Completely Forgiven, Always Accepted

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

When I was a teenager, I got hold of a teaching that said a Christian could commit the “unpardonable sin.” Have you heard this “unpardonable sin” teaching before? This erroneous teaching says that all sins can be forgiven, but if you commit the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31), there is no forgiveness.

As a young Christian, it really frightened me. The more I thought about the possibility of committing the unpardonable sin, the more I was convinced I had committed the sin! My thoughts became increasingly negative and I even started to doubt God, giving me even more reason to believe that I had indeed blasphemed against the Holy Spirit.

I went to my church leaders to seek counsel, but instead of leading me to the new covenant of grace, they told me that it was indeed possible for a Christian to commit the unpardonable sin.

By then, I was getting more and more depressed. The devil was oppressing me with thoughts of guilt and condemnation. The more I believed that I still had unforgiven sins, the more I believed that I had used up all of God’s grace in my life.

No one taught me about the blood of Jesus, or showed me that my thinking and believing were actually dishonoring the blood of Christ and negating Jesus’ work on the cross for me. I really thought that my sins were greater than God’s grace. I felt like I was losing my mind and on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

It was through this tumultuous journey that I began to understand the grace of our Lord Jesus. I now know beyond the shadow of a doubt that a Christian cannot commit the unpardonable sin.

Here’s why. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit came to testify of and witness about Jesus Christ (John 15:26). To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is therefore to continually reject the person of Christ whom the Holy Spirit testifies of.

Study the Word of God carefully. Who was Jesus speaking to when He spoke of the unpardonable sin? He was speaking to the Pharisees, who continually rejected Him as their Savior and even accused Him of having an unclean spirit.

Jesus’ response was, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven . . . but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:28–29).

Why did He say that? The next verse tells us that it is “because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’”

Therefore, in the context of the Bible, Jesus was warning the Pharisees to stop committing the sin of rejecting Him, the only Savior, and depending on their own efforts to be saved. This clearly does not apply to the believer.

You see, in reading the Bible, it is important to note who the words were spoken to and to ascertain if the words are relevant for the believer. In this case, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who had rejected Him and who even made claims that He had an unclean spirit. Imagine their audacity!

As for you, my friend, have full assurance in your heart that it is impossible for a believer to commit the unpardonable sin. Today’s scripture shows us that a believer (who is in Christ) has already received the gift of eternal life and will never be “subject to eternal condemnation.”

Beloved, do not be deceived. Because we are in His Son, Jesus Christ, we will never experience God’s anger or rejection.

Be anchored and secure in the Father’s love and your complete acceptance in Christ. His finished work on the cross has wiped out your entire life’s sins—past, present, and future—once and for all, bar none!

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs. Joseph Prince

Message from Amir Tsarfati

The silence of the church in the past, and, in many cases, its compliance, has led to wide range of atrocities being committed against the Jewish people around the world, especially in the time of the Holocaust. Confront people with the truth when you hear something that is false. It’s okay to challenge people to think critically, especially the people in your own circles. I will conclude with this. Leaders and pastors, teach your flock about God’s plans for Israel from Genesis to Revelation. Like Mordecai, you can discern the times and equip your people, because you never know who is sitting here that one day, who might be in that position where he will be used by God to save his people. Throughout the full counsel of the Bible, God’s plans for Israel are established, communicated, and fulfilled. Helping your audience of believers to see God’s promises to Israel materialize, not only in the Bible but in the world today, that will give people a much deeper appreciation for the living reality of the word of God.

While there are many things that one church may see differently than another, and the number of denominational interpretations of various passages of Scripture are numerous, many of these discrepancies are not major red flags. However, denying that modern Israel is biblical Israel or that the Jews are still God’s chosen people is.

The reason this is true is that if you deny the connection between biblical Israel and modern Israel, you have lost the ability to rightly divide the scripture. You cannot interpret Bible prophecy accurately and have impugned the very nature and character of God and His infallible word.

Daniel 9:24
“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.”

We know that the weeks are weeks of years, as history has proven, and we also know that 69 of the 70 heptads (weeks of years) have been fulfilled. If God is finished with Daniel’s people, the Jews, and the holy city, Jerusalem, then the Bible is in error and only 69 weeks were determined.

Ezekiel 36:24-28
“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”

There is nothing in history that indicates all of this has been fulfilled. If this whole progression beginning with the regathering of Israel into their land never happens, then the Bible is wrong as is the Holy Spirit who authored it.

To deny modern Israel is biblical Israel is to deny the Bible is true, and, therefore, that God is omnipotent, or all-knowing. This is not like the various interpretations of the timing of the rapture or the age old freewill-predestination debate. It is catastrophic to the integrity of scripture, and, thus, not of the Holy Spirit.

