Joseph Prince - Find Security In Times Of Anxiety
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Oh, I thank God for every single one of you, amen. It's time for us to talk about Jesus, amen? The world is talking so much about, you know, corona, corona, corona. It's like a song. It's like a song. It's like a chant. It's like everybody's, like you switch on the TV, everywhere, you know, is like, because it's a social media world, but let's not talk about corona. "Let's talk about Jesus, the King of kings is he. The Lord of lords supreme through all eternity. The Great I Am, the way, the truth, the life, the door. Let's talk about Jesus more and more. Let's talk about Jesus, the King of kings is he. The Lord of lords supreme through all eternity. The Great I Am, the way, the truth, the life, the door. Let's talk about Jesus more and more", Amen?
And once a while when you're driving back home or with your family, your little children, and you start hearing all this news and all that, sometimes you just have to listen because it's your job, whatever, but just hear the headlines and don't keep on listening and don't keep on traveling on your social media and look at every little thing, amen? There's a lot of fake news out there and if you do have to listen, always end up with, "Let's talk about Jesus the King of kings is he", and just talk about Jesus to your family.
Remember, every time in the Bible all the provisions in the wilderness and we are like in a wilderness journey on our way back home, amen? He's coming back for us. And God's way, when the Rapture comes, is not via death. Death is behind us. Even believers who die now, they fall asleep. The Bible use the language, "fall asleep". You know why? Because Jesus has conquered death. He rose from the dead. We serve a risen Christ and he's coming back for us. And the Bible says when you see all these signs happening, lift up your head.
So even in the wilderness journey of Israel, all the answers when they were thirsty, it was the smitten rock that brought rivers of water, amen? Refreshing waters in the desert. And the rock poured forth abundantly, the Bible says, abundantly, to quench their thirst. And who is that cleft rock, that smitten rock? Our Lord Jesus. When it came to the bitter waters of Mara another time, it was bitter. What did God show Moses? "Throw in the tree, Moses", and the bitter waters became sweet and there the Lord proclaimed his covenant name: "I am the Lord who heals you", amen?
Another time, serpents, corona serpents, amen? In fact, there is some bearing there and there are serpents with, like, horns and the word "corona" is actually horn. I don't know why they call it coronavirus but you know something? It's got to do with crown and there are serpents that are crowned and, actually, I had a dream, a recurring dream before this thing happened and I keep on seeing cobra, serpents, and all that. Thanks be to God. Psalms 91 says: "You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra", amen?
Remember the lion? Lion is more obvious. He's more open, aggressive, attacks. But the cobra, the snake, lies in wait. He's more subtle like how the serpent came to Adam and Eve, all right? "Did God say", the insinuation, the accusation against God. And it's more subtle, so we never realize how this virus hit the world and the world is now literally on its knees based on something they can't see. And I'm here to tell you that this virus will not reign. It seems like it's reigning. It seems like it is because it's on the lips of everyone, people are talking about it, but let me tell you this. The Bible says you are to reign in life and the way you reign in life is Romans 5:17.
If death reigned by one, all right, if this sickness from this COVID-19 reigns by one, amen, if death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace. We cannot preach too much on grace. We need the abundance of grace. Much more they which receive. They, they, they, they which receive abundance of grace. They, New Creation Church, c'mon, who believe in abundance of grace. You don't believe in grace? It's up to you, amen. But we are those who believe and receive abundance of grace, much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.
Righteousness, right-standing with God in the place where Christ stood, because he's our standing. That righteousness is now a gift. When you are righteous in God's eyes, all the blessings of the righteous accrue to you. They fall on you, amen. You are the righteousness of God in Christ and this righteousness is a gift. It's a gift. And how do you receive a gift? You just say "Thank you". Do you have to earn the gift? No, do you have to pay for the gift? No, someone else paid for the gift. And the Bible says that those who receive abundance of grace and the gift, the gift. Not the reward because of something you do. It's not the reward of righteousness, it's the gift of righteousness.
What would happen to them, those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness? They will reign in life. They will reign in life. Not this COVID-19 virus. They will reign in life. Jesus says before he returns, what's gonna happen? There'll be plagues, pestilences, he said, not just one. Pestilences. Not caused by him. He's just telling you what's gonna happen. The devil will go berserk. He knows the end is near, amen? And there'll be great earthquakes. Not just earthquakes but great earthquakes. More than 6 on the Richter scale, great earthquakes. They're increasing, right?
And many will come in my name saying, "I am Christ. I am here to raise 144,000". Are you among the 144,000? Eh, please, go and fly a kite. You know what I'm saying? Forget it. The 144,000 are Jewish evangelists. After the church is raptured, the Bible tells us very clearly the 144,000 are from the 12 tribes of Israel. They are from the tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each tribe. Many of them are not saved yet. In fact, all of them are not saved yet, because if they are saved, the Rapture happens, they'll all be raptured. This is after the Rapture. God will raise 144,000. They know their Bible back to back. It's really there but they do not know the author of the Bible. But when we are raptured, the Lord is gonna do a sovereign move and raise this 144,000.
Can you imagine 144,000 Billy Grahams, Jewish evangelists. They are not Koreans. They are not Singaporeans. And I always want you to remember, all right, how can you tell if someone is a cult leader? He points to himself, all right? A true servant of Jesus Christ will point to the only one, the altogether lovely one, amen? He is gonna talk about Jesus. If he's good in anything, he's a good pointer, amen? So he is the one. We are servants of the Lord. Praise the Lord, amen? Our job is to lift Jesus high 'cause the world needs him.
Another time, they were hungry in the wilderness and manna came from heaven. Many years after that, Jesus said, "Moses did not give you the bread from heaven; my Father gave you the true bread from heaven. I am the bread which cometh down from heaven which if a man will eat, he will never die". Are you listening, amen?
So for us, death is behind us. If Jesus tarries and our hearts stop beating, we transfer bodies, that's all. In any case, whether through death or the Rapture when Jesus comes for us, by the way he says, "When you see all these signs happening, don't look at the signs. Lift up your head from your social media", he says. Okay, anyway, I'm adding to the, all right, he says, "Lift up your heads, your redemption draws near", all right? The other part from "lift up your heads from social media", must not add to God's Word, okay? Anyway, I just feel like, "Look, let God, look up. Lift up your heads. Don't look at all these signs. Your redemption draws near".
What redemption? Your bodily redemption, amen? We are not going to heaven like a ghost without a body. We won't be disembodied. We will be having a glorious body, a body that looks like Jesus's body, a body that will never grow old, never die. "What age do you think, Pastor Prince, that the body will be at"? Well, you know what? I think probably the age that God made Adam, amen? Maybe Jesus at the age of 30, but we won't be old because growing old is part of the curse, amen? Sickness is part of the curse. There'll be no more curse. We'll live forever in that body and we cannot die. Not that we would not die, we cannot. Cannot die anymore. And for how long? Forever. It's a little bit long, amen, to be in that body, never sick, never feeling bored, never confined by time and space again.
