Only Christ's Atonement Satisfies God

. . . if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins . . .

1 John 2:1–2

Today, Jews still observe Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. As the name suggests, it is a day set aside to make atonement for one’s sins. But for Christians, this beautiful feast points to Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, all our sins have already been perfectly atoned for. That is why, should we sin, we know that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.

Now, it does not say that if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father. It says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him.

What about repentance then?

The word “repentance” is metanoia in the Greek, which means to change one’s mind. For example, you used to believe that Jesus was just a good man. Then one day, you repented and believed that He is the Son of the living God, who died for your sins and rose again on the third day, and you gladly took Him as your Savior.

Bible repentance is not this idea of hitting or punishing yourself to atone for your sins. Don’t turn it into a human work, like the man who went to a priest to confess his sins. When they were done, the priest asked the man, “By the way, what do you do for a living?” The man replied, “I’m a contortionist,” and proceeded to give a demonstration. Another man came along wanting to confess his sins. When he saw the contortionist all twisted up on the ground, he said, “If this is repentance, forget it!” and ran off!

My friend, there is no need to climb the Himalayas or whip your back bloody to atone for your sins. No amount of self-punishment or crying can atone for them. Your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Only His finished work satisfies God. So change your mind and simply believe that Jesus alone is the propitiation for your sins! Joseph Prince

Heaven

'For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry,

nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.'

Mark 12:25

The word heaven comes from the Greek word meaning 'the sky; heaven as the abode of God'; by implication, 'happiness; power; an eternity.'

Paul mentioned being caught up into 'the third heaven' in 2 Corinthians 12:2. Since 'the third heaven' exists, there must also be a first and second heaven. The first is probably the atmospheric heaven, the second, the abode of supernatural angelic beings, and the third, the place where God dwells.

God now dwells in the hearts of His people, but He also sits on His throne in heaven. The Lord's commitment to dwell in us and never leave us or forsake us, must be taken as an indication of His great love for us. Heaven has a real temple which is patterned after the Old Testament tabernacle. Saints who die go immediately into heaven and into the presence of God.

Paul had a vision of heaven that made him long to go there. Most people cling to this physical life for selfish reasons. Only when we lose our life (die to self and live for Christ and others) do we truly find out what life is all about. If we seriously thought about what the scriptures teach us about our life with Christ after this physical life, we would all think like Paul. The things prepared for us are so wonderful that we can't totally comprehend them with our finite mind. We need to value our eternal life more and our temporal life less. This would solve many problems and remove a lot of grief. Andrew Womack

Righteousness Depends On God, Not On Self

'But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.'

Matthew 21:28-30

This parable was given in response to the religious leaders rejecting Jesus' authority. Through this parable, Jesus reveals God's rejection of the Jews in response to their rejection of His Son. Jesus is showing that those who do the will of God are actually the ones invested with God's authority.

These leaders had a form of godliness like this second son, but they were not doing the will of God. The publicans and harlots had no form of godliness, but when confronted with the preaching of John, many of them repented and began to do the will of God like the first son in the story.

These religious Jews, who sat in the seat of Moses, disqualified themselves from being God's representatives here on earth, because of their hypocrisy and hard hearts. Even the publicans and harlots, who repented at John's preaching, were ahead of them. There is no sin more frequent among religious people than that of self-righteousness; that is to honor the Lord with the mouth when the heart is far from Him.

These sinners were entering the kingdom of God ahead of the very religious Jews because they knew they were sinners and they put their faith in a Savior. One of the deadliest things about religious self-righteousness is the deception that we will be saved because of our good deeds. We cannot save ourselves regardless of how good we act. Who wants to be the best sinner that ever was sent to Hell? Andrew Womack

The Resurrection Power

'The same day came to him the Sadducees,

which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,'

Matthew 22:23

The Greek word used here for resurrection means 'a standing or rising up.' The resurrection is a major theme of New Testament teaching. Out of the 13 sermons in the book of Acts, 11 stress or simply mention the resurrection.

Man consists of three parts - a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Th. 5:23). The body is mortal while the spirit and soul are immortal. At death, man's body goes through the decomposition process and returns to its original elements.