The other dangerous component of denying modern Israel being the Israel of the Bible is that passages clearly pertaining to the last days and the regathered nation would then require the commentator or teacher to make something up to replace the literal meaning of the text. Hopefully none of us go to church to hear what the pastor or teacher thinks. Instead, we want to know what the Bible clearly says and means.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.    

Modern Israel is integral to understanding prophecies concerning last days things. It is also necessary for the integrity of Scripture, because the only way to replace or deny it is to turn to fables and away from the truth. 

This, too, is evidence we are well into the last of the last days.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Listen to No Other Voice

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

John 10:3–4

There are many today still fighting for the voices of Moses and Elijah—the law and the prophets—not fully understanding that in the new covenant, it is all about hearing the voice of the resurrected Son of God.

Why does the Father want us to hear only the Lord Jesus? Why are we to focus on Jesus and grow in the knowledge of His grace? Because neither the law nor the prophets hold the answer to our deepest cry for intimacy and peace with God, and to enjoyment of His presence and power in every area of our lives. If you look at Scripture, you will see that while Moses and Elijah did mighty exploits, both great men of God still failed in the end.

Toward the end of his life, Moses hit the rock twice in disobedience, yelled at the people, spoke unadvisedly with his lips out of anger and impatience, and wound up not being allowed to enter the promised land. That’s how his ministry ended.

Why were the consequences of Moses’ actions so severe? Because he misrepresented God. In his anger, he represented God as angry and judgmental toward His people, when God actually loved and cared for them. This tells us that as preachers of God’s Word, we need to be very accurate in how we represent God.

What about Elijah? Despite amazing victories and evidence of the power of God in his ministry, in his last days, Elijah thought Jezebel was greater than God and fled from her. His ministry ended in depression and discouragement (1 Kings 19), with his mantle going to Elisha.

In comparison, where the law and the prophets failed, our Lord Jesus succeeded. Look at this beautiful prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 42:1, 3–4:

Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights! . . .
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged.

Whereas Moses failed and Elijah became discouraged, the Scriptures tell us that our Lord Jesus, the altogether lovely One, “will not fail nor be discouraged.” Whereas Moses was impatient, our Lord Jesus is patient with you and me today especially when we make mistakes and fail. And whereas Moses failed to bring God’s people into the promised land, our Lord Jesus finished the work His Father sent Him to do and has ushered us into all of God’s blessings and promises (Eph. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:20). Whereas Elijah became discouraged, Jesus was not discouraged even by people’s repeated rejection of Him.

He is your rock and your fortress when you are feeling discouraged. All the greatest men of God in t he Old Testament put together cannot compare with our beautiful Lord Jesus Christ!

This is God’s beloved Son and today He says to you, “Arise. Stand in My righteousness and be lifted up from defeat.” In the same way that our Lord Jesus could touch a man with leprosy and make him whole, He can touch any area of deformity, weakness, or shame in your life and transform it into wholeness and strength by His grace.

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution. Joseph Prince

Hold On to God’s Promises

“Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them—those who contended with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”

Isaiah 41:11–13

Let me share with you a testimony I believe will greatly encourage you. One of my leaders was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease when he suddenly suffered bouts of intense vertigo that completely incapacitated him for hours. Whenever a vertigo attack occurred, waves of nausea would overtake him, and he would find himself throwing up uncontrollably. He would also experience symptoms of tinnitus regularly, where every sound around him became magnified or distorted, and he could not hear what people were saying to him.

It was terrifying for him because the attacks were sudden and unpredictable, could happen while he was driving, and left him retching and vomiting until he was exhausted. It felt like he was trapped in the churning waters of a violent storm. His doctors told him that medication could help manage the symptoms, but there was no cure for his condition and the symptoms were, in fact, likely to get worse.

Then one day the Lord led him to the above passage from Isaiah 41. He said, “When God gave me that word, I kept meditating on it and kept it in my spirit. The words ‘shall be as a nonexistent thing’ kept jumping out at me, and I knew that I had it. I was healed.”

He did not see the full manifestation of his healing immediately, but he had faith he was already healed because of the word he received. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, “the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). So even before he saw the reality, he knew he was healed.

He continued to partake of the holy Communion regularly, but he no longer did so out of any sense of fear the symptoms would become increasingly debilitating. Instead, he partook knowing he was already healed, and after some time, he “stopped experiencing the symptoms altogether.” As I write this, he has been completely symptom-free for well over a year. All glory to our lovely Savior!

Isaiah 41:11–13 is such a powerful passage to meditate on if you are faced with the enemies of sickness and disease today. Doesn’t it remind you of what the Lord did for the children of Israel when He split open the Red Sea for them even though it appeared like all was lost?

The Lord is no respecter of persons. Put your trust in Him. He can make a way when there seems to be no way. If He did it for the children of Israel, and He did it for the brother in my church, He can do it for you too.

This devotional is taken from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional. Joseph Prince

You Are an Heir of the World!

