Joseph Prince - Receiving Healing With Faith And Patience
All right, look at Deuteronomy chapter 30 for our lesson today. God is talking to the nation of Israel and God says to them, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live". So, God says, "I'm setting before you life and death, blessing and cursing, but in case you don't really know which one to choose, let me recommend life".
Okay, God loves to see his people come alive. Today, I want to share with you about life and how to have more of that life, okay? Because life and blessing are synonymous. There are no four items being offered us here, life, death, blessing, cursing. Actually, blessing and cursing is synonymous with life and death. Life is blessing. That's why God doesn't say choose life and blessing. God says, choose life because life and blessing are one. Jesus came to give us life. Jesus came to give us life for our Aussie friends. He came to give us life and life more abundantly. John 10:10, Jesus says, "The thief comes not but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy".
Always remember, if your health has been robbed, if your relationships have suffered, if there are things that's not going on in your life that's pleasant, okay, just remember that God is not behind your trouble. God is your answer. Don't run away from God, run to God. The devil, the thief, comes only to steal, kill, and even after he has killed you, he wants to destroy your testimony. But Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly".
So, life can be measured because for Jesus to say, "I want you to have life. I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly", That means life can be measured. Some things of God cannot be measured. For example, God says, when you receive the gift of righteousness. You know Jesus, at the cross, received your sin and was punished by God. You received his righteousness and you are blessed by God, all right? Just as much as Jesus does not deserve to be punished, just as sure we don't deserve to be blessed, but Jesus was punished. Just as sure we'll be blessed, amen? Jesus did not become sin at the cross by doing sin. We don't become righteous by doing righteousness. Jesus became sin at the cross by receiving our sins, all right? And we become righteous by receiving his righteousness, amen?
So, when Jesus bore our sins, God's punishment and judgment against all our sins fell on Jesus. Likewise, all of the blessings and the free favors of God for us for this year will fall on us because the righteousness of Jesus has clothed us, amen? And the best thing you can do for someone who loves you and they leave behind a gift, Jesus gave us his gift of righteousness, is to say, thank you. And stop trying to be righteous and learn to rest in the righteousness he has given you. Praise the Lord.
You know, if you heard that just now you understand, you go back you're happy. Do you know that? So when your born-again of God, you're born righteous, amen? You cannot add to the righteousness, but you can increase the fruits of that righteousness. You can increase the effects of that righteousness. The more you know you are righteous, not by your deeds but Jesus's blood, the more you know that, the more you will increase the results of that righteousness, amen?
One of the results of that righteousness or the fruit of that righteousness is boldness. You will live life boldly. You won't be afraid of tomorrow. You won't be afraid to face people. You won't be afraid to face your problems because you know God is on your side. But God helped the one who's going through a trial, not knowing that God is on his side. So, not just enough to receive Jesus and say, "I have life", but he wants that life to be overflowing. Is that okay? He wants you to be overflowing with life.
You know, you can tell when people have a problem with the leakage of life, death comes in. You know how? Every time you're always feeling very, very tired. You're always tired. You fall asleep at any place, even when the pastor is preaching, all right, you fall asleep, okay? You know that death has crept in. All right, death is but the absence of life, amen? You're not fully alive. Now, there's a time to sleep, when a time to sleep comes, you sleep, you get up peaceful. Deep, refreshing, rejuvenating sleep, that's wonderful.
The Bible says the sleep of a laboring man is sweet. But if you're always sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, it's time for you to seek the Lord, reject that sleepiness. Reject that chronic fatigue feeling and syndrome that you go through. It's not part of your life as a believer. You ought to be overflowing with life, amen. Jesus came that you might have life more abundantly.
Years ago, God gave me a little vision. I was praying. I still remember where I was leaning down at... not my bed, actually, my brother's bed. I still remember I was praying, and the Lord gave me this inner vision of a pyramid, like a food pyramid, you know? Carbohydrates, fibers. It's like a pyramid and it showed me the different types of life that there is in this world. The first level, the lowest form, is like different levels. The lowest form, all right, the lowest form is plant life. I saw the Lord put down plant life, vegetation life. You know vegetables have life. Fruits have life, amen? But we don't have much respect for that kind of life. We just eat it, amen? It's only good for us to eat, right? They exist for us.
Then the next level of life is I saw was insect life, animal life. Now again, this kind of life, all right, you have no respect for it, amen? How do I know? Because you will kill the cockroach you get a chance. Honestly, all right, deep down in our hearts, animal life cannot be compared with the life of a human being. So, animal life, insect life, you know you can kill and it's not a crime. You can kill it's not even a sin, amen? Like you will kill mosquitoes, right?
All right, so but the next stage after animal life is human life. Now, human life is so sacred, it is so precious that you cannot destroy it. If you destroy another human being, if you kill another person, you stop his life, okay, you will be tried, indicted and your life might be taken away from you, because why? The sacredness of human life. But you know something? Jesus didn't come to give us human life. When Jesus stood before the Jewish people and says, "I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly", you know, he was talking to people whose hearts were beating and he's telling them, "I come that you might have life". So, what life is it? It's definitely not human life. It is the highest form of life, all right, it's called zoe life, all right?
Yeah, zoe, people use that as a name today. Zoe is a Greek word for God's life, the life that God lives by, the life that cannot be sick, the life that cannot be hurt, the life that cannot die. That's the life of God. It's called eternal life. Jesus came to give us eternal life. But actually look at the Greek, Jesus came to give us zoe life. Because eternal life, you ask people, Jesus came to give us eternal life.
