Joseph Prince - The Secret To Being Crowned With Glory And Honor

In Hebrews 2, the writer of Hebrews whom I believe is Paul, he says he is, "but one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him.'" Now, he's quoting the book of Psalms, Psalms 8, all right? The writer of Hebrews is quoting Psalms 8. David was quoting Psalms 8 like this: "What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet". This entire quote is from Psalms 8.

Now, if you notice, it says that God has crowned man with glory and honor. Say, "glory and honor". Crowned, this word "crown," is the word "atar" in Hebrew, all right? Your Old Testament is in Hebrew, your New Testament is in Greek. I'm aware that we are looking at the Greek, actually, but he's quoting the Old Testament, which in Hebrew is atar, surround. It is not a crown you put on the head. It is a surrounding.

You know, I just came back from the school holidays of my daughter, all right? We were in London and we were at the Crown Jewels where, you know, they display all the different crowns of the kingdom. And there was one particular crown that had the largest diamond in the world, all right, in the crown. And the crown was beautifully decorated with sapphires, rubies, amethysts, but the thing that got my attention was this huge diamond. And my daughter says, "Wow". You know, when she was a baby I brought her down there, there was no "Wow". Now, there's a "Wow". That means the girl in her is coming alive already, you know? Diamonds are a girl's... Yeah, that's not true. She will argue with it. It's not true but it was a huge diamond and I know that some of us can just take a piece of it and be happy, all right?

But I saw that and I told my family that isn't it wonderful that God literally says that we are kings, not man-appointed, but God-appointed. We are all kings and priests. And when God made the first man, the Bible tells us God crowned him with glory and honor, amen. Glory is the word "kavod" in Hebrew which actually means a heavy weight. I had this experience one time when I was invited by someone to attend a ceremony where our minister mentor was the guest, the special guest of honor, and he was not there in the beginning, but when he stepped into the room, there was a presence. There was a weightiness about him.

You know, you see some guys, they have tattoos here, they've got funky hair, and that kind of thing, all right? But they've got no presence. And this elderly statesman walked in and there was a presence straightaway. Even his words, the media of the world is running to hear his opinion. A man who made a small country, a red dot if you would, into something successful, something to be emulated. So there is a charisma. There is, you know, God made man with glory and honor. The Bible tells us that crown, atar, means to surround, so our crown is not on the head. Our crown is an all-encompassing crown. It surround, it envelopes and encapsulizes us.

So when a hippo or a giraffe would look at Adam and Eve, they will see a golden globe, like, golden aura, a beautiful splendor of excellence, a radiance of brilliance, shining out as they walk. They were not naked as the way you think they were naked. The Bible used the word "naked" after they sinned, all right? And they were naked in the sense, physically, they had no clothes. That's what the Bible means. But they were clothed with the glory and the honor of God, amen? Just like fishes are clothed with scales, and birds of the air are clothed with feathers, Adam and Eve was clothed with glory and honor. What is the purpose of the glory and honor? God told man, "Be fruitful and multiply and subdue. Take control, take authority over the earth," all right? Obviously, there'll be an enemy which, finally, he came, all right?

So what is the glory and honor for? I was also recently, just last week, over at the British Museum of Natural History and they have a huge dinosaur, T-Rex. They put all the bones back together, all right, and he still looks mean, all right? So it's a well-known fact that dinosaurs were in existence before the flood. They died in the flood, okay? And whatever Darwin says, he knows now they die in the flood. Darwin knows right now for a fact, all right? So just to let you know that they are mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Job especially, behemoth, leviathan, these animals are all the dinosaurs of that day.

In fact, they have found footprints of men and dinosaurs together on the same plateau, which means dinosaurs did not eat men before they fell. Before Adam and Eve fall, they would kowtow to men because of the glory and honor. With such a huge dinosaur, how did Adam and Eve control them? How did they control the mammoth? How did they control the elephants, all right? Not with sticks, not with tranquilizers. They had glory and honor, and all the animals obeyed him. God says this glory and honor is to set him over the works of God's hands. God has put all things, all animals included, in subjection under man's feet.

So all men had to do, now listen, this is powerful. All men had to do was speak and the elephant or the mammoth must obey. Let's say a mammoth comes into Eve's cabbage, all right, yard, whatever. She just planted some cabbage. All she gotta do is not use a stick and run after the mammoth. She say, "Get out. Leave," and they have to leave. That's what makes the Fall so tragic. When Satan cannot come directly, he has no authority on earth. He has to possess a body. So he possess a snake. The snake was upright in those days, and that's why, when God cursed the snake, he fell, "upon your belly you shall fall. You shall eat dust all the days of your life". Snakes in those days was upright, okay? And God cursed.

Do you know that they have found that they look close, up close, underneath the snake, there are legs. They call it atrophy that there's, as time goes. The world, "Well, see? Evolution". No, it's not evolution. Once upon a time they had legs, amen. God cursed the snake and the snake has been slithering ever since, all right? Just let you know that Satan possessed the snake, all right, and spoke to the woman and all Adam had to do, all Eve had to do, was to say, "Be gone," and the snake was gone, together with Satan. But instead, they listened, all right? When you don't say nothing, all right, you allow things to happen, okay? So that's the tragedy of man's Fall. So man fell.

