Been Toiling All Night?

The goodness of God leads you to repentance.

Romans 2:4

Famished and fatigued from working all night at sea and catching nothing, Peter and his crew of fishermen carried their fishing nets to shore as the golden sun rose over the Galilean horizon. As they began washing their nets, large numbers of people began to throng the waterfront. Then Peter saw the man everyone was crowding to see.

Before Peter knew it, this man headed in his direction and got into his boat! He then gestured to Peter, and Peter and his crew instinctively grabbed their nets and went back into the boat. The man smiled warmly at Peter and asked if Peter could push the boat out some distance from the shore.

By this time, the waterfront was blanketed with people eager to hear this man speak. Peter turned to his seasoned crew and instructed them to push the boat out. The crew responded swiftly to their captain and watched as the man sat down by the edge of the boat and began teaching the multitudes gathered on the shore.

When he was done speaking, he turned to Peter and requested that Peter and his men launch out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch. The request stung Peter’s heart and he explained to the man that they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. Nevertheless, he was willing to comply with the man’s request.

Peter found himself wondering, What would a carpenter from Nazareth know about fishing? Peter had been fishing in these waters since he was a youth and knew the most opportune time to fish—definitely not this late in the morning!

As the boat reached the deep waters, Peter just went through the motions and cast one net into the water. One net, he thought, was enough to prove his point that there simply weren’t any fish to be caught!

Had it been anyone else—anyone but this man who carried himself with quiet authority and a warm friendliness—he would have scoffed at the request. But this man . . . something in his voice and carriage just made Peter acquiesce to his request more readily than his head knew why and despite every instinct telling him nothing was going to happen.

What happened next stunned Peter.

It was as if the net suddenly became a fish magnet! Massive schools of large tilapia rushed into the net from every direction, straining its capacity until it began to tear as Peter and his men began to haul up this unprecedented load of fish.

The amazed and frantic fishermen quickly hollered to their friends in another boat to come and help them. Now two boats were lined up side by side, with both crews hauling fish into their boats. The men worked furiously, loading onto the boats the thrashing fish with their silver scales glistening in the sun . . . until both boats were so full of fish that they began to sink!

Blown away by what he was witnessing, Simon Peter knelt before Jesus and proclaimed, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8).

Let me ask you this question: which came first—Peter’s repentance or God’s blessing? Under the new covenant of grace, God blesses you first, and His blessings, favor, and overflowing love lead you to repentance!

Peter and his crew of mariners had toiled painstakingly all night and caught nothing. Then, when Jesus stepped for the first time into his boat, Peter’s business suddenly experienced a surge beyond his wildest imagination.

Today, the same thing can happen to you in your career, family, or health, as you open your heart to receive the Lord’s goodness and love.

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

How to Live Fearlessly

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Psalm 91:5–6

I love how Psalm 91 reminds us that we have round-the-clock protection.

Whether it is at night or in the day. Whether it is in darkness or at noonday. Whether we are faced with a terror or confronted by arrows. Whether pestilences threaten or destruction looms. We do not have to be afraid because our God, who watches over us, neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:3–4)!

The reality is, the world we live in seems to be engulfed in negative news and fear. We often hear reports of senseless terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, horrific accidents claiming multiple victims, or an epidemic affecting entire communities, leading to hundreds of babies being born with deformities. I know that many can’t help but dread that the same tragedies could befall them.

But beloved, I want you to know that in the midst of all that is happening in the world, you can be fearless, and this comes from knowing the Lord as the God of peace.

Romans chapter 15 ends with the apostle Paul saying, “Now the God of peace be with you all” (Rom. 15:33). You might ask, Isn’t God with us all the time? Why then did Paul specifically say, “The God of peace be with you all”?

What Paul was speaking over the people was for God to manifest Himself as the God of peace in their lives. In other words, even though God is always with us, we may not always experience Him as the God of peace.

Do you know what happens when God manifests Himself as the God of peace in your life? Romans 16:20 tells us this: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Do you see what the God of peace will do in your life? He will crush every fear, every worry, and every anxiety!

Do you see grace in that verse as well? Grace—the undeserved, unearned, and unmerited favor of God—is the only thing against which the devil has no defense.

That is why we put our faith in the blood of Jesus when we talk about protection. His sinless blood was shed to pay the price for the guilty one.

And because Jesus paid the price, we who are in Him have a right to walk in divine health and protection. Grace qualifies us for God’s all-encompassing protection. Amen!

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

Message from Amir Tsarfati

Other countries that the Bible mentioned that are going to come up against Israel are already surfacing in the news. Libya, we start seeing in Libya, action that is resulting from the shenanigans of Russia, Iran, and Turkey in that country. Sudan, we see that both Russia and Iran and even Turkey are doing stuff there. Of course, the Abraham Accords that Trump started in 2020, they will continue and we will have even the Saudis very, very soon added to this very thing. And we’re talking about it right now. You can see that.