"What is eternal life"? You ask someone. Someone might say, "Well, you live forever". Well, those who are in hell also live forever. So, obviously it's not a life that lives forever. It is a quality of life that God, himself, possesses, that Jesus came to give you. Is that okay, amen? You like the idea that you can live a superhuman life, actually God's own life that is beyond an ordinary, human life? So, how many want more of that life? I want to make sure I'm talking to the right crowd, okay. How many want a life, want that life and life more abundantly? Okay, Father take down notes, hallelujah, amen?
Okay, now the world today is hungry for life. So, when you come to a certain age, you know, the world is trying desperately to offset the aging process. They are crying out for life. What they are trying to do is that they're trying to imitate life. So, the moment life stops flowing in you, or you just have minimal life, you start to grow old very fast. You start to fall sick real easily, all right. You find that you are alive, but only existing. You find that your life is just blah. You go through life like a zombie. That's not Jesus's best for you. He wants you to have life and life more abundantly.
So, if life can be increased, how can we increase it? Would you like to know how? Would you like to know how to increase that life? So that, you know, I'm telling you there are times I feel tired, even after the first service, and in my heart, I just feel like, you know winding down or whatever or just not to push myself so much, you know, for the next three services. But I always know there's an attack, so I reject it. I refuse to accept it as my portion and I say, "Lord, you are the strength of my life". I step into the zone of his life, and then I start pitying the people because I can go on and on and on and on, right? That is the life that God came to give us, amen? So, he wants us to experience that life.
Now, how can we increase that life? Jesus actually said this, "I am the way, the truth and the life". There's no other way because "the" in the English is the definite article, one and only. "I am the way, the truth and the life", amen? Where do you find the life? Jesus Christ. Up in heaven, the zoe life of God is there, but Jesus came down in him was life. John 1 says in him, in Christ, was zoe life, amen. Later on you will see how that life is imparted into us, okay? Now, in the Greek it's called zoe life, but in Hebrew it's called chayah, all right?
You can write it down as C-H-A-Y-A-H, chayah. And if you look at chayah, this is what it means. It means to live, live prosperously, live forever. Do you think that if God lives amongst us, he will live and live prosperously? He will live forever, amen? You will be restored to life or health. You'll be quickened from sickness, discouragement, faintness and death. I think that's really neat. You know, it's like a... in fact, they have made movies on this where a man has a special blood in him, you know, and because as long as that blood is flowing in his veins, he cannot fall sick. You know, he will live forever, If there's such a man.
Today we have a series on TV called "Heroes" where there's a person that has a special blood. If you extract the blood from her, she's a heroine, you know, and you put it into somebody else, you know, if the person is sick, the person will start recovering. If that person is dying, even the wound will start clearing up because of the special blood in that person. Well, Jesus is that person. You know, this series "Heroes" is nothing more than that the world crying out to be like Jesus and his church, because his church has all kinds of gifts, because we have a brand-new set of DNA. We are a new creation in Christ, and all of us have different gifts, and his life flows in our veins, amen.
Jesus's life, you know, years ago, even during the time of George Washington, and George Washington fell prey to this at the end of his life. What happened is that, you know, they say that when you had a disease, many, many, many years ago, all right, you have to cut yourself and let the blood go out. It's called bloodletting. all right, so they say when you let the blood go out, all the uncleanness and all the disease will go out. So, what happened is that many people have died doing bloodletting. I think it's better to be sick than to die, isn't it?
So, what happened is that George Washington, all right, the first president of the U.S., he died through blood letting. But the amazing thing is that his Bible was open to a verse in Leviticus that says the life of the flesh is in the blood. Long before medical science discovered that the life of a human being is in the blood, the life of an animal is in the blood, the Bible already declares it. That's why the doctors check your blood, because your blood tells you what kind of life you have, whether your life is healthy or your life is sickly or whatever. All right, your blood indicates your life.
That's why the blood of Jesus washes away our sins. Actually it's not the sense the blood, but the life of Jesus in the blood. The blood is not the red blood corpuscles, and the fibrinogen, and the erythrocytes in the blood that cleanses your sins. It is more the life of Jesus in the blood that cleanses you from your sins. Can I have a good amen? Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. So, when you drink the cup during Communion, the blood of Jesus, you must always stop and think this is the life of Jesus, it is royal blood. It is a sinless life, amen? It is a youthful life. It is an overcoming life. When you drink it, you are drinking the life of Jesus himself. Hallelujah, amen.
You are drinking the life of Jesus himself. There's only one blood that is sinless, only one blood that's untainted, only one blood that is unspotted by sin, and that's the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and you have the privilege of drinking that blood, in other words, imbibing that life, receiving that life on the inside of you. Can I have a good amen, church? So, how do you receive that life? Let Jesus, himself, explain. Look at John chapter 6. Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. I am the bread of life".
Now, when you think of bread, Singaporeans, what do you think? Food, very good. You see, you will never get this wrong when you are Singaporean. When you think of bread, you think of food. So, when Jesus says, "I am the bread of life", what does that mean? "I have come down that so that you can eat me and receive the very life of God himself", amen? He has come down so they can eat the very blood of God and eat the body of the Lord. And that is amazing. It might sound like primitive to some of you, that's only your flesh reacting, but it's God wanting you to enjoy his life.
So, I'm gonna show you right now, the way to increase that life and it's the words of Jesus himself. Jesus said, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead". He told the Jewish people, your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they are dead. They're physically dead, right? Then Jesus says, "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die", and not die, and not die. Ask yourself who is talking? Jesus who cannot lie. He tells them, "Your father's ate the supernatural provision from heaven, but they are dead". It wasn't the real bread from heaven. "I am the bread that came down from heaven. I am the bread of life", Jesus says. "If anyone eat of this bread, they will not die".