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:13–14

God’s blessings are part of our inheritance in the new covenant of grace, which Jesus died to give us. God’s Word tells us that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us . . . that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Isn't it interesting that the Lord is very specific in mentioning that Christ became a curse for us on the cross, so that we can experience and enjoy the blessing of Abraham? He does not want us to simply experience any kind of blessing. He wants us to experience the blessing of Abraham. I think it behooves us then to find out what “the blessing of Abraham” is and who can receive it.

The Bible tells us that “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). Are you Christ’s? Do you belong to Jesus? Then that makes you an heir according to the promise.

Every believer in Christ is an heir. Whenever you hear the word “heir,” it speaks of something good. It speaks of an inheritance that you don’t work for, an inheritance that is yours not because of what you do, but because of whose you are.

In this case, as a new covenant believer in Jesus, you belong to Jesus and you have a blood-bought inheritance in Christ as the seed of Abraham. You, beloved, are an heir according to THE promise!

Now, there are many promises in the Bible, but what is THE promise that God made to Abraham? We can’t claim this promise if we don’t know what it is. We need to go to the Word (use the Bible to interpret the Bible) to establish what the promise is. And we find the answer in Romans 4:13—“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

The promise to Abraham and his seed (you and I) is that he would be “the heir of the world”! In the original Greek text, the word “world” here is kosmos. Its meaning includes, “the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures.”

Now, that is what you are an heir to through Jesus' finished work! In Christ, you are an heir of the world—its goods, its endowments, its riches, its advantages, and its pleasures.

This is THE promise that God made to Abraham and his seed. Don’t apologize for it. It is your inheritance in Christ!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor. Joseph Prince

The Power of Identity

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? . . . know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:15, 19–20 KJV

I read the story of a businessman in New York City who was rushing to board a subway train on his way to work when he saw a beggar with a cup of pencils in his hands sitting on the platform. Without thinking too much about it, he quickly grabbed some money from his wallet and dropped the bills into the beggar’s collection plate before boarding the train.

Just before the train doors closed, the businessman jumped back out onto the platform and took several pencils from the beggar’s cup. He apologized to the beggar, explaining that in his haste, he had neglected to pick up the pencils he had purchased. “After all,” he said, “you are a businessman just like me. You have merchandise to sell and it’s fairly priced.” After that the businessman boarded the next train and went about his day.

At a social event several months later, a well-dressed salesman approached this businessman and introduced himself. “You probably don’t remember me and I don’t know your name,” he said, “but I will never forget you. You are the man who gave me back my self-respect. I was a ‘beggar’ selling pencils until you came along and told me that I was a businessman.”

I share this story to highlight to you the power of identity. The businessman gave this beggar a renewed sense of meaning and identity by simply speaking over him and calling forth a latent potential that was in him.

By calling this beggar a businessman, he awakened in him a renewed sense of worth, value, and importance. The words gave the beggar a new perspective. And they gave him a new belief and vision that propelled him to walk away from the lie that a beggar was all he could be.

We can draw many parallels in this story for believers of our Lord Jesus. I believe that many who are struggling with sin, addictions, and destructive bondages don’t have the revelation of their new covenant identity in Christ. When you see a believer struggling with sin, it is often a case of mistaken identity.

The best way to help him is to point him back to his righteousness in Christ, as the apostle Paul did to those in the Corinthian church who had fallen into sin. Paul didn’t point these believers back to the law of Moses. All he did was to remind them of who they truly were.

Reread today’s scripture. Paul knew that if they were reminded of their righteous identity in Christ, they would repent. They would return to grace and turn away from their sins when they were reminded of their value according to the heavy price Christ had paid on the cross to ransom them.

I encourage you to use Apostle Paul’s method to encourage and lift up believers whom you know are struggling with sin. Point them back to their identity in Christ. They probably do not know, or have forgotten, how they have been made the righteousness of God through Jesus’ blood.

Because of this, like the beggar in the story, they are living a life of defeat. They are living far below the high place God has called them to. Believers in Christ are called to be the head and not the tail, to be above and not beneath, to reign over sin and not be defeated by sin!

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution. Joseph Prince

There Is Power in Hearing the Gospel Preached

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Acts 14:8–10

Have you ever wondered how the crippled man in today’s scripture, who had never walked, came to be filled with faith when he heard Paul speaking? What words generated such faith?

Let’s look at this closely in today’s reading. The Bible only says that Paul was “preaching the gospel” (Acts 14:7). It doesn’t say that he was teaching divine healing.

The Bible also states that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17 NASB). So the man at Lystra was filled with faith because he heard the word of Christ!

I know that in most Bible translations, it says that faith comes by hearing “the word of God.” But if you study the original Greek word for “God” here, it is not Theos for “God,” but rather Christos for “Christ.”

You see, faith does not come by simply hearing the word of God, because the word of God would encompass everything in the Bible, including the law of Moses. There is no impartation of faith when you hear the Ten Commandments preached.