And why am I saying that? Because the Bible says that while Iran is going to join Russia, Turkey, Sheba, and Dedan, which is Saudi of today, will protest against it because they’re on the side of Israel. For that war to start, Israel must be safe, secure, and prosperous. And we know that it happens. That’s what Ezekiel 38 says. “Behold son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold I am against you.”’”

God is for Israel and God is against those who come against Israel. And He says that the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal is going to come, and Persia and Ethiopia, which is Sudan of today, and Libya will join them. Gomer and Togarmah, which is Turkey of today, and many people with you. So you can see all the countries, and I bet you will see that happening either during Trump’s administration or right after that. These are the countries that are going to rise up against Israel. These are the countries of the Ezekiel 38 war that will come.

And right after that war, following the supernatural victory of God in that war, messianic aspirations will continue to increase, which will unfortunately lead to the acceptance of a false Messiah based on the false understanding of who and what Messiah is all about. And when you don’t think the Messiah is God and that He didn't come to die for your sins, it’s very easy to choose a man promising prosperity, peace, and, above all, the temple in Jerusalem. And that is exactly what Daniel in chapter 9 says that the last seven years will bring upon Israel.

We live in a time that could best be described as a strange dichotomy. It is a perilous time and an incredible time at the same time. Much of the world strangely seems to have lost their minds. Long held truths and facts are viewed as narrow and bigoted. Yet, we are living in a moment when ancient prophecies are being fulfilled, or are lining up for fulfillment, like never before in history. This is incredible!

Twenty-five hundred years ago, a man named Daniel was told seventy seven-year periods were “determined” for his people and the holy city. Sixty-nine of those seven-year periods have come to pass, and the seventieth is on the horizon. Around that same time, the prophet Ezekiel wrote that a group of nations would invade Israel from the north and be destroyed by God.

There was no Israel to invade for nearly 2 millennia. Then, on May 14, 1948, this changed and the invasion became possible. Today, it is not just possible, it is probable that it will happen soon. The fact is, if God said it would happen in His word, it will happen just as the Bible says, even if it takes thousands of years to be fulfilled. 

Ezekiel also mentioned that nations will protest this invasion. Just as the invading forces – Russia, Turkey, Iran, Sudan and Libya – are in coalition together, so too the protesting nations – Saudi Arabia and the Arab gulf states – have been developing diplomatic ties with Israel. Incredible!

We live in perilous, yet incredible, times. Never has a generation had more reason to trust the Bible than the one we are living in now. Yet, many today deny the Bible’s authenticity and divine inspiration in spite of prophecies being fulfilled or preparing for fulfillment right before our eyes.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

While the day and hour of our departure to meet the Lord in the air is unknowable, the season during which it will happen is not. It will be as it was in Noah’s day, and those who are sons of the light will not be taken by surprise. Instead, we will be living in expectation of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ! (Titus 2:13)

This is not the time for Christians to sit and wait. This is a time to go and preach the gospel to every creature, for Jesus is coming for us soon!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus

Pulling Down Strongholds

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:3–4

As you meditate on Bible promises that proclaim God’s truth over your life, you are already beginning to win the battle for your mind. It’s not a coincidence that Jesus was crucified on Golgotha, which actually means “Place of a Skull” (Matt. 27:33). Your breakthrough has to begin in your mind first.

This battle for your mind is not waged externally. Our weapons in this battle are not physical or tangible. Our weapons are the weapons of right believing and they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds that have kept us bound. These are strongholds that can only be utterly torn down by rightly believing in the truth of God’s Word.

The devil can only sow wrong thoughts in your mind but he cannot control what you believe! When you start to believe right, every lie and wrong thought will melt away like butter on a hot, sunny day. Lies can imprison and defeat you only to the degree that you don’t allow God’s truth to come into your situation to liberate you.

Listen closely to what Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). What this means is that whatever stronghold you are trapped in today, truth from Jesus will set you free!

Strongholds are wrong thoughts and lies that have been perpetuated in your mind over weeks, months, or even years. These entrenched wrong beliefs cause you to live in bondage to addictions and in a state of fear, guilt, anxiety, or chronic depression.

God’s Word tells us in no uncertain terms that the warfare takes place in our minds and is won by us “pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

The place where the enemy launches his attacks against you is in your thoughts and imagination. I believe that once you are aware that there is a war for your mind, and that it is between wrong beliefs and right beliefs, you have already won half the battle!

Keep hearing, keep believing, and keep renewing your mind with the truth of God’s grace and love for you. And whatever stronghold you may be trapped in today, the truth from His Word will set you free!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing. Joseph Prince

Only Good Gifts

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Matthew 7:11

As a father, it always pains me to see my children unwell. My firstborn daughter, Jessica, is all grown up now, but I remember how it broke my heart to see her bawling when she was suffering from viral fever as a baby.

