Joseph Prince - Prosper Through Prophetic Preaching
Greetings, church. Missed you all. How have you all been? Praise the Lord. Okay, how are y'all doing? Doing good, amen. If you're not, you'll get better, amen? Turn to your neighbor right now, smile at your neighbor and say something good, even it's by faith, something like, "Hey, you look good today", amen, or "I don't know something about you that makes you look like you stand out", okay? But there's another reason why people stand out also but just by faith, amen? Thank you, Lord Jesus.
You know, every time we come to God's house, we always remember that this is the house of God. It's not the building, it's not the concrete, it is not the chairs, and the ceiling, and all that, it is the people of God coming together that makes the house of God. The Bible has different expressions. It says living stones, you're all living stone, not rolling stones, living stones. You know, a stone, a rock just out there in the wilderness is just a rock, but the moment you get it together and you build a house one upon another, it becomes living stone, amen? Water that is stagnant is just water in Israel but when does it become living water is when it flows. That's why they call it living water, amen?
Your life, there is an assignment, there is a purpose. You were not born by accident. How, how you were formed may be an accident, maybe you're born out of wedlock, but the moment you were conceived, life began. God put an assignment in your life. There is a destiny, amen? And there are many men of God that I know of that were born out of wedlock and yet, they fulfilled great destinies, amen? So, you are called for an assignment, each one of you. You are special with giftings, and equippings, and anointings that only you have.
Now, many gifts are the same, the gift of faith, the gifts of healings and all that, but the way it flows out of you is unique and that's why God makes your fingerprints different. You cannot find another person with the same kind of fingerprints and that's why when you go through the Changi Airport, you use your fingerprint, your thumbprint, right, because that's a sure fire way of knowing there's only one you. Every time you do that, don't complain, smile, remind yourself there's only one me in the world, amen? There's only one you. Even you're a twin, your fingerprints are different. You are called for an assignment, and we pray that even today as the Word of God comes forth, I want you to know that every time you come to God's house, the assignment becomes clearer and clearer.
You might think that God just want me to be a businessman, or a teacher, or a salesperson, a, you know, just a homemaker. All these are great assignments, but there is an assignment from God within that assignment, amen? And I pray in Jesus's name that you find it. Don't live life to your 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and only to realize that, you know, you climb up the ladder of success and find that the ladder is on a different building, the wrong building, amen? Fulfill your call, find out what God has for you and the best way to do that is always come together in God's house, take down notes, amen, take down notes. There is a special place in heaven for people who take down notes, amen. And take down notes, listen carefully and within the words that you hear your pastor or any speaker up here speak, you will hear the Word for you, amen.
Psalms 36 David says by the Spirit, "How excellent is your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of man put their trust under the shadow of your wings". This word "lovingkindness", how excellent is your loving- kindness is the word "hesed". How excellent is your grace? Hesed in Hebrew, how excellent, how precious the Hebrew, how precious, how valuable is your hesed, O God. "Therefore the children of men put your trust under the shadow of your wings". Notice that, why do people trust God? Why do people put their trust in the shadow of his wings, a picture of protection? It's because grace has been revealed. When grace is preached, then we start valuing the grace and trust will be the natural response, amen? Or I should say, supernatural, even though it's supernaturally natural. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of your house; and you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasures".
Beautiful, I love it. When you come to God's house, notice where this takes place, in God's house. God's house, it's not a poor house. It's a house that has bounty, abundance, plenty. You know, the reason why, one of the reasons rather, why the prodigal son stood up and said, "Hey, what am I doing in the pigpen? I will arise and go to my father. In my father's house there is bread enough and to spare". Bread is also the picture of healing, the Bible tells us, the children's bread. There is healing enough and to spare in the house of God.
So, every time you come to God's house, there's healing enough and to spare, healing enough and to spare, healing enough and to spare. Not just enough, not just all right, fit for the situation, no, healing, health enough, life enough, and to spare. Somebody is being healed right now of a heart condition. I see blood flowing where it never flowed in that way before like I can just see in the Spirit like an x-ray. It's not a black and white x-ray, it's a colorful x-ray. The Holy Spirit is showing me right now. If you have a heart condition, stand to your feet right now in Jesus's name and feel that surge of life come through you right now in Jesus's name. Just do it right now in Jesus's name, amen, amen.
Blood pressure, high blood pressure, stand to your feet right now in Jesus's name. Many of you are feeling that right now, in Jesus's name. You are feeling that surge of life and energy coursing through your veins, amen, through your arteries. Praise the Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for doing this miracle right now in the name of Jesus. Somebody just received a diagnosis that you have three, three, three blocked arteries. If that is you, if you're not standing, please stand, and can you just wave your hand if that is you? The Lord wants to dispense healing to that and remove that blockage in the name of Jesus. If that is you, just wave your hands wherever you are and if there are leaders around them, help me see because of the bright lights.
All right, if that is you, right diagnosed with block arteries, three blocked arteries, if that is you, just stand up and wave. Okay, who is that person? You are in the service and the Lord wants you healed. Way back there, is that the hand? Okay right, recently you were diagnosed with that? Okay, I'm gonna pray for you in the name of Jesus right now. Father, I thank you. Yeah, stand to your feet, sir. Right, in the name of Jesus, Father in heaven, I thank you right now for that precious... is that a brother? Wave if it's a brother.
Father, in the name of Jesus right now, I command those blocked arteries in the name of Jesus to be removed and all its blockages. In the name of Jesus, grant firm resilient, healthy arteries in its place, Lord. In the name of Jesus, restore his heart in health, strength. Let your healing flow into his heart, into all his arteries, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And all the people... sir, you are feeling the power of God come on you right now. Joe, can you touch his heart area? So, can you feel the heat and the power of God touching you? The power of God is touching you, sir, and I don't believe from this day on you'll be the same. Not only that, God is restoring your strength. You feel strong right now, right? You feel energy and strength. God is renewing your youth. How old are you? How young are you? Sorry. God is restoring your youth in Jesus's name, strong again, young again in Jesus's name, amen.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, hallelujah. Father, I pray for everyone that's standing, Lord, that has a high blood condition, Lord, high blood pressure condition. In the name of Jesus, Father, high cholesterol, will you stand as well. In Jesus's name, Father, in the name of Jesus right now, mmm, the healing power of God being released. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Lord, right now, whatever is the blockage, whatever is the root cause of these conditions, Father, remove it to its very roots in Jesus's name and let healing be restored. Let health be restored to these bodies right now in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Now, if no one is laying hands on you, just put your hand on your heart and say, "Lord, I thank you, I receive your healing and health right now. In Jesus's name". Okay, now thank the Lord. Start thanking the Lord. Start thanking the Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen, thank you Lord, thank you, Lord. Okay, now someone else you have a condition, listen, let me describe this condition it. Is not exactly right at the back of your buttocks area, but it's more like where your bone here meets with the joint here. When you move in a certain way, you feel the pain. If that is you, stand to your feet in Jesus's name, just stand to your feet. If that is you, just stand to your feet, right side, is that you, sister? Okay, it's not exactly right at the back, but at the side here and when you move in a certain way, you feel the pain, right?
