Joseph Prince - Stronger Through Every Trial And Battle
Stand to your feet just a while more. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Praise you, Lord Jesus. There's a couple here, I'm not gonna ask you to acknowledge herself but, you're not seated with each other. It's a married couple. In fact, you are seriously contemplating divorce. I got a Word from the Lord for you and the Lord is saying that the price that you will pay for this divorce will cost you, not just now, but in the years to come. And it'll be very costly. Okay, we don't want you to suffer that. And that's why I feel like I was struggling a little bit whether to bring that Word up, but the Lord says don't do it. It will torment you mentally, emotionally. You will stay up nights not being able to sleep, both of you, okay? The Lord is saying he can touch your marriage, and he can turn the water into wine if you will but just give him a chance. And now because you cannot even think of being with that person, the Lord is saying that he can touch it, he can do it. Notice it's not you doing it. It's him doing it, amen? Can I have a good amen?
Praise the Lord. Our God is good. And I just want the musicians to come at this time and already someone else being healed of your right shoulder condition. I'm gonna point to you where the condition is. It is your upper right arm, but it's a shoulder condition that's causing pain but you feel the pain a lot in your right upper, okay, like somewhere here, but the Lord says it's a shoulder condition. Now, whoever it is, will you just lift your hand at this time and start moving your shoulder up and down, start moving your shoulder. One more time is that you feel the pain here in the upper arm, all right, near the triceps there. Move your arm, amen, and see what the Lord has done. If you know the pain is gone, lift it higher, lift it higher, amen. Quite a number of you are doing it, and the Lord, you know, when the Lord gives a Word usually, a lot of people get the benefit. I've seen it time and time again. It's like the way, you know, he does with 12 basketful left over.
Now, the one with no pain, the pain is gone. Do it not by faith, okay, the pain is gone say, "Pastor Prince, the pain is gone. I used to have that pain and now it's gone". Who is that person? Do a big wave. Now you do a wave, do a wave. Do a wave, praise the Lord. See where my finger is pointing, this gentleman here as well, that man. Joel, can you have the person shout what happened? And you just hear from me? You've been having... Joel: She had a shoulder pain for how many years? How long, for months? For months. And you had pain when you move your shoulder like this. And now all the pain is gone? Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. A gentlemen over here, you sir? Joel, the gentlemen in white, wave. Joel is behind you.
Male: The pain is gone now, thank you, Lord Jesus.
Joseph Prince: What did he say?
Joel: He said the pain is gone.
Joseph Prince: Okay, praise the Lord. Thank you, Lord. Anybody else anywhere else? Thank you, Lord, the pain is gone. When you move your hand, the pain is gone. Is that you, sister? In pink, I think in pink, alright. Joel, over here.
Female: Thank God, the pain is gone and I've been carrying this pain for quite a few months already and it's not easy to sleep, lah. So, I really thank God for this is a gift from God. Thank God.
Joseph Prince: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. There are a number of you that you on blood pressure medication and recently, even though you're on it, you find that you're concerned because you've been having pains in the area of your heart, and then you find that your blood pressure has increased. Now, whoever you are, if you can just lift one hand up to the Lord, the Lord's gonna heal you right where you are, amen. He's gonna heal you right where you are. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. All right, lift up your hand. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Praise the Lord, and there's been a fear that has come into your heart about suddenly maybe one night maybe suddenly you will have a heart attack. And every time you hear about somebody else having a heart attack in the news and all that, you are worried about yourself.
Well today, the Lord is saying this to you, amen. Isn't it wonderful we come to church and then the Lord just takes time to love on you? And he says that you will not die like that, amen? You will not die like that. Maybe he's talking about the rapture, hallelujah. It's gonna happen soon, amen? But remove that fear. The Lord has called you out. The Lord has called your number and he wants you to know that you won't die in that way so don't have that fear. Don't be afraid, amen, al tirah in Hebrew, fear not. In the name of the Lord Jesus, Father, we release that healing Lord from your Word, Lord. We release that healing. You spoke and it was so. In the name of Jesus as you have spoken, heal right now that heart. Clear out the arteries, grant them, Father, in the name of Jesus, a brand-new young heart, in Jesus's name, a heart that beats with the rhythm of grace, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Even now even as I'm praying right now, y'all feel power coming into your body, you feel strength, you feel energy, right, those of you who are waving your hand just now? All right, if that is so, wave your hands again if you feel energy, you feel strength come into your body.
Do you feel it, sir, strength, energy imparted? Sometimes there is manifestation, all right, and sometimes there is none, but in this case there is a manifestation. So, thank God for that. Praise the Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord. God is good, amen? He loves people. Thank you, Lord Jesus. And I see a lot of our credit card bills piling up, alright, and it says, "Martin thanks you". No, no, I'm just teasing. I'm just teasing, all right, that is Pastor Mark's name. But I see, I see. I see that your document or whatever you receive, you have a huge debt of credit cards. And I see you're worried, you are concerned. You are sitting down when you receive this and you are reading it. I see that there's a pot of flour near you, amen. I think it's a lady. I don't know who you are but you are sitting down there and I see fear come into your heart. Maybe it's your credit card, maybe is your spouse, maybe somebody else. But the Lord is saying you will see a supernatural cancellation of debt. You will see a supernatural canceling of debt. Now, for you, please write to us, write to the church and let us know when that happens, amen, amen? When that happens, let us know.
And I also see that a number of you are in the crossroads. You are trying to decide, you know, which career you want to embark on, what you wanna do. You're not sure, you're not sure, you are you are at a crossroads. There are even students at a crossroads right now, and I just want you to know that as you take a step forward, you will find that one direction becomes stronger and stronger from today, from today. That peace, that life becomes stronger and stronger. As you take the other direction, that life shrinks. It's like it withdraws. It gets smaller. That's how I try to describe it. You understand I'm saying, amen? The things of God even a child can understand, amen. You will feel stronger. So, take the step. You cannot just stand down there and say, "Lord, okay I just wanna, you know, I won't go for interview until you speak to me," and all that. No, just embark. If there's an interview, go for it. As you step forward, you will sense that one direction becomes stronger and the other one doesn't, amen? So, I see that God will give you wisdom. Father, I thank you for imparting to them your wisdom. In Jesus's wonderful name, amen.
Now, the next thing I'm gonna say is it's a very sensitive thing for some people to take, and it is a guy who has lost a job and then another job. After some time in that job, he loses another job. And when I say loses a job, he resigns or he's asked to go. Now, can I just say something here? The common denominator here is the bosses are different, the environment is different, you are the same. Okay so, it's not easy for me to say this, but the Lord loves you and the Lord wants... If you tell the Lord, "Lord, do something in me," amen? Maybe the Lord want to strengthen you with all might unto all perseverance, amen, unto all patience. And you need to do to learn to persevere in that job. And the Lord loves you so whoever you are, alright, stop wasting your time. The world is still going on. The rest of us are still living our lives. It is you that will pay the price, so don't do it, repent, amen, change your mind. And stop blaming other people, stop blaming the job, stop blaming the boss, all right? You need God's wisdom. You need to see yourself and stop pandering yourself, talk to yourself like that, amen? And God will give you the grace and the favor, amen, and I believe things will turn around, amen?
