Don't add fuel to the fire

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?Romans 6:1–2

- JULY 8 -
DON’T ADD MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE

Knowing that repentance is returning to God’s grace, how can grace be a license or excuse to sin, as some claim? Grace is the power of God to overcome every sin. But if anyone who is living in sin claims that he is under grace, let me be the first to tell you that this person is not living under grace.

The authority of God’s Word proclaims that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). No one can use God’s grace to justify his or her sin! It is contrary to God’s Word and contrary to the gospel of grace. True grace swallows up the destructive powers of sin.

Some people have been using the word grace freely. They call themselves grace preachers, grace ministries, or grace churches. But I encourage you to be discerning and to test everything you hear and read.

Just because they use the word grace in their teachings doesn’t mean that they are accurately or truly representing the gospel of grace. Test everything! Be sure that their position against sin is clear.

Sin is destructive and brings with it a whole host of damaging consequences. The consequence of committing a sin is not God’s judgment or punishment, any more than placing your hand in the fire and getting burned is a punishment from God.

The destructive and painful effects of your hand being burned are a consequence you face for using your free choice destructively. In the same way, if someone is deliberately dabbling in sin and living a sinful lifestyle, they will be burned by the destructive consequences that come with sin.

The only way to help precious people overcome the powers of sin is to preach them into God’s glorious grace. Some ministers think that when there is sin, they need to preach stronger, harder, and harsher sermons on the law of Moses. I believe with all my heart that they are sincere.

But the Word of God tells us that “the strength of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56). Preaching more law is like adding more fuel to the fire. People don’t get liberated and transformed when we beat them down with the law of Moses. They get liberated and transformed when they encounter the love of their Savior!

I believe that truly born-again believers are not looking for an excuse to sin. How can they, if they have been impacted by Jesus’ love and sacrifice?

I believe that they are looking for a way out of sin and out of the prison of fear, guilt, and condemnation. And the more strongly I preach God’s glorious grace and unconditional love, the more my ministry office receives testimony after testimony from people who have been set free from all kinds of sins and addictions.

These accounts tell us that God’s people don’t want to sin and are overcoming sin by turning to the cross and returning to grace. We receive testimonies from people who have been liberated from pornography, alcoholism, drugs, and sexual immorality.

Now that’s the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sin no longer dominates people and true repentance occurs when the gospel of grace is preached!

I pray this becomes your reality as you receive the gospel of Christ into your heart and let it guard your mind today.

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

Give Thanks With Communion

[He] took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”1 Corinthians 11:23–25

- JULY 7 -
PARTAKING IN REMEMBRANCE

The results for diets and exercise come from rules, routine, and regimentation. The results from the holy Communion come from relationship, revelation, and understanding the redemptive work of Christ.

The Communion is about His love. It is about His power to heal you and deliver you from every sickness and disease. And that is why the apostle Paul wrote in the verses above that our Lord Jesus wants us to partake of the holy Communion in remembrance of Him.

When the Jewish people use the word remembrance, it is a much stronger word than just a passive or sentimental remembering. It has the idea of reenactment, of going through the event again.

It is about reenacting all Jesus went through, seeing His body broken as you break the bread in your hands, and seeing His blood being shed for you as you drink of the cup. It is about actively valuing the cross, and seeing how powerful it is for you today as you remember it was for you that the King of kings suffered.

Did you notice that our Lord Jesus told us to partake of the holy Communion in remembrance of Him and not in remembrance of our medical conditions? There was a time when many of the children of Israel were dying from snakebites in the wilderness. When Moses prayed that the Lord would take the serpents away, He responded, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” (Num. 21:8).

God did not take away the serpents. His response was to instruct Moses to make a replica of the very thing that was killing them—the serpent—and to set it on a pole for all to look at. “So 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” (Num. 21:9).

The serpent on the pole is a picture of our Lord Jesus being lifted up on the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, rejected by man and also by His own Father because He was carrying all our sins. On that cross He bore every consequence and every curse of sin that you and I should have experienced, and that includes every sickness and every disease.

Today, whatever your condition, come to the Lord’s Table. Come, beholding Him and His love and begin to partake more and more of the healing that He paid for you to have.

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

God Remembers Our Sins No More

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”Hebrews 8:12

- JULY 6 -
GOD REMEMBERS YOUR SINS NO MORE

When something goes wrong, is your first thought, “Well, this must be happening to me because of the sins that I have committed”? When you have a flat tire or fall sick, do you wonder, “What sin is God punishing me for now?” If your answer to both questions is “yes,” you are not alone.

This kind of thinking is so prevalent in the church because many believers don’t really believe that they are under the new covenant. They believe the opposite of today’s scripture and think God is not merciful to their mistakes and always mindful of their sins.

The problem with the church today is wrong believing. Jesus Himself defined the new covenant for us at the last supper when He said, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28).

The main clause of the new covenant is the forgiveness of all your sins because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Your forgiveness does not hinge on how many good deeds you have done, how much money you have given to the church or charities, or what leadership position you hold. No, it all hinges on the shed blood of Jesus.

God put the main clause of the new covenant—Hebrews 8:12—as the last clause to show us that it is this final clause that makes the new covenant work in our lives. If you don’t believe the main and final clause, then you won’t experience the full benefits of the new covenant.

You are also negating God’s Word and the finished work of Jesus. The new covenant says that God is merciful to your unrighteousness and has forgotten your sins and lawless deeds. If God says that He has forgotten them, then He has truly forgotten them. God cannot lie!

But how can God forget my sins?

He can because He is God! If He said it, then He has done it. You know that sin you committed many years ago? God has forgotten it. He does not keep an itemized account of all your failures. There is no big projector screen in heaven to show all your sins—from the day you were born to the day you die.

All records of your sins have been incinerated by the blood of Jesus when He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). When God looks at you today, He sees you covered with Jesus’ blood and completely righteous.

Only the devil, you yourself, and the people around you will bring your sins to your remembrance. So when you are weighed down by the mistakes of your past, run to God and lean on His grace!

Why? For He will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more. This is the main clause of the new covenant of grace! This is His Word!

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

Notes from Amir

Happy Independence Day to my friends in the United States of America! 

