Joseph Prince - Amazing Things Happen When You Flow with the Spirit

Church of Jesus Christ is the most successful, you can call it organism, a leading, dynamic, God-indwelt organism that's alive. It's not the building, it's all of you together, and is the most successful, most powerful, and eternal body that Jesus died to redeem. And all of you are a part of it. And God will see to it that his Son will be glorified. This earth is going on in a way that God never meant for it to go. Someone asked me a question: "Why is it that God would allow evil"? I said, "It's all a question of free choice". God didn't want robots. If God made robots, the earth will be a wonderful place to live in, but very cold. There'll be no warmth. There'll be no family tenderness. There'll be no reciprocity of thanks and gifts given out of love. There'll just be robots living. Do you want to live with robots?

So, God made man with a free choice and he was satisfied with the answer. It all comes back to free choice, so the earth is in a mess because of man choosing the wrong thing. But one thing I must say, also in line with the free choice, is that you cannot choose the consequence. You can never choose the penalty. You cannot say that, "I choose to put my finger, all right, into the fire and no burn. I don't choose burn". No, choose fire, choose burn. You got no choice. That's one thing you cannot say, you cannot say that, "why did God make my finger, my little finger burn"? God didn't make your little finger burn. Thy burneth thyself. There's no such thing as God making this happen. If God want to make things happen, you want to see how God is like, I mean what the world is like when God is in charge? The wolf will lie down with the lamb, even the snake will not hurt. There'll be nothing that will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.

When Jesus comes back to reign 1,000 years of millennial rule, it'll be paradise on earth. There'll be no more children dying. There'll be no more hospitals, no more needs for security and police. There'll be nothing that will hurt or destroy, and there will still be mortal men. The rest of us have our bodies, but there will still be mortal men and even the mortal men, it will be said that, "if he dies at hundred years old, he's a child," Isaiah says. Everything will be exactly the way it was when the Lord wanted it to be and when the Lord is in charge. So, the world today, people blame God for a lot of things, they'll never blame themself. Something happens on the road like they want to go straight to the minister of transport, even while he's having breakfast and say, "Why did you let that thing happen"? No, they have things in place, we have our choices, and all the people said? Amen, thank you, Lord.

Yes, all kinds of healings are taking place, even as I speak. The Lord is healing people of chronic headaches. If you have a chronic headache, in fact, one person here is a having a bad headache but if you can, again, it's free choice. You don't have to receive. You just take, take the healing, amen? But those with chronic headaches, you have a condition of chronic headaches. It happens especially, some of you, it happens in the morning when you wake up, especially wake up with pain. And many of you I can see you turning around while you're tossing and turning while you're sleeping. So, if that is you, wherever you are, just stand to your feet right now. And standing is a gesture of, "Lord, I receive. I am the one and I receive".

We worship you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for these precious ones, Lord. And I thank you that the name of Jesus is above every name. Thank you, Father, that the name of Jesus is above every disease, everything that would hurt, everything that would destroy. The name of Jesus is far above any earthly potentate. At the name of Jesus, every knee bows. Now, in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I rebuke these conditions in your bodies right now. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Father, heal, even right now, Father, in the name of Jesus.

You don't have to struggle, all right, you just receive as a gift. Don't forget, a gift is something you receive. A charismata is a gift that you receive as a favor from God. God is doing you this favor, which means what? You don't have to deserve it, amen? You just receive it so receive it right now. Say, "Lord, I thank you. I receive it, Lord. Heal in Jesus's name, and do a permanent work, Lord, that this affliction will not arise again". In the name of Jesus, be healed, be healed, be healed, be thou made whole in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus's name, amen. Now, shake your head. One, two, three, that's having pain right now, besides the rest, all right, move your head. All right, move around, feel it, feel your shoulders. If you know something has happened, do a wave. All right, not everyone that's standing is having pain. Is it all gone? It was there just now? And it went through your neck as well, all the way down. So, you can feel it when you move it. Now it's all gone? Praise the Lord. It's all gone? Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus, amen. Sister, praise the Lord. All right, you may be seated. Praise the Lord.

Are you ready for God's Word? Okay, go straight to Romans 7, "Therefore, my brethren, you also become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another, to Him who was raised from the dead". And if you follow this ministry for any length of time, you know that we talk about being under grace and not under law. And here it says, "You are dead to the law". Nothing could be more final than dead, all right, amen? Nothing could be more final. Doesn't say that you are weak to the Lord. It doesn't say that you're not able to respond. No, it says you're dead, incapable of responding, not a matter of choice, incapable of responding, dead. And yet, we want to bring back the law. It says you're dead to the law, and the context there is about, "Thou shall not covet", which is actually the Ten Commandments. You're dead to the law. Does that mean that we become licentious, become careless? Keep on reading. "That you may be married to Him who was raised from the dead".

I love that. You're married to the Jesus, not the Jesus that walked by the shores of Galilee. Powerful as that it, wonderful as that is, but you're married to the one who rose from the dead. The present resurrected crowned with glory and honored one at the Father's right hand. You are married to him. So, that puts the whole thing into a bridal affection. Our affections for Jesus is a bridal affection. Can I have a good amen? And what is the result? "That we should bear fruit to God," that we should bear fruit to God. Now, please understand, the Book of Romans is about justification by faith. It is the Magna Carta of the essence of what the gospel is. The gospel is justification by faith, not by works, amen? But here, it tells you dead to the law, married to Jesus, or to grace. It's not about justification here. It's about holiness and here is where a lot of people are disputing this. They say that, "we believe we're not justified by the law. We believe we are justified by the blood of Jesus by faith," and they are right. "But we believe we must keep the law to produce fruits in our life for holiness".

Well, according to this verse here, only when you're dead to the law and married to Jesus, can you bear fruit to God. This is not the context here. I'm reading Bible, people. I'm reading Bible. All right, this is not talking about justification. It's talking about how to in the holy life. It's talking about the how-to of the holy life, amen? "For when we were in the flesh, the sinful fashion passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death". See, when you are under the law, the law, the sinful passions are aroused by, what? By the law. So, the more you try to keep the law, you find a strange thing happening. You have sinful passions. People who try end up the worst. Are you listening? So, actually when you see an outbreak usually are people who don't believe they can't. They believe they can so they try. The more they try, the law was designed to show that you are sinful, that you're a sinner. It will bring out, okay?

So, "The sinful passions were aroused by the law, and they were at work in our members to bear truth to death". So, can you see contrast here? Bear fruit to God, bear fruit to death? I thought I will show you that again, all right? So, the Bible's very clear that these are the two comparisons. If you're under law, it will stir your sinful passions, it will arouse your sinful passions. If you are under grace, married to Jesus, dead to the law, you'll bear fruit to God, your choice. So, whenever you hear people preach that we are not under law and under grace, all right, at first it sounds like you are, you know, you're giving people license to sin, and I understand the fleshly reaction. I call it a fleshly reaction because I tell you this, the flesh is never more subtle than when it is religious. They turn Christianity even into a religion, all right?

"So, how do we practically, Pastor Prince, be practical? How do we walk"? I'm getting a bit distracted because I still see gifts operating. I see someone with left shoulder condition. You've been having that condition for some time, okay, whoever you are. I want you to just move your shoulder up and down. Don't care about the people beside you because when you go back, right, you are the only one, you know? When you're in pain, they won't be there looking at you, all right? So, they're all rejoicing with you, trust me, they're all rejoicing with you.

