Joseph Prince - Fresh Grace For Every Trial
Are you ready for the Word? Today I want to share with you something about what we need to do if we are faced with a trial, with a problem, or a challenge, whether it's financial, whether it's physical, whether it's family. Whatever you're faced with, number one, you need to know this, that trouble is not exactly the same kind of trouble to a believer as it is to a person without Christ. You see, a person without Christ, trouble is really trouble. But for a person who is a covenant man, a covenant woman, trouble still comes, amen, but something about trouble God has destined that for the believer all troubles, all right, all things, in fact, will work together for their good. It will work together.
Now, did not say that all things are from God. Does not say that all things are good. But it says that all things, whether it's from man's mistakes, whether it's from the devil's attacks, whether it's from someone who betrayed you, whatever it is, God can cause all things to work together for your good, all right? That's the inheritance of every believer. In Colossians 1 it says that God works all things after the counsel of him and Bible says this is our inheritance in Colossians. So, this is your God-given right to believe that "this trouble in my life it looks like trouble, all right, smells like trouble, feels like trouble, sounds like trouble, but as far as I'm concerned, it's gonna work for my good" amen? Are you with me?
All right, just believe that a delay may be God's provision, all right, for you to avoid an accident, all right? Believe that some disappointments are God's appointments. Believe that some stumbling blocks are actually steppingstones to where he wants you to go. But sometimes some things you don't see immediately. Most of the troubles, the good that comes out of it, you don't see it. Now, I said just now, don't look at the world and say, all right, "Where is the good"? Or if you're without Christ, I'm not talking about people without the inheritance. I'm talking about people who Jesus died for and they believe that Christ is their Savior and Lord they have an inheritance that all things in their life will work together for good, okay? But there is something you need to know to enjoy this, all right? You need to know something. Like I said just now, not all the good is immediate. Most of them you gotta wait for some time then we realize why today you are grateful you didn't marry that person, amen?
Yeah, I'll tell you this, many people, you know, when they look back, they thank God they didn't take that career. When they look back, they are so grateful, all right, they didn't choose that path, or whatever the case is. Many of us, we only realize the good after it happens. Are you with me? I mean if you interviewed Joseph when he was in the dungeon, amen, he was faithful to God. He resisted the charms of Potiphar's wife, and where did he find himself? In prison, in a dungeon. I mean, in the short term, there's no good. I mean, it's not good to be in the dungeon, all right? But if you had waited just a few more years, you'll find Joseph at the right hand of Pharaoh, ruling the entire Egypt, amen, and in a position to save his entire family.
Who would have seen that good if you're only short term in your thinking, amen? Everything works together for good. Even though we are not pleased with what is happening, let me tell you this, God loves you enough to allow you to be disappointed with him even in the short term, but he will love you enough to carry out his good in your life. Can I have a good amen? We think, "God, you didn't give me that husband I wanted, that guy. I wanted him and now he's married to somebody else, you know"? And then one day a few days later, you look back, you say, "Thank God". Turned out to be a wife beater and, you know, starve his children. And here you are married to a wonderful guy, amen? Amen. You do not know, but God knows the future, amen?
Now, the Bible tells us clearly in John 1, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us". You know, this entire John's gospel opens up in chapter 1 verse 1, "In beginning," no the. In our English it's "In the beginning, was the Word". But in the original Greek, there is no definite article. "The" is missing, why? Because when you say, "In the beginning," there was a definite point when Christ came into existence and Christ did not come into existence, he always preexisted. He himself is God. So, it begins with "In beginning". In the unknown beginning. In the eons of beginning. In the eternal beginning, all right, Christ was there. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And here it says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us".
The word "dwelt" there is tabernacle. He tabernacled among us. How did God come? As a baby. Isn't it precious? I mean, imagine Mary holding that baby and that baby in the eons of time before, all right, is the God that created all things, amen? When Mary looked into the face of the baby and Mary realized that this is the Creator, this is her God, her Lord that she's holding. And here God allowed his Son to come helpless, all right, completely dependent upon mortal flesh to take care of him. Isn't that precious, you know, how lowly our God has come, amen? And the Bible says, "We behold His glory". John can say it because John and Peter and James were up there on the Mount of Transfiguration when for a moment, God unveiled Jesus in all his glory and he shone so bright.
The Bible says, there's no brightness on earth that can compare, and he shone on that Mount of Transfiguration and John was there. John here now says, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth". One thing about Jesus you need to know is this, he's full of grace and truth. You know what's grace? Undeserved, unearned favor, all right? A person can come to him, touch him and receive healing. Even though the person, all right, is a jerk, even though the person is an idiot, even the person does not deserve the blessing, the person can come because all his blessings is unmerited, unearned favor, amen? That's why the Bible says the multitudes touched him and everyone that touched him received.
I am sure that among the multitudes there are people, like I said, who are wife beaters or people who are abusers, or people who are just evil, all right, wicked. But when you touch him, when the moment they saw him and they saw their need of him when he depended on him, at that moment, all the undeserved, unmerited favor flows in him and in him is the fullness of grace and truth, all right? Notice truth always comes after grace. Truth always comes after grace, all right? We must always follow the order of God. When Jesus stood before the Jewish people and says, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free," it was obvious those people knew the truth about the law. All right, we'll come to that. Okay, but keep on reading. "John," John the Baptist that is, "bore witness of Jesus and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me'" In terms of revealing himself to Israel.
