Thursday, June 27, 2013

Mata Tertuju Pada Yesus

Look Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2
2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…


What does it mean to look unto Jesus? Well, we can think of it like this: If you are drowning and somebody walks past you, you do not look at him. You look unto him. When you look unto him, you are turning to him and expecting him to rescue you.

In the same manner, you look unto Jesus expecting Him to save, heal and protect you because you know His mighty power and sacrificial love for you. God’s Word says that we are to keep “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. That is how God wants us to live.

So if you have a recurring migraine, keep looking unto Jesus. See Him taking that migraine upon His body on the cross and say, “Lord, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As you keep looking unto Jesus, your healer, that migraine will have to bow to His finished work!

If you have a financial lack in your life, just keep looking unto Jesus with confident expectation that He will provide for you and deliver you from your lack.

“But Pastor Prince, is it really so simple? All I have to do is look unto Jesus and He will bless me financially?”

Yes, it is that simple. The problem with us is that we tend to look unto ourselves. But we cannot save or deliver ourselves. Even the apostle Paul struggled when he depended on his self-effort. That is why he said, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19) It was only when Paul looked away from himself and unto Jesus that he received his deliverance. (Romans 7:24–25)

My friend, if you have been looking unto yourself, it is time to start looking unto Jesus. Look unto Him, the author and finisher of your faith. And soon, you will be looking at your healing and provision!

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Prince Ministries
read more

Only Jesus Is Altogether Lovely

Leviticus 2:1 1‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour...


I love the symbolism of Jesus as fine flour. Fine, even flour comes from wheat that has been pounded and beaten again and again, and sifted several times. Doesn’t that remind you of Jesus’ sufferings and sacrifice for you?

And like fine flour, there is nothing coarse about the person of Jesus. Everything about Him is in even proportions. Every word that He spoke when He was in this world, every thought of His, every action of His, was so fine! When He was kind, He was not soft. When He was assertive, He was not overbearing. He is steel and velvet, meekness and majesty. Like a perfect diamond, every which way you turn Him, you see flawlessness, beauty and brilliance. There is no one altogether lovely like Jesus!

What about Bible greats like Moses and Abraham, or Peter, John and Paul?

Moses, whom the Bible says was more humble than any man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3), was once so furious with his people that he struck a rock twice, something he was not supposed to do. (Numbers 20:1–12) His temper got the better of him on that occasion.

Abraham, whom Christians regard as a man of faith (Hebrews 11:8–10), lied about his wife being his sister when a king coveted her. He endangered her life just to save his own skin. (Genesis 20:1–18)

Peter, who was deeply zealous for Jesus, denied Him three times. (Matthew 26:33–34) John, the beloved disciple who leaned on Jesus’ bosom, was all ready to call down fire from heaven to destroy the inhabitants of Samaria who had rejected Jesus. (Luke 9:52–54)

What about Paul, the apostle of grace, who blazed the missionary trail which future missionaries would follow? Even Paul went to Jerusalem when he was told not to by the Holy Spirit through some disciples and the prophet Agabus. (Acts 21:4, 10–11)

Beloved, the best of us can miss the mark. The only one who is faultless, flawless and altogether lovely is Jesus. And because He never misses the mark, you can look to Him. He will never disappoint you!

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Prince Ministries
read more

Thursday, June 20, 2013

See The Miraculous When You Give Thanks

John 11:41 41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.


Jesus lived a life of thanksgiving. He always thanked His Father for what He had and for always hearing Him when He prayed. That was how He released miracles in His life.

In the story of the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1–13), Jesus’ attitude was one of thankfulness. He took a little boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish, gave thanks and had them distributed. He gave thanks for the little that was there and the little multiplied. Not only did the people eat as much as they wanted, there were 12 baskets full of leftovers!

So when you see the meager balance in your bank account, thank the Lord for what you have. That’s your “five loaves and two fish”. When you give Him thanks that He is your provider and the source of your supply, in spite of the little you have, your little will become much, with leftovers!

