Don’t Sweat It, Rest! by Joseph Prince
Ruth 3:18
18Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
God does not want you to “sweat”. Sweat here does not refer to your body’s perspiration, but your self-reliance or self-effort. God does not want you to believe that if you don’t do anything, nothing will happen. That may be true for someone without God in his life, but it is not true for you because you have God. And when He is in the picture, the God-factor changes everything!
When you are resting in God, He works for you. In fact, when He works, you end up with more. He is the one who is giving to you. It is not about you trying to give to yourself.
This was what happened to Ruth in the Old Testament. After laboring in the barley fields from morning to evening, she was able to glean one ephah of barley (Ruth 2:17), which was equivalent to a 10-day supply of barley. Certainly, this amount was a blessing to her.
But when she rested at the feet of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, and did not labor, she received six ephahs of barley (Ruth 3:15), which was equivalent to a 60-day supply! When Ruth sought her own blessing, she obtained only one ephah. But when she sought the blesser, she received much more.
Ruth’s blessings did not stop there. While Ruth rested and sat still as her mother-in-law Naomi had instructed, Boaz, who was the owner of the barley field, went to work, initiating actions, executing them and speaking on Ruth’s behalf. Right through it all, Ruth sat still and rested. Eventually, Boaz, the barley man himself, married Ruth. (Ruth 4) That meant no more measured wealth of six ephahs, but the yield of the whole barley field in total!
Boaz is a picture of Jesus, our heavenly kinsman-redeemer. When we rest in the Lord, He will not rest. He will work on our behalf. What do we do then? We just trust in and enjoy His love for us.
Beloved, stop striving and be at rest. If salvation, the greatest work, comes to us by resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, December 25, 2010
A soft reminder...
Never stop praying.
Never quit trusting.
Never stop loving.
Trust God’s plan, trust God’s wisdom, trust God’s timing, trust God for everything.
:)
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Born To Die So That You Might Live by Joseph Prince
Born To Die So That You Might Live by Joseph Prince
Luke 2:12
12And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The Bible says that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger”. (Luke 2:6–7) But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger was a “sign”?
A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough in those days looks like? I have seen a similar one at Solomon’s stables in Meggido, Israel. It is basically a big rectangular block of stone with the trough hewn out of it. So baby Jesus, who was wrapped in swaddling cloths, was placed in such a stone trough.
But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough. The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock. (Mark 15:43–46)
Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.
Jesus was the only child in all of humanity born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose — to die for your sins and mine.
Beloved, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life that Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Luke 2:12
12And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
You are probably familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The Bible says that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger”. (Luke 2:6–7) But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger was a “sign”?
A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough in those days looks like? I have seen a similar one at Solomon’s stables in Meggido, Israel. It is basically a big rectangular block of stone with the trough hewn out of it. So baby Jesus, who was wrapped in swaddling cloths, was placed in such a stone trough.
But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough. The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock. (Mark 15:43–46)
Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.
Jesus was the only child in all of humanity born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose — to die for your sins and mine.
Beloved, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life that Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Fear Not, Your Savior Is Here! By Joseph Prince
Fear Not, Your Savior Is Here! By Joseph Prince
Luke 2:10–11
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
My friend, if all is silent and dark in your life now, and you feel like you have been left out in the cold, just know that Jesus came to be your Savior at such a time as this.
He was not born in the comfort of a warm, cozy room, but in a cold manger. There was no room for Him in the inn (Luke 2:7), so that there will always be room at the cross for your healing, deliverance, wholeness and prosperity, and a mansion in heaven waiting for you!
Jesus was born very quietly, so quietly that the Bible says that only a group of shepherds came to Him, while the rest of Bethlehem slept. (Luke 2:8–9) Like manna falling quietly from heaven in the Old Testament, the true bread from heaven came quietly. It was a silent night, but that was not all.
Jesus was also born during the darkest time in Israel’s history. Israel was under the tyrannical rule of the Romans. It was during this time, when everything was so dark, that Jesus was born. Beloved, He will come to you in the darkest period of your life.
On that cold and silent night, the shepherds were afraid when the angel of the Lord stood before them. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Beloved, it was not a judge or lawgiver who was born. It was a mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid — the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Luke 2:10–11
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
My friend, if all is silent and dark in your life now, and you feel like you have been left out in the cold, just know that Jesus came to be your Savior at such a time as this.
He was not born in the comfort of a warm, cozy room, but in a cold manger. There was no room for Him in the inn (Luke 2:7), so that there will always be room at the cross for your healing, deliverance, wholeness and prosperity, and a mansion in heaven waiting for you!