At the resurrection, man's departed soul and spirit are called forth from either heaven or hell. The material elements of the body are raised up, reassembled, and united with the spirit and soul. Thus we have the complete personality of the individual reconstituted. Everyone will be resurrected - some to life, and some to damnation.

The hope of the believer is the resurrection unto life. The natural, earthly, terrestrial, corrupt, weak, mortal, vile body is said to be raised, changed and fashioned into a spiritual, heavenly, celestial, incorrupt, glorious, powerful, and immortal body. This is the completion of everything that has been purchased for us in Christ.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:12-17 that if there is no resurrection, then our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins. It is the resurrected life of Jesus that brings spiritual life into us and the resurrection of the body that brings physical regeneration, reconstituting us into the very image of God. The transformation from this physical condition to our glorified bodies will be a huge difference, but the power of God can accomplish it easily. If the Lord can work that miracle, then surely, He can heal our bodies and free us from other bondages. Andrew Womack

Our Life Belongs To God

'And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.'

Matthew 22:20-21

The image on the denarius, the only small silver coin acceptable for imperial tax payments, was probably that of Tiberius Caesar (reigned A.D. 14-37). The inscription upon the coin read 'Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus' with the reverse side reading 'Chief Priest.' This inscription was a claim to divinity and as emperor, the right to be worshiped.

The Jews had tried many times to accuse Jesus on the basis of religious issues and had always failed. Now they approached Him about paying taxes in hopes that His answer might give them the opportunity to deliver Him to Pilate for prosecution.

These Pharisees and Herodians reasoned that any answer that Jesus gave would be wrong. If He approved of the Roman taxes, then He would lose popularity with the masses. If He spoke against the Roman taxes, then the Jews would hand Him over to the Roman government and Pilate would dispose of Him. It looked like they had Jesus trapped. Jesus, however, answered with such simple wisdom that these Pharisees and Herodians were caught in their own trap and made to look like fools.

Jesus declared, 'Render (give back) to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' (Mk. 12:17). People are made in God's image, so we must render to God the things belonging to God (our lives) and to Caesar the things belonging to Caesar (his money and other benefits of his rule). Andrew Womack

The Centerpiece of God’s Heart

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:12

One of the things I love to do when I preach is to unveil Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures. It’s amazing how we can see Jesus unveiled in the Old Testament and what each detail reveals about the perfection of His finished work and His grace toward us. This is why it’s so important to get into His Word and take time to meditate upon the pictures or types that reveal His unwavering and unfailing love for you.

Would you like to see another example of Christ unveiled that will make your heart burn within you? Then look with me at the picture of Christ that is hidden in the ark of the covenant. In the days of the old covenant, God dwelled within the temple in Jerusalem in the Holy of Holies between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant (1 Sam. 4:4).

This was the throne of God. The ark was the centerpiece of His heart and so important to God that He gave the Israelites very specific instructions on how it was to be constructed (Exod. 25:10–22; 37:1–9) because every detail of the ark points to the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For instance, the box portion of the ark is made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Wood in the Bible speaks of humanity (Isa. 55:12; Mark 8:24). Acacia wood is known in Israel as incorruptible wood, so this speaks of Jesus’ incorruptible humanity. Gold in the Bible speaks of divinity and deity (Isa. 2:20; Song 5:11, 14–15). So the wood overlaid with gold speaks of the person of Jesus—He was completely human and at the same time completely God.

Let’s look at the lid of the box, which was made from a solid slab of gold and covered the box. In Hebrew, the lid is called the kapporeth, which means “mercy seat.” God said that He would speak to the high priest from the mercy seat, “from between the two cherubim” (Exod. 25:22). The mercy seat was also the place where the high priest would place the blood of the animal sacrifices, only once in the entire year on the Day of Atonement. Let’s see what the mercy seat was used to cover from view.

Three items were kept in the ark. The first was the stone tablets on which God wrote the Ten Commandments, which we have seen speak of our rebellion and inability to keep God’s laws perfectly. The second was Aaron’s rod. When the people were complaining against God’s appointment of Aaron as the high priest, God caused Aaron’s rod to bud supernaturally to show the people that it was He who had appointed Aaron (Num. 17:1–10). Aaron’s rod thus speaks of man’s rebellion against God’s appointed leadership. The final item in the ark was the golden pot of manna, which we have seen speaks of man’s rebellion against God’s provision.

