The Disciple Jesus Wants (Jn. 12:1-8)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.” May God’s unprecedented answers be upon all the households that are worshiping today. The title of today’s message is, “The Disciple Jesus Wants.” How can we live our lives to live a good and successful life? The most successful life we can live is one that follows the desire of the Lord of all Lords Who is controlling and moving the entire world even now.
When do you receive answers? You receive answers when your thoughts are aligned with what the Lord desires. However, I keep placing the standard upon myself so I do not receive answers; I keep placing the standard on my abilities, so I face my limitations, but the Lord has promised us unlimited power. This is something only those who have faith can find and enjoy, those are the Christians.
1. Jesus Christ
1) Pharisees (Jn. 11:47)
Today’s scripture we read in John 12, but what did it say at the end of John 11? This is when Jesus Christ resurrects Lazarus, and everybody has different eyes through which they see situations of blessings. There is a group of people who look at the blessing and believe that Jesus is the Christ. However, the Pharisees saw that group and thought, “This is a big problem, this will destroy the Jewish Church.
(1) Worried that everyone will follow him (Jn. 11:48)
They are saying, “If everybody believes and follows after this Jesus, that He is the Christ, then all of our Jewish organization and church will crumble.” It’s not that they were bad people, but it’s that their thinking was not aligned with God. No matter how great somebody’s personality is or how much they’ve accomplished in the world, if their thoughts are not aligned with God, they will fall into curses.
(2) Worried that the Romans will come and take away (Jn. 11:48)
In their current situation, they were colonized by the superpower nation of Rome. So now, there’s a group of people who were afraid that if Jesus Christ gained too large of a following and the Jewish people were trying to revolt against Rome, then the Roman armies would come and destroy the Jewish Church. But this is the characteristic of people who are unable to receive answers and they fail. Among these people, imagine how many of them lived a clean and upright life, but their thoughts are still incorrect.
(3) Fulfillment of the word through Caiaphas (Jn. 11:49-53)
Then in John 11:49, Caiaphas the High Priest spoke up and said, “It’s so simple. If we kill Jesus, every problem will be solved,” so this High Priest is saying, “All of our problems are beginning because of this Jesus person, and if we kill Him, all problems will be solved.” The Bible actually tells us that these were not the thoughts of Caiaphas himself, but actually given to him by the Holy Spirit. He thought that, “If we just kill Jesus, then all of our problems will be solved,” but God’s plan is to kill Jesus to save all mankind. So, are the thoughts of God and my thoughts aligned?
A Christian is somebody who has their thoughts aligned with God. When we face a situation, instead of thinking about “my plans,” think about what is God’s plan, then you will receive answers. Then, that means, no matter what problem or situation you face, it will always be an answer for you. If something is not an answer for you, it means that you are not aligned with God. Why are we always so poor? Because you’re not aligned with God, because God is the One Who can give you power. And yes, even if He does not give me the power, it’s okay, but He’s not a God Who would do that.
Why am I suffering with mental problems and addiction? It is because my thoughts are different from God’s thoughts. Why are the scars inside of me not being resolved and they keep exploding with anger problems and wrath? It’s because we’re not aligned with God. Then, how can we align our thoughts with God? That’s why we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Praying in the name of Jesus Christ does not mean you pray with your own thoughts; you must lay your own thoughts down. So, no matter how long you’ve believed, no matter how many Bible studies you’ve done, or how many generations of your family were Christian, if you’re not aligned with God’s thoughts, it will not work.
So, ultimately the thoughts of these Pharisees and the Jewish leaders who were not aligned with God, resulted in curses and disasters for the next generation. Disasters cannot be blocked by people because we have the thoughts that have no choice but to be cursed. A “curse” is when we are not aligned with God. How can we live and survive in America? We must be aligned with God. If you go to church, it means that you need to align your thoughts to match God’s Word. If you’re giving worship, it doesn’t mean that you are physically sitting here with your body, it means you are sitting here, asking God, “What is the Word You would like to tell me today?”