Jesus was born very quietly, so quietly that the Bible says that only a group of shepherds came to Him, while the rest of Bethlehem slept. (Luke 2:8–9) Like manna falling quietly from heaven in the Old Testament, the true bread from heaven came quietly. It was a silent night, but that was not all.
Jesus was also born during the darkest time in Israel’s history. Israel was under the tyrannical rule of the Romans. It was during this time, when everything was so dark, that Jesus was born. Beloved, He will come to you in the darkest period of your life.
On that cold and silent night, the shepherds were afraid when the angel of the Lord stood before them. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Beloved, it was not a judge or lawgiver who was born. It was a mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid — the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Rich Through Jesus’ Poverty by Joseph Prince
Rich Through Jesus’ Poverty by Joseph Prince
2 Corinthians 8:9
9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
When we think of God, we think of the most powerful and richest being in the whole universe. But do you know that our Lord Jesus was actually born into a poor family? We know this from the offering His mother Mary brought to the temple after Jesus was born, according to the Law for purification. (Luke 2:22–24) She brought a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons, which was the only type of offering the poor could afford. (Leviticus 12:2, 8)
But with Jesus in their lives, Mary and her husband Joseph didn’t remain poor. Wise men came to Jesus with treasures — “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)
Jesus’ presence brought gold, frankincense and myrrh — two of the most expensive spices — to His family. The wise men must have come with quite an entourage for the Bible records how all Jerusalem was fearful when the wise men came to the city. (Matthew 2:3) Can you imagine the amount of gold, frankincense and myrrh which accompanied that entourage, and which was given to Jesus’ parents?
My friend, the moment you are born again, you have Jesus in your life. And when you have Him in your life, get ready to prosper for gold will come to you! But don’t look for the gold, look to Jesus — He is the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) The presence of the Son of the living God in your life attracts prosperity. Because of His grace toward us, Jesus, though He was rich, was made poor at the cross for your sake so that “you through His poverty might become rich”.
Beloved, when you have Jesus in your life and when you know that He has paid the price for your prosperity, you can boldly declare, “Jesus was made poor at the cross for my sake so that through His poverty, I am made rich in all things!”
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
2 Corinthians 8:9
9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
When we think of God, we think of the most powerful and richest being in the whole universe. But do you know that our Lord Jesus was actually born into a poor family? We know this from the offering His mother Mary brought to the temple after Jesus was born, according to the Law for purification. (Luke 2:22–24) She brought a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons, which was the only type of offering the poor could afford. (Leviticus 12:2, 8)
But with Jesus in their lives, Mary and her husband Joseph didn’t remain poor. Wise men came to Jesus with treasures — “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)
Jesus’ presence brought gold, frankincense and myrrh — two of the most expensive spices — to His family. The wise men must have come with quite an entourage for the Bible records how all Jerusalem was fearful when the wise men came to the city. (Matthew 2:3) Can you imagine the amount of gold, frankincense and myrrh which accompanied that entourage, and which was given to Jesus’ parents?
My friend, the moment you are born again, you have Jesus in your life. And when you have Him in your life, get ready to prosper for gold will come to you! But don’t look for the gold, look to Jesus — He is the power to get wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) The presence of the Son of the living God in your life attracts prosperity. Because of His grace toward us, Jesus, though He was rich, was made poor at the cross for your sake so that “you through His poverty might become rich”.
Beloved, when you have Jesus in your life and when you know that He has paid the price for your prosperity, you can boldly declare, “Jesus was made poor at the cross for my sake so that through His poverty, I am made rich in all things!”
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Your Next Stop Is A Place Of Abundance! by Joseph Prince
Your Next Stop Is A Place Of Abundance! by Joseph Prince
Psalm 66:12
12… we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
Are you in a situation where people are stepping all over you and they seem to have the upper hand? You feel as if the challenge you are facing is so big that you are going through fire. And you are so overwhelmed by everything that is happening around you that you feel as if you are drowning.
My friend, I want you to know that your heavenly Father hears your cry for help and He will rescue you. The psalmist says that “we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment”. If you have been through the fire and water, then your next stop is a place of rich fulfillment or abundance!
This place of abundance was indeed the next stop for a church member who had suddenly found himself facing allegations involving some money laundering activities within the bank where he was one of the top executives. Investigations later exonerated him, but because of the bad vibes caused by the incident, he was asked to resign.
He was then aged 52. Friends told him to retire and relax, but retirement was far from his mind. This brother believed that if God had allowed this to happen, it must be that He was leading him to a better place, one of rich fulfillment. And indeed, soon after this difficult experience, one of the top banks offered him a handsome salary to join them in one of their top positions.
A few years later, at age 56, he was headhunted by one of the biggest public-listed companies to start a new division. He accepted the offer and was paid double what he had been earning.