All right, Jesus came after John because John exposed himself first, all right, to make a way for Jesus. "He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me". This is Jesus' pre-incarnate existence. He says, "Jesus was before me". All right, and the Bible says, "And of His fullness" Ooh, I love this. I know many of us act as Christians, we act like this verse says, of his skimpiness, of his littleness, of his scarcity. No, "Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace," grace for grace. You know, this word grace for grace, the word for there is anti in the Greek where we get our English word anti, all right? Anti, in place of, in place of. "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace in place of grace". Now, there are two pictures of this. Number one, why does it say anti? All right, anti seems like opposed to something, but anti can also mean what? In place of. In other words, the moment you use one grace, in place of it there's another grace. When you use that grace, in place of it there's another grace. In other words, it's a picture of God keeps grace upon grace upon grace and of his fullness have we all received. Have you noticed it doesn't say truth upon truth or truth for truth? It's grace first, amen?
I remember years ago when my daughter Jessica was about three plus, we brought her to Japan. And you know, we were shopping in a mall and of course, being a young girl and all, she got a bit restless. So, I thought of bringing her somewhere to entertain her. All right, finally we came to this - and Japan is full of it, you know, this arcade, amusement center. So, we walked in and we went to the smaller children's section, and we saw this little game that she was fascinated by, looks like an anime character and it could dispense, if you win, you know pictures of anime characters. So, she sat down there and she started playing so daddy, of course, went to change money, right? You have to change for the kind of coins, I think it was about ten yen to slot into the machine.
So, I took a handful of it, plunked it where she was and I told her, "Once it's finished, you put this one into this hole, okay? She understood enough, all right, three plus. "Okay, okay," her eyes were excited. I can see she was really excited and when she was winning, her eyes got really big, her dimples were showing, and she was very, very excited. I was very happy to see her excited. I was very pleased to see her happy, you understand? What do you think makes God happy, when he serve him? I tell you this, God is happy when you are happy. There are times I go to a shop and I look at the price and I remember that I see something, you know, kaleidoscope like, you know, this kind of kaleidoscope when we are children. You know, you can see above the roof or around the corner of whatever.
All right, something like this and I look at it, wow, finally I found something that, you know, Jessica does not have when she's growing up. I say I'll buy this, look at the price and it's daylight robbery, okay? But when I look at my daughter and I can see her fascinating by the colors and being able to see the, you know, the other side and all that, I was just thrilled just imagining her being happy that I was prepared to part with my money. Now, how many understand the same with God? You come right down to it and you sit down and God is love, what makes God really happy? You serve him, you sacrifice for him, all right? No, it's when you are really happy, all right? And that's why God knows when we live in sin, we cannot be happy. All right, we sabotage ourselves. He knows that. God is after your happiness. Trust me, even you're not around, God remains God. All right, whatever he does and advises, and exhorts, and commands us, it's all for our good, okay?
So, there I was giving her this money and she was playing, and you know what? The game ended actually but because she keep on sliding it, all right, you know, she keep on putting in the slot, the game continued. She never knew what happened. I do not know how much I spent. I spent a lot, just for that game because she has a whole book of the pictures that she got from the game. She still has those pictures. So, the other day I was with her and I was teasing her a little bit and I told her, "You still remember that game," and all that? "Yeah, yeah". Now, of course, she's not interested in that game and she still has the book in her safekeeping. So, I told her, you know how much daddy spent for that game? And she looked at me, "What do you mean"? I say, what do you think? You saw all the money down there, it never went down. The money just keep on being supplied, I said. You know because every time I saw the, you know, those coins getting lesser, I'll go and change, all right, and to come and bring it down there. She never knew. Her eyes were always excited playing, you know?
So, I said to her, you didn't notice that? Only when now she's 12 years old, she realized. Many of us, we don't realize how much we are loved by God until we start growing up, and even then, you need help. You need the Word of God. The Word, like my word to her, you need the Word of God to remind you to tell you how much you are loved. And she looked at me and she said, "Thanks, daddy". She said, "Thank you so much". Now she can appreciate it. But I'm tell you, there was coin upon coin, grace upon grace, never-ending supply. How many understand that, amen? Of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace, amen. With every fresh trouble, there is fresh grace. With every fresh need, there is fresh grace. With every fresh challenge, there is fresh grace. And the grace is greater than your trouble, greater than your need, greater than your sin, amen?
People ask sometimes, "Well, Pastor Prince, you know, you need to preach more on sin". I say, you need to preach more on grace. People say, "Well, you make light of sin". I say, you make light of Jesus, amen. Why talk about the darkness? Why curse the darkness? Why rebuke the darkness in the room? Why not go and switch on the light? The darkness will be gone, trust me, amen? Some people talk about the devil all the time in a church. I used to be in a church service and before we start the praise and worship, the worship leader will go like this, "Devil, I rebuke you. We come against you. We bind your power," and they name all the spirits and all that kind of thing. After for a while, everyone is conscious of the devil. Then he says, "Now let's worship the Lord". And the devil goes away and says, "You know what? Even though we cannot rebuke, but they are more conscious of us now". Guess who won? Come on, amen?
