Joseph Prince - God's Answer For Spiritual Warfare
Praise God for all the wonderful testimonies. Praise the name of Jesus. And I wanna share with all of you that as we approach the end of the year, we know that we're stepping into a new dimension. The Bible says the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter, never darker and darker, as we head towards the perfect day. Your path, my brother, my sister, is getting brighter and brighter. Though the days and the world out there is getting darker and darker, your path is getting brighter and brighter, and the Bible says as we face the future we have to have the helmet of salvation on, amen? Because it's part of our spiritual warfare. That that helmet of the hope of salvation is something that I see that the body of Christ needs more than ever in these days that we're in.
My friend, I wanna share with you something about the hope of salvation that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, amen? But once again let's go back from where we left off last week, and we look at Isaiah 54. It talks about being established in righteousness, but look at the verse before that. It says, "All your children shall be taught by the Lord". Now, this is not you teaching your children about the Lord. This is a direct teaching from the Lord himself. "All your children shall be taught by the Lord," directly, "and great shall be the peace", in the Hebrew "shalom". Their peace, their well-being, their wholeness, their health, all that is in that word "shalom". And their shalom will be great. It's not just a little depth of shalom. Great will be your children's shalom, their well-being, their wholeness, and their peace, amen? Why? Because you, as a parent, in righteousness you shall be established. Notice that?
And we're sharing this series on the gospel of Jesus Christ because we know that a lot of people who have been following the ministry and they've been hearing me preach and all that, more or less they understand that this has been the trust of the ministry that God has given me. And we know that we're still seeing dimensions in this gospel of Christ, and the light is so bright. It is so bright that the Bible tells us that we need to learn to be established, or else the devil will blind the minds. In fact, in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 it tells us clearly, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded".
The god of this age. This small g-o-d refers to the devil, amen? Actually, in a sense, God made Adam to be the ruler of this world, but Adam committed high treason, bowed his knee to the devil, and as a result all men fell. When men fell, all creation fell, and that's why the world is not in a good shape, because of Adam's sin. And the Bible says the devil took that place as a small g-o-d of this age, and notice he blinds the minds of people who do not believe. Notice that phrase, "who do not believe"? "Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them". Friends, this gospel that we are preaching is so, so radiant. It is glorious, amen? That the devil has to blind people's minds to it. You know, the gospel that we preach is not glorious. It is not beautiful. It is not radiant, amen? Why would the devil need to blind people's minds? Let 'em see it. No, the gospel of Christ is like no other, amen?
The Bible says in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, and that righteousness is given to us as a gift. And when we receive that gift, amen, it transforms us, amen? Righteousness first before sanctification, before holiness. You cannot try to be holy without being establish in righteousness, amen? Even the Bible says Christ is made unto us wisdom, seeing the whole picture of God's plan and purposes in this gospel. And then, after wisdom, being made to us wisdom, it says Christ is made unto us righteousness. And then, he's made unto us sanctification. In that order, so we need to follow the pattern, amen? Those he justified, them he also glorified. The pattern is always righteousness, justification before glorification, amen? God wants his glory to shine through you, my friend. God wants his glory, one day we'll have a glorified body, yes, but until then God wants his glory to shine on you.
And Isaiah says that in the last days, when darkness covers the earth, the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. That verse is not for the millennium, right? It is not there. When Jesus comes here again and rules on, there'll be no darkness on the earth then, amen? It is not for when we see Jesus face to face in heaven. There's no darkness there. It is referring to the times we're in. Yes, even in the midst of this pandemic, amen, as the world gets darker and darker, and the world is getting darker and darker. It is part of the prophecy that all the prophets of old in the Old Testament as well as in the new has prophesied, but we need not fear for us and our families, amen? Like Joshua says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
And you remember this, my friend. That when darkness covers Egypt... remember the plague before the plague? There was another sign from the Lord of God's punishments upon Egypt, and the Bible says one of it is darkness. Darkness. And the darkness was so thick that men cannot see in front of them, the Bible says. But while that was happening in the Egyptians' houses, the children of Israel had light in all their dwellings. I believe it's a picture of Isaiah's prophecy, as well, that God's glory be seen upon his people in these last days, amen? So, what do you reckon the glory looks like? What do you suppose that that beauty looks like?
And as some would say, "Well, they will see us living holy lives". Yes, but not the kind of holiness that is holier than thou and, you know, that Pharisaism, but a holiness that is glorious. It must be radiant, and that's the word I choose carefully, because the radiance is what draws people to Jesus. Our holiness need to be radiant, amen? Even when we're under persecution, the Bible says, when you are persecuted for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Like Stephen, your face shines, amen? And people will be taken aback. You know, I've seen that happen. I've seen that happen. I've seen believers being persecuted, and then and there their face shines. It is amazing. You can't describe it, you know, just in what I see. You need to see it, amen, to know what I'm talking about. The face just shines, amen? And that's the glory that God is promising his people in these last days. It will be seen on us. It is always on us, amen? But light is never clearly seen as it should be until the darkness surrounds it, amen?
Then a flicker of light. Wherever there's light, you will see even from afar there's a flicker of light in the mist of darkness at night. In the daytime you can't see it because light is everywhere, right? But when darkness is everywhere, a flicker of light, even from afar, can be detected, can be seen, amen? So, that's gonna happen to all the believers in these last days, and your families. Notice, the children of Israel had light in all their dwellings, amen? This light is supernatural light, as much as the darkness is also supernatural, amen? The Egyptians cannot use whatever means to light up. And their lamp doesn't work, amen, they can, you know, do all kinds of flint stone, you know, brushing together and all that. No light, no spark happen that night, because it's all supernatural. Likewise, the dwelling of the children of Israel is also supernatural, amen? They didn't produce that light, amen? God gave them that light.
If that light is natural, then the Egyptians will also avail themself of the same resources. But they cannot, amen? But there was light in all the houses of the people of God. It's a picture of your family, amen? Your family life. There'll be light in all your dwellings. It will be supernatural light. It'll be light that will be seen, amen? So, the devil wants to blind people's minds, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them, amen? So, notice that the mind is the area where the devil tries to blind, and I just wanna say a Word here to all the believers that are being oppressed, are going through depression, and going through all kinds of, you know, mind games, and you feel like at night you can't even sleep because you have all these thoughts you're battling. Even your body is still, right? Your mind is like a war room, you know, and you hear all kinds of thoughts. And I know because I've been there before, amen? And, friend, this is warfare, and God has given us weapons, and our weapons are not material.
