The King Is Not Angry With You

Proverbs 19:12
12The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favour is like dew on the grass.

The Bible tells us that the devil walks about like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8) But have you ever wondered why he tries to act like a roaring lion?

This has something to do with a lion’s roar. In the Bible, the roaring of a lion speaks of the king’s wrath — “The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion”. So when the devil walks about like a roaring lion, he is trying to give you the impression that the King is angry with you. And when you believe that God is angry with you, the devil knows that he has got you.

When you think that God is angry or displeased with you, you will not be confident of His love towards you. Instead, you will expect and fear punishment from Him. And you will want to stay away from Him because you do not wish to incur His wrath any further.

But the truth is that God is not angry with you, even for the sin that you just committed, because all your sins have already been judged in the body of His Son at the cross. As the Lamb of God, Jesus became your burnt offering. That is why He said, “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

Those who heard Him say that at Calvary that day thought that His thirst was physical. Actually, His thirst was spiritual because He was being “burnt” by the fire of God’s wrath. He was being judged for our sins. His body exhausted all of God’s wrath until every claim of God’s holiness was satisfied and His wrath appeased forever!

Now, there is a law called “the law of double jeopardy”, which states that the same crime cannot be tried twice. Today, the fire of God’s wrath will never fall on you as a believer because it has already fallen on His Son at the cross. God judged your sins then, but in the body of His Son.

So right now, you are not under the King’s wrath but His favour. And His favour rains down on you like dew on the grass every morning!

The Blood Of Jesus Protects

Exodus 12:23
23… when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

For 400 years, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Life for them was one of hard labour, pain, loss and even death. When Moses their deliverer came, what soon followed was one plague after another on the Egyptians. But none of the plagues caused Pharaoh to release them until they put the blood on their doorposts. What nine plagues could not do, the blood did! The people were finally set free because of the blood.

Are you under any kind of bondage? Are your loved ones held captive by the destroyer who is bent on destroying them? Plead the blood of the Lamb of God over all that is yours and your family’s. When nothing else seems to work, His blood always works!

Back in 1981, during a stint as a relief teacher in a primary school, one of the girls in my class was absent from school one day. I didn’t think too much about her absence until I came home that afternoon. As I was praying, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for her protection and to cover her with the precious blood of Jesus.

I came to know later that she had been abducted by a notorious serial killer who had murdered a number of young children. My pupil recounted how she had been tied up, gagged and offered to the deities the killer had in his flat. In the end, he released her when the deities found her to be an unsuitable offering.

Why was the pupil released unharmed? I believe that it was the same afternoon when I pleaded the blood of Jesus over her that she was presented before the deities. Of course, the deities did not want her because the Most High God would not allow them to have her. God was protecting her. She was set free because of the blood of Jesus!

You see, when you plead the blood of Jesus, the destroyer cannot come near. When he sees the blood, he must respect the blood. He cannot touch what is covered by the blood. And what he holds captive has to be set free!

How You Know You Will Inherit It

Psalm 89:34
34My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

When God promises you something, do you take Him at His Word? Or do you, like Abraham, ask, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Genesis 15:8)

God did not reprimand Abraham for failing to take Him at His Word. That is how gracious God is to His people. He even came down to Abraham’s level of faith and did something to assure Abraham that He would always keep His promises — He made a covenant with Abraham. (Genesis 15:9–17)

God did not do it for His own benefit. God is a God of His Word. He does not break His Word. But He bound Himself to a covenant because He knew that Abraham needed to know in his heart that He would do whatever He had promised him.

Man finds it hard to just believe words. For example, when you buy a house, a contract is drawn up and signed by both parties, and lawyers are involved. You need a contract because you cannot trust the other person’s words and he cannot trust yours either.

Likewise, we find it hard to take God at His Word. So God makes a covenant with us, not because He cannot be trusted, but because He knows that we find it hard to just believe what He says. God knows that man will wonder, “What if God wakes up on the wrong side of His bed tomorrow and decides to fry me instead of bless me?”

But because God has made a new covenant with us, which is established by the blood of His Son, we can, like Abraham, not waver through unbelief regarding the promises of God, but be strengthened in our faith, being fully persuaded that God will do as He has promised. (Romans 4:20–21) We have the assurance that God will not wake up one day and say, “Forget the new covenant. I want to remember your sins now and curse you instead of bless you!”

My friend, the new covenant blessings for you are guaranteed because God has bound Himself to the covenant. And He is a covenant-keeping God who is willing and more than able to do everything He has promised you!

Be Christ-Conscious

Ephesians 1:7
7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Have you ever woken up in the morning and said, “Today, I will not sin.” And as you leave your house, you say, “I must be careful not to fall into sin today. I don’t want to sin. I will not sin!”

My friend, when you do this, you are no longer Christ-conscious but sin-conscious, even though you have not sinned yet.

Men, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t want to look at any woman in case I lust”? You are being sin-conscious when you think like that. And sooner or later, you will lust in your heart. You may not sin outwardly, but you will sin inwardly.

Have you also tried confessing every sin? I have! As a teenager, when a bad thought came, I would quickly say, “Sorry Lord, forgive me for this thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, another thought would come and I would quickly say, “Forgive me Lord, for that thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, if I happen to doubt His forgiveness, I would confess my unbelief and ask for forgiveness: “Forgive me Lord, for doubting You.” Before I knew it, I was oppressed in my mind and so sin-conscious instead of Christ-conscious!