It has been another busy week. Between what’s going on here at CONNECT and the rising tension on our northern border, it’s safe to say that my mind is racing frequently. On one hand, I’m ecstatic about what’s on the horizon regarding what CONNECT is enabling us to do, but on the other hand, I know the inevitable is approaching for my country’s confrontation with the largest terror organization on earth – Hezbollah. While stress is certainly my reality right now and worry is the frequent temptation, I’m daily reminded of the need to keep my mind centered on God’s providence in all things. His promise to preserve Israel is sure.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

It’s an amazing reality to consider that Behold Israel will be celebrating 10 years of ministry later this month. When I reflect on all that’s transpired over the last decade, it’s really a multitude of miracles that God is responsible for. He’s done so much for us and I’m in awe to see what He has enabled us to do.

Before I give you some key updates regarding my neck of the woods, here are some essential updates concerning the ministry.

The Ministry

I delivered another MidEast update on Tuesday from CONNECT that touched on a variety of topics concerning current events in my nation and various places in the region. Make sure to tune in to stay up to date. Moreover, on Monday at 9:00 AM PDT, we will be hosting our very first live Q & A from CONNECT with my good friend, Pastor Barry Stagner! This will be followed by another MidEast Update on Tuesday at 12:00 PM PDT. We have some other exciting new content coming in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned!

Just days ago, we released a new podcast, “Israel: Replaced or Embraced?”, wherein my good friend, Dr. Golan Broshi, and I dove deep into the topic of Replacement Theology in the days we’re living in. We’re receiving very solid feedback. Make sure to give it a listen!

Tune in tomorrow, Friday, at 12:00 PM PDT on Facebook & YouTube! From its institution as a nation, the hope of Israel was never found within the people themselves. The foundation of their hope was - and is to this day - sourced in their God. But when the Bible speaks of the hope of Israel, who or what is it referring to? Join Amir as he takes a journey through the Scriptures to identify the hope of Israel past, present, and future. Along the way, you'll discover that this hope not only applies to Israel, but to the whole world.

Personally, I want to express my deep gratitude for your unconditional love, fervent prayers, and faithful financial support that enables us to do so much. You are co-laborers with us!

As I give you a synopsis of the key events in my region of the world over the last week, I just want to remind you to subscribe to my Telegram channel if you haven’t already. Telegram is where I post real-time news updates concerning Bible prophecy and current events, and it’s the only platform that enables me to be transparent and get the truth out!

The Middle East

The War Within
The internal feud didn’t take a holiday following October 7. In fact, the progressive movement in Israel took advantage of it – even with our military. Two branches of the IDF had a colossal failure on October 7th and ever since. Our intelligence and Air Force. The intelligence failed to alert ahead of time and the Air Force failed to act fast enough to defend the skies of Israel from aerial threats. Interestingly enough, these two branches had the most active members in the judicial reform protests. Make no mistake, October 7th was years in the making. However, unfortunately, a lot of “useful idiots” made it easier for it to take place!

Netanyahu is dealing with pressure that none of Israel’s prime ministers have faced before. Imagine dealing with the internal strife, military conflicts in multiple places, corrupt leaders within, and dealing with a White House that’s constantly giving you ultimatums. Speaking of the White House, Netanyahu made it clear to the Americans that Israel will not accept a situation where Hezbollah decides when to fire and when to start fighting according to what is happening in Gaza. According to the same sources, Netanyahu made it clear to the Americans that we will not accept the issue of Hezbollah on the border fence and the immediate threat to the settlements in the area. The essence of his message to the Americans: Either you will make them (Hezbollah) withdraw beyond the Litani River, or the IDF will push them beyond the river.

The War in Gaza
On one hand, it’s hard to believe that it’s almost been nine (9) months since we went to war with Hamas in Gaza. But on the other hand, after discovering just how complex their underground tunnel system is, it’s not all that surprising. And I’m not even mentioning the complications of fighting against psychopaths who use women and children as shields. Anyway, we’re still there. However, the front has changed from all-out war in Rafah to targeted attacks on terrorists and specific infrastructure as we destroy the tunnel system along the way. Sadly, there are still dozens of Israeli hostages there, most of which we assume to be dead. Regardless, we intend to bring every one of them home. In the meantime, combat rages on. Israeli soldiers are seeing some tough days in Gaza, falling victim to booby-trapped homes and tunnel shafts. Casualties and injuries are continuing to add up. Please continue to pray for them.

Things Are Heating Up in the North
Our current confrontation with Hezbollah is like a tennis match, but instead of a bouncy, neon ball, we’re dealing with rockets, missiles, and drones. The IDF is attacking Hezbollah military sites in Southern Lebanon daily while the world’s largest terror proxy fires dozens of rockets into Northern Israel on a regular basis. However, we’re hitting them where it hurts despite the war having not officially begun quite yet. Our targeted attacks on their key personnel and leadership are surely starting to take a toll. Whether they’re in a building, a vehicle, on a bike, or in hiding (so they think) – we’re finding them. As I’ve been saying for weeks, war is imminent. The panic is growing within the ranks of Hezbollah as they continue to make a multitude of threats should a war with Israel begin.

When it comes to targeted attacks, what took place in Lebanon yesterday was critical. The IDF eliminated Abu Ali Nasser, commander of Hezbollah's Aziz unit! This is a super significant elimination! The elimination of Nasser marked the killing of the most high-ranking Hezbollah commander in the last nine months. But this elimination didn’t go unnoticed. Throughout today (Thursday), we’ve been dealing with nonstop attacks in the northern region of the country. It’s estimated that over 200 projectiles have been launched by Hezbollah so far. Part of an intercepted drone hit a shopping mall in the Israeli town of Acco and injuries are being reported by our military after drones hit IDF bases. If that’s not enough, fires are breaking out all over Northern Israel, including the Golan Heights. The IDF has begun extensive attacks in Southern Lebanon, but it’s going to be a long night.

Again, I sympathize with the people of Lebanon, as so many want nothing to do with this regime running their country. In fact, a member of parliament from the Christian factions threatened to break up Lebanon into two countries if Hezbollah goes to war. And it’s not just Hezbollah in Lebanon we’re dealing with. The other proxies in places like Iraq are preparing to go to war with Israel is well. Iran’s proxy resources north and northeast of our border are vast in number – far vaster than you know.