2) Bethany (Jn. 12:1)
(1) Six days before the Passover (Jn. 12:1)
The Pharisees tried to arrest Jesus to kill Him, and in Jn. 12:1 it says, “Six days before the Passover,” because Jesus Christ was to be crucified during Passover.
(2) Where Lazarus lived (Jn. 12:1)
(3) Dinner for Jesus (Jn. 12:2)
So, six days before Jesus died, He went to Bethany where Lazarus died and was resurrected, and there, in Jn. 12:2, there was a dinner given in Jesus’ honor. So, this dinner is for Jesus, so they’re living their walk of faith.
Do you live your life for yourself or do you live it for Jesus? I’m sure you don’t ask yourself that question often, so ask yourself now. Most people live their walk of faith for themselves, then what should I do for myself? Whatever you do for Jesus is actually a benefit for you, so you need to be a little smart in order to live a good walk of faith. If you have no faith and you have no intellect, you will suffer your entire life. Think about this very simply, “Will I live my life with my own plans, or will I place my life in the plans of the Lord?” Even with very simple calculations, we know that the second answer is correct, then your life will be created in the church and the power of Christ.
3) Dinner – People
(1) Martha – Served (Jn. 12:2)
At this dinner for Jesus, there are a few different Christians who were mentioned, and the first is Martha who is serving and working for Jesus. I’m not saying that working is bad, but there’s something missing here. Yes, people do have to come to church and work, but you must not be missing one thing.
(2) Lazarus – Reclined at the table with Jesus (Jn. 12:2)
The next type of person is Lazarus, and he was the person who died and was resurrected by Jesus, so imagine how curious people were, “What was it like when you died?” I’m sure they were much more interested in hearing that than in Jesus. “What was heaven like?” They’re more interested in that, I’m sure, than they are in Jesus. There are more people who are focused more on things like that than they are on Jesus, now. For Lazarus, he died and went to heaven, but Jesus called him back, so he went back into his body and was resurrected. Now, this Lazarus is sitting, with Jesus Christ and with other people, to receive His Word. There are people who do receive Jesus’ grace like Lazarus. Martha is someone who is centered on doing the work. Again, I’m not telling you not to do work when you come into the church, I’m saying you should not be centered on it, and when you go out into the world, if you are centered on your studies or your job, you will live a life like Martha.
(3) Mary – Poured an expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet, Wiped his feet with her hair (Jn. 12:3)
Then the third person is Mary, and honestly, Martha and Mary had a similar faith before Lazarus died and resurrected. But Mary did have a characteristic of always wanting to hear the Word. On the other hand, Martha is very practical and she’s focused on working all the time. But this Mary person, we see in Jn. 12:3 where she took a jar of pure nard, an expensive perfume, and poured it upon Jesus’ feet. “Nard” is a very, very expensive fragrance that actually comes from a root of a tree or plant in India, and because it was imported into Israel, it was very expensive, and a pint is very small, maybe the size of two toothpastes. So, even though it’s very small, it’s extremely expensive.
2. Mary’s faith
1) Jesus – Christ – Lord
(1) Expensive perfume – Mary gave all her physical possessions (Jn. 12:3)
So, down at the bottom, it says that the value of this pint of nard was 300 denarii. One denarii was equal to one day’s worth of wages, so if you worked for an entire year, without eating or spending any money at all, you could gather enough money for this perfume. However, in our everyday lives, we have to buy food, pay for rent and all of our things, so in order to actually get this much money, you have to work for ten years. This perfume is so expensive, the women would save it up and sell it for money to get married with. But Mary poured this on Jesus’ feet. In the Middle East, they walked on sandals in a very dusty area, so whenever someone went into another person’s house, a servant would wash their feet. But the issue here is that Mary is not washing Jesus’ feet with water; she is washing them with a very expensive perfume. So why is it that Mary would take the most valuable possession she had and poured it on Jesus’ feet? There is a meaning behind this.