Look at this. 2 Corinthians 10, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds". Now, "carnal" means anything you can do naturally, amen? No, no, God's weapons are not carnal. When it's not carnal means God's weapons are spiritual, amen? But they're mighty. So, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for," what? "For pulling down strongholds". Now, notice. Where are these strongholds? They're called strongholds because they have been erected by the enemy, and it's a stronghold. If we can find where the strongholds are, we can bring it down, right? Maybe you have a stronghold of fear in your life, and you do not know how to get around it. The more you try to tell yourself, "I will not be afraid. I'll not be afraid," you end up afraid, you know?
It's like people who listen to what Job says about his predicament. He said that "the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me". And then, we have preachers that say, "Whatever your fear will come on you," and then people are more fearful. I think we gotta teach you in such a way that we need to unveil the love of God, amen, to the people so that it's the perfect love of God that cast out fear. We don't focus on fear to get rid of fear, amen? We experience the love of God to have that fear, amen, evicted, amen, from its place in our hearts. Praise the Lord. Only the love of God, and the more we discover the love of God, so God bless every preacher that unveils the love of Christ for the people, amen? Amen. Thank you, Jesus. And notice also that the Bible says that this pulling down of strongholds is actually "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ".
So, that's our warfare. It's in our mind, okay? The weapons of our warfare, it is not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Thank God the weapons of God are mighty for what? The pulling down of strongholds. Let's pull them down in Jesus's name today, amen? Praise the Lord. And notice that these strongholds are actually arguments that the devil has put in your mind, and they are actually thoughts. Notice, arguments and every high thing, every thought, so these are thoughts. And what the devil does is that he comes to you and put a thought in your mind, and this is the nature of the warfare. The warfare is not outside, you know? It is not a matter of, like, meeting someone, and then they're demon-possessed, and that's warfare. We command it to come out. No, that's casting out demons. It's different, amen?
Spiritual warfare, we need to know first and foremost where is the arena of the spiritual warfare. Where is it taking place? If we do not know where it's happening, we do not know where the warfare is taking place, how can you fight, right? And, you know, it's like you can't even find where the game is held. You'll be going to the wrong stadium to watch a different game altogether, amen? You need to know where it's happening. Praise God. And it's happening in our mind, so the mind is the battle arena, right? That's where it happens, and the devil's stronghold is actually a pattern of thinking that he has put into your mind, that has grown into a stronghold after a number of months, after a number of days, and sometimes even a number of years. It's been there for a long time. Now, you think those thoughts came from you.
Always remember this: your emotions, right, are a reflection of what you are thinking. That's what I just told my son the other day. "If you feel bad, it's because you're thinking bad. You are thinking bad thoughts," right? Thoughts of darkness. "You know, things won't look good tomorrow. I don't think I'm able to do that," you know? And you're negative, so your emotions follow your thoughts. "But if your thoughts are positive", I told him that, "you know Jesus will be with you," amen? When you go to school, he's gonna walk with you. He's gonna be your best friend, amen? He never leaves you. And your thoughts are positive, guess what? Your emotions will be positive, amen? My friend, your emotions are an indicator of what you're thinking, because we're so used to thinking certain thoughts. It's been there for a number of years that we don't even know we're thinking those thoughts, but our emotions cannot lie.
If you're experiencing depression, you're experiencing thoughts of self-loathing, you know, you feel inferior, you feel lousy, even boredom is always based on the thought that has preceded the emotion, amen? I always say right believing is so crucial, amen, to right living, but right believing also produces the right emotions, amen? The right emoting. Praise the Lord. And don't say, you know, emotions are not important. Then why did God create them? Unfortunately, amen, our soul realm needs restoration. Our spirit man, recreation, needs to be born again, but the soul realm needs restoration. It's the same soul realm, amen? God doesn't cause your soul realm to be born again. He causes your spirit to be born again, but your soul realm, which is your emotions, your mind, need to be restored. And your body, one day when Jesus comes again, will be glorified, amen? Praise the name of Jesus.
So, coming back to this again on your strongholds, it is built up of what? Thoughts, arguments the devil has put down there. Yeah, arguments like, "You know, are you sure? Look around you. How many people that you know that have this disease that have live long? How many of you? You know, you have this condition. You think that you have a bright future. Look at those who have this condition," amen? "Look at others". He'll point you to others always, always. You know, if you have a challenge in the area of eating, right, what the devil wants to do is at the first moment that you shun food and all that, he doesn't say, you know, in the second person, amen? He speaks in the first pronoun, first person pronoun, amen? He comes. He puts the thoughts in your mind and say, "I am anorexic. Maybe I am anorexic". And the more you think, "I am"... He doesn't say you are, right? That's telling you already where the thought comes from, but he come so subtly. He makes you think that it is your thought, just like Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount. Take no thought.
"Take no thought, saying", how do you take a wrong thought? You know, the devil shoots thoughts in your mind, and you take it. You take it by saying, "Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? How shall we be clothed"? Worrisome thoughts, thoughts that cause you to be depressed, thoughts that cause you to feel all this sense of hopelessness, helplessness, amen? A feeling of abandonment. Friend, you take those thoughts by saying, so, Jesus said, "Take no thought, saying, What shall we". "How shall I be healed? How shall I find the good life that God promises me, the abundant life that Jesus said I would have? Where is it"?
He'll put thoughts in your mind. He will argue with you, and he'll make you think that you are arguing, and it's very intelligent argument. He will tell you, "Look, you know? Look at the facts". And he will talk about natural things, natural facts, but, friends we're in this world but we're not of the world, amen? We live not by what is seen. For the world, what is seen, what is felt is natural fact, right? We transcend that to God's truth. Truth is higher than facts, and truth outlast facts, amen? Truth will always outlast facts. Facts may remain, and facts can change also. There are people who have, it's a fact that they had this condition, amen, a certain disease, whatever. Today, they're freed from it, all right? That's the truth that set them free, amen? That fact did not outlast the truth. Praise the name of Jesus.