I remember cradling her in my arms and praying over her as I paced around her room the whole night. I sponged her feverish body over and over again. As long as she was sick, I could not rest.

I hated the fever that was causing my baby to convulse in pain. I would have done anything to alleviate her discomfort. If I could have taken her fever in my own body so she would not have to go through the pain, I would have gladly done so.

What I feel when my children are unwell is only a microcosmic reflection of what our heavenly Father feels for us when we are unwell. He wants us brimming with health and life. He hates sicknesses and diseases because of what they do to us.

But the difference is this: He was able to take our sicknesses, and He put them on Jesus’ own body as He hung on the cross, so that we would not have to suffer them. The Bible tells us: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17).

Why did our Lord Jesus do that? Because He loves us so much. He could not rest until He had secured our salvation, our health, and our wholeness. Finally, when He had borne every sin, every disease, and every infirmity upon His own body, He cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and rested.

The Bible shows us this clearly: God is a good God. He is our loving heavenly Father. That is why I cannot understand why there are those who teach that God sometimes uses sickness to teach us a lesson or that we need to “pray hard” for His healing.

Can you imagine any earthly father inflicting suffering on his own child? Must you be persuaded to alleviate your child’s pain?

There are even some people who claim that it is sometimes God’s will for us to be sick. But when their own children fall sick, they do everything within their power to ensure their children recover. If it were really God’s will for us to be sick, seeking recovery would be deliberately trying to get out of God’s will!

My friend, reject anything that even remotely suggests that God uses sickness and suffering to teach us something. Our Father is full of grace and mercy and wants us to be healthy, provided for, and protected from every evil occurrence, sickness, and disease!

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

Message from Amir Tsarfati

Shalom from the cool and beautiful Jezreel Valley! When you look around, especially at the fertile farmland below where I live, it’s not hard to figure out why the Israelites called this nation a land of milk and honey.

Before we get into the MidEast news, I feel that I need to take a moment to clarify what it is that I do with this newsletter, with the online updates, and with my Telegram posts. First, did you know that Behold Israel began as a news service? My whole goal was to share with the world what was taking place in the Middle East region, and, when possible, to filter it through the lens of Scripture. As time went on, the ministry expanded. Many of my teachings from around the globe went online. We provided materials, led tours, and began to publish written resources, including books. But through it all, Behold Israel never left its roots as a purveyor of Israel-related news.

Unfortunately, the news part of the ministry has sometimes gotten me into trouble with people who are only connecting with Behold Israel for the Bible teaching. “Amir, quit talking about politics and ‘left and right’ and just teach the Word.” If you only tune in to Behold Israel for my messages, then fantastic! It’s wonderful to have you as part of the family! But you also need to realize that there is this other side of the ministry – the news side – that I am called by God to carry out.

The election of Donald Trump has been especially trying for this news/bible tension. Everyone has an opinion about the returning president, and not all those opinions are favorable. This dichotomy of views extends within the church. Recently, there has been a diaspora of followers from various Behold Israel medias. Some say that I’m too pro-Trump. Others say that I’m not pro-Trump enough.

Wouldn’t it be easier to simply not report about the U.S. president? Absolutely not. In fact, it would be impossible. How could I discuss Israel and Gaza without referencing Trump’s policies? The nuclear program in Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, the relationship with Saudi Arabia, our future with Turkey, Israel’s tension with Russia, our connections to the Lebanese, the Kurds, the Druze, the Jordanians, the United Nations, Western Europe – when it comes to Israel, every one of these issues is tied to the United States, some to a great degree and others less so.

At the moment, if it comes across like I am strongly pro-Trump, it is simply because right now Trump is strongly pro-Israel. It’s true that I said a lot of negative things about the previous administration, but that was because many of their policies were strongly anti-Israel. When their decisions were good for my nation, I was quick to point that out.

The great Reverend Clarence Larkin once said that “Bible prophecy has nothing to say about the nations as such in their affairs with one another, but rather in their relations to Israel – the people and the land.” That is how I try to report the news. My focus is on Israel. Right now, the White House is very closely tied in with Israeli affairs, so it is often mentioned in my Telegram updates. When I think good things are being done that will positively affect my nation, I’ll praise them. When I think decisions are being made that could be deleterious to Israel, I’ll call those out and condemn them. It’s the actions that count to me, not the party. I am not a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent. I’m an Israeli, and it is from that perspective that I report the news.

Faith Is Not a Struggle

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 NASB

Have you ever felt like you needed more faith? Have you ever looked at yourself and told yourself that if you just had more faith, you would see your financial breakthrough or healing?

My friend, I have good news for you today: faith is not a struggle. The Scriptures show us that the hearing of faith and the works of the law are total opposites (Gal. 3:2, 5). And since the works of the law are about our self-efforts, there is no self-effort in faith.

For years, my own ministry was a ministry that disqualified people. I would tell my congregation, “There’s nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with His Word, so there must be something wrong with you!”

