Joseph Prince - You Can Live Healed
So, I'm gonna submit to you something. We're gonna learn here and it gonna bless you. It says here with the temptation... how many are glad that with the testing that comes, every testing God promises that with the testing that comes, God will provide a way out? And notice, the way out, the way of escape. It's call the way of escape is actually one Greek word "ekbasis". Ek means out of. Basis is walk. It's literally walk out, exit. So, the idea that I always have in my mind is this, that with every trial that comes, whatever the trial is, God's faithfulness is that he will always make a way to escape, all right, make a way to escape.
But in the Greek I found out that it is not a way to escape because this idea a way, we do not know what that way is. Now, right now some of you are going through a trial. It's not funny. It hurts, involves a loved one. Probably you are in semi-depression right now. Perhaps your problem is depression. You are thinking of ending your life. Don't do it, all right? Today's message will set you free. His name is Jesus, amen. You are going through something right now and I'm here to tell you, God has the answer for you. But first and foremost, let me just tell you this, it's not a way to escape. In the Greek, it is definite article. The escape. The exit. The way out. The New King James says, "The way of escape". It's accurate.
Now, when you say, "a," that means with every testing, you have to find a way. A way can be a new way. I said, a way can be a new way, all right, you understand or not? There's always a way. There's always a way of escape. There's always a door there for you. That means it's general. You do not know what it is. But when you say, "the," you are pointing to something very definite. So, when you say, "the," there is only one way, no other way. Jesus is not a way. Jesus himself says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life".
Verse 13 to 16, can you see this? Now, this is from the Old king James. Now, look at the context. Just two verses after that, it talks about the cup of blessing, verse 16, which we bless. Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? I'm like, uh, all of a sudden talking about trial, the way out. And then two verses after that it tells you like I can only speak this verse 15 to wise men, judge you what I say. In other words, it's gonna take a revelation here. I'm gonna tell you something, it will take a revelation, you understand? It will take the wisdom of God. It will take spiritual intelligence. Are you ready for that? Amen, and then he says here, this is communion. Verse 16 is communion.
What about the cup of blessing and the bread, what does that have to do with the way of escape? This word "communion" is the word koinonia, which is the word for fellowship, all right, association. It's not just fellowship. You can have fellowship with me, but I just met you yesterday, all right? In other words, it's a fellowship but it's a fellowship over tea, all right, kind of association. But the word down there is actually intimate. It's intimate participation, intimate participation, are you listening? This word would be used also in the idea of a husband and a wife being intimate. They say things to each other, all right, there are things that they say and do that no one else is privy to. They're intimately participating, the thought, spirit, soul, and body, okay? That's the idea of communion.
Are you with me so far? Are you blessed, amen? Now, how do we partake? The million dollar question the church of Jesus Christ have is that, "I know he bore my diseases, not just my sin, but how do I partake that? How do I have access to it? How do I become a koinonia, an intimate participator? How can I be a sharer of the benefits of the blood and the benefits of the bread, how"? Observe Israel. "Are not those who eat partakers"? In other words, when you eat the bread and drink the cup, you become a partaker of what Jesus did at the cross.
Go to 1 Corinthians 11, for this reason, singular reason, singular reason. I know people in the body of Christ says that, "You know, we need to lay hands on each other and command this, command that and all that". There's a place for that. There's a place for that, okay? But the norm for a believer, usually they command devils to come out and people to be healed for sinners out there, not for believers. Believers seems in the 1st century church, seems to be walking in divine health. It's better to have health than healing. I said, it's better to have health than healing but if you're sick, go for healing, but don't stay there, don't live from healing to healing. Start to walk in health. So, the believers would break bread from house to house daily, and we think we are, you know, some people think we're extreme. We have it once a week. Well, the early church in the Book of Acts upon the first day of the week, they came together to break bread.