Every item in the ark of the covenant speaks of our sins and rebellion against God! But what did God do with our sins and rebellion? He put them all into the ark and covered them with the mercy seat where the blood of the animal sacrifices was placed. By doing this, He was saying that when He looks down, He cannot see man’s sins and rebellion because the blood on the mercy seat covers them all!

This is the good news! Let me say it one more time to make sure that you did not miss it: God cannot see your sins when the blood of Jesus covers them. That is why in the Old Testament, Israel rejoiced every time their high priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement and placed the blood of the animal sacrifices on the mercy seat. When the blood was on the mercy seat, God could not see His people’s rejection of His laws, His appointed priesthood, and His provision. He could not see the people’s sins and rebellion. He only saw the blood on the mercy seat.

Now, stop and consider the wonder portrayed in this picture of Jesus and His sacrifice. Understand that it was “not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood [Christ] entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” His shed blood that covers your sins is the basis of your eternal redemption!

My friend, as you see Jesus unveiled like this and make Him the center of your heart, you will experience peace, joy, and the fulfillment of redemption’s blessings, and reign in life.

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

The Power of the Blood

“And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 12:13

Did you notice that before the Passover, God promised that when He saw the lambs’ blood on the Israelites’ doorposts, they would be saved from destruction? When the angel of death passed through the land, anyone among the children of Israel who was quaking in fear did so needlessly. They were saved not because they were Israelites and not because of their good behavior or anything they did. They were saved just because of one thing—the blood of the lamb.

You might be feeling anxious because doctors have detected some abnormalities in your recent health check. Or perhaps a few of your relatives have succumbed to a particular disease and you are fearful you might be next. My friend, I want you to know you do not have to be afraid, for you have been saved by the shed blood of the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

If you are a believer, you can put your trust and confidence in the royal blood that flows through Immanuel’s veins that is on the doorposts of your life. The cross transcends time, and on that day His blood washed you clean of every sin—past, present, and future. You are completely forgiven not because of your good deeds but because of His blood (Eph. 1:7). Rest in the Lamb who died for you at Calvary!

Stop disqualifying yourself from His healing because of the failures in your life. Stop believing the enemy’s lies that you don’t deserve to be healed because of the mistakes you have made or because you have not been going to church enough. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see you in your failures and frailties. He only sees His Son because you are in Christ.

Because you are in Christ, you are completely accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6), and you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3). This means that even if there are symptoms in your body, God sees you as healed. Each time you partake of the holy Communion, start seeing yourself the way God sees you. See yourself healed, whole, and filled with divine strength and life.

Each time you take up the cup of the new covenant in His blood (1 Cor. 11:25), know that the blood of Jesus “speaks better things” under the new covenant than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:24). Abel’s blood had cried out for vengeance (Gen. 4:10). Jesus’ blood cries out for your redemption (Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18–19), your justification (Rom. 5:9), your victory over the enemy (Rev. 12:11), and so much more!

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

Effortless Change

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John 15:4–5

I’d like you to picture a strong and healthy tree. A strong and healthy tree does not worry about producing fruit or getting rid of the dead leaves on it. As long as it receives the right amount of sunshine, water, and nutrients, it will have healthy sap flowing in it that is brimming with all the right nutrients and that naturally pushes out all the dead leaves. And as long as its inward life—its healthy sap life—keeps flowing, new leaves will spring forth on this tree and good fruits will naturally grow and flourish on all the branches.

My friend, as you begin to receive the sunshine of God’s favor and take in the water of His Word, as you begin to feed on Jesus’ forgiveness in your life and your righteous standing in Christ, the dead leaves of guilt, fear, addictions, and every type of disorder will begin to be pushed out by the new life of Jesus within you.

The transformation you will experience, when it is not based on your own discipline and self-control, is truly effortless. It is no longer, “How will I overcome this anger problem?” or “How will I beat this cigarette addiction?” or “How can I curb this habit of overeating when I am stressed and insecure?” Instead, it becomes, “How will Jesus in me overcome this anger problem, this cigarette addiction, this habit of overeating?”