My friend, when you fall into sin, God wants you to be Christ-conscious. That means that when you have missed it or blown it, God wants you to be conscious that in Christ, you have forgiveness of sins through His blood. God wants you to be conscious that Christ was wounded and bruised for your sins, and that the chastisement for your peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5)

When you are Christ-conscious, you will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) You will know that you are the righteousness of God in Christ because He who knew no sin was made sin for you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He took your sin and now you have His righteousness.

So when you fall, don’t be conscious of your failure and feel bad or condemned. Instead, be conscious of who you are in Christ, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue your walk with God!

Boast In God's Grace For You

1 Corinthians 1:31
31… “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

If someone asks you, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”, you would probably tell him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”, wouldn’t you? Well, a rich, young ruler asked Jesus the same question, but instead of telling him to believe in Him, Jesus gave him the law. (Mark 10:17–22) Jesus saw that the young ruler lived his life taking pride in his ability to keep the law to earn salvation and the favour of God. But because of His love for the man, Jesus had to show him that those who live by the law must realise that their self-efforts cannot save them. He therefore reminded him, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery… ‘Do not steal... ‘Honour your father and your mother.’” The young ruler showed that his trust was in his law-keeping when he replied, “… all these things I have kept from my youth.” So Jesus had to tell him, “One thing you lack… sell whatever you have and give to the poor… and come… and follow me.” When the young ruler heard that, he walked away sorrowful. The law had him because it revealed to him that it was his possessions which ruled him. When we boast in the law, it will always point out something we lack or fail to keep. The law is so holy and perfect that if we don’t keep even one iota of it, it has no choice but to judge and curse us. That is what the law was designed to do. (Galatians 3:10) God does not want us to boast in our abilities to keep the law. If we are to have confidence in anything at all, if we are to boast in anything at all, it is in the grace of God. Only His grace can completely keep, save, heal, deliver and bless us. So let’s not boast in what we have done or are able to do, but boast in His grace for us — that He is our strength, health, favour, prosperity, wisdom, hope, salvation and glory. That is how we will see ourselves enjoying our inheritance of abundant life!

'I Will Be Your God'

Hebrews 8:10
10“… and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...”

When God says, “I will be your God,” that is a declaration that He will work miracles in your life. So if it is a miracle you need, it is a miracle you will get!

If there is a huge sea blocking the way to your blessing and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that He will open the sea for you so that you can receive your blessing.

If you are poor and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that you will be well-provided for. Since God fed nearly three million Israelites in the wilderness every single day for 40 years, you can be sure that God will provide for you too.

If you are sick and God says, “I will be your God,” it means that He is going to be “the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26), and you will be healthy.

If you have incurred a huge debt and God says to you, “I will be your God,” it means that He will bring about a supernatural cancellation of your debt.

But not only does God say, “I will be their God,” He also says, “they shall be My people”.

To be God’s people means to be the protected ones. Not all on earth are God’s people — only you and I who are redeemed by the blood of Christ. During times of uncertainties, God says to you, “You shall be My people.” This means that you are protected from all pestilences, plagues, attacks and destruction.

Even when you hear people say that the economic crisis is coming, God says to you, “You shall be My people.” This means that you don’t have to worry or be anxious. The crisis will not affect you. Regardless of the situation in the world, you are protected and you will walk in the blessings of God.

God’s power comes into every challenge you face when He says to you, “I will be your God and you shall be My people.” You will experience the supernatural life. Your part is to believe what He declares and act like it is so!

Your Advocate Always Wins Your Case

1 John 2:1
1My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

If you want a glimpse of some real-life celestial drama, picture this: God the Father sits as judge of the universe with Jesus Christ at His right hand, who is not only your High Priest, but also your Advocate.

When your accuser, the devil, comes along and says, “You have done this wrong and you have not done that right,” Jesus says, “Father, the devil is right, but My blood has paid for what the devil is accusing him of.”

But the devil adds, “You have also not been reading the Bible or praying enough. And this morning, you told a lie.”

Again, Jesus will say, “Father, the devil has indeed reported correctly, but My blood has paid for all these failures.”

God the Father will then slam the gavel on the sound block and say, “Case dismissed! Next!”

You need to understand that God can justly declare you innocent and completely righteous because Jesus took your place at the cross and shed His blood to pay for your sins and condemnation. (2 Corinthians 5:21) God is simply being faithful and just to what Christ has done.

When Jesus rose from the grave, He rose as your Advocate, your lawyer. But unlike most earthly lawyers who take on cases because it serves their interests and wallets, He is a lawyer who is personally interested in your happiness and well-being. Unlike earthly lawyers who are not caught up in the feelings and sufferings of their clients, Jesus went through great sufferings for you and paid with His own life so that you can receive all the blessings from God.

As your Advocate today, Jesus ensures that what He died and suffered to give you, you get! In heaven today, He defends and represents you to ensure that the healing, wholeness, protection and other blessings He died to give you are enforced in your life. You can have confidence in and rest in the ability of your Advocate!