We are looking forward to that, Jesus, "When you see all these things happen, these are birth pangs of the Coming of the Messiah", amen? Look up, he says, your redemption draws near. The devil is always so afraid whenever he sees God doing something. When God does something, God does things usually very quietly, non-dramatic way, amen? But surely. The results are more solid. You know, it's like, you look at a brand. You know that it's approved, amen. And it has gone through the fire, come out the other side. That's the thing that God does. When God does, it will stand the test of time, amen? When the devil does something, he gives you a quick fix. "Take this medicine. Take this medicine. Take that medicine", all right?
Medicine has its place and I believe that God gave the idea for many medicines in the world but to abuse the medicine and to have a quick fix is the idea of the devil, amen. And I just wanna tell you this that we have the best thing going when the world is so afraid. We look at them, we don't have to fear what they fear. I'll say that again. Don't fear what they fear. Al-tirah in Hebrew, "Fear not". The very first person that said this word, very famous words, and the most quoted words of Jesus, the most spoken words of Jesus is, "Fear not". The first person that said that was God to Abraham. When Abraham was sleeping at night, God came to him in a vision and God says, "Al- tirah, Avraham. Al-tirah, Avram". At the time, he was Abram. God says, "Don't be afraid. I am your magen, your shield, and I'm your exceeding great reward", amen?
It's the first occurrence of that word, "fear not", used by God on a man that was fearful. So that blessing of Abram is also ours, amen? We have no need to fear, amen? We are protected. Can I have a good "Amen"? And meanwhile, be kind, be wise, of course. You live in this world, be wise, amen? You see people coughing all the time and all that, advise them, "Go see a doctor". Don't spend time, don't shake people's hands and don't go crazy, amen. So I believe that Jesus cannot die because he has no sin, even when he was a baby. And yet, the angel told the father, "Take the child and flee into Egypt. Go into Egypt and wait there until the king dies". The king Herod was out to destroy this child.
Now, the thing is this. Jesus, even if 10,000 soldiers come against him, he cannot die. Death comes only on someone who has sin. He cannot die. It's called the impeccability of Christ where the ark of the covenant cannot be destroyed, even in the enemy's hands. If you try to destroy it, you get destroyed, amen? So, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of a type of the ark of the covenant, he cannot be destroyed. Yet, there is a humility about him, he has become a man. So God allowed him to go through the processes of going here, getting tired, sitting at a well, men, and then the parents brought him to Egypt. Instead of fighting the king, instead of calling for myriads of angels, they did it like a man, like any other man.
So there are times God will tell you, "Don't go there". "No, no, no, Psalms 91 is with me". Friend, the God who wrote Psalms 91 was the one that told you and give you no peace, amen? Are you listening? You listen to the peace, amen. I have a testimony I wanna share with all of you. It's a sister from our church and she says:
Last month, four of my colleagues and I attended a business meeting. About two weeks later, we were informed that two attendees at the meeting had contracted the coronavirus disease, all right? We were assured that the two attendees were seated far away from us. I did not think much about it since I did not experience any symptoms in 14 days and 14 days had passed. The next day we received news that one of the colleagues who was with us at the business meeting returned to work after being away for Chinese New Year. He was observed to be very sick and was coughing and running a temperature. But he continued to report for work at another work site. He was then asked to leave in the afternoon and go to the National Center of Infectious Disease to be tested for the COVID-19.
That same evening, the rest of us who were at the same business meeting with him were asked to go for the test as well. That day, we were cleared to go home but the colleague who was sick remained for further testing. Eventually, he tested positive. Contract tracing was carried out and three other colleagues who had close contact with him were put on quarantine order. More than 30 colleagues who worked in the same building with him on that day were put on leave of absence for two weeks.
I was also required to work from home as part of the measures taken by the company. During this time, fear crept into my heart as I kept hearing about new cases in Singapore each day. I also started to get paranoid so I listened to Pastor Prince's sermons and also read his book, 'Eat Your Way to Life and Health', again. I also prayed that my colleague who was tested positive would be the last person from the business meeting to be infected. I also claimed the promises of Psalms 91 over me and my family. Eighteen days later, my family and I remained healthy. None of us came down with the virus. God is truly our protector.
That same evening, the rest of us who were at the same business meeting with him were asked to go for the test as well. That day, we were cleared to go home but the colleague who was sick remained for further testing. Eventually, he tested positive. Contract tracing was carried out and three other colleagues who had close contact with him were put on quarantine order. More than 30 colleagues who worked in the same building with him on that day were put on leave of absence for two weeks.
I was also required to work from home as part of the measures taken by the company. During this time, fear crept into my heart as I kept hearing about new cases in Singapore each day. I also started to get paranoid so I listened to Pastor Prince's sermons and also read his book, 'Eat Your Way to Life and Health', again. I also prayed that my colleague who was tested positive would be the last person from the business meeting to be infected. I also claimed the promises of Psalms 91 over me and my family. Eighteen days later, my family and I remained healthy. None of us came down with the virus. God is truly our protector.
Amen! To God be the glory, hallelujah. Isn't God good? All right, I just wanna remind all of you that the ways of God is amazing, you know? It's like, it's the opposite of what we think. I shared recently in one of the sermons about how the economy of God is such that he takes five loaves, all right, to feed 5000, amen? There are two feeding of the multitudes story. One was on this side, not too far away from Tiberias, the other one is over on the other side near the Gadara area and that's the feeding of the 4000, lesser. But for the feeding of the lesser, Jesus took seven loaves, more loaves. He took five to feed 5000, seven loaves to feed lesser, 4000.
So in the economy of God, more people takes less resources. With God, the harder the problem, the easier it is. If I can say it that way. Nothing is impossible with God. But it's the most like, you know, you come to me and you come to one of the pastors for prayer and you say that, you know, you got headache. Say, "Oh, man, we'll pray longer for you. We'll pray hard for you", amen? You say you got a disease that is terminal. He says, "Easy for God". Now, either way we should not be praying hard. It's not pray hard or pray soft. It is who you pray to. Am I right, amen?
But in the economy of God, the bigger the resources, the greater the supply, amen? Doesn't take much. So God's ways are opposite of us. God says, "The way to be exalted is to humble yourself", amen. And the way to be abased is to exalt yourself. Now, God is not against you being promoted. The Bible says God, then why does he say, "Whoever humbles himself shall be exalted"? If exalted is wrong, why should the person who humble himself, why not remain humble? If being exalted is wrong, why should he be the humble one? Be exalted.
