• A man standing on the top of the mountain as a hero
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Who is your hero?

    March 23, 2024 - By 

    Almost everyone has a hero. Google defines a hero as a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Though that might be correct in the physical sense, we have a supernatural hero. He is Jesus Christ.

    Find out in this short devotional, who he is.

    His mouth is most sweet, yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

    Song of Solomon 5:16

    Jesus is someone whom you can be completely real with. You can hang out with Him and be yourself, with no pretense and no play-acting.

    Jesus is ever-loving toward you and you can talk to Him about anything. He enjoys conversing with you about your dreams, aspirations, and hopes.

    He wants to heal you of things in your past that you may be struggling with. Furthermore, he is interested in your present challenges. He wants to weep with you when you are down and rejoice with you in all your victories.

    Jesus is love and tenderness personified. Be careful not to confuse His tenderness with the effeminate and weak images that you have seen depicted in some traditional paintings of Him. He is tenderness and strength wrapped up in one. He is meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, velvet and steel.

    How is Jesus our hero?

    You see, sometimes, when we attempt to be assertive and strong, we bulldoze over people’s feelings and end up hurting them with our words. When we attempt to be tender, we overdose on niceness and reduce ourselves to doormats to be taken advantage of by others.

    Let’s turn away from ourselves and look at Jesus. He could sternly force a pack of scheming Pharisees to back off in one instance, challenging them by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

    In the very next moment, this same Jesus could look straight into the eyes of a broken woman caught in adultery, and with compassion resonating deeply in His voice, ask her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).

    This is our God!

    What does he do to deserve that honor?

    In one moment, a tired Jesus could be fast asleep in a wind-swept fisherman’s boat, oblivious to the rough Galilean waters crashing against the hapless vessel. But in the very next moment, you see Him staring unflinchingly at the lashing waves, His well-toned carpenter’s arms raised to the sky. With His single declaration of absolute authority over heaven and earth, the waves submitted and calmed instantaneously into a placid mirror of stillness (Mark 4:37–39).

    Jesus is 100 percent Man and at the same time 100 percent God. As Man, He understands and identifies with all that you have gone through, are going through, and will ever go through in this life.

    But as a loving God, all His power, authority, and resources are on your side. Beloved, whatever you are facing today, let your heart rest easy in His perfect love for you.

    This devotional is from Pastor Joseph Prince.

    Do you want to read other devotionals? Here’s the link.

  • A woman writing about how to exercise wisdom
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    How to Exercise Wisdom and Walk in Protection

    March 19, 2024 - By 

    God has made his wisdom available to us at all times. And he protects us in ways we might not know. Here’s how to exercise that wisdom and walk in divine protection.

    Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

    Hebrews 13:2 NLT

    If you look carefully at the Scriptures that Satan used to try to get our Lord Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. You will find that it has nothing to do with endangering yourself to test God’s protection.

    Psalm 91:11–12 is not encouraging you to throw yourself in harm’s way. It is saying that as you go about the course of your daily life, “in all your ways” the Lord will protect you. The Hebrew word for “ways” in verse 11 shows this clearly—it is the word derek, which means path, road, or journey.

    As you go about your daily path, there are times when the enemy may have put snares ahead of you that you are unaware of. But God will give His angels charge over you, to go ahead of you to protect you from those snares.

    It doesn’t mean that you should go and do something foolish and harmful to yourself to test God’s protection! Even as we trust the Lord for His divine protection, let’s exercise wisdom as well.

    What is an example of how to exercise wisdom and protection?

    You may be familiar with Mark 16:18. It says, “If they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.” Now, if someone challenges you to drink poison and you willfully drink it to show that it will not hurt you, that’s just being foolish.

    Psalm 91:11 is talking about the paths you take as part of your normal life. Drinking poison intentionally is certainly not part of your normal life. What Mark 16:18 is saying is that should you drink something harmful without realizing it in the course of your day. The Lord will protect you from being harmed!