Praise the Lord. All right, give Jesus the praise, the glory, and the honor. Then you may be seated. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Yes, Lord. The Lord is also touching people with back conditions. And there is someone here, you have a back condition. See where I'm touching my back? Am I touching right? Okay, all right, here. This is the left side, right, my left side. Okay, got it? Okay, you have a condition there, and I can't tell if you have it right now, but the Lord has touched you, the Lord has healed you. I'm want you to shift your sitting and move it around and start looking for that condition. If you know it's no longer there, wave. Okay, wave. If that is you, just wave. Move, move, the Lord has healed you. Sister, that's you. Okay, is there anybody else? Anybody else? That's you. Okay, since you're so nearby, can you just shout out your healing, what happened? Is it on the left side?
Female: Yes, exactly the same spot.
Joseph Prince: How long you've been having it?
Female: I think many years because, you know, it was...
Joseph Prince: Wow, the Lord loves you, huh?
Female: Yes.
Joseph Prince: It's all gone.
Female: Yes.
Joseph Prince: Okay, praise the Lord. Okay, ready for the Word? I'm going to teach you about God's laws, commandments, statutes, okay? We'll start with the leaders first. Gonna point to a leader and they have to call out, out of the Ten Commandments. I'll say, the third commandment, okay, what is it? We'll start with all the leaders in front here because they are the leaders, right? We might start with Pastor Liam, ladies first, always ladies first. With God with her, it's always ladies first, go through the door and all that, right? The problem is that people who fight for the Ten Commandments don't even memorize the Ten Commandments. So, where should I put it? On my leaders, amen? Does that mean that we don't live moral lives? No, the point is this, the Bible says we are dead to the law. The law is for people who are alive, amen, this side of heaven. But the Bible says you and I, we have died to the law and we are risen with Christ. We are out of the realm of the law. Are you listening, people?
The law says, "Thou shall not steal", amen. Grace in us, not only not steal. We have no desire to steal, but we love to give. We love to bless, amen. Well, you can obey the commandment, "Thou shall not steal," and not be a generous person, still be a miser, still be very stingy, amen? But the law does not give you that kind of robust abundant life that the Lord wants you to live. And even in the area of marriage it says, "Thou shall not commit adultery". Doesn't say, "Thou shall love your wife in the law". It just says, "Don't commit adultery if you're married," amen? But grace will give you the love for your wife, the new passion. And I wanna say this to all of you, don't forget what the Lord said to David when David committed adultery. The Lord says, "If it wasn't enough, I would have given you more," amen. So, when it comes to even sexual fulfillment if you're not happy with where it is, amen, don't blame your wife, amen. Don't blame anything. It could be you have a bondage in times past and maybe you still do to pornography or whatever, and that's costing your marriage.
I know that everyone who is in bondage to pornography will have a problem in their marriage, I know for a fact, amen? I know I've seen it too often, I've read it too often, met people like this too often to know that once you are dabbling in pornography, you have an unhappy marriage and usually there's a lot of strife in the marriage. So, I just want to tell you that if that is you, we have so many testimonies like this particular guy who is from Fiji and he says this, "Pastor Prince, I've been a Christian since I was a child. When I turned 15, 15 years old". Those of you with kids around 15 years old, never think that the devil won't go for them in this area. The devil is no respecter of persons. He has no mercy. "When I turned 15, I got addicted to watching pornography. This went on for four years and it grew worse when I entered university. I also had bad thoughts in my mind constantly. When a pastor and mentor shared about God's grace with me, it stirred something within me. I wanted to hear more so as searched about grace on YouTube, and I discovered your messages. Every day I would sit down after class to listen to them. At first, I did not quite understand what you were preaching".
Now, he's no longer 15 years old, okay, but obviously he's still in school. "At first I did not quite understand what you were preaching". Actually, some of my peoples in church still do not quite understand what I'm preaching. Actually sometimes when I spend time with Pastor Mark, I still don't understand what he's saying, but I love that guy. "At first I did not quite understand what you were preaching as I had not heard anything like it before, but I just kept listening and thanked the Holy Spirit for his help. After many weeks of studying and listening to your messages, I came across your teaching about our righteousness in Christ. You said to confess aloud, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ and Jesus is my righteousness.' I declared them regularly and was totally set free from pornography and have stayed free for three years now. There is indeed power in confessing our righteousness in Christ. I was also astounded to find that negative thoughts no longer fill or control my mind. These breakthroughs are great miracles in my life. Praise Jesus. Thank you so much, Pastor Prince, for standing up for the gospel of grace. Your messages have set me and millions around the world free. They are what the world needs to hear to be freed from all bondages and addictions. May God keep increasing and using you mightily for the gospel in these last days. To God be the glory, amen, amen, amen".
So, even if you're in bondage, we're not saying use your willpower to stop watching. We're just telling you when the desire comes whatever, learn to confess it. You might confess it in a hollow way. You find that, "I feel like a hypocrite saying it," but say it. The Bible says, "Those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life through Jesus Christ". And when you reign in life, you reign also over pornography, amen. And you'll be like a prince, a princess. And when people are in your presence, they sense like, you know, that's royalty. We all want that, you know, we want to see royalty in your demeanor, in your manner. Even though your clothes are simple, but people sense royalty because all of us are sons and daughters of the most high God. God, the Lord Jesus is the King of kings, amen? We are his fellow companions, praise the Lord, royalty.
You know, people should smell the mean of royalty when you walk into a room, amen, not pride, not holier-than-thou attitude, but royalty, amen. This royalty that our Lord Jesus is a royalty that can kneel down and wash his disciples's feet. And yet, they were so afraid to become familiar with him, they dare not even us what they were arguing about among the disciples about who will be the greatest. Even though they spend such intimate moments, you know, with him day in, day out, and all that, there's still a glory, a dignity about him, that they dare not even ask. So, I want you and I to experience Jesus's character flowing in us. It is not us trying to imitate him, it is him in us manifesting. And all the people said, amen. So, I really wanna teach you a law right now. My lesson today is on the law. Would you believe that you can actually preach a sermon from the law, amen? And it's called the law of the bounty, or the law of the prey, or the law of the plunder, okay? From Numbers, God gave this law. "Now the Lord spoke to Moses saying...". So, the Lord gave this law called the law of the plunder, and when you understand this law, it's gonna change your life, it's gonna change your life.