So God wants to exalt you but God wants to be the one to exalt you. God doesn't want you to exalt you, okay? God wants to be the one to exalt you. And God's hands are bigger. If God exalts you, you are exalted. Can I have a good "Amen"? Amen? And you're exalted and put in a position of influence, a position of being able to be a greater blessing to many. And don't forget, even in the, when God promotes you, God exalts you, it is always to be a greater blessing. God promoted Joseph from being a slave to the one running the house of Potiphar. From that all the way down to the prison. He was falsely accused. They had fake news back then also. And in the prison, ended up running everything and in short while from the prison to the palace, amen? And he was running all Egypt for Pharaoh, amen? God promotes you so that you can save many. You can bring many to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Can I have a good "Amen"?
Don't forget, you know, it's a prosperity with a purpose. I don't believe in just plain prosperity just for me, my family and Jimmy and all of us. Gimme all you can gimme, all right? That is materialism. Prosperity is to serve you. God doesn't want you to serve it. Can I have a good "Amen"? So the ways of God is amazing, and God, you know, God gives us freely. We are now under the dispensation of grace. God cannot accept sinful men because he's a thrice-holy God. God has to judge sin. So how can God do it? God did it by the cross, Jesus Christ. the Bible says: "God so loved the world". Not just the nation of Israel. They have a special place. God made a covenant with them, and through them came the Messiah and that's why the devil hates Israel. Through them came the Savior of the world.
But the Bible says: "For God so loved the world", not just Israel. God loved you and I, that God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. And now God has a righteous basis, a righteous foundation to save all of us. God can maintain his righteousness. In fact, God is righteous. All his attributes, his holy wonderful attributes are all glorified by accepting sinful men now because of the cross, all right? Don't ask me how. God did it in such a way that God is righteous. For God to reject sinful men who comes to him through Christ will be unrighteous of God. And God cannot, in fact, all his attributes have been glorified at the cross. Jesus's blood fully met all the requirements of divine righteousness in all of us, that God is satisfied. And because God sent his Son for this purpose.
I told my son, Justin, yesterday, I said, "One of the reasons why God gave you to me", son and father, amen? I love my daughter and I've loved my daughter longer than him, right? All these years. But I say that "the reason why God gave you to me", I say, "is because he gave me a little sampling", I told him last night. "He gave me a little sampling of how much he loves his Son and, you know, Justin, he love his Son so much", I said, "I love you so much but I will not give you to die for anybody". In my house, you know, I let the person die. "'Cause I love you too much".
But the Bible says the Father loves the Son and that's the reason why God told Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, the son that you love, the son that you love", because God knew that he's gonna take his Son, his only Son, the Son that he loves, to die for us. And the place that God told, it must be a specific place. Abraham was at a time somewhere in Beersheba. It was a three-days' journey all the way to Mount Moriah but God wanted him to sacrifice his son there and we know that God didn't take the boy, amen? At the last moment, God stopped him. Why? I mean, the boy has sin. He cannot make a proper burnt sacrifice anyway.
So God stopped him because the whole thing was like a picture of what is to come that God, and this how God said, "Take your son, your only son, the son that you love", so that we will know that when he sent his Son, it's the same mountain range, Moriah, because the highest point of Moriah is Mount Calvary where God's Son, the Son that God loves, gave his life for us on that cross, amen? And I believe that when the angel of the Lord stopped Abram and says, "Abram, withhold your hand. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld your son", and God says, "I know now, in essence, that you love me, Abram, because you have not withheld your son, your only son". So that we can say to God, "Now I know you love me because you have not withheld your Son, your only Son, the Son that you love".
Many years after the son would stand in the flesh, amen, in front of all the religious leaders of the day who knew the story, this story of how Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar at Mount Moriah. And he was at Mount Moriah when he told them, "You know, your father Abraham rejoice to see my day". They turned to him and said, "You're not yet 50 years old. Abraham saw you". They missed the point. He did not say, "I saw Abraham". If he say, "I saw Abraham", it's the lesser who sees the greater. He says, "No, Abraham rejoice to see my day. Abraham saw me, not I saw Abraham". He's the greater one. Then they said, "You're not yet 50 years old. You saw Abraham". He said that "before Abraham was, I Am".
This young, 30-year-old Jewish carpenter stood before them and they didn't realize, veiled in human flesh, there lies the fullness of the Godhead. There you see the Lord Jesus Christ, fully human, fully man, fully God. And he says, "Before Abraham was, I Am", amen? And ladies and gentlemen, he's still the I Am. He's very present. You know, when I look at him and I think about, "Lord, what do you have to say about this COVID-19 virus"? You know, I see Jesus calm, exalted on his throne. It's almost like here, "All is well, son. Everything is working out". And even though it's not from him, souls are coming to Jesus during this time, unheard of. I'm telling you people, for the first time, are thinking about God. All of a sudden, they realize everything they trust in the natural cannot be, cannot serve them anymore, everything. Amen?
And hopefully there'll be a vaccine, I'm for it. I'm not against all that. You know, I'm for the betterment of mankind. I don't want, but sometimes when people are prosperous, it's unfortunate. It's not like God does it. God has no disease to give. It's just that when men are prosperous, they don't think about eternity. They don't think about their soul. They think they are just a body existing to serve the lust of their flesh and to fulfill the desires of their minds. They must realize they are more, you are more than body and mind. You're a spirit and there's the part of you that's eternal. And that's why even in hell, all right, there must be a place called hell that was not designed, was not created for man. It was created for the devil and his fallen angels. But those that follow the devil, the Bible says they will end up in the same place because there must be a place to house this eternal spirit.
Man, even though he's not born again, is an eternal spirit because that part of him came from the breath of God, amen? So, that part cannot die. The body can die, that part cannot die, and that's why there are stories of people who come back to life. You know, I feel like this is an evangelistic meeting, you know? I don't know why, but, you know, people come back to life and then they talk about seeing a place where it's terrible. "Please don't let me go back there", and all that.
You know the story of there's a book called "Beyond Death's Door". All right, it's a very good book. It's a very old book, but it's written by a doctor who did not believe in God in the first place. He started in church as a young boy, but he never believed in God. He's a professional surgeon and a highly respected, Dr. Maurice Rawlings, and he worked in the A&E department, amen, where you see a lot of traumatic cases. People die, and he'd bring them back to life. And many of them will say, "Please, you know, don't let me go back there". And then he didn't know how to not let them go back there. Many of them they, you know, people are in pain when they have that special resuscitator to bring them back to life, but here they are saying, "Please, keep on using that. I don't want to go back there".