    I have a missionary friend. He told me how someone had tried to poison him while he was in the mission field. In the end, the person became a believer in the Lord Jesus because he saw the missionary innocently drinking the entire glass of poison—and suffering no ill effects. That’s how Mark 16:18 applies!

    And I hope you realize that God’s protection does not always have to come in the form of spectacular angelic interventions. I believe that every day, His protection over us is so supernaturally natural that many of us don’t even realize that we have been protected.

    Perhaps as you were stepping off the curb, you felt something hold or pull you back. Right then, a car sped past you. What do you think held or pulled you back? It may well have been an angel, not necessarily spectacularly, but supernaturally protecting you!

    This devotional is from Pastor Joseph Prince.

    Go here for more scriptural readings.

  • A lady reading a book about condemnation
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Do you feel condemnation?

    March 12, 2024 - By 

    With the judgmental attitude of many people these days, it is challenging to not feel condemnation. However, hard life might be, be encouraged by this devotional from Pastor Joseph Prince. God has and will not send you away as long as you believe him, regardless of your past mistakes.

    And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

    Colossians 2:13–14

    In the account of the woman caught in adultery, the Bible is silent on what Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger. But I believe that when He stooped down, He was writing the Law of Moses.

    I have been to Jerusalem many times. During one of my visits many years ago to the temple precinct where Jesus would have met this woman, the Lord opened my eyes to see that the floor of the temple precinct was made of hard cobblestone.

    This means Jesus was not writing on soil. He was writing with His finger on stone.

    Then, in a flash, I saw that Jesus was writing the law on stone. He was effectively saying to the Pharisees, “You presume to teach Me about the Law of Moses? I am He who wrote the law.”

    Jesus wrote twice on the ground with His finger, thus completing the typology, as we know that God wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger twice.

    Jesus wrote to confirm we don’t have to feel any condemnation

    The first set of the Ten Commandments was destroyed by Moses when he saw the Israelites worshiping the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai. God then wrote another set on stones and gave it to Moses for it to be placed under the mercy seat in the ark of the covenant.

    I had never heard anyone preach this before—it was a fresh revelation straight from heaven. I love it when the Lord opens my eyes to see His grace!

    Do you know why it’s so exciting to know what Jesus wrote on the ground that day? It’s so significant because it shows us that the very author of God’s perfect law does not use the law to judge and condemn us today.

    And it’s not because God simply decided to be merciful on us. No! It’s because Jesus Himself fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf. He took upon Himself every curse and stroke of punishment for our sins on His own body at the cross.

    We are forgiven because He was judged. We are accepted because He was condemned! There is therefore no need to feel any condemnation. God loves you.

    Whatever your challenge today, your answer is found in receiving a fresh revelation. If you know how much you are forgiven in Christ, you will be at peace.

    To read more devotionals, go here.

  • A man surfing fearless in the ocean.
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    What does it mean to be fearless?

    March 4, 2024 - By 

    To be fearless doesn’t mean to not feel fear. I doubt it is possible for us to live without fear. However, fearlessness implies, choosing to depend on God despite the situation we are facing.

    Here are a few words to meditate on.

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

    Psalm 91:5–6

    I love how Psalm 91 reminds us that we have round-the-clock protection. Whether it is at night or in the day. Whether it is in darkness or at noonday. Whether we are faced with a terror or confronted by arrows. Whether pestilences threaten or destruction looms. We do not have to be afraid because our God, who watches over us, neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:3–4)!

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

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

    Why should we be fearless?

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

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

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

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

    Do you see grace in that verse as well? Grace—the undeserved, unearned, and unmerited favor of God—is the only thing against which the devil has no defense. That is why we put our faith in the blood of Jesus when we talk about protection. His sinless blood was shed to pay the price for the guilty one.

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

    I hope this devotional, from Pastor Joseph Prince, encouraged you as much as it did to me.

    Go here to read more inspirational articles.

  • A family protecting each other.
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    How is God protecting us?