When man fell, in Romans 3:23 the Bible says: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". What does that mean, come short the glory of God? I like the Jerusalem Bible. It says: "All have sinned and, poof, forfeited the glory of God. It disappeared". Then Adam and Eve realized they were naked. They were not naked; they were clothed with glory and honor, so the moment they sinned, it disappeared, okay? With that in mind, let's keep on reading.

By the way, just to let you know that in the Old Testament in the book of Psalms, all right, in your Hebrew part of the Bible, which is Old Testament, in the book of Psalms, it says: "You have made him a little lower than Elohim," all right? Because it's Elohim, I know of great and excellent Bible teachers that have said, "Actually, it's not angels. God made man little lower than God," because Elohim is used for God, all right? But the thing is that in the Old Testament Elohim, though used of God often, all right, Elohim is also used for angels, twice in the Old Testament. Five times it is used for judges of Israel, all right?

So here is it God or is it little lower than angels? The answer is little lower than angels because here in the Greek Hebrews, all right, in the New Testament, excuse me, all right? The word here is that you made him a little lower than the anglos. The Greek is angelos which is angels. Do you understand? Although Elohim is used over 2000, over, times, for God, this verse here is in reference to angels, okay? Which is also used for angels, Elohim is also used for angels. So with that in mind, just keep, I'm just letting you, I'm aware that people are teaching that, all right, but I'm here to tell you, no, God made man a little lower than angels. But don't worry, in Christ we are above angels now. Can I have a good "Amen"?

So you see, next verse says this: "For in that God put all in subjection under him". God left nothing that is not put under man. But now, we do not yet see all things put under man, correct? We don't see everything put under man, yet. Why? Because death is the last enemy, physical death, to be put under the foot of man. But until Jesus returns and put death under his feet, hey, we are going further and further, closer and closer, nearer and nearer to the perfect day when Jesus comes, to the last enemy, which means what? As we go further and further, closer and closer to that day, more and more enemies are being put under our feet.

Notice that the last enemy is not terrorism. The last enemy is not financial downturn. The last enemy is physical death, which means all these other enemies would then have been conquered. Good news. And I believe we are that generation, amen, church? So, here, the Bible says that although we don't yet see all things put under man, "but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for a while, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone". I love it, the way it's said. "By the grace of God, taste death for everyone," all right?

So, Jesus came, and he came as a man. Though he was God, 100% God, he's also 100% man with human affections, human emotions, human sentiments, human heart. Beautiful. And he came for the sole purpose that by the grace of God he would taste death for you and I. The next verse: "It was fitting for Him," for Jesus, "for whom are all things and for whom and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory". Let me just say it like this. Do you know that your family is for him? For him are all things. By him are all things. Your career is for him. Your ministry is for him, because they're all by him. If you forget that, you'll find a lot of frustration in your life.

If you're a student, you're going to school for him, amen. Because it is by him that you will excel, you will succeed. When it is for him, then he will give you the power. It will be by him. Your marriage, your relationships, your friendships, are all for him so that it will be by him, are all things. Can I have a good "Amen"? So the Bible says: "It was fitting for Jesus for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings". Now, the word "perfect" here is not perfect the way we think of perfection. It's the word "teleios" in the Greek which actually means to complete. To complete. Jesus has completed through sufferings.

What does that mean? How many understand it? When Jesus is God, all right, he's complete. He is perfect. He is altogether there. There's nothing defective, there's nothing missing, there's nothing lacking. But when he came as a man, all right, there is something lacking. What is it? He has never suffered. He has never died. God has never died. So in that sense, for Jesus to be our high priest, to represent us before God, there was something that needs to be completed in him and that was the suffering of death. So God, "to make the captain of our salvation complete through sufferings," God caused him to die, all right, on our behalf. That he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. Now watch this, watch this. What's his purpose?

See that I highlighted "glory," the word there, "glory," in highlight, all right? It's on purpose. The purpose of Jesus is that to bring many sons to glory. Now, many of us, unfortunately, when we read that, you know what we think of? "Oh, he's gonna bring all of us to heaven. Glory is heaven". Because we hear songs, we read poetries that talk about heaven as, "one day yonder in glory, we shall meet him face to face. I am waiting for the days when I shall sing this song in glory. Yes, in glory we shall meet all the loved ones who have gone on before. Oh glory land, what a place it shall be". But the thing is this. Glory in the context here, we just read just now in the context, God crowned man with glory and honor all around him, amen? Man has beauty, splendor, health, wholeness, radiance, amen.

I'm telling you something, I've met people. When I was in secondary school, I went for CF, Christian Fellowship. Not because I was hungry for God, but because I liked a girl there. So, I went there because she went there. So my friend and I, we were there and then there was the teacher, all right. She was probably in her 30s, all right, and she looked very plain, honestly, until today I can still see her face. It looked very plain and she was teaching the Bible to all of us.