I'm gonna pray this prayer right now, and God is touching you already. Father, I thank you in Jesus's name. After I pray the prayer, I want you to start moving that area. In Jesus's name, thank you, Father, for your healing. Yeah, it's healed in Jesus's name. Now move, move, move that area. Move in a way that will cause you pain last time, all right, move in Jesus's name. How is it, sister? The pain is gone? Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord. All right, is there somebody else? There's someone standing in you're wearing red, you have the same condition? No, what was your condition? What's the condition? No, I was praying for the lady at the back. What's your condition? Yeah, that's not the condition I called out, but we'll pray for you.
All right, we'll pray for you. Okay, never mind, God zeroed in because of my pointing. I was praying for the sister at the back. Remain standing, sister, we'll pray for you, all right? Yeah, stand up, stand up, the one that wants to wait, yeah, stand up. Would you lay hands on her, right, if you can? Can I have a sister come as well, a believer around her? Just place your hand on her... you were mentioning your waist. Your waist side as well, in between your waist side, right? And place the hand there, and Lawrence you just touch your hand on her head.
Father, in Jesus's name, touch her right now and affect a cure, Lord, in the name of Jesus in that area, Lord, of pain. In Jesus's name, amen, amen, amen.
All right, sister, move, move around, move about your waist, move around, keep on moving. In Jesus's name, keep on moving, yup, keep on moving, praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. How is it? Hang on, hang on. How is it? You feel the difference? Never wasn't like that before? Keep on moving, keep on moving, yeah, keep on moving. Joseph Prince You are healed, sister. By this night, I believe you will look for your pain and find it no more. In fact, you have problem sleeping so I tell you this, you will sleep well for the first time in a long time, amen? You want to say something to me, is that? No, thank the Lord, it is his. Amen, give him the praise.
Hallelujah, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus, amen. And for the rest who are standing, Father, in Jesus's name right now, touch them, heal them, Lord, and make them every whit whole in the name of Jesus, whatever ailments it may be, Father. Thank you, Lord, you are the Lord that health us Yahweh Rapha. In the name of Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, thank you, Lord, for your complete healing in Jesus's name.
Even if I didn't call out your healing, always in the Father's house, there's glory, there is grace, an abundance of it, and there is life, zoe life, the life that God lives by, and that life is readjusting, restoring, reviving, renewing, healing always in Jesus's name, repairing, amen, in the name of Jesus, all kinds of healings are happening. In fact, I'm hearing the Spirit says that, "tell them that many of them will go back and they'll find that the condition will be no longer the same. They'll start to doing things they cannot do before and they will do it with ease". Some you will sleep, but not now, but you'll sleep tonight, all right, and you'll find that your sleep will be sweet. Amen, give Jesus the praise, come on, hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Praise the name of Jesus. Okay, praise the Lord.
Then it says, "You will drink of the river of your pleasures". The word "pleasure" there is the word eden, as in Garden of Eden. You'll drink in the rivers of your pleasures, and it's plural, eden in its plural form, all kind of pleasures the way God ordained it in the beginning, amen, hallelujah. "For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light shall we see light". In your light, we will see light. In thy light. So, in the house of God, as the Word goes forth, you will begin to see whether it's your assignment, even in practical affairs of your life, you all of sudden in the... how many of you have experienced this before? In the house of God, you come to the house of God, the whole thing, the context is in the house of God. You enjoy the hesed of God. You find that increasingly the grace of God is precious and valuable in your life, amen?
And then you are drinking of the rivers of his pleasures. As you worship God, you're drinking the rivers of his eden, amen? And not only that, whatever is troubling you. Whatever you are looking for an answer, amen, a solution, many a times as you worship the Lord or as you listen to the Word of God in the house of God, in his light, we see light for our situation. It is in his light, and sometimes the Word of God goes forth. I can be preaching about the second coming of Christ and I've got people tell me, "You know, pastor, as you were preaching, I got this, God dropped this in any heart". And it's got nothing to do with the second coming of Christ, amen. I can preach about the tabernacle and somebody receive a revelation of his business because in his light, we see light, amen.
So, even whatever is troubling you, you don't have to have the speaker preach on that subject. Whether it's a marital trouble or some challenges with your son or daughter, you know, God's wisdom will flow as the Word of God is being unveiled. The Bible says the unfolding of his Word gives light. Literally the opening of his Word, the entrance of your Word the King James says, the opening of his Word gives light. In your light, we see light. You know, if I lose my car key or whatever and I step into a dark room and I know my car key is somewhere there, the first thing I need to do, all right, I don't have to take a torchlight to look specifically for my car key. I switch on the overall light, the entire light because in that light, I will see light. Can I have a good amen?
So, what do I need to do? Whether it's a very practical problem in life that is besetting me and I need solution for that, I don't worry about it. I set it aside, I spend time in the Word, amen. I see Jesus in the Word and then in this light I see light. You know, I'm sure that all of us have our own personal library, even it's one corner or small cabinet, whatever. But I'll give up all my library if I can be in the Emmaus Road experience. When the two, I believe they are a couple, on the day of Jesus's resurrection, they went back to their home in Emmaus. They left Jerusalem in a seven-mile journey to Emmaus and as they were talking, they were sad and the Lord drew near, remember that?
And the Bible says the Lord says, "Why you talking, you're sad and all that"? He say, "Don't you know about this great prophet"? Notice they call him a prophet. He himself says later on, "ought not Christ", he calls himself the Messiah, amen? So, their revelation is getting, shall we say, the light is getting dimmer. As they're walking away from Jerusalem back to their home, and the Lord says, "Why are you disappointed? Why are you sad and cast down"? And that's an indictment to all of us when we should be happy on the day of resurrection of all the days, amen? And yet they are sad and then they talk about, "Have you not heard? We thought that it was he who should redeem Israel".
Again, making Jesus a means to an end, not the central focus. Israel was their central focus. We thought it was he who should redeem Israel, and then the Lord began to say this, "O, foolish and slow of heart to believe". So, every time we have a situation in our life, we are depressed, we are sad, we are disappointed, amen, we are cast down, looking down, leaving the house of God in Jerusalem, on our way back to our own business whatever, and we are cast down, it is because we have lost sight of the man in heaven, amen, of that wonderful man in heaven, and we have lost sight of him. And, you know, we got other priorities in the center.
Yes, Jesus is still there, but he's a means to an end. "I want to use him for my health. I want to use him to set my teenager right. I want to get more business. I'm gonna use him to get more, like what he did the fishermen and the fishes, you know, the net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fishes. I'm using him". No, no, friend, he's gotta be the center. You gotta be absorbed with him to the point that all these things that he does is wonderful, but who he is a even more wonderful. And the Bible says Jesus says, "Fools and slow of heart to believe". In other words, either they don't know the Word or if they know, they're slow to believe.