And he remembers an old Sunday school story about how to receive Jesus, and he prayed the person, with the person to receive Jesus, he himself not saved, and the person died again. Brought the person back to life and the person says, "It's okay. It's all right now. I went to the most beautiful place. You know, and you can let me go now", he says. And many who have seen that sight never want to come back, many, amen. We can't fathom it because our minds are so confined to our laksa, and our chicken rice, and our, you know? We can't imagine what the marriage supper of the lamb is like. We can imagine, but we forget that the one who created all these tastes buds is also the one who designed all the food on heaven for us, I mean, on earth for us. We can't imagine. Do you think God would bring us from something great to something less? No, no way, amen. It was the heavens that brought, okay?
All right, praise God. Are you all ready for the sermon? "I thought that was the sermon, Pastor Prince". No, no, we are starting now. Praise God, okay? I'm well aware of what God wants done in every service, amen. I gotta speak what the Lord has, amen. So, I believe, and as the Lord leads, we're gonna just follow the Spirit, amen. Luke 14, Jesus shared this parable because someone shouted, "Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, 'Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God'"! So, someone said, "Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God", or one translation says, "who will eat dinner, supper, in the kingdom of God".
And it's sad because this parable, there's something sad about this parable that Jesus is about to share, and I'm gonna read to you, but it's one of those things that reveal God's heart that Jesus was a lonely stranger when he walked on this earth. He's from heaven, but you see, if you're from heaven, you see everything beautiful, everything pure, everything holy, right, everything created in its moral beauty and, you know, heaven is such a beauty because beauty is the opposite of ugliness. Deformity has come in, defect has come in, sickness has come in, death has come in. All these things are ugly. It's the opposite of beauty.
And to come into this earth from that environment and to be misunderstood, and to see people loving their sin that is destroying them, and seeing people hurt one another, and seeing people don't care about God, don't care about their soul, he loved them too much to let that remain and that's why God sent his Son. But the suffering he went through. Imagine the suffering he went through for us. All right, you know, if I become sin, Pastor Prince, at the cross, and all that. You know what? It's no big deal. You know why you for you and I there's no big deal? Because we are accustomed to sin. But for the Son of God, even the anticipation of becoming sin, the purity of his being in the Garden of Gethsemane, a few, just the day before he was crucified, the very idea of becoming sin at the cross caused him to sweat blood, and he prayed to the Father, "If it's possible for this cup, for me not to drink this cup, the cup of man's sin, the curse, the judgment, let it pass from me", but beautiful words.
No wonder the Father loves him. One reason why the Father loves him so the Bible says, "Therefore the Father loved me because I lay down my life". So, the Father loved him for who he is, his son. The Father also loved him for what he did. He loved the Father and the Father loved him. How many understand that? We love our children unconditionally, but there are times they do special things for us, we love them. There are times your spouse does special things, you love your spouse. That's not the only reason why you love, right? But Jesus says, "Therefore does my father love me because I lay down my life". And in the garden he says, "Nevertheless". Our eternity hung on that word.
"Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done". And he drank to its very tracks. The very thought of becoming sin causes such a shudder into his whole, like a shock to his whole system. He's never even sinned in his life, and to become sin at the cross and to have the Father God turn away. That's why as God he turned away. As Father, Jesus was never dearer than at the cross. "Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life". Never forget that. That's why he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me"? As God, he was forsaken. As Father, the Father kept on loving him. The Father knew that he was there because of you and I. He was there because of obedience to him, to the Father.
And the love the Father has for him, Jesus said, you know, it's almost like he says, "Do you know that the same love the Father loves me, he loves you". You all can't believe that? There is a verse where Jesus is praying, he allow us to eavesdrop. It's the great priestly prayer. We call it John 17 where he prayed, "That they may know", all of you, "who believe on me through my name, those who believe on me may know that you have loved them even as you have loved me". Whoa, wow. "I mean, Lord, if you love me just, you know, four or five notches under Jesus, I will accept". But even as he shares this love, this love with all of us, amen? You are loved.
So, don't just claim Psalms 91. Do it, spend time in your car, take time with the Lord in the morning, spend a time in the Lord where you refresh yourself with all these truths and say, "Lord, thank you for loving me and my family". Because you see, friends, it's the perfect love that cast out fear. Perfect love is not your love for him, it's his love for you. That's where you find perfect love. When you realize how much he loves you, how he loves you perfectly, he will cast out every fear. You will look for fear and you find fear no more. Can I have a good amen?
So, Jesus shared this said parable. He says, "Then he said to him", 'Cause the guy says, you know, "Blessed is the one who eats supper in the kingdom of God". He says, "You know something, guys, I'm gonna tell you a story". Then he said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper". Say, "Great supper" Now, Chinese supper. Great supper is not ten course, probably 30 course. Great supper is the best, it's a big supper. Everything you want is there, amen? Okay, the reason there's no amen now is because suppers have had a bad rap recently, all right, big suppers, great suppers, getting-together suppers have had a bad rap so I understand the situation you're in. But get off your little situation, can you, and put your mind on the Word of God.
A great supper is a great thing, people, amen? And send his servant. It says, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many". He invited how many, few? No, many. And he sent his servant. The servant is the Holy Spirit, amen. "He sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'" Oh, this is so beautiful, all things. How many things are ready? All things. When God told Israel to go into the Promised Land, there were enemies in the land. Forty years earlier, ten of the spies gave a bad report about the land and as a result, the majority believed them and never entered the land. And all the while, God has defeated the enemies. God has put fear in the enemies' hearts, and the enemy was wondering how come it took them 40 years to come into the land.
We know that from the lips of Rahab, amen. And she's wondering, "What happened? What took y'all so long"? Just a shout brought the walls down. They could have done that earlier. But fear, fear, fear, what's consuming the world right now is fear. People are making decisions out of fear. People are so afraid, amen. Listen, even you get it, you won't die in Jesus's name. Believe God, amen. Amen? Believe God not to get it. But if you do get it, believe God for complete healing and restoration.
You know, there are two types of conquering this thing. One thing, all right, God's way is that you walk in divine protection and not be afraid if God tells you to go somewhere, amen, except for those places the advisory tell you not to go. Just like the angel told the father Joseph at a time, all right, to bring the boy to Egypt. There's a right time being led by the Spirit, but don't be motivated by fear. So, don't be afraid. Be led by the Lord, amen? Follow the witness of the Spirit. You do not know where you're going but the winding stairs will bring you to a greater place, amen. Praise God. So, all things are now ready.
God told Israel, "I'll bring you to a land where you will eat from vineyards and olive trees, olive orchards that you did not plant. You will drink from wells that you did not dig. All things are now ready", amen. I was reading the other day, and the Lord Jesus told the disciples, "Go ahead, prepare the Passover for me. But when you go to the house, there'll be a man carrying a pitcher and you ask him, 'Where is the place that the master is gonna use tonight for Passover'"?