The fruits of your success will be effortless. One by one, the addictions, dysfunctions, and negative emotions will begin to drop off from your life like dead leaves, and new leaves (new positive thoughts and attitudes), new flowers (new desires and dreams), and new fruit (new behaviors and habits) will begin to flourish in your life.

Jesus’ word to you today is simply to “abide in Me,” and you will bear much fruit.

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

What Are You Hearing?

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 NASB

Allow me to show you something from the story of the woman in Mark 5 whom Jesus healed from a “flow of blood” that had caused her great suffering for twelve years. We see in Mark 5:27 that her miracle began when she “heard about Jesus.” What do you think the woman heard about Jesus that was so powerful?

For twelve years she had been bleeding. According to Levitical law, she was “unclean.” Whoever touched her or even touched anything she had sat on was also considered unclean (Lev. 15:19–25). This means for twelve years she had been shunned and ostracized. For twelve years she was not allowed to touch anyone so she would not defile them. Can you imagine living a life where every single day, you are painfully reminded of how unclean, how impure, and how disqualified you are?

But then she heard something about Jesus.

She heard something that caused hope to spring up in her jaded heart and gave her the faith to believe she would be made well simply by touching His clothes.

She heard something that gave her the boldness and resolve to press her weakened body through an entire crowd, even though Levitical law forbade her from touching anyone.

Most of all, she heard something that caused her to believe that in spite of the fact she was unclean, she could receive healing. That is what I want you to hear about our Lord Jesus today.

In spite of the fact you are unclean, in spite of the fact you have failed, in spite of the fact there is sin in your life, you can receive healing!

Don’t allow man’s traditions to keep you away from your loving Savior. Come to Him just as you are. You do not need to do anything to qualify yourself. You do not need to wash yourself clean before you can approach Him. You do not have to long for His touch from a distance, wishing you were good enough or pure enough. Come to Him with all your sins and all your burdens—He will make you clean. The same Jesus who gave His body for your healing also gave His blood for your forgiveness. Just come to Him!

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

Hearts Purified by Faith

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. . . Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

John 8:31–32, 36

What is “the truth” that Jesus says has the power to set us free? Remember, our Lord was speaking to the Jewish people, so “the truth that they shall know” could not have been the old covenant of the law, which they were already well versed in. Knowing and attempting to keep the law to earn their righteousness had not given them the freedom they sought. It had, in fact, become for them an impossibly heavy yoke to bear.

To understand what “the truth” is, I want to bring you to Acts 15, where the Jerusalem Council had convened to debate which of the old covenant laws should be imposed on Gentile believers. Look at what Peter said:

“So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
—Acts 15:8–11

When Peter spoke about God giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentile believers in the same way that He had given the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers, he was referring to his preaching to Cornelius’s household and how the Holy Spirit fell upon all the Gentiles there who heard him as he was speaking these words: “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43–44). Notice that when the Gentiles there simply put their faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, they were filled with the Holy Spirit!

The Jewish believers who were present with Peter then were astonished to see how even Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit in the same way they did (Acts 10:45–46). It was an unprecedented, unthinkable phenomenon for the Jews of the early church to witness, since under Old Testament laws, Gentiles were considered unclean (Acts 10:28). Later, the Jewish believers acknowledged that God had also granted to the Gentiles “repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18 KJV)!

This brings me to my next point. At the Jerusalem Council, Peter stated that the hearts of the Gentile believers were purified by faith (Acts 15:9)! Not by works, but by their believing right—believing that those who believed in the Lord would receive the remission of sins and be made the righteousness of God. Can you see that?

How are we made righteous today? How are our hearts purified today? By faith in our Lord’s finished work at the cross!

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Now, who are the pure in heart? Those whose hearts have been purified by faith. Amen! This is how we use scripture to interpret scripture. So don’t let someone tell you that in order to have a pure heart, you need to do this and that, and if you fail to keep to their list of dos and don’ts, your heart will not be pure.

Can you see how dangerous man’s opinions can be? Just like that, precious believers can come under great fear that if they aren’t doing something hard enough to continually keep their hearts pure, they will lose their salvation and end up not seeing the Lord.