Iran is Being Swept Under the Rug
The ayatollahs have zero accountability right now given the apathy of the United States. Yes, the Islamic Republic lost its president in a helicopter crash, but make no mistake, Iran is on its way to a nuclear bomb while the world is distracted. The International Atomic Energy Agency recently reported that Iran has installed new and advanced centrifuges and enrichment facilities at the underground nuclear sites in Pardo and Natanz, and in Natanz, it has already begun enriching uranium. There is so much more I could say about their nuclear activity, but it suffices to say, they’re getting a deadly free pass – and they’re loving it. And yes, they’re prepared to enter into any war that takes place between Israel and Hezbollah. This led two notable people in Israel to go public about the possible need for nuking Iran should it be an existential threat during the coming war.

All Eyes on the USA
The gloves are off within the Democratic Party in the USA. 1/3 of Democrats are convinced that Joe Biden needs to remove himself from the presidential race. However, while there are rumors flying of different candidates, the latest news as that he’s hellbent on running in 2024 despite a disastrous first debate last week. There are a couple things that are certain: 1) Who is in the White House has serious implications regarding world affairs. Look at the last three years and ask yourself how the world took a big nosedive for the worst on a continual basis. 2) The world is watching to see what happens with America this year. The globalist movement doesn’t wear a mask anymore and is prepared to do whatever it needs to do to prevent Donald Trump from winning the election. It’s going to be an interesting and messy several months ahead.

These Are the Last Days

The majority of the world is looking at the progressive left mental cases as being on the fringes of our society. However, remember that Satan always works on deceiving both sides to eventually bring about chaos and destruction. After all he is all about stealing, killing, and destroying. The so-called sane, reasonable conservatives – unless they are born again – can be as delusional and poisonous as the left. The ONLY way to stay focused, clear-headed, and sharp in our world – one which is ruled by Satan, the Prince of this World – is with the help of the Holy Spirit and His great power. Shortly before His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus said these words to His disciples:

John 14:16-17
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.”

The days are evil! We are about to see even greater doses of demonic madness and satanic activity which will lead to wars, chaos, and destruction. Yes, my friends, these are the last days! You can choose to bury your head in the sand in order to simply feel happy, or you can look around you and grasp the severity of our times and seasons. There is hope! There is a way! There is a source for real peace even amidst chaos and war. It’s all in the Messiah! Believe in Him, receive the spirit of truth, and walk in His light in these dark days! 

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Awaiting His Return,

The Freedom Jesus Brings

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.Psalm 107:13–14

- JULY 4 -
THE FREEDOM JESUS BRINGS

Because grace is the person Who was nailed to the cross for our redemption, grace imparts hope to those who are hopeless and help to those who are helpless. When you are worn out, torn down, crushed, depleted, and on the brink of giving up, grace is the hand that pulls you out of the miry pit of defeat. Grace is the supply that floods every crevice of need.

Dean from Maryland wrote to me to share how his life was transformed by this truth. In a twelve-page letter, he described his lifelong battle with feelings of rejection, abandonment, inadequacy, fear, and thoughts of suicide that led to drinking and drug addictions. In the clutches of meth (methamphetamine) for nine years, he spiraled out of control while heading in and out of prison.

Dean’s turnaround happened only when he began to hear about God’s grace. He said, “Dear Pastor Prince, it brings me so much excitement to share with you the radical change in my life in the last year.

"I have been watching your television program for some time now, and have read Destined To Reign, Unmerited Favor, and The Power of Right Believing. It’s a thousand pages of one message—grace. I don’t know how I ever missed it all these years. Your teaching on grace and truth has been so revolutionary to me and I want to thank you personally.”

Simply put, the revolution in his life began with a revelation of God’s glorious grace. Dean said:

I began seeing in the Scriptures the simplicity of the gospel of Christ and the revelation of God’s grace began to transform me from the inside out. I repented by changing my thinking and that began to change what I had been believing. My emotions and behavior began to change effortlessly.

I didn’t have to try to feel right, or act right; I just did, and still do. And while I still have my moments, they are getting fewer and further apart.

I realized that all I had to do was to focus on Jesus’ finished work on the cross and keep my eyes and ears open to His gospel, the good news of grace. I was seeing things I’d never seen before in the Word and understanding what grace means and how this truth sets one free. I began to realize that grace is undeserved favor and there was nothing I could ever do to earn or re-earn this unmerited favor in my life, regardless of my sins or efforts to make things right. I began to realize that I am highly favored and accepted in the beloved family of my Lord.

As a young boy, I believed in Jesus as my Savior. I knew many of the stories in the Bible. I went to church. But I lived a life with a slave and orphan mentality for over thirty years because I could not simply understand or believe the whole truth of God’s grace—this grace, which is the power of God unto salvation, this grace, which is the light that shines into the darkness.

I could accept that I was His child forever and would go to heaven, but because of my repeated failures, I believed that I would never have love, favor, and acceptance in this life. I believed that I had to suffer for my mistakes. Finally, I believed that I had to carry my failures all the way to heaven, resulting in much pain and damage that almost crushed me to death.

As I write this, I have been freed of alcohol and drug abuse for over two years and freed of dependence on medication for well over a year. Most of my life, I hated going to bed because I would toss and turn in torment thinking about all my failures and weaknesses. I hated waking up because I knew it would start all over again.

In the last year, all that has changed. I go to bed without thoughts of my past. I can’t wait to wake up each morning to expect more of His grace. The guilt, shame, bone-crushing weight of condemnation, and ever-looming depression because of fear, failure, and punishment have all disappeared like the darkness in the light of the rising sun.

My friend, I want to encourage you to believe that you too can experience the freedom that Jesus brings. Dean experienced victory over defeat in his life and so can you. Whatever is keeping you down, be it frequent bouts of depression, self-doubt, fear, or a destructive habit, there is a person Who has the power to turn everything around for your good and break every bondage. His name is Jesus.