And the solution is, Jesus said, beginning as Moses the Bible says, "Jesus began to expound to them things concerning himself", amen, beginning at Moses, the first five books of the Bible. He began to expound things concerning himself. And you know what? At then of the journey, the Bible tells us at the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened and then he disappeared. All right, or rather, he ceased to be seen by them because at that time, he's at a speed of light, more than the speed of light. He could appear and disappear and he appeared in Jerusalem. And the Bible says they said to one another, "Didn't our hearts burn as he opened the Scriptures to us"? So, the primary reason for the Scriptures is to open up on Jesus, to expound on him. Can I have a good amen?
Whether it's teaching on marriage, whatever it is, it's husband love your wife, but don't forget, even as Christ loves the church. You gotta put Christ in and then all of a sudden, right, everything works. It's like the spoke on the wheel, it makes the wheel turn and reach your destination and fulfill your assignment, hallelujah.
Today, I want to share something that I think in that light, you will see light. Let's go straight to Exodus 25, verse 31. "Let them make me a sanctuary", God says, "that I may dwell among them", mikdash in the Hebrew. "According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it". Tabernacle is the Hebrew word mishcon. Now here, listen carefully, God talks about a pattern, he showed Moses. "Moses, come up to the mountain, I'm gonna show you a pattern". So, in other words, God unveiled like, opened up the curtain of heaven and showed him the pattern in heaven. The tabernacle on earth is just a pattern of what it is in heaven, and that's why when John was in the Book of Revelation, the Bible tells us, John, when he was caught up to heaven, he saw the furnitures of the tabernacle, amen, the seven golden lampstand, remember that, amen? He saw the real mercy seat. It's all according to that pattern of tabernacle.
When God in the Scripture it's the Bible, the Holy Spirit devotes only about two chapters on creation. I know man studies creation. They want to study the origin of this, the origin of that species and all that. They spend a lot of time. I mean, it's good they do that, but the Bible only devotes about two chapters on creation. In English in the first chapter about the stars, only five words, "He made the stars also", that's it. And there are trillions and trillions of stars and stars that even scientists have not yet discovered, but he made the stars also. He's more concerned about you and not just that, the Holy Spirit takes up about 50 chapters in Genesis, and Exodus, and Leviticus, and Numbers on redemption, on the tabernacle, which is all about the blood on the mercy seat, the copper altar, the bronze altar. It's all about Jesus and about redemption.
I'm so glad we are spending time studying these things. Just like the scientists studied on creation, we are studying on redemption, which I think is worth our time. Young as we are, we are on the right pursuit, don't you think so, amen? We are studying the things, so today I want to study one aspect of the tabernacle, which I think is gonna help you see light. Guess what, the menorah, the lampstand. Okay, let's go down Exodus 25 to verse 31. "You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold". Number one, say, "pure gold". It is gold without alloy, without mixture, pure gold because it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. The lampstand speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, in many teachings on tabernacles, they have said that this represents Jesus as the light of the world. I don't agree because if that is so, then the menorah would be outside the tabernacle if it's the light of the world for all to world to see. But no, it is Jesus as the light of the sanctuary because it's inside. It is light for his people. Are you listening, people? Does that bear witness with you, amen? Now, you know, Jesus when he was on earth, he says, "I am the light of the world. As long as I'm in the world, I am the light of the world". Then later on he says, what? You are the light of the world. When he left, you know who's the light of the world today in Singapore, in U.S., in Europe, in China? You are, the believer, you are the light of the world, amen. Jesus said you are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, amen?
So, here Jesus is the light of the sanctuary. Let me show you a picture of the menorah. Now, we are not saying that it's exactly like this. This is the figment of the imagination of one of my writers, my artist, all right, and he has a wild imagination so I tell him as best as I can. But the Bible says menorah, six branch on either side, amen? Three branch, three branch comes out and then it is pure gold, made of pure gold. That's our Lord Jesus. There's nothing in mixture, there's nothing in him that is coarse, or ugly, or immoral, or unclean. Everything about him is pure, beautiful. He's lovely.
Look at the beauty of this lampstand. It's perfectly balanced can you see? Beauty is all about symmetry. When you look at someone, amen, if their eye here is like slanted here and also slanted here, it's actually beautiful still. If everything is symmetrical, it's beautiful, amen? Beauty is about symmetry, amen? If here is fat, here is thin, not nice, all right? But here is fat, here is fat, it's still nice. Symmetrical, amen, balanced. And the Lord Jesus is, there's wonderful balance about our Lord Jesus. There's beauty and there's balance, amen. Now, they're pure gold. It's not like there is a four branches coming out here and two branches here. It's not like there's one branch coming here and there's five branches here. It's balanced and everything about him is balanced.
You know, when he raised Jairus's daughter from the dead, even the parents are so excited. It's only Jesus who said, "Give her something to eat", that he can, the Lord who fills the heavens, who even at that present time when he was in Jairus's house the word used by John is that, "the Son of Man who is in the bosom of the Father", not who was. That is true, but who is. He always is in the bosom of the Father, amen? Just like you and I ought to be in the bosom of Jesus today being conscious of his love, for us, amen? Can I have a good amen?
So, here we find that this is made of one talent of gold. Now, talent is one of the heaviest measurements, weights in the Bible. It can be four talents, five talents, you know, it's very, very heavy if four or five talents. One talent is very heavy already and it's hammered work, amen. But let me explain about hammered work. Go back to the verses. "You shall make lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be of hammered work", okay, and it's made of one. Let's drop down to verse 39, it's made of one talent. It shall be made of a talent, a talent of pure gold. And see that you make even the menorah according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain, which means he saw heaven. Moses saw heaven and God says, "Duplicate it on earth". Are you listening, people?
So, because the Holy Spirit deems the subject of the tabernacle so important, he devotes about 50 chapters, I think it behooves us to study this. There's something for us, amen? So, go back to the earlier verses again. So, notice it says that the lampstand shall be of hammered work. In King James, beaten work. One talent of gold, it is not like your table, you set, you know, all the, you have the square table, then you have to insert another part of the wood to make a leg, right? Just like people, this hammered from one slab of gold like David, Michelangelo who did David's statue, remember that? Right, it was one slab of marble, amen, and he chipped it off. But this is even greater. From one talent of gold, Bezalel, whom God filled with the spirit of wisdom, hammered into one talent of beautiful lampstand menorah, pure gold. It was hammered. Why is it hammered? Because the Lord want us to know, the Holy Spirit wants us to know about this wonderful Jesus.
In order for the church to come forth, amen, he was hammered, amen? It was necessary for him to be hammered. You know how it was beaten? The Bible used the word "beaten work" in our King James, our New King James says, "hammered work". It's very interesting when it comes to the veil, the curtains, it says cunning work, skillful work. When it comes to the high priest's garments it says braided work, written work. The Holy Spirit is very careful about words. We need to be also. When it comes to the lampstand, it is beaten work or hammered work. He was hammered so much, Isaiah 52 tells us that even before the cross, even the movie "The Passion, you still can see Jim Caviezel's face". But the Bible says in Isaiah 52, show them, "His visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than sons of men".