(2) Used for the burial (Jn. 12:7)
Later, in Jn. 12:7, Jesus says, “It is intended that she use this perfume for the day of my burial.” Jesus was continuously telling His disciples that He would have to die on the cross on the Passover and resurrect, but the disciples did not understand or believe, while Mary did understand and believe. After Jesus Christ died on the cross, women were not allowed to attend burials, so Mary was pouring this burial service on Jesus’ feet in advance. Other people may be wondering, “Why is she doing this?” but the Lord knows. Mary knows that Jesus is the Messiah Who will finish all the problems of mankind, so “I will pour all of my valuable possessions on Him.”
(3) Does not cover her head – Disgrace (1 Cor. 11:15-16)
It would be fine if Mary just wiped off His feet with a towel after that, but it says that she used her hair. Back in these biblical times, these women had to cover their hair with a cloth, and the Bible says that if they uncover their hair, it is a woman’s shame. However, if they do want to uncover their heart, if their hair is very long. 1 Cor. 11:15 says that “A woman’s long hair is her glory,” so Mary used the most glorious thing that a woman could have, which was her long hair, to wipe the perfume from Jesus’ feet. A servant is the one who is supposed to wash the feet of people who come in, so Mary knew and believed that this Jesus was her Lord.
2) Mary’s faith
(1) Believed in Jesus who will die on the cross
(2) Believed that he would become the Lord of the resurrection
(3) Preach the Gospel – What she has done will also be told (Mt. 26:13)
In Matthew 26:13, Jesus says, “Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done shall be told,” but nowadays when we proclaim the gospel, we don’t really talk about Mary, then what did Jesus mean in this verse? What Mary’s actions symbolized was she was confessing that Jesus is the Christ. Only this Christ can solve all the problems of mankind’s original sin, curses and disasters, and only this Christ can change us from a state of death into a state of life. Only He is the Christ Who can set us free from the authority of Satan. That’s why Mary poured the perfume on His feet, and she did it in advance, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to attend His burial. Why did she wipe His feet? Because that’s what the servant does. so she was confessing, “He is my Lord.” He is the Lord of our lives. So, when we proclaim the gospel, we must proclaim that Jesus is the Christ and He is the Lord of Lords. That’s why the Lord said what He did in Matthew.
So, why is it that Jesus was so focused on Mary out of all of the believers? Because this is the correct faith. “Oh, I devoted and I serve so much,” even nonbelievers can make donations and serve. So, all of those names are things that should naturally follow, but what Jesus is saying is, “You need to know who I am.” If you don’t know the Christ, then you cannot solve the problems and curses of mankind. People are not cursed because they do something wrong; they are cursed if they do not know who Jesus Christ is. So why is it that as we live in America, there are more and more mental illnesses, drug addictions, shootings and death? These are the things that happen when the problem of curses is not resolved. Why do the next generations keep on falling into disasters? That’s what happens if you don’t believe in Jesus as the Lord and the Messiah.
Why is it that there are so many churches but they are closing their doors? It’s because people don’t go to church. It’s not because they don’t want to, but it’s because they are bound. They are seized or bound by something else. The Lord is the Christ, so when we go into that, that is when we are set free. Why do I keep getting bound by my depression? That’s the result, because you think you’re the master of your own life. Why am I always bound by money? It’s because you don’t believe in Christ as your Lord. Why am I always tripped up and bound by my thoughts? These things turn into curses. It’s because we don’t find God believable. Jesus Himself is God, but we don’t believe in Him as our Lord, so we keep falling into curses. The problem itself is not the problem, but when you are not believing in the Lord Who is able to solve that problem, then you will get stuck in it.
If you and I were almighty and all-knowing, but our IQ is limited to 150. We are not God, we cannot create something out of nothing; we are limited. That’s why we’re seized by our environment. When the Lord becomes the Lord of this environment because He can overcome it, then I can overcome it. There are more and more people struggling with addictions; it’s not because they’re bad people, and it’s not because they’re uneducated; it’s not because they have bad personalities. These are the results that happen if Jesus is not our Lord. There are people who are suffering from their scars, not because they’re bad people; it’s one thing, they don’t believe in Christ as their Lord, they have placed themselves as their standard of life.