All right, lift up your hand up and down, okay? And you have pain just now. Those of you who are lifting your hand, left shoulder condition, all right, you had pain just now and some of you, you have that condition come on and off, but you don't have the pain now. But those who have the pain right now, okay, move it up and down. Okay, put it down again like Naaman, do it seven times. Do it seven times. This is just an act of faith to receive the gifts, all right, that means you are having pain now and you're moving because you're responding to God, right? Okay, one more time in Jesus's name, one, two, three, lift up your hand and see where's the pain. Praise the Lord. If you know the pain is gone, do a big wave, do a big wave. Look at that, look at that, praise the Lord, wave. That's right. That's where I'm pointing and that's where it's happening right now. Praise the Lord. All right, among those that are having pain, okay, there are some who, you know, normally they have pain at other times, but these are people who have pains. And one more time, those who have received and just move your hand, wave, wave, look at that. Exactly where I saw it happen. Isn't God good? Isn't God good? Praise the Lord.

Can y'all stop interrupting me with your... you know? But it's wonderful how much God loves people, amen? All right, where were we? "Bear fruit to God and bear fruit to death". We pray in Jesus's name it will not arise again, amen. "Now, practically, Pastor Prince, how do I walk, walk under grace and not under the law"? Now I see the danger, all right, of being under law. It actually produces sin because the law is the strength of sin, 1 Corinthians 15:56. You can write it down. The strength of sin is the law, okay? The spring of holiness is grace. "So, how do I practically be under grace and not under the law"? Give them Galatians 5:18, "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law". That's why God gave you the Spirit, okay?

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came, all right? Do you remember when God first gave the law, the Ten Commandments to man, God gave the law, the first time, and Charlton Heston was there. Moses was there, right, God gave the Ten Commandments, and what happened at the foot of the mountain? Three thousand people died, right? Three thousand people died. What was that feast? It was the very first feast of Pentecost, and that's why in the New Testament language it says, "When the day of Pentecost was fully come," say, "fully come". You see? For the Jewish people, they understand that. God is about to do another Pentecost. In fact, that is the shadow Pentecost; this is the substance Pentecost, the reality. And which mountain was this? No more Mount Sinai, it's Mount Zion; and on Mount Zion, God gave the Holy Spirit and 3,000 people were saved. So, the letter kills, the Bible says, the law kills, but the Spirit gives life. When the law was given, 3,000 died. When grace was given, when the Spirit came, 3,000 were saved.

So, when you walk in the Spirit, you're walking in life, and that's why the Bible says, "The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death". You know, in this world there is a force called death. Every time you see your hair on the floor, every time you see, you know, doctors saying that, "well, you know these things happen because you are getting older," all right, all these are forces of death. I'm just being very real and practical with you. And is this God's will? Originally, it was never God's will. Are you listening? But there's a promise, there's a promise. The Bible says the law, not a promise actually, it's a reality, an accomplished fact. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin, not just the law of sin, and death. So, sickness or tiredness, chronic tiredness is sickness begun, sickness begun is death. It's a death process, which is never part of what God wanted man to experience.

But if you, and I'm saying this by the Spirit, if you'll keep on confessing, Romans 8, verse 2, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death". It will have an effect on your body. You will find the forces of death falling off you just because you have been set free by the cross of Jesus Christ and Jesus conquered death does not mean that death will not try to fasten itself on you, amen? So, I don't mean death in terms of your heart stop beating and then that's an ultimate... you know, it's not ultimate, it's a second death, but for believers, there is no more second death, okay? So, believe that Jesus's accomplished work set you free, not only from sin, but from death. Can I have a good amen? Praise God. So, "if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law," amen? A lot of us are creatures of habit, and the very habits that we have is actually leading us to indulge the flesh. The flesh doesn't like this. It like to be done this way, it like to be done that way.

So, God sent a lot more people to rub you the wrong way, you know? Like, you move your things and they move back. And, you know, "Why do people always move my things"? Because your flesh needs, you know, you need to see your flesh. So, the flesh is very legalistic. If I teach you on a topic about marriage and seven steps to... the legalistic person will turn the whole thing into legalism. You know what I'm saying? So, it's important to flow with the Spirit instead of saying, "You must kiss your wife at the door before you go to work," or, "You must do this, you must do that". That's fine. Kissing is wonderful in marriage, and all the married people said? Some will be painful, some of you. Anyway, the thing is this, all right, but when to, how to, the Spirit of God knows. Can I have a good amen? Just flow with the Spirit, just flow with the Spirit. Sometimes, you know, you like to bathe like, you know, nighttime or whatever and the Spirit of God says, "I want you to bathe earlier when you come back," whatever.

You know, it's as simple as that. It's as simple as that but you say, "No, no, no". And if we are able to flow with him and he will, for the first time you're learning to flow with him, he will make you do things that you're not accustomed to, but you'll find freedom. All of a sudden, you'll find, "hey, I never experienced this before". Actually, it's insanity to be doing the same thing again and again and again, expect a different result. I think it was Winston Churchill that said that. So, if we can flow with the Spirit, he will lead us into freedom. He will lead us into freedom, amen? Those of you like to run, he may tell you to walk, amen. Those who like to walk, he may tell you to crawl. No, I'm just teasing, okay, I'm just teasing, all right. So, walk in the Spirit. Go back to earlier verse. "Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh".

So, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We saw this last week and how people have it in reverse. You know they say, "Try not to fulfill the lust of the flesh, and then you'll walk in the Spirit". I mean, that's the mentality that most of the church world have. "Don't do this, don't do that. Don't indulge here, don't do that, then you will walk in the Spirit". No, the Bible says it's more positive than that. Walk in the Spirit. Learn to flow in the Spirit. Learn to listen to him. Learn to be led by him. And God doesn't speak, you know, like an inward voice all the time, but there's a knowing. There's a peace or a lack of peace. If there is a peace, do it. If there is no peace, don't do it. Can I have a good amen? Sometimes there is a peace, those of you with young children, sometimes there is a peace when they are crying and all that not to discipline them or they're just being, you know, just being naughty.

And there's a peace not to discipline them, perhaps because they are tired, and the Spirit of God knows. But there are times, there are times, especially for grace people need to hear this. There are times you need to discipline them because they are throwing you a gauntlet, they're throwing you a challenge and you don't challenge, it's a will and will thing. All right, you don't break their will. You don't break their spirit. Never break their spirit, but break their will. You don't break their will now, you have a problem with a teenager next time and don't wonder where it came from. So, listen to the Spirit. The Spirit of God says, "Don't let that go," all right? He's asking for a challenge, challenge. Go for it, understand? All right, it's hard, it's hard. Like my boy, all right, after I discipline him, he told me, "You know, you hurt my feelings," he told me. And I told him, "Look". He's only four years old. He said, "My feelings are really hurt". I told him, "Mine is even worse," I said. "It hurts me to, you know how much I love you, it hurts me," I said, you know? "My feelings are hurt".

I asked Wendy later on, "Did he learn that from you"? Say, "No". 'Cause I don't, you know, we don't say things like, "You hurt my feelings," you know? And we do have points of contention. We do our best to talk without him being around. I remember my mother years ago when she was taking care of Jessica when Jessica was small, you know, we went for a holiday and then we came back. Then Jessica was going around saying, "Yes lah, no lah, yes lah, yes lah, no lah". Now, we are Singaporeans, "lah" is part of our, you know, lah-lah land, okay, our language, amen? Even "language" starts with la, there you go. So, I asked my mom, "How come he's talking... I mean, she's speaking 'lah' all the time? Is it from you"? She look at me, "No lah". My mother is so special, a very special lady. "Walk in the Spirit and you will not"... So, you focus on being led by the Spirit and then we won't end up. In fact, "shall not" here is a double negative. Can I have good amen?