When they beat Jesus, they beat him to a pulp to the point that his visage was marred more than any man and his form didn't even look like a man anymore. So, when they hung him on the cross, let me tell you this, that's why the next chapter Isaiah 53 says there was no beauty in him that we should desire him. That verse must be read in the context of his suffering. He's always beautiful. Can you imagine a man who has no sin, no imperfection, no physical detect, you know, how beautiful he is, amen? The only time he became ugly is because to give you and I the beauty for ashes. He was hammered and out of the hammering, came the beautiful church.
By the way, I've been saying church about the menorah because John, when John was caught up to heaven, this is what John saw in Revelations 1, John to the seven churches, okay, drop down to a little bit, yeah. "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst", say, "the midst". God will always put his Son in the center. Can I tell you something? If you want to succeed in life, if you want God's blessing and favor to be on everything that you do, if you want your family life blessed, if you want anything that you do to prosper, let me tell you this, you must be in sync with heaven that all of heaven's resources are on your side. And heaven's priorities are like this, in the middle, in the middle is always Jesus. Are you listening?
John turned to hear the voice and saw in the middle there was seven golden lampstands, as we know later on it's seven churches that was present on earth at that time, and yet in the middle of it he saw Jesus, amen. He's in the middle of the lampstand. Now, back to Exodus 25 again. Are y'all learning, people? I want to show you something else, something very powerful. If you look at, drop down to verse 38, talk about arranging, yes, 37, sorry. "You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so they give light in front of it". Show them the video of the... wait, before that, let me just tell you this, seven lamps here are seven branch, three here, three here, and the center shaft. The center shaft, more specifically is the Lord Jesus Christ, all right, the branches are you and I because when Adam slept, a picture of Christ, when Christ died, out of his side came the bride, came the church, came you and I, amen.
So, likewise out of the side it literally says, out of his sides came the three branch here and three branch here. Jesus's death brought forth the church, that's why we have marriage. Marriage is a picture of the Lord and his church, but we have lost sight of it. The world don't even know the purpose anymore, that's why marriage becoming decreasing factor in terms of relationship now. They don't see the purpose. They don't see the assignment of marriage. When you don't know the use, you abuse, amen. Aren't you glad in God's house you see light? So, notice the way God arranged, God says the branches, they all have a lamp, each one has a lamp, right? Each one has their own light. But the center shaft, a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, all the lamps here, the three lamps here must point towards the center, the three lamps here must point towards the center.
"You must arrange the lamp so that they give light in front of it". I love the word "in front". It says the face of and its wick-trimmers. Okay, before you come to the wick-trimmers, look at this video, sit back, watch this. See, in the center shaft, notice how all the three on each side is pointing to the center. Can you see that? In your light we see light. So, all the three on this side is pointing to center, all the three on this side is pointing to center. In other words, whatever we do, marriage, business, child rearing, always remember, Jesus is in the center. We are doing it unto him. The Bible says employees, do it not for eye service for man, but unto the Lord, amen, knowing that of means from him, of the Lord you shall receive the reward.
So, when you are doing work, do not do things for your boss to see. Do it for the Lord knowing that, knowing, knowing, you must know this, knowing that of the Lord you will receive the reward. See, many of us, our life is not a worship because worship is not just singing songs. Our whole life can be a worship would be our consciousness in the center. We love our wife because he first loved us. We love her the way Christ loves me and Christ loved me because he's very patient with me. He forgives me, that's how I'm to be with my wife, amen? And wives submit to your husband, "But my husband is not easy to submit". Then look to the Lord. Say, "I submit to Jesus as I submit to my husband". Submit to your husband as unto Jesus, as unto the Lord.
Masters, employers, treat your employees, what is right knowing you have a master in heaven. You answer to a greater boss, amen. So, once you put Jesus in, it's in the center, everything will light up. In fact, the greatest way to have the light is for all these three lights on each side to point to the center then the reflection comes and it's a reflected into all the sanctuary, amen. This is something that we need to learn that it's not about us, it's all about him. And life was given because of him. All things were made by him and for him, amen. So, we receive successful ministries receiving from the Lord.
See, the Bible doesn't say for as much as you know your work is not in vain, all right, in the Lord, abounding, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain, okay? Notice, always abounding in the work of the Lord, not the work for the Lord. There's a difference. When you're abounding in the work of the Lord, that means you are doing what he tells you to do. Just doing things for him, doesn't mean you are doing the work of the Lord. It comes of him, we do it unto him and for him. For him only comes after you know what he wants you to do.
"Pastor, what is it that he wants me to do"? Many a times your giftings, the way he has birthed you, it's an indication. If you love to sing and you have a voice, very important. Most likely you're called to serve him in that area, right? If you love to teach like my son, he does games and all that, he's still teaching. I think one day he'll be a teacher, I do not know. All right, but he loves to teach, he loves to teach, and he's always teaching. Part of the game is telling me, he makes up rules as he goes along and he's talking all the time, he's talking all the time. Many a times you don't even end up playing the game he's instructing me so much. And even a game like Monopoly, he will come up with his own ideas and own rules, and he will be teaching me the rules.
Now, that an indication. I don't know yet what is it that God has for him, but usually your makeup, are you listening, people? If you are quiet, you're reticent and you love to write, perhaps that's your calling. Do what you really enjoy. Don't worry, the money will follow. Don't do things for money. In fact, when God gives you a revelation and God lights you up, this is what Jesus said about the parable of the sower, the four grounds, the sowing the seed. You know what it says at the end? Many a times we know about the parable, but we miss the point of what he's saying at the end. This is what he also tell us at the end.
In Mark 4, these are the ones sown on good ground. They bear fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty-fold, some a hundredfold. We know that. But the next one he says, next verse he says also to them, it's a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed. Is it not to be sat on a lampstand? What is the Lord saying here? Now, in the Old King James, basket there is a bushel, a bushel of wheat, a basket of wheat, that's what expression they use. It is a term for commercial, commercial work, commercialism. Bed is a picture of what? Ease, laziness, pleasure, all right? God gives you a revelation, and you are hiding it under commercialism.
Notice under means what? It's hidden. Light is not to be hidden. And under a bed. Again, hidden. Under a bed, what does it mean? It means you are lazy. The light is not benefiting anybody. But you have the revelation. You say, "Man, I praise God. Man, I got that revelation and all that", but it's doing nothing for anybody. So, Jesus says, listen, don't hide it, don't let commercialism, you know, drown that light that's in you. Whenever you try to make things just, everything commercial, commercial, commercial, that means your light is not shining because you are under the commercialism, amen, or under a bed. You're just too lazy or you are doing things just for pleasure.
"If it's not fun, I won't do it, amen? I live only for, you know, watching TV and just like pleasure, pleasure". No, there is a world to be saved, amen, amen, and Jesus to be glorified, hallelujah. And there's an assignment God has for you. Don't live life watching people live life sitting on the couch. Don't live life looking at those stars and all that and falling in love with them and all that for a while and they're somebody else's husband. Love your husband, amen. "I find it hard to love my husband". See Jesus and then love your husband. And one day the love will come. Do the first works and the first love will come back, amen. Okay man, praise God. Okay, I didn't mean to meddle, praise God. "Preach it, Pastor Prince".