But one day, I heard the Lord speaking to me on the inside. He said, “Stop disqualifying My people! My blood has already qualified them. Stop disqualifying them!”

Now, I know that faith is the opposite of the law, and that the more people become self-conscious and the more they look at their self-efforts to receive from the Lord, the more faith is depleted from them.

So when the Lord opened my eyes to grace, I changed what I was preaching entirely and began to declare, “There’s nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with His Word, and guess what? Through the blood of Jesus, there’s nothing wrong with you! Receive your miracle!”

Hallelujah! Once I stopped pointing the people to what was wrong with them and pointed instead to what was right with them because of Jesus, faith was imparted, and we began to experience an explosion of healing miracles like never before. Cancers were healed, tumors were supernaturally removed, and lives were transformed.

That is what happens when believers know that they have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus. They begin to understand that they have the blood-bought right to be healed, to experience financial breakthroughs, and to enjoy restoration in their marriages!

When people begin to see more of Jesus, when they begin to become more and more conscious of Jesus having been crucified on their behalf, faith no longer is a barrier to receiving God’s promises.

Why? Because the more they see what Jesus has done for them, the more they see what Jesus has qualified them for, the more faith springs up within them and miracles break forth. Hallelujah!

Beloved, you don’t have to wish that you had more faith for whatever miracle you are asking God for right now. You don’t have to try to conjure up more faith.

Simply see Jesus on the cross for you and the faith you need to face any situation or challenge will come into your life. Just look to Jesus and His grace toward you! He is the author and finisher of faith (Heb. 12:2).

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. The more of Jesus and His love you hear, the more faith rises in your heart.

Get hold of teachings that preach all about Jesus and His finished work. Make it your priority to listen to the good news preached.

There is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ! Reach out and receive your miracle from your loving Savior today!

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

See What God Sees

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

Learning to see what God sees is a powerful key in right believing. It involves replacing your wrong beliefs with right beliefs based on God’s Word.

When Jesus saw the man with the withered hand, He didn’t just see the withered hand, He saw that there was more than enough grace for that hand to be made completely whole. Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” The man did as told, and his hand was completely restored and made as whole as his other hand (Mark 3:1–5).

Now, you don’t say “stretch out your hand” to someone whose hand is obviously shriveled and disabled unless you see differently. Jesus sees differently from you and me.

That’s why we need to go back to God’s Word and learn to see what He sees. When Jesus sees a disease, a lack, or someone trapped in fear, guilt, addiction, and sin, He doesn’t just see the problem. He sees God’s healing, grace, and power superabounding in that area of weakness.

You too can change what you believe by seeing beyond what your natural eyes see. Press in to see what God sees. In your very area of lack, struggle, or challenge, see His superabounding grace all around your current situation.

Jesus says to you today, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Give all your weaknesses, failings, and mistakes to the Lord Jesus and see Him transform your weaknesses into strengths.

What you believe is powerful, so are you going by what you see or what God sees?

You may not be able to stop negative thoughts from passing through your mind or unhealthy emotions such as fear gripping your heart but you can definitely anchor your thoughts and emotions on the unshakable Word of God. You can certainly ensure that you believe right regarding what God says about you in His Word, which contains His precious promises to you.

The more you learn and believe right about His love and what His Word says about your situation and your life, the more your thoughts will line up with His thoughts about you. You’ll begin to develop thoughts of peace and not of evil, thoughts of hope and a bright future (Jer. 29:11). And you’ll be transformed!

This devotional is taken from the book 100 Days of Right Believing—Daily Readings from The Power of Right Believing. Joseph Prince

Message from Amir Tsarfati

The book of Judges is not a great compliment to the spiritual state of Israel. Nehemiah wrote of this later, way later. He said, “Therefore, You delivered them into the hands of their enemies who oppressed them, and in the time of their trouble, when they cried out to You, You heard from heaven and according to Your abundant mercies, You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies. But after they had rest, they again did evil before You. And therefore, You left them in the hand of their enemies so that they had dominion over them. But yet, when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven. And many times, you delivered them according to Your mercies.”

It’s not according to their deeds, it’s according to His mercies. We need to stop thinking that Israel has to be a perfect nation in order for God to fulfill His promises for them. This thought is not biblical. Now you’re probably going to say, “Yeah, but they have to believe in Jesus to get saved.” Sure they have to. But the plan of God for Israel, until the moment all of Israel will be saved, is a plan that has been already determined and neither the Amorites nor the Amalekites or even Hamas or the Ayatollahs can ever put an end to it. So you have to choose who do you support? On which side you want to be when you already know the end? You know the result.

Seated with Christ

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

There is a lot of fearmongering everywhere you turn today—on the news, in the papers, via social media, and unfortunately, on Christian media as well. However, it is vital that we do not let fear take over our hearts.

As believers, we have no business feeding on fear. If your mind is entangled with knots of anxiety, perhaps it’s time for you to examine your mental diet.

