What you focus on in these dark times makes all the difference!
This excerpt is from: What To Focus On In Dark Times (29 Mar 2020)
While the world is rife with fear and uncertainty, God wants us—His children—to know what He’s doing and what He’s saying. In this relevant and timely message, discover heavenly perspectives that will help you:
• Receive a revelation of God’s inexhaustible supply and be supernaturally provided for.
• Willingly receive your loving Savior into every situation and see your cares melt away.
• Fix your eyes on Him and His goodness and be transformed from glory to glory.
• Experience renewed hope when you hear God’s plan to bring a fresh revival of healing all over the world.
Align your focus with God’s promises in His Word and begin to live life as an overcomer!
Stay tuned for the latest message excerpt
from JosephPrince.com
In the midst of all the chaos and the darkness
that’s happening right now, the most important
thing for us to ask is: What is God doing
at this time?
What is God saying to us?
I just want you to see in the passage that
we have been meditating on for these past
few days.
And it is John 6.
And notice that this miracle of the feeding
of the 5000 and Jesus walking on the water
at the end of it is mentioned in all the 4
gospels.
Not just the synoptic gospels.
It’s in all 4 gospels.
Why is this miracle of all the miracles mentioned
in all 4 gospels?
There must be something very significant that
God wants us to know.
John 6:2-6 “Now the Passover, a feast of the
Jews, was near.”
There’s no insignificant detail in the Bible.
Now, the feast of the Passover was near.
Let’s talk about our times right now.
Today.
We are in the last days of March.
Do you know that we are just less than 2 weeks
away from the Passover this year?
The Passover this year falls on 8th April.
8th April.
And this story.
When God was telling me that this is what
He is doing at this time.
He is walking on the water.
Amen?
He is telling me that this is prophetic of
the time that we are living in.
Specifically of the time we are living in.
And He showed me that even right now in the
world— the Passover feast draws near.
It’s a NOW Word for you and me.
So let’s follow the story now in Mark 6.
Praise God.
Let’s go to Mark 6.
I’m excited about Mark 6 because this is what’s
happening right now.
And mentioned in all the 4 gospels.
Mark 6:45-51 “Immediately He made His disciples
get into the boat and go before Him to the
other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the
multitude away.
And when He had sent them away, He departed
to the mountain to pray.”
Now notice— He made His disciples get into
the boat.
He made His disciples.
First and foremost, we saw earlier that Jesus
made the people sit down in groups of 50s.
You know, it’s very hard for us sometimes.
God has to make us sit down.
Make us sit down.
Like what is happening in the world today.
Before we can have a revelation of Jesus…
“One day, I am going to spend time with God.
One day, I’ll tune in to watch that broadcast.
One day, I’m going to listen to my digital
download on that sermon.
I’ve been wanting to hear that sermon.”
And that one day never comes.
You’re so busy, running around.
And believers, I’m talking to believers now.
Believers can actually be very distracted
with so many things being offered to them.
Online.
These things are not wrong in and of itself.
It depends on how you use it— even like
Netflix and all that.
It all depends on what you are watching.
Amen?
But I’m just saying that there is so much
time that is shouting for your attention.
So what will make the church sit down and
spend time with the Lord?
To watch online service, and there are many
of them.
Excellent ones all over the world.
Now let’s go back to Mark 6:47-48 “Now when
evening came, the boat was in the middle of
the sea; and He was alone on the land.
Then He saw them straining at rowing, for
the wind was against them.
Now about the fourth watch of the night…”
That is 3am-6am.
This is the darkest time of the night.
3am-6am.
But friend, it’s just before dawn.
Malachi 4:2 “But to you who fear My name The
Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings.”
Amen.
So at the fourth watch, the darkest time,
He came to them.
Now I was saying, what is God doing during
this time?
We are nearing the feast of the Passover.
We are now near the feast of the Passover.
What is God doing?
What is the Lord Jesus doing in the world?
Especially in the Church.
He is doing an extraordinary movement.
Some people say this is the rapture, a picture
of the rapture, because He was praying for
us just now but now He is coming to where
we are so they say it is the rapture.
No. 1 It is not the rapture.
Why?
Because here it says something— it is an
extraordinary movement before the rapture.
Because it goes on to say in verse 48— “He
came to them, walking on the sea, and would
have passed them by.”
It’s not the rapture.
This is not the rapture.
In the rapture, He would not pass anyone by
who is saved.
Everyone.
We all, it says.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air.”
It is an extraordinary movement.
He is appealing to our affections.
He is saying: “Do you want Me?”