Now, I have never shared this law and the truths that we are about to hear. I've never shared this ever anywhere at anytime. This came to me as a revelation from the Lord some years ago when actually I was going through something very, you know, I was going through some persecution for preaching the gospel of grace, which is the true gospel. There's no other gospel, amen? And then the persecution came in. And then the best part was this, after some time a few years past, some of the very ones that were persecuting me were actually preaching my sermons. Where it was convenient, they were preaching my sermons. Now, my sermons are meant to be shared. If it's a true gospel, then many more voices will share it and now there's a whole company of people, there's a whole Benjamin generation being raised. There is a whole army that God is raising, amen. It is not a minority voice anymore. In fact, it is such that now there are pseudo grace people, people who preach things like everybody is saved, you don't have to preach the gospel to them.
That is heresy, amen, from the pit of hell. Then there are those who on a lighter, you know, but to me, nothing is so light in God's Word that can change it. Like they say that we are now the true Israel. Israel is no more Israel, you know, and a replacement theology. I don't know why some grace people go into that and by that kind of life, but because it is so rampant now, the devil has to have grace, push to pseudo grace, amen.
Now, there are those who say that, you know, hyper grace and all that, that is just pure, you know, manipulative because, you know, people will say that Pastor Prince has very good fruits and also very bad fruits. Well, that's not what Jesus says. That's not in agreement with what Jesus says. Jesus says, "By their fruits, you shall know them". Either make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt, or the tree good and its fruit good. No such thing as there's good fruits and there's bad fruits. "But Pastor Prince, there are people who follow your teaching and there's bad fruit". I'll tell you this, they didn't hear what all the rest heard. They think they heard it, amen? And then or sometimes they didn't hear me, they hear someone preaches grace about the leaders want to put it, pin it on me. No, if you listen to this sermon, if you listen to the sermons that's coming forth from this house, amen, you will not end up immoral. You will end up with not just morality but moral elevation, moral excellence, not holier than thou, but a princeliness, a heavenly character. That's what you'll end up with, and it's not it's not by effort, in fact, it's more by accident, by fruit, amen, just by focusing on God's love.
So, I'm sharing about how I got this message. So, what happened was that I started listening, there was also those who preach grace and then they start sharing some of the revelation that I said before the Lord shared with me like no one died from Egypt all the way to Sinai, nobody died. You know, the entire journey nobody died, and the Lord shared that with me and I said I've never heard anyone preach this. So, so this person starts saying that, "I've never heard anyone preach this, and no one died from Egypt to Sinai," and all that. Now, one of us is lying, right? In our conference this is a problem, because if he says that and I say that, then one of us is lying, right?
You know so, don't forget, whatever God gives me is for the entire body of Christ. It's for them to preach for them to use, you know, but I got no problem if we pastors who preach it, no problem leaders preaching, no problem. I got no problem with that. It should be preached. It should be broadcast from the housetops to all the four corners of the earth, amen. But many of these pastors, they are my friends. Many of them they acknowledge me. Many of them they even, you know, but what I find a bit disturbing are those who come against you publicly, all right, and then they preach your revelation. And then they say it is from them. All right, I got a problem with that, amen. Then there are those who preach it and would never mention my name, maybe it's controversial, all right, but they won't mention my name, but they're taking my sermons. And they're preaching it like it's their revelation.
So I, you know, I'm human, okay, so you know, I got no problem with friends and people who acknowledge me when they share or they say that, you know, "God is raising Pastor Prince," or they acknowledge that and then they preach some parts of my sermon or whatever. It's okay, it's meant to be shared. But I got a problem with people who don't want to mention me and then they preach it's their revelation or they actually, even among leaders, they will start putting me down. I'm sharing with you my personal journey. So because of that some years ago, I went to the Lord and I said, "Lord, I don't have a bad attitude, amen. I want to thank you in the first place. I was a stammerer, a stutterer. You picked me up and then you gave me this ministry and then now the ministry is reaching the four corners of the earth. Some people are radically transformed and some people are radically angry".
You know, so I said that, "You gotta, you know, you gotta help me have a good attitude, but I need a revelation. Every time I go through a crisis, you know," I told God, "I need a revelation". How many know that the battles you go through, whether it's physical, whether it's marital, whether it is in your relationship, whether it's financial, whatever it is, or spiritual or you're struggling with depression or addiction, remember this, when you come out on the other side, expect something greater. In fact, it should be reversed. You are now taking medication or you are depressed and all that. When God delivers you, get ready to step up into a bigger place. That's always God's promise, amen. Out of your battles will come spoils, and God will use the spoils for his house.
When David fought the battles, the Bible says in 1 chronicles 26, you see here? "Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord". No battle, no spoils. Say no battle, no spoils. What battle are you faced with today? Is it emotional? Is it you're struggling with bad thoughts? You're struggling with negative feelings? You can't get out of your doldrums, you can't get out of your depression? Are you addicted to medication? Are you having a conflict with someone that you care about, and it's a protracted conflict? What is it? These are all battles. I want you to know something, friend, you are in a warfare. I said you're in a warfare.
I want to say a word to those of you who are leaders and then those of you who are serving in the house, all right, there is something called spiritual warfare. And every time before you want to serve - I shouldn't say every time, it doesn't happen every time, but many times before you want to serve the Lord, the devil attacks. He can attack with symptoms in your body. You don't feel like you wanna preach or you want to share or you want to serve the next day. Then you tell your wife who sometimes, you know, cares for you in a human sense. Instead of seeing what the Lord wants after more, you just take a break, don't have to go to church and just, you know, just don't have to. So, the voices come like when Jesus says he's going to the cross, the voice of human sympathy, not God's Word, but human sympathy from Peter say, "Oh, spare yourself. Don't go to the cross". And then Jesus turned around and said, "Get ye behind me, Satan". I suggest you don't call your wife that, all right, but, but remember this, the attacks happen because you are serving the Lord.
Some attacks you can actually get out of very simply, resign. Don't have to serve anymore. Don't have to, you know, just take the easy path. But I tell you this, the easy path does not mean the devil won't see you as an easy picking next time. Are you listening? It does not mean that those who don't serve and today I'm gonna show you how there's a special place, a special wealth that people who go to battle receive. Those who don't go through battle do not receive this. So, I don't care what battle it is you're going through right now, this, today's message, is for you. First of all, we see out of the spoils, where do you get spoils? Spoils won in battles. No battles, no spoils. And they receive wealth to maintain the house of the Lord.
All right, now if you're thinking that we get money to build another physical building, yes it may mean that for some pastors who are watching this, but more than that, we are building the house of the Lord all over the earth, amen. It's a spiritual house, amen, built of God's people, amen, Jew and Gentile, the church of Jesus Christ. And the Bible tells us it is in our battle that we'd learn, see before the battle, a revelation is a theory, still a theory. But when you go through a battle, you have lived that revelation. Now you know it in your heart. So, compared to someone who can preach it, even share it, even teach it, and you get excited about it, is not the same as someone who has gone through it. And that's why every revelation needs to be meditated upon, needs to be owned, needs to be possessed, needs to be lived through or else you traffic in Bible truths that, you know, you traffic it in a human way, and there's no life for the people.