Now, I don't want to argue with anybody who says, "Well, Pastor Prince, I don't think it's referring to physical death and all that". Because you know if the first part is referring to physical death, how come the second part is not? You cannot just pick and choose. You know, he was talking to natural people who don't understand about spiritual death. He was talking to them about physical death. Your fathers ate manna, they're dead, amen? "But if you eat this bread that I give you, you will not die". That's why there is a generation in the end times.
Listen to me when I say this, do you know that God counts death as an enemy? You know when God made Adam and eve, God never meant for man to grow old. God never meant for man to suffer. God never meant for man to have sickness, to even have the flu. And God surely never meant for man to die. God meant for man to live forever, but what happened? Sin came in. Sin brings forth death, okay? So, God hates sin because it brings forth death, and God hates death. So, the Bible says that before Jesus comes back in person for all of us and we have a brand-new body, all right, towards that day as the day comes closer and closer, and I believe we are coming closer and closer to that day. Can I have a good, amen?
All right, as we come closer and closer to that day, the Bible says the last enemy that'll be put under our feet will be death, physical death because spiritual death had already been conquered. The moment you receive Jesus Christ, afterwards many of you will be translated from death unto life. When you receive Jesus Christ, straightaway you come alive. So, spiritual death has been conquered. What are we waiting for? For physical death. Physical death has been conquered by Christ when he rose from the dead, but we are waiting for the manifestation.
And as we draw closer to the day, we see Jesus face-to-face, there is a generation, the Bible says, that are alive and they remain alive. They know how to remain alive. Did you hear what I'm saying? This generation that are alive and remain will be caught up. The dead in Christ will rise first when Jesus comes, and those who are alive and remain will be caught up. What a sight it will be. Grab two or three sinners as I go up, half way in the air I'll say, you gonna accept Jesus or I'll let go. It will be a wonderful sight when you see Jesus face to face and then we'll have a body that's forever young, amen. How long? Forever! Forever tireless!
You will not need sleep in heaven. You'll have chariots of fire, forget Lamborghini. Chariots of fire that travels faster than the speed of light, amen? And you cannot die, anymore. You cannot die. How fast will you go? Oh, hallelujah. No speed limit. The whole universe is our playground for God's children. I'm telling you, heaven is much more than playing harps, okay. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, all right, we are playing harps all day. There is a place that talks about, you know, instruments and all that, but we're not playing harps all day.
Heaven is a real place. If you think that the joys and delights of earth is really good, heaven is much better. All right, of course, it's gotta be better 'cause down here it's been tainted. It's been polluted. It's been perverted, all right, how much more the pure, and the beautiful, and the complete, and the eternal, amen? Now, I'm concerned if I preach too much about this, you'll have your own personal rapture, all right? So, just hang on first. There's work to be done on earth, but let's go on. How can we receive more of this life?
Then Jesus said, "This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die". Next verse, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven". Now he tells them, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven". Where did he come from? From heaven. "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh". Now, note what it says. "The bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life". The word "zoe" is here. For the zoe life of the world.
Now, in case you didn't notice, have you noticed that the world is full of death? You know, cemeteries don't decrease, they increase. Every time you pass by a void deck you hear... you know, you know that death has taken another victim, amen? Death is prevalent. It's all over this world. It's out there, okay. Jesus said, "Because there's so much death, I'm gonna give my flesh for the life of the world". I don't know about you, but I'm going for that life. As for me and my house, we are going all out for that life. I want to make sure that what Jesus died to give me, I get.
I know like some people, "You know, well, Jesus died to give me but, you know, que sera sera, I'll get it, I'll get it, lor, I don't get it, I don't get it". No, I'm going for it, how about you? How many want more life, amen? One of the things that we need also to enter is our brains so that we can not just forget things so often and forget things easily, all right, but receive that life that will rejuvenate our brains even. Turn to your neighbor, smile and say, "There is hope, my brother, there is hope, my sister". Praise the Lord.
Now, some of you are thinking just now when I was sharing, right, what Jesus said, you are thinking the very same things that Jewish people of Jesus's day were thinking and this is what they were saying. "The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" I know some of you are thinking that way, "How in the world you can eat Jesus's flesh? How can this man give us his flesh to eat"?
Next verse, Jesus says, "Most assuredly". Now actually, I don't like the word most assuredly because in the original Jesus says, "Amen, amen". "Surely, surely, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I'll raise him up at the last day". Now, this word "eats my flesh", the first part, verse 53, "Unless you eat the flesh", is the word "estheo" in the Greek, estheo.
Now, the reason I'm gonna show you all these words is very important because later on, there are people who will argue with you telling you that John 6 is about eating his spiritual flesh, drinking his spiritual blood. It is all spiritual feeding, okay? But I'm here to tell you Jesus was referring to nothing else but the Holy Communion, and you need to answer people because here is where it will help you to answer because many people think that it's all spiritual, spiritual feeding, spiritual drinking his blood. But here, the word for estheo, estheo actually means just to feed, to feed, all right?
But notice in verse 54, "whoever eats my flesh", Jesus purposely changes the word "feed", the normal word for feed because he knows that you can use the word estheo for spiritual feeding. So, Jesus saw that people might use that for spiritual feeding. Jesus used a word that cannot but refer to physical eating. You know what word he used? He used the word, whoever eats trogo, or chews my flesh. Now, the word "chew" is very interesting. You cannot make it spiritual, it is physical.