Okay, hallelujah, now go back to the menorah again. Are y'all learning? Is this helping y'all? So, the seven lampstands, perfect beauty, beautiful. It's the most, to me, the most beautiful furniture besides the Ark of the Covenant, and perfect balance. Everything about the Lord is just balanced. Even the high priest has a pomegranate and a bell all around his robe which means it's not just bell, bell, bell, ringing, jarring sound, but there is a something to support it, to make it more melodious and blend with it and that's a pomegranate, bell, pomegranate bell pomegranate just like our Lord Jesus when he's firm, he's strong, he's not abusive, he's not abrasive, doesn't hurt you, amen.
When he's kind, he's not servile, he's not like a slave, you know, people feel like walking all over. When Jesus is humble, no one even thinks of want to take advantage of that. Even Peter will say, "How can you do this"? I mean, is Jesus a picture of beauty? It's all about balance. Some people are so kind, so nice, so nice, so nice, so soft, so nice, they let people walk all over them. But there are people who are so hard. "I won't let anyone". They are so, you know, don't be like the horse and do be like donkey, the Bible says. That's in the Bible, you know? Be balanced.
Now, give them the golden oil lamp up close. Show you something about golden oil lamp. This is what they all give you for free in Israel, right? And because it's free, you get it so small, like that. But it always comes with a little tongue like a shoelace that's cut. A small piece of a shoelace. Actually, the original one comes from the used clothing, the linen clothes of the priests of the temple. And they put it inside, and that's the tongue. And the tongue is... inside is the oil, the olive oil. So, one part of the end of the linen cloth touches the oil. The other part, the fire comes out. So, there's a fire. The next picture, the fire goes out. It's now charred.
Can you see it's charred? There's a beautiful verse about our Lord Jesus, a messianic verse. The Bible says, "He will not quench the smoking flax". Once it's smoking, it's because what? There's probably water, and it's no more functioning well. But because wicks are a dime a dozen, they are so numerous and plenteous, you just throw them away and put another wick. But the Bible says of our Lord Jesus, when you start smoking and you start smelling, he doesn't put you aside. He will not quench you. He will still love you. In fact, the burnt part, when you see something burning and finally it's charred. That means it used to burn before. Whatever you do for the Lord, once upon a time you were shining bright for Jesus, amen, your testimony was wonderful, but now that part is charred, it's burned.
But you know what the Bible says? Go back to Exodus 25. The Bible says "Its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold". Now, what's a wick-trimmer? This is not your mustache trimmer, just a word to Pastor Matthews, wherever he's watching. This is a wick-trimmer. A wick-trimmer is like when a wick comes out, it's charred, you cut it off. But why must there be a tray? And they're trays. In the Old King James, the word tray here is snuff-dishes. You know what's snuff-dishes? This tray isn't an open tray, it's closed like a snuff-dish. In other words, they'll open up and the priest will cut it, okay, and the ash will go into the tray, they close it. None of it is wasted. Nothing that is used for the Lord is discarded. It is preserved. Just because today you're no more shining bright for the Lord Jesus, God still remembers what you did. And he puts it in a snuff-dish, and it's not forgotten, amen? Nothing goes to the ground. Can I have a good amen?
There was a time that God's people came back from Babylon after 70 years of captivity, they came back. This time they came back without the glory cloud. This time they came back without the parting of the Red Sea. This time they came back without the fire by night. This time they came back and there was no manna. They came back just with the presence of the Lord, and yet their faith was awesome. They were a minority, not a majority like in Exodus. They came back and their leader was Zerubbabel, whose name is mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah. That was their governor. There's no more kingship. The kingship has been removed. And God had sent them back because Jesus is coming. And he sent them back, and they were a small bunch of people. And they rebuilt the temple.
But while they're rebuilding, the enemies that were in the land were jealous of Israel. And just like today, you know, they would try to stop the work and all that. And they shot a letter to the king saying that these people, when they built the temple, they will stop paying taxes to you and all that. By then the rule that God wanted Israel to have, to be the world dominant power... God meant for a rule where God rules Israel and to the nations and have peace on earth. It was God's plan. But Israel, by her sin, and continuous sin, forfeited the role. And now the scepter is removed from Israel and given to the Gentile. And it's like this for 2,000 years now. And it will continue to be like this until Jesus comes, to whom the right of the rule belongs, and he will set this world right, amen?
And again, Israel will be the dominant power, nation from which he will rule. And he's coming soon, church. So, when they came back, they had come back with the spirit of God raised even the Gentile Nebuchadnezzar, alright? God raised him. I have to obey him. I have to honor him. Even when Roman rule, Paul wrote in submission to the Gentile rule. And that's our life, even today. We don't see the glory cloud. We don't see the fire by night. We don't see the manna and all that. But you know something, God is with us. And we see the blessings of God. And we honor our government, because we know that the governments of the world today are ordained by God. And it's not perfect, but God allow it, because God wants you to know that the right rule is coming, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When he comes, the wolf and the lamb will lie down together. Children will play at the snake's entrance, the little pit. They'll be playing down there. There will be nothing that will hurt or destroy, the Bible says. No need for hospitals. Jesus is coming. Hallelujah. Once you have this hope, you purify yourself. So, when they came back from Babylon, they built the temple. And the enemies complained to the king. And the king stopped them, sent a decree to stop. They stopped. They stopped for 15 years, some say more than that. But give and take, around 15 to 20 years, they stopped. That's a long time. But then we go behind the scenes spiritually. It wasn't because the king decreed it, it was something else that was going on. Their leaders, Zerubbabel, something happened to him. He lost faith. He's no more confident of his assignment. Then we look at the other leader.
There are two leaders, by the way, in the nation of Israel, one is the high priest, and one is the king. But now there's no more king. So, the governor, which is Zerubbabel, he came from a kingly line, from David. And later on his name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Zerubbabel, something happened to him. He's discouraged. And then what about Joshua the high priest? He's also discouraged. And then God raised two young prophets by the name of Zachariah and Haggai. And I'm telling you right now, God is raising young people all over the world. And even in this church, God is raising a new generation. I'm part of them. It's a grace generation.
And I love the way the Bible says it, that before the lamp of God went out, amen, look at this, in Samuel, "It came to pass at that time, while Eli, the priest, was lying down in his place", that there was a high priest, but he was like a half-past-six, you know they call it, priest. He doesn't have it all together. He allowed his sons to commit adultery and to live promiscuously and to make people despise the sacrifices of the Lord. So God says a new generation is coming. It's the Samuel generation.
Now, this is prophetic of our times as well. Eli was lying down. His eyes had begun to grow dim. In Peter the Holy Spirit says when you forget, your sins are forgiven. You are shortsighted, even to blindness. It's a picture of a priest. A priest cannot be blind. That's one of the requirements of the law. He cannot be blind. He must have insight of all the people. He must have keen insight and discernment. The story of the judges ended up with a blind judge between the pillars, Samson. The kingship ended with Zedekiah. One of the last things he saw before they put out his eyes, Nebuchadnezzar put out the king of Judah's eyes, was his sons being murdered right in front of him, and then they put out his eyes. Alright, the judges ended in blindness. The kingship ended in blindness.
