Look Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

What does it mean to look unto Jesus? Well, we can think of it like this: If you are drowning and somebody walks past you, you do not look at him. You look unto him. When you look unto him, you are turning to him and expecting him to rescue you.

In the same manner, you look unto Jesus expecting Him to save, heal and protect you because you know His mighty power and sacrificial love for you. God’s Word says that we are to keep “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. That is how God wants us to live.

So if you have a recurring migraine, keep looking unto Jesus. See Him taking that migraine upon His body on the cross and say, “Lord, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As you keep looking unto Jesus, your healer, that migraine will have to bow to His finished work!

If you have a financial lack in your life, just keep looking unto Jesus with confident expectation that He will provide for you and deliver you from your lack.

“But Pastor Prince, is it really so simple? All I have to do is look unto Jesus and He will bless me financially?”

Yes, it is that simple. The problem with us is that we tend to look unto ourselves. But we cannot save or deliver ourselves. Even the apostle Paul struggled when he depended on his self-effort. That is why he said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19) It was only when Paul looked away from himself and unto Jesus that he received his deliverance. (Romans 7:24–25)

My friend, if you have been looking unto yourself, it is time to start looking unto Jesus. Look unto Him, the author and finisher of your faith. And soon, you will be looking at your healing and prosperity!

© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.

Your God Sucks

By Jeff Goins
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/columns/church-today/17220-your-god-sucks

I have something to say to the fast faith, consumerist churches of America. It’s not something that you want to hear, but something that I believe you need to hear. I definitely needed to hear it. I used to try to fit God into my own broken paradigm, instead of fitting into God’s way of seeing the world. I used to relegate Christianity to political stances and moralism. And I was missing out. It took me awhile to realize that it was my theology, my view of God, that needed fixing.

Maybe that’s where you are. If such is the case, then it’s time to face the facts: Your god sucks.

Your god dwells in man-made, concrete buildings. He likes frilly things like Easter brunches and well-decorated narthexes. He appreciates a good program and applauds any effort put forth to get people to come inside the building. When the congregants leave the building, he retires to the pastor’s office until the next scheduled activity.

Your god gets mad at you for no good reason like a fickle, teenage girl, and all you can do to make it up to him is try to be really, really good or at least do your best to hide all your faults. You return the favor, doing unto others as has been done unto you, compelling your “brothers and sisters” to perform religious acts of obligation, regardless of what’s in their hearts.

Your god doesn’t care particularly for the poor or the downtrodden. Anything that’s happening on the other side of the world is of little relevance to him; he knows that the Western world is where all the real, Holy Spirit action is happening.

He has a soft spot in his heart for rich people and appreciates the excess of time they have to dedicate to going to church. He’s quite pleased that they’re not caught up in where their next meal will come from, so as not to bother him with such pathetic requests. He has a strong ethic about only helping people that first help themselves. He’s a fan of capitalism, listens to conservative radio and doesn’t have time for weaklings.

When I think about it, your god looks a lot like Donald Trump.

Like I said, your god sucks.

Your god inspired a theology that says bad things happen to people just because they do and that it’s your job to deal with it. According to him, the world’s problems are part of “the plan.” He allows pain in people’s lives, because they’re sinful and it’s their own fault. He doesn’t like to intervene, because that would upset the nature of the universe. His expectation is that you will diligently perform your duties and not bother him with petty requests like alleviating the suffering of the oppressed. He’s just too busy and aloof to redeem difficult and hopeless situations.

Your god is a one-size-fits-all, prepackaged sort of god that could be sold as an impulse buy in the Wal-Mart checkout line next to the king-sized candy bars. Your god doesn’t want a contrite heart, but just some really good sacrifices. Your god is more concerned about whether you dragged yourself to church on Sunday than he is about what you did for the guy standing on the street corner. Your god uses felt boards and attendance sheets. His idea of grace is letting slide those few times you fell asleep during the sermon, so long as you’ve made up for it with plenty of other activities.

Your god is a black-and-white god with principles, agendas and schedules that can’t be broken or bent. He isn’t interested in relationship or communication. Your god doesn’t move or speak in personal ways anymore; that was before the Reformation and the printing press.

Again, I say: your god sucks.

Your god sucks because he’s controllable. Your god sucks because he’s tame and predictable. Most of all, your god sucks because he looks nothing like Jesus, and I’m convinced he’s not the real God at all.