I was sharing this with my pastors and leaders that it's easy, even for them, to take the truths and revelations that I have shared down through the years and don't have to prepare. I'm not saying that I don't believe there are people like that, amen, there are people who pray and spend time in the Word. But I know of pastors, even in China, who take my messages and they pray about it, they internalize it until it becomes their flavor, their flow, their anointing, bringing out the same truths. And that's what I want to see. I want people to take the truths that God has given me in this ministry and take it and then make it theirs. Meditate on it until you own it, amen, and then you put even your flavor on it. Have you noticed that when Matthew writes his gospel, it's different from the way John writes his gospel? And yet both are inspired, both have verbal inspiration of the Scripture stamped all over it. It's God breathed.
Notice the way Paul writes is different from the way Peter writes. God never bypassed the human personality. So, the Word of God that comes through Pastor Liam, amen, is gentle, soft, powerful. The Word of God that comes through Pastor Mark, all right, is usually family, and it's lifting, and it is helping you to break free from your depression. Then he goes home depressed. No, no, I'm just kidding. Amen, but we all have our different calls, different, same Word of God, but God never bypass your personality. Can I have a good amen? All right so, "Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord". Do not be afraid of your battles. You might be going into one, or you might be in one now or you might be coming out of one. I'll tell you one thing, if your marriage is right now faced with a battle things, there's conflict and seem to be fighting all the time, and there's a crisis going on, let me tell you this. If both of you would do it God's way, flow with God, pray over it, ask God for wisdom, ask God for wisdom for your spouse, I will tell you this, that marriage, when it is restored, will never be the same level where it was before, where it was before. It will be a new level. You'll be at a new level that we call it 120% or whatever, it will never go back to where it was.
Now, the devil will tell you it will never be the same, but he means it negatively. God will tell you, amen, every area of your life after a fight, amen, after you know each other better... sometimes a fight helps you all know each other better, amen? Now after a fight, even the love, brother, the love becomes sweet. Okay, lah. "Amen, Pastor Prince, amen, amen". Amen. You're talking there comes a time of taking each other for granted and then there's a fight, some fights are good, all right? I didn't say strife is good. I say some fights, some confrontation. When mean fight, I mean confrontation and instead of just sitting down there and just taking things as normal, your husband need to see you in a special way, amen?
So, marriage can be like that. Your job can also be the same. If there's a crisis and you're not happy with something, it may be God or you may be like the guy who just want to go from job to job to job to job. No, but it is something you need to talk to your boss about, you need to create a crisis, you need to say that, "Maybe I have to be looking at my prospects elsewhere," all right, creates a crisis maybe to help the boss to even appreciate you more. But make sure the Lord is leading you to do it. Are you with me so far? So, in the law of the plunder, the Lord taught me this, and when the Lord taught me that, I tell you this, I don't care anymore who preached what, what they say about me because I've learned the law of the plunder, okay? Let's follow the law of the plunder.
"Now, the Lord spoke to Moses saying" This is Numbers 31, verse 25. The Lord, said, "The Lord". So, whatever it is, this law came from the Lord. Now, we are no longer under the law, but the principles are there for wisdom. Like Last week we learned the law says, "Don't muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn. Don't muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn. In other words, let the poor cow eat. You know, don't cover his mouth, amen? They probably had a few Singaporeans with them in those days, you know, and so they say that, "You must close the mouth of the ox, you know, ox eat a lot". It's not a rabbit, no, treading the corn. It's a bullock, and Paul is saying later on that God is not writing this for the sake of the cow. God is writing this for the sake of ministers in full-time ministry.
So, Paul took the law, which was the law then in the Old Testament, and he saw the wisdom and the truth. So, today I'm gonna do the same from this law of the plunder. So "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Count up the plunder that was taken you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation". Now, Eleazar, interestingly his name was penned down on ancient manuscript. And if you go to the Israeli museum, ask the curator there, or the one who's the guide there for the name of Eleazar. You know, they have uncovered the name of Eleazar the priest? You can find it in Israeli Museum. Now Eleazar the priest, he's the high priest. Eleazar is the high priest after Aaron. He's the son of Aaron. Remember, Nadab, he has four sons, Nadab, Abihu, they were fired. We got no time to teach that. Then you have Eleazar and Ithamar. Eleazar succeeded his father as high priest.
Now, when you have a relationship with a high priest, in those days your high priest is your connection to God. Your high priest brings you very near to God. To be in touch with the high priest is to be very near to God. Write that somewhere, "To be in touch with the high priest is to be very near to God". Are you listening? All right, the priest has nearness to God. When you think of priest, it's nearness to God. It is a position of privilege. It is a position where all the blessings of God will have to come on the priest first before it comes to you. So, today who is our high priest? Our Lord Jesus, amen. Praise God. Even the named Eleazar means help, the helper.
So, remember this, when you touch the priest, you touch nearness to God. Now, who assists the priests? Even in the tabernacle of Moses when they do the work killing the animals, you know, burning the victim on the altar of bronze offering, who is the one that assists? Who is the assistance of the priests? The? The? Levites, Levites. You're all wondering why am I doing this. This is not Levites, don't know what is this. Anyway, Levites, the Levites, they're also from the line all the way from the priestly line, but they are set apart to assist the priests. So, the priests are the ones doing the lighting up the lampstand, the menorah. They are the ones that their hands are full of incense, which is the most coveted position in those days. Zechariah the father of John the Baptist was doing this when the angel appeared. They all covered the incense because it says that the smell stays with you. You cannot wash it away. For days and days, the smell stays with you, and it's a fragrance that God loves.
So, they will help to kill the animals, and the priests are the ones that put it there, position it. So, they are the assistants to the priests. It's a lower level, in a sense. Then in terms of work and ranking, work assignment ranking, the priest is higher. The high priest, of course, is the top, right, in terms of nearness to God. Then we have the Levites. Now, some people don't like that, but let me tell the truth. Okay, even Jesus had disciples who are very close to him. He had 70 disciples. Do you know that? He had 70. Do you know he had 70? Out of the 70, there were the 12. Out of the 12, there were three. I think you only can name the three, right? Peter, James, and John, amen.