We have so many testimonies of that, and not only that. In the Scriptures we have abundance of testimonies of people that transformed the natural fact into the truth. By his stripes we are healed, amen? That's truth, amen? But you might say, "The fact is my body feels the pain. My body"... Yeah, but, friend, the truth outlast the fact, amen? So, the devil will put thoughts in your mind. It's in the form of arguments. It's in the form of the personal pronoun I. "I have an eating disorder". "I am a pervert". "I am a sex addict, or a porn addict". He will try to make you sound like, you know, it's you, amen? He'll come in that voice, but it's him all the while. This is warfare. "I'm depressed". "I'm just a very unlucky person". "I'm just hopeless". "I always make mistakes". "I will never measure up". He'll put those thoughts in your mind.
You know, just like sometimes I know that many of you experience this. Like, you're in a high elevation, in a very high building, right? Very tall building, and you look over the patio, and you look down, and there's a thought that comes to your mind. "Why don't you just jump down," right? Oh, the thought. Not you, but, "I feel like jumping down. I feel like. I wonder", he'll put a thought, "I wonder what it's like to jump down. I wonder what it's like to jump down. I think I want to". So, he'll put the thought in your mind. And, you know, the subtlety of the enemy is that he doesn't want to be detected, so he wants you to think that those thoughts are yours.
I remember when I was a teenager, and I was battling all these blasphemous thoughts, you know? Every time I pray, I had a blasphemous thought about God. I don't know why. I had blasphemous statements coming into my mind. Even when I'm sleeping sometime there's a bad thought about God. I mean, it's horrendous, and I couldn't sleep at night, and I was concerned that I might commit the unpardonable sin. At one point, I even believe I have committed the unpardonable sin, which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, so literally, I went through a depressed state during that time. It's almost like the valley of the shadow of death at that time. All the while I didn't realize it was the enemy putting those thoughts in my mind and making me feel that these are my thoughts. Is based on natural facts. I look around me from what I read, from what I know naturally. This is so, so it's an argument, but the Bible says casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself.
So, every time the devil says, "You are this," amen, you need to come back with, "By the way, my story ends with the discovery of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in which I found that I am righteous as a gift". Because all the while the devil is pointing me to my action, amen? "I'm always failing. I'm always falling into sin. I'm always having these bad thoughts. I'm always having these blasphemous thoughts, and I'm a blasphemer, and God doesn't accept blasphemers, you know? God rejects blasphemers," amen? He will put all these arguments in your mind. And every time you have a project, guess who comes beside you and say, "You know, you know you can't make it right. You know you are subject to making mistakes and most likely you'll make one or two or a few in this project," you know? Who is the one that comes to you and put those thoughts in your mind?
Every time you post something on Instagram, "You know, right, there'll be haters. You know there'll be people, you know, who will say bad things". And he will try to put the thoughts in your mind why you will not succeed, you will not make it, because he knows that you have the fear of men. You have the opinion of men that you exalt higher than God's opinion, so he knows he has you there. And he comes with all these thoughts and these arguments. Friend, that's the battle arena, amen? So, when I discovered that I am the righteousness of God in Christ, first of all I also establish I knew it, but it was still a process of being established in it.
Remember, we read just now that when we're established in righteousness it's gonna affect our children. They'll be taught directly by the Lord. They'll observe us, and they will see that security, that confidence in the Lord, that helmet of hope. That when we look forward there's a positive expectation. We expect good things to happen. And it's very contagious, that spirit, amen? Just like a negative spirit is contagious. When we are depressed and we complain, it's passed on to the children. Many a times, you know, in parenting, this is one aspect that's not well thought, all right? We teach people about discipline. We teach people about what to tell our children, how to communicate. And all that is well and good, but the most crucial area is the parent himself. You are parenting even without words. You are parenting by your life, amen? And if we're fearful, they'll pick up on our fears.
Many of the fears that children have today are learned. Be careful of what you say to your wife. You know, watch what you say in the presence of your children. They learn to fear. If you start saying, "Well, I do not know when this pandemic is gonna end. I think it's gonna, you know, the way it's going down, you know"? And they hear it, and they will start feeling the world is not safe. The world is not a safe place. It's scary, right? Then, later on, when they have some phobias, you know, phobia that they have and fears and all that, you wonder where it came from, and you're trying to resolve it. But you're trying to deal with the branches, not the root, amen? It is you. So, when we establish in righteousness it has an amazing impact on our children. Great shall be their peace. You know why? Because you are at peace, amen? Amen.
All believers, you're meant to be establish in righteousness, because this is your God-given inheritance. In fact, the whole chapter there ends with, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against you to judge you," amen, "you shall condemn". And it says this, "This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord," you and I, "and their righteousness". It's not from them. It's not something that they do themselves. "'Their righteousness is from me,' says the Lord". That's a gift. That's the gospel of Jesus Christ. No wonder it's in Isaiah 54 that comes after Isaiah 53 that talks about all the sufferings of Jesus.
In Isaiah 53 is where you find he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, with his stripes we are healed. All that in Isaiah 53, and the fruit of Jesus's finished work is this gift of righteousness, amen? That affects peace all around us because we're established in righteousness. Hallelujah. Even when people speak against you, amen, they'll be proven to be wrong, because no weapon formed... God never promised, even those with righteousness from God, God never promised that weapons won't be formed. The devil will form all kinds of weapons, but no matter what kinda weapon he forms, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, amen? There might be new strains of disease coming up besides this COVID-19 in the future, but you know what? It might be formed, but it will not prosper against you, amen?
But you say, "Pastor Prince, I have COVID right now. I'm watching you, all right? While I'm watching you I have COVID, okay? I'm now in seclusion". Or "I'm in a hospital," whatever. Friend, then that sickness in you won't prosper in your body, amen? It's on its way out. Hallelujah in Jesus. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. What you need to do is declare and establish yourself in that righteousness. Confess, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ". "Why must I confess, Pastor Prince"? Because 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, "We having the same spirit of faith". How does faith operate? I believe, and therefore I speak. We also believe, and therefore speak. It's very simple, my friend. Faith is like this: you believe in your heart, and you speak with your mouth. That's the spirit of faith, amen? Amen. The same spirit of faith that David had. In fact, it's a quotation from Psalms 116, where David says, "I believe, and therefore have I spoken". We having the same spirit of faith as David, we believe, and therefore we speak, amen? Amen.