According to the authority of God’s Word, our hearts are purified by faith in our Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! Let this truth put an unshakable confidence in your heart concerning your salvation, your relationship with the Lord, your future, and good things happening to and for you.

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

Freedom from Destructive Habits

. . . And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

John 8:11

I have received so many testimonies from people who have been set free from destructive habits. These are sincere and precious people who desired to experience breakthroughs but did not know how to. However, once they learned about righteousness that comes from Christ apart from their works, they began to confess that they were still the righteousness of God every time they felt tempted.

And bit by bit, the more they started to believe that they were righteous in Christ, and the more they refused to accept the condemnation for their past mistakes and for their present temptation, the more they became set free from the very addictions that bound them!

A brother from the US, who has been listening to my messages for some time, wrote to share that he had been addicted to pornography and had lived a lifestyle of sexual immorality since he was 14 years old. Although he had accepted Jesus when he was 18 years old, he continued to struggle with this aspect of his life. This is what he wrote:

As a result of some bad influences and some of my own bad choices, I became a pornography addict and began to lead a sexually immoral life at the age of 14. I got saved when I was 18 years old, but I still struggled with those kinds of thoughts and some old, bad habits. I tried everything to break free from immorality and lustful thoughts.

Then, I heard Pastor Prince’s message titled, “Good Things Happen To People Who Believe God Loves Them.” I listened to it over and over again, and for the first time, God's love became consistently real to me. I was able to receive God's unconditional love over and over again, and it healed my heart.

God’s love has set me free! Thank you so much for the message that your church sends out to the world. It is truly changing lives!

The revelation that God loves him unconditionally despite his failures and imperfections was what helped this brother break free from habits that had gripped him for many years.

Beloved, God does not want you to sin because sin will destroy you. But even if you have failed, you must know this: There is no condemnation because you are IN CHRIST JESUS and your sins are washed away by His blood! When God looks at you, He does not see you in your failures. From the moment you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, God sees you in the risen Christ, seated at His right hand! As Jesus is spotless and without blame, so are you!

God sent His Son to die on the cross for you while you were still a sinner. Obviously, He does not love you only when you are perfect in your behavior and thoughts. His love for you is unconditional. Receive it afresh today and break free from every sin and addiction in your life!

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

Speaking Out in Faith

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.

2 Corinthians 4:13

Do you know that as God’s child, you can speak positively into your negative situation and see it change for the better?

Let me show you some scriptures about faith and speaking that will help you. Romans 10:9 tells us that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Our Lord Jesus also said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).

Now, reread what the apostle Paul wrote in today’s verse. Do you notice a pattern here? Faith involves believing in your heart as well as speaking with your mouth. You and I, we are made in God’s image. When God first saw darkness, He didn’t say, “Gosh, it’s so dark.” What did God do? He called forth light by speaking. He said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3).

In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus spoke to the storm and it subsided. He spoke to the fig tree and it withered. He spoke to the demons and they fled. He spoke to the sick and they were healed. He spoke to the dead and they lived.

Similarly, when we are faced with darkness in any area of our lives today, or trapped in a storm of challenges, let’s not be mired in looking at the problems and despairing. We should also call forth what we want to see! If we find ourselves caught in a dangerous situation, we should declare, “The Lord is my refuge and my fortress.” If there is a sickness in our body, we can call forth our healing by saying, “Thank You, Jesus, by Your stripes I am healed!” Start speaking forth your protection, your health, and your victory today!

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

The Power of Redeeming Thoughts

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

What mental movies are you playing in your head today? Are they thoughts of defeat and despair or thoughts of victory and favor? Faith is simply saying what God says about you and seeing what God sees in you and your situation.

It takes a thought to heal a thought. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God’s way is to fill your mind with fresh, powerful, and redeeming thoughts.

The apostle Paul tells us, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Phil. 4:8 NLT). So it’s not just trying to blot out bad thoughts with your willpower. It takes a thought to replace a thought. It takes a right belief to replace a wrong belief. You need God’s truth to replace the enemy’s lies that have kept you in bondage.