In Mt. 4, Satan controlled Jesus and people in 3 different ways: our physical needs, eating and living. Yes, we do need our physical needs, but the devil makes us bound by that, then we’ll never be set free. Even if you succeed, you’re still not free from that. Then, what you eat and how you make a living, that becomes your Lord. Instead of Christ becoming your Lord, eating and making a living is; in other words, money is your lord. That’s a curse, and that’s relayed to the next generation as disasters. Money should follow you, but it doesn’t. If Christ is your Lord, then all the money you need should follow you. Whether you have a lot or a little, you’re bound by money and dragged around. That’s what we call a “slave.” It turns out you’re a slave to money, but really, you’re a slave to Satan, and if you keep living your life like this, one year after the next, then your life will become completely destroyed. You relay that to the next generation before you die. Who does that? John 8:44 says the devil was a liar from the beginning and he is a murderer and he is your father. If we don’t have the spiritual knowledge to know this, you cannot save the world. What is the second way the devil works? The devil works so you try to show off your own pride and your own glory in front of other people. I want to elevate my pride and reputation in front of other people, and if somebody hurts that, then I get scarred, and the devil will use that so well. So, simply put, everything you’re doing, you’re not doing it in front of God, you’re doing it so you won’t embarrass yourself in front of people.
The third thing, Satan takes away your objects of worship, he says, “I will give you all the glory and worship of the world if you worship me,” and in that moment, if you and i are not worshiping, Christ is our Lord, then we shall worship something else instead, and we call that an idol. Why are there continuously curses inside of your life and your family line? The Old Testament says the Israelites would worship inside of the Temple, but on one side of their hearts, they were worshiping idols. The result of that state is being taken captive as a slave to Babylon. If Jesus Christ is deep inside of you, then the works of Him being Lord will take place. Even though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil; as long as Christ is my Lord, I will pass through. You shouldn’t say, “I have no money,” Christ must be your Lord. All of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden within Christ.
When is that revealed? When Christ is testified. When the name of Christ is revealed, then everything hidden inside of Him will be revealed as well. If you’re living a walk of faith and your standard is based on yourself, you cannot receive answers. You must have Christ as your Lord and your standard. The Lord of the church is Christ, The Lord of your job or career is not you, it is Christ. Until you believe in that, the Lord will stay still, until when? The Lord will stay still until you completely lay down on your face and surrender with both arms up in order for you to receive the true blessing. No matter how well you try to live your family life, you can’t. You must acknowledge Christ as your Lord. Then, you must lay down your thoughts; all of your standards are correct to you, but they’re wrong to everyone else. You need to let go of them. We have a lot of our lifestyle habits like this, “I think that this is right but the other person thinks it’s wrong,” and because of that, we keep on fighting, then what is right?
The Word of the Lord is what’s right. Then, the Word of Christ says you must be considerate of and yield for the other person, and only live for the Kingdom of Christ. If you’re telling everyone to align themselves to adjust to you, then you’re a child. If you’re asking everyone to give their attention to you, then you’re a child. If you are mature, it means that now, you adjust yourself for the weaker people. That’s what you do for the Lord. If you come to church and you receive a scar, I understand, and living out in society, it’s hard, I understand. It’s because it’s difficult for you, that means that you’re the master of your own life because it’s hard for you, then you must quickly change yourself. Just like Mary confessed in today’s scripture, may you confess that Jesus is your Lord. Before you do that, the devil will never run away. When Christ becomes your Lord, that is when darkness is broken down.
Yes, we do need to work and do things, but if you’re centered on work like Martha instead of being centered on Christ, then your life will be hard. Yes, when you’re actively doing something, you’re very focused, but when you’re listening to the Word, you’re falling asleep? Then your life will be hard because you have no interest in God’s Word. When you are at a disadvantage, are you centered on Christ? For most people, when they feel that they will be at a disadvantage, they cannot leave themselves alone. Even though that is normal, that is not the right walk of faith. Because you place the standard on yourself, you’re always arguing, “Will this be an advantage or disadvantage for me?” For example, Mary, in today’s scripture, gave all of her perfume, so now she can’t get married, she doesn’t have the money for it. So, why do you think Jesus said, “Whenever the gospel is proclaimed, we will speak about Mary’s actions?” Because her actions came from her confession that “The Jesus in front of me is my Lord.” is my Lord. For people where this is not working out, it’s because we keep placing the standard on myself. I’m not saying you don’t believe in Jesus, but you are not placing Him at the center of your life. Christ must be the center of my life in order for God’s Kingdom to be established in me and the darkness to flee. It’s the wrong standard that you have; those standards are not the Word Jesus gave you. All of those thoughts just came because of your experiences in your life; at that moment, it was right, but with what you have, you cannot overcome darkness and disasters.