So, let me introduce you to the wonderful person of the Holy Spirit. He will not want to be the prominent person; that's why there are no titles to the name of the Holy Spirit. In fact, we just call him Ruach HaKodesh, Holy Spirit, or Spirit holy, and Ruach is spirit, Kodesh is holy. All right, in English Holy Spirit, amen? So, there's no name like... Jesus has many titles. God the Father has many titles. The Holy Spirit is just called Holy Spirit. There are symbols of the Holy Spirit like fire, all right, living water, water, spring fountain and all that, oil, but there is no titles, why? 'Cause the Holy Spirit, he's God, as much God, all right, as Jesus is as the Father is. But he's the God who finds his joy in glorifying Jesus. That's the amazing thing about Holy Spirit. If there is a teaching, you can teach on the Holy Spirit no problem, but it's all about the Holy Spirit and you forget what the Holy Spirit is all about. He's all about glorifying Jesus. You missed the point. Are you listening?

If you want the friendship of the Holy Spirit, you want him to really come near you and, you know, just embrace you and all that, talk about Jesus, talk about Jesus and you will feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit, even feel it, yes. Amen, talk about Jesus. You don't have to know much, just talk about Jesus. I'll tell you something about people who have a heart for Jesus, they'll accomplish much more in the kingdom of God than people who are theologians and people who know their Bible back to back. So, when you come to church, it's not about Bible knowledge. I said, when you come to church, it's not about Bible knowledge. You can actually use the Bible knowledge against people, use the Bible knowledge against the purpose of God. There are people who dispute me, for example, and they are theologians. I respect them, I honor them, but I want you to know something, okay?

When it comes to theologians and all that, okay, it's equal ground with anyone who loved Jesus. Like the blind man told the theologians of his day, all right, the Pharisees who know their Bible, who knew the Torah, who knew the Old Testament back to back, many of them have memorized passages, large chunk of passages, and the blind man said to them, and these Pharisees were anti-Christ. They were against Christ. And he told them this: "I do not know whether this man is a sinner or not. I know one thing. Once I was blind; now I see". You see? So the one with the argument will never be winning over the one that has the experience. So your colleagues and all that, one thing with them, "okay, yeah, you can talk about all the so-called findings and this and that. One thing, though: once I knew what I was; now I know I'm free". It's all you need to do. Can I have a good amen?

You know, in Matthew chapter 2, we have the story of the wise man coming to Jerusalem. And then the wise man says, "Where is he born the king of the Jews"? So, when Herod heard about that, Herod was frightened. "King of the Jews, I am the king". So, he summoned the chief priests and the scribes together, people who knew their Bible. And these people were in his court enjoying all the luxuries of the palace life, all right? And he summoned them, and these are people who know the Bible, the chief priest and the scribes. And he says, "Find out where the Messiah will be born". Why is he asking? He wants to find the child king and kill him, right, right? And the scribes, the priests they knew it. And you know what they said? Based on their Bible knowledge that says, king is from Nahum, by the way. "It is written in Bethlehem because it is written out of you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the littlest of all the cities will I bring forth the ruler who's goings is of old and he shall rule over my people Israel".

They know he's the Messiah from the messianic passage. They know their Bible. They know their passage, but they are using Bible knowledge against Christ. Is that amazing? Bible knowledge is not enough if you don't have a heart for Christ. It's all about Jesus. Bible, the Bible is all about Jesus. It's a photo book. When Jesus rose from the dead, when Jesus rose from the dead, praise God, all right, the two on Emmaus Road. I'm telling you, they got so much more opportunities than to rub, hobnob, with celebrities today and all that. Man, I tell you, Jesus came finding them, not they went to find Jesus. Jesus, on the same day he rose from the dead, went to find them. And they were talking on the way back in Jerusalem, and they were sad. And Jesus, isn't it wonderful that even in heaven, he cares when you are sad, when you're disappointed. And they were talking to each other and says, "What kind of conversation is this? You are both talking. You are sad". They say that, "Have you not heard? Are you the only one? What was it, just came out of a cave"?

You know how Jewish people talk. "What's wrong with you, you came out from a cave"? You know, that's how Jewish people talk, you know? I like the Jewish people. They are very rough, but when they are your friends, they are your real friends. And then Jesus says, "What kind of things"? He say that, "how this man Jesus of Nazareth, we thought he's gonna redeem Israel. We thought he's going to redeem Israel. We thought he's going to redeem Israel". In other words, their vision is still Jesus is supposed to... the main agenda is Israel, not Jesus. "We thought he will redeem Israel, he will break forth the Roman yoke and set us free, unfortunately he died".

So, a lot of people are disappointed because at that time because they thought, they thought that the millennium will come. They didn't see that the first coming was for him to die on the cross to settle a deeper bondage, sin. And his first coming is to die for our sins, second coming he will establish the rule. So, they confused the two and then they were disappointed. And how did Jesus bring them back? The Bible says, beginning at Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament, all right? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and also the prophets. He began to expound in them things concerning himself, which means in Genesis, there are pictures of Jesus. So today, I'm gonna share with you the Holy Spirit from Genesis. How about that? How about that?

I tell you right now, many of you know me about sharing Joseph a lot, the story of Joseph and how I see in the story of Joseph, the story of Jesus, right? Am I right? All right, but what do you see in the story of Joseph? A brother who was rejected. So was Jesus. He came unto his own Jewish people and his own received him not. He came unto his own, his own Jewish people received him not. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become sons of God, all right? Then we see that Jesus or Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver. He was betrayed by his brothers. He ended up as the governor that ruled the entire Egypt, amen? In fact, his name is revealer of secrets like Jesus, amen, wonderful, revealer of secrets, hallelujah.

So again, he became the bread of life to the Gentile world. For 2,000 years after Israel rejected Jesus, Jesus has become... and don't forget, Jesus is Jewish. His own nation rejected him, and he has become the bread of life to a Gentile world to the Egyptian world, amen? We were all Gentiles. Today we are no more Gentiles. There's no Jew or Gentile in Christ. We are one new man, amen? But we were Gentiles. So, the benefit has gone to the Gentile world for 2,000 years. And then finally his brothers came to get bread. They didn't recognize him. The first coming is like the first coming they didn't recognize him when he appeared to them in Johnny Depp makeup, you know, as looking as Egyptian as possible. So, many a times the Jewish people don't recognize our Jesus because we have made our Jesus look Egyptian, you understand? They don't understand, they don't understand. They see the Jesus as the one with the tallit, with the prayer shawl and all that. So, that's something for us to consider.

Anyway, second time they came back for bread, he said, "I am Joseph". Remember that? There's something there about that. The Bible says that he asked the servant of his house, the servant... who is the servant of his house? Not no name, it's the Holy Spirit. "Bring this man to dine with me". The Holy Spirit spread the banquet, the Holy Spirit invites. "Bring this man," amen? And it was also the servant. Later on, he told the servant to put his special silver cup into the bag of Benjamin. So, who is that servant? The Holy Spirit. But today I want to share with you another beautiful picture from Genesis because knowing that Jesus himself taught this way, taught the things about Genesis, Exodus, the things concerning himself, and that is the key to recovering the two disciples on Emmaus from their worry, that from their disappointment, from their depression, amen, and putting them back in the right perspective. Praise God. And the key is to expound things concerning Jesus.