My friend, if a wrong, bad, or negative thought is lodged in your mind today and you can’t seem to shake it, stop trying! Perhaps you’re lying in a hospital bed and can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario. You’re attempting to suppress it, but it’s not working. Well, stop! Stop trying to erase it from your mind. That just won’t work. What you need to do is replace that destructive thought with a thought that’s from God. That’s the only way to deal with a wrong thought and begin the healing process.

Start to meditate on truths such as, “Surely Jesus has borne my sicknesses and carried my pains. The chastisement for my wholeness fell upon Him, and by His stripes I am healed. With long life He will satisfy me” (Isa. 53:4–5 and Ps. 91:16). Begin to play mental movies of yourself getting well, being discharged from the hospital, having fun with your kids, or going on a nice holiday!

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

Choose To Believe

'Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.'

John 12:39-40

This could be interpreted as the ultimate teaching in predestination. That interpretation would be that these people were never given the opportunity to believe because of Isaiah's prophecies. However, the Word of God makes it clear that 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Rom. 10:13); 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me' (Rev. 3:20); and 'whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely' (Rev. 22:17). No one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept salvation (Ti. 2:11).

Mark 6:5 says that 'he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.' In that instance, it is evident that the reason Jesus couldn't do any mighty work was not because He didn't possess the power, but because He chose not to use that power against a person's will. He couldn't perform the mighty works because of His decision to uphold our freedom of choice.

Likewise, these Jews could not believe because of their choice to reject Jesus. They could not believe because they chose not to believe. 'They stumbled at the stumblingstone' (Rom. 9:32), which was Jesus.

Isaiah did not predestine them to this fate. Rather he saw that very few would receive the report (Isa. 53:1) about the Messiah, and therefore would be kept from the knowledge of salvation because they rejected Him in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (Col. 2:3). This is what Isaiah prophesied, and it came to pass. Be careful what you choose. Andrew Womack

The Power To Live A Holy Life

'Now is the judgment of this world:

now shall the prince of this world be cast out.'

 John 12:31

The only reason Satan ever had any right to become a prince or rule over us was because we yielded ourselves to him through sin (Rom. 6:16). Since Jesus 'bore our sins in His own body on the tree' (1 Pet. 2:24), Satan no longer has power or authority over those who accept Jesus' gift of salvation. Satan has been 'cast out' -- stripped of any power he had. Now he can only deceive, and if we fall for his lies, we stop God's blessings from flowing in our lives.

The reason why a believer must live a holy life is to avoid Satan's bondage. When we obey sin, we yield ourselves to Satan, the author of that sin. Yielding to sin is yielding to a person, Satan. God doesn't impute the sin to us but the devil does. Our actions either release the power of Satan or the power of God in us.

Although God is not imputing our sins unto us, we cannot afford the luxury of sin because it allows Satan to have access to us. When a Christian does sin and gives the devil an opportunity to produce death in his life, the way to stop him is to confess the sin. God is faithful and just to take the forgiveness that is already present in our born-again spirit and release it in our flesh, thereby removing Satan and his strongholds.

A person who abandons himself to sin is actually becoming a slave to the devil while a person who obeys righteousness is yielding himself to the Lord. This is why a Christian should live a holy life. Andrew Womack

Little by Little

“I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.”

Exodus 23:29–30

You can receive healing through the prayer of faith (Mark 11:24), and many times during our services, people are instantaneously healed as the gifts of healings flow (1 Cor. 12:9). There is a powerful corporate anointing at work when the church gathers together because Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). Where Jesus is, death turns into life and resurrection (John 11:25), weakness becomes strength, little becomes much, and in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11).

While I would love for everyone to receive immediate and complete healing all the time, you don’t have to have an instantaneous manifestation or feel something tangibly happening in your body to know God is healing you. The moment you partake of the holy Communion in faith, your healing has begun.

Most people who have sent in their healing testimonies to my ministry weren’t healed in a spectacular prayer meeting or when a man or woman of God laid hands on them. They were healed gradually by the Lord as they partook of His ordained channel through which we receive His supernatural life and health—the holy Communion.

Sometimes teachings on the prayer of faith can put pressure on you to believe you have complete healing the moment you pray. But truth be told, most of us don’t have that kind of faith. As for the gifts of healings, they operate as the Spirit wills (1 Cor. 12:11) and not as man wills. When it comes to the holy Communion, there is no pressure. Each time you partake in faith, you receive a measure of healing and get better and better.