She probably knew why I was there, all right? And when she came to me and talked to me, there was something about her face. She didn't have makeup on. She was as plain as plain as anyone could be, you know? And no makeup on, but there was such a glow on her face when she talked to me, a smile, a twinkle in her eye, that I was stunned. And she captivated me in a sense that when she talked, she was full of the love of Jesus and so full of kindness and patience that I was stunned that she was literally glowing under my eyes. And I was thinking, "What kind of makeup is she". And I looked real close. There was no makeup, you know? Her eyes convict you. It's not like condemn you but it's full of, she was alive. It was something that from then on I went back there to find out what she had, you know?

And of course, I became a serious Christian later on and had my own CF in secondary school later on. But the thing is this. You can convict people just with that glory and honor on your life. And some of you don't realize this, but you bring profit wherever you go. You step into a boutique, right, people start coming in the boutique. You step into a hawker center. There was no one there previously, now people start coming in. You don't even realize it's you. I'm telling you, your presence wards off evil, welcomes the angels. You are crowned with glory and honor. So this glory is Jesus bringing all of us many sons, daughters included, to glory, back to the glory that was, poof, that disappeared when Adam sinned, all right? Jesus died to bring us back to the place of glory and honor. Shout, "Praise the Lord," somebody, amen, amen.

So right now, the problem is this. If Jesus has brought all of us back to glory, then why is it that we don't see the results of it. I believe many a times the results are there, you don't realize it. People look at you and they look at you again. They can't tell what is it about you. They might not tell you but it's happening, all right? But it's so much better when you're conscious of it because it is already real. Once you're born again, you are crowned which not this crown on the head but crowned, surrounded with glory and honor. Same like in Psalms. The same word "crown" is used when God surrounds us with favor like a shield. It's the same word used for crown, amen?

So here, it's very clear that Jesus has restored many sons to glory. Next verse says: "For both He who sanctifies". The word "sanctifies" means make holy. Sanctify, make holy. Where you get the word "saints," all right? Who is the one who makes holy? Jesus. "For both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified". Who are the ones who are made holy? You and I. So he makes us holy. We are made holy. He is the one who heals us. We are the healed. He is the one who prospers. We are the prosperous, amen? He who protects, we are the protected. He loves us, we are the beloved. Can I have a good "Amen"?

So here, he who sanctifies. Both, both. Both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all one. We are one with Jesus, amen. We are one with Jesus at the Father's right hand. Where is Jesus today? At the Father's right hand. Crowned with glory and honor. Where are you? In Christ Jesus. You are far above principality and power, far above every evil spirit. Far above every power of darkness, far above H1N1.

You see, when men sin and man's glory was gone, all right, men became subject to sickness and disease. Today, you know, even a virus that no one can see, can cause a man that's so heavy to be flat on his back for one whole week or even more. It can shut down transport, it can shut down an entire school. Something you cannot even see. What has happened? Man is no more controlling over every creeping thing that creeps including viruses. Man has become subject to it. Why? The glory and honor has departed. But you are not someone who has lost the glory. You are someone who has been given back the glory and honor. Can I have a good "Amen"? C'mon, church. Praise the Lord.

So you've gotta believe that and every time you leave your house, believe that the glory and honor kills the H1N1 virus, amen. When you touch someone, it's because the glory and honor is all over your, you know, devils see it, angels see it, because God has ordained it. He can look in the spiritual world. There's an aura around you like a golden light, amen. And when you lay hands on people, you impart the healing power of God. That's the reason why people are healed. And with that glory and honor, you don't have to worry about people saying things about you or whatever it is. That was my mistake, all right? But God has taught me that. The thing is that, you know, whoever say things about you, want to write things about you, all right, they are trying... they're at a different level.

God has crowned you with glory and honor, and they have no glory and honor. What they want is that the moment you respond, you give them glory and honor. So the best thing is that don't respond to your critics. Look at them, smile, beam, shine, and then walk away. But don't give them your glory and honor. Don't give them your attention. By giving them your attention, you are giving them glory, you are giving them your honor. They want to borrow from you because they don't have it, amen. You know, the Lord says to me sometimes, "Why do you pay attention to people who don't have any glory and honor? Why are you affected by them? You are crowned. Lift your head high. Smile at them and walked away". So I'm learning. Learning to shine, amen. Doesn't really matter who writes things and what people say. As long we shine. Can I have a good "Amen," church? Amen.

Everything in this world will come against you believing that you have the glory and honor. Let me explain. This glory and honor that God has crowned man with, can we increase it? Can we enhance it? How many like to make it strong in your life? Let me see. Let me see you hands, all right? Let me just tell you this, okay? There are people, when they walk into a room, the whole atmosphere change, all right? That crown of glory and honor is strong. It's heavy on them, all right? In fact, the word glory in Hebrew, kabowd, is heavy weight. That means when they speak, their words, people speak their words with respect, they are heavy weight. Praise the Lord. People cannot ignore you because your presence is a heavy weight.