Now, in Genesis 22, we have a beautiful story. Y'all know the story. God told Abraham, God said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac". You know, I've been teaching this before even Justin came along, but when Justin came along, this verse makes a new meaning because now I have a son. All right, it used to be my daughter, now I have a son. Now I have a son who is a very cute boy. He's a very adorable boy. He knows how to talk to you, all right? And, like, my feelings are hurt. Will I take this boy and sacrifice him on the altar for people who are bad to die for that, to die for their sins? No way, right, I'll let the people die. That's human love, come on. That's human love. This is how God loves you and I. It wasn't for good people that Jesus died for. The Bible says, "While we were yet sinners". This is the love of Christ, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". This is the love of God. God sent his Son. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life".

This is the love of God. God gave us his Son, amen? God loves us. Jesus loves us. And Paul even writes about the love of the Spirit, not the love for, but the love of the Spirit. Even the Holy Spirit loves us. You know the Holy Spirit in you, he loves you, amen? So, God the Father loves you, amen. The Son gave his life because the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And now the Holy Spirit loves you. Okay, so the Bible says God says, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love". Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. This is the first mention of love in the entire Bible. Today, we're gonna see a lot of firsts. The law of first mention, the law of first mention is one of the keys of Bible interpretation. Whenever a subject is mentioned for the first time, there is a significant truth. You must see where it appears, how it appears.

So, the first time it appears is the Father's love for the Son. Okay, we think about romantic love. You know, you watch Korean dramas, it's all about romantic love. But better than all the celebrities is someone who loves you, and he will never fail you. His name is Jesus, amen? So, the first love is not about boy, girl love. The songs of the world is all about, all right, important as that is, God gave that love but the first love we didn't know how much the Father loves his Son Jesus. Because if you do not know how much the Father loves the Son, you won't know how much God loves you because God gave up his Son for you. Did you hear what I said? You need to know how much the Father loved the Son because he gave up the Son for you, therefore you will know how loved you are, amen? So, God says, "Take your son, your only son whom you love, offer him".

So, you know the story of how they came to that place, all right, it was a place and today we know it as where the temple mount is, okay? But Abraham came three days' journey and he told his servants, young men who were with them, "Stay down here. The boy and I will go there and worship". And they went up there and the boy carried the wood on his back, mmm-hmm, Jesus carried the cross. They went all the way up and the boy asked the father, "Father, I see the fire. I see the wood, but where is the sacrifice"? Oh, the pangs that went to father's heart. The father look at... imagine looking at Justin if he asked me that. He's the type that will ask, all right? And what do I say? But out came from Abraham's mouth, "God himself, God will provide himself a lamb". Now, we think like God will provide for himself, doesn't say that. God will provide himself a lamb, amen? So, they both went up and then when he caught the boy's hand and tie it up, the boy realized he was the sacrifice. And before he plunged the knife, God stopped him and God says, "Abraham, Abraham," he says, "here I am". And he says, "Don't touch the boy. Now I know you fear me", or "now I know that you love me, you worship me", all right?

And the Bible says he looked behind and he saw a ram, a ram is a male sheep, caught in a thicket by its horns. Now, from what I know from farmers, all right, and people who are shepherds, they say that sheep normally when they get lost, and they get lost quite off, they get lost without shepherd, you know? But when they get caught in a thicket, in a bush, thorny bush, usually they get caught because of their wool. That's why they shave their wool, one of the reasons they shave their wool and not only making it heavy, it's hard for them. It gets caught in the bushes. And then when you get caught, you get lacerations, which is will make the sacrifice imperfect. It has blemish, and Jesus, that ram must represent Jesus, right? It must be without blemish. Can you imagine the ram when Abram finally pulled him out, okay? He'll probably pull along with the ram, it's very strong, it will pull out the crown of thorns. Am I right? So, when you meditate on that, you think about it. Then Jesus, many years after Abraham, 2,000 years after Abraham, Jesus stood before the Pharisees and says that "how can you, how can you claim you have seen Abraham"?

They missed the point. Jesus didn't say that "I saw Abraham". Jesus says, "Abraham saw me". See, who is more important? Then they say that "you're not even 50 years old and yet you have seen Abraham". Jesus says, and because of this saying they pick up stones to stone him. He says, "Before Abraham was, I am". Boy, that really got them. They picked up the stones, and he walked right in the middle of them. I love this scene. I love this. I think Hollywood cannot produce. All the shows of Jesus, all the shows they produce never have this scene. He walked right in their midst and they can't stone him. That's power. You know why? He cannot die. He has no sin in his system. He only died when he gave up his Spirit at the cross. And for your info, everyone that was with Jesus cannot die also, as long Jesus is there. And if Jesus is not there and someone dies and you bring him there, that dead person is alive again. And that's the reason why when he hung on the cross, he had to die first before the thieves could die.

Think about it. They came to Jesus and they found that he was dead, and then they broke the legs of the other two to facilitate their death. As long as he's alive, they cannot die. Something about spending time in the presence of Jesus, you know what that does to you? "I am the resurrection and the life". And he's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Praise God, amen? So, God told Abraham that he offered a sacrifice, and Abraham turned back and Abraham saw the cross and Jesus hanging on the cross. He had a vision. That's why Jesus says, "Abraham, rejoice to see my day". So, on that mountain, Abraham turned and Abraham saw Jesus hanging on the cross. He realized that he didn't have to sacrifice his Son because God would sacrifice his Son. It's like he's telling God, "God, now I know you love me". Like God said to him, "Now I know you love me because you have not withheld your son, your only son". Abraham can tell God, "Now I know you love me because you have not withheld your Son, your only Son," amen? Praise God.

Now, at the end of the story when Abraham came down the mountain, read carefully how accurate the Holy Spirit is. The Bible says Abraham came down the mountain, Isaac is not mentioned. We know they both went down, but only Abraham was mentioned, why? In God's eyes, Isaac was as good as dead. It's done, it's a done deal. When you have a heart to do something for God, God says done. So, his name wasn't mentioned but someone's name was mentioned. Very interesting before the chapter ends, this chapter that talks about Jesus and the cross, before the chapter ends it talks about Rebekah was born. What does that got to do with this? Rebekah is a relative, that maybe is a relative of Abraham. So, what does it gotta do? Because Rebekah would end up as the bride of Isaac. So, the Holy Spirit hides all these stories, and Jesus was expounding this on the road to Emmaus.

Oh, I love it. I love it, amen? Are you listening? Chapter 23, that was chapter 22 just now, Abraham offering Isaac 22. Chapter 23, you have an account of Sarah's death. Now, in this case, Sarah is not grace because Sarah is seen in the natural as the mother of Israel, and she's the patriarch mother. Abraham is seen as a patriarch father. She dies, and she's the only woman in the Bible whose age, death, and burial is given in the Bible. So, there's a purpose. She's not a spiritual meaning here. She's Israel, Israel died. When Jesus died on the cross, God's prophetic plan for Israel was suspended, and God started working among the Gentiles. It was as if Israel died, then something happened. Now, this is a story about the Holy Spirit in Genesis 24 looking for a bride for their beloved son. And this is a story of where we are right now. Folks, you and I are about to come to the longest chapter in the book of Genesis, wow. The longest chapter in the book of Genesis is 67 verses, and it's all based on one story, just one event.