Jesus, Your Good Shepherd And Door

John 10:7
7Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Jesus says that He is the “door of the sheep”. What does He mean? Well, a sheepfold during Jesus’ time had no door which opened and closed. The door of the sheepfold was just an opening. In this kind of sheepfold, after the sheep enter it, the shepherd sleeps at the entrance. The shepherd becomes, effectively, the door of the sheepfold.

So when Jesus told His disciples, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), he also assured them emphatically that He was the “door of the sheep”. He was telling them and us, “Inside My sheepfold, My sheep are always safe, completely protected and closely kept under My watchful eyes. And since I am just at the entrance of the sheepfold, nothing, not even the muffled bleat of one of My own, can escape my ears. Also, nothing evil outside the sheepfold can enter and touch My sheep without first coming through Me for I am the door of My sheep.”

So when the fight of life comes knocking at your door and when panic threatens to rise within you, see yourself doubly protected! He is both the good shepherd and the door of His sheep. As your good shepherd, He gave His life for you to redeem you from poverty, sickness, financial lack and every curse.

As your door, He keeps out everything evil that He has redeemed you from. Because He shed His blood for you, you are covered and protected within the sheepfold by a blood-stained door. Disaster, destruction and death must pass over you and your family because of His blood on your door. Remember that on the night of the first Passover in Egypt, the destroyer could not enter the houses of the Israelites because of the blood of the lamb on their doors. (Exodus 12:13,23)

Today, you can live life untroubled and unafraid, knowing that Jesus, your good shepherd and your door, protects and preserves you and your family. No evil and disaster will befall you and your loved ones because He is your dwelling place and refuge!

Continue In His Grace

2 Corinthians 3:6
6… for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Today marks the feast of Pentecost for the Jews. This feast is a celebration of the giving of God’s law and it takes place 50 days after the Passover feast. When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, it was 50 days after they had celebrated their first Passover and come out of slavery in Egypt.

But what happened after God gave them the law on the first Pentecost? Three thousand people died! (Exodus 32:28) Contrast this to another Pentecost in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, it says that when Pentecost had fully come, God gave not the law but the Holy Spirit. And what happened? Three thousand people got saved (Acts 2:41), which goes to show that “the letter [law] kills, but the Spirit gives life”!

The law, which was “written and engraved on stones”, ministered death. It killed 3,000 people. That is why the apostle Paul calls it “the ministry of death” and “the ministry of condemnation”. (2 Corinthians 3:7–9) On the other hand, the Spirit ministered life. It got 3,000 people saved.

My friend, when you come under the law by trying to keep God’s commandments in order to be blessed, it will lead to death. There will be deadness in your marriage, ministry, health, career… in your life. But when you depend on the Spirit of grace, it will lead to life. You will see breakthroughs and miracles (Galatians 3:5), and manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

So if you want to be blessed, make sure that you are on the right mountain. You see, the law was given on Mount Sinai, the Spirit on Mount Zion. That is why the Bible says that “you have not come to the mountain [Sinai] that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels”. (Hebrews 12:18, 22) The Lord blesses you out of Zion (Psalm 128:5), and not Sinai!

Beloved, by grace have you been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Now, continue in the Spirit of grace, stay on the right mountain, and He will continue to supply miracles in your life!

Facts Change But God's Word Remains

John 8:32
32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Consider the following cold, hard facts that these three people faced: The aunt of a lady in our church saw her X-ray which showed that one of her kidneys was cancerous. A couple in our church read their medical reports which said that they would never be able to produce a child. A lady in our church who acted as a guarantor ended up being asked by the finance company to pay it $34 million.
When such situations hit us and we allow the facts to settle in our hearts, we will end up feeling greatly troubled. But when we let the truth of God’s Word settle it all, we will sense the Holy Spirit bearing witness to the truth that we are believing. He is the Spirit of Truth. (John 16:13) He is not the Spirit of facts and does not bear witness to facts.
It may be a fact that you are sick. The medical experts say that you are sick. The X-ray report shows that you are sick. But God’s Word says that by His stripes you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) That is the truth about your situation. What is the difference between facts and truth? Facts change, but God’s Word remains!
When God’s people choose to defy the facts and walk instead in His truths regarding their situations, the Holy Spirit in them will bear witness to the truths that they are believing.
The lady with the cancerous kidney underwent an operation to remove the organ. But she received supernatural restoration as later X-rays showed two kidneys instead of one!
The childless couple received their miracle bundle of joy after seven years. Today, they are proud parents of not one, but four children!
The church member with the $34 million debt told the finance company that it was not being fair to her and that God would protect her. The management miraculously decided to cancel her debt!
The next time you are hit by some disturbing facts, let God’s Word settle the truth about your situation. And as the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truths that you are believing, the facts will change and you will receive your miracle!

The Gospel Saves In Every Situation

Romans 1:16
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…

Do you really believe that each time you hear the gospel of Christ, you are hearing God’s good news for you? The Bible tells us that the gospel of Christ, the good news that God wants all men to hear, is the very power of God for your salvation, not just from hell, but also from illnesses, financial lack, harm, a failing marriage — every aspect of your life that needs saving!
You cannot say, “Pastor Prince, I believe the good news, but maybe I’m one of those whom the power of God does not want to touch.” No, it is the power of God for everyone who believes, including you. And believing is of the heart. You cannot just understand it in your mind, you cannot just say you believe it, you must know it in your heart.
But what is the good news that God wants you to know in your heart, which will release the power of God into your situation?
“For in it [this good news], the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17) The good news is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, which you receive from faith to faith. This means that this righteousness comes because you have faith in His blood, not your good behaviour, to make you righteous. It is from faith to faith, not works to works. The good news isn’t preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you!
There is nothing left for you to work at to try to receive the good news for your life. You only need to believe the all-encompassing saving power of God in your life to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, prosper your finances and bring well-being to your family. The world may say that the good news is too good to be true. But for us who are the righteousness of God in Christ, the good news is so good because it is indeed true!