You know, your consciousness is very important. So, we don't undermine, all right, sin. We don't, okay? Just that we praise Jesus and his grace so much more because grace is greater than sin, all right? Sin is still sin, all right? But praise God grace is greater than sin. Can I have a good amen? I want to pause here for a while and just say that there is a teaching that's prevalent right now, especially going on in America that even the "Time" magazine has put on its cover and all that, giving the illusion that because of a one best-selling book that came out about heaven and hell and about everyone is saved and all that, purportedly written by a pastor, all right? Let me tell you this, heaven is not mystical. Heaven is real. Hell is not parable. It's not a metaphor. It's a real place.
Jesus said, all right, "Where hell, where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die". Jesus took the trouble to elaborate in detail. It is not a parabolic place. It's a real place. If hell is a metaphor, then heaven is a metaphor. If heaven is a metaphor, tell me where is the present-day resurrected Jesus of flesh and bones? Where is he now? No, heaven is a real place. Hell is a real place, all right? That's why God loved us so much God sent his Son to die for our sins, 'cause hell is a real place. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun, but God did not prepare hell for mankind. That was never his plan. He prepared hell for the devil and his fallen angels. But if man will not embrace his love and follow the devil, all right, that's where they'll end up, amen? All right, God has done all he can. He loved us. Jesus did all he can on the cross, amen? Are you listening, people?
All right, and I don't believe in universal salvation. I believe everyone has that responsibility to put their trust in Christ to receive what Christ has done. It is not automatic. Are you listening, people? All right, but Jesus is full of grace and truth, the Bible tells us. So, the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". Now, notice the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Again, it shows you clearly grace comes first, then truth. Now, notice that truth is on the side of grace. Truth is not on the side of the law. Some people try to divide grace and truth. They tell you grace is God forgiving us of our sins. Truth is God's demands and expectations, back to the law again. No, this dichotomy is not between grace and truth. It is between the law and grace and truth on the other side. Are you listening, people?
The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Now the interesting thing is this, when Jesus told the Jews of his day, "You shall know the truth," when he told them, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free," they were all Jewish people that knew the law. They knew the law since they were three years old. They are trained to know the law, the Torah, all right? They are taught the Mishnah. They're taught all the writings of the Bible from a young age. So, when Jesus was telling them, "You shall know the truth," it's obviously not referring to the law, it's grace. Grace and truth are one.
Let me explain. Do you know that in the Greek, the word "grace and truth came," the word "came" is in the verb singular verb, singular verb? Let me explain what's singular verb. Let's say right now, we have, all right, Daniel and Mark, my two wonderful pastors. Let's say both of them play tennis, okay? They both, I use the expression, they both play to win, am I right? They both play to win. Do I say they both, both, plays to win? Is that correct English? All right, let's try again Singaporeans, okay? Do I say Mark and Daniel plays or play to win, why? Plural. The verb should be plural. Play should be plural, which means two persons so there's no S. Singular there's S, right? But you know something? In the Greek, grace and truth literally comes. It should be grace and truth come.
All right, but in the Greek, the original Greek from which your English is taken from, all right, the New Testament is first in Greek, then in your English. But the thing is this, grace and truth is not in the plural, but it's in the singular verb, which means grace and truth are so one, you cannot divide it. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Hey, listen, grace and truth is like water and wet. You touch water, you touch wet. Do you understand? You touch wet, you touch water, how many understand that? All right, it's like you go to a shop and you say you want buttered bread. You don't say, butter and bread, right? You want buttered bread. You say kaya toast. I love kaya toast. But you don't say, "I want kaya toast". You say what? Sorry, you do say kaya toast. You don't say kaya and toast, all right? It's the same thing. It's grace and truth is actually true grace. It's true grace.
Now, if you look carefully at the word "anti," grace in place of grace. One is that it's grace heaped upon grace. Another is grace in place of grace also means this because it goes on, "For the was given," that means because the law was given is tied up with the previous verse because it says because, right? Because the law. "For" means because. In other words, whatever the preceding verse is saying is this, even the time of Moses, there was grace, but it's not the true grace that came through Jesus Christ. There was grace, but grace was in hidden form, in ceremonies, in types and shadows, but true grace came through Jesus Christ. Are you with me? Do you understand that now? All right, that's why it says, "For the law was given," contrast with grace and truth. "Now, what has that got do with my challenges, Pastor Prince"?
I want to tell you this, every challenge that you have is an opportunity from God. Now, your challenge might not be from God. It might be from the devil. Might be someone else's mistake, someone else's betrayal, whatever it is, but let me tell you this, every trial is an opportunity for you to see Jesus, to see Jesus in a fresh and new way. "But Pastor Prince, I want to see the answer to my financial problem". Many people think that when they have a problem, a financial problem for example, they want financial advice from someone who is actually arm of flesh. What is born of flesh is flesh. All right, no matter how much expertise they have, like I said, the world today, they're at a loss, come on. What you need, all right for your problem, is not more advice, more counsel. You need for revelation of Jesus. If you are sick, okay, you don't need a third advice, fourth advice, fifth advice. You need more revelation of Jesus.
Let me explain. Everything that God gives us is wrapped up in the knowledge of Jesus. How do you get saved? How come all of you right now sitting down here, or at least most of you here and listening to me, you are now saved? You are a glorious son and daughter of God. Amen, why is it? Because someone told you about Jesus, amen? It was a revelation of what he did at the cross, his love for you that today you are saved. Even your salvation begins with the knowledge of Jesus, amen? Okay, every other blessing is the same. Every fresh trial is to show a new vision, a new aspect of Jesus. And what you need to do when you have a trial is to ask the Lord for a fresh vision of Jesus, a fresh revelation. For example, Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. Lazarus has died, right? Martha and Mary came to Jesus, and what did they say to Jesus?