Why did the Holy Spirit, when he inspired the Scriptures, give so much, so much wealth of detail thus giving us the longest chapter in the book of Genesis? It's a story that's going on right now of how the Holy Spirit is on this earth looking out for a bride for Christ. And you and I, we are part of the bride. So, Genesis 24 starts off, "Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had". Oldest servant of his house, unnamed servant, unnamed servant. Who is that? The Holy Spirit. All right, who ruled over all that he had. The Holy Spirit rules over all that God has, amen? Just now the Holy Spirit gave you a gift of healing, amen, because he rules over all that God has. Praise the Lord. He says, "Please, put your hand under my thigh". That's an expression of in those days when you put your hand under the master's thigh, they are making a vow.

Next verse, "And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son, Isaac, from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac". It's interesting Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all of them have a concern for their children to marry believers, all right? Abraham especially has a strong energy of faith towards this area, amen. He's concerned about them. Come to Isaac, Isaac not so strong energy of faith. There is some. He was grieved when Esau his son, Jacob and Esau, Esau chose an unbeliever. Then came to this level of Jacob. Jacob had no energy of faith about, you know, marrying whoever. And I'm afraid many of us, the church world is in this area now, they have no concern at all. They don't even pray for their children, who they marry.

But we come to Abraham, that's... I'll give you a lot of nuggets, okay, along the way, but that's not my main thing. My main thing is that Jesus was sharing this story on the road of Emmaus, and the servant is a picture of the Holy Spirit, okay? Now, watch this. Let's drop down. "And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water". So, the servant went with ten camels. Say, "ten camels," all right? What do you think ten camels were carrying? A lot of goodies, a lot of jewelry for the bride, a lot of jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold. The Bible tells us a lot of clothings, a lot of the trappings of, you know, a wealthy person. It's all loaded on the ten camels. So, he says, at the well, he came the well and he says, "Lord God of my master, Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham".

Do we have any more after this verse? All right, look at this verse. "By a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. He prayed, 'Give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'" Kindness there is grace, hesed. Give me success this day. I told you there'll be a lot of first mention. I'll give you right now. The first mention of this word "success" is qarah. Say, "Qarah," all right? Qarah, I expound on this in my book, "The Prayer of Protection", a whole chapter on it. Qarah means right happening. Remember when Ruth said to her mother-in-law, all right, they were looking for a job and the only job available is the most menial which is picking up after the reapers, whatever the reapers leave behind. Whatever they don't leave, you don't pick, all right? She says, "I'll go into the field," Ruth said. "I'll go into the field and find favor".

All right, let's look at the story, "I'll find... grace," she says. "'Go, my daughter.' And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap", this is old English, hap, H-A-P, "was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz". Our New King James says, "She happened to come to the part of the field". No, no, you think she happened to come? The world talks about luck. God's people talk about right happening, right time, right place, all right, prayed happenings, God-orchestrated happenings, God-inspired happenings, amen? So, the world says, "lucky". Lucky, what is lucky, amen? What is lucky? The first two letters of the name Lucifer, all right? First three letters, actually. What is lucky? No, God can put us at the right place at the right time. So, what he's saying, "God, give me qarah". Qarah is actually give me a right happening, all right? This is the place where the ladies come out to draw water from.

By the way, in my teaching on how to find your life partner, I also draw a principle. How many can see that the Bible is so rich that even though it's about Jesus, right, we can also learn about practical things? There's a multilayered interpretation. So, if you're looking for a husband, looking for a wife, find the well. God's Spirit is working at the well and the well, the well. Sometimes it's called The Star. Sometimes it's called Yishun Cinema, but on Sunday, it's a well, all right? Woodlands, that's a well. Everywhere that we have a church on Sunday, is a well. So he says, "I'm gonna sit down here. God, give me success". And the woman that comes, all right, if I say, "Please give me water to drink," I'm reminded right now of Jesus in John 4 sitting at the well and saying, "Give me water to drink". Love it.

And he says, so, the servant, the Holy Spirit says, "Give me water to drink". If that woman says, "I'll give you water to drink and I'll give all your camels," ten camels, y'all, "I'll give your camels drink also," let her be the one for Isaac. So, he's out there on assignment for his master. He's on assignment for the father that he loves. Now, he's not a son, he's a servant, but he loves Abraham. So, the father is looking for a bride for the son. Who is the son here? Jesus, the father is... so, who's the servant? The Holy Spirit, and how is the Holy Spirit choosing? Choose the one that will say, "I will give you water and I'll give water to your camels".

Now, I look up on Nat Geo how much does a camel drink on National Geographic. And they say a camel can drink, listen, there are ten camels there, a camel can drink 30 gallons in 13 minutes, that's 135 liters, y'all. And there were ten camels. So, approximately she drew out 300 gallons or 1,350 liters. And the Bible says she ran. She didn't walk, she ran back and forth. And the servant was looking at her... It was amazing. Right happening, and he looked at her and he was stunned. God can give you a right happening. "Pastor, if I leave the choice to God then, you know, I get someone that nobody wants". That's how you think. You have a good opinion of your Father, huh? Faith is having a good opinion of God. That was a bad opinion.

Let me tell you this. Let's drop down. "And he made his camels kneel down," okay? "So, give me qarah, right happening this day and show kindness to my master Abraham". Okay, let's go to verse 16. "Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold," hmm, hmm? Not beautiful, very beautiful. "Well, God give me someone that nobody wants". Okay, let this rebuke you, okay? So if people say, "When your pastor preaches, does he rebuke"? Say, "Boy, he rebukes in style". So, let this rebuke you. He rebukes beautifully, all right? God will always give the best to those who trust him. God gave this young man... I mean, look at that. This young woman was very beautiful to behold. It's not like spiritual beauty, it's to behold.

You look, you can see she's very beautiful. It's not just, "Pastor, you know, she got a lot of, a face you wake up to and you scream," okay? But then God is speaking spiritually, inside very beautiful. No, no, no, "It's very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up". So, if you are single and you're looking for a life partner knowing that being a girl, you cannot chase, right? But you need know how to chase without chasing. I don't want to teach on how to find your life partner, all right? The first thing you need to invest in, are you ready? Pitcher. Y'all are very carnal. I mean, something that can contain water. Ah, you had your chance, you missed it, hallelujah. Anyway, she came out, she was very beautiful.

Do you know that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, always said they had very beautiful wives. Look at Abram, Abram himself in Genesis 12. "It was when Abram came into Egypt that the Egyptians saw", this not spiritual sight. This is Egyptian sight through their makeup, their mascara. They looked and they saw the woman that she was, what? Not just beautiful, very beautiful. I want to tell you something about the way God sees the church. God always sees the church very beautiful, not just beautiful, very beautiful because all these women typify the church. Abram and Sarah, Sarah typified the church. Rebekah just now typified the church. When it comes to the church, the church is very beautiful so Abram had a very beautiful wife. We have Rebekah, Isaac's wife, very beautiful. They have not met yet, but they will soon meet. And then we have their son, all right, their offspring, Jacob. Jacob's wife is Leah. He had another wife actually, but it's a picture of the Old Covenant, New Covenant.