Who was the guest speaker for that one? The Apostle Paul. Remember Paul was a speaker. Doesn't say upon the first day of the week they came together to hear Paul. They came together to break bread, Acts 20. You have time, you read it. "For this reason," singular reason, only one reason the church, "many are weak and sick among you and many sleep". Sleep there is die. Behold, I speak plainly. In those days, they sleep. For a believer, death holds no more terror. There's no more sting. Jesus conquered death. So, for a believer, they say they fall asleep. A sinner dies, a believer sleeps until Jesus raised his body from the dead, all right?
But look at this, one reason, for one reason, not reasons. I checked it out in the Greek, the word "reason" is singular. Many, kind of wish he said few. Many are weak, sick among you and many sleep. What's the reason? What's the reason? Look at the verse before that. "He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner," the key is unworthy manner, "eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body". The world as it is is dying. It's not as if, oh, you have sinned. You take the Lord's supper then you die, no, no, no. The world is dying, that's why the same chapter says that God doesn't want us to be condemned with the world. There's a condemnation in this world that was released, a divine sentence that was released ever since Adam sinned and that divine sentence includes sickness. Communion is the way out. It's the ekbasis. Are you listening, people, amen?
So, note discerning the Lord's body. So, the problem is that they knew the cup. Majority of denominations that practice, church denomination, and I speak this with a heavy heart, they have communion but many a times they lump the bread and the cup as one. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving us of our sins, you died for our sins, hardly mentioned disease. They're not discerning the Lord's body. The word discerning, "diakrino," to make a separation between the bread and the cup. Why was he scourged? Why didn't God arranged everything. Why didn't God just send him straight to the cross? Why didn't Pilate just send him to the cross? Why must he go via the scourging and then the cross? Because by his stripes, we are healed. Are you listening? God loves you. God wants you well. I said, God wants you well.
"Pastor Prince, I took communion before". I tell you, take again. The disciples took it from house to house in one day. You know how many times that is? You know how many houses there were, amen? Every time they come to a new house, somebody is sick. So, they take again and they got the benefit. They broke bread daily, not only daily from house to house. If you reverse the thing, if you discern the Lord's body, yes, his body was broken that my body might be put together, amen? I see my high blood pressure carried away by Jesus's body. I see his body judged. His healthy body was judged that my body might be healed.
You are discerning, now you are eating worthily. God is not saying an unworthy person cannot eat. It's not an unworthy man. It's an unworthy manner, the adverb, okay? An adverb means an action that modifies. It's the way... modifies the verb. It's how you eat. I'm telling you, church, he didn't have to die. He loved you. I said, he loved you. You know, he cares for your pain right now. It's not just for the, you know, for the eternal and while the sweet and by, you know, it's like, one day, you know, all the sufferings will stop, you know? No, he wants you to be healed. He wants you healthy. He wants you strong.
"Are you there, Pastor Prince? I don't see Christians there and all that". Let me explain to you, okay, about thing about God, we have received so many testimonies of people who begin to discover. One of the biggest testimonies we receive is that people are delivered from drug addictions, pornography, depression, all right, by confessing, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ". Now, it became a revelation that Jesus took their sin and they take Jesus as their righteousness, the divine exchange. You know, the more they confess that, how many know that many a times your feelings says, "No, you're a porn addict," but who you are before God, you are the righteousness of God in Christ. Your thoughts will say, "No, you need this drink. You need this drink, all right? You can never break it". All right, but God looks at you and God says, "You are my righteousness in Christ".
Now, what happened is that even though while we have received so many testimonies, go to JosephPrince.com and go to the testimonial section, you can read for yourself. The number of people that confess, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ," even while they're in their sin and how one day, the desire for porn, the desire for drinking, the desire for drugs just fell off. Depression just leaves. Are you listening? So what I'm saying is that even though you still have symptoms of sin in your life, do not identify yourself with sin. That's not who you are. If you are born again, you are the righteousness of God in Christ. Now watch this, the more you identify with the fact that Jesus took your diseases and start to do that, it's the truth. The more you do that, the more you take communion doesn't mean you won't fall sick. But you'll fall sick less and less and less. My advice, start now.