So, we have the entire church like New Creation Church, we have the entire church. Grace Revolution Church in Dallas, we have the entire church. But out of the church, there are degrees of nearness to God. I didn't say degrees of position. All of us are the righteousness of God in Christ, but they are degrees of closeness, amen. They are degrees of closeness to Jesus. All right, out of the entire, every one of us are close to God. By the blood of Jesus, we are made nigh to God by the blood of Jesus. But even then out of this group maybe there's the 70, all right, the symbolic number. Then out of the 70 who are closer than the main congregation, there are the 12, not necessary the leaders. Only the Lord knows. Out of the 12, there is the three, Peter, James, and John, and not necessary the pastor either. The Lord knows who they are. And out of Peter James and John there was one that could rest his head on the eternal bosom and hear the secrets of God and write about God is love, and that's John, the closest even among the three. I want to be John.
What about you? So, John practiced the love of Jesus. He was conscious the Lord loves him. That's why this is one of the highest truths. And some people can't understand why Pastor Prince do not emphasize, you know, other things, always talk about the love of Jesus and all that. Because it's the highest truth. Time is short, I don't want to bring you from January to March all the way in the outer court holding your hand. And after that, we take slow steps June, July, August, you know, we reach only the bronze altar. And after that slowly, slowly, slowly, you know, you're very tired. By now, you are crawling all the way into the Holy Place. By the time you open your eyes, you smell something, it is from the altar of incense. Then your eye caught glimpse of the menorah. By then, five years has gone, three years has gone, you know? I wanna bring you straight into the Holy of Holies, is that okay?
Once we believe on Christ, the blood of Jesus has brought us all near to God. We can all pray we all have the same privilege, but there are those who are very near to Jesus, okay? Now, watch this, "You and Eleazar, count out the plunder". God says, "Moses you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation," watch this, "divide the plunder into two parts". How many parts? I gotta have y'all follow me here because the revelation's gonna bless you. Divide the plunder in how many parts? Two parts. Okay, divide the plunder, all the gold, the silver, the cows, the animals, and all the plunder that your got from the enemy's camp, amen. And whatever it is, just remember this, by the way, I need to tell you this, many a times Israel would go through a land and ask for permission. And even if they drink the wells of that particular city or land, they will pay for it, but many a times they refused to give them passage. And not only that, not only that, the enemies would fight against them. And then when they defend themself, just like modern-day Israel, defend themself, they get more land.
Are you listening, amen? So, that is a principle. We don't go out fighting. We don't go out looking for trouble. "I wanna fight with you, you know why? I want to get more land, so let's fight," you know? That's called stupidity, okay? So, don't do that, amen? But just by merely being alive, there'll be battles. You have an enemy who hates you. The enemy is the devil. He hates you, amen? So, watch this, the plunder is divided into, how many parts? Two parts. Between those who took part in the war who went out to battle, that's the first part. Those who went out to battle, amen. The law of the battle states that this plunder is divided into two parts. Those who went to battle and all the congregation. So, we have the congregation on one side. Oh, by the way, if you can really understand this passage today, which is preaching from the law. If you can understand this from the Book of Numbers, you got bragging rights. Because you know what? This has never been preached.
Nowhere you can see on Christian television and books and all that out, nowhere. If anyone preaches this in the future, you know where it came from. You got blessed. If you can understand this, you know, now, of course, we are not going on bragging. I'm just teasing, okay? Remain humble like Pastor Mark, like Jesus. What do you think? So, the two parts, the division of the plunder goes in two parts. One for those who went out to battle. So, the first part goes to those who went out to battle. The second part goes to the rest who didn't go to battle, the rest or congregation, right? Usually those who go to battle do not number as much as those who are left behind the congregation. The congregation is bigger, right? Am I right? Okay, but share and share alike. There is a principle that whatever good one person has is for the benefit of all. That's the principle of the church. So, if Pastor Prince spends time in the Word of God, don't forget this all happened because I asked the Lord. And if I spend time and I received a truth, it is not just for me. God is saying to me, "The benefit is to all the body of Christ. I give it to you so that the benefit is to all". All share and share alike.
Many years after, a man after God's heart called David would attack the enemy because the enemy attacked them first, and took all their children, and their wives, and the mighty men's wives and all that, and they left. And David said this in 1 Samuel 30, David said, because some man was saying after they got all the wives and all the spoils, in fact, they fought against the enemy, and they got back much more than before they were attacked. They got back their families as well. And then some man says, "You know what? Hey, don't give anything to those who they refuse to go with us because they're too tired. They were fatigued at the brook of Besor, which is very interesting. Besor means good news. They cannot take the good news across. They didn't want to pay the price. They didn't want to pray with us. They didn't want to go with us, all right, nothing for them.
So, David said this, "My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike". Man after God's heart, you can see why. All right, what a wonderful heart. From then on became a law, amen, that everyone benefits. One person's blessing is the benefit to all. So, if you receive something... now how many know that today I will battle many a time warfare is actually studying the Word of God because you are trying to get treasures when there are forces of distraction, forces that try to stop you from spending time in the Word. So, if I persevere, if I labor one man's labor and produce something, some spoils, it's not just for the person studying. It's for the entire body of Christ. That's the first principle we need to learn.
All right, the plunder must be divided, not just for those who labor, not just for those who serve in church. It must be given to everybody else, but this is the but. This is the part I say, you know, sometimes I wish that I can just sit down and get another pastor's sermons from years and years and years and years ago. I got so much to preach from. I just take one and then let me see for this Sunday, mmm. So, for me, every Sunday I gotta ask the Lord what to preach to y'all 'cause y'all vociferous. Y'all are like your hunger is like, you know, it's not one-course dinner, it's ten course, you know? Forget ten course, 15, ah. All right so, back to the law of the battle, the law the plunder. Divide the plunder into two parts, those who went out to battle and all the congregation.
So, even those who didn't go out to battle, they benefit. Am I right? Those who didn't go out to battle, they benefit. Am I right to say that? But, and this is the but that set me free. Actually I thought of sharing this in the leaders' meeting. I tried to get out of this because I wanna share this in a future leaders' meeting. So obviously, the Lord put this on my heart so strong. You can ask Estee, I didn't want to give her this portion, because I want to share this with all the leaders. Obviously, God thinks all of you are leaders to have me preach this, amen? So, watch this, verse 28, "And levy a tribute". Two parts, right? "Levy a tribute for the Lord". So, the Lord must have a portion. Like the tithing principle, whatever you get, the Lord is first. You honor him first because you will not have won the battle, bro, without the Lord. The battle is the Lord's, the victory is yours. The spoils is yours. The plunder is yours. "And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle".
So now, the first part. The men of war who went out to battle, this is their part, how much they must give to the Lord, okay? Watch this, "One of every five hundred of the plunder, whether it's persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep; take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest". Who did they give to? "Eleazar the Priest as a heave offering to the Lord". Do you see that? So, God says, divide the plunder - don't forget, the Lord is involved in this. Divide the plunder into two parts. The first part is for those who went to battle. The second part is the congregation. Now, for the first, those who went to battle, they are part. Everything they have, whether it's a cow, a sheep, you know, whether it's is gold, whatever it is, it is one out of every what? Five hundred.