Faith only comes by hearing the word of Christ—teachings that have been filtered through Jesus’ finished work and the new covenant of grace. That means hearing preaching of the Word from Genesis to Revelation as long as it is from the perspective of Jesus and His grace.

After all, Christ is in the Old Testament concealed, and in the New Testament revealed. In the Old Testament, you will find shadows of Christ in the five Levitical offerings, the tabernacle of Moses, and even in the high priest’s garments, but it takes a new covenant understanding to draw Christ out. Only when Christ is preached will faith be imparted.

I can just imagine how the man at Lystra responded when he heard Paul proclaiming that he could be justified from all things if he only believed in Jesus. When he heard the good news of Christ, faith came and filled his heart to believe that he was forgiven of all his sins.

And at that very moment, he heard Paul commanding him in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” Before he had time to hesitate, he found himself leaping to his feet with joy, and for the first time in his life, he walked! Hallelujah!

This is so similar to a praise report I received from Lizzy, who lives in Virginia. For ten years she had been praying for a young woman who was molested as a child and developed anorexia as a teen.

The girl’s condition worsened and she was placed in a ward for cardiac patients because her heart became too weak to function properly. In spite of the counseling and treatments she received, her condition did not improve and the doctors pronounced her as “dying.” Then, this happened:

Too weak to even read, this young woman began to watch Joseph Prince and hear the messages of God’s love and grace. Shortly before Christmas, her permanent feeding tube fell out on its own and she began to do what the doctors said she would never do again—eat solid food! She said she had heard Joseph Prince saying that when her spirit got stronger, her body would follow, and it has!

She is now able to attend church. Her pastor has even placed her to minister to the family of a fourteen-year-old girl who is anorexic. She is telling the girl that nothing worked for her except the grace of God. Hallelujah!

My friend, faith for healing or any other breakthrough you need comes when you are simply hearing the gospel of grace preached, as the crippled man of Lystra did. The Bible declares that the gospel is the power of God unto your salvation (Rom. 1:16), which includes total wholeness, preservation, and well-being.

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs. Joseph Prince

Right Place, Right Time

I returned and saw under the sun that—the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

Ecclesiastes 9:11–12

Today, I want to bring your attention to Psalm 91:1 and Ecclesiastes 9:11. Did you notice that the number 911 occurs in both passages? The number 911 is very significant for our times. It is a number that marks the largest-scale terrorist attack on American soil to date. Our hearts were broken that day, the world changed, and we will never forget what happened.

While I know that chapter and verse markers in our Bible aren’t inspired, it is my personal opinion that the prayer of protection in Psalm 91 marks the times we are living in and gives us a crystal clear reason why we don’t have to live in fear.

In Ecclesiastes 9, King Solomon tells us that the winner of the race is not necessarily always the fastest one, and the person who wins the battle isn’t necessarily always the strongest. He points out that men of understanding are not the only ones who gain riches and men of skill do not always experience favor. And then he says this: “Time and chance happen to them all.”

Solomon then goes on to talk about those who are “like fish taken in a cruel net” or “birds caught in a snare.” (Notice that he’s saying this of the “sons of men” and not the “sons of God.” As believers, we are the sons and daughters of God.)

There are therefore two categories of people—those who are blessed because they find themselves at the right place at the right time, and those who are caught off guard in an evil time and find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t know about you, but I know which category I want to fall under!

As a son or daughter of God, rest assured that the blessing of being placed in the right place at the right time is yours because of our Lord Jesus! Despite the dangerous times we live in, you can expect Him to protect and deliver you from every snare of the enemy.

This devotional is adapted from the book The Prayer of Protection Devotional—Daily Strategies for Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times. Joseph Prince

Message from Amir Tsarfati

God is expecting us to understand the times and the seasons. God is interested that His children will know the times and the seasons so they will be ready. First Chronicles 12 says, “...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” Sometimes in Israel, He revealed it more to a certain tribe. But for us, as Paul said, “There is no need for me to tell you, because you perfectly know.”
 
“Concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourself know perfectly.” How can you know perfectly if your church doesn’t teach it? How can you know perfectly if no one is telling you about it? The truth about God and His relationship with Israel has been completely revealed in the scope of the Bible. Like Paul wrote to the church in Thessaloniki, there is no need for us to be reminded of this, if we are students of the Bible.

In an age where the majority of churches do not deal with the subject of Bible prophecy, or study prophetic books like Daniel or Revelation, Paul highlights the importance of the subject in his letter to the church at Thessaloniki:

Acts 17:1-2
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

Later in this chapter, we’re told that, because of the stir this caused in the city, Paul and Silas were “sent away by night.” By this we know that Paul’s visit to Thessaloniki lasted less than a month, and he would later write to them about what he taught them during his visit.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

Though his visit to Thessaloniki was brief, Paul taught the infant church Bible prophecy. For this reason the church was aware that the coming of the Lord for His church was to be expected at all times, which is why he could say “that day” won’t overtake them by surprise, i.e., like a thief in the night.