Even when faced with the impossible, the solution was still, “Father, I thank You…” When Jesus stood outside Lazarus’ tomb, and the people took away the stone that was covering the tomb, He did not see the situation as hopeless and impossible. He simply lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” Then, He proceeded to call forth Lazarus, and the man came forth alive once more!

The raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for more than four days, was one of Jesus’ greatest miracles. And He accomplished this by saying, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” He thanked His way to an awesome miracle.

My friend, the next time you find yourself praying, “God, please do this for me! Please give me...” stop! Instead, say, “Thank You God, for hearing me. And because You have heard me, I thank You that I have what I asked for.” And when you thank God, the little that you have will multiply. Your impossible situations will turn around to reflect God’s provision. And resurrection life will hit you!










Daily Grace Insprirations
Joseph Prince Ministries

read more

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Head And Body Are One

Colossians 1:18 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.


God’s Word says that Christ is the head and we the church are His body. So Christ and the church are one. Christ and you are one! You cannot say that God sees Christ the head perfect but His body imperfect. Or that Christ is accepted but His body not accepted. The measure of Jesus’ acceptance with God is the measure of your acceptance with God!

So it makes no sense to say that the head is well but the body sick, that the head is rich but the body in lack, or that the head is at rest but the body full of stress. My friend, what Jesus is before God, you His body are. As He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17)

Today, God wants you to lay claim on Christ being your head. Start believing that all His perfections, and the delight and joy that He brings to the Father’s heart, He has set to your account. And you will begin to realize that as Jesus is a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father, so are you!

The more you begin to see that you are one with Christ, the more you will realize that whatever you need right now, He is dispensing to you. If you are sick in your body, Christ your head imparts His health and healing to you. If you lack wisdom, Christ your head freely imparts His wisdom to you. If you have any lack, Christ your head gives you His exceeding riches.

Beloved, have this rich revelation that Christ and you are one. You can never be separated from Christ your head from whom comes all the supply for your body—all the power, wisdom, provision and health. So declare, “As He is, so am I in this world!”

Daily Grace Inspirations
Josep Prince Ministries





read more

Condemnation Is The Root Cause

Romans 8:1, NASB 1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.


When you have a plant with sickly leaves, it would be foolish to just treat the leaves without knowing the root cause of the problem. Similarly, when “leaves” of sickness, poverty and destructive habits start sprouting in your life, you need to know what the root cause is.

Experts will tell you that it is stress. They may go a little deeper and say that it is fear—fear of the future, of rejection, of loss, of death and so on. But is fear really the root? Or is there something deeper than fear?

The Bible shows us that the most fundamental cause of problems in our lives is condemnation. With condemnation comes fear. Fear then induces stress which brings about the symptoms of the curse.

This is what happened to Adam. Long before he faced poverty, sickness and eventually death, he had stress. Because of his sin, God told him, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.” (Genesis 3:19) Sweat speaks of stress. But before there was stress, there was fear because Adam told God, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)

But what made Adam fearful? Adam only feared when, seeing his nakedness, he realized that he had sinned against God. He felt so ashamed and condemned that he hid himself. God then asked him, “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11) There was no one else in the garden other than Adam and Eve, so we know that it was probably the devil who told Adam that he was naked.

My friend, condemnation is the root cause of the symptoms of the curse manifesting in your life. That is why you need to know that at the cross, God took all your sins, put them on Jesus and unleashed the full fury of His wrath against them until Jesus cried out, “It is finished!”

All your sins have been completely punished in the body of Christ who was condemned for you. The root cause of all your problems has been dealt with. This means that the devil cannot enforce the curse in your life apart from your receiving condemnation. So come to the place of no condemnation and no sick leaves will sprout in your life!

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Prince Ministries




read more

Friday, June 14, 2013

The Blood Alone Saves

Exodus 12:13 13Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you…


On the night of the first Passover, many of the children of Israel were probably anxious. Imagine one Israelite asking another nervously, “Did you hear that the angel of death is passing through tonight?”

“Yes! We were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of our home and everything would be all right. Is that true?”