A man had dropsy in a synagogue and Jesus was there on the Sabbath day. The Pharisees, that man's pastor watched Jesus to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath day. How terrible is that? They knew that Jesus would heal. They're not watching to see if he could heal. They are watching to see if he would heal. How terrible is that? Whether he would heal on the Sabbath day so they can find fault. And Jesus says, "Which of you, when your child, or an ox, fall into a pit, you will not immediately rescue him on the Sabbath day"?
Remember the story of Jessica McClure in 1980 something, the baby girl that fell into the pit? The whole world was riveted on that situation until she was rescued. Simple analogy, Jesus says that sick people, the way we see them are people that fall into a pit like that little girl, that toddler, that fell into a pit. Don't find fault with people. Don't look at people who are sick and say they should have exercised, they should have watched their diet, or they should have, they should have, until you fall sick. Then you realize it's more than just diet because it's something spiritual. I said, it's something spiritual. Now, by all means diet. By all means eat well. By all means exercise, but you will still have challenges that you cannot cope with even in the fit body because sickness is spiritual. Sin is spiritual. There ought not be any sickness in the world.
"I've been taking communion, Pastor Prince". But how long? "I'm still not healed". Remember the testimony I shared with you about the boy, the boy who from India who had stroke? Joy, the lady from our church who went over to India to Coimbatore, she shares about this boy. In May 2017, this eight-year-old boy John Rufus started having stroke-like symptoms. His face drooped on one side". Look up here. "And he was unable to speak, eat, or smile. He felt very ashamed and refused to go to school. The couple brought him to many doctors, many doctors, but no one could help him. So, they approached me and I gave them Pastor Prince's book 'Health & Wholeness.' And I showed them the Calvary animation video, what happened at the cross that Pastor Prince has used in his sermons. They started partaking of the holy communion as a family and John's condition began to improve. Within 15 days, John's face was back to normal," within 15 days, okay?
I want to answer the question by the grace of God, if I may, all right, "How long, Lord, will I wait for my... I've been taking communion for some time now and still no manifestation". Well, the last line here says, "Within 15 days of taking communion, John's face went back to normal". What if they had stopped on the sixth day? What if they had stopped on the 11th day? What if the mother says, "You know what? You better go and look for other doctors. You better go to another country or whatever". What if they stopped on the 13th day? First of all, don't condemn yourself for asking yourself how long. Few people of grace, you know, we believe in no condemnation and we are the worst in condemning ourself for every little thing. We are sick, we condemn ourself. No, you just fell into a pit. Now, let's get you out.
"You don't understand, the doctors told me, I was so disappointed that I have high blood pressure. The doctors told me I have this condition. Now I feel so, now I feel so bad". But really, why do you feel so bad? You just fell into a pit, let's get you out. No one is condemning you, stop condemning yourself. Abraham when he was hundred years old, considered not his own body, considered God's promise instead. Strong in faith, giving glory to God. Consider not! I know it's staring you, it's painful, you can feel it. Consider not, consider God's Word. God's Word says, by his stripes, you are healed, amen. So, walk in that, can I have a good amen? So, don't condemn yourself for saying, "How long, how long"? It's okay, all right, but don't stop there. Go into faith.
Some people even have this idea that faith means don't even say how long. It's okay to tell God but make sure you tell God, David did. David says in Psalms 13, "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand"? Have you gone through that? Have you had this in your heart, huh? You feel like God has put you aside, amen? So, even David, a man after God's heart says, "How long, how long, Lord"? Maybe he's believing God for something, he doesn't see it happen, amen? But look, don't stay there. Look at Psalms 13, drop down. Look at David, "But I have" But makes all the difference. "I have trusted in your mercy". Guess what, mercy here is hesed, grace, "My heart shall rejoice in your salvation". The Hebrew there is Yeshua.