Now, I wish honestly, today, today, God as my witness, I wish people would ignore me. It's more peaceful, all right? But I have to acknowledge that whatever God has assigned me for my task whatever, and whatever equippings he has given me, I have to be accountable to it, all right? If that anointing comes with it, the honor comes with it, I have to respond, amen. I cannot say that I'm no more conspicuous or I don't, I want to be an ordinary person, you cannot be. Once you are born-again, you are a city set on a hill. Do you understand? All right, God has made it so so that people who need help, people who are in darkness will see you shining and they will come to you like the young boy who was in CF last time saw this lady shining, and his life today is transformed. I don't think that lady ever thought that her shining face would 'cause a boy to be a senior pastor of a church, and a great church. Amen, amen, just the shine, praise the Lord.

Now, how can he increase this glory and honor? We gotta ask ourself the question, how did Jesus receive glory and honor? Would you like to know how? 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter is writing by the Holy Spirit. And Peter is going back in his memory, going back to the times when he was in the mountain with James and John, the other disciples, and Moses appeared, Elijah appeared, and Jesus was transfigured. Remember the story? All right, I have been on that mountain, and it's a beautiful mountain, Mount Hermon. He's now recollecting the story. "For Jesus received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory".

Now listen, he's telling you how Jesus received honor and glory. Notice it's the same word, "honor and glory". The word "honor" in Greek is "timí", glory is "doxa". So, here you have timí kai doxa. Kai is Greek for and, A-N-D, all right? Time kai doxa. "For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent". Uh-huh, stop, stop. He received from God the Father, honor and glory, same word, same two words when his Father spoke. What did his father say? "He received honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain".

Now, I have been up on the mountain. Daniel, you've been up there on the mountain. It's a beautiful mountain, full of snow covered with snow, all right, Mount Hermon and that's where the transfiguration took place. He shone whiter than snow, Jesus. And Peter is recollecting. Peter says, "You know what happened? God gave him glory and honor by speaking to him, 'You are my beloved Son. In you, I am well pleased.'" And all of a sudden, my eyes opened and I saw that every time we tell our children every time we tell someone, "You are beloved, in you God is well pleased," we are literally crowning them with glory and honor.

Every time you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "Do you know, Joseph Prince, you are God's beloved, you are the one Jesus loved, gave his life for, in you, God is well pleased". Because don't forget, God says of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, in you I'm well pleased". And now all of us are in Jesus. We are in Christ. So, you can say that over yourself that you are God's beloved 'cause every time you say that, that crown of glory and honor gets stronger. Are you listening? And when it gets stronger, things come under your feet, amen. When it gets stronger, your body responds, healthier. Your mind become clearer and sharper, amen, amen.

How did Jesus receive glory and honor when the Father, when such a voice came. And what a voice? It's an affirming voice. It's a accepting voice. You know, "You are my beloved Son. This is my beloved Son". You know what's beloved? Someone loved. I'm telling you, church, everything in this life is attacking the truth that you are God's beloved, everything, the media, the way people relate to one another nowadays. Honor is gone. You know, people make fun of authorities. They make fun of royalties. They make fun. I'm not saying they're all perfect and all that, but honor is gone.

People don't have honor anymore, and the thing is that everything is trying to push you into just a face in the crowd. "Number 49, next. Number 50, number 21, number 28". You know, you are just a number, all right, you are just a face in the crowd. But for God, you're not a number, you're in the a face in the crowd. God knows you. He knows the numbers of hairs on your head, amen. You are special. God treats you as if you're the only one, and only God can do that. That's why he's God, and he loves you. He loves you as if you're the only one in the universe. Can I have a good amen?

And the thing is that we need to own that belovedness 'cause everything in this life is coming against that. Everything in this life is coming against that. When we don't own our belovedness, what's gonna happen is that when people criticize us, we are crushed. But when we own our belovedness, it's not as if criticism doesn't hurt. It's just that, you know, there's something stronger inside that can swallow up that criticism, amen. Because you know what? You know what people say, "Hey, I'm God's beloved. I'm the one he loves". It does something to you. Are you listening?

Jesus faced all the criticisms of the Pharisees because he knew he was God's beloved, amen. And the moment you start believing, "Oh, I'm a failure because my marriage is a failure, I'm a failure because I lost money, I'm a failure because I failed that project," the moment you tie up these actions to who you are, you fall. Never tie your negative actions, your negative results whatever, or negative performance, to who you are. Who are you? God's beloved. Your actions might be wrong. Your performance may not be up to par, but you are God's beloved. You're just God's beloved that made a stupid decision. How about saying that like that?

But you're not stupid because you made a stupid decision, amen. Then all of a sudden, you find people cannot control you because people control you by trying to withhold approval. Then they say that "Unless you perform, I won't approve of you. Well, you know what, you want to join our gang you gotta do this, or else, man you're not cool, man". But your heart, you are strong. "I'm God's beloved". Then you look at them, "Boy, they want me, the one crowned with glory and honor to join them". Let them perform, amen. You don't have to jump through a hoop to please anybody, and that's liberty.

Now, it's easy for all of us to shout hallelujah, feel warm, amen, and ready to feel the anointing here, but the times that really matter is when you fail, when you've done something wrong, when you have lost your temper or whatever, and then and there you need to affirm and repossess your belovedness in Christ. Can I have a good amen? Praise the Lord. I'm telling you, Jesus learned this, and we only have a few records where God openly said, "This is my beloved Son, in him I'm well pleased". so that the rest will know. But we do not know how many times God speaks in Jesus's heart, "You are my beloved. You are my beloved". And the same thing in your heart all right, but you say, "No, no no, no". You try to push all that warm, friendly voice away. No, I'm so glad that God is a Father that affirms his approval openly. You listening?