If you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again on the third day for your justification, you confess Jesus Christ is my Savior, Jesus Christ is my Lord. I believe he died for my sins. I believe God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. With the mouth confession is made unto salvation, amen? And with the heart man believes unto righteousness, amen? With the heart man believes. With the mouth confession is made unto salvation, so it's the same spirit of faith, amen? And it's the nature of God. Praise God. Jesus says have the faith of God. In the original Greek it says, "Have the faith of God," Jesus told his disciples. Have the God kind of faith. When God saw darkness, God says light be, amen? And he saw light. He never saw light until he spoke. He believe and spoke, and then he saw, amen?
So, even the future might look bleak in the natural, based on natural facts that we read or the news media tells us about, amen? We can be like God. Praise the Lord, amen? Like father, like son. Jesus says, "Have the faith of God". Speak it. "There are good days ahead of me". Praise the Lord, amen? Amen. Praise the Lord. And things will turn around. Even something bad happens, it's gonna turn for my good. God promised all things will work together for my good, amen? And somehow this spirit always irritates religious people, people that believe that by keeping the law, amen, you are right with God. And they're always irritated when you get too positive, just like when Joshua and Caleb came back from spying out the land with the other brothers, you know, from the other tribes. Ten of them said, "We cannot take the land". And Joshua and Caleb says, "Let's go up at once and let's take the land". And they really wanna kill, you know, Joshua and Caleb. They wanna stone them. I mean, they had a spirit of like, you know, they cannot stand when someone is positive.
And notice the positive ones are in the minority, Joshua and Caleb, and they're the only ones, by the way, that enter the land with the children of these unbelieving ones. The rest of them died in the wilderness, amen? God said Joshua and Caleb, they have a different spirit, amen? You see giants, or you see the grapes that are gigantic, amen? Ten of them saw the giants and the walls. Joshua and Caleb saw the blessings of God, flowing of milk and honey, and saw the huge grapes, amen? And they saw God in the midst of the... and when you compare the giant with God, no matter how natural, the natural fact of the giant being the giant, tall, the walls are big, amen? But you compare all that with God, God is bigger. God is greater.
So, in the speech of Joshua and Caleb, God was in their speech, but in the other spies, God wasn't in their speech. They talk about what is natural, but Joshua and Caleb spoke the truth, amen? Today it's the other way around, and people hear you speak, like, "Well, you're not facing the truth". No, my friend. I'm speaking the truth. You might not see it yet because truth outlasts natural facts, amen? God is the God of truth. When everything dies down, everything wax old, everything is vanished away, God will still be there. Praise the Lord. And those that follow God, abide in God, they'll remain forever. They'll be like Mount Zion, established forever. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus, amen?
So, this area of warfare, my friend, is in your mind, amen? And notice that the way we battle the enemy is just with one thought. Every time whatever thoughts come to you, just come back with one thought. The devil may say you are this, you are that. Notice you felt that pain just now. It might be this disease, right? You know, 1 in 10 people have this disease. You might be the one. You are the right age for it. And he'll put the thoughts in terms of argument and become a stronghold that produces what? Fear, anxiety, worry, sleeplessness, and you're tossing and turning. You know, sheep cannot sleep. They cannot rest unless they know the shepherd is nearby, amen? So, the Bible says, "He maketh me". He, the shepherd, maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
So, in the midst of all these natural things that's happening in your life that's not good, bring the Good Shepherd into it, amen? Talk to the Good Shepherd. Even in the midst, amen, going through the midst of the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus is with you. "You are with me though I walk through". And thank God you're walking through. Walking through means you're not there to camp and stay, build a house, you know, and remain there forever. No, you're walking through. Yes, nonetheless, you still go through it, right? You feel it, you experience it, but friend, you're walking through. It's only a season in your life, amen? The one that will come out with you permanently and will always be with you is the Good Shepherd, amen?
And look around you. Look behind you. Look on your left and right. His goodness and mercy is pursuing you all the days of your life. All the days of your life. You need to get up every morning and say, "Well, if goodness and mercy pursues me all the days of my life". And the Hebrew word is, pursue, radaph. Radaph is not just surely goodness and mercy shall follow. It's actually the word hunt you down. Hunt you down, amen? Every time you turn to the right, goodness smacks you, amen? The goodness of God. You run smack into the goodness of God. You experience something on that day. "Wow, I know that God is so good". It makes you wanna say, "God is so good," amen? Your turn the other way, mercy, amen?
Surely goodness and... the word there is hesed. Grace. God's favor smacks you in the face, amen? You experience God's favor, and you feel so favored, so loved. And you know how long you experience this? All the days. Surely, not maybe. Surely goodness and hesed, favor, will pursue you all the days, amen? 24/7, amen? Seven days a week, amen? Twelve months of the year. That whole year, that whole decade, in the days to come. Until when? You dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Oh, hallelujah. Now, what's happening is that we're putting on the helmet of salvation, amen? Hope. Hope is the word elpis, amen? Elpis. Elpis is a certain, confident expectation of good. Never of bad in the future. It's a certain. Faith has got to do with the now, amen? You believe that Jesus died for your sins, you confess him as your Savior, you are saved now with the effect that goes on forever, amen? But you're saved now. Faith is now, amen? But hope is future.
Hope is a positive, confident expectation, a certain expectation. Not fearful, not maybe, not hope so, but a confident expectation of good in your future, my friend, amen? This pandemic is here. It's a natural fact. Yes, I see it, but I'm confident goodness and mercy is hunting me down. It doesn't say it hunts everyone in the world. It hunts me down because I have the Good Shepherd in my life, and so do you, amen? And you know what? It will hunt you down in the midst of the pandemic. You'll walk through the pandemic to the other side, stronger, greater. He's gonna prepare a table before your enemies, you know? You're not gonna eat after the battle. You're gonna eat during the battle. Who can eat during the battle, amen? Only those that are of the Lord, amen? Those that belong to the Lord. He'll set a table before you, and I like to think of that as the Communion table, amen, in the midst of your enemies. You eat in the midst of your enemies. He anoint your head with oil, amen? God doesn't wait until you have the victory over that enemy, over the situation, and then he gives you that food. No, you eat your way into life and health and wholeness, hallelujah? Mmm! Just preach myself happy, amen?