Like the Israelites, you might be wondering, “Can the blood really protect me? How much blood do I have to put on my doorposts? Will the angel of death get me if I am fearful?”

My friend, don’t add to God’s conditions. He said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you.” He did not say, “When I see the blood, plus your understanding, efforts, obedience, faithfulness and refusal to give in to fear, then I will pass over you.”

It is the blood of Jesus alone that delivers you. If you think that it is because of your faith, then you will always be wondering, “Do I have enough faith?” No my friend, it is His blood alone that saves. And when God sees that you see that it is the blood alone that saves, He calls that faith in the blood, and every plague will pass over you!

God wants you to know that it is Jesus’ blood alone that saves because every time you think that your deliverance depends partly on God and partly on you, you will not have a settled peace in your heart. But when you know that it is the blood alone that saves, you will have an unshakable peace.

It was the blood that saved the children of Israel from the destroyer on that Passover night and it is still the blood that saves today. And all you need to do for the blood to avail is to say, “Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus alone covers me and my family. No evil, plague or disaster will befall me or my family because of the blood!”

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Prince Ministries
read more

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) bukan ancaman terhadap kemacetan Jakarta, asal...



Topik Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) atau mobil murah dan ramah lingkungan marak dibicarakan di berbagai media akhir-akhir ini. Banyak yang berkomentar kalau LCGC malah akan memperburuk kemacetan di Jakarta, walaupun pangsa pasar sebesar 80% adalah wilayah di luar JABODETABEK karena pertumbuhan (pelebaran) jalan tidak sejalan dengan pertumbuhan kendaraan bermotor.

Sebenarnya kekhawatiran bahwa LCGC akan memperburuk kemacetan Jakarta bisa diantisipasi dengan peraturan mengenai kepemilikan kendaraan bermotor, yang tentunya harus diimbangi dengan penataan dan peremajaan kendaraan umum serta kesadaran masyarakat luas sebagai konsumen yang bijak.

Berdasarkan pengalaman saya ketika tinggal di Okinawa, kendaraan pribadi juga merupakan moda transportasi yang sangat penting karena di sana tidak ada kereta api (hancur waktu Perang Dunia Ke-2) dan kalau menggunakan bus selain mahal juga makan waktu. Saat ini Okinawa sudah memiliki Monorail tetapi hanya di dalam Kota Naha saja, jadi untuk masyarakat yang tinggal di luar Kota Naha seperti saya tetap memilih kendaraan pribadi untuk aktivitas sehari-hari.

Ada beberapa peraturan mengenai kepemilikan kendaraan bermotor di Okinawa (Jepang), sbb:

#Pembatasan tempat parkir
Pertama, sebelum membeli atau balik nama kita harus mendaftarkan tempat parkir yang akan digunakan. Jadi kalau garasi kita hanya muat 1 mobil, untuk mobil kedua harus menyewa lahan parkir di sekitar rumah dalam radius 1 km. Tempat parkir yang sudah didaftarkan tidak akan bisa dipakai oleh orang lain, karena pada saat kita mendaftarkan tempat parkir akan ditandai lahan (tempat parkir) mana saja yang sudah dipakai orang lain. Uang sewa tempat parkir atau biaya parkir di apartemen juga tidak murah. Hal ini harus diperhitungkan sebagai pengeluaran bulanan, mengingat biaya hidup yang lumayan besar di Jepang.

#Biaya inspeksi kendaran bermotor (per 2 tahun)
Setiap 2 tahun sekali harus menjalani Automobile Inspection Registration System / Jidōsha Kensa Tōroku Seido (自動車検査登録制度) atau yang biasa disebut dengan inspeksi kendaraan bermotor / Shaken (車検)--dikenakan untuk kendaraan dengan kapasitas mesin di atas 250cc. Komponen biaya shaken terdiri dari biaya pendaftaran mobil sebesar 21,000 yen (±Rp 2,400,000), biaya recycle –hanya ditagih sekali sebesar 10,000 (± 1 juta rupiah), penggantian ban atau sparepart yang rusak; sehingga apabila mobil tersebut tidak mengalami problem mekanis biaya shaken (paling murah) sekitar 60,000 yen (±6 juta-an). Umumnya shaken berkisar antara 100,000-200,000 yen (±10-20 juta-an). Mahal bukan?