Sometimes we get impatient and want the Lord to drive out all our enemies at once. Read the verses above from Exodus 23 and see what the Lord said to the children of Israel as they were preparing to enter the promised land. Little by little. Little by little.

Today we don’t face the Hivites, Hittites, or Canaanites like the children of Israel did. But our enemies might be renal failure, leukemia, or high blood pressure. Whatever it is, don’t be discouraged. The symptoms might still be there even though you have partaken of the holy Communion, but keep partaking. The manifestation of your healing is coming. The enemy is being driven out from your life. Your healing might not be taking place as quickly as you would like it to, but it is taking place. My friend, don’t give up!

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

Submission Releases God’s Favor into Your Life

Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand . . .”

1 Samuel 17:17-18

When God wanted to bring down a mighty giant who was terrorizing the nation of Israel, He sent someone who was weak in the flesh. Think about it. In the eyes of the world, what could be weaker against a trained and fearsome soldier than a young boy who had no formal military training, no armor, was dressed in a humble shepherd’s garb, and did not even carry any real weapons other than a sling and five smooth stones from a brook? It is no wonder that Goliath mocked this young shepherd boy and his strategy. When David stepped into the battlefield, Goliath asked him sarcastically, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” (1 Sam. 17:43).

The implications of this battle were massive. It was not just a duel or contest between two individuals. The Israelites and Philistines had agreed to each send a warrior who would represent their nation. The defeated warrior would commit his entire nation to become servants to the other nation. It would be an understatement to say that a whole lot was riding on this one fight. And who does God send to represent Israel? In natural terms, He sent possibly the most unqualified person onto that battlefield in the Valley of Elah.

David was not even a soldier in the army of Israel! Do you remember how this shepherd boy ended up at the battlefield to begin with? David was there to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers who were in the army (1 Sam. 17:17-20)! And yet, David found himself standing on the battlefield as Israel's representative against the haughty Goliath. From delivering bread and cheese, he was now called upon to deliver the entire nation of Israel.

David was at the right place at the right time because he humbled himself and submitted to his father’s instructions to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers. Beloved, this is something you need to understand. Submission to God-appointed leadership will always cause God's favor to flow in your life, and you will find yourself, like David, at the right place at the right time!

The Bible says that we should not despise the day of humble beginnings (Zech. 4:10). There is nothing glamorous about delivering bread and cheese, but David did not despise it. And that put him right in the Valley of Elah, the wind blowing in his hair—a young shepherd boy with no military experience representing the nation of Israel against a mighty giant who was a man of war from his youth.

This is what God loves to do. He loves to take the foolish and weak things to shame the wise and mighty things of the world. So beloved, humble yourself and submit to the authorities that God has placed above you. And when you are faithful to carry out small tasks assigned to you, His favor is released in your life and you might just find yourself doing great exploits for God!

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

Secure in the Father’s Hand

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

John 10:27–30

My friend, if you don’t feel assured of your salvation in Christ, it will affect how you live life as a Christian. This is why I want to encourage you to be anchored on certain and clear passages—like the one found in today’s scripture.

Now, doesn’t simply reading this promise in God’s Word impart to you confidence, assurance, and security in your salvation in Christ? Let me draw your attention to the word “never.” This is going to bless you. The word “never” here is translated from the Greek particle ou me, which is a double negative, strongly emphasizing the meaning of “never, certainly not, not at all, by no means.” In other words, once you are saved, you will never, by no means, ever perish!

When people cast doubt on a believer’s salvation, it reveals how they do not accurately value the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They are also making light of what our Lord Jesus suffered at Calvary for our salvation, forgiveness, and redemption. I don’t know what Bible they are reading, but my Bible tells me in no uncertain terms that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). My Bible tells me that “no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29). My Bible tells me, “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” (John 3:16). That’s what my Bible says!

When we have the assurance of salvation and know that nothing can pluck us out of our Father’s hand, contrary to the saying that this gives people a license to sin with no regard for God, it actually gives us confidence and strength to look to the Lord, to run the race better, and go from glory to glory. Christians who are secure in the Father’s love will be transformed by the renewing of their minds with the power of God’s amazing grace. I believe with all my heart that born-again believers established in His grace want to live lives that glorify His holy name in every area of their lives. Why? Because grace isn’t a teaching, doctrine, or formula. Grace is a person and His name is Jesus!