All right, so let's go to Matthew 3 now. "When Jesus had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him". I love it. I love it. You know, many people read that and say, "Well, you know when Jesus came out from the water, the heavens were opened". No no, the Bible says the heavens were open to Jesus. In other words, heavens open only to Jesus. You bring Jesus into your relationships, the heavens will open over your relationship. You bring Jesus into your church, into your business, the heavens will open. They will open over your business, amen. You bring Jesus into your marriage, it will open to your marriage. But they don't open to your marriage, or to your family, or to your business, they're actually opening to Jesus. But because you brought Jesus into that circumstance, it's open already. Can I have a good amen?

I love it. "Heavens," plural, "were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" See, God has no qualms sharing his pleasure about his Son openly. You know, parents, you need to even openly declare how much you appreciate your children. Y'all know how much I love my daughter Jessica, the whole world knows, amen. She's here right now. Jessica is someone I love. In her, I'm well pleased. Yup, she's taking down notes, amen.

And I love her very much, and everyone knows that I love my daughter, but the problem is, that very sadly, you'll find out parents who feel like, "Oh don't say so much, you know? You say so much, your praises and all that, they'll become proud, and all that". And they believe the lie of the devil. It's not true. The more you say it, the more humble they become, the stronger they become, the more successful. You see, Jesus heard the Father say, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". The Father didn't say, "Oh, I don't want to say that. If I say that, Jesus become proud," amen. So, the Father says, "This is my beloved Son, in him I'm well pleased".

Now, watch the result, watch the result. Jesus, at this point, has not yet done any miracle, all right? He just started his ministry at 30 years old. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil". Next, "When He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was hungry". Now when the devil, the tempter, came to Jesus, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread". Now years ago, I never read this in a book, never heard this in a sermon. My Bible was open, I read this and the Holy Spirit said to me, "Notice the devil dropped out one word, beloved". The devil did not say, "If you are the beloved Son of God". He says, "If you are the Son of God".

See, the devil cannot remind Jesus that he's loved because it's counterproductive to the devil's temptations. When you know you are loved, temptation has no power. A man that commits adultery is under the illusion that his wife doesn't love him anymore, or not giving him what he wants, or whenever, doesn't love him enough to give him what he wants whatever, you know? He's under that lie, then he can commit adultery. A woman is the same. All right, the devil cannot remind you you are loved because it's counterproductive to all his temptations. So, if that is true, the reverse is true. If we keep reminding people they are God's beloved, it will destroy temptation in their lives.

So, here it goes, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved, beloved. Yo, beloved. Yo, beloved. Beloved. Hey, hey. What's gonna happen to you when you look into the mirror and say, "You're God's beloved. God loves you, man. I know you acted like a jerk just now, but hey, God loves you. You are God's beloved that acted like a jerk just now". Never, never, never own it as your person. What you do and what you are, never bring them together. What you do don't make what you are. What you are is what you are, what God has made you, regardless of what you do, amen. You can do like a monkey sometimes, don't make you a monkey. I know what your mother told you, but, no you're okay, amen? You know, the amazing thing, we're talking about Christian life here, people who are saved, redeemed by the blood. But do you know that in a way even in the world, in the world when people feel loved, they're empowered to be successful, when people feel loved.

I remember Zig Ziglar, the famous Christian author and also motivational speaker, he shares about a time when he was in a hurry going somewhere. He passed by a beggar, and the beggar was asking for money but at the time, he had a bunch of pencils in one box, and each pencil cost $1, so he was begging. Of course, it doesn't cost $1, but, you know, but he's begging for money. Most people are just drop in $1 and walk away, not even taking the pen, pencil. Zig Ziglar came to him, dropped in $1 and walked passed him, and then he stopped. He turned back to the beggar he says that, "I put in $1 just now, now I want to get my pencil". And the beggar gave it to him. He says that, "From now on, you're no more a beggar, you're a businessman," and he walked away.

A few years after that, Zig Ziglar was in a conference and this man, a young handsome, properly dressed, looking like a business man young man came to him and says, "You don't recognize me. I was the beggar. Your words changed my life that day. Most people would just drop the money, don't even take the pencil. They'll walk away. But you came back and you say, 'I want my pencil, all right, I just bought the pencil from you. You're no more a beggar, you're a businessman.' And all of a sudden, I began to see myself as a businessman. No one ever saw me as a businessman, but for the first time I saw myself as a businessman. Thank you so much. From then on my life changed, and now I have a business".

Hey, we're talking about people, they're not even saved, yet, there is still that residual remains of the glory and honor. How much more people who are saved by the blood, redeemed by Jesus, amen. What will affirmation do? Now, affirmation doesn't mean you never correct your children, but when they know they are loved by you, you correct them, it will be received so much better. But when they're not assured of their love, that's when they will see your criticism as something that affects who they are, and it will crush them.