God's Word Is Out To Prosper You

Isaiah 55:11
11So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

In the early church, whenever the Word of God was preached, there were miracles of salvation, healings, and other signs and wonders. The demon-possessed were set free. The paralysed jumped up and walked. People received their loved ones back from the dead.

I remember saying in one of our church services that there was an anointing for couples who were told that they could not conceive in the natural, to receive the children they were believing God for. As the Word went forth, a few couples received their miracle in that service.

One of the ladies who received was an usher serving that day. She and her husband had been believing God for a child for a few years. A few months after that service, she realised that she was pregnant — with twins! God’s anointing is always greater than our asking.

I believe with all of my heart that we are truly coming to the place where as the Word of God goes forth, it is producing the very effect that the Word promises. So if the Word on healing goes forth, know that healing is already exploding in your body. Your miracle has already happened.

Very often, as you are reading the Word on your own or listening to anointed preaching of the Word, you will feel God’s peace and joy, and feel faith springing up in your heart. As the Word goes forth and you find that you are strengthened to receive your miracle, that is the time to say, “Lord, I receive my healing right now.” That is the time to say, “I receive Your restoration for my marriage.” That is the time to say, “I receive Your breakthrough for my finances.”

You don’t have to wait until a church leader or friend prays for you. Every time your faith is strengthened as you hear the Word, release it through your mouth to receive your miracle, for God’s Word is out to prosper you!

Nothing Wrong With God, His Word And You

Hebrews 10:14
14For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Sometimes, when we are not receiving our healing, breakthrough, restoration or miracle child, we can’t help but think that something is wrong with us. We tell ourselves, “Nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with the Word, so something must be wrong with me!” My friend, if you think that your miracle depends on you, then you are on rocky ground.

In the old covenant, we see this “it’s all up to me” demand put on man. God’s part was to bless His people, but only if they played their part by obeying all of His laws. If they didn’t do their part, not only would they not be blessed, the curse would come on them.

Most of the time, they ended up under the curse because they just could not keep all of God’s laws. So God found fault with that covenant because though He wanted to bless man, man’s sins made it difficult for Him to do so. Man himself was the weak link.

In the new covenant, man has no part to play except to believe and receive. The new covenant of grace was cut between God the Father and God the Son — both infallible and more than able to keep the covenant.

God the Son is man’s representative. Jesus is representing you and I. So in this covenant, how much we can receive from God depends on how good our representative is, how perfect His obedience is. Of course, Jesus is the perfect Man with perfect obedience. So in Him, we are qualified to receive all the blessings of God! We only need to believe and receive.

Jesus’ blood has been shed for the remission of all your sins. You are now the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) By His one perfect sacrifice for all your sins, He has perfected you forever.

Today, the devil has no right to tell you that you cannot be blessed because there is something wrong with you. So as you are waiting for your miracle, you can say, “Nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with the Word and nothing wrong with me!”

You Are Perfect In God's Eyes

Hebrews 10:12,14, KJV
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honour His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ.

To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.

The Bible tells us, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in the eyes of God!

Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect! So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.

When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely. Holy Spirit, thank you for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am the righteousness of God in Christ.”

My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man or woman because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)

Come As You Are And Receive

Matthew 15:27
27And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Come as you are to the Lord with your need, and lean on His unfailing and unconditional love for you. You don’t have to pretend to be more than what you are to receive the blessing you need from God. You don’t have to pretend to be someone else to appear more deserving to receive from God.

A Canaanite woman desperately seeking healing for her demon-possessed daughter came to Jesus. (Matthew 15:22–28) Knowing that Jesus healed and did miracles among the Jews, she pretended to be a Jew, calling out, “O Lord, Son of David!” (Only the Jews addressed Jesus as the “Son of David”.) Jesus answered her not a word. His silence made her drop her pretence and cry out, “Lord, help me!”

Only when her pretences melted away did she see the grace of God extended to her. Jesus made a way for her to receive her miracle even though it was not time for the Gentiles to receive His blessings. He told her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

Though many might be offended at being called a “dog”, this woman was not. She knew then that she could receive healing for her daughter because even little dogs get to eat what falls under their masters’ table. She saw that the crumbs under the Master’s table were enough for a Gentile, a dog, like herself. The Jews saw Gentiles as dogs. But what Jesus meant was that He was called to the Jews, not Gentiles, while He was on earth.

So when the Canaanite woman took her place as the Gentile that she was and simply leaned on Jesus’ compassion for her, her daughter was healed from that very hour.

If God is willing to extend His amazing grace to a Gentile, how much more you, His beloved child! You do not need to stand on any pretentious ground to receive a touch of His grace for your situation. Just come as you are to receive all that you need from Him. Since He has delivered Jesus up for us all, “how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Confessing Your Righteousness Pleases God

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

Do you know what happens each time you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ”?