What have you, consciously or unconsciously, been meditating on? Are you ingesting and believing everything you see in the news reports, or are you living by what the Lord Jesus has purchased for you at Calvary?

To help you understand God’s heart for you regarding fear and your walking in His protection, I want to share with you a powerful key from today’s verse, the very first verse of Psalm 91, the prayer of protection. The Hebrew word for “dwell” is yashab, which means “to sit down, to remain, or to settle.”

Notice that the very first thing that God wants you to do to enjoy His protection is to rest. His protection, peace, love, and other blessings flow in your life when you are in a place of rest.

Let’s camp on the word dwell just a little more. Let’s meditate on what it means to rest or “sit down.” The Bible says that we are seated with Christ at God’s right hand (Eph. 2:6, Heb. 1:3). The word “seated” is beautiful—it means that you are no longer standing and working.

Under the old covenant, the priest had to offer the morning sacrifice at 9 a.m., and then remain standing for six hours until after the evening sacrifice at 3 p.m. Our Lord Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. and He hung on the cross for six hours until He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices (Heb. 10:11–12).

Because Jesus became the final sacrifice, the work of the priest is done and he no longer has to stand. Because our Lord cried, “It is finished!” at Calvary (John 19:30), we are today seated in Christ. We can dwell in the secret place of the Most High—a place of peace, safety, and security—and we can live fear-free because the blood of our Lord Jesus has paid for every blessing of protection in Psalm 91!

Today, whether you are dealing with a difficult financial situation, a sleep disorder, or plagued by depressive or even suicidal thoughts, my desire is for you to discover a God who loves you, and whose strong hands of protection are over your entire life and over every area that concerns you.

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

The Holy Spirit Convicts Believers of Righteousness

“And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

John 16:8–11

Are you among the many believers who wonder how to differentiate between the enemy’s condemnation and the Holy Spirit “convicting them of sin”? That is a question that confuses a lot of believers and the answer is really simple.

Now, pay attention to today’s scripture because it will liberate you. The bottom line is that the Holy Spirit never convicts a believer of his sins. He never comes to point out your faults. I challenge you to find a scripture in the Bible that tells you the Holy Spirit has come to convict believers of their sins. You won’t find any!

The body of Christ is living in defeat because many believers don’t understand that the Holy Spirit is actually in them to convict them of their righteousness in Christ. Even when you fail, He is ever present in you to remind you that the blood of Jesus has made you totally forgiven and eternally righteous. That’s the Holy Spirit.

Remember, it is important to always read Bible verses in their context. Many people end up misinterpreting Bible verses because they fail to do this. One way to read Bible verses in their context (and this is a key Bible interpretation principle) is to identify who the verses are talking about. So was Jesus talking about believers or unbelievers in John 16:8–11?

When Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to “convict the world of sin” because they do not believe in Him, it is clear that He was referring to unbelievers because they are of “the world.” And notice that the Holy Spirit does not convict the world of “sins” (plural). It is only one “sin” (singular) that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of, and that is the sin of unbelief, the sin of rejecting Jesus and not believing in His finished work.

But when people take John 16:8 out of its proper context, they start to believe erroneously that the Holy Spirit is here to convict believers of their sins. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit convicts you “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more.”

Clearly, with the use of the second person pronoun “you,” Jesus was referring to His believers to whom He was talking. This tells us that the Holy Spirit was sent to convict believers of righteousness, not sin!

Now, are you made righteous by your works or by faith in Jesus? By now, you should know that you are made righteous by faith, for righteousness is not right doing, but right standing before God because of your right believing!

So when you miss it, the Holy Spirit comes to convict and remind you that you are the righteousness of God because of Jesus Christ. He is present to remind you of the main clause of the new covenant—that God will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and your lawless deeds, He will remember no more (Heb. 8:12).

Beloved, the Holy Spirit is your Helper (John 14:16). He was sent to live in you to help you, not to nag at you and point out all your faults. Nobody can live with a nag.

The Holy Spirit is not a nag. No, He was sent to help you by convicting you of your everlasting righteousness in Christ. God’s inexhaustible grace in your life and the power of the cross can only be understood by the revelation the Spirit brings.

Right now, you need Him to show you that even if you have just failed, you are still the righteousness of God in Christ. This is why the Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter” (John 14:26 KJV). He is here to comfort you and to point you back to the cross of Jesus every time you fail. The only thing that He will convict you of is your righteousness in Jesus Christ!

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

Commandments Lead To Happiness

Matthew 5:32, 'But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.'

God's commandments are not intended to make us miserable--they're meant for our own happiness. Satan's lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God's motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5).

Malachi 2:15 says God hates divorce. God doesn't hate the people who divorce. He hates the act of divorce because of the damage it does to people. God loves people.

Today, people see divorce as an easy way out of marital problems. But this is based on the misconception that the mate is the problem--which is rarely the case.