So, the Bible says that. I was saying that just one thought, and this is the thought: bring all the arguments, bring every high thing the devil's tried to establish or may have established in your mind, "Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ". Now, it's very important because the phrase here is bring every thought to the obedience of Christ. Not your obedience, and it's not saying make every thought obey Christ. That would be, in the Greek, obey will be in the verb. But over here, if you look up this word in the Greek, obedience, it's a noun. The word obedience is a noun, not a verb. If you say, "Bringing every thought to obey Christ," then it becomes a verb. And who can do that?
I tried for years, as a teenager, like I said when the thoughts beset me and all that, those bad thoughts, I tried my best to bring all those loose thoughts. And the more I tried not to think bad thoughts, the more I start thinking all those blasphemous thoughts. The more I tried not to, the worse it became, amen? So, I didn't realize that it's a matter of, like, turning away to the obedience of Christ. Not my obedience, because when you talk about your obedience, the devil will always point out that you have done some things that you think you've obeyed, but it's not enough, amen? You read your Bible. You haven't read your Bible enough, amen? You pray. You didn't pray long enough, amen? It's never enough. And even you don't do something, right, right? He will of course point out to you your sins of omission, but as far as your sins of commission, that is a given. But he will always remind you of things that you have done. That is, you didn't do it well. He will tell you always, so as long as you're self-occupied.
Notice that everything the devil argues about in your mind is always things that make you self-occupied, and the key to being delivered from self-occupation, which is a very painful state to be in, is to be Christ-occupied, to see his beauty. And he Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3 that as we behold his glory we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Not by our efforts, but by the Spirit of the Lord, by beholding. The Holy Spirit needs you to behold Christ, amen? God bless every ministry that unveils Christ to the people and his beauty glory, because as the people behold Christ, amen, they're being transformed into the same image. The Holy Spirit now have material to work with, amen?
Eyes on Jesus. That's the material the Holy Spirit works with. But eye on yourself, to be looking at yourself, "Have I done this enough? Have I done this right," amen, will only cause you to go into a cesspool of depression, amen? A cesspool of worries and cares, and, you know, you'll be in this emotional turmoil. And you're wondering, "How come I don't... where is the joy unspeakable? I'm a believer. Where is the joy unspeakable"? It's a warfare. You're in the warfare, my friend, amen? You're to bring all those thoughts to the obedience of Christ. Not your obedience, but his obedient. What does that mean, the obedience? In the original, the definite article is there, the obedience of the Christ. That's in the original, so what is that? It's referring to one obedience, what Jesus did at the cross.
Let's look at Romans chapter 5, verse 19. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous". People are sinners because of Adam's sin. People sin because they're sinners. They're sinners not because they sin. They're sinners because of one man's disobedience. One man's disobedience made people sinners, amen? The first man, Adam. By the same token, by the same token, look at this, this is analogous with this. "Also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous". Friend, we talk about being established in righteousness. How are we made righteous? How are you made righteous? How? By one man's obedience. Who is the one man? Jesus. So, every time all these thoughts come, there's only one answer: turn it back to, "His obedience make me righteous. I have the gift of righteousness," amen? Declare, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ".
Years ago, I remember one particular man came over to our service, and he was battling a destructive addiction in his life. And he heard me share along these lines, that the devil will put a personal pronoun by saying, "I'm an addict," and make you believe that you are one, okay? He try to argue by certain facts in your life that you are one. And then he heard that, and he start thinking to himself, "Maybe all this while I am not an addict". So, he went back home. After the service, he lock himself in the room, and he declared out loud, "I am not an addict". For years, he was practicing the destructive lifestyle, and he can't help but yield to it every time it comes, you know, but this time round light shone in. The darkness was removed. And he start saying, "I'm not an addict". And he says, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. That's who I am. I'm now the righteousness of God in Christ".
He felt the love of God. He said something happen inside him, and he wrote to me and said, "Pastor Prince, I just want you to know that whenever that feeling comes, it doesn't even tempt me anymore. I'm transform". If only you knew what he was like before. It's a real transformation. Friend, I've seen how the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the unveiling of the righteousness of God as a gift to be accepted, how it transforms people's lives. Hallelujah. And he was so grateful. He was so appreciative when he wrote the letter. "I'm no more the same man," he said. And it's been some time, he said, when he came to that service and that happen to him. Just one thought. That's what repentance is all about. Repentance means metanoia in the Greek. Meta, change. Noia is the nous, the mind. Change your mind. Change your mind. Metanoia. Change your mind.
You know, when Peter preach in Cornelius's house, he ended up his sermon by saying, "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins". This is the last statement he made in his sermon in Cornelius's house, because, "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the Word," right? And they all spoke in tongues. But the thing is this: what was Peter saying? Was Peter saying, "Repent, guys. Repent"? No, there was an earlier sermon he preach on repentance to the people of Israel, but this time he was preaching to the Gentiles.
Did he use the word repent? No. But was repentance involved, changing your mind? Yes. In fact, the very next chapter he was called on the carpet by believers who were also, some of them were Pharisees, and they told him, "We understand you went to Gentiles, and you ate with them". And Peter had to rehearse the entire story. Let's go to Acts 11. "And Peter came to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, and said, 'You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!' Peter explained to them in order from the beginning, 'I was in the city of Joppa praying.'" He told them the whole story of what happen. Then finally, he came to this part, what the angels said to Cornelius. "This man," which is Peter, "who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved".
Friend, there's a difference between the law and grace, amen? The old covenant and new covenant. The law give you laws to observe, to live by, amen? Works, performance. Grace gives you words to believe upon, and those words, if believed upon, will change your life. Whether you're believing God for healing, you need to hear the words, amen, of God pertaining to this, amen? So, law is giving you laws for you to work, amen, to perform; whereas grace, amen, the new covenant give you words to believe upon. So, he says, "Who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved". And Peter says, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning". And Peter says, "'If therefore God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?' When they heard these things," the elders, "they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.'"