God the Father is pleased. When you confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, it reminds Him of what His Son has done for you to become righteous.

Also, by making you righteous, God is showing Himself righteous — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”. (Romans 3:26)

Each time Jesus hears you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” it brings much pleasure to His heart because you are laying hold of what He suffered and died to give you.

The Holy Spirit, who now indwells you to convict you of righteousness (John 16:10), rejoices when you confess, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ.” He is pleased when you flow with Him.

The delight of the Godhead is not the only thing you gain when you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33)

Whether it is food, clothing or other necessities in life, “all these things” will be added to you. They will not just be given to you, but added to you as your inheritance when you seek first His righteousness.

You don’t need to use your faith for every single need in life. You just need to use your faith for one thing — to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, and it will cause all the blessings you seek to come after you and overtake you!

Your 'Work' Is To Enter His Rest

Hebrews 4:10–11
10… he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest...

A baby learns to sit first before he starts to stand and walk. The Christian life also begins with sitting. God “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. (Ephesians 2:6) How well we walk after that, is how well we sit and rest in the finished work of Christ.

The promised land was a land of rest where God promised His people “large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant”. (Deuteronomy 6:10–11)

But for 40 years, God’s people wandered in the wilderness because they refused to believe that God had given them a land where everything had been prepared — the work is finished. They could not believe that God had given them a land full of riches to enjoy, a land which just flowed with His goodness.

Today, there are believers who still cannot believe that the work of Jesus is truly complete and finished. They are trying to complete a completed work, finish a finished work and defeat a defeated devil.

There are believers today who are always working and trying to produce their healing, prosperity, success and victory. God wants us to stop trying and start trusting in His love for us. He wants us to stop working and struggling, and start resting and believing in His grace towards us.

The only “work” left for us to do today is entering His rest. We are to labour every day to enter His rest. We are to rest and believe that the work is done because it is a finished work, and rest and believe in God’s undeserved favour towards us. We are to rest in Jesus our true ark, who will carry us through the tempestuous waters.

So today, “if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts… be diligent to enter that rest”. (Hebrews 4:7,11) Let’s enter His rest. Let’s enjoy sitting together with Christ in the heavenly places, then we will run and not be weary!

Don't Look Into The Ark

1 John 2:2
2And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

In the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the people who tried to look inside the ark were struck dead. What was inside the ark that brought judgment to those who looked into it?
The Bible tells us that the ark held the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod. (Hebrews 9:4) These items were tokens of man’s rebellion. The two tablets of the Ten Commandments represented man’s rejection of God’s standards. The manna represented man’s rejection of God’s provision. And Aaron’s rod, man’s rejection of God’s appointed priesthood.
God did not want to look at these tokens of rebellion. He wanted to be merciful to His people, so He instructed them to place the items in the ark and to cover the ark with its mercy seat, which is also the place where the blood of the animal sacrifices was sprinkled.
Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to sprinkle on the mercy seat, the blood of the animal that had been sacrificed. The two cherubim on the mercy seat stood as guardians of God’s righteousness and holiness.
Representing God’s eyes, they looked at the blood on the mercy seat. As long as the blood was there, the entire nation of Israel was forgiven. God’s judgment passed over them and they were blessed for another year. (Leviticus 16)
Today, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat is not the blood of bulls and goats, but the precious, eternal blood of the Son of God. (Hebrews 9:12) Jesus is our mercy seat for “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”. The word “propitiation” also means “mercy seat” as the same Greek word is used.
This means that God does not see your sins and count them against you because He sees His Son’s blood. He sees His Son’s perfect work that has more than satisfied Him. And God does not want you to see your sins either. He does not want you to look into the ark by focusing on your sins. He wants you to focus on Christ and His finished work!

The Strength To 'Go And Sin No More'

John 8:11
11… “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Imagine you were there at the temple when the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees. Would you have expected Jesus to condemn her for her sin? Maybe you would have been surprised to hear Him say, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7) After all, she was caught in the very act of adultery.

Jesus, the only one in the crowd who truly had the power to condemn her, would not. If you had eavesdropped on their conversation after the crowd had left, you would have heard Him ask her, “Woman… Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10)

He spoke such words of grace to her because He loved her. Also, by asking her the question, He was giving her a chance to speak words of no condemnation to herself — “No one [condemns me], Lord.”

Jesus not only spoke words of grace to her, He also gave her the gift of no condemnation — “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Could He do that? She did commit a serious sin. Had God gone soft on sin and compromised His holy standards? Of course not! Jesus could say that to her because He knew that He would be punished for her sins on the cross. He was therefore able to give her the gift of no condemnation.

Today, you have the gift of no condemnation because the Son of God was condemned for all your sins. (Romans 8:1) God cannot condemn you when you sin because He is faithful and just to what His Son has done.

But we still find people saying, “Go and sin no more first, and then I won’t condemn you.” But God says, “I don’t condemn you. Go and sin no more.” God gives you the gift of no condemnation so that you have the strength to go and sin no more!