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

The Cross Has Made a Difference

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.2 Corinthians 5:21

- JULY 3 -
THE CROSS HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE

Under the old covenant, it is true that God’s protection was conditional. But for you and me today, it is vital that we read and understand Psalm 91 through the lens of the new covenant—through the lens of the cross.

We are no longer living under the old covenant. We have a new and living way (Heb. 10:20)! Under the old, protection is achieved. Under the new, protection is received. What I want you to see is this: the cross has made a difference.

At the cross, God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Today, we are the righteousness of God in Christ! Because we are righteous in Christ, we can receive the promise of Psalm 5:12, which declares, “For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Naturally, we can’t always watch our backs. But supernaturally, God has got us covered all around. His abundant supply of grace (unmerited favor) encompasses us like a mighty and impenetrable force field, surrounding us 360 degrees and twenty-four hours a day!

How do we set our love upon God today? We set our love upon God by meditating on, talking about, and listening to preaching about His love for us!

Remember, it is not about our love for Him, but His love for us. It is about us meditating on Bible verses such as, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life” (John 3:16 AMPC).

There is protection and deliverance from destruction when you believe in God’s love for you. Set your mind on how greatly loved and dearly prized you are. The more conscious you are of the Lord’s love for you, the more His protection will manifest in your life!

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

Israel News from Amir Tsarfati

God says there is a point in time where I'm going to say, this is it. It's time for My people to come back to their land. But the land is dead, so I'm going to speak first, life into this dead land. So you, oh mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield what? your fruit to my people, Israel. God says this land belongs to the people of Israel, His people Israel. And God is going to make sure that the land will be sustainable for them to be able to return and live in it. And then He says, "I will have to do it before they come, because ..." Look what He says, "For they are about to come." So once the land was spoken life into it, then comes the return of the people. And it's very interesting because the Bible says in the same chapter, "For I will take you, the Jewish people, from among the nations and I will gather you out of all countries and I will bring you into your own land.”

This is what the Bible says regarding the ownership of the land of Israel. This is what the Bible says regarding the plan of God for the people of Israel, that He will heal the land, bring the people from wherever they were. Now up until 20, 30 years ago, the majority of the Jews would still be outside of the land of Israel. We live in prophetic times now, where for the first times since the last 2000 years, the majority of the Jewish people live in the land of Israel. And this is very significant, because according to the word of God and the plan of God, the land must be first healed and the people then must return and they're his people.

Few things remind us that there is a spiritual war raging today like the global hatred of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.  

Ephesians 6:12-14
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Make no mistake, antisemitism is demonic in nature and it is the devil who is the driving force behind the anti-Israel sentiment we see growing today. The most tragic part about this, beyond the obvious manifestations of it we see today, is that hatred has blinded to eyes of millions to the fact that the rebirth of the nation of Israel and their regathering back into their national homeland is nothing short of a miracle. On top of that it is also an undeniable fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Following such a statement, our minds will quickly gravitate to Ezekiel 37 and the vision of the dry bones. But the prophecy of the regathering of the Jews actually has a much longer history than the 2,600 years ago when Ezekiel wrote.

Deuteronomy 30:1-5
“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

Deuteronomy predates Ezekiel’s prophecy by some 800 years yet predicts the same event that we are now privileged to see right before our eyes. This should  remind us that our God knows the beginning from the end and all that happens in the middle. God has brought His people back into their land and has prospered and multiplied modern Israel more than in time past and both Moses in Deuteronomy and Ezekiel record this prophetically.

In 2003, the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reported that Israel had surpassed the United States as the nation with the world's largest Jewish population. Today there are over 7.2 million Jews living in Israel. And though the nation has experienced a brief economic slowdown at the beginning of the war with Hamas, it has largely rebounded in the 1st Quarter of 2024. The nation holds the second strongest economy in the region and 26th in the world. 

With so much clear evidence that God is fulfilling His promises to Israel, why would anyone stand against them since God is clearly for them? The answer is where we started. It is spiritual and demonic. 

The primary reason we need to get this right is that the world is headed towards the most significant prophetic fulfillment outside of the two comings of Christ and the Rapture of the church. We’re talking about the fulfillment of the seventieth week of Daniel. This alone is the greatest proof that modern Israel is biblical Israel and that the world is headed for a time of unprecedented tribulation like it has never seen. 

Since the Great Tribulation is synonymous with the 70th week of Daniel, and the world largely views Jerusalem as a burdensome stone, let’s make sure we’re not joining forces with the adversary and standing against what God has foretold regarding His chosen people and their national homeland. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Free and Undeserved

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.Romans 11:6 NLT

- JULY 1 -
FREE AND UNDESERVED

I love the apostle Paul’s description of God’s grace: free and undeserved! When you truly experience this free and undeserved favor and love from God, you don’t have to worry about performing. His love and unmerited favor within you will flush out all the wrong thinking and wrong believing, and you will produce good works—true fruits of righteousness that are lasting, sustainable, and enduring!

You may have heard a teaching going around where grace is defined as “divine empowerment.” Be careful about defining grace as merely empowerment—that is diluting and reducing what grace truly is.

Grace produces divine empowerment, but in and of itself, the essence of grace is His undeserved, unmerited, and unearned favor. When are you in your most undeserving state? When you have failed.

Unmerited favor means that when you have failed and are in your most undeserving state, you can receive Jesus’ favor, blessings, love, and perfect acceptance in your life. Let me tell you, when you understand and receive grace as God’s unmerited favor, not only will you be empowered, you will be healed, and you will be changed from the inside out.

The real danger with defining grace as just divine empowerment is that we can unconsciously flip grace around and instead of seeing it as God’s work in our life, we make it our work. From being centered on what Jesus has done, the erroneous definition of grace as “empowerment” swings it to being about what you must do and how you must perform now that you have received this grace, this “divine empowerment.”

Can you see this? With such a definition of grace, the onus to live the Christ life falls back squarely on your shoulders.

My friend, make sure that what you believe in your heart always points you back to Jesus and Jesus alone and not to yourself. Remember, it is all about His work, His doing, His performance, and His love in our lives. It never points back to you.