It doesn't mean that a good boss will never correct his employees. It doesn't mean that, you know, a teacher cannot correct the students. Doesn't mean that. But if the foundation is there, the greatest discipline you can give any child is first and foremost, unconditional love. That's number one. They must know they're loved unconditionally. Now, I'm using children as an example because it's a very clear way of seeing how this works out. How did Jesus receive glory and honor? The Father affirming him. The Father saying, "You are loved. You are well pleasing to me". Are you listening?

Marilyn Monroe, the famous actress, after she was famous, she was interviewed by a journalist from, "New York Times". Now, Marilyn Monroe, when she was, her name was Norma Jean, when she was a young girl, you know, she had no parents. She would move from one foster care, to another foster home, to another foster home when she was five, six years old. So, the journalist is aware of that and the journalist ask him... now she's famous, all right? Ask him, ask the mature and now famous Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe, "During those times when you were staying in those foster homes, was there ever a time you felt loved"?

Then she said, "Yes, one time. I still remember when I was about seven or eight years old. I stayed in this foster home with this lady, doesn't talk much, but she was doing her make-up one day, and I was looking at her real close. Then she smiled, looked at me, took her powder puff and touched my cheek. At that moment, I felt loved by her".

Now, in all honesty, most likely, that lady wasn't trying to convey love to Marilyn, just at that moment she felt loved. And then when she said it to the journalist tears filled her eyes. So sad, the only time in her childhood life. We don't realize children are hungry for love and affirmation. You know, I learned this from a pediatrician. You know a pediatrician says this, when a baby is about six to eight weeks old, have you noticed the eyes look around, checking out? It's looking around, looking around. Many people think he's checking out the environment, the different colors, whatever it is you know, checking out movement and all that. Actually the baby at six to eight weeks is looking for another pair of eyes. Already at that young age, he's wanting his emotional tank to be filled because children know they are affirmed and loved when you look at them.

You cannot say, "Yeah I love you, I love you," look somewhere else, or read your newspaper and say, "Yeah, I love you, I love you," you know? Eye contact is so important to really even come down to their level and love them. If you are busy, you gotta say, "Okay, not now. I'd love to hear what you gotta say but right now, I'm busy". All right, you can tell them, okay? But don't try to do three, four things at one time and still, you know, try to show love. You cannot do that. They want your undivided, even at a young age, six to eight weeks, they are looking for another pair of eyes looking into their eyes, so that their emotional tank will be filled, amen? And don't apologize, God made us like that. God made us for connection. Everything about us, our eyes, is for connection. Our hands is made, I will shake, you know, shaking hands, everything is for connection.

Never man to live solo. Never man to live solo. "Oh, Pastor Prince, you don't understand. I've been solo for so long. Solo". "There was a man, a lonely man", you know that song? "Solitaire's the only game in town". Hallelujah. Always remember this: Hurt people, hurt people. I'll say that again: People who are hurt will hurt people. People who are loved will love people. People who are forgiven, come on, church, come on, will forgive. Praise the name of Jesus. Do you know that the word in Hebrew for "parent" and "teacher" is the same word? Interesting, isn't it? "Parent" and "teacher" is the same word. We are to teach our children. I'm telling you something, all my focus on children here, don't forget, I'm talking about you, all right? Children, you know, easy for us to see how it applies to children.

You know, a successful university professor resigned from his job to work among elementary kids. So his colleagues were all surprised and stunned and asked him the question: "You are so famous in this university, and you are successful. You have a very good paycheck and benefits and all that. Why are you giving all that up for, you know, elementary kids"? And his answer was this: "Would you like to write your name on a brick before it's baked or after it's baked"? Young children are like bricks before they are baked. You know, university kids? All baked already. They have their own opinion. "Yeah, you do your thing, man, but I have my own opinion, man. My opinion, you know"?

Yeah, Pastor Prince can say that. My job is to preach to people who are, amen? Praise the Lord. It takes the grace of God to break that hardness there, the crust down there, you know? And sometimes they say, "I don't care what he says. I'm gonna stay this way. I'm the same like this. I practiced this yesterday, today, and forever. So, in that way, I'm like Jesus". It takes the Holy Spirit to handle adults, amen? It really does, all right? But it's so much easier to work with wet cement. You can write whatever you want, you know? Half-baked are teenagers. Still got hope, half-baked. But once they are fully baked, man, it takes the heavens. Is still not "All things are possible with God," all right? But isn't it so much easier to work with children when they are young?

I'll tell you something. After Jesus rose from the dead, he made breakfast that morning, all right, for his disciples, and then he looked at Peter, the one who denied him three times. He says, "Peter, son of Jonah", literally, it's "son of John". Peter's father is John. You can say it like this: "Simon" means "hearing," "John" means "grace". "Hearing of grace, do you love me more than this"? he asked Peter. "Do you love me"? Peter says, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you". Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs".