Believe And Act On The New Covenant

1 Samuel 17:45
45Then David said to the Philistine, “… I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Ever wonder why two people can hear the same thing and yet have very different responses? For one, what is heard makes him afraid and discouraged. For the other, his heart is so filled with faith that he dares to come against the devil and what he is doing.
In the Valley of Elah, Goliath the Philistine giant taunted the armies of Israel for 40 days. When David came on the scene, he heard the same mockings of Goliath the rest of the Israelites heard. But somehow, those same words which caused fear in the soldiers angered David. What did David know or see which the others failed to see?
David knew that he had a covenant with God. Now, King Saul and all the soldiers with him that day also had the same covenant, but only David believed the covenant. And he was the only one who acted on his belief. So God caused his giant to come tumbling down.
If David had such a great victory even though he was under the old covenant, how much more you and I who are under the new covenant! Today, God is asking, “Where are my Davids who will believe the new covenant?”
What is the new covenant? It is the covenant of grace. And grace means unmerited, undeserved, unearned favour. God wants us to know that He has cut this covenant with us. And according to the covenant, we have undeserved favour. We are blessed because Jesus took our beating. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have victory over every giant.
Isn’t that good news? Today, God wants you to stand before your “giant” and declare that in spite of what you are going through, in spite of what is happening, you believe that God is for you because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross. And then, before your very eyes, you will see the giants of accusation, intimidation, condemnation, disease and debt fall flat before you!

How Do You See Him?

Luke 7:9
9When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith…

The way you see Jesus, the revelation that you have of Him, will not affect God’s acceptance of you. But it will affect your acceptance of what God has for you. It will affect how you receive from Him.
Consider the Roman centurion who told Jesus, “You don’t have to come to my house. Just speak the word and my servant at home will be healed.” (Luke 7:6–7) Compare him with Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue, who told Jesus, “My daughter is dying. Please come to my house and lay Your hands on her, and she shall live.” (Mark 5:22–23)
Do you know that Jesus does not have to go to your house to heal you? So why did Jesus follow Jairus to his house? He had to come down to his level of faith. Jairus believed that his daughter could be healed — but only if Jesus came and laid His hands on her.
The centurion was different. He said, “Lord, You don’t have to come to my house. I know who You are.” This centurion believed that Jesus didn’t have to come to his house for his servant to be healed. He believed that Jesus only needed to speak the word. He said to Jesus, “Just speak the word and my servant at home will be healed.”
Do you know who God is? The centurion had a greater understanding of who Jesus was than Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, and he wasn’t even a Jew!
Jesus asked his disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) He even remarked, “O you of little faith.” (Matthew 6:30) But to the woman with the issue of blood, He said, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28) And to the centurion, He declared, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Luke 7:9)
My desire is for you to have an accurate understanding of who Jesus is because when your revelation of Jesus is big, you will know what has been freely given to you. And when you know what is yours in Christ Jesus, you will be rich in all things!

You Have It, So Say It!

Matthew 25:29
29“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Have you come across people who have little, yet even that little is taken away from them? On the other hand, there are those who already have much, yet they receive even more.

Jesus said, “To everyone who has, more will be given. From him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t go on to say what we have. He simply says, “But to everyone who has.”

So Jesus is talking about an attitude that says, “I have it!” If you say that you have it, you have it, and more will be given to you. But if you say that you don’t have it when you actually do because God has freely given us all things (Romans 8:32), then even what you have will be taken away — not by God but by the devil! The devil will take it away because you say that you don’t have it. You may have prayed, but you say that you don’t have it. So the devil goes to work because he has your agreement!

When you feel that you need something, God says that you are to ask of Him. And when you ask, believe that you receive it. (Mark 11:24) Say that you already have it even if you don’t see it in the physical realm yet, and one day, you will see it!

God is not saying, “Oh come on, pretend you see it. And if you pretend long enough, you will have it.” This is not a game! God is telling us to call forth those things that don’t exist as though they do. (Romans 4:17)

Today, we are talking about the haves and have-nots in the church. If you believe that it is yours, you will have it. You will see yourself possessing it and enjoying it, and more will be given. But if you say, “Well, I don’t feel it and I’m not sure if it will come,” in essence, you are saying that you don’t have it when you actually have it. Then, even what you have will be taken away. So say that you have it!

Live The 'Much More' Life

Romans 5:17
17For if by the one man’s offence death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

When God created man, He did not intend for man to grow old, become weak and powerless, suffer diseases and die — first the physical death, then the second or eternal death.
God never meant for man to go through all this and for death to reign. But because of one man’s offence — that man being Adam — death reigns.
The ultimate death is the second or eternal death in the lake of fire. Before this death is physical death. Before physical death, you have diseases and illnesses. Not all diseases and illnesses lead to death, but these are manifestations of death. One step before diseases and illnesses is tiredness, weakness and powerlessness, which are signs and symptoms of death. Now, all these are forms of death. Death reigns!
But are you resigned to the fact that death can strike whoever, whenever and wherever it wishes? Are you allowing death to reign in your life and in the lives of your loved ones? Or are you allowing God’s Word to tell you the truth about death?
“For if by the one man’s offence death reigned through the one, much more… ”. Thank God for the “much more”! What Jesus, the last Adam, did is much more and far greater than what the first Adam did. We are those who have received the “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness”. Therefore, our “much more” is that we will reign in life through Jesus Christ!
God considers death an enemy. He came to destroy death and give us eternal life. And the more we walk in the grace of God and His righteousness, the more we will reign in life. The more we believe His grace or undeserved favour, and the more we know that we have been made righteous by His blood, not our good behaviour, the more we will reign over sickness and death!