Don’t be hoodwinked by those who move away from the pristine definition of grace as God’s unmerited favor and end up making it all about you and what you need to do. That’s not grace. Grace is God’s doing—from inception and all the way to the end.

Today, receive His abundant grace—see that God has already started a good work in your life and He alone will lead you to and give you the victory in your area of need.

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

Angels All Around You

Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.Psalm 103:20–21

- JUNE 30 -
ANGELS ALL AROUND YOU

Some people have the impression that angels look like little babies dressed in white togas, flying about with bows and arrows. The passage above tells us they are strong—they “excel in strength.”

Do you know how strong angels can be? When Sennacherib, the evil king of Assyria, laid a siege around Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and the Lord sent one angel to the Assyrian camp.

Just one angel. In one night, the Bible tells us that “the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers” (2 Kings 19:35 NLT).

Here’s something else about angels: they “do His word.” They do not operate outside the boundaries of God’s Word.

And we have seen in Psalm 91:11–12 that the Lord has given His angels charge over us. The Amplified Classic version says that His angels will “accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways.” I don’t know about you but that gives me such assurance that I am covered under His wings of refuge and protection!

The Word of God also tells us that when the archangel Lucifer fell, one-third of the angels fell with him. That means that two-thirds of the angels are still on God’s side! Hebrews 12:22 tells us of an “innumerable company of angels.” There are so many angels that they cannot be numbered.

We may not be able to see them, but they are all around us, ministering for us. So don’t be one of those believers who are more conscious of demons than angels. Remember, those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16)!

In the garden of Gethsemane, when the Roman soldiers came to arrest our Lord, He said, “Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53 AMPC). According to the Amplified translation, twelve legions is more than 80,000 angels!

All Jesus had to do was pray and those angels would have been activated. But He did not do so because He had already chosen to go to the cross and to die the death that we deserved.

He gave up His protection so that today, you and I can claim all the promises of His protection. And as joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), each one of us can summon twelve legions of angels! May you be encouraged as you see His desire to protect you as well as His provision of angelic protection over your life.

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

Updates from Amir Tsarfati

Shalom from the Promised Land –

Yes. Things are escalating in the north. Yes, we have political turmoil. Yes, my region of the world is chaotic. However, none of these realties change the fact that the promises of God are sure. God initiated my blessed country through Abraham. He rescued it through Moses. He restored in through Joshua. He preserved it through David. He rebirthed it from the ashes of the Holocaust, and He’s going to do an amazing work in my people in the future, just as He promised through the prophets and New Testament authors.

Romans 11:25-27
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

On Tuesday, I delivered an important MidEast update from CONNECT, which was only my second update from the new studio here in Galilee. It is exciting and refreshing to be able to deliver news from this facility on a weekly basis!

As I give you a synopsis of the key events in my region of the world over the last week, I just want to remind you to subscribe to my Telegram channel if you haven’t already. Telegram is where I post real-time news updates concerning Bible prophecy and current events, and it’s the only platform that enables me to be transparent and get the truth out!

Turn on the Light

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.Psalm 119:105

- JUNE 27 -
TURN ON THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD

Derek is a successful business owner who attends our church regularly and who has an amazing testimony. Before he experienced his breakthrough though, life was harrowing for him.

It all started one morning when he read a newspaper article about a man of his age who had suddenly died of a heart attack. Derek couldn’t explain it, but from that moment on, it was as if the air started to thin, and he began experiencing respiratory difficulties. Without him knowing it, fear had begun to coil itself around his heart like a python.

Day by day, Derek started to experience all kinds of evil imaginations of himself getting hurt and dying while doing the simplest day-to-day activities. He suffered escalating bouts of debilitating anxiety attacks as fear tightened its grip on his heart.

As his mental oppression worsened, and convinced he was severely ill as his breathing difficulties increased, Derek checked himself into a hospital, where he was told his was not a heart problem but an anxiety problem.

That was when Derek was introduced to and began listening to some of my messages over and over again. He told me, “You said to focus on the Word of God and not on my problems. And that was exactly what I did! I began turning away from those dark thoughts and allowing the light of Jesus’ words to come into my situation.”

Derek’s breakthrough began when he turned on the light of God’s Word and allowed it to shine upon him and his situation. One of his favorite verses that gave him both courage and comfort was the Lord saying to him, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). He would speak this verse whenever he was fearful and then tell himself, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear” (Heb. 13:6).

Equipped with God’s Word, Derek began playing the right mental movies in his mind. Every time the anxiety attacks came and the evil imaginations began to replay in his mind, he would wield these scriptures like a weapon against the onslaught of the serpent’s attack.

The more he proclaimed, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. The Lord is my helper; I will not fear,” the more the grip of the serpent began to loosen and weaken. He found that he could breathe freely again and his heart no longer felt constricted.

Strengthened by the Word, he began to see the Lord with him always. He began to see himself full of health and protected from harm. Derek was completely healed and released from all his fears as he began to replace the wrong mental movies that he had been playing in his mind with the right ones.

Beloved, God’s thoughts are greater than the devil’s thoughts. His light is greater than any darkness. You’ll put an end to the enemy’s days of using fear to torment you and manipulate your thoughts when you, like Derek, turn on the light of God’s Word and allow it to shine upon you and whatever negative situation you may be in.

Let His Word anchor you in His love, strengthen your heart, and paint the right pictures for your breakthrough and an amazing future.

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

Let Faith Arise

She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.Mark 5:27 NLT

- JUNE 26 -
LET FAITH ARISE

The woman who touched Jesus in Mark 5 had suffered greatly for twelve years from a hemorrhage. She had not only spent all her money to pay for treatments that did not help her, but her condition had grown worse.

Perhaps you have been put through so many tests, been subject to so many probes, and tried so many “revolutionary cures,” you have lost count. But each time the treatment failed, and all you are left with is more bills and a condition that has deteriorated despite your best efforts.

You may have come to the point where you are tired of trying and tired of hoping. The disease has ravaged your body and you have neither the will nor the finances to continue fighting.

If that describes you, please know it is not by coincidence you are reading these words. I believe the Lord wanted you to read this because He loves you. Do not give up. Even if you have gone to specialist after specialist and tried various treatments to no avail, there is still hope!