It is a sad truth today that only a small percentage of people who call themselves Christians know the lateness of the hour and are expectant of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). While it is true no one is saved by their eschatology (the study of last days things), knowing what is coming does create in us an urgent burden for lost souls and a comfort in knowing that one day, in a twinkling of an eye, these bodies will be conformed to the image of His glorious body and we will forever be with the Lord (Philippians 3:21 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17, respectively).

Why would any Christian want to live without those things? How can any pastor avoid teaching those things when 27% of the Bible is prophecy? While there is much to be cautious of on the internet, it is also of a great benefit as it relates to our subject. If, for whatever reason, a pastor chooses to to skip prophetic portions of scripture, at least the people in the church can find truth online through a pastor who teaches the whole counsel of God.

Matthew 24:44
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Expectancy of the Lord’s coming is at an all time low, which means we should be expecting Him to come for us one day soon!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Power to Utterly Destroy Diseases

God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty . . . that no flesh should glory in His presence.

1 Corinthians 1:27, 29

For many people, it is the very simplicity of the holy Communion that makes it so hard for them to believe it can be effective. All they can see is a small piece of bread and a little cup of juice. They cannot imagine how something so seemingly insignificant, small, and weak can drive out disease or cause them to live a long life.

When we dismiss the Communion elements for those reasons, we are forgetting the way God works. The Bible says God chooses the weak things of the world to put to shame the strong. Time and again, we see how God defeated the enemies of the children of Israel not through military might but through seemingly insignificant things.

God used a sling and a stone in the hand of a young shepherd boy to bring down Goliath, the mighty champion of the Philistine army (1 Sam. 17:38–51). He used a hammer and a tent peg in the hands of a defenseless woman to destroy Sisera, the ruthless Canaanite military commander who had oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years (Judg. 4:3–22). He used the jawbone of a donkey in the hand of Samson—one man—to slay a thousand Philistines (Judg. 15:15–16).

It’s interesting that when a Gentile woman came to the Lord Jesus seeking healing for her severely demonized daughter, He referred to healing as “the children’s bread.” Do you know what the woman said to Him?

“Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Jesus then said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And that very hour, her daughter was healed (Matt. 15:22–28).

What do you think the children’s bread that is laid on the “masters’ table” is a shadow of? The holy Communion!

You and I sit at the Master’s table because we are sons and daughters of the Most High God, and we partake freely of the Lord’s Supper. If the seemingly insignificant “crumbs” that fell from the table could heal the woman’s child, how much more healing and life we shall receive when we have the substance of the holy Communion!

This devotional is taken from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional. Joseph Prince

The Mountain Where God Dwells

For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.”

Psalm 132:13–16

My dear reader, I want to announce to you today that God has moved mountains. He is no more on Mount Sinai, which only breeds fear and insecurity in your relationship with Him and drives you deeper into destructive behaviors with no hope of freedom.

Because of the cross of Jesus, where God’s wrath for all our sins was poured out, He has moved to Mount Zion, the mountain of grace, the place of reconciliation, relationship, and closeness with His people. On this mountain you find yourself running to God to experience intimacy with Him that gives you strength and changes you from the inside out.

In the Psalms alone, you will find many scriptures about how God loves and has chosen Zion, and will bless those on Zion. Reread today’s scripture, for example, and then consider Psalm 125:1 KJV:

They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

It is Mount Zion, and not Mount Sinai, that cannot be removed. It remains forever! What does this mean?

If you establish your life on Mount Zion, you will enjoy true liberty and stability. Build your life on the mountain of grace and you will be like the man who built his house on the rock—unshakable and rock-solid in the face of adversities and life’s storms. If your blessings and breakthroughs come from Mount Zion, they will last!

My friend, because of Jesus’ finished work on Calvary, God has moved to Mount Zion. And today, Mount Zion—the place of His grace—is where He wants both your feet firmly planted.

He loves you more deeply than you realize. He values, treasures, and loves you. It is time to let go of your own works and allow the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to completely revolutionize your life from the inside out.

When Christ in His glorious grace is of full effect in your life, that breakthrough you have been believing for shall come to pass swiftly in the name of Jesus. That destructive addiction you have been battling for years will come crumbling down and no longer have a grip on your life.

And I am believing with you that that health condition you have been trying to beat shall be no more. I pray for you to receive supernatural healing right now in your body.

I declare that by His stripes, you are completely healed in the name of Jesus. I am standing in faith with you that cancer and all terminal diseases have no hold over your body. I speak health, healing, longevity, and wholeness in Jesus’ mighty name. May your youth be renewed like the eagle’s, and may you be satisfied with the promise of long life and good days in Jesus’ name. Amen and Amen!