And the Bible says he showed him a large upper room. We're coming to that probably at the end of the year, the third floor of the chamber. It's a large upper room. Even our building here is an upper room in a sense, and that's where he reveals his secrets, the large upper room. And the Bible says these words, beautiful. The large upper room furnished and made ready. When the disciples came, Jesus was there. It was furnished and made ready. So, God always gives you everything finished, furnished and made ready. Can I have a good amen? And that's where you'll find all the treasures of the gold and the silver of his revelation of knowing him. All the secrets of the church truths is actually in the upper room. All things are now ready.
Now, if you hear there's a great supper, you are invited. All right, you don't have to bring anything, don't have to pay for it. Don't even have to have a special coupon. You come in, amen, all things are made ready for you. You don't even have to be, it doesn't cost you. Doesn't cost you. There's no cost. There's no labor. It's just made ready for you. Somebody else paid the cost, somebody else did the labor. It's made ready for you. What do you do? Singaporeans, this is free food. What would you do? Forget about the signs of the times now, all right, the season you're in. Free food, no COVID-19. So all things are now ready. He sent his servant. How would man react?
Next verse. "But they all with one accord", all they who were invited, "began to make excuses. And the first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused'". Now which dumbbell buys the ground and then go and see it? It's a lousy excuse. Imagine the God of heaven spreading a feast and man doesn't have to buy, man doesn't have to even put in labor. All things, all, all, are now ready. On this plate here is salvation, amen? You can be saved from eternal condemnation, saved from judgment, saved and become God's child, amen.
On this plate is the children's bread. What did Jesus with the children's bread? Healing. Remember him saying, "It's not right to take the children's bread and to cast it to the puppies", amen? The children's bread is healing. There, on that table, is healing. Look, look, look, look at that, the pizza down there, don't eat that pizza because that pizza gives you wisdom. When you eat it, you become wise, amen? You know, the more you eat it's like your brain fully functions, amen? And the first realization is that you realize how helpless you are. You become humble. You realize that without him you can do nothing. That's the first realization of wisdom. Wisdom is realizing that, "Wow", you know, "I'm not as great as I think I am", amen?
A lot of people are going on that journey for many years, never arriving to where you have arrived, and knocking their heads all the time until the last moment when they're on the death bed and they're so weak and they realize finally, "I can't even save myself. I can't even save myself. All my money cannot save me", amen? Don't come to that place. Come to the place first because God gives grace to the humble and God exalts those who are humble, amen? So it's like this food, this drink, gives you joy, this wine, amen, gives you joy. Wine is a picture of joy in the Bible. This wine, wow, it gives me joy, it's celebration. It's all ready! It's all made ready. Come! You just have to come.
The other guy says, "You know what? I have to go see my property because I bought the property and I haven't seen it". Singaporean. Which one would buy property, having not seen it yet? It's an excuse, lousy excuse. Then he makes excuse. "And another one said, 'I have bought five cars". Okay, that was, "Yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused". He bought it already, no? And then he test-drive. It's a lousy excuse. It's lame. It's pathetic. And it's so clear, evidently a lame excuse. This is a reaction to men when God says "Free", they don't want it. They'd rather earn, sweat, suffer, fast, pray long, do things, instead of taking.
So that brings me to something else I wanna say to you. There are people, probably you may or may not have heard it yet but there are people who will tell you, "How can you claim Psalms 91? On what basis can you", and the idea of you is always you and not me, I'm a bishop. I am a pastor, I'm a reverend. I can claim Psalms 91, but you, how can you claim Psalms 91? It's almost like there are some loops for you to jump through. There are some hurdles for you to jump over. It's always like there is something and I know it. It's like you can never really enjoy when God says something, it's always, "But". "Psalms 91, how can you claim Psalms 91? It's only for those"... Yes, for who? "For those"... And here is where they fill in the blank space on their, you know, on their ignorance.
You'd be amazed how many ignorant people supply a lot of answers. And you'd be surprised how many people who know nothing talk the most. Observe in a gathering. And they'll tell you, "But have you sinned? It's a secret place. He who dwells in a secret place of the Most High". Show them the verse. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High". It's a secret place. Then you tell him, "What's a secret place"? "Ahh, it's a special place of intimacy with God", correct? The problem with intimacy is this. How intimate is intimate before you know you're intimate? And intimate enough to qualify for Psalms 91, verse 1? How intimate is intimate and how intimate will you be before you can qualify for Psalms 91, verse 1? The one, they will tell you when you're ready. That's too much power to give to one person.
"So, Pastor Prince, what is that then"? This is nothing more than telling you, by the way, the Word, "He who dwells", "yashav", it appears first in the Hebrew. It is yashav. Look at Hebrew. Show them interlinear. Yashav which is in Hebrew, the way I said it, yashav is the word "sit". Yashav, in the secret place, Elion, the Most High, is shadow. Shaddai is the Almighty. Is actually "spend the night". Night is a season where, like, what the world is going through right now. It will pass, amen? It will pass. It depend on how long but it's a night season and the Bible says he who sits in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow, shall spend the night. You'll spend this entire season under the shadow of the Almighty, amen?
But the question, what is that? It's number one, is sit. When a word appears in the beginning usually, in the Hebrew, it's an emphasis on that word in the entire verse. God says, "Sit down". It can be dwell, but many a time it's sit. Now, I taught somewhere the Bible says that that is our reality. Ephesians 2 please, Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 coming up. "But God, who is rich in mercy", I just wanna stop here and just tell you all. God rich in mercy. Whatever ideas you have of God, don't have all these religious ideas. I don't know where you get it from, all right, God is angry, God is revengeful, God, God, the wrathful God.
Let me tell you one thing: God rich in mercy. You'll never find, I challenge you, I've offered this before to people and all that. I offer them, "Find me a word that says, 'Rich in wrath. Rich in anger'". Never find. Does God have anger? Yes. For the believer, no. Jesus exhausted all of God's anger at the cross. He deliver us from the wrath to come, amen. So what is this, then, my friend? It is Jesus bearing everything for us and therefore there is no, in fact, from the beginning, God's heart is full of mercy. Even in the Old Testament, he's rich in mercy. Not only he has mercy, he's rich in mercy. Your "God is wealthy in mercy. And not only that, because of his great love with which he loved us".
Stop there, don't rush. "Because of his great love which he loved us". Not just he loved you, you know, great love. He loved you with great love. He loved you with great love. "Because of his great love with which he loved us". This whole plan of redemption, salvation, it's not clinical. It is not just that on the cross Jesus died for us, "Why do you do it, Lord"? "I love you. I love you greatly, my son, my daughter. I loved you and I still love you with a deep personal love". You must know that God loves you personally. God is only one can love you personally, you know? We cannot do that. We can love four, five people and all that, in a special way. Another one, just like, you know, in a average way, but only God can love you intense, you know, powerful love and a deep personal love for every one of us. Great love, okay? "Because of his great love even when we were dead in trespasses".
