Joseph Prince - How God's Favor Sets You Apart
It seems like God is very concerned over you prospering in every area of your life. And I even shudder to use the word «prosper» because it is so shunned, even today, by the church world. In some places, they advocate it strongly. They are still preaching strongly on it. Though I feel that to a certain extent, it has gone to an extreme where it’s just focused on the material and the financial. But still, the word «prosper» is in the Bible. The Hebrew word is tsaleach. And in the English, we say prosper. Every time it appears, «prosper» or «prosperity» or «prosperous,» in the Old Testament, it is always tsaleach.
And there is something that… there is a church world out there that is very quick to say, «You are preaching the prosperity gospel». And I’m jealous over the gospel. I said I’m jealous over the gospel. I’m jealous that the people hear the true gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, amen? It’s a prophetic message for our time. Number one, it is a dark time. Morally, in many ways, it’s a dark time. A time of darkness upon the earth. Isaiah 60 tells us, «Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you».
Straight away, I just want to say this, to those who subscribe to the interpretation that this is referring to the Millennium. There is a Millennium coming where Christ will rule on Earth, and Christians don’t have to be hiding their faith anymore, feel ostracized. They’ll be out there, amen. They’ll be shining as the stars in the night, amen. In a world that is still fallen, but Christ will rule on this Earth for 1000 years, the Bible tells us. That’s the Millennium. But this is not a Millennium passage. Why? Because the Bible says in the next verse, «Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth». When Christ is here, there will be no more darkness, amen. He is the light and the light has come. «Arise, shine; for your light has come». And this deep darkness will cover the people. «But the Lord will arise over you».
When you see this happening in the world, child of God, the Lord will arise over you. «And His glory will be,» what? «Seen upon you». So it is a glory that is visible, a glory that is manifested in such a way that everyone can see it. The Bible says that Potiphar saw. Potiphar was an Egyptian. He saw that the Lord was with Joseph. And all that Joseph did, the Lord made it to prosper. So a heathen could see that the Lord was with Joseph. It was a visible token, amen. How? We are not told. I’m sure that part of it are the results of Joseph’s work in the field, bumper crops and all that. But even some of his men might have produced that. It could be other things. The fact that whatever he does prospers. When he steps into the room, there is a peace.
There’s a glory that can be seen on Joseph. And this is going to happen to you, child of God, in the last days. In the days that we are living in. «The Gentiles will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising». Something will happen to your family. «Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons will come from afar». The one that’s gone astray will come from afar. «And your daughters shall be nursed at your side». Your daughters, the one that’s gone astray, will love to be by your side, amen?
So there’s family reconciliation in these last days. «Then you shall see and become radiant,» hallelujah. Even shine even more. «And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you». Truly speaking, the goyim, the Gentiles here, refers to the non-Jews. But for the child of God, it refers to the unbelievers. Their wealth will come to you, when darkness covers the Earth. When? When darkness covers the Earth. So is there such a time in the Old Testament? Because the Bible tells us whatever we read in the Old Testament, it’s not history passed. It’s actually history passed that will be reproduced because that, at least it says it like this, that which was is that which will be. All history repeats itself, amen?
So even the people of God, God is saying, study the life of Joseph because it will be reproduced in your life. «All these things happened to them as,» what? «Examples». Tupos, in the Greek, types. All of them happened. We might not apply exactly what they do but the principle of what they are doing corresponds to us. And everything has a meaning, amen. So whatever happened to them, happened to them as examples to who? «And they were written for our admonition, upon whom,» watch this, «the ends of the ages have come». They are written for us, upon whom the end of the ages have come. We are the people who are living in the end of the ages.
So everything that happened in the Old Testament happened for us, as examples for us. What to learn, what to adopt, amen, what to avoid, what to imbibe, what to receive, amen. Romans 15 also says the same thing: «Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope,» elpis in the Greek. Hope means that through the scriptures, we study the stories of the patriarchs, we study the story of David, the stories of Ruth, Esther, and all the Old Testament stories. And then from the stories from the scriptures which were written for our learning, we will have hope. Hope is a confident expectation of good.