    March 2, 2024 - By 

    Contary to public believe that we can do some things to protect ourselves in every situation, God has been protecting us in many ways.

    Here’s a short summary of how he does it and what he expects of us.

    For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

    Psalm 91:11–12

    What a wonderful promise we have in Psalm 91:11–12! In the same way the angels surrounded Elisha and his servant and protected them, they are surrounding us and protecting us today, because God has given them charge over us to protect us!

    When we choose to make Him our habitation, He charges His angels to watch over us. They surround us with His divine protection.

    Now, did you know that Psalm 91:11–12 was quoted by the devil when he tried to tempt our Lord Jesus? He brought our Lord to the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” To this Jesus replied, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Matt. 4:5–7).

    An example of God protecting us

    The temptation of our Lord Jesus in the wilderness is the only instance in the Bible where the devil is recorded quoting Scripture. But the devil deliberately misquoted verse 11. The devil misquotes the Bible because he is the father of lies. Verse 11 actually reads: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

    I asked the Lord why the devil left out the words “to keep you in all your ways”. He directed me to Proverbs 3:6–7, which says: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.”

    You see, the devil didn’t want to say the words “to keep you in all your ways” because that would be tantamount to reminding believers of Proverbs 3:6–7—to acknowledge God in all our ways. So he conveniently left out that whole portion.

    But praise the Lord, we know that this is what the Lord has promised: “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”. Our part is to simply acknowledge Him in all our ways. He shall direct our paths, protecting us along the way!

    This devotional is written by Pastor Joseph Prince of All Creation Church in Singapore.

    For additional devotionals, simply follow this link.

  • The open Bible is the wisdom of God.
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    What is the wisdom of God?

    February 29, 2024 - By 

    The world is changing faster than we might want it to do. Therefore, the only way to survive is to apply and seek the wisdom of God.

    Here’s a short devotional of how Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ demonstrated the heavenly wisdom in his earthly ministry.

    But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

    1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV

    Beloved, when you depend on God’s wisdom to succeed today, you will see whatever you do prosper. Simply observe how our Lord Jesus always flowed in divine wisdom in His earthly ministry. For example, look at what happened when the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery to Him.

    The Pharisees came to Him and quoted from the law, saying, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” (John 8:4–5).

    What is man’s wisdom?

    They thought that they had succeeded in trapping Jesus because if He told them to stone her, then they would accuse Him of not demonstrating the forgiveness and grace that He had been preaching about. If He were to say that they should not stone her, then the Pharisees would accuse Him of breaking the law of Moses and bring a charge against Him.

    The Pharisees were probably gloating over the clever trap that they had devised. That is why they confronted Jesus in the public area around the temple. They wanted to embarrass Him in front of the multitudes that had come to hear Him teach.

    Now, observe the wisdom of Jesus in operation. He simply told them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

    What majesty! They came to Jesus with the law of Moses and Jesus gave them the perfect standard of the law. Without flinching, He simply challenged the person who was perfect before the law to cast the first stone.

    Did you know everything God does is because he loves us?

    The Pharisees who had come to ensnare Jesus began to walk away one by one, completely silenced. This same Jesus, with all His wisdom, is today our ascended Christ, who is seated at the Father’s right hand, and whom the Bible says is “made unto us wisdom!”

    From this and other accounts of Jesus in the Gospels, we see how in everything He does, our Savior is altogether lovely. He is never early, never late. God is always at the right place at the right time. He is always in perfect peace and there is no sense of hurry about Him.

    When it was time to be tender, He was infinitely gentle, gracious, and forgiving—we see this from His response to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:10–11). When it was time to overturn the tables of the money changers, He did it with passion.

    He was never frazzled by the Pharisees’ attempts to trip Him up and was always flowing with divine wisdom. He is steel and velvet, meekness and majesty, perfect manhood and deity.

    This is Jesus and you are in Him! Begin to see yourself in Christ, who is always flowing with divine wisdom, always in control of the situation, and the same wisdom that flows in Him will flow in and through you.