Now, keep that in mind one out of every 500. Say it. Very good. Today was very simple, one out of every 500. Just remember these points, you'll get it. Then who is it given to? It's given to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord, one of the highest offerings to the Lord is a heave offering, which is the terumah offering. And then there's another offering called the wave offering, which is the tenufah, okay, but the terumah heave offering is one of the highest offerings to give to the Lord. So, it's given to the priest. Okay, are y'all already? Got it? Now, let me ask you a question, the plunder will be divided in two parts. The first part is for those who went to battle, they're the ones that fought, they're the ones that got the plunder, right? How much did they give? One out of, how many. Every 500, keep that in mind. And they give it to? Eleazar, the top man, the high priest, which means what? The person closest to nearness to God, got it?
Now, we look at the second part, those who remain, the congregation, those who didn't fight. But still you get the benefit, all right? Now we drop down. "And from the children of Israel's half you shall take one of every fifty, one of every fifty. One of how many? Fifty. Those who went to battle, the first part, one of how many? Five hundred. Those who stayed back, yup, their portion is what? One out of every fifty, stop. Who gets more, those who went to battle or those who gave one out of 50 or one out of 500? I don't know your mathematics, okay, maybe as bad as mine but, I'm keeping it simple. Those who gave one out of 500 has more left, they get more, or those who gave one out of 50? One out of 500. In fact, the latter, all right, gave ten times more. The latter, which is the people that stayed back, they had to give ten times more. They are left with lesser, but those who went to battle, they get much more.
This is what the Lord said to me, "Many can benefit". In fact, I'd be ashamed to even share this story with y'all, but I thought I was sharing in a leaders' setting and all that because of how this revelation came. My thing was that, "Lord, you know, they just some don't even have to prepare, wah, just take my sermon. I got this little sermon, wah, 50 sermons or 100 sermons and all that, you know, and then they just listen. What shall I decide now today? Okay, this sermon to preach. So good, no, I said. I envied their life then my mind go to God and say, "What's your", You know, so for a moment I became fleshly. I became like, you know, carnal in my thinking and all that. And the Lord showed me this and the Lord says, "Yes, whatever you preach, whatever you teach, whatever battles, spoils you got from laboring in the Word, it's not just for you. It's for all the body of Christ. But son, because I gave it to you, whoever preaches your sermon if they don't own it, they don't see it. Your nearness to me compared to them, it's in a class of its own".
Do you understand that? The one who received the revelation, even though the revelation is for everybody, but because it's given to Eleazar the priest which symbolize, what? Nearness to God. In the process, he gets near to God. Now, what about the people who didn't go to battle, the people gave one out of 50? Okay, here it says, one out of fifty drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites". Ah-ha, they didn't give to the priests. They gave to the priests' servants or the priests' ministers, those who help the priests. They gave to the Levites, it never reached higher. It never reached higher. There is people who labor, by the way, those who labor in the Word is one form of warfare that we are involved in. Today we don't fight people, okay? "Pastor, no wonder, man, I tell you, when I was trying to park, someone tried to take lot, you know? So, I came out, man, I had a battle". No brother, that's also in the category or stupidity, amen.
Today our battles are spiritual. I said today our battles are spiritual. So, when you when you are having battle means, what? You don't feel like serving the Lord that day. That's also a battle, but you choose to fight against the forces in Jesus's name and still serve the Lord, fight against the fatigue, fight against the tiredness, and the strength that God gives will be greater than before you had that condition of fatigue and all that. Are you listening? Those of you who serve the Lord, you are laboring, you are battling, you are in warfare. Do you know that? Some people don't want to serve because, you know, it takes time. It's true. In our day, they rather use their time for their own self and all that, but there are those who are using it for the Lord, and they are doing it for the common good.
So, the rest can sit down enjoy the service, you know, whereas they are the ones serving. But what's the benefit? No, the benefit's for everybody, but what they have is a nearness to God that the rest don't have. I said before, we're all near to God, but there's a nearness to God like John that the rest don't have. Boy, this feels like a leaders' camp. And they never rise higher than the Levites. They're giving never rise higher, whereas those who went to battle, they gave one out of every 500, the offering was given to the Levites, the priests, which is nearness to God. Whereas for them, their ministry just reached what? Serving, that's all. Are you listening? "So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses". We have two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was busy serving the Lord.
Now, I said service just now. Service, if your eye is on the Lord and you are single minded, all right, your eye is on the Lord, you are serving the Lord. Even though you're preparing the songs for the Rock Kids, you're preparing something for the youth, or you're preparing something, or you're an usher making sure everything is safe or not. But everything you are doing, it's for the Lord. When someone is rude to you, you turn to the Lord say, "It's for you, Jesus". In your heart, "it's for you, Jesus," amen? "I never, never did it for them anyway. I did it for you". So, you serve the Lord by serving people. So, if your heart is the Lord's... so there are people who are, serving they might be serving but they're on salary, especially those who are on salary, very hard to know whether you're serving your salary or serving the Lord, all right? But in this church, they're all serving the Lord. I know, I can see their attitude. They go beyond the salary, amen?
So, we have people serving the Lord. We have two sisters. So, the sister is serving the Lord according to her mind, Martha. Martha went to the kitchen and start thinking, "What would Jesus like? And I think he's tired. I think he probably need this, probably need that. Oh, so many things to cook. All the disciples are there and we know that Peter is a lord. My goodness, even there's a Pastor Lawrence there, muscles so big and all that. These fishermen are very vociferous in their appetite. What to cook, man? I'm not prepared. Why'd he come today? He should come on Shabbat not prepared". Then came out angry at the sister who was sitting at Jesus's feet learning his mind, listening to his Word, studying the Lord, receiving from the Lord, not giving to the Lord. So, one was trying to know the mind of the Lord, another was actually learning the mind of the Lord. When finally both start serving, who do you think will serve better? The one who served according to her own mind, or the one who's serving according to the mind of the Lord? Yeah, she heard the secrets of the Lord.
So, that is a picture of a girl, even though she's seated, she's doing warfare, warfare with the powers of darkness that try to take her away. And then the devil even used, we know there's warfare, used the older sister to try to get her away. And Jesus says, "Mary has chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her, which shall not be taken away". It's almost like there's a force trying to take her away. "One thing is needful, Martha, you are careful and worried about many things, but only one thing is needful". Mary chose the good part. What is the part? Sit at Jesus's feet and listened to his Word. So, when you learn to sit down and receive from the Lord, you will receive something for your ministry or for your church, for your group, for your friends, for your family. But remember that the benefit is never for you alone. Every manifestation of the Spirit is to profit every man, it's for the profit of the entire church. But because the Lord gave it to you, or through you, you're the first one that benefits. With the revelation comes a closeness.