Notice what is the priority, number one priority in the heart of our adorable Lord, our loving Savior? It is not the sheep that are older. It is the lambs, the young lambs. "Feed my lambs," come first. Then, second time, he asked again, "Do you love me"? "Yes, Lord, I love you". "Tend my sheep". Now sheep. "Tend my sheep". "Tend" means "Take care of them, discipline them, help them," amen, "shepherd them". Then the last time, "Simon, do you love me"? Simon says, "You know I love you". "Feed my sheep".

So three times there are distinct differences, all right? But notice the first priority on the Lord's heart. "Feed my lambs". Those of you in children's church, those of you who are thinking of volunteering, all right, in a ministry that is close to the heart of God, children's church is definitely close to the heart of God. I'm telling you that. It definitely is here. You can see Jesus's heart. His first priority is what? "Feed my lambs. Feed my lambs". Lambs are baby sheep, the young ones, hallelujah.

You know, in Song of Songs, Song of Solomon, in the very first chapter, you know Song of Solomon, right? It can be used as a husband and wife, but the best way to use it is the church, the bride of Christ, and Jesus, the love affair between Jesus and the bride, his bride. And in the very first chapter, there's this question the woman asked, all right? Asked of Jesus. The bride is asking, "Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions"?

The question is asked, "Where are you feeding? Where is your secret place? Where do you like to enjoy yourself? Where do you like to relax? Lord, I like to know where you like to hang out. Where do you feed"? The answer of the Lord, next, "If you do not know, O fairest among women"... do you know that the Lord looks at you as the most beautiful among women? Among everyone in Iyon and Vivo, and all that. He thinks you are the most beautiful. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing, of everyone, all right, he thinks of us as the fairest among women. In the Lord's eyes, we are the most beautiful because he sees like no one sees, the perfection of the work at the cross, amen? What's the question? "Tell me, where do you feed your flock? Where do you hang out? Where's the secret place, your favorite place"? The Lord says, "Follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your little goats beside the shepherds' tents".

Now, King James says, "Feed your kids". Because little goats are "kids". You know, we call our kids, "kids". In other words, "Where you find the kids are being fed, there I am". "Feed my lambs. I'll be there," amen. What honor this brings to our children's church ministry workers. You are doing something that is dear and close to our Savior's heart. He loves children. And he says, "Be careful you don't offend or stumble one of these little children. It's better for you a millstone be hung around your neck", you die, "than to stumble on these children".

What God looks for and the greatest treasure you and I can have is to own the fact that we are loved. You wanna love your children? You gotta possess your own belovedness because, once you possess it and own that you are loved by the Lord, you will love those who are around you. Those who are loved, loved. Those who are loved best, love best. Those who are loved best, love best, amen? Let's bring this to a close, okay? Praise God. You all learning? You're blessed by this? Thank you, Jesus, amen.

Let me just bring this to a close, and I'll show you Abraham, and after that, we'll close with one last verse. And the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I'm doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him"? Now look at God's soliloquy, all right? God is talking to himself. God says, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do"? It's amazing. I'd like God to talk like this about me. "Shall I hide from Joseph Prince what I'm about to do"?

How many like God to tell you secrets? And he doesn't tell everybody, you know. Why did God tell Abraham, "Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him"? Look at what the Lord said. Next verse, "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has spoken to him".

Now, this is amazing. He did not say this: "I know him because he will command", no, it's not that "I know him, that he will command". In other words, he's not saying that he's saying, "I have known him". In other words, "I make myself know him, make him know me, in order that he will command his children". Out of that relationship, "He will command his children and his household to keep the way of the Lord". Isn't it amazing? And God knows that this family will become the family that will bring untold blessings, not to mention redemption through Jesus Christ to the entire world, right? So God makes himself known so that you can be a blessing. God makes himself known to you so that you can be a blessing, hallelujah. Last passage, we'll close, all right? The reason we can enjoy glory and honor today, and all these blessings, because there is no more judgment for you and I. Can I have a good "amen"?

All right, look at this verse over here in Ephesians. It says, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the Beloved". God made us "accepted in the Beloved," all right? God made us, we didn't make ourself. God made us accepted in the beloved. How, he could've said, "in Christ". It's the same, but God wants it to be even more warm and intimate by saying, "In the beloved". You are now in the beloved. That's why you're loved, amen? You are accepted. And the word "accepted" in the Greek is the word "charitoo," which means, "highly favored" from "charis," but "charitoo" is highly favored.

Do you know it's used only twice in the New Testament? One is over here, and the other one is used by angel Gabriel on Mary. When angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and says, "Hail, you are highly favored," in the Greek, "charitoo". And now it's used of us. We are highly favored, back to the verse again, "in the Beloved". Say it, "I'm highly favored in the Beloved," amen. Praise the Lord. You go for, whatever you do, you're on a flight, just say, "Yeah, this flight won't go down because I'm highly favored in the Beloved". God's beloved is there, amen? Do you understand?

If someone say, "I think it's my time to go", "Don't worry. I'm on board. Sorry. Cancel, postpone, okay? Another day for you, in Jesus's name, amen". All right? Because you are God's beloved, amen? All right, "In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according", not out of, but "according to the riches of his grace". Now, I'm gonna read that in the NIV. I love the NIV here: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding". How forgiven are we? "We have forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace".