    I hope you were blessed with this devotional from Pastor Joseph Prince.

    Here are some more devotionals and Bible study materials.

  • A house of refuge at the top of the mountain
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    Who is your refuge in times of trouble?

    February 9, 2024 - By 

    Nowadays, when people have difficulties, they easily run to the phone, call friends and family for solutions. While that is not completely wrong, it is not the only way to deal with our challenges. God is our only refuge both in good and bad times.

    Find out in this explicit devotional from Pastor Joseph Prince, how to absolutely find refuge in God, especially in the difficult times.

    Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 KJV

    There is a teaching on the cities of refuge from the Old Testament that I believe will encourage you to take the Lord as your refuge and protector and run to Him.

    The Lord told Joshua that when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, they were to designate six cities of refuge. Back in those days, if someone unintentionally killed a person, the closest relative of the deceased had the legal right to avenge him.

    However, in His mercy, God appointed six cities and said, “Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed” (Josh. 20:3 NLT).

    What is the significance of the city of refuge?

    The cities of refuge were designed for people who had committed unintentional manslaughter, not for those who had carried out premeditated homicide. Deuteronomy 19 explains this, stating: “If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility . . . the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety” (vv. 4–5 NLT).

    The six cities of refuge are also a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus, hidden for us to unveil. They are shadows that point to the substance—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, He is concealed. In the New Testament, He is revealed.

    At the cross, our Lord Jesus put all our sins, including the sin of crucifying Him, under the category of “unintentional” when He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 KJV).

    He was not just referring to Israel or the Romans; all our sins nailed Jesus to the cross. He chose the nails and offered us complete forgiveness. Can you see how good and merciful our God is?

    How does this apply to us today?

    Today, if you call upon the name of Jesus, you are qualified to run to Him and take Him as your city of refuge. Jesus is your city of refuge. When you run to Him for refuge, the one seeking revenge (a picture of the devil) no longer has power over you.

    My friend, we were all sinners and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Before the cross, the devil had the legal right to put a death sentence over your head. This is because of your sins. But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus took that death sentence at the cross. In Christ, we can receive His forgiveness and His protection. Hallelujah!

    For more encouragement, please go here.

  • A man covering his face because of his struggle in life
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    The only reason why you shouldn’t struggle in life

    February 9, 2024 - By 

    We live in perilous times. Everyone has many challenges, and some people don’t know how to handle their difficult seasons. God doesn’t want us to struggle regardless of how the world is changing. He doesn’t expect us to fight to make ends meet for our lives.

    Instead, he wants us to depend on him, absolutely excluding how we feel and what we see.

    Here’s a short devotional of how to do that from Pastor Joseph Prince‘s devotionals.

    This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. . . . he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket . . . “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel . . . ” . . . Then he blessed Jacob there.

    Genesis 32:24–29 NLT

    Most people would have given up on Jacob, the scheming deceiver and manipulator. But not God.

    One night, while attempting to appease the brother he had stolen from, Jacob met the Lord. He grabbed hold of the Lord and for hours, tried to wrestle a blessing from Him.

    What to do when you struggle

    What did the Lord do? He touched Jacob’s hip socket and put it out of joint, so that Jacob wound up helpless before the Lord.

    The Lord changed Jacob that night. He showed Jacob how it was only when Jacob’s grabbing and wrestling finally stopped that His grace was able to flow. That night, God changed Jacob’s name from “deceiver” to “prince” (Israel), and added to him blessings that were beyond his own efforts.

    You see, we cannot try to wrestle blessings from God. It is when we give up on our scheming, deceiving, and manipulating to get ahead in life, and completely trust His grace alone that His provision flows unabated.

    I guess you are interested in reading other devotionals and Bible based articles, here’s the link.

  • A mother showing her daughter God loves her
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    God Loves You Perfectly

    February 5, 2024 - By 

    God loves us unconditionally. We start living life fully when we absolutely believe in this truth.