Repentance to life. Notice that, but Peter wasn't preaching on repentance. He just said it's through Jesus. All those who believe in him, everyone who believes in him receive forgiveness of sins, and then the Holy Spirit fell. Notice when the Holy Spirit falls. The Holy Spirit falls. The word fall there is the same word used for the prodigal son story that Jesus shared, how the father, when he saw his son, he ran and embraced. The word embrace his son, fell on his neck, embrace him, embrace his neck, the same word there, embrace, the bear hug, is the word used for the Holy Spirit falling on them. The Holy Spirit gave them all a bear hug, and they spoke in tongues, amen? The Holy Spirit came.
So, at what point of the sermon was the Holy Spirit so pleased that he didn't wait for the altar call? The point where he says everyone who believes in Jesus receive what? Forgiveness of sins. These are words that true of the Holy Spirit, because it points to Jesus and what he did, his obedience. The one man's obedience. These are the thoughts that you are to always focus on. These are the thoughts: that one man's obedience made me righteous. And even though the word repentance is not used, later on the elders in the next chapter, in referring to this narration by Peter, he says, "Oh, then that means God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life". They call it repentance, even though the word repent was not used by Peter in Cornelius's house, but it's as good as repentance to life.
So, sometime we preach repentance. The word repent is used. Sometimes we don't use the word repentance. Repentance is still going on, because repentance means what? Change your mind. So, this is the area of the warfare, and every time we hear God's Word we're changing our minds, amen? "No, I'm not gonna think destructive anymore. I'm not gonna think negative anymore. I'm not gonna think thoughts of sin anymore or thoughts of darkness, hard thoughts about God. I'm gonna think thoughts of grace, thoughts of his love for me," amen? Thoughts of that one man's obedience that make me righteous. These are the thoughts I'll focus on, amen? When the devil come and say, "Look at what you have done, or what you have not done, or what you've not done enough," I'll focus on one man's obedience to make me righteous. That's bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ. Bring every thought to whose obedience? His obedience that made us righteous. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
This is warfare, my friend. This is warfare, and the devil wants to blind your mind so that you don't see the enemy at work, amen? But we have detected him. We have seen the battle arena, where it's held, where this battle is going on, amen? In the mind. And we have seen the victory, the weapon that God said is not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The weapon is always pointing back to what Jesus did. His obedience. It's his righteousness given to me as a gift, amen? It's never about your obedience that make you righteous, amen? You know, what does holiness look like? When you talk about holiness, how does it look like? Amen?
When you say someone is... I'm talking about practical holiness here. And I'm not talking about the fact that Christ set you apart. But how does it look like? Well, you know, you can have an action that seems like an obedient church, an obedient person, amen, Christian, right? But you might do it with a, you know, a face like you've been baptized in lemon juice, you know. But that's not holiness. There's joy in holiness. There is a radiance, amen? And if you look at what the Lord said to the one of the most spiritual churches, Ephesus, in the Book of Revelation, this is what he said about them. "I know your works, your labor, your patience". Look at these three words. "I know your works, your labor, your patience". Works, labor, patience. What's wrong with that? It's good to have works, right? But is this holiness?
Now, some of you think, "Yeah, I mean. He's praising them". Yes and no. He's telling them, in a while you will see that he... in fact, he will tell them, "You have left your protos agape," your first love, which is not your love for him but his love for you. You have left that. You have left that truth. You have left that reality. You are no more practicing the consciousness of God's love for you, amen? But this phrase here, "Your work, your labor, your patience". It's actually showing them their shortcoming. Because you if look at 1 Thessalonians, Bible must always interpret Bible. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Here in the prayer of Paul, Paul says, "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father".
So notice, all this three was present, even the same sequence as in Revelation 2:2, we read just now, right? The church of Ephesus. Jesus mentioned, "I know your work, your labor, and your patience". What was missing in that church was your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. "Have faith, hope, and charity", which is love, "That's the way to live successfully. How do I know? The Bible tells me so". Charity is the word used in the King James for love, amen? "And this three always, and now abides, faith, hope, love, and the greatest of these is love". It's always together. True holiness must have a... when you do your work, when you do a labor, it's got to have faith, it's got to have love, amen? So what was missing is this, they have the work, they have the labor, they have the patience, but didn't have the faith, love, and hope that comes along with it. Because why? They have an idea of holiness. "Yes, I must always do what's right. I must be obedient". And they have the outward form but not the joy, not the spirit.
Is that holiness? Is that what God wants? No, friend. He wants you to have the work of faith. A work that's born out of faith. Any work that's not born out of faith is not good work. It's dead work. He wants good works, and only faith can produce good works. Work of faith. Labor of love, amen? Labor of love. You know, I learned a long time ago that before I preach anything, always keep in mind the Lord wants to love the people, amen? I see the love, I see all of you in the love of God. I see people that's hungry, hungry sheep, a hungry flock, and my part is just to take the morsels of the dainties of the Lord, amen, and give it to you and feed you. But I see the Lord loving you. And in seeing the Lord love you, I love you, amen? And if you're not conscious of that, your labor is empty. Anything without love, amen, is as sounding gong, a clanging cymbal. It has all the noise and the show, but it's not holiness. It's not true holiness. Labor of love, amen?
And patience, you can be patient and say, "Wow, I admire this guy. He has the endurance, amen. He has the patience". But what if you have the patience and you're always grumpy, amen? You have the patience, you don't say nothing, but deep down you're bitter, amen? No, it's the patience of hope. You look forward. There's a light in your eyes, amen, a radiance on your face, because it's the patience of hope. Hope is what? A confident expectation of good in your future.