All right, show them the Greek words. Estheo, take food. Okay, you can argue and say this is spiritual feeding, all right, and you are right. In some places it refers to spiritual feeding. But Jesus purposely did not use the word "estheo" later on. He start using the word "trogo", which is chew, crunch. In fact, Thayer, a Greek scholar says it has the idea of a crunching sound. Now be honest, how many of you, during Communion, you hear your neighbor going...? You are hearing Scripture being fulfilled. This is Scriptural way to eat of his flesh.
You need to know this because some people will come to you and say, "Well, it's all spiritual feeding. It's not holy Communion". Then you can say, no, Jesus changed the word from estheo to trogo, chewing with a crunching sound. You cannot spiritualize chewing. You cannot spiritualize a crunching sound. So, it's physical eating. Now, we found the delivery system.
Now, watch this now. God in heaven has a life that is unending, a life that is royal, a life that is sinless, a life that is perpetually healthy. God never sick. You know, every time I go to heaven, I never hear him one time, achoo, never one time, never one time. God never says, "You know, I got a flu, and the angels got raspy throats, they stopped singing for a while because recovering from their hoarse throats, you know? At least you give some respect, you know, they've been singing for millennia. You know, and you know cherubim is taking a break on leave".
Never. In heaven there's no sickness. That's why Jesus taught us to pray, thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, amen? So watch this now. In heaven, God has this life, but we are down there. So, God sent his Son Jesus. Jesus says, "I am the life of God", so he came down, all right? But how can he impart what he has into us? The ordained way is through the Communion. Are you listening?
All right, I remember years ago, I forgot four years ago now, maybe, five years ago, we were in Israel. I was in Israel with my pastoral team, and we went in advance. And during that time, bus after bus of our church people were coming as well on different timings of the trip. And I received a call on board my bus that one of my ladies in my church Suan, all right, she came down with deep vein thrombosis, you know, the economy class syndrome, and she collapsed upon arrival in Israel. And actually her heart stopped beating, later on we found out her heart stopped beating, but the Israeli medics resuscitated her, came back to life.
And one or two days after that, she was in the ICU and she was in coma, in deep coma. And her husband was there, and I was another place in Israel, and I felt very prompted to visit her. So, I got a few pastors together, you were there as well, Pastor Mark, and we went down to see her and we brought bread and wine. So, we asked permission from the ICU doctor whether we can just have Communion in the ICU because she was in a special ward by herself, a special room, rather, by herself. And so, when we came in her husband was there, you know. And when I looked at Suan, you know, the tubes were coming out from all over the place and she looks very, very bloated and very sad to look at. It was a picture of death.
Pastor Lawrence beside me later on told me when he prayed, you know, with all of us, he had to close his eyes. 'Cause sometimes what the devil brings against you and what God's Word says, all right, what the devil bring is so glaringly loud that to focus on God's Word, you gotta fight to focus on God's Word. You know, there she was in her tubes and all that and she was in deep coma. There was no signs of reviving her. The doctors only have bad news. They need to find that bubble in the blood, you know, and they have to isolate it, but they can't find it.
So, we take Communion, the husband was there, we had Communion, all right, and then we left. One or two days after that on board the bus, Pastor Lawrence received a call and it was the hospital, somebody in the hospital saying that the doctors are concerned and because they cannot find the bubble. Previously, they monitored the bubble, but now they cannot find and they're concerned. They like being in control, you understand? I don't blame them. But it's gone. To me, the bubble is gone. Whatever the problem is it's gone. Whatever the blockage is has been removed, amen? So, I'm glad when I heard that, I said no problem, she's recovering. It's a sign that she's being healed, amen? Then a few days after that, she opened her eyes.
Cut a long story short, when pastor Henry's team, all right, was next coming to Israel, she recovered so much so, she so recovered that she got out of the hospital and joined the next team for her tour, amen? And today she is the proud mother of a baby, girl or boy? A girl recently. Hallelujah, give Jesus the praise, amen? Amen. In the face of death, we proclaim that his blood gives us life, his blood gives us forgiveness of sins. You don't have to worry whether this sin has come into your life because you did something wrong or this sickness has manifested in your body because of something you did wrong in the past or your sin or whatever because, the blood takes care of that.
The blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins. If you got no sins, you are not qualified to take the Lord's Supper. He didn't die for aliens, aliens. He died for sinners. And that brings us to the next topic here which is what Jesus said about the Lord's Supper to Paul. Jesus said to Paul, that he that eats and drinks unworthily or in unworthy manner, all right, is the one that's guilty. Okay, now let me show you that verse so I can explain it. Drop down, drop down all the way. All right, drop down again.
Okay, look at the last line. "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body". All right, now let me explain to you what is bringing judgment to yourself. Look up here, okay? If you don't see that Jesus's body on the cross was beaten, was scourged, was battered, was bruised, was crushed for your sins, then you will allow the devil to batter you, to crush you, you will crush yourself. You will punish yourself. You will torture yourself in ways you never even dreamed possible, whether it's psychological, or physical, or you're producing sickness in your body, psychologically or whatever, you will punish yourself of something wrong you did.
But if you see the Jesus's beating was your beating, his scourging was your scourging, you see that he was punished so that you can rest and don't have to punish yourself, your sins are paid and paid in full by the sacrifice of the one who loved you. And for you to beat yourself is nothing more than self-righteousness and pride, amen? So, when you see that, what do you do? You judge yourself in the light of Jesus's finished work. So, this is how you examine yourself when you take the Lord's Supper.