As I was writing this, God’s spirit of faith to believe with you for your healing and health just arose in me. We have a miracle-working God and He can go above and beyond anything the doctors might have said about your condition, so let’s lean in to His love, His grace, and His peace. May His healing power be of full effect in your body, in Jesus’ name!

I can’t wait to hear from you about what God has done in you, so be sure to write to me at JosephPrince.org/Praise. I look forward to rejoicing and praising the Lord with you!

This devotional is taken from the book Glorious Grace—100 Daily Readings from Grace Revolution. Joseph Prince

Jesus Shared His Father's Glory

John 5:18, 'Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.'

When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God 'my (own) Father', they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy, to be punished by death, or else Jesus was who He claimed to be.

Jesus never associated Himself with His disciples by using the plural pronoun 'our' Father. Rather, He always used the singular 'my' Father, since His relationship was unique and eternal, whereas theirs was by grace and regeneration.

We should ponder carefully our Lord's own conception of who He was. He said 'I am from above' (Jn. 8:23); 'Before Abraham was, I AM' (Jn. 8:58); 'I and my Father are one' (Jn. 10:30); 'He that hath seen me hath seen the Father' (Jn. 14:9); and 'I am not of the world' (Jn. 17:16). He also declared His eternal pre-existence and that He shared the Father's glory (Jn. 6:62; 17:5).

We can't just honor Jesus, but we have to honor Him 'even as' (in like manner or the same way) we honor the Father. This is what separates true Christianity from the religions of the world. Most religions honor Jesus as a great man (examples: Islam, Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.), but they are violently opposed to making Jesus equal with Almighty God (1 Jn. 2:23). The names and titles given to Jesus in John's gospel clearly present Jesus as being equal with God. He is all you need Him to be. Andrew Womack

Message from Amir Tsarfati

Shalom from a nation that is once again in full-blown war! And that’s both a bad thing and a good thing. It’s because in war people get killed. Sometimes those who die are fighting on the evil side and sometimes on the good side. But either way, death ends a person’s window of opportunity for salvation, and that is always a tragedy.

However, sometimes war can also be good because it has the potential to accomplish a task that must be done. That is true in Israel’s case. When we first signed the ceasefire with Hamas, I told you that a day would come when the terrorists would break the agreement and hostilities would once again commence. We have reached that day. While I wish we could have received our hostages back and seen the dismantling of Hamas without any more bloodshed, it seems the terrorists had other plans. So, there will be more bloodshed, more destruction, and more sorrow.

But this time, because Israel has the full backing of the United States, the hostilities will continue until Israel’s war aims are complete. And, amidst the darkness of war, that at least is one shining light. As always, there is howling at the return to fighting by the international media, including most of the worthless news sources in Israel, saying that Netanyahu is using war to hold on to his tenuous power. When you read those headlines, remember the sources and understand that most in Israel are on his side when it comes to fighting this battle to the end. It must be done, and it must be done now.

We Don’t Have All the Answers

“I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.”

Maybe you are going through a difficult valley. Maybe you are disappointed with God because you have lost a loved one or because you have been battling that medical condition year after year.

I want to encourage you not to ask, “Why?” Asking why will only lead you on a downward spiral into depression. Don’t ask, “Why did this happen to me?” Don’t ask, “Why is my child not healed even though I have trusted You for years?” or “Why is my loved one going through one tragedy after another?”

The fact is, in this fallen world, we don’t have all the answers. One day, we will receive our new bodies, where the corruptible will put on incorruption, and the mortal will put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53). But until then, I recognize that sometimes bad things happen and I don’t know why.

But what I do know is this: God is a good God. He loves us, and He is never behind any pain we go through. Our faith in Him is not based on our experiences; it is based on the unchanging, eternal Word of God, which cannot lie.

Even when things didn’t go the way you wanted them to, don’t remain in your disappointment. The devil wants you to get angry with God and to give up on His promises. But keep believing that God is for you and not against you.

Even if the enemy has destroyed something in your life, and even if years have been lost as you waited for the manifestation of your healing, or the days of your youth have been stolen from you, keep believing that God can restore to you what you have lost (Joel 2:25, Job 33:25).

My friend, “let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Keep on looking to the Lord for your breakthrough. And if you find that you are too tired to believe anymore, I pray that this promise will carry you through:

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

—Isaiah 40:31

This devotional is taken from the book The Healing Power of the Holy Communion—A 90-Day Devotional. Joseph Prince

Something New

Luke 5:36-37, 'And he spake a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.'

These two parables are in response to the scribes' and Pharisees' criticism (v. 30) and the question from John's disciples about why Jesus didn't act according to their religious traditions and expectations (Mt. 9:14; Mk. 2:18). The gist of these parables was to show that Jesus came to do a new thing that would not mix with the old covenant ways that were familiar to people (Isa. 43:18-19; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:7-13).