Beloved, your heavenly Father does not lie when He tells you that He will bring you out to rich fulfillment if you are going through a difficult time. Trust Him and you will find yourself stepping into your place of abundance!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Psalm 66:12
12… we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
Are you in a situation where people are stepping all over you and they seem to have the upper hand? You feel as if the challenge you are facing is so big that you are going through fire. And you are so overwhelmed by everything that is happening around you that you feel as if you are drowning.
My friend, I want you to know that your heavenly Father hears your cry for help and He will rescue you. The psalmist says that “we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment”. If you have been through the fire and water, then your next stop is a place of rich fulfillment or abundance!
This place of abundance was indeed the next stop for a church member who had suddenly found himself facing allegations involving some money laundering activities within the bank where he was one of the top executives. Investigations later exonerated him, but because of the bad vibes caused by the incident, he was asked to resign.
He was then aged 52. Friends told him to retire and relax, but retirement was far from his mind. This brother believed that if God had allowed this to happen, it must be that He was leading him to a better place, one of rich fulfillment. And indeed, soon after this difficult experience, one of the top banks offered him a handsome salary to join them in one of their top positions.
A few years later, at age 56, he was headhunted by one of the biggest public-listed companies to start a new division. He accepted the offer and was paid double what he had been earning.
Beloved, your heavenly Father does not lie when He tells you that He will bring you out to rich fulfillment if you are going through a difficult time. Trust Him and you will find yourself stepping into your place of abundance!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Do You Know The Jesus Of The Bible? By Joseph Prince
Do You Know The Jesus Of The Bible? By Joseph Prince
John 14:7
7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
Someone once told me that just because you ask God for something, it does not mean that He will give it to you. Quoting 1 John 5:14–15, he said that we first have to ask according to His will before He hears and gives us what we ask of Him.
Of course, we do not ask for things that are against God’s will or Word. But what is normally implied in the earlier statement is that we don’t always know what God’s will for us is — “what will be, will be”. But didn’t Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”? (John 14:9) This means that if you want to know what the Father’s will, mind, heart or attitude toward you and your family is, just look at Jesus in the Gospel stories.
So if your child is sick, is it God’s will to heal him? Well, look at Jesus and see how He ministered to children who were sick — the Syro-Phoenician’s daughter who was demon-possessed (Mark 7:24–30), Jairus’ daughter who was dead (Mark 5:22–24, 35–43), and the widow of Nain’s only son who had died and was about to be buried. (Luke 7:12–15) Jesus cast out the demon. He raised the dead. He healed them all!
Beloved, don’t say, “We can never know God’s will. Sometimes He heals, sometimes He doesn’t. He may prosper us, but He may also take away our prosperity.” The Jesus of the Bible never made anyone sick. He never made anyone poor. He made the little become much with 12 baskets full of leftovers. (Matthew 14:20) He gave a net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fish to fishermen. (Luke 5:6–7)
My friend, the Jesus of the Bible loves to heal, deliver, prosper and save people. This Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) And He says to you today, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” So you can know God’s will for you. You can see what He will do for you when you know the Jesus of the Bible and what He did.
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
John 14:7
7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
Someone once told me that just because you ask God for something, it does not mean that He will give it to you. Quoting 1 John 5:14–15, he said that we first have to ask according to His will before He hears and gives us what we ask of Him.
Of course, we do not ask for things that are against God’s will or Word. But what is normally implied in the earlier statement is that we don’t always know what God’s will for us is — “what will be, will be”. But didn’t Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”? (John 14:9) This means that if you want to know what the Father’s will, mind, heart or attitude toward you and your family is, just look at Jesus in the Gospel stories.
So if your child is sick, is it God’s will to heal him? Well, look at Jesus and see how He ministered to children who were sick — the Syro-Phoenician’s daughter who was demon-possessed (Mark 7:24–30), Jairus’ daughter who was dead (Mark 5:22–24, 35–43), and the widow of Nain’s only son who had died and was about to be buried. (Luke 7:12–15) Jesus cast out the demon. He raised the dead. He healed them all!
Beloved, don’t say, “We can never know God’s will. Sometimes He heals, sometimes He doesn’t. He may prosper us, but He may also take away our prosperity.” The Jesus of the Bible never made anyone sick. He never made anyone poor. He made the little become much with 12 baskets full of leftovers. (Matthew 14:20) He gave a net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fish to fishermen. (Luke 5:6–7)
My friend, the Jesus of the Bible loves to heal, deliver, prosper and save people. This Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) And He says to you today, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” So you can know God’s will for you. You can see what He will do for you when you know the Jesus of the Bible and what He did.
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or any related files may be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed
and/or converted in any form and by any means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise)
without express written consent of the copyright holder.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006–2010 New Creation Church
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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