    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

    Romans 5:8–9

    God is a God of forgiveness. He knows you perfectly and still loves you perfectly. We are slaves to the idea that if someone sees our flaws, they won’t love us anymore. Well, while that may be true in human relationships, God is not like that.

    God sees all our imperfections, failings, and flaws on Jesus at the cross. Our sins and ugliness do not turn Him off. In fact, to Him they are occasions to demonstrate His grace and forgiveness through the blood of His Son, who has removed all our sins efficaciously at Calvary.

    So don’t be embarrassed about your flaws, mistakes, and imperfections. God knows your weaknesses better than you do, and He loves you just the same.

    His Word reminds us that Jesus is not someone “who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.” Instead, Jesus was tempted in all points, yet He was without sin (Heb. 4:15).

    He understands every temptation and every trial that you are going through. He is not disappointed with you, and He is not waiting for you to live up to a set of dos and don’ts before He forgives and loves you.

    God loves us in practical ways

    The Bible says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:8–9).

    Did you get that? When did God love you?

    That’s right, when you were still a sinner. Before you even knew Him, when you were still in sin, He already loved you. How much more today, when you have been cleansed by Jesus’ blood and made righteous!

    Having received Jesus’ righteousness, you are righteous forever. Even when you fall into sin, your sins don’t make you a sinner again.

    When you fall short today, you are still the righteousness of God. This is because your righteousness comes from Jesus.

    In the same way that a beautiful butterfly cannot morph back into a caterpillar, once you have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus, you cannot morph back into a sinner. Knowing your righteous identity in Him then gives you the power to overcome every sin, every addiction, and every bad habit!

    Devotional from Pastor Joseph Prince.

    Go here to read more devotionals.

  • A child smiling because of his blessings
    Godly Living Posts / Quotes

    What does it mean to appreciate your blessings?

    January 27, 2024 - By 

    God has given us all countless blessings in several ways.

    Here’s how to appreciate them.

    Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength . . . For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes.

    Jeremiah 17:5–6

    One of the saddest things about a man who trusts in his strengths and self-efforts—“who . . . makes flesh his strength”—is that he cannot see good when it comes his way.

    As a pastor, I have seen, down through the years, people who don’t put their trust in the Lord when it comes to their marriages, finances, and other areas of weakness. They are determined to trust in their own efforts, and tend to be rather arrogant and frustrated with the people around them.

    Many a time, when you observe people like that, you realize that they cannot see the good things that are right under their noses. They don’t appreciate their spouses, neglect their children, and even when other blessings come their way, they miss them!

    Why is it that they can’t see their blessings when it comes?

    It is because people who trust in their own efforts have no ability to see and receive blessings from the Lord. They only believe in the “good” that can come from their own efforts. That is why they are proud.

    You would probably notice that such people don’t say “thank you” very often to the people around them. They feel like they are entitled to and deserve whatever they receive. They are rarely grateful or appreciative, and that is why they take their spouses for granted instead of seeing them as a blessing from the Lord.

    In contrast, people who are living under grace and who trust in the Lord’s unmerited favor are constantly thankful, praising God, and giving thanks to Jesus. They are grateful and appreciative of the people around them.

    A practical example

    When I was still a bachelor, I had an idea of the kind of wife I wanted and brought my request to the Lord. But you know what? He over-answered my prayer and gave me Wendy! I am truly grateful to the Lord for Wendy and I know that it is the unmerited favor of Jesus.

    When I look at my daughter Jessica, I know that I don’t deserve such a beautiful daughter, and yet the Lord gave this precious girl to me. You see, my friend, I did nothing to deserve it, but the Lord blessed me with an amazing family.

    When you live under grace, you can truly enjoy the blessings around you because you know that they are undeserved. Look at the family, friends, and other blessings that God has given you today. See how He has blessed you with them because He loves you. And when you see them as blessings, they will enrich your life (Prov. 10:22)!

    Devotional by Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church.

    Go here to read more articles and devotionals.