Yes, He is telling the Church “Do you really
want Me?”
Do you want Me, the person of Jesus?
I have loved you so.
We love Him because He first loved us, right?
But if we don’t love Him as we should, it’s
because we don’t realize how much He loves
us.
We need to go back again to the truth: The
Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for
me.
Because the more you realize how much you
are loved, the more you will love Him.
Amen?
John practiced that love.
John knew the Lord loved him.
And everytime you look at John— five times
it is mentioned in the gospel of John that
He is the disciple whom Jesus loved.
He never draws attention to him.
Or else, he would have put his name there.
But it’s always the disciple whom Jesus loved
asked the Lord.
The disciple whom Jesus loved outran Peter.
The disciple whom Jesus loved was quick to
discern who was the one standing on the beach
and asking them “Children, do you have any
food?”
He was quick to discern the Lord.
And the one who followed without being asked
follow.
People had to be told: “Follow Me.”
John was following.
You don’t have to tell John to follow.
Just like Caleb, he follows because he wants to.
Why?
Because He has a revelation that I am the
one whom Jesus loves.
And once a while, we need to do that, friend.
Once a while, we need to just sit down and
affirm ourselves this: The Son of God who
loved me.
Like Paul.
Paul made it very personal.
He didn’t say “The Son of God who loved us
and gave Himself for us.”
He says “The Son of God who loved me and gave
Himself for me.”
Who loved me.
Who loved me.
Say that right now.
The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself
for me.
John 6:21 “Then they willingly received Him
into the boat, and immediately the boat was
at the land where they were going.”
So, immediately the boat was at the land.
This transcends time and space.
You can say it is teleportation.
Right?
Immediately.
The boat was in the middle of the sea.
When Jesus came and He stepped into their
boat.
When they willingly received Him— so it
is an extraordinary movement of the Lord right
now.
The Lord is telling us something.
But you say: “Pastor Prince, I’m a Christian.
I have received the Lord.”
I’m not talking about that kind of belief
on the Lord in the first place.
I am talking about how He’s doing an extraordinary
movement at this time in the midst of the
darkness when the storm is still raging.
At the time when the Passover feast draws
near.
Right now, the Lord is making an extraordinary
movement and He is appealing to our affections.
He would have passed by.
But it’s almost like Him asking you: “Do you
want Me?
Do you really want Me?”
It’s the same movement in Laodicea, the end
time Church.
The 7th church.
The last one.
Laodicea was a church that was proud, they
were wealthy and boasted in their wealth.
A church that says: “I am rich.
I have need of nothing.”
And the Lord says: “You do not know you are
blind.”
And that church in Laodicea, Jesus did an
extraordinary movement.
He knocked.
Of all the churches, He made a personal appeal.
He knocked on the door.
We use it as a salvation verse but actually
it is a verse written to believers.
It says He knocks on the door.
Notice He doesn’t open the door even though
He has the power?
He says: “Would you welcome Me?
If any man hear My voice and opens the door,
I will come in and I will fellowship with
him and he with Me.”
This is the same movement here.
And notice— when they willingly received
Him!
You need to willingly receive Jesus.
Even Child of God, you are saved, yes.
We use the term “receive Jesus”, actually
it is “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
you shall be saved.”
But nonetheless, it’s time for us right now
to receive Him into our homes.
And say: “Lord, it’s You that I want.”
Amen?
Will you willing receive Me?
I stand at the door and knock.
Will you open the door?
And Peter says: “Lord, if it is you, command
me to come.”
Jesus says: “Come.”
It’s like He’s waiting.
Come.
But the moment Peter looked at Him, he started
to do what Jesus did.
He started to be above the waters.
So if the Lord is above this plague, Peter
also began to be above the plague.
Because as He is, so are we in this world.
And friend, it was when Peter took his eyes
off Jesus— and that’s the story of our lives.
Every failure, every fear and worry that has
seized hold upon our hearts is because we
took our eyes off Jesus.
We started looking to this expert, and started
looking to this person, men.
We started looking at men instead of looking
to the Lord.
We started to listen to men’s words.
We are feeding off men’s words that is no
bread at all.
That cannot nourish you.
We are feeding on that.. we are looking on
our social media and we are looking at the
news and our Facebook feed and all the different
venues of information.
We are trying to feed on these things but
these things don’t feed!
The true bread of life— He wants to feed
you.
Spend time with Him.
Will you do that?
It’s not difficult.
Remember this— the moment you take one step,
He takes ten steps towards you.
I’m talking to the Church.
That’s what’s happening right now, friend.
Amen?