Now, they probably knew Jesus for a few years already. All right, we're not told how long, but it seems like they were long-time friends, okay? So, Martha came to Jesus and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died". In other words, she pushed Jesus to the past. "If only you came earlier, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died". Many people are going, pushing God back to the past, okay? They think that God can only do miracles in the past, during the time of David, the time of Moses, the time of Solomon. So, she pushed Jesus to the past. Then Jesus says, "Your brother". Don't forget, Martha knew him for a few years. Maybe you know Jesus for a few years, doesn't mean you have that revelation for your trouble right now. Jesus said this to Martha, "Martha, your brother will rise again". Then she says, "I know that he will rise again at the Last Day".
Now she pushed Jesus to the future, when Jesus comes again at the Last Day. All right, but he says, "I am". Now listen, what she needed was a fresh revelation. So, just because you graduated from a Bible school - this is not meant to be an insult. I need fresh revelation of Jesus every day. All right, doesn't mean you're a scholar, you're a pastor, you're a leader, you need a fresh, just like Martha and Mary, the revelation they had of Jesus in the past will not cut it for the present trouble. So, Jesus says this, "I am," present tense, "I am the resurrection and the life". That was a revelation they never saw Jesus in. And the moment they saw Jesus as the resurrection, not just the life, but the resurrection... Is your business dead? He's the resurrection. Are your finances dead? He's the resurrection. Is your relationship dead? He's the resurrection. Is your marriage dead? He's the resurrection.
There's something that people always maybe some people believe God to prevent. They believe God to prevent. But after it is done, accomplished, buried, they don't see him as the resurrection. How many understand that he wants to reveal himself in a new way to you? So, he told Martha, "I am the resurrection, if something is dead, I still can... I am the resurrection". Next thing you know, bang, the brother rose from the dead. Are you listening, people? All right, she needed a fresh revelation, the blind man was the same. Jesus said about the blind man, you know, he was blind from his mother's womb. Jesus told the disciples, "As long as I'm in the world, I am the light of world". Next thing you know, the man began to see. Even his disciples, maybe they knew him as the bread of life, or the bread of life, excuse me, will not raise Lazarus from the dead. How many understand? They need a fresh revelation. So, what you need today is not more money. You need more revelation of Jesus, amen? And that's why the Bible tells us this is how we receive more grace, more favor, more peace. How many want more favor in your life?
All right, you're not the prettiest, you're not the best, good-looking person like Pastor Lawrence, but, you know, when the time comes for promotion, you get it, amen. Why? God's favor is on you, amen? You may not be the most experienced and the largest company there or the business, you just got started, you're a young guy, but because God's favor is on you, you get it. Just like our friend, Marcus in our church, you heard his testimony a number of months ago, the one who built the floating swimming pool on MBS, the top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, okay? He has no experience in building swimming pools. That was his first assignment. He has experience with swimming pool in the sense that his swam in it when he was Singapore's water polo player, that's all, all right?
And God told him long before MBS was up, God told him to invest in this floating swimming pool, to go to U.S. and invest in this company. He didn't know why, all right? When this deal came up, all right, and he submitted his submission and they asked him for interview, they asked him, "How many swimming pools have you built"? He says, "None". And all the directors looked up. They all looked up and looked at him said, "None". All right, and you know what? He got the deal and became his first assignment. Of course, the rest is history, lah. He's known as the guy who built that one, but it's the favor of God. If you spend time with him and his wife, you find that they're people who just depend on the favor of God, amen, amen, the unmerited favor of God. And you know something? God can increase the favor in your life, amen, amen? Jesus was full of grace, full of favor and truth. You know when you spend time with him...
I remember years ago when my wife and I, we just got married. We were living in this apartment and you have to go into the lift to get my way up to my apartment. And I remember walking into this lift and this lady walked in and my goodness, she was not just anointed with perfume, she was baptized with perfume. It was a female perfume. It was terrible. All right, I don't know what she was covering up, but it was bad, all right? Then she walked off her floor and my floor was coming up. I went back, opened the door, and my wife came, you know, it's our custom to give a kiss, all right? She said, "What's that? What's that smell," you know? And I realized all of a sudden, the smell was on me. And I never touched that woman. I never touched that woman! I gotta tell my own woman, woman, you know, but the smell came on you. How many, you know, you been in a place where it's a smoke-filled room, you just go in for a while, you step outside and you smell like a smoker.
You cannot spend time with Jesus who's full of grace and truth and not end up full of favor, full of grace and truth. You know some things are caught, it's not just taught. You spend time with Jesus and the fragrance of Jesus comes on you. Amen, church? Now, watch this, grace can be increased. How many want favor increased in your life? All right, how many want favor increased in your life? That's why if even if your marriage is on the rocks, okay, hear what I'm saying, do not use your own efforts to try to win your partner back. The best way, go to Jesus, all right, and ask for more favor, more favor. God can put one thought in that person's mind, something favorable about you to cause his heart or her heart to turn. Are you listening? And the same favor has, you know, the reverse is that can put one nasty thought about the present partner all of a sudden. God can make him smell something he never smelled before. You know what I'm saying or not? Something bad can happen, amen?