Let's look at Rachel. Rachel now. "Leah's eyes were delicate". That's a delicate way of putting the Hebrew. "Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance," and Rachel is a picture of the church. Her name "Raquel" means female lamb, ewe lamb. So, she's a picture of the church and look at this, "beautiful of form and appearance". "Pastor Prince, I don't look good". Who told you that? Your Father says you're very beautiful, so why let the world whose image is faulty, who make mistakes every day... no, more than make mistakes, they sin every day, let them dictate to you what is beautiful? Your Father says you are very beautiful. Just smile at your neighbor and say, whether man or woman, just say, "You're very beautiful". That means "very beautiful" in Hebrew. I text my wife yesterday, she was somewhere else, and I say, "You are"... I don't know if she understands. Anyway, I was in the flow of this teaching.

So, something very interesting. The Bible says, "Husbands, love your wife as Christ also loved the church". Let's go to the verse real quick. All right, and he gave himself for her. Jesus gave himself for her. So, "Love your wife as Christ loved the church that he might sanctify and cleanse her, the washing of water by the Word". So, all this is in the past tense in the Greek. He died, all right, and he regenerated her by the Word, "that he might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle". Not having spot is in the present tense in the Greek. In the Greek, I used to think when I hear some preaching and all that when I was younger, I used to think that one day will be without spot, one day will be without wrinkle, but based on the integrity of the tenses here in the Greek, it is saying God already sees you without spot and without wrinkle or any such thing. God already sees you holy and without blemish, amen?

So, love your wife like that, huh? Look at her. "I see spots all the time, Pastor Prince". Yeah, but see, love her as Christ loved the church. You know how Christ loved the church? In the Song of Songs, I know it sounds exaggerated, but no one can exaggerate when it's God. None of the triune Godhead exaggerate. They see things that we don't see. And it was a bridegroom that told the bride in Song of Songs, "You are altogether beautiful. There is no spot in you, not only no spot, no wrinkle". Never talk to your wife like she's old. Don't talk to her like she's old. Don't say, "Of course, lah, you to coming this age already". Don't talk to your about age or else you will age. She will make you old fast, amen? As you are fighting off the forces of death trying to come and fasten by confessing, "The law of the spirit of life set me free," amen?

Talk to your wife like she's the most beautiful one. That's how I read, "Husbands, love your wife as Christ loved the church," and then it goes on to in detail to tell you how Christ loves the church. So, it not a future event. It's already a done deal. We are without spot or wrinkle in his eyes. We are holy and without blemish and all the people said? Amen. Let's go back to the story again. So, she was very beautiful. Drop down. "Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels". Wow, 300 gallons over. Drop down, "And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not".

So, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead that is now on earth and he's looking, looking, looking for, you know, if this one gonna respond, you know, to Christ and his love. Is this one gonna respond? So, he looked at the woman and he's wondering whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous. I told you just now, there's a lot of first mention here in this chapter, this is the first mention of the word "tsalach," prosperous in the Bible, prosperous. It's the first mention. Do you remember last week I shared with you that Joseph was a prosperous man? The word there is "tsalach" in Hebrew, and whatever he did, God made it to tsalach. God made it to prosper, remember that? Remember that? So, the very first thing you need to know about prosperous is, listen, the very first thing you need to know about prosperous is that it's a journey. God doesn't want just prosperity for something that you're doing. He wants it to be a journey. Prosperous is a journey. Your journey in parenting, your journey in your career, your journey in your walk with God, whatever it is until we see him face to face. God wants it to be a prosperous journey. Can I have a good amen?

Now, look up here those of you who are interested. I'm gonna throw you tidbits right now. There are seven tsalach, seven times the word "prosper" appears in the Book of Genesis alone, seven times. Four of the seven appears in this one chapter alone. Did you hear what I said? Four of these seven appears in this one chapter alone. What does that tell you? That tells you prosperity has got to do with the house of God, the church of Jesus Christ, the bride of Christ, amen? God has hidden prosperity here. True prosperity is not found out there, it is found in the house. Would you like to see the other, this chapter, this is the first one, right? There are four out of seven in Genesis, four appears in this chapter alone, tsalach.

Remember tsalach, I told you when the Holy Spirit came on Samson, it says the Holy Spirit tsalach on Samson, came on him to prosper him. Three times it's mentioned in Samson's life, so the Holy Spirit is the one that gives you tsalach, amen? I'm not so smart, I have no smarts. I have no anointing. I have no capacity. I have no persuasion. I have no charisma. I have nothing of my own but when I come on stage, I don't come here alone. I come here with the Holy Spirit and he is the one. I step back. My job, I need to do a good job is to set aside and let him take over 'cause he likes to talk about the Son, amen? So, prosperity has got to do with the Holy Spirit in the church. Would you like to see the others? All right, real quick, the other three.

Okay, another thing is that he was recounting the vow that he made with Abraham. Later on when Rebekah says, "Come to my house, my brother want to see you," and all that. He say, "Okay," you know, he gonna meet up with the brother of the family. The father was dead already, but the older brother Laban, Rebekah's brother, was in charge of the family, and he talked to him for a while, told him the story and he said this. He says that, "The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you. Abraham told me this, God will send his angel with you and prosper your way". You see that? This is number two appearance of the word "tsalach". God will send his angel. It's something the world cannot have, you know? Look up here. When you go to work, God will send his angel to prosper your way. Those without Christ cannot ask for that. They don't have these angels except for little children. All children have angels, all right? I can prove to you from the Bible, but when it come to certain age, that's it. Age of accountability. Death comes in.

So, God will send his angels and this angel here is singular, which is messenger and I believe it's Jesus, all right, in the type here. Anyway, this is the second appearance. Third appearance, drop down. "And this day I come to the well and I said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go," all right? Third appearance of the word "prosper". Prosperity comes by praying. He asked God, all right, to prosper his way, right? "O Lord God of my master Abraham". He prayed in the merits, you know, of like, we pray in the merits of Jesus, amen? He prayed, "You are the God of my master Abraham," amen? "I'm asking you, prosper my way, tsalach, pray for it". People of the world don't pray. You pray because you depend on God. They depend on luck. "Hopefully they're lucky, lah. Hopefully it happen. Hopefully we don't". Faithfully he'll do it, amen, and we don't depend on luck.

"Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,' all right, she will say, 'Drink and I'll draw for your camels also,' let her be the one whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son". He was talking to Laban. Okay, drop down for the final one, the fourth one in this chapter this word appears. "The servant says, 'Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way.'" So, Laban represents the kind of, they're all from the same family, you see, Laban, Rebekah. Rebekah represents the Christian who is a spiritual Christian called to be a bride. Laban represents carnal Christians who have no heart for Jesus, and they always try to hinder the bride from Christ. He's very legalistic.

By the way, just that you know that after she watered the camels, gave the servant water and water the camels, then the servant brought out the gold and jewelry, okay? So, this is the fourth time it appears, and the servant told the family and told Laban, "Don't hinder me". The Holy Spirit is saying, "Don't hinder me. I'm gonna bring the bride to the groom. I want the bride to only see the groom, so don't stand in the way". Because they said, "Let her stay for ten days," they said, all right?

Now, go back to the story again. Look at this, "So it was when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold," y'all. These are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, amen? Now, I'll tell you something, it was after she watered and gave water. It was after. Listen carefully, Laban was kind to the servant after he saw the jewelry on his sister's hands. Rebekah was kind before she saw the gold. What kind of believer are you? Always have a good opinion of God. You don't say, "Holy Spirit, show me the benefit first," you are a Laban Christian. But Rebekah, she was kind before she saw any benefit, okay?