So even if you receive a bad report from the doctor, when you study the scriptures, you have hope for your future, amen. All darkness or depression on the mind is based on that you look into the future and you see nothing but darkness. Hope is seeing brightness where darkness was, amen. God is a God of hope, the Bible says. Okay, today, another truth that we can learn for our families, for us and our families. I’m in Exodus 11. «The Lord says, 'I bring one more plague on Pharaoh, '» this is the last plague, «'and on Egypt. Afterwards he’ll let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask, '» say «ask,» «'from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.'»
God says, «ask». Ask from the Egyptians, gold and silver. «And the Lord gave the people,» what? «Favor». Say «favor». There will be favor on God’s people in the last days. I said there will be favor on God’s people in the last days, amen. Favor will come on God’s people. Don’t be afraid of the darkness. Don’t be afraid of being swallowed up by the darkness, or your loved ones being swallowed up. Know this, God put a difference between the children of Egypt and the children of Israel, amen? Are you with me so far?
Next chapter says they plundered the Egyptians, and the gold and silver, they came out. You know, they came out with plenty of gold and silver. Psalms 105 please. The Bible says this, how God brought them out. «God brought them out with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes». And there were 12 tribes. Now, what has happened to us? If that can happen to them with a natural lamb, which is a picture of the real Lamb, a shadow of the substance of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Lamb of God who takes away our sin, what has happened to us? Number one, we don’t partake. They partook the lamb. When the blood was outside, what were they doing inside? They ate the lamb, the roasted lamb.
So that’s discerning the body of the Lord, amen, in communion. If a shadow can do that for them in Psalms 105 when they came out, we have the substance. For the lack of preaching, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We have negated it. Some of us wish that we were back there with the children of Israel. No, no, you don’t want to be there. If they see our future, they will wish they had been here after Christ has died and risen again, amen? The Messiah has come. They will want to be where you are.
So during that night, we are comparing with that time as well as our time. It’s just like our time. The last plague was darkness and the death of the firstborn was the last one, right? And yet they came out with gold and silver. Don’t shun that! Don’t throw it away! Not only were they healthy, all right, they were wealthy. Can you understand why I don’t want to preach? Because I know the labels go on: prosperity gospel and all that. But you know what? I’m more concerned about you receiving God’s Word. And God wants that, amen? Ecclesiastes 2: «God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight». Look at Pastor Lawrence. That is a man good in his sight.
Now all of you are thinking, «Wah, because he’s so kind, is it, Pastor Prince? He’s so nice»? He is nice, he is kind, but actually, all of us are good in his sight. What makes us good? The blood of Jesus. Being justified by his blood, in God’s eyes now. So God gives to a man good in his sight, wisdom, knowledge and joy. But to the sinner, God has a ministry. God has an assignment for the sinner. And this is the assignment that God has for the sinner. «To the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God».
Now this is vexation for the sinner, of course. This is vanity and grasping for the wind. They work, they work, they work, they work. And God says, «Okay, now the time is going to happen. You’ve got to transfer it». God is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth. Ultimately, all gold is from him. And all gold will go back to him. But I want to tell you this. There’s a way to sanctify the unrighteous mammon. You know how? In the Romans, «If the firstfruit is holy, the lump,» the rest, «is also holy; if the root of a tree is holy, so are the branches».
You know what God is saying by this? Anything that you want to make holy… you know what’s holy? Holy is separated unto God. Like in your house, the toilet bowl is not holy. It is common use, right? But your wife may like precious, you know, like ornaments or things like that or jewelry and all that. Where did she keep it? She don’t keep it next on top of the toilet bowl beside the toilet paper. Where does she put it? Special safe, under lock and key. Am I right? Or she put it in a drawer, or somewhere safe. Am I right? Those things that are precious, she set apart. The word «holy» means set apart. When someone says you stand out, back then they will say, «You are holy».