So, when you ask God for favor, all right, favor means for God's people, there's favor, but for the people of the world, they better not be on the wrong end of that favor, amen? If favor of God is on you, and someone tries to destroy you, that person will be hurt. Are you listening? Ananias and Sapphira were not believers. That's another message altogether. They came to church to try to deceive people of their finances of the properties of their land or not, and they dropped dead. Now, God's people never dropped dead. Those who came to deceive dropped dead, okay? Don't leave the service right now. Okay, it's too late. It's too late. Praise God, okay. So, God protects his people, because God's people have favor. Do you understand what I'm saying?
The psalmist David says, "Remember me according to the favor that you bear upon your people". Can I have a good amen? God's people have favor that the world does not have. Now, the world has general favors of God. Of course, the rain still falls, amen. The sun still shines. The crops still come up, all right, to give man bread, all right, to provide man fruits, you know, vegetables and all. But that's general favor. We have the special favor of God. How many want that favor to increase? I just want to make sure, Father, take notice, Father. How many want the favor to increase? Okay, praise God. Watch this, the only way for favor to increase, all right, the only way is not by doing more. A lot of people have this idea, "All right, to get more favor, I must do more. I must do more". No, it's to see more, to know Jesus more.
In 2 Peter 1, "Grace and peace be multiplied". Wow, how many want that, multiplied grace? Now, the reason you see me using grace interchangeably with favor is because grace is favor. Favor is grace, all right? Favor and peace. Now the word "peace" in your Greek is Irene. If your name is Irene, it means peace. All right, peace in Hebrew is shalom. Shalom is not just peace of mind. It is also health in your body, wellness in your body, wellness in your relationships. Are you listening, people? So, when you say shalom, that means what? Everything about you prosperous, complete, whole. That is peace. It's not just peace of mind. So, here it says even peace can be multiplied, even grace can be multiplied. How many want grace, favor, and peace multiplied in your life? Notice how it happens? In the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Now in the Greek, all right, it says, "In the knowledge of Jesus our Lord and God," same person. All right, in the knowledge.
So, in other words, the more of Jesus - you see, the church is not a place to give knowledge of politics or knowledge of national geography. It's not a place to give you knowledge about celebrities or whatever. It's not about knowledge about human, you know, psychology or not. It's a place for revealing of the knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, because to know him is eternal life, amen, amen. Jeremiah 9 please. "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man'" The wise in the world, okay? "'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom or boast in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man boast in his might, Don't let the rich man boast in his riches; But let him who boasts boast in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, justice, righteousness. For in these I delight.'" Are you listening? Boast that you know the Lord.
Go back 2 Peter again. Next verse, verse 3. So, how does grace and peace be multiplied? In the knowledge. The more of Jesus you see, bang, more grace in your life. More of Jesus you see, bang, more shalom in your life, amen. So, your desire, you must be like spiritual glutton, "Show me more of Jesus. Show me more of Jesus, or get out of the pulpit," amen? I'm serious. That should be your hunger. Every time you open your Bible, "I want to see more of Jesus. I want to see more of Jesus," amen. Because God put you in him so all his wealth is yours. It's in your vested interest to see Jesus, because as he is, so are you, and you are joint heirs with him. What he has, you have, amen. Watch this, next verse. "As His divine power has given to us," how many things? How many things? Has given is past tense or future tense? Past tense, past tense, it has been done. "His divine power has given to us," how many things? "All things that pertain to life, to life and godliness".
Now, some evangelical Christians, they tend to put down the life part. You know, they just say that "God has given us all things for godliness". Now, we're all for godliness. Isn't it wonderful to be God-like, amen, to be like God? Now the thing is this, it's not just godliness that he has given us all things for. He has also given us all things for life, pertaining to life, all things that pertain to life. Does finances pertain to life? He has given you all things. Does health pertain to life? He has given you all things. Does harmonious relationships pertain to life? He has given you all things. What about the ability and the grace to bring up children, is that pertaining to this life? Yes, he has given you all things, amen?
"But Pastor Prince, how come I don't see it"? Do you know why? Because this is how it comes. "Through the knowledge of Him". There you have it again, "Through the knowledge of Him". In other words, the more of Jesus you see, you receive that all things has been given to you already. You start to have them manifested, amen. It comes through the knowledge of him who call us by glory and virtue. Church, if you want grace and peace multiplied in your life, this is serious business. God says, "Crave, desire the knowledge of Jesus," all right? Now, sometimes we know some things, we think we know some things, yet we do not know it. Let me give you a case in point. Like, for example, forgiveness.
People say, "Well, I believe God forgives, pastor". Now, forgiveness is a deed that God does, all right? Sometimes it is not so much the deed, the doing of it, it is the style of doing it. Sometimes the style is more powerful than the deed. For example, your friend lost the bet with you. He now must give you a treat. So, you go for the treat. He pays for it, but his style is so bad he says, "Okay, lah, whatever you want, you order, lah, huh, huh. Order the cheapest, please, huh"? You know, I mean he's got this very, very bad attitude. He's got this, you know, the style of it makes the deed, all right, redundant. It robs the deed of its virtue and beauty. Now, he still gave you a treat. The deed is still done. He still gives you the treat, but the style is bad. How many understand that? Style is important.