Make Your Temple A House Of Prayer
Mark 11:17 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’.”
It would be great if every time we prayed, the answers came quickly. Thank God for immediate results, but what do we do when the results are not immediate? The promises of God are there for us, but when they have yet to manifest in our circumstances, what should we do in the meantime? Jesus showed us what to do. After He had cursed the fig tree, the tree did not wither immediately. (Mark 11:14) What did He do then? He went to the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed it, saying that it should be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. (Mark 11:15–17) After cleansing the temple, when the disciples saw the same fig tree the next day, it had dried up from its roots! (Mark 11:20–21) Today, you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16) And your temple should be a “house of prayer” or it becomes a “den of thieves”. These thieves, or powers of darkness, will steal and rob from your temple, which is your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19) They will steal and rob you of your strength, health, youthfulness, wisdom, hopes and dreams. So make your temple a house of prayer by praying in tongues frequently. (Ephesians 6:18) When you pray in the Spirit, you are praying perfect prayers. This is because the Spirit Himself makes intercession for you when He prays through you in tongues. (Romans 8:26) “Pastor Prince, how long must I pray?” Well, how often in a day does the enemy attack you with fears, anxieties and worries? How often does that disease in your body remind you that it is there? How healthy and whole do you want to be? Beloved, as you make your temple a house of prayer, the powers of darkness that have been stealing or robbing from you will be driven out of your life completely. You will see the manifestation of what you have spoken over your circumstances and you will see the withering of what you have cursed!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.

Look To The Word, Not Natural Facts

	Look To The Word, Not Natural Facts
	Numbers 21:9 9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
	"Pastor Prince, I know that God is my healer. But why is this sickness and pain still in my body?” If you have been looking at your sickness and pain all this while, stop looking at yourself and start looking at Jesus. Did He or did He not take upon Himself your sickness and pain? God’s Word declares, “Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, and our pains — he hath carried them…” (Isaiah 53:4, YLT) Since Jesus has already taken your sickness and pain at the cross, then He cannot “untake” them. Even if you find it hard to believe that Jesus has paid for your healing, especially when the pain is unbearable, the truth is that it is still paid for. It is a finished work! God is not saying that your sickness does not exist, nor is He asking you to pretend that it is not there. He is asking you to look away from the sickness, painful as it may be, and look to the truth that it has already been judged at the cross in the body of His Son. Once, while still in the wilderness, the children of Israel were bitten by deadly desert serpents. The serpents were real. The bites were painful and deadly. So God told Moses to point the people to the bronze serpent put on a pole — a picture of the cross. (John 3:14) Bronze signifies judgment. In other words, the serpent — their problem — was already judged at the cross. Those who kept their eyes on the bronze serpent lived. Those who focused on their wounds died. So stop looking at your sickness. Instead, look to the cross and see your sickness already judged in the body of Jesus. Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains! That is the truth of God’s Word. And His Word supersedes natural facts. My friend, you let natural facts rule or establish God’s truths over your problem by what you choose to focus on. So decide today not to focus on the facts concerning your problem. Instead, establish the truth of God’s Word and Christ’s finished work over your problem — and live!
	© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.

So Much To Thank Him For

God has been very good to me.

To be honest, my current pay is VERY comfortable.
This sum, has allowed me to pay off my initially huge credit card debt as well as to enjoy little luxuries like my Nokia 5800, more family time, dim sum sessions with parents, etc.

Now God is opening doors for me to earn another (quite significant) sum just by working an extra 8-16 hours a week. And it's a guaranteed sum - so no multilevel nonsense here.

Initially, I thought I was on goal to buy a house end of next year.
But by the look of things, I might be having that house sooner that I expect.. possibly an apartment by the end of the year or a REAL GOOD property by the middle of next year.

I can only credit all these to Jesus. After all, God is the one to bless me. And He wants to make you rich too. And for that matter, Christ came poor to make us rich (2 Cor 8v9).
[BTW, If you ask any Jew, they will tell you physical wealth is a SPIRITUAL BLESSING]
Romans 15:27 - They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.

Many Christians today can accept the Spiritual blessings in Christ, but are unable to believe that physical blessings are a form of spiritual blessings.

How is it that Christians are unable to believe Jesus - who walked on this earth in a spiritual and physical body, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, and healed the bodies of men, who can create wealth in an instant - by turning water into wine, feeding the thousands, and that same Saviour CHOOSE not to even turn the littlest stone into bread for His own benefit - that in such extreme poverty, He sought to gave us immense wealth!

Yet Christians today, took that epitome of a poor Jesus as a 'law' that they tried to follow 100% with their own efforts. [I find this an irony that it is the rich preachers would be the ones to preach a poor Christian life to believers]

And still they forget it is through the Holy Spirit that they are sanctified - Romans 15:16
Still, they try to be like Jesus on account of their own efforts.