Now, Martha sees her sister Mary at Jesus's feet. Now, later on she saw the commendation that Jesus gave. In fact, Jesus gently rebuked Martha and praised the sister. Now, this whole thing I have a whole sermon on it, y'all know, right? In the natural in the Middle East especially, eastern culture is that you sit down, when someone come to your house, you sit down and don't even serve, that's rude. Actually Martha did the right thing. Is it your mind is like Martha's mind, you think this is right thing. But actually when the Lord comes to your house, he wants you to take from him. Why do you try to give to him? What can you give to him? He's the one that took five loaves and two fish and multiplied them. What is your little roti platter? Down there you are trying to bake it. What is your noodles? What is your hamburger? What is that to him? So, when the Lord comes to your house, the best thing you can do is take from him and the more you take from him, the more you honor him because the less is blessed by the greater. Always remember that, okay?
So, here we have Martha and Mary. If Martha try to copy Mary later on, she can, she can get the benefit. She can copy, whatever she does, she can copy, but let me tell you this, it will not have the same benefit as direct revelation as receiving from the Lord. But let me say this, I'm not talking about always trying to get a fresh new revelation when you preach and all that. Many a time people don't want to study the fruits and the treasures that God has given to other men of God. They end up with a very weak and poor sermon, and they think that it's always fresh revelation. I'm nothing about that, no, no, no, I'm not referring to that. I'm saying that whatever even the Lord has given me, amen, take it, meditate on it, it's gotta be yours. It's gotta be a revelation. Don't take something and then preach it when it's not a revelation to you. Stop trafficking in truths that don't warm your heart. If you have lost it, go back to the Lord and ask the Lord for it again. Make sure that it's fresh again, amen. Can I have a good amen? Take it, meditate on it, feed on it, and release it.
Now, sometimes we are in a warfare because the devil is attacking us so some people say, No, no, God only brings out good when the trouble, you know, it's like you're doing good. You are testifying for Jesus and then trouble comes. No, nowhere in the Bible limits trials to just that. Do you know the Bible says this that something happens after you suffer for awhile? In 1 Peter 5. Now it does not say that God makes you suffer. In fact, you're about to see who makes you suffer, amen? And we all suffer like right now, you know, you are in bondage to drugs and some prescription pills even, whatever it is. You are suffering. It's not your best life, amen? That sounds familiar, this is not your best life, your best life, okay. But the God of all grace who has called us - I love that title, don't you? God of all grace, the God of all grace. The God of all grace, someone should write a song on that. "God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that...".
Say, "after that" three times. Not during your suffering, but after that. After that you have suffered a while, this God of all grace will make you perfect, established, strengthened, settle you. And don't limit the word "strengthen" although the primary use here is spiritual. strengthen in the Bible, it can be used for physical as well. So, God is saying there is an after that. After you have what? Suffered. So, those who didn't suffer, this promise is not for them. But the God of all grace has said, "After that, after you're suffering, get ready for perfection. Get ready for more strength. Get ready for more set, being settled, amen, being established. People will talk to you and say, "Something about you that's different. Last year I met you and I felt like you were a little bit, but now it's like something stable about you. You are a leader.
Somehow I feel like I'm the presence of a rock, man. You know what I'm saying"? Because you have gone through suffering. Now, in case you're saying, "Well pastor, this is suffering that comes when you preach for Jesus and then you are persecuted". People like to make spiritualize things, you know, and limit the blessings of God or people's faith from receiving this. No, look at the context now, the context. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace who has called us". Can you see that? The verse 10 comes after what? It's the devil's attack. So, even the devil attacks you, there is an after that. Are you listening, people? Expect to be stronger because you've been attacked. Expect good things to come out.
You know, let me give you Psalms 66. Psalm 66 says this, we are closing. "Thou has caused men to ride over our heads". Have you ever felt like sometimes, you know, you confess God's favor and all that and yet, man has ride over your heads? Other man have like become a leader or the prominent one, you know, and you're in an inferior position in your job or whatever it is, you know, man has ride over your head. Have you ever felt that way? None of you, wonderful, wonderful. May you never suffer. David told God, "Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place". If you have gone through fire, you've got man oppressing you, man bullying you, man taking advantage of you in the workplace, or at home, or whatever it is.
Let me tell you this, and you feel like, "I've been through the fire, and I've been through the water". Then get ready for this, God brings you out. There's always an out. And you know what happens when you go out? The way you go out is not the way you went in the trial. Watch this now, you go in at this level. You are brought out to a wealthy higher place, a wealthy place, a wealthy place. And this word "wealthy place," this is the only place besides one other place that the Hebrew, all right, revayah appears and it's only used twice, wealthy place, which is actually the word overflowing. Guess where. Psalms 23. "My cup revayah, my cup overflows. So, God brings to the place where it's not just reached, it is overflowing, overflowing abundance, whether it's your health, whether it's finances, God has promised there's an after that.
And notice when it happens, when man is ride over your heads, you go through the fire and you go through the water, amen. Those in GRC loves it, through the fire. You gotta shake your head, through the fire, fire, and through the water. He brings us out to a wealthy place. Psalms 4, Psalms 4 says this, verse 1, "Hear me when I call, David says, "O God of my righteousness. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress". When does God enlarge you, by the way? I didn't like that New King James. King James version says, "Thou hast relieved me," but it's not relieve. The Hebrew word there is, and used in many other version, is the word rehoboam, which is the word rehoboam his name means enlarge, make room. When God makes room, the word there's rehoboam. In fact, it is used for rooms, enlarge rooms, right?
So here is correct. Old King James says, "Thou hast enlarged me". When does God enlarge you? I'm not referring to putting on weight so don't worry. Put that one aside, put that one aside. When God enlarges, it's always healthy. He enlarge your health, he enlarge your strength, he enlarged your influence, he enlarge your reach, he enlarge your boundaries, he enlarged your family, he enlarge your blessings, amen? So, when does God enlarge you? Before you are in distress, when you're at peace? What did it say up there? "When thou hast enlarged me, when I was in distress". Are you in distress now? Okay, you're not, you don't qualify, amen? To a certain extent, I'm in distress and I qualify. Right now, right now, I'm in distress. I'm in distress over the fact that you are not in distress. Something is wrong, okay?
And for you, I want to give you this verse in closing, the last verse. All right, in Jeremiah 48, there is a process of making wine. During the time of the Bible in the Old Testament, they don't use all the modern, you know, stuff that they use today. But in those days, they have a vessel, like a barrel, and they put the wine there, okay, the wine that they have crushed from the grapes, they put it there to ferment. But after that all the dregs, okay, and the lees. They call it lees or dregs, go right to the bottom. What do they do? They have to take that barrel and they have to pour it into another barrel, okay? But they gotta pour it carefully. Don't let the lees and the dregs go into the next, because the dregs are all impurities, just like your grounded coffee, your coffee that's grounded. At the end of it, you have the coffee ground, right? You don't put the coffee ground into the... and that's why we have teh tarik. It's not just to cool down the tea, it is to let the taste permeate through the entire experience. Somebody give me teh tarik.