That's why you are not forgiven based on your knowledge, based on your being cognizant of your sin, catching your sin, confessing your sin. "You don't catch it, you don't confess it, you're not forgiven". If that is the basis, you'll never have security. You'll never have true peace because what if there are sins you're not even aware of? What if there are sins you're ignorant of? So that's why, if the forgiveness depends on you confessing, all right, you'll never feel the peace. 1 John 1:9, was written for unbelievers, and I have a whole exposition of it in my new book, all right?

So I'm gonna expound it here. Let's suffice to say this: We are forgiven based on God's knowledge of our sins. God knows all our sins. We may know our sins like this, but God sees our sins like that. We are forgiven according to God's knowledge of our sins. How that gives peace? So that now, when God, with his perfect knowledge of our sins, and even more, his perfect knowledge of the efficacy of the work of Jesus and his blood, when God says you're forgiven, you are forgiven. Tell ya, oh, felt like the Holy Spirit was just... do you feel that in your spirit? This is good news, man. "Riches" is "ploutos" in the Greek, which means "wealth and abundance". Riches of God's grace, "charis," is "unmerited, undeserved". That God lavished on us, "lavished" is "perisseuo," "to overflow, beyond the bound".

We are forgiven according to the riches, "ploutos," of his "charis," that he "perisseuo". Okay, let's put them all together. It means this, all right? It means this: "In Christ, God has lavished, overflowed us with forgiveness of sins in a completely unrestrained manner. He did it with all wisdom and prudence". Someone, shout "Hallelujah". Even sins you're not cognizant of, you're not aware of, you're not conscious of, they are forgiven. That gives true peace to know you are forgiven not based on our knowledge, but his knowledge, according to his riches. You know why we are forgiven like that? 'Cause 2,000 years ago, at the cross, Jesus took all our judgment. You see, your sins and my sins did not escape. They were judged.

And in John, Jesus says this: "Now is the judgment of this world", this is the last part, "now the ruler of this world will be cast out". "Now is" what? "Judgment". Say, "judgment". "Now is the judgment of this world". What is the subject matter? Judgment. "'And I, if I'm lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself.' This he said, signifying by what death he would die". How many of you heard the Christian song: "Lift Jesus higher. Lift Jesus higher. Lift him up for the world to see. He said, If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me"? All right, "all men" are "all peoples" in the New King James. Actually, it's in italics. Can you see that?

Whenever you see a word in italics, it is not in the original Greek. It is not there. Nothing there is talking about people. The subject matter is "judgment". So let's remove the word "people". It's not there in the original. So let's read it, "Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I'm lifted up from the earth, will draw all", what? "'Judgment to myself.' Now this he spoke, signifying by what death he would die". He drew all judgment. Like the lightning rod, he drew all the lightning to it and suck it, amen, and made it safe. He drew all judgment into himself. It's not "draw all people". He "drew all judgment" when he was lifted on the cross, hallelujah.

Yo, bro, no more judgment for you. Your mother-in-law might condemn you, but no judgment for you from God, amen? The one that really matters. Say, "No judgment". Why? Because he took it all in his person. Good news? Every head bowed, every eye closed, all across this place, and also in the overflow. My friend, in Christ, God has overflowed you beyond all boundaries with the forgiveness of sins that has transpassed, went beyond every limit in a completely totally unrestrained way. That's how rich God is. That's how forgiven you are.

If you are here this evening, and you have not made Jesus Christ your Savior, or this afternoon. You want Jesus Christ to come into your life? Wherever you are right now here or in the overflow room, you say, "Pastor Prince, I want to be crowned with glory and honor". Jesus promised, "I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly". My friend, don't just live. Don't just float. Dead fish float. God wants you to live and live life more abundantly. So Jesus says to you, "I do not come to give you religion. I didn't come to give you laws. I came to give you life".

Life is in him. When you receive him, you receive life, and he'll bring you to glory, the realm that Adam fell from, and once again, you'll be crowned with his glory and his honor. So all across this place and also in the overflow room, you say, "Pastor Prince, pray for me. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life. I want my sins forgiven. Pray for me, Pastor". Say this after me from your heart, all right? This is not a religion. This is a relationship. Say this from your heart.

Heavenly Father, thank you, Father, for your great love for me, for sending your beloved Son, your darling Son, Jesus Christ, to die on that cross for all my sins. His precious blood washes me whiter than snow. Thank you, Father. You raised him from the dead. He's alive. Where he is, there I am. I am in the beloved, highly favored, because Jesus Christ is my Lord, amen.

Lift your hands all cross this place. This is how your Father sees you. He who sanctifies you when you needed sanctification has gone to the cross for you, and you are sanctified, which means you are set apart from sin, you are set apart from sickness, set apart from everything that's common. You are an uncommon man, an uncommon woman. You are crowed with glory and honor because your Father is speaking over you right now, saying, "You are my Beloved. In you, I am well pleased". Receive those words. "Man cannot live, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". Jesus said, "Man cannot live just on physical food, but by that Word that the Father just spoke to him, 'You are my Beloved.'" By these words, live, thrive, succeed, prosper, be blessed, and be a great, great blessing to a world that's lost, in Jesus's name.