The Word of Christ must be Lord, and that will be relayed across the world. And that is why the church that has strength is the one that testifies of the Lord Christ, and everyone in that church is connected through that Word. If that church doesn’t have oneness within the words of Christ, there will be division. This person doesn’t think that; they think that they’re right. We must not live our lives with what we think is right; we need to listen to the words of Jesus, but instead, I keep on following what I think is right. Why did the Israelites continuously face destruction in the book of Judges? It says everyone lived as they saw fit, then those people were all destroyed, and it’s not because they were saying words that were wrong; everything was correct, but from their perspective, from the perspective of humans, and when we look at the physical things; then, without a doubt, it is still corrupt, and if you emphasize those words, you will be destroyed. Only the Word of God must be your Lord, then God will begin to work, then you will receive answers.
May you and I restore this faith, otherwise, there will be more disasters flooding America and the world. If the disasters are already this bad, we don’t really have to say any more. Do you think it’s normal everyday for you to be afraid of getting shot in the streets? That’s very abnormal. I’m born a man, but I think I’m a woman? That’s not normal, and people think that that’s normal. If God made me a man, then my thoughts should be that of a man. But why is it that I was born a man, but I keep thinking like a woman? People might think that it’s because of this individual’s thoughts, but however it is from our father the devil who was a liar and a murderer since the beginning. Ever since I was young, I felt like a girl, even though I was a boy, and I’m more comfortable thinking and looking and acting like a girl, and according to American law, that’s not illegal, but that thinking is cursed. That person is not cursed; their thinking is a curse, because who is the one who places that thought inside of that person? It is your father the devil, who is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. The person is not who is bad, it is the sin inside of their thoughts. It cannot be resolved unless it is by the Christ. Even if this person confesses Christ as their Lord, they will be changed to normal. In order to make that confession, we must receive God’s grace. There are so many people like that, even today.
The laws of America are not the laws of God, and it might not be illegal for America, but then, there are some people who manipulate the law, but no matter what they do, do you think that if they are servants of the Lord they shouldn’t be a pastor? Even when I was in the army, I was facing death every single day in the DMZ. So if I’m afraid of what the law says, I wouldn’t do this job. What this means is, I live for the truth, and if you don’t tell people about this, they don’t know about it, but we must love that person, and we must hate the Satan and the sin that is working upon that person, because every single person will be revived when they receive God’s Word, and because they cannot all come here, you must relay it out in your field. That’s why God has sent you out into your field at your school or at your job.
3) Judas Iscariot
(1) 300 Denarius – Why wasn’t it given to the poor (Jn. 12:5)
So, after Mary did this, Judas Iscariot said, “What a waste of 300 denarii, why did you spend this all on one person instead of giving to the poor?” Judas Iscariot is saying, “That’s not the right thing to do according to democracy; why should you give everything to one person? If you used that money to feed many poor people, then you would have benefited more people.” You need to be careful. Yes, democracy is good, but if that becomes your Lord, that is a big problem. Yes, we do need the aspect of communism or socialism where we do share with other people, but if that ideology becomes your Lord, it’s a big problem. America has no interest in other people. They only care about themselves. That is individualism and that is a big problem. They say, “I don’t care, that’s them, this is my life,” that’s a dead life. My interest should go wherever the Lord is interested. The Lord says, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” then that’s where I should be interested. But the devil is America works with individualism saying, “That has nothing to do with you? Why would I bother somebody else with that by talking to them about Jesus?” Is that how you think right now? That person is holding onto the incorrect problem and the incorrect answer, and if you saw that, you would have no choice but to relay the gospel.