Walk In The Undeserved Favour Of God

2 Peter 1:2
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

If you would like to walk in a greater measure of God’s favour, 2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favour of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you. Peace is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. Its definition includes wholeness, health and prosperity. So when you walk in divine favour and peace, you walk in blessings in every area of your life!
But how does the undeserved favour and shalom of God increase in your life? It is not by your labouring or toiling to earn it. The Bible says that it comes as your knowledge of Jesus and His finished work increases. It comes as you learn more about and believe that through Jesus’ one sacrifice at the cross, God removed all your sins, gave you His righteousness as a gift and put you in Christ to enjoy everything Jesus has. God’s favour is multiplied in your life when you simply believe that the favour of God that is on Christ is also on you because of what Jesus’ work at the cross has accomplished.
Today, you don’t have to struggle for favour. Just release it by speaking forth God’s Word in faith. On your way to work, say, “God’s favour surrounds me as a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) As you continue to speak God’s favour over your life out of a revelation of Jesus’ finished work, you will see more of it being released.
When I first entered the workforce, I began to declare the favour of God in my job. Every time I was given a new assignment, I proclaimed that the divine favour of God was on me. The company began to prosper and I was blessed financially. When I left the company after three years to serve God full-time, my income had increased to that of the top 15 per cent of earners in my age group in Singapore.
Today, in your workplace or home, begin to declare the favour of God by faith. Expect to receive preferential treatment wherever you go. Say, “I am surrounded with the favour of God because of Jesus’ finished work. I have favour before God and man!” And see God’s favour work for you!

Seek First His Kingdom

Matthew 6:31–33
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

As a child of God, know that it is your Father’s pleasure to meet all your needs. Jesus Himself tells us, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But God does not want you to seek after needs. He wants you to seek first His kingdom. And when you do that, all the things that you need will be added to you!

So your first priority every day is to seek His kingdom. The word “first” in verse 33 is the Greek word proton, which means “first in order or importance, holding the highest place in all our affections”. So God wants us to seek first His kingdom, and all things will fall gloriously in place.

We are not to seek after things the way Gentiles do. The word “seek” in “the Gentiles seek” (verse 32) is the Greek word epizeteo. It means “to seek with all their might with much sweat or with much stress”. However, the way God wants us to “seek” in “seek first the kingdom of God” is the Greek word zeteo, which means “to hunger, to desire to worship”. It is simply a hungering, a desiring for the kingdom of God, without any labour or toil.

But what is the kingdom of God? Romans 14:17 tells us that it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the kingdom of God dwells within you because the Holy Spirit indwells you. So the kingdom of God is His righteousness, peace and joy in you.

Make sure that peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is flowing inside you every day. Seek every day to be conscious of your righteousness in Christ, not your own righteousness, but His righteousness given to you as a gift. Pursue Jesus first. Spend time with Him, listening to His Word. And when you do these things, you are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the things that you need will be added to you!

The Teacher Of All Things Is In You

John 14:26
26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…

If you are asking whom or where you can go to get the help you need, ask no more. Just turn to God who has already promised you the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom He has sent in Jesus’ name.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Yes, teach you all things! Do you really believe that? Or are you like some who believe that you seek God’s counsel only in spiritual things but consult “professional” help for other things in your life.

God does not want you to go to the ungodly and operate by their counsel because He wants you to prosper in whatever you do. (Psalms 1:1–3) That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit to teach you all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. … the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things…” (1 John 2:20,27)

So the way God teaches you is through the anointing within. It is a continuous anointing. In any particular situation, He is anointing you within, teaching you — not by a voice inside you but by the presence or absence of His peace.

For example, a deal you are considering may sound very reasonable. But if you don’t have the peace in your spirit, don’t sign on the dotted line. Sign only when you have the peace. Be led by His peace and you will find that your heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid. (John 14:27)

When you follow that peace which only God can give to you as an inward witness, good can only come forth, even miracles!

Your Answer Is In His Word

Proverbs 4:20–22
20My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

God has given us a sure way to receive the answers to all our problems and needs. It is His Word. Every answer we need is found in His Word.

God is speaking to us, yet many Christians are still not walking victoriously in some areas of their lives. It is because the devil continuously wages a war of distraction against them. He has managed to take many believers away from the one thing that holds the key to their victory — the Word. He will do everything possible to prevent them from opening the Bible because he knows that the Word will deliver them.

The distraction can be very subtle: A lot of things to get done, a lot of TV programmes that interest you, or it may take the form of a big problem that makes you feel that you need to focus all your attention on it. The enemy knows that if he can get you to take your eyes off the Word of God, he can win the battle.

When you are going through a tough time, it is not enough to know that God’s answer to the problem is “somewhere in the Bible”. Find the scripture in which God has promised a solution. Meditate on it until the truth of that scripture is revealed to you. When you do this, no demon or devil can prevent that word from God bearing fruit in your life.

Even Jesus Himself used the Word to defeat the devil in the wilderness — “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). The only way to defeat the enemy is with “It is written…”.

My friend, there is no substitute for the written Word. God tells us that we will find life and health if we give our attention to His Word and keep it in the midst of our hearts. So get into the Word and let God’s promises abide in you.