Now look at God's style of forgiving, and the moment you see this, bang, favor and peace multiplied in your life. Okay, watch this, okay? Jesus is the one in this story, and the Bible says Jesus is the one sharing this story. It's all the other stories that I'm gonna share is all from Jesus's own lips. He was invited by a Pharisee named Simon, and as Jesus reclined, as the Jewish custom was in those days, reclined at the table to eat with Simon, the Pharisee, a woman the Bible described as a chief sinner, all right, a great sinner, probably a prostitute, she came into the house, all right, brought precious... no, she wept at Jesus's feet, all right, and wiped his feet with her hair. All right, she was weeping. Then Simon the Pharisee looked at Jesus and then looked at the woman and then in his heart he says, "If this man is a holy man, he will know what kind of woman this is".
Jesus, of course, all right, Jesus, of course, knew his thoughts, and Jesus says, "Simon, I want to tell you a story". Simon says, "Say on". Jesus said, "There were two debtors that owed a creditor money. One owed a hundred thousand, the other owed one hundred dollars. Now," Jesus said, "When the Pharisee who invited" All right, you saw the story just now. Now, drop to verse 42. "When they had nothing with which to repay," Jesus shared this story, "the creditor freely forgave them both". Notice the word "freely forgave". It is not just the deed forgiveness. It is the style, freely forgive. You know who is the creditor here? God, Jesus. You know who is the one who owed money? All of us, Simon the Pharisee and the woman. Probably Simon owed more, amen? But all of us owe a sin debt to God, amen?
♪ He paid a debt ♪
♪ He did not owe ♪
♪ I owed a debt ♪
♪ I could not pay ♪
♪ I needed someone ♪
♪ To wash my sins away ♪
♪ And now I'm singing ♪
♪ A brand-new song ♪
♪ Amazing grace ♪
♪ Christ Jesus paid a debt ♪
♪ That I could never pay ♪
Amen, praise God? So, it's not just the deed. It's not just the forgiveness, it is the style, the style that God forgives, freely. Freely forgive. Jesus is the one sharing the story. He's telling them, "Freely forgive. When I forgive, I forgive without conditions, without scolding, without reprimand. Freely forgive". Now, tell me, which one will love him more"? Simon says, "I guess the one he forgave more". Jesus says, "You have rightly judged". Now, church, you have just seen something about the Lord. He's not satisfied with the forgiving. He wants you to see how he forgives, freely, okay? Now, when we forgive, you know how we forgive? "Okay, okay, forgive, forgive me, huh? Okay, I forgive you, okay? Okay, finally I forgive you, huh? Make sure you don't do it anymore, you understand or not"?
All right, that's human forgiveness. Many a times we project into God human forgiveness, and that's not the way he forgives. You cannot put God on the level of man. Never, never reason man from manwards up to God. Always reason from Godwards down to man, and you will have the right perspective. Never reason from manwards up, okay? Reason downwards from God, God's way of forgiveness. Can you remove the word freely, for example, and does it make sense still? Yes. He forgave them both. It's still wonderful, isn't it? But God doesn't want to have it so. He wants you to see his heart, freely. Charizomai in the Greek, the word charis is there, with grace, with no conditions, freely.
Then Jesus shared a story in Luke 15, three stories side by side. Because what happened was that he was talking to the sinners, all right, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the social outcasts, and the Pharisees were in one corner. They were listening and Jesus shared this parable, three parables side by side. The first one was a shepherd. Who is the shepherd? He is the Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd. And how the shepherd, when he loses one out of the hundred sheep, okay, he looks for the one that he has lost. Now, he has a hundred sheep, okay, a hundred. Some people just forget the one, but he leaves the 99 and looks for the one that he has lost, okay? All right, now, when he finds the one that's lost, is anyone here like that lost sheep? When he finds the lost lamb, baaa, the poor lamb, it's a picture of all of us. The Bible says he gathers the lamb. Now, watch this. I wanna stop here for a while and consider the different ways this story can go.
Now, number one, for the shepherd to look for the lost lamb itself is good enough. He found the lost sheep, right? That's good enough. All right, some of us, we can actually say, "Okay, you, you're terrible or no? You know how cold it is or not? The whole night, no? See the dew, make my hair all wet". All right, take the loop, you know, of the noose, all right, the rope, tie it around the neck, "Now you follow me. Okay, follow". Even though all four dragging, you say, "Follow," all right? You feel it's good enough. You have found the lost lamb, amen. But that's not God's style. It doesn't sit well with him for him to share the story that way.
So, Jesus shared it like this. "When he has found it," the shepherd finds it, what does he do? "He lays it on his shoulders". It doesn't mention that he scolds the lamb, "You know how long is it or not looking for you? More than one day, you know? Naughty lamb, naughty lamb". Hey, I'm trying to be like you all, no? What does Jesus do? He takes the lamb that was lost and he lays it - not even, you know, sort of drive the poor lamb in front of him or behind him. He lays it on his shoulders. And some of us, you know, we just - this is amazing. He lays you on his shoulders of strength, his strong shoulders. And notice the style, the style of it. He does not lay you on his shoulders, saying, "Wow, you're getting fat, are you? You know how heavy you are or not"? He doesn't do it complaining.