Okay so, so in those days they will pour a wine vessel to vessel to vessel. So, it says Moab. Now, that is a country, but it's a picture you can learn, right, about us. Moab has been at ease from his youth, not in distress. He has settled on his dregs. You know the dregs like the coffee ground? He has settled his dregs. That's impurities there. Those things can cause the taste to get bitter, like your coffee can become bitter, right? "And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him". When you're with him, you don't sense like he's a Christian. You don't send anything royal about him. You don't sense any nobility. You don't sense any moral elevation. He's still flesh like any of us. His scent remains in him. His taste remain in him. His scent, his smell has not changed.
Do you know Christians like that? Do you know why? Because every time it gets hard, they escape. Every time, you know, you tell the leader about something, he resigns. Next thing you know, leaves church and then go to another church. And then in this church they tried to pour him out to help his scent, you know, the Christ life to be released and the flesh scent to go away so that the greatest perfume will come out. He don't like it, they go to another place. No, this scent is released, this scent from Jesus, but this scent that remain is a fleshly taste. It's the fleshly smell, do you understand? Do you understand this or not? And that's why you find that sometimes, Hudson Taylor in one of his books about his biography a chapter called Earlier Years, he talked about this verse actually, Moab has not been an ease from vessel to vessel. He said that he didn't have one permanent place to stay. He went here, he and his family and all that, but during this time, some of the best ministries happen. Christ's fragrance was felt. People don't care.
When things are happening well with you and all that, they look at you. That's not when your testimony is good, but when you are persecuted and they looked at you and your face shines, that impacts them more than anything. I have seen that happen on people's faces. While they are being persecuted, I have seen their face shine. And then they look at you, "How can you do that? How can you still have joy? How can you still have that peace? How can you". That's the time when you're in distress but listen, I'm talking about your rewards. I'm talking about your plunder. I'm talking about your spoils. When things like this happen, get ready for what? Greater, the wealthy place. You are coming out. You're coming out! You're coming out! Even the valley of shadow of death when you walk through, not walk in and stay there, right?
Walk through the valley of the shadow of death, what's waiting on the other side? Surely goodness and mercy will hunt you down. You never go into a trial to stay, you are going through. Even Job's troubles are about nine months to ten months, around there, all right, but nine months usually. But when really as his long, you know, chronic problem that lasted for years and years and years. No, it's a short time so meanwhile, if need be, you're in heaviness, you are grieving because of manifold trials, get ready, the God of all grace is about after that, after your trial. He's gonna establish you. He's gonna strengthen you. He's gonna settle you, amen. And then out of you will come riches for other people. And all the people said amen. Give him praise. Thank you, Jesus.
Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place. Have you been blessed? So right now even if you're having struggles or a challenge in your workplace, and when it comes to work, sometimes the Lord does lead you to leave, not your marriage though. But your work, you're at a hard place right now and you're wondering, what's happening? Well, friend, God can turn the whole thing around right now. All things work together for good. All things, not just good things, all things work together for good. So, ask God for wisdom. That's what I've been sharing with you. Ask God for wisdom and don't move until there's a peace, don't move until there's another job. Don't take this sermon and say, "Yes, you know, I'm gonna leave". Well friend, God only enlarges you, from what we have learned, when you are in distress.
So, unless God opens another door, another job, do not leave just yet. And I know there are always some exceptions in some cases, but the wisdom, the sophia wisdom, generally is always God's way is that you stay. I don't know who I'm talking this too, but I'll tell you this, you're not going back to a lesser, you're going back to a greater. You're not going back to a lower, you're going back to a higher, overflowing to a wealthy place, amen? And friend, what kind of portion do you want? Do you want just to like enjoy what other people have served and you just take their benefit, or you want to be like, "Father, I want to serve you. Lord Jesus, I want to receive from you. I want to be among those who go to battle," amen?
And those who go to battle, they sacrifice. There are sacrifices involved, yes, but the rewards are so great as I've shown you. You get much more than the common Christian in church. You reach higher than the average member of church. What will it be? No battle, no spoils. Friend, God wants you always going from strength to strength, from glory to glory. If we are stuck for years and years in the same place, that's not his will. He wants you to have an enlarged revelation of his Son Jesus Christ. Right now all across this place you say, "Pastor, pray for me. I want Jesus to be my savior and Lord. I believe he died on the cross for my sins. I believe God raised him from the dead for my justification". If that is you, my friend, this same Jesus left heaven's glory, came down and died for our sins and because God is so pleased, God is so glorified by what Christ has done for you at the cross, God has raised his Son from the dead and set him at his own right hand.
You need to know that all of God's requirements of righteousness and holiness from your life have all been served by Jesus. God has no more demands. All the demands of New Testament Scripture are demands on the life of Christ in us, on the Holy Spirit in us, it's not on you. As far as you are concerned, God is saying enjoy the life of rest and yet, the life of rest is an active life, a life that serves the Lord, that fights battles for him. So friend, if that is you you say, "Pray this prayer with me, Pastor Prince. I need you to help me. Lead me". I'll just I'll do so, okay? One more time say:
Heavenly Father, I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died on the cross for my sins and you raised him when all the claims of your righteousness on my life has been satisfied. His blood has washed away all my sins and you have made me a king and a priest, and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Father. In Jesus's name amen, amen.
Stand to your feet. Praise the Lord. Many of you are flying, many of you are living, right? I just wanna let you know that for the school holidays, do not take protection for granted. All right, sometimes I hear things happen especially during school holidays or holidays, right, do not take protection for granted. Ask the Lord to protect you, amen? "Pastor Prince, it's a safe country". Your trust is not in the country, your trust is in the Lord. So, can I pray that for you? Amen, lift your hands all across this place. The Lord bless you and your families throughout this week and also in throughout your holiday. The Lord bless you with the blessings of Father Abraham, your children with wisdom, favor. The Lord grant you a wonderful family blessings in every way during this holiday.
May you fall in love with each other more and more. The Lord keep you. The Lord preserve you. Throughout this holiday, the Lord puts you and your family at the right place at the right time. May all your flights be safe and protected. May all your journeys be safe and protected. The Lord grant his angels to attend your way. May all that you touch prosper. May the light on your faces shine beyond the language of that country. May the eyes that look around, the eyes that reflect Jesus, may people look into your eyes and see Christ. The Lord grant you and your loved ones his wonderful shalom health, wellness, well-being, and peace, shalom. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all the people said amen. God bless you. Love you guys. Love all of you, amen.