People who blame their mate for their problems give in easily to divorce, thinking that a new partner will solve the situation. Yet second marriages have over twice the failure rate of first marriages. That's because we take ourselves and all our unresolved problems into the next marriage.

You can't control other people--not even your mate. But through obeying the Lord, you can control yourself and have fulness of joy. God's commands tell us what will produce true happiness for us. Andrew Womack

Message from Amir Tsarfati

Shalom from the Jezreel Valley! It has been a very difficult week here in Israel, so I am going to get right to it. By tomorrow, Israel should be receiving the final four of this week’s ten hostages. In return, Hamas will receive 640 terrorists, 151 with blood on their hands. The difference between those whom Israel will welcome home and those Hamas will receive goes beyond the numbers. The primary distinction is that all of the Palestinian terrorists are alive, while four of our hostages are not.

Hamas terrorists = 640, Israeli hostages = 10.

Living Hamas terrorists = 640, living Israeli hostages = 6.

There is a plethora of sins that I blame Hamas for. But this discrepancy is not one of them. They are simply taking advantage of the situation that the Israeli government has created for them. You’d be a fool to agree to a 10 for 10 swap if you knew that you could get another 630 thrown into the bargain. This is the world that Israel has created for itself. Wisdom says that you don’t pay for hostages. Why? Just look at the numbers above.

Do I blame Netanyahu’s government for doing what they’ve done? I don’t, because they are playing with the hand they’ve been dealt. These lopsided deals over human lives began before Bibi was in office. Now that they are standard, it is impossible to stop without simply saying, “Sorry, citizens and families of the hostages, we’re going to have to let your sons and husbands be brutally murdered so that we can make a point.” That is a public relations pit that you’ll never climb back out of. But, more than that, it is a moral gutpunch that few consciences could survive.

With this swap, we end Phase 1 of the deal. Hamas is still holding 59 of our people in captivity, 24 of whom we believe are still alive. The terrorists say, “We’d love to give you back the rest of your people. But we want three things in return. First, we want all Israeli troops out of Gaza, never to return. Second, Hamas must stay in power. Third, we want Gaza to be reconstructed.” Israel’s reply is, “First, we aren’t leaving. Second, you aren’t staying. Third, Gaza will be reconstructed, but Donald Trump has a much greater chance of getting it done than you do.”

In other words, we are at a stand-off. The liberal left in Israel is screaming to just pull out. Getting the hostages back is worth any price, they say. Those with common sense counter that doing so will just encourage more hostage taking. The liberal left responds by forcing Netanyahu to come in to testify at a bogus trial while he has a nation in crisis to lead. It’s so aggravating. It reminds me of the screeching of the media in both Israel and the United States. When you have no true facts or logic to back up your position, you yell and attack and make stupid stuff up. That is where Israel is as a nation right now.

Except for yesterday during the procession that took the bodies of Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas to their final resting place in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Thousands upon thousands of people lined the roads on the long drive to the south. No eye was dry. No chest was unclenched. It was a nation filled with sorrow and pain. Everyone knew how these three innocents were strangled by hand, then mutilated. I’m not going to get into the details here, but if you want to know how they died you can read it here.

There is no dealing with these terrorists. They are worse than animals. When they released the six living hostages earlier this week, they brought two more captives who were forced to remain in a vehicle. As those on stage were forced to show their appreciation for their captors before being passed on to the Red Cross, these other two hostages were mocked as they were required to watch. Once the ceremony was completed, the two hostages were taken back down to the tunnels to resume their captivity. It was simply barbarous.

I don’t know what will happen from here. Steve Witkoff, special envoy of President Trump, says the Palestinians need to get out of Gaza. Saudi Arabia and the UAE say they’ve got to go. But Egypt and Qatar disagree, saying they’ve got to stay. Hamas is experiencing infighting now that some of the leaders are recognizing the price they paid for October 7. There are factions in Hezbollah for jumping in on October 8. It’s all coming to a head and something will have to explode somewhere.

No Smell of Smoke on You

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Daniel 3:26–27 NLT

There is truly no other god who can rescue like our God. Whatever circumstances you might be thrown into, our Lord Jesus is the fourth man with you in the midst of the fire. Notice how He didn’t stand outside of the fire, but was in the fire together with the three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they were thrown inside for defying King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

This brings a whole new meaning for us when we read the verse, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6).

Our Lord doesn’t deliver you from afar; He is with you in the midst of your adversity. Call upon Him and He will answer you. When Jesus is with you, nothing can harm you!

Don’t you just love how the Word of God describes the three friends when they came out of the furnace? They were in the fire, but it had absolutely no power over them. It did not even leave a trace of smoke on them! Now, that’s a beautiful picture of God’s divine protection!

Beloved, as you call upon the Lord in your day of trouble, my prayer for you is that the trial you are going through will have no power over you; it will not even leave a smell on you. Instead, I declare in Jesus’ name that you will walk out of that challenge in your life and the only smell on you will be the fragrance of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 2:14)!