I really believe what I am about to share will help you receive your breakthrough both in your body and in your finances. Here is the apostle Mark’s account:

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction . . . And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

—Mark 5:27–29, 34

If you have been believing God for healing, you might be thinking, If only I could see Jesus with my own eyes or hear Him with my own ears, then I could be healed. The apostle Luke recorded that “great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him” (Luke 5:15). These multitudes heard Jesus themselves, and they were healed.

But the apostle Mark’s account about the woman with the issue of blood doesn’t say, “When she heard Jesus.” It says, “When she heard about Jesus.”

Hallelujah! Do you know what that means? It means we can have the same faith this woman had just by hearing about Jesus. We may not see or hear Jesus in person as the multitudes did. But just by hearing about Jesus, we can receive the same faith and healing breakthrough the woman did—even if the conditions have been in our bodies for years, and even if doctors and expensive treatments have failed!

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

Israel is Important to the Church

Without Israel, the Messiah would not have come because God chose Israel for that purpose, and He was born at the right time, and He was born under the law to redeem those who were under the law also. Not just the Gentiles. Part of the mystery of the Messiah is the reality that He cannot be separated from the nation of Israel. It's not just unbiblical to try and force such a conclusion; It's actually diabolic. Who wants Israel to be wiped out? The devil.

There is a growing mindset today that as long as you believe in Jesus and that He was raised from the dead, the rest of what you believe is of no consequence. You can believe some of the Bible or none of the Bible, or even things outside of the Bible, and still have the expectation of arriving in heaven.

The problems with this thinking are many, and not the least of which is this:

Psalms 138:2
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

The word of God - penned by 40 different authors in three different languages on three different continents over 1,500 years - is magnified above all of His name. What does this mean? Simply put, we could understand it by noting that when a person has a reputation for lying and you hear their name, it is their character that comes to mind. If someone is a gossip, the same is true. This is also true of a thief. The point is that a person’s character creates an association with their name. The nature and character of God is recorded in His word. His name is established by what is written in His word. 

Psalms 119:160
The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Remember, among His characteristics, Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). And in John 1:1, He is revealed as “the word” who is God. 
If you say you have a relationship with the Lord, you cannot distance yourself from His word. He is the word and the entirety of His word is truth, including this:

Romans 11:25-27
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

Zion is often used in reference to the whole of Jerusalem where the Lord said His name, eyes, and heart will be perpetually (2 Chronicles 7:6). It can also refer to the hill upon which Jerusalem was built and where the temples stood. The mention of Jacob is a clear reference to the the children of Israel through whom the Deliverer would come. Romans also says that someday, all Israel will be saved.

Since that hasn’t happened, it must be in the future. And if it is yet future, then how can someone say that modern Israel is not the Israel of the Bible? The only way to arrive at that kind of conclusion is to think, “I am a believer in Christ who doesn’t believe all the Bible is true.” How can that even be possible since Jesus is the word and the word establishes the credibility of His name, which is the only name that can save?

Antisemitism is sin. It doesn’t matter what your opinion may be on the war in Gaza. It does not matter what anyone thinks about who was there first simply because the word says this:

Ezekiel 39:27-29
When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”


Amos 9:15
I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.

It is the devil who is driving the global antisemitism of the day and no Christian, under any circumstances, should ever side with Him.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!  Amir Tsarfati

Church is Important

Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.Psalm 92:13–15

- JUNE 24 -
FIND RESTORATION IN THE CHURCH

I received this praise report from a couple who attends our Grace Revolution Church in Dallas, Texas. It’s a beautiful example of how we walk in His protection and restoration as we are planted in the house of God.

This couple shared with me how their marriage had gone through a very challenging period, and how the church and the pastoral leadership had helped them through that difficult time.

It took us some time to realize that we needed to focus more on Christ rather than on ourselves and on our problems. What ultimately saved our relationship was focusing vertically on our Lord Jesus and not horizontally on each other.

We were declaring, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus,” which gave us a sense of how much God loves us and wants us blessed. Knowing that we are the righteousness of God through Christ is what healed our broken marriage.

Being able to rest in all that Jesus has done, and being able to hear and meditate on the Word, has been the best thing for us. He truly is the vine and we are the branches. We now know that in every situation and circumstance, Christ is supplying our every need. He is the vine that will keep us supplied and where we need to be.

Knowing that “if it matters to me, it matters to God” was the last piece of the puzzle. We learned that there is no matter too small or too inconsequential to the Lord. Neither is there anything too big for Him to tackle for us.

My friend, can you see how important it is to be planted in a local church? In this couple’s case, being in a church that preached the truth of the gospel and having the wise counsel of leaders who walked the journey with them saved their marriage.

And can you sense their joy in knowing that the Lord Jesus is their vine who supplies their every need, and to whom nothing is too big or too small for them to bring? Read today’s verses from Psalm 92. Bearing fruit in old age speaks of preservation, protection, and long life.

God wants you not only to have long life, but to have quality of life and still be strong, healthy, and fruitful in your old age. And the way to have all of that is to be planted in the house of the Lord.

Beloved, if you are not regularly attending a local church, I want to encourage you to be planted in one. As you do so, may you, your career, your marriage, and your household flourish in every way!

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

As Jesus Is, So Are We

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.1 John 4:17

- JUNE 23 -
AS JESUS IS TODAY, SO ARE YOU!

It is wonderful to know that God does not measure and judge you based on your performance today. Instead, He looks at Jesus, and as Jesus is, that is how He sees you. His Word declares that “love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

As new covenant believers, we do not have to fear the day of judgment simply because all our sins have been completely judged at the cross, and as Jesus is, so are we! Notice that it does not say that “as Jesus was on earth, so are we in this world.” That would have been amazing enough because during Jesus’ ministry on earth, healing, blessings and abundance followed Him everywhere He went.

Yet, that is not what the Word says. What it says is, “as Jesus is” (notice the use of the present tense). In other words, as He is right now, so are we in this world.

What a powerful revelation! Just consider where Jesus is today. The Bible tells us:

He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

—Ephesians 1:20–23

Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand today, in a position of power and authority. If I were you, I would take some time to meditate on this passage because the Bible tells us that as Jesus is, so are we right now, in this world.