#Pajak kendaraan bermotor
Yang harus diperhitungkan lagi adalah pajak kendaraan bermotor yang cukup tinggi. Untuk mobil kecil atau ‘light automobile’ (軽自動車, keijidōsha) dengan kapasitas mesin 650cc berkisar antara 7,000 yen (± Rp 800,000) per tahun. Selain light automobile pajaknya bervariasi, tergantung kapasitas mesin dan umur dari mobil itu. Karena semakin lama emisi gas buang kendaraan akan semakin naik maka pajaknya akan naik juga. Untuk mobil sedan yang berumur di atas 7 tahunan pajaknya bisa 30,000-50,000 yen (±3-5 juta-an).

Bayangkan berapa biaya yang harus disisihkan per tahun untuk menikmati kenyamanan memiliki mobil sendiri di Jepang. Biaya yang tinggi ini dan pengeluaran bensin otomatis akan membuat orang berpikir dua kali untuk membeli mobil. 

Ditengah pro dan kontra LCGC di Indonesia, kalau benar 80% penjualannya ke luar JABODETABEK serta bertujuan untuk menumbuhkan industry otomotif Indonesia maka produksi LCGC tidak usah dianggap sebagai ancaman terhadap memburuknya kemacetan Jakarta. Asal dibarengi dengan penambahan kapasitas transportasi umum—yang nyaman (KRL Commuter Line, Kopaja AC, Metromini AC, Patas AC, TransJakarta) dan peraturan/pembatasan kepemilikan kendaraan bermotor seperti yang telah saya singgung di atas yang membuat orang berpikir SANGAT serius untuk memiliki kendaraan pribadi.
 
-sipie-
read more

See The Abundance Within You

Luke 17:21
21…For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”


When you were younger, were you often scolded for not finishing all your food or leaving the lights and fan on when you left your room? Were you constantly reminded that there are people starving in the world, that electricity costs a lot of money and that money doesn’t grow on trees? Now, do you find yourself telling your child the same things?

We are naturally conscious of lack, but Jesus isn’t. Even in the midst of lack, He was always conscious of abundance. Remember the little boy’s five loaves and two fish? What did Jesus do when these were placed in His hands? Did He say, “What do you expect Me to do with so little?” No, His eyes were not on the natural, the visible, the lack. His eyes were on the kingdom of God where there is always abundance. So in His hands, the little boy’s lunch was multiplied, and 5,000 men, not counting women and children, were fed that day! (John 6:1–13)

God doesn’t want you to be conscious of the lack in your natural circumstances. He doesn’t want you to live by how much you earn or how much you have in the bank. Now, I am not encouraging you to spend foolishly beyond your means. I am saying that God wants you to be conscious of the abundance of resources in His kingdom.

“But Pastor Prince, where is that kingdom?”

As long as you have received Jesus as your Savior, that kingdom is in you!

Jesus said that “the kingdom of God is within you”. This means that the kingdom of God is not some physical place. It is within you and it is where the abundance of resources is. So if you want to experience abundance in your life, be conscious first of the abundance inside you. Then, what is inside you will become a reality on the outside.

Beloved, God doesn’t want you to be conscious of the lack you see outside you. He wants you to be conscious of the abundance within you because His kingdom is within you!

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Price Ministries




read more

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

God’s Angels Are Watching Over You

Psalm 91:10–11 10No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Don’t you just sense your Father’s love in these words? Like a mother hen that spreads her wings over her chicks to protect them, God will “cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge”. (Psalm 91:4) So don’t be fearful of accidents, terrorist attacks, diseases or tsunamis because your heavenly Father loves you and watches over you.

One of the ways He does this is with His angels. God has declared that no evil, plague or accident will befall you or even come near your dwelling “for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways”. When He says “no”, He means “no-thing”! And if He tells His angels to “keep you in all your ways”, it means round-the-clock divine protection for you!