Now, Christendom will end in blindness in the church of Laodicea. You are blind, and you don't even know it. "You are blind", Jesus said. So, that's Christendom, which means we don't want to be the church of Laodicea, we want to be the church of Philadelphia. A church that sees. So, this leadership, Eli's leadership, his eyes, is becoming dim. And look at this, "And before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle". Whoa! You must never allow the lamp of God to go out. Before the lamp of God went out, where the Ark of God was, while Samuel the young boy was lying down. Samuel is a picture of the grace generation, why? Because his mother is grace. Literally, her name Hannah means grace.
It's the grace generation, folks. The grace generation is not afraid to ask God for big things. Because Samuel of Hannah means ask of God because of Grace, out of grace, from grace, amen. So, Samuel represents a new leadership that's coming, and it's happening in this world. Before the lampstand fire went out, God spoke. And God said, "Samuel". God will never allow his lampstand... You look around the church today and all that is being subjected, suppressed all over the world. It's not easy to be a Christian nowadays. People take shots at you, and right seems wrong now. White becomes black, black becomes white. All kinds of immoralities seems normal now. Even the movies are trying to change your minds. There's ones reason why they killed Iron Man. I'll tell you that. Another Iron Man is coming, which is more PC Iron Man. This guy is not. Okay, anyway. That was a little revelation for free. In his light, you see light.
So, here I am, he said. So, back to the story of the remnant that came back from Babylon, from a place of confusion, a place of mixture. They come out, and they want to build God's temple. Don't forget, they are discouraged for about 15 to 20 years, amen. And now God sends the young prophet called Zechariah and Haggai, and they prophesied. Haggai's prophesy was, "How can you live in your houses", during this time when they were not building the temple anymore, because the king threatened them. They took their life easy and all that, and they built their own house, their own riches, and all that. And Haggai says, "Look, guys, you eat, but you're not full".
In fact, if you think something Singaporean, just know that it's a judgment. You drink, and you're not satisfied. You get salaries, you get wages. It's like putting into a bag full of holes. Don't seem to prosper, why? "Because my house is neglected", God says. God says go, take wood, bring to the house, and build the house of God, and I'll be glorified in it, God says. So this young Haggai, the young prophet, he prophesied to the leaders. Then Zechariah, another young prophet, God raised him, and this is what Zechariah said, Zechariah had a vision in Zechariah chapter 3 of Joshua the high priest, why he was so discouraged, and it's because the Bible showed Zechariah the prophet. Joshua was clothed in dirty clothes and standing at his right hand was Satan. And Satan was accusing Joshua the high priest.
Now, as the high priest goes, so goes the nation. And he was listening to the accusations of Satan. And then Zechariah got involved in the visions, "Lord, take away that dirty clothes, and give him a fair turban, give him beautiful clothes". And the robe of righteousness was given to Joshua. So, all the while, we think it's the powers that be that stop the building. Actually, what allowed the powers to be was because of his self-condemnation. He didn't realize the whole thing is spiritual warfare. The enemy is involved. That's Zechariah 3. Zechariah 4, God deals with the other ruler. What's his name? Zorro, remember? Zerubbabel. Here is what we see.
"Now the angel talked with me", Zechariah says, "came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, 'What do you see?' So, I said, 'I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left'". Drop down. "So I answered and spoke to the angel, 'What are these, my lord?' Then the angel talked with me and said, 'Do you not know what these are?' 'No, my lord. He answered and said to me: 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel; 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts", amen.
Any opposition to the building of the temple, in your life, whatever it is, that God has given the assignment for, whatever God has called you to do, to raise a family that is holy, strong, powerful in these end times, God will give you the grace for it. It won't be by might. You don't need people's power. In fact, the word might and power, talk about army and wealth as well. You don't need all this. You just need his spirit. "Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit", says the Lord of hosts. "Who are you, O great mountain"? So, great mountain represents anything that will stand in your way. Any opposition, any obstacle, anything else.
Hey, I've seen people who stand in the way of what God's servants are trying to do, and then bang! Within a few years, they're gone. I'm talking about physically gone. Don't mess around with the things of God. Don't be on the wrong side of God. There are people who are smitten with disease and all that. I've seen it happen. And I don't wish for that to happen. In the conversations I have with other men of God that have shared with me personally, they are famous people if I mention their name right now, you will know. One person has been horribly criticized. In fact, I'll be preaching for him not too long. Personally, he told me of people, one after another. Either their ministry was cut short.
Things happen. Don't come against God. The great mountain made a plain, a flat. Look at this, "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it'"! What's the answer? Shouts of what? Shouts of what? So, if you see a mountain in front of you, whether it's a mountain of disease, a mountain of financial lack, a mountain of rebellion from your son or whatever, a mountain of unfaithfulness, infidelity from your husband. You see a mountain. There is a mountain! It looms large as far as you are concerned, what do you say to it? Grace, grace. Grace, grace. Grace, grace.
My son when he plays games, and he wants to win something, whether it's a UFO catcher or whatever. Grace, grace. Grace, grace. Grace, grace. Now, I don't want to stop him, because, hey, that's where they all start, right? For them, this is their world. And sometimes I've seen the greatest things happen. There's one time I didn't want to say grace, grace, right? I said I better not encourage this. Next thing you know, he got what he wanted. For he was saying grace, grace. Then I learned from the Lord, I don't need you to say it. Grace works even for him. Grace undeserved, unmerited. And I was astounded because we start applying this in any area of our lives, amen?
Sometimes you don't have a prayer, right? Just say grace, grace. You're in a hurry, say grace, grace. Because your trust is in God's grace. God's unearned, unmerited, undeserved favor. Grace, grace. "Who are you, O great mountain"? So, how does the not by might, not by power, but by my spirit. How does the spirit of God release his powers, his giftings, his anointings, his favor? By grace. Only by grace, amen? "He shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!' Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it'".
Now, what encouragement have you... God says to me, "Joseph Prince, your hands have finished it". And the building is still not done. Imagine that. God always looks at you and God calls the end result. He saw Simon, a man like a reed. Jesus says, "Hi, Rocky". Call him Peter. Gideon was hiding from the enemy, from the Midianites, and he was treading, all right, trying to find some food, threshing rather, the barley, and guess who appeared? The Lord appeared to him, and the Lord says, "Hail, you mighty man, you valiant man". He says, "Where is the Lord"? You're still talking in a negative tone, and he was complaining. And God says, "Hail, you valiant man, you superhero".
God doesn't see you the way you see yourself. He has a call on your life, and he'll see to it that whether you see yourself as that or not, he will see you as that, amen? Alright, is this blessing y'all? I'm going to bring this to a close. Now, we go to Isaiah 11, praise the Lord. I told you in this light, we see light. By the way, they prospered, okay? Give them Ezra 6:14. "So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered", let's read this together, the underlined, "they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo". One more time, "They prospered through the prophesying", stop. And we know what the prophecies of Haggai. There's a book of Haggai. I just read a portion from the book of Zechariah. They prospered through the prophesying.