A new cloth sown on an old garment in Jesus' day would shrink the first time it was washed. Then it would tear away from the old garment that had already shrunk, making the hole worse. This illustrates that Jesus did not come to patch up the old Mosaic covenant, but to replace it (Heb. 7:18-19).

Also, new wine (not yet fermented) had to be put into new or reconditioned wineskins to allow for the expansion of gases within the skin as the result of the fermentation process. Otherwise, an old wineskin that had already been stretched by use would simply burst and all the wine would run out. The Old Testament laws could never stretch enough to accommodate the New Testament truths of mercy and grace (Heb. 10:1-10). Jesus set us free from the judgment of the Old Testament laws (Rom. 6:14; 7:1-4; 8:2; 10:3-4; Gal. 3:12-14, 23-24; 5:4; Phil. 3:9).

These religious scribes and Pharisees (Lk. 5:30) were making the terrible mistake of trusting in their own efforts to produce their right standing (righteousness) with God. Jesus did not come to accept our sacrificial acts, but to make Himself a sacrifice for our sins. He did all this to give us new life in Him. Thank Him for His grace today. Andrew Womack

Message from Amir Tsarfati

The word religion, just so we understand, does not appear in the (Hebrew) Bible. Not at all! Religion is a manmade thing. It’s a way that man created to somehow express his faith or his belief in a higher entity. But that word does not exist in the Old Testament at all. So there was no Jewish religion at the time. And, of course, Christianity was never meant to be a religion also, but rather a way of life. In fact, the Bible says in Act 9:1-2, “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether man or woman, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” It wasn’t a religion, it was a way. They were called the Way. He could have had – he could have mentioned, “If anyone who belonged to the newly founded world religion Christianity, then get them bound to Jerusalem.” But no, it wasn’t so. In fact, they didn’t even talk to them as if they’re no longer Jews. They are Jews who now are taking the Way . That’s interesting, because now we may understand why Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and Life.”

Ever since the Tower of Babel man has been trying to achieve what can only be received.

Genesis 11:1-4
Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Today we live in a world of thousands of religions, and while all claim to be true – and most offer a way to access the afterlife – they all share the same basic defect that was true at the Tower of Babel. Religion makes the follower the primary focus and not God. The desire of the builders of Babel was to make a name for themselves. This is what religion does. It makes people feel better about themselves. They did their duty, they kept the ordinances, they observed the rituals, and thus their name can be listed among the faithful adherents of what they believe. But among the religious is not where we want our name to be listed.

Revelation 13:8
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Religion replaces truth with sincerity, faith with feelings, and relationship with rituals. During the tribulation, the earth dwellers will worship the Dragon and the Beast through the religion of the world’s most sinister false prophet. They only way to escape the deception and delusion of false religion is to have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.   

John 14:1-6
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus did not give Thomas a list of rituals and observances in order to go to where the Lord was heading. He simply told His disciple that “He” was the way to get to the Father’s house and there were no others. No phrases to repeat, no foods to avoid, no days to observe, just believe that Jesus is God like His Father and you will also wind up where He is. (That is not to say there are not things to obey and do after becoming followers of the Way). 

The futility of religion is best demonstrated by the truth that if religious observances could save us, they would be equal to the blood of Christ in value. They would essentially eliminate the need for Jesus to come and die for the sins of the whole world. Again, that is if heaven could be had through the rituals of religion.

James 1:26-27
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

James 3:8
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

What James is saying is that religion, if it could make you right with God, would be manifest by never saying or doing anything wrong. He follows this by revealing a truth about us all – no person’s tongue has always been kind, only told the truth, and never said anything wrong. Nor has any person ever lived a spotless, or sinless, life before God. Thus, all religions are useless.

We should all rejoice in the fact that Jesus is the way, truth, and the life, and that means He is the only one who can take us to the Father’s house so that we may be where He is. Religion, rituals, and self-proclaimed righteousness can never do that.

The reality is this, and we have all sung it many times as saints, “What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Let Christ Live Through Us

Matthew 9:9, 'And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.'

To 'follow' means to come or go after; move behind in the same direction; to come or go with; to accept the guidance or leadership of; to adhere to the cause or principles of; to be governed by; obey; comply with (Jn. 10:27-29; Rom. 10:9-10, 13).

When a person first comes to Jesus, it is impossible to know everything that following Jesus entails. No one, however, should be fearful of making a total commitment because of some imagined problem that may never come to pass. There should be a willingness to forsake everything to follow Jesus. Once we make that decision, then Christ begins to live through us and we find a strength that is not our own, equal to whatever test we may encounter (Gal. 2:20).

It is Christ living through us that is the secret of victorious Christian living. It is not us living for Jesus, but Jesus living through us. Failure to understand this simple truth is at the root of all legalism and the performance mentality. The law focuses on the outer man and tells it what it must do. Grace focuses on the inner man and tells it what is already done through Christ. Those who are focused on what they must do are under law. Those who are focused on what Christ has done for them are walking under grace.