And as the people around you witness how the Lord delivers you, may they come to know His wonderful name and give Him praise. Instead of being negatively affected by whatever trial you might face, I pray that you will receive honor and promotion just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Amen!

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

The Best Sinner

Matthew 5:20, 'For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.'

What did Jesus mean? Since the Pharisees fasted twice each week, does this mean we have to fast three times each week? Since they paid tithes on everything including spices, does this mean that anyone who fails to tithe is doomed to hell?

No! Definitely not. The Pharisees' righteousness was based on their actions. Jesus is advocating a righteousness that is based on faith in what He did for us.

Trusting in our own actions will never grant us access to God. We may be better than others, but who wants to be the best sinner that ever went to hell? We have all sinned and come short of perfection which is what God requires (Rom. 3:23).

The only one who was ever good enough to earn right standing with God is Jesus. And His righteousness is offered as a gift to anyone who will put their faith in Him as their Savior.

Jesus offers us a righteousness by faith that is so far superior to the self righteousness that the Pharisees had that there is no comparison. This is the righteousness that we need and which is available to us only through faith in Christ. AndrewWomack

What the New Covenant Hinges On

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Hebrews 8:12

Today, because of the cross, you are under the new covenant of grace. Now, what does the new covenant hinge on? Beloved, God is so good.

The new covenant that God has made is not dependent on anything that you and I must do because He knows that we will always fail. Listen carefully. The new covenant works because of one thing only, and it is the last clause of the new covenant—“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

To the measure that you have a revelation of this clause and all its blessings, to that measure you will walk in it. The new covenant works because God says that He will be merciful to our unrighteousness, and our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more!

Note the word “For.” It means “because.” The new covenant works because God says that He will be merciful to our unrighteousness, and our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more! “No more” means that there was a time God remembered our sins, even to punish them to the third and fourth generations (Ex. 20:5). This is found in the Ten Commandments.

However, today, God says emphatically, “No more!" (It is the double negative that is used in the Greek.) "No more" means that God will never again remember our sins against us because He remembered (to punish) all our sins in the body of His Son.

Jesus bore God’s punishment of our sins on the cross. Now, we can walk in the new covenant and hear God say, “Your sins and lawless deeds I remember no more.”

My friend, the new covenant works because of the last clause. In other words, because of Hebrews 8:12, God can put His laws in our minds and write them on our hearts, and all of us can know Him and be led by Him. It is His mercy toward us that enables us to hear Him and be led by Him to victory in every situation!

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

He Will Share His Reward

Matthew 5:12, 'Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'

Jesus is saying that persecution should actually cause us to rejoice. There are many positive things about persecution but one of the best reasons to rejoice is because of the reward awaiting us in heaven.

Jesus takes the persecution of His saints very seriously as can be seen during the Damascus road experience of the apostle Paul. The Lord asked Paul (then Saul), 'Why are you persecuting me?' (Acts 9:4) He didn't say, 'Why are you persecuting my people?' but 'Why are you persecuting me?'

It is not actually us that people are rejecting but they are rejecting the One we represent. Therefore, Jesus promised to share His reward with us. All the glory and honor that Jesus has and will receive will be shared with those who have suffered shame for His name's sake (Rom. 8:17). What a great reward!

Focusing on the reward instead of the persecution can actually make us rejoice when people speak against us (Acts 5:41). Paul actually longed to experience the fellowship that Jesus provided to those who suffered for His sake (Phil. 3:10). God's reward is infinitely greater than any suffering we will ever encounter. Andrew Womack

The Waterfall of Forgiveness

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

Let me tell you a story about a little boy who used to play in the woods just a short distance away from the dilapidated hut that he lived in. His parents were too poor to buy him any toys, so he had to make do with whatever he could find.

One day, he chanced upon a stone that was unlike any he had ever seen. The polished surface of the stone glistened in his hands and winked at him each time he turned it around in the sunlight. It was his very own treasure and he loved it.

The boy did not dare to bring it back to his home as there was nowhere in the hut he could hide it. He decided to dig a deep hole under some bushes and hide his precious possession there.

The next day, the boy couldn’t wait to retrieve his stone and ran to its hiding place as soon as the sun arose. But when his fingers finally found the stone in its muddy hideaway, it was all mud-caked and dull, without any of the luster that he loved so much.

The boy took the stone to the stream and carefully dipped it in, allowing the dirt to be washed away. Finally, it was clean again and the boy’s heart swelled with pride at his treasured find. But all too soon, the time came for the boy to head home and he had to return the stone to its hiding place.

Every day, the boy would rush to the spot where he had hidden the stone. And every day, he would find its shiny surface smeared with mud and he would trek to the river some distance away to wash it.

This happened for a while before he decided to solve the problem permanently. That day, when it was almost time for him to head home, the little boy took his stone to a small waterfall and wedged it carefully between two rocks, right in the middle of the steady flow of the waterfall.