Do you know something? Today we have prophesying even in preaching, a form of prophesying. There's a forthtelling. Not just foretelling, but a forthtelling by the spirit, and people prosper. You think about it, just by listening to a sermon that's anointed, people start prospering. And this is beyond count already now. How many people have said, "I listen to Joseph Prince". And I'm not the only one to listen to. but since this is my church and I'm talking about my ministry here, and I know I believe in grace, so it stands to reason I talk about myself, can or not? The donkey knows for sure that when they shout a Hosanna to the son of David, and they put all the leaves and all that, and the blossom and all that, it's not for him. He knows that. It's who he's carrying. The donkey knows that. Just like y'all know, the donkey knows that. And all the donkeys that are on this stage knows that. He-he-he, ha-ha-ha, okay?
All right. So, I don't know how many I've heard that said, as I listened to the message, it's not enough just to listen, "I went to church today". No, it's time to listen every day, you know why? Have you noticed lately the attacks are becoming daily? And many times even the wrong time, the devil don't care it's a child, is a baby. He has no respect for such things. Have you noticed that even at night, you're sleeping and say, "Okay play fair", lah, he's sleeping. There's no such thing.
Today there is fair game. A player is injured on a soccer field. The other opposing team will kick the ball out and all that. The devil, he sees you down, he'll kick you some more. There's no such thing as fairness, so the devil is attacking you every day. You ought to be listening every day. The Bible says you will prosper through the prophesying that you are listening to. Be careful who you listen to. Give them the bushel, the basket, and the bed passage again. Mark 4. Look at this. You know what comes after this? Those who hear the Word, it says, "Take heed how you hear. With what measure you hear, it'll be measured to you again". Amen, amen?
Isaiah 11, I haven't forgotten. Okay, praise God. "There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots", referring to our Lord Jesus. Notice the seven spirits of God, the Spirit of the Lord. Now, when I say seven spirits of God, I don't want to scare anybody here. All right, there's no seven spirits individually. They're all the seven-fold expression of the Holy Spirit. And John saw this also in heaven in Revelations 1. It says this, "Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne". Notice that?
Now, before I leave you, I want to pray that you get baptized with the sevenfold Spirit of God. Can I do that? But you need to know why he's come, what is the assignment. It's not for himself. Look at this, Isaiah 11, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him". The Spirit of the Lord is center branch, okay? "The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might", this is power. "The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord". I'm going to show you the menorah. I'm going to show you this picture of the menorah, and then the Spirit of the Lord is the center branch. Left and right, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
By the way, Spirit of wisdom, understanding, we have nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom and understanding is the word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits. It is your inheritance. Your competitors, they can use their schemes and their plans and all that. You use the gifts of the Spirit. But remember, it's not for the bushel and the basket. It's not for the bed. It's for Jesus. Remember that. But he'll be involved in every area of your life. The gifts are not just for the church, it's for businessmen. It's for teachers, it's for mothers bringing up their young, amen? So, that's the expression. Then we have the counsel and might, the Spirit of counsel and might. This is power, the gift of faith, the gifts of working of miracles, the gifts of healings, the Spirit of counsel and might.
Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus that God strengthen you with all might by his Spirit in your inner man. I pray in Jesus's name that you be strengthened with all might. You know why we are impatient with people? Hey, you know, would you like to know whether you're strong in the Spirit? Would you like to know? Your patience with people and with circumstances. Circumstances is the word "perseverance". With people, it's the word "patience". And the Bible says the prayer of Paul we must pray. Ever since I realized this, I've been praying this for myself, for my family, and I pray for you all also this prayer. And this is the prayer I pray.
I pray for those who are serving on Sunday just yesterday that God would do this for them because they deal with people all the time. And the prayer is this, that you be strengthened with all might by his Spirit in your inner man, listen, unto all patience, that's perseverance, and longsuffering with joyfulness. So, perseverance is toward circumstances that are adverse. Some people can't even take it when they are in a traffic jam. So, you need perseverance. And it comes by a strong spirit, strengthened with might by his spirit. Then longsuffering with joyfulness, longsuffering is towards people. People that are, you know, you meet people all the time, right? Living in this world, you meet people. "I don't want to go to church, it's full of hypocrites". Yeah, just come, one more won't make a difference. We're all hypocrites. We're all sinners, man. Saved now, praise the Lord, we are no more sinners, I'm speaking that generally, okay?
So, how come we are impatient of people? Because we're not strengthened with might. So, ever since I realized this, God strengthen me with all might by your Spirit in my inner man unto all perseverance and patience with joyfulness. Now, I haven't come to the joyfulness yet. I've been patient, but the joy one is still manifesting. I got to be patient of people and still be joyful, you know? That's really something, right? There's the Spirit of counsel and might. Then the other one, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Knowledge, the gift of prophesy, tongues, interpretation of tongues is knowledge and the fear of the Lord, amen? Always when Solomon wrote about wisdom, he talks about your tongue and the Spirit of the Lord.
Now, this is what God wants to manifest in your life. When this happens, go back to Isaiah 11. What's going to happen? Next verse says, "His delight in the fear of the Lord", referring to the Messiah our Lord. "And he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears". How many times have we decide because of what we see? We decide based on what we hear. People come and tell us things, "My wife did this, my wife did". Next thing you know, you are angry with the wife, and you are her friend. No, if you really want to help your friend, you need to listen. Don't be moved by what you see and what you hear.
Always tell yourself, in a marriage breakdown especially and you're a counselor, and you're helping your friend, the best way to help them is to listen to the Spirit. Sometimes, that person may need some help. That person may be a hindrance. And you need the wisdom of God to know how to say it, right? Jesus does not judge based on the sight of his eyes nor by the hearing of his ears. One thing about his balance is that he's never flattered into a good opinion of people, nor is he slighted into bad thoughts of people. We, when people praise us, we think well, you praise me, I think well of you. You criticize me, I think bad of you. But Jesus is never flattered into having a good opinion of anybody. You cannot flatter him to that, nor can you criticize him to the point he's bitter towards you.
That's our Lord Jesus. That's the beauty of our Lord Jesus, be independent of people in that way. And you'll find that as a leader, you'll be an effective and a successful leader. When you listen, listen to the Spirit. Listen to people and listen to the Spirit. They always blame the other person. Very quiet in this Presbyterian church, hallelujah, hallelujah, okay? So, let me just bring all this to a close. What have we learned? We've learned that only in God's presence, and specifically in the church of God and where the Word is being delivered through the preaching of God's Word, you know you can bring this outside. As you're driving, you can be listening to anointed preaching and prosper through the prophesying. We learned that in his light, we see light.