(2) Did not care about the poor (Jn. 12:6)
(3) A thief who helped himself (Jn. 12:6)
The Bible tells us that Judas Iscariot didn’t really have a heart for the poor; he was a thief, and so he wanted to steal that money himself. Inside of the church, there are many people who believe in and serve money as their lord, and I’m sure they’re already suffering because they’re holding onto idols. They are suffering. They are already suffering mentally, emotionally, physically, and you cannot resolve that by exercise. You cannot resolve that by eating good food. You need to change the Lord Who is inside of you. You need to have a walk of faith that believes in Christ as your Lord. If you serve the idol of success as your lord and master, then you will, without a doubt, suffer. When you go to Hollywood, there are many people on the streets who have lost their minds; they came to Hollywood to become an actor, and when they failed, they fell into psychosis and ran their lines on the street. They’re not able to escape from the idea of success in Hollywood, and even right now on the streets, they’re acting like they are actors. They’re so seized by that thought, they can’t think of anything else.
What about you? Are you bound by Jesus Christ or are you bound, currently living for something else? This problem is not what is causing you fear; you will have fear if you don’t believe in God. Adam and Eve did not believe in the Word, the promise God had given to them, so they immediately faced fear, so you need to tell other people about this problem. When you don’t face a problem, you’re still afraid, and when you do face a problem, you’re more afraid. You need to have this evidence and relay to them that their problem is not really the problem. Why are they so bound in lies? Then, they are seized by the lies of the devil who is a liar. If you don’t believe in God, even for one moment, then immediately, you’re filled with fear. You’re not afraid because you don’t have enough money; you’re afraid because you don’t believe in God. You’re not afraid because of the sickness or the disease, you’re afraid because you don’t believe in God. What Mary did today was confess, “This Jesus is my Lord and He is the Messiah.” Martha knew this because she studied the Bible; she knew it by theory, but theory in our lives has no strength or power. It must become reality for us, isn’t that right?
3. The Disciple Jesus wants
Then the final and third point, who is the disciple that Jesus desires today?
1) Jesus is the Christ (Jn. 19:30)
(1) Death – Liberated from sin and curses
It is the person who is aligned with the works of John 19:30, that Jesus is the Christ, He died on the cross and resurrected to finish all the problems of my life and my family line. So what did He finish? He finished the most fundamental cause of curses, which is sin, on the cross. As He resurrected in three days, He overcame the authority of death, Satan, and hell. But if you just think of this as a theory, you will continue to struggle. He is the Christ, He is the Messiah, He is our one and only answer for every problem in life. My powerlessness is not the problem, the real problem is that I don’t believe in the One Who has limitless power in my problem. Your depression is not the problem; the real problem is that you don’t believe in Christ as your Lord. But the churches are continuing to lie. Not every church, but the churches that are crumbling are lying, and the members of the churches that are crumbling, don’t believe in Christ as their Lord. There’s only one problem, but instead of seeing that one problem, they say there are hundreds of problems. That’s why they don’t receive the answer of “Only Christ.” If you truly believe and see things according to the bible, then you will be set free.
(2) Resurrection – Authority of death and Satan – Liberated
(3) Lord of life (Gal. 2:20)
And Gal. 2:20 says that He has resurrected and lives in me as my Lord. Paul knew this and considered everything he had learned up to that point as rubbish. I’m not telling you to throw away your diplomas, I’m not telling you to quit your job or business and only live at this church. What I’m saying is, that in the past, you used to brag about those things, but now that you believe in Jesus Christ, you realize, that’s not anything. In the past, I used to hold onto the value of all these things, but now, I want to hold onto the value of Christ. Now, everything else I used to hold onto in the past, I’m just using it for the sake of Christ. Everything in your past, including your successes, your failures, your experiences, if you’re holding onto them, then they’ll be incorrect depression or joy; they should be used for Christ. And when everything is used for Christ, then the incorrect strongholds inside of you will be broken down. Everything you knew or liked more than the Lord or Christ, is not really good; you just liked it because you didn’t really know Christ. Even as you went to church, you didn’t really know the Christ, and instead, you thought something else was more valuable, and that’s what’s wrong.