Meditate on how as Jesus is “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named,” so are we! See it in God’s Word for yourself. See yourself as Jesus is, far above every principality and power, far above every disease and physical condition, far above every kind of fear, depression and addiction, and begin to reign over every negative situation in your life today!

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

Never Mix Law and Grace

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?Galatians 3:1–3

- JUNE 22 -
NEVER MIX LAW AND GRACE

Do you know why many believers today have a confused perspective of God? For example, many believers think that God is sometimes angry with them, but at other times pleased with them.

And while they would personally never hurt their own children this way, many believers today think that their heavenly Father would actually punish them with sicknesses and diseases. What accounts for this apparent “schizophrenia” that exists in the body of Christ today?

The answer lies in a mixture of covenants (or “Galatianism”) that is prevalent in the church of Jesus Christ. During Paul’s day, the church in Galatia was struggling with this intermingling of teachings about God that contains a little bit of the law as well as a little bit of grace—a mixture of covenants. From the severity of Apostle Paul’s tone to the Galatians, it is obvious that Paul regarded this issue very seriously.

You might expect Paul to be more upset with the believers in Corinth, who were involved in all kinds of public sins and immoral activities, but he was not. His intense reaction toward the church in Galatia reveals what is of priority to God. It is clear that in God’s eyes, believing the wrong doctrine is worse than exhibiting wrong behavior!

When it came to wrong behavior in Corinth, Paul was cool and collected toward the believers. He was able to handle their wrong behavior because he knew that the grace of God was able to take care of their spree of wrong behavior. That is why he was able to speak positively to them, even telling them, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:4). But when it came to wrong doctrine in Galatia, he rebuked the believers there because they nullified God’s grace by mixing it with the law.

In the very first chapter of Galatians, Paul says, “I marvel . . .” or as you and I would say today, “I am appalled . . .” What appalled him? Paul continues, “. . . that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6–7).

Paul had preached the gospel of grace to the Galatians, but he found that there were Judaizers who introduced elements of the law to them. They mixed God’s grace with the law, causing the Galatians to turn away from the pure grace of Christ. They said, “Yes, it’s good that you are saved by grace, but it’s not enough for you to just have Jesus. You must also know and abide by the law of Moses and be circumcised to be pleasing to God.”

This mixture of law and grace angered Paul. You see, if you have wrong behavior, as long as there is grace in the church, grace will teach and give you the power to overcome your wrong behavior. But if there is no grace in the church, or if grace is mixed with the law and nullified, then what hope is there for overcoming your wrong behavior?

Beloved, wrongly believing a mixture of law and grace leads you down a path of defeat and will keep you trapped in paralyzing captivity. Right believing in the pure, unmixed gospel of grace, on the other hand, is the door out of this vicious cycle of defeat and bondage.

Today, begin to believe right by choosing to know and believe in the true gospel of grace. Believe that Jesus’ finished work has cleansed and forgiven you, and made you righteous with His own righteousness in the eyes of Almighty God. I pray that as you turn to the person of Jesus who has saved you to the uttermost by His sacrifice on the cross, you will begin to experience your breakthrough and lasting victory!

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

No Weapon

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.Isaiah 54:17

- JUNE 21 -
NO WEAPON SHALL PROSPER AGAINST YOU

A life that is founded upon the gospel of Jesus Christ is unshakable. When you build your life upon the gospel, you are building on a strong foundation that will give you stability and the power of God for lasting breakthroughs (Rom. 1:16).

You may be going through an extremely difficult season right now. Perhaps you are reading this and you have just received a negative medical report, or maybe you are surrounded by some challenging circumstances at your place of employment. I want to encourage you to say this by faith: “I am too blessed to be stressed.”

Now invite our Lord Jesus into your situation. Involve Him in your area of need. Whether it is a healing, provision, or relationship breakthrough that you need, see and believe that the Lord is with you.

My dear friend, don’t put your trust in your own understanding. Instead, lean wholly on the one Who is more interested in your success than you are. The book of Proverbs tells us, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). Run to Him and cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.

Speak with me this promise of God found in today’s scripture into your situation right now:
“ ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,’ says the Lord.” Amen and Amen!

Meditate on the last line of this powerful scripture. In the new covenant of grace, your righteousness is from the Lord Jesus Himself. Now, the more you understand your righteousness in Christ, the more you will experience His promise in today’s scripture.

The opposite holds true. When God’s people are not established in their righteous identity in Christ, they become susceptible to the weapons of the enemy. Weapons such as sickness, lack, guilt, condemnation, fear, depression, and all kinds of disorders and addictions.

That is why it is so important to be sure that you are listening to the real gospel. God’s Word proclaims that none of these weapons, even if they have already been formed, shall prevail against you. And every unfounded accusation, every malicious lie, and every false allegation you shall condemn! The enemy doesn’t have a hold over your life. God does, and He holds it together!

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

Practice His Presence

But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.Jeremiah 20:11

- JUNE 17 -
PRACTICE JESUS’ PRESENCE AND SEE HIS POWER

Do you know that the best time to thank Jesus for His presence is when you don’t “feel” His presence? When it comes to the presence of Jesus, don’t go by your feelings. Feelings can be deceptive. Go by His promise that He is Immanuel—God with us!

Have you heard the story of a groom who approached his pastor almost immediately after his wedding ceremony? He went up to his pastor and said, “Pastor, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure,” the pastor replied.

The groom said, “You know what, I don’t feel married.”

The pastor grabbed him by the collar and growled, “Listen, boy. You ARE married whether you feel it or not, understand? Just take it by faith that you are married!”

You see, my friend, you can’t go by your feelings. You go by the truth and the truth is this: God promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So the best time to practice His presence is precisely when you feel like Jesus is 100,000 miles away. Remember that feelings aren’t based on truth. God’s Word is truth!

Soon after I graduated from high school, I took on a part-time job to teach in an elementary school where I was placed in charge of a class of 10-year-olds. I remember one day, when I was practicing His presence, I knelt down in my living room and prayed, “Lord, I just thank You that You are always with me.” As I was on my knees, the Lord told me to pray specifically for one of the girls in my class who had been absent from school that day.

