money and that money doesn’t grow on trees? Now, do you
find yourself telling your child the same things?
We are naturally conscious of lack, but Jesus isn’t. Even in
the midst of lack, He was always conscious of abundance.
Remember the little boy’s five loaves and two fish? What did
Jesus do when these were placed in His hands? Did He say,
“What do you expect Me to do with so little?” No, His eyes
were not on the natural, the visible, the lack. His eyes were
on the kingdom of God where there is always abundance. So in
His hands, the little boy’s lunch was multiplied, and 5,000
men, not counting women and children, were fed that day! (John
6:1–13)
God doesn’t want you to be conscious of the lack in your
natural circumstances. He doesn’t want you to live by how much
you earn or how much you have in the bank. Now, I am not
encouraging you to spend foolishly beyond your means. I am
saying that God wants you to be conscious of the abundance of
resources in His kingdom.
“But Pastor Prince, where is that kingdom?”
As long as you have received Jesus as your Savior, that
kingdom is in you!
Jesus said that “the kingdom of God is within you”. This
means that the kingdom of God is not some physical place. It
is within you and it is where the abundance of resources is.
So if you want to experience abundance in your life, be
conscious first of the abundance inside you. Then, what is
inside you will become a reality on the outside.
Beloved, God doesn’t want you to be conscious of the lack you
see outside you. He wants you to be conscious of the abundance
within you because His kingdom is within you!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
God’s Angels Are Watching Over You
God’s Angels Are Watching Over You
Psalm 91:10–11 10No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
Don’t you just sense your Father’s love in these words? Like
a mother hen that spreads her wings over her chicks to protect
them, God will “cover you with His feathers, and under His
wings you shall take refuge”. (Psalm 91:4) So don’t be fearful
of accidents, terrorist attacks, diseases or tsunamis because
your heavenly Father loves you and watches over you.
One of the ways He does this is with His angels. God has
declared that no evil, plague or accident will befall
you or even come near your dwelling “for He shall give His
angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”. When He
says “no”, He means “no-thing”! And if He tells His angels to
“keep you in all your ways”, it means round-the-clock divine
protection for you!
Let me share with you a true story. A Christian was flying
his plane when he realized that it was low on fuel. He
contacted the air traffic controller and asked for assistance
to land. But he was told that he could not land because there
was a heavy fog. Then, the radio went silent and the plane
entered the fog.
He was flying blindly when he suddenly heard over his
headphones, “Pull up! Pull up!” He pulled up just in time to
avoid hitting the expressway! Then, the voice said, “Follow my
instructions and I will help you land safely.”
He obeyed and landed perfectly. Thinking that it was the air
traffic controller who had helped him, he immediately looked
for him to thank him. But when he found him, the man said,
“Listen, we lost contact with you when I told you that there
was a heavy fog. None of us managed to speak to you after
that.” The pilot realized then that God had sent an angel to
lead him to safety.
Beloved, your heavenly Father is watching over you. That is
why no evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near
your dwelling. And He has a host of angels to keep you in all
your ways!
Monday, June 10, 2013
The Son’s Heartbeat For You
The Son’s Heartbeat For You
3 John 1:2, KJV 2Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Let’s say that you are now in your nineties. Someone comes
along and asks you, “Sir, you have been a Christian for a very
long time. You have seen much and done much with God by your
side. You have prayed all kinds of prayers too. So what would
you place as top priority when you pray for people?”
I believe the apostle John was asked a similar question and
his reply was, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou
mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
When the apostle John wrote 3 John, he was already a very old
man and probably the only disciple of the original 12 who was
still alive. It had been so long ago since he last walked
alongside his beloved Lord, and witnessed His crucifixion,
resurrection and ascension.
The apostle John had also leaned on the Lord’s bosom on the
night of the Last Supper. And I believe that there on Jesus’
bosom, he must have felt the heartbeat of the Son of God —
that loving and compassionate heartbeat which had caused Him
to go about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil”. (Acts 10:38) In fact, two-thirds of Jesus’
ministry on earth had to do with healing the sick.