Your Holiness, Righteousness, Justification and Sanctification has been made possibly through the Cross - not by what you do, that you can give yourself credit.

Your Holiness - that God see you Holy as He looks down as sees Jesus in you
Your Righteousness - that by the blood of Jesus you are declared so that you may inherit all the benefits of the Righteous
Your Justification - that each and every sin of yours has been taken and punished in the body of Jesus at the Cross
Your Sanctification - that through the finished work, the Holy Spirit rests in you and He is the one that continues the washing of you feet to make you more like Jesus.

Believe and be extremely blessed with abundance Grace!
You are a NEW CREATION in Christ!

Christianity

Grace And Peace Multiplied To You

2 Peter 1:2–3
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Imagine if God were to visit you in a dream tonight and ask you what He could do for you. What would you say to Him? Would you ask Him to give you a deeper knowledge of Jesus our Lord?

God’s Word tells us that when you receive revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, it will cause grace and peace to be multiplied in your life. It will cause you to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.

What is grace? It is the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God shown to us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. But the more we learn of the beauty and love of our Lord Jesus, the more we see His perfect work on the cross, and the more we position ourselves to receive a multiplication of God’s grace in our lives.

The verse says that peace too, is multiplied to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. The peace of God sets our hearts free from fear, stress, worries, anxieties and cares. Wouldn’t you want to have the peace of God presiding over your heart always?

God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain not just to godliness, but to life as well. Wouldn’t you say that health, money, a good job and a nice home for your family pertain to life? Well, all these things and everything else which God has already given is released to you through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord.

So let’s ask God every day, “Father, give me wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.” For to know Jesus is to have grace and peace multiplied to us. To know Jesus is to receive all things pertaining to life and godliness!

© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.

A Willing Service

This post MAY BE taken in wrongly, as CHURCH BASHING, but NO, that is not the intention of this post, but my reflections and my thoughts.

***

The other day when I was listening to a ‘Cheerful Giving’ message from Joseph Prince (can’t remember which CD it is), it got me thinking about giving cheerfully.

After listening to it, some things stuck to my mind. One of the things which came to my mind (which JP DIDN’T touch on) was on Christian service.

When I started my Christian walk in my previous church, I realised that most often when I was there, I was called to ‘carry the cross’, ‘deny myself’ and to ‘serve the Lord’. And personally, in the past, I’ve arrived at points in life where I didn’t want to serve because I’ve felt somewhat abandoned to do it, unsupported, and wearied by it.

It just seems taxing that when we are all called (as my previous church calls it), we are left to ‘work out our salvation in fear and trembling’. (it made me doubt the surety of salvation when I did not want to serve)

Hence, when I decided to pull back and not continue in that service, I (felt like) was given a squinted condemning eye, and often pulled aside and given a mini pep talk by the elder, or having brothers coming up to me asking “what happened?” [Personally, I believe this is still happening in many churches].

Firstly, such things made people feel bad. It made me feel like God is using these people to arm-twist me to serve. It seems like an invasion of my free-will. Such things made me feel that if I do not serve, I’m not a ‘good’ Christian – or that I’m going against God’s will.

Secondly, whatever I gave could not be my best. I was doing for the sake of doing. How can I overflow blessings out, when deep inside, I was dry? What you get from an empty cup is empty.

Thirdly, church members’ reaction were negative. Rather than exhibit grace, there were a lot of backstabbing and gossiping - and none said to my face.

***

So after listening to that sermon, I came to a conclusion – that God Loves a cheerful giver – not just in sowing to the needy (financially) or sowing the word of God (in preaching or encouragement). But also in service!

I came to the conclusion that – God loves a cheerful service.
However, at that time I came to that conclusion, I didn’t have any word from God to support it.
Today I was pleasantly surprised that God confirmed this message to me!
1 Peter 5:
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;

Be Shepherds not because you must, but because you are willing.

1 Peter 5:2 of The Amplified Bible describes PERFECTLY what I’m saying today.
Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonorably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully;

Hence Application:
1) If you feel FORCED into a position/leadership/duty of God, don’t do it. It’s better you let it go and let someone else to do it cheerfully.
2) Don’t be afraid to voice out to your leaders about how you feel about the service that you do and how it can be improved.
3) Don’t force people to serve, and don’t make them feel bad about not serving. Don’t judge them for not wanting to help.
4) If serving causes your ego to puff up, stop serving.
5) If you feel that your service is dishonourably motivated, or that a leader above you is so, then quit.

May you be blessed and serve God in the right and cheerful manner! :)

YHWH is Jesus!

The word יהוה (YHWH/Yahweh) when broken down into the Hebrew pictorials means 'The open hand of grace, was nailed in grace?'