Let Jesus Wash Your Feet

John 13:8

8Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Can you imagine the Lord wanting to wash your feet? Peter couldn’t. His shocked reaction — “Lord, how can you wash my feet!” — would probably be ours too.
I want you to notice what the Lord said to him: “Peter, if I don’t wash your feet, you have no part with Me.” What the Lord was saying to Peter was this: “Peter, you cannot flow together with Me, you cannot walk together with Me in ministry, in service and in effectiveness, if you don’t let Me wash your feet.” So Peter said, “Lord, [wash] not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:9)
But Jesus answered him saying, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean…” (John 13:10)
Once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are bathed all over, and cleansed by His blood once and for all eternity! His blood has perfected us forever (Hebrews 10:14), and we only need to wash our feet because our feet walk in the world and pick up dust and dirt, causing us to stumble.
So how is Jesus washing our feet today? Ephesians 5:25–26 tells us that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word”.
We, the church, are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word. The more we come under anointed teaching that unveils Christ through the Word, the more a cleansing goes on. And as our feet are cleansed, instead of stumbling, we will be walking and even running!
Today, though high and lifted up in heaven, Jesus is dressed in a robe with a golden girdle around his chest. (Revelation 1:13) Like a servant who uses his girdle as a towel to serve, Jesus wants us to sit down and let Him serve us — by washing our feet with a deeper revelation of Himself through His Word. And this gives us victory in our daily walk!

Choose The Good Part And Profit

Isaiah 48:17
17Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.

God instructs us for our own benefit. He wants us to profit in every area of our lives — our health, finances, social life, marriages and family relationships. The Bible says that it is God who teaches us to profit. And it is God who leads us in the way we should go. God always has our best interests at heart. We only have to sit at His feet, listen to His word and just have fresh, daily communion with Him, and He will make our way prosperous.

We are constantly bombarded with things to do in our daily lives, like sending the kids to school, attending a business meeting and making a sales presentation. Likewise, in church, there are just as many important things to attend to — ministering to the needy, reaching out to the lost and healing the sick. But you know what? All these things will be taken care of when we sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His Word.

What was the Lord’s response to Martha’s complaint that her sister was sitting at His feet and listening to Him, instead of helping her with the many tasks? “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42)

Yet, many of us are like Martha. We worry about many things. And we are so busy that we have no time to sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to His Word and enjoy communion with Him. When we fail to draw from Him, we end up running on our own strength, and relying on our own flesh and wisdom to get things done. Listen, you can never have a plan that is better than God’s!

My friend, let’s choose the good part like Mary did. Let’s follow God’s way today. Spend time with Jesus, open your Bible and say, “Lord, speak to me.” You will find that your heavenly Father takes care of your troubles, and teaches and leads you to profit!

See God's Goodness In The Midst Of Evil

Psalm 91:1
1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

God does not play a game of counterattack with the devil — the devil does something bad, then God steps in to bring something good out of it. The truth is, when something bad happens, it is the devil reacting to something good that God has started. The Lord once told me, “Tell My people that if they want to understand what I am doing, they can look at what the devil is doing and see it in reverse — that is what I am doing, multiplied many times over.”

I see this truth in the Bible. When Christ was born, soldiers were sent to kill all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. The folks in Bethlehem then would have seen only evil. But there were those like Mary who saw God’s goodness. They knew that God had sent a Saviour into the world! The killing of the infants was just the devil’s reaction to something wonderful God had started.

The Lord showed me that this was how we were to look at the bird flu when it hit our region not too long ago. While I was pondering the significance of birds, the Lord showed me Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” If God takes care of the birds, how much more will He take care of you! So, by attacking the birds with disease, the devil is, in essence, reacting to God’s provision for His people. In other words, he saw that God’s provision had been released on His people in a big way!

With every new virus that the devil throws at us, you must discern that he is trying to pervert and reverse what God is already doing. Then, you will know that something good is going to come out of it. You see, every new strain of virus tells us that God has already released a new anointing of health for His people. And I believe that God releases new levels of prosperity for His people too. So don’t just see the evil — see what the Lord is already doing!

Having All Things Added To You

Matthew 6:33
33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

You are probably a responsible person who is concerned about providing well for your family — making sure that there is food on the table, money for the children’s education, time to spend with your loved ones and so on. What does God have to say to us about these legitimate concerns? According to Matthew 6:31, He tells us, “Do not worry.” Now, He is not saying that we don’t need all these things because in the same portion of scripture, He says, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:32) So God cares about us having these things. He wants us to have all these things. In fact, He wants all these things added to us. And God tells us that the way these things are added to us is by us seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So our number one priority every day is to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is not to seek to add these things to ourselves. But what is righteousness? Righteousness is not right behaviour. It is right standing with the Father. It is the clearance of all your guilt, which makes you able to stand before God. It is not something you get through right behaviour. It is a gift from God. Paul calls it “the gift of righteousness”. (Romans 5:17) So this righteousness we are told to seek is not right behaviour, but right standing before God, which comes to us as a gift when we receive salvation. At the cross, Jesus didn’t just remove our sins, He also gave us His righteousness so that today, we can come boldly before the throne of God and receive freely everything that He died to give us! Today, if you want to provide your family with the good things in life, be assured that your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. And just seek His righteousness, not your righteousness, and “all these things shall be added to you”!