Just as the life of a root is found in the soil, or a branch in the vine, or a fish in the sea, so the believer's true life is found to be in union with Christ. The Christian life is not just hard to live, it's impossible in our human strength. The only way to walk in victory is to let Christ live through us. Andrew Womack

You Have God’s Presence and Favor Regardless of Your Circumstances

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:7–10

Hebrews 13:5 says that God’s presence in your life is a guaranteed constant. But I want you to know that you cannot evaluate God’s presence and His unmerited favor in your life based on your circumstances. To help you understand what this means, let’s look at the life of Joseph.

Joseph refused the advances made by Potiphar’s wife, and as the common saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”! She maliciously accused Joseph of attempting to rape her, brandishing as “evidence” the garments that Joseph had left in her hands when he fled from her. When Potiphar heard his wife telling her version of the story, his anger was aroused and he seized Joseph, stripped him from the place of authority he had given him and threw him into prison.

Just put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. What is happening here? It sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? With the painful memory of his brothers casting him into the pit still fresh in his mind, here he is once again, cast into a dungeon even though he was innocent.

Any average person would be bitter and angry with God! Most people would ask, “Where is God? Why had God brought him this far, only to abandon and forsake him? How could this happen? Where is the justice against this false accusation?”

But Joseph was literally no “average Joe”! He knew that the Lord would never leave him nor forsake him. Joseph considered not his circumstances but kept his focus on the presence of the Lord. Regardless of whether he was a common slave, an overseer in Potiphar’s house, or now a prisoner facing the prospect of life imprisonment for a crime he did not even commit, Joseph did not evaluate God’s unmerited favor in his life based on his circumstances.

Instead of getting bitter, he kept his hope in the Lord. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up on God and on life, he kept his confidence, knowing that all his success was wrapped up in the presence of the Lord.

And boy, did the Lord deliver him! I want you to read this for yourself to see what the Lord did for Joseph:

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

—Genesis 39:21–23

What does this tell you? If you refuse to bow to your circumstances and continue to be conscious of the Lord’s presence, wherever you are placed, whatever your environment, you will rise to prominence. You will have favor with your bosses and they will promote you to man-in-charge. And whatever you do will prosper!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Favor—Daily Readings from Unmerited Favor. Joseph Prince

God Can Turn Your Evil Day into Good Days

Rest from their enemies . . . sorrow to joy . . . mourning to a holiday.

Esther 9:22

Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.

Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.

Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!

So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.

My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality and evil assault the devil can throw at you (Eph. 2:6).

Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic, and doing things to save yourself.

Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed (Est. 7). She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!

Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!

This devotional is taken from the book Destined to Reign Devotional—Daily Reflections for Effortless Success, Wholeness and Victorious Living. Joseph Prince

Perfected Forever Through Jesus’ Perfect Work

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God . . . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10:12, 14

As a believer, have you ever been plagued by thoughts of how you haven’t been good enough or haven’t done enough to deserve God’s blessings? That your imperfection disqualifies you from receiving anything good from God?

If you’ve been struggling with these thoughts, I want you to read and reread today’s scripture and let it saturate your heart, mind, and conscience. Let the knowledge of how you are completely forgiven and forever perfected by Jesus’ finished work at the cross sink in.

You are not going to be forgiven and perfected one day through all your hard work. No, my friend, the good news is, you already are forgiven and perfected—once and for all time—through Jesus’ sacrifice.

And how long is forever? I checked the original Greek word for forever in the verse and guess what? “Forever” means forever! You have been totally forgiven and perfected forever by Jesus’ cleansing blood, not by the blood of animal sacrifices that can never take away sins.

Pastor Prince, how can I be fully assured that all my sins have already been forgiven?

Good question! Notice that after Jesus offered His life as a sacrifice and payment for all our sins, He “sat down” at the Father’s right hand. Jesus sat down to demonstrate to us that the work is indeed finished!

Under the old covenant, the priest who served in the tabernacle of Moses never sat down, but “stands ministering daily” because his work could never be finished. The blood of bulls and goats could “never take away sins” (Heb. 10:11).

Interestingly, in the holy place of the tabernacle of Moses, there was not a single piece of furniture prepared for the priest to sit on. You would not find a single chair in the holy place. You would find the altar of incense, the menorah, and even a table of showbread, but not chairs.

This was because the work of the priest was never finished. Only Jesus’ work is a finished work.

My friend, you can rest easy in your heart and mind today. You can relax because Jesus has finished the work. In God’s eyes, you are forever perfect, spotless, and washed whiter than snow by the precious, eternal blood of His Son. And it’s permanent!

Your part is simply to believe and receive all that Jesus has done for you. That’s how you reign in life over sin, addictions, and whatever the enemy throws at you. That’s how you come up tops in all of life’s challenges!

This devotional is taken from the book Reign in Life—90 Powerful Inspirations for Extraordinary Breakthroughs. Joseph Prince