So God wants his people to stand out. Predominantly not holier than thou or «I’m more righteous than you» attitude. That stinks to high heavens. God hates Phariseeism, amen. Even the Pharisees having the attitude of holier than thou. Jesus moved with the common people yet he was distinct. It is something called royalty among common people. And yet you know that he’s not someone that is servile. He’s someone regal when you’re in his presence. That’s what God wants from his people. The smell of heaven and the mean of royalty is on you. Even though you’re humble, you’re not servile. You’re humble yet there’s a regal, a princess quality about you. That’s what God wants from his people. You are royal priesthood. That’s the kind of holiness, you stand out.
Now watch this. How do you sanctify the unrighteous mammon? Well, whatever is holy, the firstfruit, whatever firstfruit of anything, your time, you know, your energy, whatever it is, that you give 10%, money, if your firstfruit is holy, guess what happens to the 90%? It becomes holy. So actually, God doesn’t ask for 90%. He’s the senior partner. He doesn’t ask for 90%. I told my daughter that if I’m God, I’ll ask for 90%. Because 90% means it’s more, I’m God. And you live off 10. That should be right. And yet people complain about the 10 they give to God. Listen, if you don’t want to give, don’t, okay? This is for those with revelation, okay? The senior partner only asks for 10. Why? Because if the 10 is holy, the rest of your money is holy. And whatever is holy, the devil cannot touch. Always remember that. Always remember that.
Now, back to what Jesus said: «If you’re not faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon,» verse 11, «who will commit to your trust the true riches»? Wow! You know, try not to think of God’s way, the way the world thinks. «God help those who help themselves». Where? Where do you find that in the Bible? No, the Bible didn’t say that. Benjamin Franklin did. No, God helps those who are helpless. We are too strong in ourselves. If we realize that, we will pray more. We will depend on him more, amen? Another thing is that, «Well, if God can trust you, you are faithful in church, you are faithful in your service, God will trust you with money. God will allow money to come to you». That’s not what the Bible says. You got the opposite. «No, this is what the Bible says». No, it doesn’t say that.
Another thing that people say: «You know, if your heart is into something, your money will follow. If your heart is into sports, you invest in things, you know, you’ll travel to watch the World Cup or whatever. Your heart is there». That is natural truth, yeah, but that’s not what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says, «Where your money is, where your treasure is, your heart will follow». So even if I don’t feel like it, I put my money there, my heart will follow. If I put my money into the things of God, amen, my heart will follow. If I give to you, my heart will go after you. Think of it. Meditate, meditate. It’s the opposite of contemporary, natural wisdom of man.
Again, Jesus actually said if you have not been faithful in the use of money first, God will not trust you with the true riches, wisdom and things like that. Because you don’t even handle money well. So in God’s mind, money is least. Show me how you handle it. «And you are not faithful in debt which is another man’s, who will give you what is your own»? So God said, «Bring the tithes». God didn’t say, «Pay me the tithes». You know what’s the difference? Bring me is mine actually. Bring me. If I lend you a car, I say, «Bring me my car,» all right? You don’t say, «I pay you my car. I pay you the car». No, it doesn’t make sense because you are bringing back what belongs to me. And so God says, «Bring me». So, «If you’re not faithful in that which is another man’s, who will give you what is your own»?
You look at people who want a ministry of their own, but which ministry are they serving under? God always put you under a man. Before Elisha had a ministry of his own, God put him under Elijah. But Elisha had a double portion of the miracles that Elijah had. And yet he was faithful to wash Elijah’s hands. Now, God says here in Malachi about the tithing, «You are cursed because the ground is cursed». Now watch this. Everything that comes on the ground is cursed, even the tree, okay? That’s why we say grace over our food.
People say, «I eat organic». Or «I eat food from Eden. I eat Eden’s diet». It means you don’t eat meat. No, they eat Eden’s diet, before man. But what are you saying is that the Earth has not fallen? You’re saying that you’re going back to Eden as if the Earth didn’t fall. You’re trying to redeem by your own eating. No, Earth has fallen. Admit it. That’s why it brings forth thorns. And that’s why Jesus wore the crown of thorns to redeem us from the curse. «Bring all the tithes,» say «all the tithes,» «into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house. And try Me now in this». King James, «prove me now herewith». Test me! It’s the only place where God says, «Test me». And the guy did that test, all right? Guy, the… you know.