Some people teach you that before you take the Lord's Supper, you must make sure there is no sin and, you know, because if you have sin in your life and you are unworthy and you partake, you die. I mean, that produced and breeds fear in people's life towards the Lord's Supper. I was very afraid years ago, you know, when they tell me that in my previous church, I would just let the Communion pass me by because every time I did something wrong, all right, I dare not take Communion that week. My mama didn't raise no fool. I mean, you know, I mean who knows there's a sin here or there or whatever and if I take, I die. Might as well not take. The people are not stupid, you know?
But if I tell you that if you don't take, your body is decaying, your body is dying, your body is sickly as it is because of Adam's fall and all men is under Adam's fall, but Jesus came to redeem you from the fall. He came to give his flesh as bread, as life for the world. If I tell you that and then you see Communion as a way of escape. You see Communion as the means of heaven in God's love, provision for you, amen? So, where is the problem? The problem is this last verse. "He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner". A lot of people, they twist that into if you are unworthy, you cannot partake, all right?
Now, look at this, I want to teach you some English. All right, Pastor Mark, take down notes. I want to teach you some English, okay, ready? He, he is a pronoun, all right, who eats and drinks. Now, eats and drinks, what is eats? Verb. Drink, verb, right? So, eats and drinks they are verbs. Am I right? He is a pronoun. Eats is a verb. In an unworthy manner is an adverb, okay? An adverb does not change the pronoun. An adverb changes the verb, that's why it's called adverb. But many people say the unworthy is the he, is the he. It's not the he that's unworthy. It is the way he does it. The verb, the eating and drinking in an unworthy way.
Look up here. In other words, when you take the bread and you take the cup and you just pop it into your mouth and you just drink it and you know maybe you say, "I'm a bit thirsty. I'm a bit hungry". And that's how you treat the Lord's Supper, it will have no effect. But if you discern the Lord's body, the last line, not discerning the Lord's body. That's why, that's how you partake unworthy manner, in an unworthy manner. You don't discern the Lord's body. You don't see that his body was broken.
You know, many, many places they take the cup and the bread as one in the same. It's not. His body was broken so that healing can come to your body. And you drink the cup, all right, the cup is a declaration your sins are forgiven. You don't drink to be forgiven. You drink to declare you're forgiven, and the evidence is the blood of Jesus. So, these are physical evidence before your eyes, the proof of your healing, the proof of your forgiveness. Whenever you think about healing, people are concerned, but what if this sickness came because I really, really sinned against God? Then the cup answers to that, the bloodshed. Mmm, you're covered both ways, amen? Amen, are you listening?
Not discerning the Lord's body is the biggest problem in the body of Christ today. Not discerning the Lord's body. They take the cup or the bread as bread. They don't see Jesus's body. "And how can a small piece be Jesus's body? A small piece how to heal this big growth or this cancer or this disease"? They don't discern the Lord's body. It is like God to choose the simple things of the world to confound the mighty. You see, but if you reverence that moment, you take the bread, not as bread, as a broken body of Jesus and you start thinking to yourself, the night of the passover, the children of Israel fed on roasted lamb, a picture, a shadow of the true lamb. And you know what happened to them the next day? The Bible says they came out not one sick, not one feeble and they only fed on the shadow, not the real substance.
You and I, we hold the real substance in our hands. How can they have health, not one sick among nearly three million people and we, you know, are sick all the time. Might as well go back to the Old Testament and eat roasted lamb. No, no, a thousand times no. The substance is greater than the shadow. All right, okay, look at this verse. Now, we are done with this verse not discerning the Lord's body but look at the next verse. "For this reason, many are weak". I wish it says only a few in the church. It does not say that because we fail to discern the Lord's body. We rob ourselves of the provision. We fail to discern that Jesus's body was broken for our health. When we partake, we partake like a ritual. For this reason, many are weak and sick and many sleep.
You must understand, it is not the Lord's supper that makes people weak. No, the Lord's Supper actually is the answer to life and wholeness. But as it is, your body is getting weaker, getting sicker and finally you'll fall asleep. So, it's telling you, this is the reason why many in the church in Corinthian, they were weak, getting weak, they were sickly. They have succumb to the natural forces because they have not partaken of the benefits in the Lord's Supper. Remain normal. Don't do anything and you'll still grow old because that's the laws of this world.
There's a lot of death in the air ever since Adam fell. God never meant for that to be, but in Jesus, we have a way of escape. He said just now, you can eat and not die. That lady in Israel, we ate on her behalf because she cannot eat. We ate on her behalf and she didn't die. That man that you heard just now, his testimony, all right, at that final stage of cancer, all right, he kept on eating and he did not die.
Okay, I'm gonna come to the last part of my sermon which is very, very important, the crux of everything we are sharing. But I want to tell you something, all right, about the Lord's Supper. Many a times we think that the Lord's Supper should be as supernatural as Suan's story in Israel. I'm afraid to tell you that the real case scenario is that these are exceptions than the rule. Many a times, the Lord's Supper heals you, all right, increasingly, gradually, but many a times, why is it that we give up?
I'm gonna close with this because it's very important I share this parable with you. Jesus shared a parable that unveils the secrets of receiving a miracle, the secrets of a devil's devices, and the devil would want you to fall asleep for the next few minutes because he does not want you to hear the secrets of this parable, okay? So, sleep if you can. But for those of you who are hungry, you're about to hear Jesus share a parable that he said is not meant for the people to hear, amen. Jesus shared this parable from a boat in a lake, all right, and the people were on land and they were thronging him this is what he said.
A sower went out to sow seeds and some seeds fell on the wayside. The birds came and devoured it. Some seeds fell on rocky ground, stony place. And because it has no depth, no earth, no root, it sprang up quickly. But when the sun came out, It was scorched, burned. The next ground was seeds that fell among thorns. And because it was among thorns, when the thorns start growing, it choked the seed and the seed died. And finally the good ground, the good ground, Jesus said, if sown on good ground, it brings forth thirtyfold, sixty-fold, hundredfold. Then after he shared he went out of the boat, went to a house, which I believe is Peter's house, and there his disciples asked him, "Can you explain to us the meaning of the parable"?