And now, nearing the end of his life, and after all he had
heard, seen and experienced, the apostle John prioritized,
above all things, health as well as holistic prosperity. He
said, “I wish above all things that you prosper and be in
health, even as your soul prospers.” He knew the Lord’s
heartbeat. He knew that the Lord wants and will always want
these for His people.
Jesus had prioritized divine healing during His earthly
ministry. And Jesus, who is “the same yesterday, today, and
forever” (Hebrews 13:8), will do the same for you today. His
heart still beats for you. He will never miss an opportunity
to do good to you, to heal you of your broken body, emotional
scars and weary spirit, and to bless you!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Jesus Met Every Claim Of God On You
Jesus Met Every Claim Of God On You
Leviticus 1:5 5He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons,
shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the
altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, God
instructed them to set up a tabernacle as a place of meeting
between Him and them. Near the door of the tabernacle was an
altar. It speaks of the claims God makes on the righteousness
of man. For this reason, an offering had to be killed, its
blood sprinkled all around on the altar and its body burnt on
the altar before one was counted worthy to go into God’s
presence.
The sprinkling of the blood of a bull or goat all around on
that altar meant that the Israelites were under the covering
of the blood of that animal. Even when they sinned, their sins
were covered by the blood until the next sacrifice.
The blood speaks of Jesus’ blood shed for us at the cross.
Yet, His blood is worth so much more than the blood of bulls
and goats because His blood is effective forever! In fact, His
blood has met every single claim of God on man to the point
that God is so completely satisfied that He now enjoys the
savor of rest in what His Son has done.
You too can rest knowing that God is fully satisfied with you
because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Even if you fall into
sin, you can turn to the blood of Jesus. Your sins are not
merely covered by His blood, like how the blood of bulls and
goats covered sins. No, your sins have been washed away by His
blood! (Revelation 1:5) In fact, your sins and lawless deeds
God remembers no more! (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17)
Jesus was your perfect offering placed on the altar of
sacrifice. By just one offering of Himself, “He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified”. (Hebrews 10:14, KJV) Jesus
has not only sanctified you or made you holy, He has perfected
you forever! Today, you can enter boldly into God’s presence
because He sees you the way He sees Jesus. He sees you
perfected forever because you are in Christ!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Release The Power In You!
Release The Power In You!
Ephesians 3:20 20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
How much power is working in you right now? God’s Word says
that there is “power that works in us”. It is a tremendous
power that shakes the heavens and the earth because it comes
from the throne of God, “who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think”! The problem,
however, is that many of us don’t release that power.
God wants us to release that power because there are things
that will not happen on earth until we do so. Jesus said that
“whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”.
(Matthew 16:19) What Jesus is saying is that what you permit
to happen, heaven will permit. What you disallow, heaven will
disallow!
So how do we release God’s power in us? One way is to pray in
tongues. When we allow His Spirit to make intercession for us
(Romans 8:26), miracles happen.
Some time ago, the aunt of a church member underwent surgery
to remove a diseased kidney. In spite of the surgery, the
prognosis was poor. At home, the church member and his wife
were prompted by the Spirit to release the power that works in
them by praying in tongues for their aunt.
Back at the hospital, the aunt underwent further observation.
When an Xray of her abdominal area was taken, the doctor was
shocked to find two healthy kidneys. Five other doctors were
consulted who subsequently examined the aunt. At first, they
thought that the surgeon who had performed the operation had
made a mistake and did not remove the diseased kidney. But
further investigation showed that the kidney had indeed been
removed. They could not explain what had happened.
But the church member and his wife needed no explanation
because they knew that when they released the power that
worked in them, God did exceedingly abundantly above all that
they could ask or think — He gave their aunt a new kidney.
Beloved, He can do the same for you when you pray in the
Spirit and release the power that works in you!
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