Now, how many know it's good enough he saved the sheep. I mean, at least he saved the sheep. But for God, it's not Jesus's style. Notice the style of it. He puts on his shoulders, obviously, all right, it's gonna cause some weight on him. But what is the style by which he does it? Rejoicing. Rejoicing. The moment he put it on his shoulders say, "Hey, hey! I found you! I'm so glad I found you". Amen, that's the style. He starts singing. He starts jumping. He was rejoicing, church. That's the point, rejoicing over the lost sheep. Hallelujah! That satisfies his heart, amen. Now, we don't take time to meditate. That's the problem with us. We don't take time. We read things real fast. And now you have a revelation. You see, something is happening in your heart right now. Grace is multiplied and there's peace.
Now, this peace you are feeling right now because you see Jesus, for the lack of this peace, many people are in hospitals today. For the lack of this peace, many people are visiting psychiatrists. What you're experiencing did not happen by your achievement, by your efforts. All of a sudden, you find there's peace when you see Jesus, hallelujah. It's not over yet. "When he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'" How many of you, even your dog, your puppy gets lost, when you find your puppy or your dog, you call your neighbors and say, "Come, let's party"? Nobody. Most likely, you know, he brought the sheep back at night or early morning. People say, "Shut up, lah. Go and sleep". I'm just showing you, this is not normal, but it is Jesus.
Do you see that? Do you understand he loves you? That just the fact that he found you, no word about what loss you caused him, no word about the difficulties you caused him, no word about what you wasted, what you caused him to waste, whether it's time, or energy, or money, just rejoicing he found you. And then he expect everybody to share the same joy. "Hey, neighbors! Wake up, everybody. I found the lost sheep". I love it. The next parable is the woman who had ten coins and she lost one coin, right? The Bible says she swept through the house. And how does she search for it? "And search," what? "Carefully until she finds it"? It's a picture of the Holy Spirit sweeping the earth to find the lost image of which coins are representative of. And how does God search? How does God the Holy Spirit search for the lost? Carefully. Say, "Carefully". Carefully. She finds that lost coin. "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying," again, "Rejoice with me, I have found the piece I have lost"!
And the final story you all know is the prodigal son. Jesus says a man had two sons and the younger came to him and says, "I want my share of inheritance now". In the Jewish mind, that is bad, very bad. You know why? Because it's like saying, "I can't wait for you to die. Give me my share now". So, the Bible says he took his inheritance, and he went to a far country, spent money on harlots, prostitutes, and riotous living until the money went out, his friends ran out, and he found job in a terrible place where he has to feed pigs. Now, for a Jewish person listening to that story of Jesus, that's like the pits. And even the pigs' food looks good. And the guy starts thinking, "You know, my father's house have bread enough to spare. I'll go to my father". Watch the story now. "He arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him," and sent a servant and says, "Go by the kitchen".
Did the father say that? His father saw him and says, "Tell the boy, tell boy boy, okay, to go by the side door". Would that please no. When the father saw the boy afar off - now the way I describe it is how human forgiveness is like. You'll still bring boy boy home, but you know what? Go by the kitchen. It's good enough the boy is welcomed home, but it will not satisfy God's heart. Look at God's style. "When he saw him afar off, the father saw him, had compassion, and ran". This old man pulled up his garments and ran. When God ran. Can you imagine when God ran to the lost son? Are you with me? Do you understand, church, that he wants us to see him not religiously, but the way the Scriptures reveal him in reality?
Let me close with this, okay? Every time he reveal himself when you are faced with a challenge, even churches, listen carefully. Pastors, leaders, and all that, what you need for your church, if your church is in trouble, there's some challenges, whether it's financial, whether it's a drop in growth, whatever it is, you know, you're concerned that your church is not moving forwards, remember this. You don't need more money. You don't need more help from man. You need more revelation of Jesus. Let me close with this, okay? You know, in the book of Revelation, there are seven churches. We don't have time to look at all. We'll look at two only and then we close, real fast, all right? Notice the way Jesus handle the church. Revelations 1, "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches".
So what are seven stars in Jesus' hand? They are the seven angels. Now, "angels" is from the Greek word "angelos". It is not always referring to angels with wings. "Angels" can refer to human messengers. It literally means messenger. It can be heavenly messenger, it can be human messenger. Here it refers to pastors of the churches, the pastors of the seven churches, all right? Human messengers. Some people think that he is correcting the church. He is not. He is correcting the pastor of the church, okay? Aren't you glad you're not a pastor? All right, but watch this. All right, so don't forget the seven stars are the seven pastors. Aren't you glad God calls them stars? I thought that's kinda cool. And the seven golden lampstands, the seven candelabra, the menorah, are seven churches.
Now, look at this, church. "To the angelos, to the messenger of the church of Ephesus, to the pastor of the church, write". Notice how he revealed himself, "These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand". Right hand, all right? Now, he could reveal himself as, "This says he whose eyes were like fire," because that's how Revelation describes him. "Whose face shine like the sun". That's how Revelation describes him. But why in this church he talks about he's holding the seven stars in his right hand? You know why? He's talking to the pastor, right, of this church. And what happened to the pastor? The pastor fell. Drop down, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen". So, "you" here refers to the pastor of that church. It's not the entire church. The pastor fell. That's why he says, "You need to know I'm always holding you in my hand".