Jesus says, if you don't understand this parable, you cannot understand any parable. In other words, this parable is the mother of all parables, okay? Then he says to them, "It is given unto you to know, but for them outside, I speak to them in parables. It's given to you as God's children, you have a secret to the covenant. You have the key to the inheritance". But people outside, God speaks to them in parables. You know why? God does not give his best riches to people who have no heart for it. So, he sticks them in parables. Those who are hungry will search the parable and get wonderful secrets from him.
Are you ready to receive some secrets that the devil does not want you to have? All right, and it's the secret to your harvest, a secret to seeing, touching, feeling your harvest. All right, so they asked Jesus, "Explain to us the parable". Jesus explained, all right? "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one and catch away that which was sown in his heart. This is he who receives seed by the wayside".
So, just now he talk about the wayside, the birds came, now he tells you what the bird are. The bird is Satan, evil spirits. They come, when you don't understand the Word, they come and they take away the Word that is in your heart because you don't understand it. Now, notice how gung-ho, how adamant the devil is to remove God's seed, God's Word from your heart. Why is he so afraid to let God's Word stay in your heart? Because he knows that if it stays long enough, it will be his defeat and your victory and blessing. So, long before he can steal your health, he wants to steal God's Word from your heart. That's why it's so important for you to keep on hearing the Word of God.
So, the four grounds are four types of human heart, the soul is the one pushing the Word. The seed is the Word of God. Today the seed is about Holy Communion, all right, how do you respond to that seed? There are four types of ground. Now, it's not the responsibility of the sower on which ground it falls. Even when Jesus sowed the seed, some fell upon thorns, some fell upon stony ground, it is up to you to make sure your heart is good ground. And all those who want their heats to be good ground say? So, my part today, I'm the sower, I'm sowing seeds. I'm scattering seeds. All right, it doesn't mean everybody receive it the same way. Some are stony ground, some are good ground, some are thorny ground. My part is just to sow seeds.
So, the first ground, the wayside, the seed fell by the wayside are those who don't understand the Word. So, Satan comes and snatch away the word in their hearts. What's the reason? They don't understand. Now, all that I said the Word on Holy Communion, do you understand? Do you understand? You don't understand, listen to it again. It's not a sin not to understand. It's a sin to not understand and don't care you don't understand, you understand? Now, listen carefully, that's the first ground.
Second ground, I think many people are under this ground. Okay, you tell me whether it's true. Second ground, remember stony ground, the seed fell on stony ground. Jesus says, all right, "But he did receive the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it". Next verse, "Yet he does not have root in himself, but he endures for a while, for when trouble", or tribulation is trouble, "when trouble or persecution arises because of the word, by and by, he's offended". He's offended.
So, he has no debt, all right? So, he received the Word because he has no debt. He received his joy. At first, it's joyful. "Man, really Holy Communion can give you health, life, wholeness, don't have to be sick anymore? Wow! Today, I'm gonna take Holy Communion. Tonight, no watching good ending or whatever. I'm gonna have Holy Communion, amen. Wife, we're gonna be the healthiest family in this block of flats. We will be the healthiest family in this neighborhood". You're so excited. Man, you are feeling alive. You're feeling good. "I found the formula". But the Bible says they don't have depth.
So, what happened is the devil cannot let them continue in this too far because it's powerful. Communion is powerful. So, what does he do? He allowed trouble to come because of the Word they have received. Notice, that trouble don't come, okay, listen carefully, all right, because they did wrong. The trouble came because they have received the Word. Are you listening? Trouble or tribulation arises because of the Word. He gets offended. So, let's say he takes Communion. For the first time they have family Communion. For the first time, they have Communion at home, all right? The very next day he wakes up, there's pain in his body. Say, "Hey... This is strange. I thought we had Communion yesterday". Next few days, he's visiting a doctor and on the week, he take medical leave. "Strange, what's going on? I thought when I take Communion, things ought to get better".
Listen to what Jesus says, Satan has launched an attack to remove the Word, that means Communion is powerful, or else you won't be going through this trouble. So, he gives you lying symptoms so that you will say, by and by he's offended, "Ah, all this Communion talk. No, Pastor Prince is just talking. Nonsense, man. I'm not waiting for that anymore. Wife, throw away bread". Offended, offended, why? "I had Communion, next day I fell sick". Boy, you persevered, didn't you?
If we are honest, we must tell the this sign, "Well, Pastor Prince, if the trouble come because of God's Word, I won't receive God's Word". You are dead. You're already dead. The devil don't have to bother with you because the Word of God is what produces the miracle, it's what produces the harvest, so you don't have the Word. You'll never have a harvest, never have a miracle, you are dead already. So, don't be like those when trouble come because of the Word, guess where the trouble is coming from? The devil. He's trying to give you false symptoms to say, "See, it does not work, right? See, it's a lie. See, it's only Pastor Prince's opinion. See, see, see". Then you say, "Ah, all these things". Say, "Ah, got him". That is seed on stony ground, but none of you are like that.
The third ground Jesus says is he that receives seed among the thorns. This is the one that hears the word and the cares of this world, the thorns are the care of this world. The stress and the deceitfulness of riches. Now, notice it doesn't say riches itself. Riches itself is not wrong, but the deceitfulness of riches, thinking of money, money, all the time, all right? The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful.