No matter how much good work you do, the problem is that you are dead. You don't realize, you're not trying to turn over a new leaf. If you are dead, is a dead man turning over a new leaf? When God says dead, it means you're cut off, your spirit man is cut off, your heart has been ba-be-di-boop, you know? Your heart is beating for a while. One day your body will play catch-up to the fact that you are dead, spiritually, and you will die. That's how all people die. Speaking generally, we are not looking to the grave; we are looking to the sky. We are looking for Jesus to come back for us, waiting for his Son from heaven, amen. Amen?
So here it says: "Even when dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)", drop down, "and raised us up together". So at the cross, we were crucified with Christ. This is where our identity started, the real person now of you and I began at the cross and "he raised us up together with Christ". When Christ died, we died with him. He was buried. We were buried with him. And when God raised his Son from the dead, we were all in him. We are no longer outside, amen? We are all in him. It's all one and done. Whatever's done to Jesus now is done to you and I, amen? Just like what was done to Adam, whatever Adam did, you know, you share in it.
Whether you like it, you don't like it. Because of what Adam did, death came in, into all mankind. God hates death. Death is something that God hates. God calls it enemy, the last enemy to be put under foot is death. Enemy, amen. God never meant for man to die, so death came in. Why? Adam sinned. Whether you like it, you don't like it, see, let me do a... you don't happy about it, just give illustration. Your grandfather died when he was five years old, you're no more here today. You cannot say, "You know, I don't care what they did. My life should not be wrapped up with them".
Like it or not, it's like that. It is so. Your grandfather died when he was five years old, you won't be here today. Your destiny is wrapped up in your ancestors, right? So God give you a new ancestor. God give you a new federal head of the human race. Instead of being connected to the last Adam, God says, "I'm gonna finish off your old Adam at the cross and then give you a new person. You are born again, a new person. Now, the head of your life is Jesus Christ". That's why he's called the last Adam. C'mon, give praise to God, hallelujah, amen. And then we are saved completely in our spirit the moment you die, whether you understand the Bible, you never read the Bible, whatever. The more you're saved, amen, the moment you die, one minute after that you don't know the Bible, you're saved. You die, you're straight in heaven. Means you are saved eternally, all right?
Now, your soul is getting saved. Your soul is still having the old feelings, the old thinking, and that's where you come to church, amen, you start listening to God's Word, you start to think of God's ways, or God's ways like this, "Man thinks that I must try harder, God says rest, rest better, you know? God's ways is different. The bigger the problem, the easier for God, you know. God works through my weakness, amen. That's where his strengths may manifest but I'm trying to be strong. Maybe that's the hindrance. I've got to change my mind". That's called renewal of mind, amen? So your soul is being saved, the Lord restores my soul. Your soul is being saved, your spirit's saved, your soul is being saved, your body be completely saved when Jesus comes again, the bodily redemption.
So, the Bible says you prosper and be in health even as your souls prosper. This is the part right now. Your emotions can still feel the same old feeling: anger, hatred, you still can feel it. That part is being saved, amen, but it does not take the bodily salvation or the soul's salvation for you to be saved in heaven, to find yourself waking up in heaven. Even though your soul is not saved. You can be the most temperamental born again Christian. In fact, while you are having your bad temper, you had a heart attack and find yourself in heaven, amen? Say, "How come I'm here"? And the angel says, "How many times the Lord is trying to tell you, 'Overcome that anger, you don't want, Welcome.'"
People say, "Pastor Prince, can I smoke as a Christian"? I tell them, "You can". "Can I still go to heaven"? "Faster". You don't like that, right? Don't ask then. So, "He raised us up together, and made us sit together". He made us what? "Sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus". So we are there. Who made us this? Okay, "He raised us up together". Go back to verse 5: "Even when we were dead". Who made us alive? "He made us alive". No, we can't make ourself alive. So "God made us alive together". Next verse: "He raised us up together, and he made us sit together in Christ Jesus".
So that place, would you agree there's no greater secret place? It was secret place in the Old Testament because Christ has not yet come. Don't you agree that being in Christ risen, you cannot be in a better place? We are now seated in Christ. And before warfare which is in Ephesians chapter 6, before you learn to walk, which is in Ephesians chapter 4 and 5, you've got to learn to sit. How well you sit is how well you overcome the powers of darkness. How well you sit is how well you walk as a believer on earth. When the devil wants to affect your walk, he doesn't focus on your walk, he focus on your rest. When a new challenge is, I wish I got a chair here. Never mind. When a new challenge comes, what do I do? I do this. Plonk. Okay, hang on, I gotta use my ab muscles. I plonk. No, it didn't split, okay.
What was the point? The point is sit down. Sit down. There was a struggle. That was a bad illustration because you see me struggling. So if there's a chair here, and the devil says, "What you gonna do about it"? I plonk myself, a new sitting, if you would. Whenever there's new challenge, it's a new resting. We've got a fresh, a faith perspective. Wait, I'm not trying to overcome this. It has been overcome for me. And my posture of faith is rest. The more you rest, the more you see the result. Jesus says, "Abide in me. Without me, you can do nothing".
Simply, rest in me. You are in me already. Stop trying to get in me when you are in me. Stop trying to be in this auditorium when you're already here. This concert hall and wherever you are, NBS, anywhere. Stop trying to be in that hall when you are there. Revelation: I'm here! Okay, then you rest, amen? So every fresh challenge, even the COVID-19, what does it mean? It all starts with a... go back to Ephesians. Before we finish off, let's look at this passage here. Why did God make us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ? So we are all seated in Christ Jesus. Whenever we find the word, "Christ Jesus" instead of Jesus Christ, it is Christ after he rose from the dead. It is the ascended glorified Christ. And that's why it's Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the earthly, when he was on earth, his earthly walk. His name was Jesus Christ, amen?
Now, it's Christ Jesus, the risen Christ. We are all in the risen Christ, amen? His victory is our victory. How far is he from the COVID-19 virus, our Lord Jesus? Ha, ha, how far is he from every curse, from everything that's evil? Far above all principality and power, far above all principality. Not just above. Far above all principality and power, and every might and every dominion, every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come. Far above. Hey, that's Christ, right? But you are in him. You are in Christ risen. When Christ seated. And he sit down, the risen Christ sat down, you are seated with him. We don't sit until work is finished.