So God says test me: «'Try Me now in this, ' Says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven.'» The last time the windows of heaven opened, it rained and rained and rained 40 days and 40 nights. So when you’re tithing, your blessing rains 40 days and 40 nights. Next month, must tithe again. Or else 40th day, all right? You know, you put them together. It rained. The first time windows of heaven mentioned, the Bible says God rained on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. So it’s an idea of monthly.
So, «See if I will not», test me, «See if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it». Who is talking? God. Next verse. «And I’ll rebuke the devourer». Who is the devourer? The devil. He goes about seeking whom he may devour. «I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field». You work so hard for something, only to find at the end, bang, the whole thing falls through. God says the destroyer will not destroy. «Nor shall the vine fail. All the nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land». You know what it means, «You are a delightful land»? You are a delightful land. That means people want to invest in you. People want to be with you. They want to invest in you. They see you as someone worth investing.
«Well, Pastor Prince, this is a Old Testament scripture». Oh yeah? What chapter is this? Chapter 3, right? What chapter is this? Let’s look at how chapter 3 opens. Verse 1: «Behold, I send My messenger, he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek». Now the first part here refers to his First Coming, but look at this. «And the Lord whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple». His First Coming, he didn’t come suddenly. But his Second Coming, he will come suddenly, all right? Now, look at verse 2: «Who can endure the day of His coming»? This is not the First Coming when he came as a baby boy in Bethlehem. Everyone can endure that. «But who can endure the day of His coming?» is the Coming of the Lord to judge. We’ll be coming with him. «Who can stand when He appears»?
So the context refers to the Second Coming. And it’s telling us, even during that time, while we are waiting for the Second Coming, the Lord talks about tithing. So I’ll close with this story. When Israel came back from captivity, from Babylon, there were not many people. Nehemiah was their leader, the governor. So they had to learn the ways of God. They had to rebuild the temple. And when the temple was rebuilt, they all start crying because the older people remembered the temple of Solomon. It’s not even close to the temple of Solomon. So they wept, they cried. But then Haggai the prophet says, «Don’t cry because the glory of this latter house will be greater than the former».
You know who will step into that new building? Herod will start rebuilding it also, but it’s a building of Nehemiah nonetheless that was started. And you know who will step in? Jesus Christ. So even though it’s inferior-looking compared to Solomon, the glory of this latter house will be greater than the former. Why? The Son of God will walk into it, amen? I feel like just Nehemiah throwing out everything that took the place of the tithe. Especially the teaching, God is good, therefore you don’t have to tithe, you know? God is good, therefore we tithe. Because he takes out 10%. No senior partner takes out 10%, you know? They want at least more than 50, at least 51%, at the least.
In God’s mind, just like Abraham’s servant, when he went to find a bride for Abraham’s son, Isaac, what did he do? He took ten camels. Say «Ten camels». Actually, we have that real quick. Show them. «The servant took ten of his master’s camels». How many camels he took? But in God’s eyes, the idea of ten in the Hebrew mind is this: «For all his master’s goods were in his hand». Ten represents the whole. He took ten camels and God says everything that his master had was in his hand.
When you give ten to God, listen, look up here, look up here. You know why it blesses you more than just finances? Because the tithe, when you give God the 10% of your income, some give more than that and it’s up to you, between you and God. But 10% is the minimum. Listen, if you give 10%, it’s not just money. It represents your blood, sweat, and tears every month. Every sacrifice you make to go to work, every time you feel, you know, whatever it is, you go to work, your effort, your labor, your blood, sweat, and tears, literally, you know. Maybe not blood, but sweat and tears, amen, the misunderstanding.
All that are seeds that come back to you in money form, right? So when you tithe that part, it’s not just money anymore. It represents the whole month of your sweat, your labor, your inconveniences, whatever it is. And it comes back. You sacrifice time with family, it’s in that seed. And that’s why it comes back and blesses the family. So the tithe is not just financial, okay? So when you leave this place today, remember, prosperity is not just financial. Poor is the man who is just rich financially, but an empty shell. And all the people said…