Amazing! Jesus is YHWH!
Also when they nailed Jesus on the cross and wrote "King of the Jews" on the board above His head, the YHWH appeared there?

And most Jews don't believe in Him... :)

I See Grace

I was worshiping at Renewal Creation Church today and fell in love with this song about Jesus.
It was written by members of New Creation Church.
Enjoy!

The Strong Lord, The Weak Sheep

Sometimes I wish I could right all the wrongs.
Or even change the outcome of things.
But I guess I can't now.
There is nothing I can do now.

So I'm just gonna do my best and not let the past bother me.
I'm just gonna let Him carry me home.
This fractured, wounded me.
I'm just gonna lift all the frustrations up to God who works for my good...

And He also works for your good too...

I guess, if i wanted - i could take actions and arm-twist things to happen.
But I think God wants me to change from all that SELF.
Even to change from that, I guess He has to work in me.

From Self to Him, from dead works to Glory!
Year by year, month by month, day by day, hour by hour, second my second...

Keep safe, keep well, stay warm.

Always be happy. And I'm always happy for you..

I wish you God's Blessings, Happiness, Wholeness, Grace and Love.
Adios...

Grace does not make you a bum!

Yesterday, on Pentecost Sunday I worshipped at this Church called Praise Sanctuary near Taman Cheras Perdana. The only reason I attended the Church was because of Victor King. He's one of the many Pastors who had their ministries blossomed by God through the preaching of grace(as per Pastor Joseph Prince from New Creation Church). I enjoyed my time worshipping there and 2 Significant things happened.

i) somewhere in the middle of the sermon, I heard chimes... TWICE... It was awesome, especially when it was on the part when He was preaching about the forgiveness of sins. AMAZING...

ii) I learnt something that I could relate back to a brother who turned bad recently. The statement is - Those under grace is not lazy.

---------------------------------------

Grace Does Not Make A Person Lazy
Now, that's really contrary to logic. (or sort of)
Think about it, grace gives you, while work says you've earned it.
How can we then say our salaries are a form of God's grace when we've earned it?

This is where we must understand.
Grace is there when the curse of work is removed.
God cursed the ground that man will eat from the sweat of the brow.
And that same God came near and sweat blood in Gethsemane to remove that same curse.
***
I was at Simon Yap's house watching the Planet Earth documentary when we saw the bamboo shrimp.
Against the flow of the raging river, that tiny shrimp extended it's frills and EASILY caught food for itself. All it had to do was stretch out it's hands/frills and receive particles of food that was trapped in its frills.

SOME PEOPLE might get the wrong idea about God on this.
They think they don't need to work. And as Paul said, these people shall not eat.
But that is not how God's provision is.
And just like the shrimp, we need to stand against the raging tide of the river, and be rooted on the rock. Then we can stretch out our hands and receive.
Does it come from the sweat of our brow? NO! It comes by being rooted on the rock.
The cross did more than just forgive and forget our sins. It removed in total, every curse humanity had to bear and threw it in the grave. And when Jesus rose again, we rose with him, but our sins and penalties remained in the GRAVE! HALLELUJAH!!!

There is a dear brother I know that might need to read this.
He's having issues at work, not attending work, and at the same time, with HUGE debts around his waist. His debts in extensive - from old bosses, to friends, to church members to exes, etc...

Recently, a few of us, encouraged him and helped him get back on his feet by giving him a job, etc.
And after not attending work for a few days on grounds of no money for transport, I believe his boss advanced money to him. Then he disappeared from work.
I often have gaming sessions at cybercafes with him, and he always had money to pay. But somewhat, he has no money for the transport to office. (weird isn't it?)

And when a few of us confronted him, we were removed from his Facebook listing.
Plus, he even send me a poisoned pen sms .

Brother, If you're reading this - Grace DOES NOT make a person lazy.
You cannot go on living on handouts and keep borrowing money.
One day it will end, then what?
God has been so GRACIOUS to restore to you the YEARS THE LOCUST HAS EATEN.
It has saddened many that you've been unwilling to change.
Come on! take responsibility, s*ck your guts it, carry your b*lls and be the man God meant you to be!

A man who understands Grace, makes sure he works for that living. And God takes that man's work and pours back ABUNDANT grace..

You might be DREAMING for 1-2 million to drop on your lap, so dream on. God will not do that unless there is superabundant divine intervention. But if you CANNOT be faithful with little, who is going to give you more?

No one is judging you. No one is condemning you. We just want you to get back the right path and stick there. We have nothing to gain by that! Only you gain you know... what is it you have to lose?