I said the Old Testament priests never sat down. They're always serving, serving, their work is never finished. Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever, and he sat down. That means what? His work is efficacious for all eternity, amen? What are we waiting for now? "That in the ages to come", now that we are seated. God says, "Sit down in this cinema, I'm about to give you a show. The show is about to start". So we sit down, "that in the ages to come he might show", there's a show coming. "He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus".
And that's why even though we study about dispensations and all that, the dispensation of the day of vengeance of the Lord that's coming, when Jesus returns. Not the Rapture, the Second Coming of Christ for Israel in order to be a judgment on this earth and all that. Even though all that happens, we're all in Christ and what we look forward for us is in the ages to come, even, the different ages to come is a show of the exceeding riches of his grace. So in a principle, you wanna see grace in front of you? Sit down first.
Go back to Psalms 91: "He who dwells", sit down, "in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". So anyone tells you, "So what makes you think you can claim Psalms 91"? Say, "Psalms 91, verse 1. I'm seated in Christ". Then tell them, unless you're telling me their secret place is not Christ, then I don't wanna sit down there also. New Creation Church, are you all learning? What the people dream of, what the Psalmist dream of, is our reality, amen. Amen. So the very first verse: unless you're seated, all the promises he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence, he shall cover you with his feathers, under his wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and your buckler. The word "truth" there is actually can be translated, "His faithfulness shall be your shield and buckler".
Now, during this time, people, please understand it is not you clinging on to protection. You cling on. Realize that God loves you and... show them 2 Thessalonians 3:3 real quick. "But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil". My being kept from evil is not my smartness, avoid people who are coughing and make sure that I find out about the place, my knowledge about the place that I'm going is about this, about that, and all that. It's my Lord's faithfulness. It's not, listen, it's not even my faithfulness.
So people say, "Are you sure you're faithful enough to qualify for Psalms 91's protection"? "Are you sure you're faithful enough", has the question backwards. The question is not my faithfulness that keeps me from evil. The Lord is faithful. I love it. You know, I can just meditate on this and go to sleep. Not now. You know, I can just meditate, "The Lord is faithful to keep you from evil".
The Lord is faithful, he keeps you from evil. And we think it's our faith that keeps us from evil. No, it is his faithfulness. So his truth shall be your shield and buckler. Some translations says it can be translated that way because the word "emeth" can also be faithfulness. His faithfulness is your shield. It is the child being held by the mother, not the child holding onto the mother. That's never really safe. The mother hold the child, it's safe. Amen? He is faithful to keep you from evil. He's faithful to establish you and keep you from evil.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness. Just tell him, "Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness". It put your eyes off you and put your eyes on him. So, those who say that it is your faithfulness that qualifies you for the blessings of Psalms 91, they don't understand. The New Testament is a New Testament verse that says, "The Lord is faithful". Can I have a good amen? His faithfulness is my shield. I have to sit down and realize, amen. Because you can actually claim Psalms 91 in a very fearful way, in a very anxious way. "I claim it, Lord, I claim it. Now you are obliged, you know"? It's as if they don't even know God. To use that kind of term with God is to show yourself ignorant of him and his love for you. No, you just say, "Father, thank you you are faithful". All right? Put the anointing oil, amen?
"Thank you, Father. As I go out today, my family and I, no evil will befall us, and no COVID-19 virus will come near our dwelling", amen? You can specify, it's okay, just thank the Lord for it. And thank you, Lord, you are faithful. Rest in his faithfulness. It's not about your faith. It's not about looking at my faith, it's looking away from self to his faithfulness. In fact, it's amazing, when you see him as being faithful, the faithful one, you have faith. But you're not conscious you have faith because your eye is on his faithfulness. Are you with me so far?
Okay, let's finish it, praise the Lord. Let's go back to the parable of Jesus, and then Jesus said, so again, "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, therefore I cannot come'". Now, this one I understand, all right? That means the wife really, really, you know? I married a wife, I cannot come. I used to been able to go places and all that, but now I married a wife. That part, understandable excuse, okay. Verse 21. It's still a lousy one, though. Verse 21, "So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city'".
Of the city, streets and lanes of the city. This is a city place, right? Singapore is a city, would you say that? London is a city, New York is a city, Washington's a city, amen? LA is a city. Wherever you are, now we live in cities, most of us. And guess what? There are still very many poor people in our cities. And now, this invitation went to them, right? So, the Lord says, "And bring in here the poor and the maim and the lame and the blind". So, for many years, the gospel has traveled through. That's why God allowed the Romans to be raised 'cause Romans built excellent roads, and then the gospel came after the Romans, have you noticed that?
All right, so God knows how to, you know, publicize the gospel of Jesus Christ. And now even the Internet and our social media and all that, all that is part and parcel of the gospel of being reached,going out there. The devil hijack all these things, of course, and put junk, you know? And filth and lies in it, but of course the whole intent is to cover the globe with the gospel of Jesus Christ, amen. So, he says, "Bring in the poor, bring in the maim, the lame, the blind". And the servant said, "Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room". I'll always tell you something, okay? God's provision is always greater than need, always.
Remember, when God told the children of Israel get a lamb, a lamb for a house, a lamb for a house. And if the house is too small, invite your neighbor. So, it's never the lamb is too small. The lamb is more than enough. And that's how the Gentiles were brought in if you have ears to hear, amen. The lamb is too great just for Israel. "Master, it is done as you commanded, still there is room". Next, drop down, "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges'".
What's the difference? Highways are those modern, this is written in modern times already. I believe there is a sequence to all these things. At first, it's lanes and all that, those are countryside. Those, the gospel of Jesus Christ started with lanes. Even though it's city and all that, but it's still lanes, right? Lanes, am I right? But now they're coming at modern times now, now it's highways, right? "But Pastor Prince, what are hedges"?
Now, this is where the Lord gave me a word, a prophecy for China. Hedges is the last move of God. God's going to move into the hedges. In this modern world, what countries are known by curtains, curtains? Iron curtain, very good. That's the nation of Russia. Another one, bamboo. Bamboo curtain, what nation is that? China. These are hedges. These curtains are hedges. So, go out into the highways, America has been inundated now, amen, with preachers and great preachers and wonderful churches and all that. And so it's Europe for, Europe had a lot opportunity. And we still need the gospel of Jesus Christ to reach out to all these nations.
Of course, many have not heard yet, but God is focusing on the last move, last part Jesus mention is hedges. The curtains, iron curtain, bamboo curtain. Maybe what will happen now is that the walls are coming down, amen. The curtain is coming down. I'm telling you, it's amazing how believers in Wuhan, I heard the testimony of a pastor there, they were from a few months of being shut down. I'm not talking about a cult, this is not a cult. These are churches. And already they know that they'll be shut down completely. And just before the shutdown happened, this virus broke out.