Now, church, look up here. The Bible says the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, thinking of money all the time, all right, is actually like thorns. No wonder Jesus wore the crown of thorns. He was taking for us the stress and the cares of this life. I think that more and more believers, I'm not speaking of this church. I'm speaking in terms of the body of Christ at large. More and more believers might fall into this category this year because of the economic downturn, the cares of this life. They think about "Where, how, what if tomorrow, what if I, you know, how am I make ends meet, this that? How should I be clothed"? Jesus says, "Don't worry about this because when your heart is full of worry, you choke the Word", okay? You don't have time for Communion, you don't have time for the Word because you feel like, "I must be up and about doing overtime or else there'll be no money". So, you don't have time to sit down and partake of blessings God's way. Choke's the Word, okay?
And the last ground is what we are all interested. We'll end with the last ground, right? Are you interested in being a good ground? All right, Father, take note. Are you interested in being a good ground? Okay, the good ground, what is a good ground? "He that receives seed into the good ground is he that hears the Word, and understandeth it". He understands it. And what does he bring? He brings forth hundredfold, sixty, some thirty, all right? But the key in this verse is he understands it. By the way, this parable is shared by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It's not always every parable Jesus shared is shared in all these three gospels, but this is one because of the importance of this parable, this parable is of the very last importance, all right? That's why it's mentioned in three gospels, all right?
So, here in the gospel of Matthew, it says, why is he a good ground? Because not only he hears, he understands, like many of you. You understand, all right? But let's look at Mark's secret of the good ground 'cause each evangelist see it, all right, the way God wants them to see it so that we can add our knowledge of the good ground. So, Matthew says, understands it. Mark chapter 4 Mark says, "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred", okay? So, not only he understands it, he says, "I'm receiving this word. I am making this word mine", amen?
And notice the harvest is, what? Thirtyfold, sixty-fold, a hundred. So, even when your miracle comes, listen, it does not come like poom, completely well, boom, miracle, all right? Sometimes it does, I'm not taking away from that, okay? That's a bona fide miracle. But this is not a miracle, this is a harvest. So, it comes thirtyfold, sixty-fold, hundred fold when you start taking Communion. Now today, that Word can refer to anything, you understand? Like the Word can refer to marriage. You are practicing Godly principles in your marriage and the very first day you heard Pastor Prince preach on marriage on Sunday, you were excited. You say that "From now on, I will not criticize my wife". The very next day, you have big quarrel.
Satan comes to steal the Word, all right, trouble comes because of the Word. Persevere. It doesn't mean that oh, this method doesn't work, all right, this God's ways doesn't work. No, no, no, the devil doesn't want you to pursue God's ways, okay? But when the result comes, listen, when the fruit comes, it's thirtyfold, sixty-fold, hundredfold. What is thirtyfold result? Let's apply to healing, shall we? All right, because we're talking about Communion today. Thirtyfold means what? Thirtyfold means what? Seventy-fold still in pain. Seventy-fold still has that look of sickness. Seventy-fold still has that growth. Thirtyfold means you have begun to improve but thirtyfold compared to seventy-fold, which is more?
I know it's a very, very tough question to ask all of you but hope you don't mind, all right, to answer that question. Thirtyfold or seventy-fold more? Seventy-fold, so thirtyfold result only. So, many times you ask people about Communion, they're taking for some time. You say, how is the condition? "It's better, lah, but I still have the pain". See, the way they talk, there's a despair in their voice. It's almost like thirtyfold improvement is not enough. "I thought that God would zap me, zap. I'm well, man. I'm cool, man. I'm fine, man". No, it doesn't work that way, all right?
So, thirtyfold means, seventy-fold still sick, still in pain. Then the next one is sixty-fold. Ah, sixty-fold is what? How much still in... not in manifestation, only forty-fold. Now, you got more healing than sickness. You got more relief than pain, right? And then after that good news, hundredfold. So, first the blade, then the ear, the full corner of the ear. In other words, it works like harvest so do not expect magic. This is not magic. This is for those who are devoted with revelation, amen?
I remember some time, some years ago also I had a condition in my body where, you know, I have a world vision on my back. It's called a skin condition that has the map of the world, like Pastor Henry also, huh? We both have the world vision, you know, imprinted on our back. Okay, it's a disease, skin. You know, it's not that kind of bad disease but it's just, you know, itchy sometimes when you play sports and all that and you don't like that kind of thing, you know? So, most people don't even think about it, you know, but I came to a place said, "Lord, I'm gonna take Communion for this". So, I began to take communion for it.
I said, "Lord, every time I take Communion, I receive my healing for my skin condition. I receive my healing, all right". And every time I look at it there's a new island, you know? And, you know? And, you know, I just keep on taking Communion, just keep on taking. You know what happened one day? One day, I was shirtless admiring my six packs. Some of you laugh, huh. How you know I don't have? Okay. So, I was admiring myself, all right, shirtless in the mirror and I heard the voice of God inside, "Check out for your skin condition". I looked behind and lo and behold, it's completely gone.
Now, you ask me when did it happen? You know, I start taking to the point that I forget about my symptoms. I just don't worry about it anymore. I can't even tell you when it happened. That's why this parable, all right, ends with another parable where Jesus says that it's like a man sowing seed on good ground and then he goes to sleep. He arises night and day and the seed grows by itself. He knows not how. The Bible says the seed grows, you know not how. That's amazing about the seed. You don't even know how when you put the Word and you take Communion, you don't know how a piece of bread and a cup can just heal the body.