So, you are in the right posture when you don't give up trusting in the grace of God. By his grace, the manifestation will come. By his grace, amen. Thirty fold, sixty, but don't give up, amen, and it's okay to say, "How long, Lord"? Actually,it's a relationship? You know, we in the Word of faith background and all that, we have this idea sometimes that the moment we say, "Oh, I bind that word in Jesus's name," it's almost you can't express anything to one another that's negative. Hey, you can talk to God about everything. Everything David told God about, David had victory. Even when he shared with God in a negative way, but the very area in all his Psalms you cannot find this. He never told God about his sexual life and that's the area he fell. Whatever area he told God about, he had victory, even when he exposed it out of bitterness of soul or anguish, God gave him selah. Have you noticed the word "selah" in Psalms. After he poured out his complaint in the presence of God, gonna complain, complain in God's presence. Child of God, don't be discouraged, okay? Your healing is coming. The manifestation of it and it's coming speedily. Don't give up, give praise to God, amen?
Now remember, it's not about being conscious of your own disease. It's being conscious of Jesus, amen, being conscious of him. I'm gonna say this again, when you come to church, I want to tell the pastors also, it's as if the pastors must lead you word for word. I think we gotta stop doing that. You are big enough, all right, and old enough. It's your own prayer to God. Once in a while we'll lead you, okay? But make it your own prayer. Don't let Pastor Lawrence kiss the girl for you, amen? You know, the word "worship" is kiss, to kiss the Lord. You gotta kiss the Lord yourself, amen? You know what to say but the principle says this, be conscious of the Lord. He says, "Do this in remembrance of me not yourself, not your problems, not your disease".
Stop thinking about yourself. It's about him. Look at him, how beautiful he is like the cedars of Lebanon, amen. Look at how majestic he is, how full of mercy, kindness, tender mercy, goodness, how loving he is, how compassionate. He didn't have to but he chose to come down, to die on that cross for our sins. But before he hung on the cross, he chose to go to the whipping post, the scourging. And they beat him, and they beat him again, and they beat him again. And by his stripes, we are healed. By his wound, by his stripe the back was so lacerated. See that right now in the Spirit, see that.
When that stripe fell on his back, your cancer died, your tumor disappeared. When that stripe fell on his back, your blood pressure was normalized. When that stripe fell on his back, your sleeplessness and insomnia disappeared. By that stripe - whatever your condition is say, "Lord Jesus, I thank you by your stripe I am healed of". Tell him right now, "By your stripe I'm healed of." Might be more than one thing but just him, "By your stripe, I thank you, Lord". It's a time of thanksgiving, not pleading. "Thank you, Lord, by your stripe, it has been done". You're not gonna ask him to do it again. You are thanking him. It's a time of eulogia, thanksgiving. "Thank you, Lord, by your stripe I am healed. In my heart, by your stripe, I am healed from forgetfulness. By your stripe, I am healed in my brain. By your stripe, I'm healed in my memory faculties. By your stripe, I am healed in my ankle joints. By your stripe, I am healed in my knees," whatever it is. But see it. Don't just repeat like a parrot. See it, see it, see him bearing the stripes.
When you're ready, partake. Now, lift up the cup. In the blood of Jesus is the forgiveness of all your sins. You are not partaking, remember this, to be forgiven, you are drinking because you are forgiven. If you're not saved, you haven't believed in Christ yet, this is not for you. Put down the elements. It's only for believers. And you are forgiven of all your sins because his blood was shed. Now, when you drink, drink in the consciousness that all your sins have been forgiven. There's no unforgiven sin in your life because of the blood of Jesus. And know that through the blood of Jesus, there is no curse in your life, no curse in your family. Christ has redeemed you through his blood from every curse. May drink, amen.