Let me share with you a true story. A Christian was flying his plane when he realized that it was low on fuel. He contacted the air traffic controller and asked for assistance to land. But he was told that he could not land because there was a heavy fog. Then, the radio went silent and the plane entered the fog.

He was flying blindly when he suddenly heard over his headphones, “Pull up! Pull up!” He pulled up just in time to avoid hitting the expressway! Then, the voice said, “Follow my instructions and I will help you land safely.”

He obeyed and landed perfectly. Thinking that it was the air traffic controller who had helped him, he immediately looked for him to thank him. But when he found him, the man said, “Listen, we lost contact with you when I told you that there was a heavy fog. None of us managed to speak to you after that.” The pilot realized then that God had sent an angel to lead him to safety.

Beloved, your heavenly Father is watching over you. That is why no evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your dwelling. And He has a host of angels to keep you in all your ways!

Daily Grace Inspirations
Joseph Prince Ministries
read more

Monday, June 3, 2013

God Is Not Punishing You For Some Sin

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


Some Christians believe that although you have forgiveness of sins, you are not free from the penalties of your sins. In other words, you can still expect punishment from God. For example, some married Christian couples have been told that they are childless because God is punishing them for having had pre-marital sex. So although God has forgiven them of that sin, He still has to punish them for it.

I am certainly not for pre-marital sex, but I want you to know that God, who is the only one who can fully appreciate the full value of His Son’s blood and who is completely satisfied by His Son’s sacrifice, is at rest in His heart today concerning your sins! That is why He is not against you even when you fail. Neither is He out to punish you when you sin. No, He still loves you, is for you and wants to help you overcome that sin.

In the Old Testament, the blood of bulls and goats could only “cover” sins and not take them away. (Hebrews 10:4) But the blood of Jesus is not like the blood of animals! For by one sacrifice, the eternal blood of the Son of God has forever removed your sins (Psalm 103:12) and cleansed you of all unrighteousness! (1 John 1:9) In fact, God is so satisfied with His Son’s perfect work that He says to you today, “Your sins and lawless deeds I will by no means remember!” (Hebrews 10:17) And if God does not remember them, why would He punish you for them?

Beloved, you have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. Because Jesus’ work is complete, all your sins have been completely forgiven. And complete forgiveness means that the penalties for your sins can no longer fall on you because they had already fallen on Jesus at the cross. (Isaiah 53:5)

So don’t think for one moment that God is punishing you for some sin just because something bad happened to you. Look to the cross and know that all your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Christ. Believe that God is for you and expect victory!

Joseph Prince Ministries







read more

See The Work Accomplished

John 19:30
30So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.


What do you see when it comes to healing for your sick body, restoration for your failing marriage or breakthroughs for your financial woes? Do you see a finished work or a work that is yet to be completed?

God wants you to know that what you desperately need Him to do for you has already been done! Jesus’ finished work at the cross so satisfied the Father’s heart that from heaven’s throne came the pronouncement, “It is done!” (Revelation 16:17) in response to Jesus’ cry, “It is finished!” on earth. So God wants you to have this revelation that whatever you need Him to do for you has already been done because Jesus has accomplished it all for you.

If you need healing, know that your healing has been accomplished. If you need restoration for your marriage, know that your restoration has been accomplished. You are not going to die from any lack—you have been abundantly supplied. All these things have been accomplished, not by you, but by Christ alone!

My friend, if you are bothered by a pain in your body, God wants you to see your healing finished or accomplished for you by His Son’s death on the cross. If it is a loss or debt you face, or a certain sin that you are struggling with, believe that your provision, restoration and deliverance have been accomplished for you.

Don’t worry about what you see or feel, or the presence of contradicting reports. These are lying symptoms and though they may seem very real, they are temporal and not the truth. God’s Word is the truth and it will remain because it is eternal. And when you believe that only what God’s Word says about your situation is the truth, all the lying symptoms will eventually have to line up with His Word.

God the Son says, “It is finished!”

God the Father says, “It is done!”

What do you say?

Joseph Prince Ministries
read more