Again, it's not from God, but God can just lift a finger, we're in trouble. Lift another finger, more trouble. So, God is holding back the force of darkness because what the world deserves is a complete unleashing of all these things. Our sins deserve that. But God is holding back in mercy. Every good and perfect gift is from above. Can I have a good amen? Amen? And wisdom is coming in into your heart. You'll begin to see things and understand God's ways, praise God.
Now, so God says, "Go into the hedges", the last move, "and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled". What is this? What is this? That the God of heaven and earth, whose spread, whose banquet is full of good things that men desires, but man will not have it. That the God of heaven wants man to have it, that he says about this last move, "Don't just invite now, compel. Compel people to eat healing, prosperity, family wellbeing, wisdom, purpose in life, peace that passes understanding, joy unspeakable. Compel them to love". I feel the pathos in these words. I feel the love of God saying, "They don't want to come in, then go to the highways, go to the hedges". It's the last move, "Compel them to come in, that my house may be filled".
What a God we serve that he has to compel us to be saved, to be blessed, to be protected. "For I say to you that none of those men who were invited, who give excuses, shall taste my supper". Hedges, the last move. I prophesy to you, as I did early last year, God is going to do something in China for the gospel. Amen, salvation is going to come for China. Something's going to happen post COVID-19. It's already happening.
The Wuhan believers are going out in the street with masks and all that. They are responsible, amen. They go out, they don't frighten people, and they're giving out masks. Some of their own masks to people, and they're bringing food, they're helping the people. Even I saw photos, photos of policemen talking to them, police people now are befriending the believers. They used to be the ones to charge them, you know, because of preaching the gospel. In China, they're not free to do it, but now they are friends. Something is happening, people. After this whole thing, they will begin to realize that believers are friends. At the same time, the devil knows this is happening. He's panicking, right? So, he raise one this 144,000 special church people, we have only this Messiah guy, you know, to throw people off.
And then down here also, same country actually, he raised another pastor talking about politics, politics. Shut up, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you're a pastor, your job is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. You're not here to handle politics. You want to handle politics, be a politician, make up your mind. So, the devil will throw all these things in so people are afraid of churches. But these are the few. You know, these are the few people. Majority of Christians in the world who believe in the gospel of grace, we are the best people and citizens in the country. We pray and bless our government. We are a blessing to our nation. Even the press don't cover all that we do and all that, doesn't matter, amen? You know it, amen, praise the Lord?
And we are lifting people up. Amen, people are coming out of depression. That saves money for the government as well for this nation. We're bringing people out of bondage, out of poverty, out of sickness. Amen, hallelujah, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And to confirm that, and I'll close with this, is a prophecy God gave me for China that's watching right now, it's Isaiah 49. In Isaiah 49, God says, "Surely these shall come from afar. Look, those from the north", Russia, "and the west". I would say this, America. For a long time, America, right, has been touched with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice, what's the last nation? "And these from the land of Sinim". Sinim is ancient name for China. Chin, sin from the word "Sinim". It's China, ancient China. It's the only place where China appears in the Bible. Amen, the land of Sinim.
Notice the position? It's the last. God has not forgotten the multitudes in China. And all the blood of the martyrs that were spilled to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ, even during the Boxer Rebellion and all that, the gospel, the seeds are sown down there. Amen, I'm telling you, the gospel is making headways. There are more believers right now in China than anywhere else in Asia that I know of besides Korea. But Korea really needs the gospel, another gospel of Jesus Christ, or else the K-pop generation is gonna leave the traditional churches if this is what they see. They're not listening to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your pastor, by the way, is now on Korean TV, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they're getting it in their language. And I tell them, "Saranghae". Amen.
See, when God moves in the land of Sinim, what happens over there? God says, "Sing, O heavens. Be joyful, O earth. And break out in singing, O mountains, for the Lord has comforted his people, and he will have mercy on his afflicted". Oh, right now in China, the believers are afflicted, amen. They are there and they are feeling, "How long, Lord"? And God is saying, "I'm going to move. And when I move, sing, heavens. Earth be joyful". Amen, God will have mercy on his afflicted. He will comfort his people and have mercy. The word "rachem", mercy on his afflicted, is a mother caring for a love child, a child that's really loved. The word "rachem" is her womb. Has the word, idea of the womb, her womb of love with that kind of mercy on his people.
And a special word and we'll close. Drop down to verse 17. I think you can, of course, the first application of this is the end times, amen? But I'm going to show you what God is saying to me to tell China is this. "Your sons shall make haste. Your destroyers", COVID-19, your Coronavirus, "your destroyers and those who laid you waste shall go away from you". And don't be surprised. I'm believing for a quick stop to this COVID-19. To Jesus be all the praise and all the glory and all the honor hallelujah.
Every head bowed, every eye closed all across the place. What a good God. So, my friend, the supper is spread out. And the biggest feast you can have, the biggest plate you can see right down there is salvation. Forgiveness of sins, being born again, all that happens just by you sitting down. Salvation happens, the greatest of all blessings happen by you sitting down. Just sit down. In other words, you don't pray, "God, save me, save me, save me. God, please save me from hell. Save me from my sins. Save me, save". No, no, that's not sitting down. That is laboring, that is struggling. No, sitting down is, "Father, I thank you that you gave Jesus Christ to be my Savior and Lord. He died on the cross for all my sins, it's all done. He bore my sins, he bore my judgment". If that is you, pray this prayer with me right now.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for me. Thank you for the gift of your Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you that Christ died on the cross for all my sins. And in his body, he bore all my judgement away. He died and he was raised from the dead. And I thank you that today, my Lord Jesus is seated in heaven. And I confess him, Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. And thank you, Father, that from now on, you'll no longer see me in myself. You see me always in Christ, righteous, holy, blameless, far above all principality and power. Every name that is named in Jesus's name, amen.
Stand to your feet, praise the Lord. If you prayed that prayer, my friend, you are now born again. If your heart should stop beating, and I'm not believing that for you, but just an illustration, if your heart stopped beating at any time, you are saved, straight away heaven is your home. Amen, praise the Lord, hallelujah. Lift your hands across this place. This coming week, friends, we don't take our protection for granted. We have to come to the table and take the food that is called protection.
And God can invite and you say, "You know, I don't have time for that. I have my own ways of boosting my immune system. I have this, I have that and all that". Then you don't come. But God says, "Come, all things are now ready". And in the all, I believe this COVID-19 did not catch God by surprise, amen? God knows all about it. And in the all things that are ready, it's also your protection. So, right now let's receive that.
Father, in Jesus's name, I receive. I come to the table, and I receive, and I partake of your divine protection for me and for my family. Thank you, Father. In the name of Jesus, I thank you. I thank you for your love for me. Please, Father, throughout this week, show me more, more and more of your love, that great love that you love me with in Jesus's name, amen.