♪ Though he fall ♪
♪ Though he fall ♪
♪ He will not be cast down ♪
♪ For the Lord upholdeth ♪
♪ Him with his hand ♪
Amen? So, it's not our place to judge this pastor, this pastor, that pastor, even if they fall. God says, "They will not fall down utterly, because I'm holding them". Underneath are the everlasting arms of God. Are you listening, people? It's not your place to judge, amen? So, isn't it beautiful? And what happened to this pastor? Why did he fall? He left his first love. Now, what is first love? Greek, "Protos agape". First love is not your love for God, it is God's love for you. This pastor forgot how much God loved him. And that's why Jesus reminded him, "I'm holding you," amen? Are you with me? All right, and some people think that, you know, "remove lampstand" here, repent "Or else I'll come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent".
Now, some people think "removing lampstand" is actually he lost his salvation. How can that be? All right, the Bible interpret the Bible. Drop back to Revelations 1. "The seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches". So, when God says he'll remove your lampstand, that means that pastor's church shut down, all right? But the people did not lose their salvation. Where did the people go? Go to another place that's alive. Are you listening? I can take you by the hand and bring you to some places in the world, all right, like for example in England. There are many great churches one time, but now you pass by, you see, "Evening bingo". Bingo game is on, you know? And these are places where some famous revivals happened. What happened to them? The members never lost their salvation. They went somewhere else, but God removed the lampstand. Do you understand? All right, that means that church fails its testimony. The lampstand is removed, okay? Nothing about losing salvation. Once you accept Christ, you can never lose your salvation.
One last church, Philadelphia. All right, church of Philadelphia. Why I want to show you this church is because this is New Creation Church. This church has no rebuke. Okay, praise the Lord, hallelujah. Okay, there are two churches in seven churches that has no rebuke from the Lord and Philadelphia is one of it. Notice how Jesus revealed himself to this church. I told you just now, how he reveals himself, he's preparing you for a miracle in that area that he reveals himself. When he reveals, "I'm the resurrection," you're about to experience resurrection. If he reveals, "I'm the light of the world," you're about to see what you never saw before, all right? So here, "These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens". And what did he say to the church? "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it".
Businesspeople look up here. Look at me. When God opens the door of finances to you, no man, no bank can shut. When God opens a door of opportunity for you, no one can shut, all right. When God open a door of testimony for you, no one can shut. Listen, on the other hand, when God shuts the door, no one can open, all right? When God shuts the door, no one can open. God opened the door of blessings over your lives and God shut the door to the curse, to the evil things of the devil, amen. When God shuts the door, no devil can open. And what does the church today teach? Unfortunately, in many circles they still teach when you sin there's an open door. There's no Jesus there, it's all about you. When you sin, there's an open door. You just opened the door.
Listen, Jesus died on the cross so that the door of salvation would be opened and the door of curse would be closed. And what he opens, no one can shut; what he shut, no one can open. Not even you. And yet we have this teaching there's an open door, open door. No, my friend. Here it says Jesus, when he opens a door, no one can shut. Aren't you glad? I pray in Jesus' name you will find an open door where you are at, all right? It seems like you are stuck, you are hemmed in, all right? There's no opportunity, even financially, okay? But when God opens the door...
Like for example, that guy Marcus I told you about, the Marina Bay Sands swimming pool guy, all right, there were other competitors. In fact, the guy, I mean, the company he bought his business from, the guy from America flew all the way here to compete with him for the deal. But he was chosen above this experienced company. The favor of God, amen. Let me tell you this, when God opens a door, no one can shut, not even your competitor. And when God shut the door, no one can open, amen. This is our Lord Jesus. Give him praise, amen. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. So, you don't need more money. I know you think you need more money. You don't, you need more favor. And you'll be surprised how money will be created or money will come, all right? You don't need more help from another human being. You need more revelation of Jesus.
Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place. If you are here today, my friend, and you have never made this wonderful Jesus, your personal Savior, your personal Lord, I wanna give you this opportunity right now. Jesus stands before you, not as a distant historical character. The Bible says he's alive today. He's risen from the dead. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He says, "I am the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. I'm the Alpha and the Omega". Nothing in your life catches him by surprise. Nothing in your life is beyond his help, his touch, his grace. Nothing in your life can turn him away from you because he loves you because of who he is.
He loves you freely. He forgives you freely. He loves you with a smile, rejoicing over you. He loves you by running to you every time you need help. He runs. That's the God we serve. That is who he is. And the more we focus on him, the more we put our thoughts on him, the more grace, the more peace is multiplied in our lives. All across this place and also in the overflow, you say, "Pastor Prince, pray for me. I want this wonderful Jesus to be my Savior and Lord". My friend, Jesus told Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever," you are in that whosoever, "that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
If that is you wherever you are right now watching this, you say, "Pastor Prince, I'm beginning to see Jesus and I want this grace to be multiplied in my life. I want this favor to be multiplied. I want this peace to be increased. Pray for me," then pray this prayer with me right now wherever you are. Say this from your heart. Forget the one on your right, the one on your left. Say this out loud together with all of us.
Say, "Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father, I call upon you. I thank you, Father. You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, knowing full well that he'll be spat upon, he'll be scourged, he'll be beaten, he'll be crucified, and yet you sent him because you love me. Christ came to die as my sin offering, my trespass offering. And there on that cross, he bore away every one of my sins, every one of my diseases, every one of my curse in his own body. And you raised him from the third day, alive, resurrected. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. Thank you, Father. I open my heart. I open my life and receive his fullness and grace upon grace. Thank you, Father. In Jesus's name".