So, what is this nose ring? Nose is the place of discernment. In those days, like for example, it says that the Messiah, Lord Jesus, Isaiah 11, will be a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. The word "understanding" there is quick smell in the Hebrew, discernment, the gifts of discernment like discerning of spirits. You can discern. You can discern things. You can discern, like the Spirit, all these are gifts, all right? Word of wisdom, word of knowledge, they're all smelling gifts. They're all discerning gifts. Then you have gifts for her wrists, two bracelets weighing ten shekels of gold, wow. That's heavy, amen? So, what is this? Power gifts, the gifts of working of miracles, the gift of healings, the gifts of faith, amen, the gift of speaking in tongues and all that and... Oh, I'm telling you, God's gifts are weapons from heaven that the earth's instruments, medicines, and all that is the best we can do, and thank God for that. But they cannot excel the gifts because they are from God direct. So, it's put on the bride. Can you see that? It's put on the bride.

So, remember just now he says, "Don't hinder me"? All right, let's drop down. Drop down to this. "Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way". Okay, go back to the story, next part of the story. Okay, "The man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. 'Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.'" I'mma tell you real quick right now, this is the first mention of a man bowing his head and worshiping the Lord. First mention in the Bible of a man bowing his head and worshiping the Lord. This is the first mention in the Bible and the first mention in the New Testament is Jesus bowing his head in worship at the cross. It was the last act Jesus did. He worshiped the Father before he gave his Spirit up. At the cross, John 19, "When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit". He bowed his head. The last thing he did was worship. He worshiped God.

A lot of people, they die, then their head drop. Notice what happened first. He didn't die yet. He bowed his head purposely as an act of worship, then he gave his Spirit. I love, I love to see these things. Bible knowledge is not about accumulating knowledge. "I know this, I know that. I know this, I know that". And the way you treat your wife, the way your bad temperedness is, the way you are treating other people. So what if you have Bible knowledge if it doesn't warm your heart, doesn't make you, you know, melt, doesn't transform you? It's knowing Jesus, people. So, it's not a matter of, "I know, I know these things, Pastor Prince". Yeah, I taught this before. It's not a matter of accumulative knowledge. It's really having a heart for Christ. Tell you that's what God goes for, the Lord goes for that.

You know, Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus cast out seven devils? She came to the tomb of Jesus on the Resurrection morning. Jesus has risen from the dead, and she was crying. Why was she crying? She expect to see his body. Hasn't he been telling the disciples that he will rise on the third day? But she was looking for a body. But her affections, her love for Jesus you cannot dispute. Then she saw whom she thought was a stranger, it was Jesus. She thought it was a gardener, and she said to him, "You know, tell me where you have laid him. I will go and take him away". See, love doesn't reason. She expects she herself alone can go and take his body away. That's how love talks, you know? Love talks like that. We know that mothers, true stories of children that are pinned under the car and the car is so heavy that a mere person, a man even cannot carry, but supernatural strength comes, mother carry it to save the child.

So, affection is amazing, but her doctrine was bad. She expect to see a body. So doctrinally, not so good. By the way, Mary of Bethany, Lazarus's sister, wasn't there. You know why? 'Cause she sat down and did the one thing needful. She knew that Jesus would die and later on she brought the ointment to anoint Jesus for his burial. Remember that? And she heard Jesus's lips, from Jesus's lips, he will rise again. So, she wasn't there. But I'm just showing you that Bible knowledge comes to nothing if your heart don't have love, knowing his love for you first and then loving one another. What's the point if you are, you know, that woman that you are with for 20 years, 30 years, your Bible knowledge is increasing, but you treat her like... wake up and realize that woman is still with you! She could have left you. I don't know why I'm saying this. I know why I'm saying this. Someone need to hear this.

All right, let's go back to the story again. "And he said," the servant said, "'Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and truth.'" This is the first time in the entire Bible hesed ve emet, grace and truth appears together and in the context of church. Hallelujah. In Genesis 22, we see the son dying, right? It's a picture of Jesus's death on the cross at Mount Moriah, Mount Calvary. Mount Calvary is a range of Mount Moriah, by the way, same mountain range. And then you see Jesus dying in chapter 22, but chapter 24, he's now risen. Where is he? In the Father's right hand. The Holy Spirit is here on a mission to prepare a bride. And after finding the bride to prepare bridal affections, amen, to make sure that we have bridal affections, we have love. Amen, don't see good as, "Oh, he's God. He's almighty". That's wonderful, but you must have a love of a bride for the bridegroom.

The Bible said the Lord says, "So, as the bridegroom rejoiced over the bride, so I rejoice over you in Isaiah," all right? "As the bridegroom rejoiced," I always thought of that amazing, you know. God didn't say, "As a man who has been living with the wife for 40 years, do I love you". Usually it's not so, you know, the fire is not so strong. But God says, "The way I rejoice over you is a like a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride. It's always fresh. It's always bridal love". I love my job, praise God. His mercy and truth, hesed ve emet. The Bible says, "The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ". What is grace and truth? Hesed ve emet. Today you go to Israel, you look at the messianic believers, Jewish believers, you ask for the Bible, their New Testament is in Hebrew. You open up to that verse where the law was given by Moses, the Torah was given by Moshe, but hesed ve emet came by Jesus Christ, and this is the time it appears here. It's the story of after the death of Jesus, after he's risen, the Holy Spirit is here releasing grace and truth.

Let's drop down because of time. Now we come to the end. I mean, okay so, "Rebekah and the maids arose, they rode on the camels". So, her maids followed her, "And they rode on the camels and followed the man". So, the servant took Rebekah and departed. God will make sure that along your journey, you'll get plenty of help. You will have maids to help you. All right, this will be like angels helping you because as a woman, amen, riding through the journey, all right, in the desert and all that, she had plenty of help, and that's why the ten camels were there for her as well.

Now, I don't think for one moment if Rebekah ever thinks that the Holy Spirit's function is to make her look good, all right? "I have all my gold and silver. I don't want my maids to sit on it. They can walk. By the way, can you put all the jewelry on, make it real big on all the camels? All right, I want to show off as I go through the land how beautiful I am and how much, you know, wealth I have". I think the servant will say, "Sorry, these camels is not for that purpose. But if you want to see your husband, if your heart is to long for him, amen, I'm here and all the ten camels is at your disposal". And I believe that Rebekah was that kind of girl. Every night the campfire, placed with all her maids and the servant. It's quite a journey, by the way, from Haran, all the way down to where Isaac was. It's a long journey, took them a number of nights.