That is why I like to use the phrase, “the person of Jesus.” Grace is personified in our Lord Jesus. You can relate to Him as a person. You can talk to Him, hang out with Him, share with Him your struggles and your challenges, and have really good, honest, and deep conversations with Him. Once you see our Lord Jesus as a person, and you see all His beauty, glory, grace, love, and forgiveness, there is no way you would want to live a lifestyle that does not glorify His holy name. When you value Jesus in your life, you value His glory.

I want to invite you to meditate on this powerful scripture:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
—Titus 2:11–14

Now, that’s the result of being under grace and that is what it means to be a part of the grace revolution! As we behold the person of Jesus, grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and we become a people zealous for the glory of our Lord Jesus in our lives and “zealous for good works”!

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

We Are in This World but Not of This World

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler. Not “maybe” or “sometimes,” but an unqualified “surely.” Not a conditional “He might” but a definitive “He shall.” What blessed assurance we have that our God will deliver us from the snare of the fowler!

The Bible depicts the devil as a fowler. A fowler is a professional bird catcher. He lays traps and carefully conceals them so that he can ambush unsuspecting birds. The Bible also depicts the devil as a thief and murderer who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

What we need to understand is that the world we live in is a fallen world. Adam committed high treason and gave the keys of this world to the devil. Because of what Adam did, the devil is the ruler of this world. The apostle Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). That is why as long as the devil is still the ruler of this world, the world will continue to get darker and darker and there will continue to be accidents, sicknesses, calamities, tragedies, and deaths.

But we can rejoice in the knowledge that the devil’s lease on this world is quickly running out. Apostle Paul also tells us that our Lord Jesus is coming back and all His enemies will be humbled or put under His feet, with death as the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26).

In the meantime, we will see the world getting darker and darker. But as believers, we do not need to live in fear. Our trust is in our Lord Jesus. We are in this world, but we are not of this world (John 17:16). There is a very real and active fowler that is setting up snares. Even as I write this, I’m reading and hearing reports of bombs going off, shootings, a commercial airplane crashing upon landing, and viral outbreaks in different parts of the world.

In the natural, this can be extremely disheartening. But don’t forget that we have a Savior who is even more real, and He has promised to deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from perilous pestilences (dangerous diseases and viruses). The bottom-line is, we need to realize how much we need our Savior and His protection daily. We need to involve the Lord Jesus in our lives every day. Only He can deliver us and keep us safe!

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

Supernatural Transformation

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

1 Samuel 17:45

Christ-occupation makes you bold but not superior, humble but not inferior. When our minds are occupied with Jesus, we don’t have to try to be humble. In the presence of the Servant-King, our hearts become supernaturally transformed, and we will carry His servant heart. In other words, when you hang out with Jesus, all that He is will rub off on you. Your thoughts and your words will be full of the fragrance of His sweet presence and grace. All your inferiority and insecurities will melt away in His marvelous love for you. It takes people who are truly secure in Christ to be able to bow down and serve others with genuine humility.

Similarly, when you are courageous and bold in Christ and in His love for you, it doesn’t manifest as fleshly pride and arrogance, but rather as complete dependence on Almighty God. Think of how young David charged down the Valley of Elah and challenged the giant Goliath, while the rest of the well-trained and full-grown men of the army of Israel cowered in fear. Was that simply a display of youthful bravado or a genuine dependence on God?

To the untrained eye, David could have appeared like an impudent little brat. But we know where this steely chutzpah comes from when these bold words of a mere teenager resonated throughout the valley: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Sam. 17:45). From his words, we can tell that young David was clearly occupied with the Lord of hosts and not with himself or his abilities.

When your thoughts are occupied with the Lord, you become a giant slayer! Are there giants in your life today that need to be slain? Like young David, occupy your mind with the Lord, and God will fill you with the courage and audacity to overcome all your adversities. Listen to the words of David in Psalm 18:29: “For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.” Let these words of faith and boldness be established in your heart. With God on your side, nothing is impossible!

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