So let me close with this, and to tell you that God wants you to have faith, hope, and love, but it only comes when the true gospel is preached. And like I say just now, we still live by grace, every single day of our lives. The gospel is not just for getting sinners saved and then from now on, you know, we are left for things for us to learn and to apply and to do. No, no, friend. You live by the gospel every single day. The gospel that got you saved is the gospel that will see you through in this life and all the way. Not only to see you through, cause you to thrive and flourish, amen, and be whole, amen, and be prosperous as well, amen? And then until you are in the house of the Lord, the gospel will see you all the way there. We live by the gospel. When I say gospel, I mean the gospel of grace. And that's the only thing that can produce faith, hope, and love, amen. God sees the heart. Man sees the action. Praise God.
Let's close with 1 Thessalonians 5 in Paul's exhortation," But let us who are of the day be sober". You know, people, we are people of the day, not of the night, amen? The previous verse prior to this says, "The children of the night, the children of the world, the children of the night". Darkness. But we are children of the day. You know, without Jesus, nothing is day. But with Jesus, nothing is night, amen? Even you're going through a trial, with Jesus there, the light of the world, it lights up the darkness, amen? When you have Jesus, you don't experience any night, amen? Amen. Your life, you're children of the day, praise God. And it says here, "We who are the day, be sober," amen, "putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation". Have you noticed something? It says, "Put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation".
Notice, the helmet is called the hope of salvation. So the helmet is not salvation itself. It is the hope of salvation. In other words, once you're born again, you need to know because your status has changed, amen? You are now the righteousness of God in Christ. You are now a new creation. You have the Holy Spirit in you. God is your Father. Jesus is your good Shepherd and your Lord, amen, and he will lead you and guide you. Your status have changed. So, in other words, you have hope now. It's the hope that comes out of the fact that you have received salvation, amen. So it's a confident expectation of good. Whenever you are confident because, "I'm saved, I'm now the righteousness of God in Christ, amen? I fully look to good in my future. I expect good in my future, amen? I will see good in my future. Amen".
"Well, Pastor Prince, no one can predict the future". No, we can. We can. We can say it. God didn't say, "Well, it's darkness out there," in the beginning in Genesis, right? You know, he didn't say, "Well, it's so dark out there. My goodness, it's very dark". You know God's words have power. If he says, "Very dark". It'll get darker, amen? God prophesied the future. God says, "Light be," and then he saw light, amen? Watch what you say. "He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil," amen? Those who said they cannot enter the land all died in the wilderness, amen? Only two of them says, "We are well able with God," amen? "With God, we shall be able to overcome them". Their defense has departed from them. They are bread for us. The enemies, those giants are bread for us. And the two of them, they got what they said. They entered the land, and they defeated the giants seemingly easily, like bread, amen? Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.
So notice the three again, with the trio here. Faith, love, and hope. The breast of faith and love, amen? Every good preaching, let me tell you this, okay? In the church, will produce faith, hope, and love, amen? You can be preaching on holiness, but it's going to be a holiness out of faith, hope, and love, amen? Without faith, it's impossible to please God. And faith in the Bible, in the New Testament, most of the time, amen, refers to, especially when it says the faith, it refers to the righteousness by faith, the justification by faith, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. You got to have that, amen? Amen. The same way Abraham was blessed, "And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen," amen, through faith, amen.
What does it say? God would justify the heathen though faith. "Preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In your seed, all the nations will be blessed'". So God foresaw that the way Abraham would be justified, amen, they'll be justified. And Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness, amen? And then he goes on to say, "And those who are of faith," this faith, "are blessed with believing Abraham". The way Abraham was blessed, and my friend, Abraham is blessed in all things, amen? At the end of his life, the Bible says, "He's blessed in all things". Even when he made mistakes, God defended him, God protected him. It's as if God didn't count his sin against him. God rebuked the king, amen, for taking his wife, when actually, he lied in the first place to the king by saying it's not his wife, and yet God defended him, God justified him, and God came against the king.
Now, this is not to encourage us in doing wrong, but to show us what it means to God for someone to be declared righteous before him. In the same way Abraham was declared righteous, we are declared righteous. Amen, amen, my friend. I pray in Jesus's name that you be more and more established in righteousness. Because the Bible says it will affect your children. Not only that, the Bible says that your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house. Your children like olive plants around your table. And the next verse says, "Look, behold, this is how thus shall the man be blessed of the Lord". This is how a man is blessed of the Lord. Your wife shall be. You see, I don't try to nag at my wife and try to change my wife. You know, I just focus on being the blessed man, because when I'm the blessed man, your wife shall be. Your children will be light, amen? Amen. When I am the blessed, thus is the man blessed of the Lord. This is how the man who is blessed of the Lord.
"Your wife shall be a fruitful vine. Your children like olive plants". Just telling you this, how a man who is blessed of the Lord look like. Your wife shall be. Don't try to make her be. It's not your job to make her be. Your job is to be blessed, amen? Just focus on making sure that you are the blessed man. And the context there is very clear. He's talking about man who knows his ways. And his ways today is the ways of the gospel, which is the gift of righteousness. Amen, amen, that brings the blessing of God, the blessing of Abraham comes on us. The same justification that Abraham received, we receive, amen, being declared righteous, "And my wife shall be a fruitful vine that intoxicates me," because vine produces grapes.
Grapes, in those day, I mean in that day in the Bible, talks about wine. They have grapes for the wine, and wine intoxicate, amen. May the love of your spouse intoxicate you always. Your children anointed like olive plants whether there during their studies, whether, you know, maybe it is with exams and all of that. Okay, but what is going to happen is that they'll be anointed. And whatever is anointed, becomes flowing, becomes of, you know, becomes fluid, becomes smooth, amen, like a door. You know when it makes squeaking sound and all of that. When it's anointed with oil, all right, it's smooth, amen? It moves prosperously, amen? So the same thing, your children will be like olive plants. They will succeed, why? Because of their effort, because of their hardworkingness? No, no. Hard working attitude? No, because of they be anointed. The fact that they are anointed.
So if the father is blessed, his wife shall be, amen? His children will be like olive plants. And I pray that for you, in the name of Jesus. I pray that God will revive your marriage. I pray in the name of Jesus that your children will be like olive plants and you have a blessed family life. May your family life be like a lighthouse for all the world to see. May your house experience what the children of Israel experienced in times of darkness, amen. There's light in your house. There's light in your dwellings. And it's not natural light that the world have access to, amen? It is supernatural light. May your house be filled with the light of the shekinah glory of God, amen? Light in your family relationships, amen? Brightness and glory. Many a times we don't even know where that we are in this glorious realm.