So, one of those nights campfire with all her ladies, and she will say, "Tell me the story of Jesus. Tell me the story of Isaac, tell me the story of the beloved son". The Holy Spirit has a lot of stories he wants to tell us. So, you know how we grieve him? He want to talk to us about Jesus, we are not interested. Like I told you last week, want to show you my son's picture, right? And then I show you, "Isn't he cute? This is when he was one years old. This is one". And you look elsewhere. Guess what... straightaway, all right? Straightaway, it will go back into my pocket because you have just grieved me because I love my son. And people are like that. You know, you can do something to them, but you can do it to their family, you do it to their children, it's a different ballgame. Am I right? We care for our family. We'll fight for our family. So, the Holy Spirit want to talk to you about Jesus. So, every night she will say:

♪ Tell me the story of Jesus ♪
♪ Write on my heart every word ♪
♪ Tell me the story most precious ♪
♪ Sweetest that ever was heard ♪

♪ Tell how the angels in chorus ♪
♪ Sang to welcome his birth ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪
♪ Peace and good tidings to earth ♪

♪ Tell me the story of Jesus ♪
♪ Write on my heart every word ♪
♪ Tell me the story most precious ♪
♪ Sweetest that ever was heard ♪

And every night he will say, "Do you know that he's the son that the father loves"? And I tell you something happened one day, not many people know about this. God spoke to the father and God said, "Take your son, your only son," and she'd be like... It was the best Korean drama ever. And she watched it at night until Abraham's servant will say, "Okay, it's time to sleep, ladies. It's time to sleep". So, it's a long journey, so the servant to Rebekah. "Now, Isaac came from", ah, now we see Isaac. So, all the while, we don't see Isaac, right? So, think about it. She loved him, she longed for him before he ever saw him. The Bible says, "Having not seen, we love". And how come we love? Because of the Holy Spirit. He tells us stories about Jesus. She loved him long before she saw him, but now she's about too see him and we are about to see him, amen? "Isaac came from the way of", I'm gonna say it in Hebrew, okay? "Beer Lahai Roi," all right, "The well of the living one who sees me, for he dwelt in the South. Now, and Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evenings".

So, ladies, if you're looking for a partner, stay around the well. Guys, if you're looking for a partner, meditate on God's Word, amen? The one key of success, meditate, all right? And then you know what's gonna happen when you meditate? "He went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming". And one day as you're meditating, you will see the camel is coming, amen? The camels are coming. I'm gonna announce to you by the Spirit. Many of you've been waiting for your camels to come in. Business people, your camels are coming. Your camels are coming, amen? And the camels were coming. And look at this, "Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel".

Now, this word here "dismounted" unfortunately naphal in Hebrew is not dismounted. It is the word "fall". She fell off the camel. This word "naphal," you ask any Jewish rabbi, they will naphal means to fall off. Rebekah fell off her camel when she saw Isaac. She was literally swept off her feet. She saw him, the Bible says, because she asked the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us"? "The servant said, 'It is my master.' She took her veil and covered herself," probably she reached out for the veil... and right into the arms of Isaac. He is gonna sweep us off our feet. It's called the Rapture.

Now, some people, you know, they have effectively removed the Rapture today. You see the comments people have, and even preachers, they don't talk about the Rapture anymore. And the Bible says it's very dangerous because this is the hope that purifies the believer. Every man who has this hope purifies himself. And they like to talk about Titus 2, how to the grace of God appears to all men, but they forget that not only that, it goes on to say the grace of God teaches us, not only to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, but that God might have a people zealous of good works. But it goes on as a comma, "looking for the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ". There's also the grace teaching, looking for the appearing of the great God. He's a great God and Savior Jesus Christ. In fact, if you read the Bible, it seems like one out of 22 verses in the New Testament always talks about the Second Coming of Christ. The church has forgotten this. And nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Christians look forward to die".

So, saying things like, "We all know we're gonna die one day," it's not scriptural, it's worldly. In fact, all the teachings looking forward for the coming of the Lord, looking for... lift up your heads, your redemption draws nigh, your bodily redemption. Look up. Look up. You're gonna have a new body, an everlasting one, a body that can feel much more than you can feel right now. How can the everlasting body, all right, be a body that cannot feel or feel lesser? No, it's greater than your body now. And you cannot grow old, no pimples even forever, amen? He's about to sweep you off your feet. And I'll close with this. Drop down. "And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done". Isn't it wonderful the Holy Spirit will end up telling Jesus all that he has done, all right, the account of the bride? The journey has come to an end. We are still in that journey, amen? "Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her".

Folks, take note, and I close with this, this is the second mention of love in the Bible. The first mention is the father's love for the son. Second mention is the bridegroom's love for his bride, or you can say boy/girl love. "And he was comforted after his mother's death". Notice that? Do you know that Jesus today is comforted? Although he loves Israel, Israel rejected him, but during this time of rejection, he's comforted that he has a bride. Joseph, remember, who was rejected by his brothers? But he found an Egyptian bride. It's a picture of the church made of Gentiles, and he was comforted. So much so that when he had two sons by her, he called them Manasseh, the firstborn. Manasseh means God help me forget all the rejection, all the, my father's toil, my father's house. Musician, just come play softly. And he says because of that there'll be fruitfulness. So, friend, we're in this journey. Blessed are you to be part of the bride that God is preparing. God's putting jewelries of gold, silver, redemption, divinity, divine gifts on you. He's clothing you, and the Holy Spirit is here to tell you the story of Jesus. He's not here to call attention to himself, to call attention to Jesus, amen?

♪ Tell of the cross where they nailed him ♪
♪ Writhing in anguish and pain ♪
♪ Tell of the grave where they laid him ♪
♪ Now tell of how he liveth again ♪

♪ Love him that story so tender ♪
♪ Clearer than ever I see ♪
♪ Stay, I will weep while you whisper ♪
♪ Love found the ransom for me ♪

♪ Tell me the story of Jesus ♪
♪ Write on my heart every word ♪
♪ Tell me the story most precious ♪
♪ Sweetest that ever was heard ♪

Amen? We'll never have enough because we're only skimming the surface. The Bible is a picture, a photo album, about his Son, and you see how his Son as a Shepherd, as the King, the son of David, all the titles he shares with you because you are joint heirs with him. The only thing that he doesn't share is the fact that he's deity, hundred percent God, hundred percent man whereas for us, we are hundred percent man, partakers of the divine nature, but we will never become deity. Why would he love you? Why would he love me? He could have let us rot and go to hell. And people can say, point the finger and say, "Well, God, you know, we blame you".

One day... God could just throw them away. Why didn't he just throw us the way you throw our, even our old items, old clothes? I encourage you not to throw. You can give it to the Salvation Army, but many of us, we just throw them. But Jesus, a smoking flax, a bruised reed he will not destroy. If you lost your song, he will say, "Come to me," amen? I know you love him. I know that today there's an anointing even to love him again, amen? But remember that we love because he first loved us. Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place. If you are here, my friend, and you've never made Jesus your personal Savior and Lord, I want to give you this opportunity right now, all right? Just pray this prayer with me. Say:

Lord Jesus, you're my heavenly Isaac. I thank you your Spirit has found me. I was lost. I'm a sinner, but I thank you you died for sinners on that cross. You died for my sins. You bore all my judgment and all my curse. And on the third day, you rose from the dead. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior now and forever. In Jesus's name, amen.

Friend, I announce to you right now, you are part of the bride. You are now a child of God. God is your Father, amen? Heaven is your home. Praise the Lord. Eternal life has begun. Praise the name of Jesus. Stand to your feet, church. I want to pray a blessing over you for this coming week. Never take the blessings for granted, amen? There's been a lot of dispensing of gifts of the Spirit, but God wants to really prosper, not just a day, but your journey throughout this week, amen? Lift your hands all across the place wherever you're watching this right now, amen. Truly the Lord has blessed you with the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 and every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. I call them forth in your life.

May you walk in the supernatural blessings of God. May qarah happen to you throughout this week, right happenings, happenings that happen to happen the way you want it to happen where you are happy, amen? I pray for that to happen this week. I pray in Jesus's name that God will protect you by putting you at the right place at the right time, you and your family. And throughout this week, the Lord keep you preserved and protect you from every infection, from every disease, from terror, from evil people, and from all the powers of darkness. The Lord smiles on you, favors you and your loved ones, and grant to you and yours a shalom health, well-being, and peace. In Jesus's name, amen. Shalom. God bless you.