That night, the stone experienced a continual washing. And that little boy never had to wash the stone again. Every time he retrieved it, it gleamed in his hands, completely cleansed.

Beloved, when you were born again, you became a living stone whom God placed right under the waterfall of His Son’s blood. And today’s scripture shows us the effect of that continual cleansing of Jesus’ blood—it keeps us walking in the realm of light that His death has translated us into.

If you were to dig deeper into the rich treasures of God’s Word, you will find that in the Greek, the tense for the word cleanse in 1 John 1:7 denotes a present and continuous action, which means that from the moment you receive Christ, the blood of Jesus keeps on cleansing you.

This is why believers who have been translated from darkness by Jesus’ death are kept walking in the light even when they miss it and fail. As a believer, you are truly under a perpetual waterfall of His blood that keeps on cleansing you from all your sins.

You know that negative thought that you had a few minutes ago? Well, that has been cleansed too! Every thought that is not right, every action that is not correct, is washed away! You are always kept clean and forgiven and always walking in His light because of the continuous cleansing of Jesus’ blood!

Beloved, believing that you need to confess your sins all the time to be right with God will only make you more sin-conscious. But knowing that you are constantly under Jesus’ waterfall of His cleansing blood will keep you forgiveness-conscious. And knowing that you are forgiven of all your sins will give you the power to reign over every destructive habit and live a life of victory!

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

At Thy Word

Luke 5:5, 'And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.'

Peter and his companions had been working hard all night. Their efforts had not produced even one fish. They had given up and were headed home. But Jesus told them to try it just one more time.

It would have been easy for Peter to reject Jesus' command. After all, Peter had been a fisherman all his life. Jesus was just a preacher. What did He know about fishing? Yet something, or rather someone, caused Peter to try just once more.

Many people are like Simon Peter and his partners. They have done all that they know to do and yet they've come up empty-handed. This breeds a despair and hopelessness that causes many people to quit trying. Yet, just one word from Jesus could make the same tasks that have been unproductive on our own bear great fruit.

The key to success or failure lies in doing things at the word of Jesus. Peter said, 'at thy word I will let down the net.' God's words always get results.

Today, make sure your efforts are directed by God and you will experience the results that have eluded you in the past. Andrew Womack

Unveiling the Value of Jesus

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

John 12:3

Our Lord Jesus loved to frequent Bethany where He could be among His closest friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Bethany was a home away from home for our Lord. There, His friends loved Him, honored Him, and truly valued His presence. On His part, He cherished their company dearly, and always felt comfortable and relaxed with them.

Six days before He gave Himself up to be crucified, He gathered His friends together in Bethany, which was about two miles away from Jerusalem. They had prepared a feast in His honor, but their reunion was overshadowed by the looming Passover, which was less than a week away. His friends understood to some degree what the Lord intended to do, and their hearts were heavy because they cared deeply for Him.

As our Lord Jesus was eating, Mary brought out a jar of spikenard, a very costly fragrant oil. So costly, in fact, that it was worth a whole year’s wages. But it wasn’t the hours she had toiled to earn the oil that Mary thought about as she cradled the jar in her hands.

It was Jesus. It was her Lord.

She had come prepared to worship Jesus and her heart overflowed with a love that could not be expressed in words as she drew near to Him. Gratitude and adoration welled up inside her as she knelt quietly beside Him.

Not sparing a drop of her exquisite tribute, she anointed the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. And the entire house was filled with the opulent fragrance of her worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Upon witnessing this lavish and extravagant gesture, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, lashed out indignantly, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5).

The sad reality is this: Judas could tell the value of the oil straightaway, but he couldn’t see the value of our Lord Jesus. He is like so many people today who know the value of real estate, commodities, and publicly traded companies in the stock market, but not the value of our Lord Jesus.

Mary understood the value of our Lord implicitly. Because she esteemed Jesus so greatly, anointing Him with her most valuable possession was simply an outward representation of just how much she loved, valued, and cherished our Lord Jesus inwardly.

What Judas Iscariot saw as waste, Mary saw as worship. To her, the person of our Lord Jesus was priceless.

Have you ever been told that reading the Bible is a waste of time? That serving and being engaged in your local church is a waste of time? That bringing your tithes to your church is a waste of money? My dear reader, there will always be such accusatory voices in the world. Why? Because these voices do not understand the value of our Lord Jesus.

I am so glad that you appreciate the value of our Lord Jesus, which is why you are taking time to read this devotional that is all about the person of Jesus. The grace revolution is all about unveiling the value of Jesus. When you know the value of Jesus, Who He is, what He has done, and what He is still doing in your life today, you will experience a grace revolution in your life.

You will begin to live above every defeat, sin, addiction, fear, doubt, and challenge in your life when you have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and keep receiving teaching that is full of the abundance of His grace and the gift of righteousness. Value our Lord Jesus accurately in your life and you will be unstoppable.

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