You know, we nitpick, we fight, we argue, we forget who we are, amen? It's like a man who was just given $1 million as a gift, and then all of a sudden he turns around, and you know, he saw a man that owed him $10 from four years ago. He finds the man, and you know, he's angry with that man, you know and be demands that payment. Does that show gratefulness for what he has received? No. In fact, a person who has really received with faith, hope, and love, he would, and with joy, he would turn to that man and say, "Forget it. Forget it, my $10. You do not know what has happened to me," amen? In fact, this is not my story. This is the parable that Jesus shared, that when we experience God's forgiveness, we forgive. We experience his love. We love, amen? We love because he first loved us, hallelujah. In the name of Jesus, amen? Praise the Lord.
I see a man who has been, I think you injured your back for some time. And I see you, even right now as you're watching, you are lying down. Either it's on a sofa or some sort of, you know, laid out, kind of a bed or sofa. And I see the pain are still going through you, are raging in your back. Now, if you do this right now, in Jesus's name, if you would just sit up first, in the name of Jesus, amen. Amen. Be healed, my friend in the name of the Lord Jesus, because God is calling out your condition right now. He's healing you. Now, stand up. Stand up in the name of Jesus, amen, and be healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. All pain leave you now, in Jesus's name, amen. Praise the Lord. Don't doubt. Don't doubt, amen? Now reach out to the floor, amen, you reach out as far as you can and bend and do it again in Jesus's name. Okay, do it right now in Jesus's name, amen? If you know that's you, please write to us and let us know. Praise the name of Jesus.
And I don't know what's happened to this person, but recently your eye, your eye has drooped, you know, and it's like one side of eye has drooped and are concerned. And I think that you have been to the doctor, and the doctor is not giving you any real answers that you want, because they are describing a condition to you. And I see you going back, still worried, still, you know. And now I see the Lord touching those nerves in that area right now and restoring your eye in Jesus's name, amen? You are feeling power touch that area. Be healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen? Amen, amen? Amen. Praise the Lord. Write to us and let us know. And all that we are sharing, amen, verify it with the doctors, amen. Verify it before you write to us. Let us know unless it's something very clear, that you don't have to go back to the doctor, amen? Praise the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
There's someone with a bladder infection. And it's a lady with a bladder infection, and you been experiencing pain this two days, it's been more than a day and the pain is still there. The Lord is touching you right now, and healing you, making you whole in the name of Jesus. Be healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen? Amen. Praise the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Father, I pray for everyone that's watching right now in the name of Jesus. I pray that you loose them from their infirmity, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Right now the Lord's attitude is like ought not this brother, ought not this man, ought not this daughter of Abraham be loosed from this bond, amen, on the Sabbath day? Ought you you not be loosed, amen? The moment you hear of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ought you not be loosed? So, in the name of Jesus Christ, be loosed from that infirmity, from that disease, from that pain, from that condition, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen, amen. Receive it in Jesus's name. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, Lord Jesus, amen.
Now, keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus from now on. Keep your eyes focused on him. That's what it means looking unto Jesus. Look up that word looking. It is to look away from every distraction unto Jesus. Literally, looking away unto, amen? That's the Word there, "Looking unto Jesus". They'll be distractions coming your way. But remember make it like a game, okay, will you? Amen. Oh, these things have come, all right. Here is a sign, right. The devil hates it that you are making it into a game, all right. Like okay, he's trying to make me worry about this area. Oh, that thought came from him, amen?
Like John Bunyan shares in this book, "Grace Abounding to Sinners," the one who wrote "The Pilgrim's Progress," he shares about his battle with blasphemous thoughts. Just like me. He shared how he would have bad thoughts in his mind, and the devil giving you some Scriptures, twist them around and make him feel so condemned by those Scriptures. And one day he was walking through the fields, and he says that the Holy Spirit said to him, "Look up". And then he looked up to the skies, you know, and then he heard these words, "Your righteousness is in heaven. Your righteousness is in heaven".
What does that mean? Jesus is your righteousness. The devil cannot affect your righteousness. He cannot shake you out of your righteous position. The devil cannot, amen, cause you to become unrighteous. Your righteousness is in heaven. Out of his reach, amen? Your righteousness is in heaven, amen? It is to your account, to your benefit. It is your righteousness, but he's in heaven, amen? Praise the Lord. He say it changed his life. It transformed his life, hallelujah. And I pray it does for you also. If you've been hearing this, but you have never invited Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, you have not put your trust in him, my friend, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your house. Together with Peter, that you saw just now, Peter says, "Everyone who believes in Christ will receive forgiveness of sins," amen? If that is you, pray this prayer with me right now.
Heavenly Father, I thank you that Christ died for my sins and rose again without them. I am justified in him. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. Thank you, Father. I am now your child, dearly loved forevermore and all my sins completely forgiven, amen? You will never deal with me again based on sin. You always deal with me based on your Son. Thank you, Father. My righteousness is forever in Jesus's name, amen. Amen, praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Would you stand to your feet if you can? I don't know about you, but I just preached myself happy. Do you feel that wonderful peace? That you know, I believe that when I prayed for all of you, I prayed that wherever you're watching this, in your family life, wherever you are as a family or individually, that in your vicinity, in the place where you're watching, the Holy Spirit will come on you and send forth breakthrough, send forth the healing, send forth deliverance, amen? And most of all, impart to you a fresh revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen? Praise the Lord.
Remember this, my friend, he loves you. And in this coming week, surely, surely, surely goodness and mercy, surely goodness and mercy will follow you, will hunt you down, pursue you all the days of this week. Be expecting to run smack into God's goodness and unexpected favor, showing up in your life this week, in the name of Jesus, amen. I want you to expect that. And I believe there's a special release of God's Word for that to happen this week for you, amen? Again, when that happens, let us know, amen? It's going to be something that you will know is God's goodness, amen? It's God favor, amen. God's goodness and favor will pursue you all throughout this week in Jesus's name. And all the people said amen, amen, amen.