Don't ask how. Jesus says because if you say you know how, then Jesus's Word is broken. He says he knows not how but all of a sudden, the harvest is there. He goes to sleep, he wakes up, goes about his business, the seed grows by itself. But if you're so concerned about the seed growing and every day you plan, then you take the shovel, you know, you chunk away, you see, okay, okay, we cover, cover, cover. Now, a few days later, you look at the seed, okay, the seed still mati ah, see down there, okay, okay, okay, you know? Let me tell you sure mati, one it sure die, it will sure die, all right, when you do that. You understand? You don't check, don't worry about the Word. The Word will produce seed by itself. It has the power to produce seed by itself.
Okay, don't ask how. "Let me see how if maybe God can touch this person, right? He's quite reaching and he can bless me with this money and then at least I can get out of debt and all that". No, don't ask how. When you hear God's Word saying it's gonna be a year free favors, just say, "amen". How is the Lord's business, not yours. He specializes in that and he knows how, okay? So, thirtyfold, sixty-fold, hundredfold, last one from Luke, the good ground and then we'll close.
Luke says, "but that on the good ground are they which is an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience". Patience. You will bring forth fruit with patience. What is patience? Patience is the word "perseverance". In other words, when you receive the word and tomorrow the opposite happens, what do you do? Persevere, keep on doing. Keep on having Communion. Keep on believing, hallelujah. You will bring forth fruit with patience.
Patience means there are adverse circumstances against that word. Patience means you are fighting against contradictory symptoms in your body that is screaming "the Word is a lie. The Word is a lie". And you still persevere with God's Word. You will bring forth fruit. You bring forth fruit with perseverance, but you will bring forth fruit, thirtyfold, sixty-fold, hundredfold. That applies in any area of your life, okay? So, my word of advice, the moment you know someone you love, someone you care has been given a bad diagnosis by the doctor. If you can respect the word of a doctor taking your medicine three times a day, I don't see why you can't take Communion once a day.
All right, I'm talking about those who have been given a bad diagnosis. I'm not talking about Christians you must take every day. No, no, no, I'm not saying that. Let the Lord lead you, guide you. I'm just telling you that if you have a condition in your body, why can't you just take that as your medicine and persevere and see the result and receive more life and more abundantly, amen? Are you glad you came today? Will you bring forth fruit with patience? Want to take Communion tomorrow, opposite happens. What's gonna happen?
You know the trick of the devil, amen, you will persevere. He's trying to get you to stop. He's trying to get you to stop coming to church, stop doing the Word of God. But you know that the fruit is going to be there because it's a year of free favors, amen. How much more? And you know what I believe? I believe, with all my heart that this year, you'll be the liveliest ever. It will be your most alive, you'll be alivest, that's bad English, this year, amen, amen? Hallelujah, give Jesus the praise, amen. Hallelujah.
Now, every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place. Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place and also in the overflow rooms. If you have heard the Word just now and you have never received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I want to give you this wonderful opportunity to invite Jesus Christ, the Savior, the way, the truth, and the life, the bread of life, into your heart, into your life. Will you say to him:
Lord, Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe that God has raised you from the dead. I believe today you are alive as my high priest, as my shepherd at the Father's right hand. Come into my life, Lord, Jesus.
Will you say yes to him? He left heaven's glory to come down to be the bread of life. He wants you to feed on him. He wants you to take his sufferings that he suffered for you and exchange it for a crown of glory, for a body of health. He wants you to enjoy what he died to give you. So, all across this place, you say, "Pastor, pray for me. I want this wonderful Jesus to come into my life".
We're all gonna pray this prayer together and if you never receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, I want to pray for you right now. We'll all pray with you together this prayer. And don't prayer this prayer unless you mean business with God. But if you mean business with God, you want to be saved, you want to receive the provisions of Jesus's blood washing you clean of all your sins, then pray this prayer. Let's all say this:
Heavenly Father, what a good God you are. You saw me in my need. You looked beyond all my faults and my sins and provided Jesus Christ as the bread of life, as the Savior. Jesus died on the cross for all my sins. His precious blood cleanses me, washes me whiter than snow. Jesus died and he rose again from the dead. I confess, Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. I thank you, Father, my sins are forgiven. Your favors rest on me. I thank you I'm saved forever. Jesus Christ is my Lord, amen.
Amen, praise the Lord. Thank you Father God. What's gonna happen if tomorrow you take Communion the next week, you don't feel well? Is it because of the Communion's fault? No, it just means you are on the right track and you're doing something powerful that if you persevere, you will see the results. But when you partake, don't do it like magic. Do it with understanding, do it discerning the Lord's body. Say:
Lord, I'm partaking of your body, Lord, amen. And this body has all the power, has all the virtue to remove this pain, this disease out of my system, out of my physical constituent, amen.
And see the miracle of God. Praise the Lord. And if you experience the miracle, will you please write to the office, will you do that? Amen? Praise the Lord. All those in the overflow, raise your hands. Everyone lift your hands to the Father.
Father in heaven, we thank you once again for your Word today. And now, Father, like the Apostle Paul who prayed this prayer for the Colossian believers, I pray for the believers here, Lord, in New Creation Church. Abba, strengthen every one of us, Father. Strengthen your people, Lord, with all might in their inner man unto all perseverance, unto all longsuffering with joyfulness, Father. Father in heaven, we pray that we'll not give up at the first sign of trouble. We'll not throw in the towel at the first sign of contradictory symptoms, or adverse circumstance, Lord, but we'll persevere. Father, give your people the ability to fight through, the ability to persevere with their faith. And thank you, Father, for the thirtyfold, the sixty-fold, and the hundredfold that we shall see, Lord, and we'll glorify you with this testimony. In Jesus's name.
And all the people said "amen". Give praise to the Lord, hallelujah.