Now, it is very common for kids to miss class now and then for various reasons, and I had never been led by the Lord to pray specifically for any of them. This girl was the first! The Lord told me very clearly to pray for His protection to be over this girl and to cover her with His precious blood.

The next day, there was a big commotion in the school and I found out that the girl had been kidnapped by a notorious serial killer that very afternoon when the Lord had told me to pray for her. The killer, Adrian Lim, had kidnapped several children to be offered up as sacrifices to the devil. He believed that Satan would give him power when he offered the blood of these children to him.

Over the next couple of days, this girl from my class was all over our national media because she had been miraculously released. Sadly, she was the only girl released. All the other kidnapped children had been brutally murdered.

When she returned to class, I asked her how she came to be freed. She told me that her kidnapper was “praying” over her when suddenly he stopped and told her, “The gods do not want you.” She was quickly released that evening. Of course, you and I know why the “gods” didn’t want her—she was covered and protected by Jesus’ blood!

Listen to what I am saying here. In America today and around the world, the devil is trying to destroy a new generation because he is afraid that the young people of the new millennium are going to take over the world for Jesus. That is why we have to cover our children with Jesus’ protection.

I am sharing all this with you because I want you to see the importance and power of practicing His presence. As a teacher during that time, my class was my responsibility, just like my congregation is my responsibility today.

Think with me: How in the world, with my finite knowledge and intelligence, could I have known that one of my students was in grave danger? It is not possible! But because the Lord, who knows all things, was with me, He enabled me to make a difference in my student’s life.

Similarly, whatever role or vocation you are in, whether you are a schoolteacher, business leader, or homemaker, I want you to know that Jesus is with you and He wants to make you a success. Now, remember, all this happened to me before I became a full-time pastor, so please don’t think that this unmerited favor from Jesus is only for pastors. Beloved, His unmerited favor is for you. The Lord Immanuel is with you.

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

Find Rest in the Father's Love

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.Isaiah 54:10 NIV

- JUNE 16 -
FIND REST IN THE FATHER’S LOVE

Today, I want to share one simple but critical truth with you. Memorize this truth. Feed on it. Let it take root in your spirit and become an anchor in your life.

You will never be the same again. Are you ready? Here it goes:

As a child of God, no matter what happens in your life, your Father in heaven loves you dearly and nothing you do can ever change that.

Will you believe that today? Whether you are going through good times or facing challenging times, you need to know that your Abba loves you.

There is nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you more, and nothing that you can ever do to make Him love you less. Even—or perhaps especially—when you feel like you have failed, know that you will always be the apple of His eye. Always.

God loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). A love that is the same yesterday, today, forever. Feel your Daddy God enfolding you in His embrace right now. You are safe. You are utterly loved and completely accepted.

He loved you before you ever knew Him. His love for you has nothing to do with anything that you have done for Him. Nothing you do will ever affect His unwavering, unconditional love for you.

There is nothing for you to prove. You only need to rest and receive your Abba’s love. Let your life become established and grounded in a love that is so perfect that no challenge or adversity will be able to knock you down.

If you think that you’ve messed up, turn to your Father. In His loving arms you will find hope, security, and refuge from any storm.

I love how the apostle Paul puts it: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35, 37–39).

Beloved, there are no caveats or disclaimers when it comes to the love of your heavenly Father. The Bible plainly states that nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of your Father in heaven.

It’s an absolute declaration and promise. “Nothing” means nothing. As a believer, this means that even your mistakes, failings, and sins cannot separate you from the love of your Father. Hallelujah!

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

The King Came Down

“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”Luke 19:38

- JUNE 15 -
THE KING CAME DOWN

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). Today we have problems loving our neighbors, let alone our enemies.

Jesus also said, “If your right eye offends you, pluck it out, throw it away from you. If your hand offends you, cut it off” (Matt. 5:29–30). Have you seen anyone who’s fighting for the law do that? Have you seen any church practice that? Come on, that church would look like a huge amputation ward!

So what was Jesus doing when He said those things?

Jesus was bringing the law back to its pristine standard, as the Pharisees had brought it down to where it was humanly possible to keep. For example, the Pharisees thought that unless you physically commit adultery, you have not sinned, but Jesus said that if you look at a woman to lust, you have already committed adultery with her (Matt. 5:28).

Jesus demonstrated to those who boasted of their law keeping that it was impossible for man to be justified by the law. He also said that the moment you are angry with a brother in your heart, you have committed murder (Matt. 5:22)! You see, Jesus’ definitive and impeccable interpretation of God’s holy laws brings man to the end of himself so that he will see his need for the Savior.

Now, I want you to catch a beautiful picture of God’s grace: the good news is that Jesus didn’t stop there. He preached the Sermon on the Mount and then He came down. Spiritually speaking, if the King had stayed on the mountain, there would have been no redemption for us.

Are you getting this? If Jesus had stayed high up in heaven and decreed God’s holy standards from there, there would have been no hope and no redemption for us. But all praise and glory to the King Who chose to come down from heaven to this earth! He came down the mountain. He came down into suffering, crying, and dying humanity.

At the foot of the mountain we see how He met a man with leprosy, a picture of you and me before we were washed clean by His precious blood. Imagine: an unclean sinner, standing before the King of kings. There was no way the standards of the Sermon on the Mount could have saved him. There was no way the pristine and perfect standards of God’s holy commandments could have saved us. The King knew that and that’s why He came down to where we were.

In those days, people with leprosy were considered unclean and wherever they went they had to shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” (Lev. 13:45) so people would know to run the other way lest they became defiled by the disease. Needless to say, those with leprosy were not welcomed in public places. Yet here the man with leprosy was before the King saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean” (Matt. 8:2). Notice he didn’t doubt that Jesus could; he doubted that Jesus would.

Without a moment’s hesitation, our Lord Jesus reached out and touched the afflicted man, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matt. 8:3).

Now watch this: under the law those with leprosy—the unclean—make the clean unclean. But under grace Jesus makes the unclean clean. Under the law, sin is contagious. Under grace, righteousness and God’s goodness are contagious!

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