See, outside, outside the tabernacle, there's a lot of natural light. Sunlight, that's where they had the bronze altar, they killed the animals, the people come in from the gate, they bring the animals and the priest out there, it's very busy. It's natural light. But the moment you go into the holy place where the menorah is, listen, there is no sunlight, no natural light. The only light is supernatural light. The light of the menorah, amen. For the problems that we have today, don't go to the world and try to find light. If you're studying psychology, you know that, study. If you're studying philosophy, whatever, part of your studies, you study. If you need whatever it is, study. But know this, there is no hope, no answers for your life in them.
Natural light, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. Yet they are counseling you. Be very careful. Natural light has no answer for supernatural problems. You need to go into the church. You need to hear the Word that's preached, not just motivational preaching. Scriptural, Christ-centered preaching, and then you'll prosper. Grace-based especially. The Samuel generation kind of preaching. And then in his light, you will see now I know what to do. How many preachers who sat under my preaching even, all of the sudden they have sermons for their own sermons. Or they see things they never saw before, I'm not even talking about it, but they see things in the Bible that as they were sitting down there. Even for preachers, they see light in God's light.
By the way, just to let you know, show them a picture of the menorah in closing. Okay, the way it's done by this artist is that everything goes up, okay? But there are many, many expressions also where just goes around the branch, the three knobs. And it's told us that it's an almond tree. The menorah is after the almond tree, why? Because the almond is the first fruit to come forth after winter in Israel. You've seen that, right? Some of you, you've been to, the garden, but biblical garden, and you've seen this almond tree. It's the first one to blossom.
Remember the story of Aaron's rod in the tabernacle? To prove that he is the one that God calls, his rod is the only one that budded and brought forth almonds. Almond in Hebrew means to watch over. Watching because it's the first one that comes out to watch. You wake up early in the morning to watch, amen. So, almond is a picture of resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead, then only the church came forth. Okay? Now listen, there is, the Bible says, show them the 25. Because of time, I think just listen, okay? It's found in 25, chapter 25. It says that in the center shaft, the one that depicts Jesus, there are four bowls. And each bowl have three decorations, all right? The cup, the bud, the flour, almond flour, okay?
So, the one branch has three bowls and each one has three decorations. Listen to that. So, there are tree branches and tree branches. The center shaft, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, has four bowls. It's longer. And each one has three decorations. Why am I saying all this? Listen, those of you who know math, okay? Watch this, huh? Menorah, okay? Three here, three here, watch this. So, one branch has three bowls, plus each one has three decorations. How many are there, how many decorations altogether? Nine, right? Another branch has nine, right? Another branch has nine. So, nine, nine, nine, got it? But the center one has how many? Four. And each one has three. So, 4 times 3 is 12 decorations altogether, got it? So, here you have 999, here is 12. Here again 999, right?
Okay, put them all together. Nine, nine, nine is how many? Twenty-seven. What a way to end a sermon, beautiful. Mathematics because I'm brilliant in mathematics, I'll tell you that. I scored the highest in mathematics. I was the best in mathematics. No. Okay, so nine, nine, nine, I'll tell you when I got good, when I studied the Bible and I teach on scriptural numerics. Nine, nine, nine, you have how many? Twenty-seven. So, center one is 12, right, 27 plus 12, how many? Thirty-nine. How many books of the Old Testament do you have? Thirty-nine. But there's another three branches here, nine, nine, nine, how many left? Twenty-seven. How many books of the New Testament you have? Twenty-seven.
Now listen, you have all the light and the Holy Spirit to give you light in a world that's gone very dark. Amen. You have no excuse, friend. Jesus was beaten to give us this light of the sanctuary. We have wisdom that is extraordinary, that is supernatural. Amen. And that's why, church, I'm excited and I've just started. And I'm leaving you all already, praise God, amen? Got to bring light elsewhere, praise the Lord. Give Jesus the praise and the glory and the honor.
Every head bowed, every eye closed all across this place. Perhaps, friend, you are here and you are really, I believe with all my heart that many people are seeing light right now already. Many people are seeing. You know, it's so simple, it's so simple. The things of God are simple. And what you don't understand just now, don't worry about it, amen. But what you do understand is what you do, just like the remnant that came back from Babylon. They didn't have the mystic cloud, they didn't have the manna, they didn't have the opening of the sea, but you know what? They did not refuse to do what they could not do because they didn't have what they did not have. They did what they can and God did the rest, amen. 'Cause there's always the truth.
God is not inviting you to learn things that you don't understand that's beyond you, but what God has spoken to you about, you tell the Lord. Tell the Lord that you want him in the centerplace of your life. That your marriage, your parenting, your business life, your career, your ministry, your health, anything to do with your life is all pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why do you want to be healthy? To bring light to the center shaft, to bring light to Jesus, amen? That the world may know that he's a God who heals. You can tell others, "He delivered me from this addiction, he can do the same for you". Bring light. Endeavor to do that right now.
And I tell you this, I believe that there'll be a supernatural ease that will come. Now, listen carefully, I don't believe that a Christian life is a bed of roses. I don't believe for one moment that there'll be no hardship. In fact, there'll be hardship and persecution because you're a believer. But listen, it's nothing compared with the power that God will release inside you. You will look at them with joy, amen. You have peace, supernatural peace. And in many areas, you have favor with people. Not everybody because Jesus himself did not have favor with everybody, but he increased in favor with God and man. The same will happen to you. Prosper, but not in every area. In fact, you should not prosper in some areas because those are not the areas that God wants that door to be opened to you.
So, in those areas, you will not prosper. Whenever things happen that seems to be the adverse, know that God has something better for you, and God is shutting the door for a purpose, amen. Right now, do that in Jesus's name. I want you to be first, Lord, in my life, centerplace in my life. And for the rest of you, if you are here today, you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, friend, Christ died for our sins and he was raised again from the dead, when we were justified in him. Right now, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that Christ, through Christ alone your sins are forgiven. Through Christ alone, God sees you justified. If that is you wherever you are right now, pray this prayer with me. Everyone that's watching by way of television as well, listen. When you pray this prayer, all the light of heaven comes in 'cause Jesus is the light of the sanctuary. Say:
Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus, I confess I'm a sinner. I need a Savior. And I thank you you sent the Savior, my Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to bear all my sins. He was buried, but on the third day, you raised him from the dead as a declaration that all my sins are put away. I'm justified. I'm now righteous by the blood of Jesus. Jesus Christ is my Lord. Thank you, Father, in Jesus's name, amen.
Stand to your feet, praise the Lord. You are now a child of God. Those of you who prayed that prayer, please know that you are now a new creation in Christ. Old things in your life are passed away. All things have become new, amen? Lift your hands all across this place. We'll tell you this right now in the name of Jesus that the preaching that you received from here, not necessarily that Pastor Prince need to be here, but it will always be full of light, it will always be full of light. I'll make sure of that, amen. But in grace, always be full of light. Grace-based and Christ centered, amen?
And all across this place, everywhere that's watching this right now, this coming week in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Lord bless you, and the Lord preserve and protect you from all the harm, from every danger, from all evil. The Lord make his faith shine on you, be favorable to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and your families, and grant to you and your loved ones his shalom health, wholeness, and peace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all the people said amen. Love you all.