2) God’s kingdom
(1) Within me – Stronghold (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
All the pleasure you experienced without the Christ is not real joy, and that’s the reason people let go of Christ and keep on trying to go on vacations or trips, but that’s not real pleasure. But for the people for whom Christ is the Lord, they’re good whether they travel or not. For the people who don’t have this mystery, they have to resolve this problem with drinking and substances because they’re not able to make themselves happy, they have to borrow the power of drugs, but if Christ becomes your Lord, then the Kingdom of God will be established, and because the Kingdom of God is established, that’s the reason you have peace in your heart. Then peace and joy will come and find you. The devil is lying to you, telling you that you can make yourself happy and joyful, the devil keeps tempting you, saying, “If you just move to America, or if you just do this, you’ll be happy.” The devil is telling you that the American ideology can give you freedom, but that’s a lie. Without the Christ, we can never be free from Satan. Without Christ, we can never be set free from the curses of this world. The words of America are necessary for physical things, that’s why America is so physically advanced, and it makes America so convenient, and that’s how developed we are, but those things we should keep in mind, but it’s not the truth. They might be true or not. But only Christ can set us free.
(2) Field – Satan’s kingdom destroyed (Mt. 12:28-29)
Only the Kingdom of Christ being established in us can give us true joy and answers in life. Now, the field of this world is being overrun by the Kingdom of Satan, so we must establish the Kingdom of God in the field to break down Satan. For people who acknowledge this, they don’t go into work to make money. If you’re going in to make money, it means you’re going into Satan’s mouth, and that person is wrong. They might think that they’re right, but God is saying they’re wrong. He says, “First, seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness,” then every other single answer including your business will follow.
(3) To the ends of the earth – Witness who saves (Ac. 1:8)
In Mt. 12:28-29, it says that the Kingdom of God is established when you cast out demons by the work of the Holy Spirit. Because God is fighting a spiritual war, God is sending His hosts of angels to protect the people who do this, because Christ is inside of me, and so now the Lord has attached His angels to protect me, and because we’re going out into the field to fight a battle, we must send out the angels as an army, because I’m in the Kingdom of God, and the King of all Kings is inside of me. When this takes place in you, you will receive answers in your business. Before that point you might accomplish something with your efforts, but when you can’t control what’s going on with your own strength, you will fall, but you must be somebody who continuously reveals the Word of God. Stop using your brain, stop trying to find a method, but instead, believe in Christ as your Lord. You must not find the reason for your life within yourself; the mission God has given to you specifically must become the reason for your life. Our mission is establishing God’s Kingdom on this earth, and God promised to use you as a witness to save until the end of the earth. It is not possible with your own strength, but only when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, that’s why we pray.
Wake up early in the morning and concentrate on Christ. As soon as you wake up, I’m sure you’re flooded with many thoughts, but instead, concentrate on Jesus Christ and limit every other thought. Concentrate on the Christ Who moves your entire life and is with you today. During the daytime, the Lord guides us. You need to change everything and everyone you meet into a blessing. How can I change it into a blessing? If you take all the people you meet, all the thoughts you have and the things you hear and turn it into Christ, He will change them into a blessing. You need to do this very well. If you listen to words with your own thoughts, you’re going to get lost in those words. You have to change it into prayer to the Lord; then, you will receive the answer of blessings. Then, at night, you must find the answer to everything that happened throughout the day through God’s Word.
3) Only prayer
(1) Focus on Jesus Christ – Morning, Daytime, Night (Ac. 1:14)
This is the characteristic of people who live with Christ as their Lord, they devote their morning, day, and night, all day long, for the Lord. David did this in Psalms. The disciples who were used by God did this as well; Christ being their Lord was not just a theory, we must actually make this real in our lives.
(2) Power (Ac. 2:1-4)
Then, without a doubt, God is bound to work with His power. It’s not that nothing is happening; God is bound to work with His power.
(3) Blessing of meeting (Ac. 2:9-11)
Humans can never make blessings of meeting on their own; yes, you might be able to meet with people who can benefit you, but that’s not a blessing. It might be a benefit to you, but it’s not a blessing. Only God Himself can make blessings of meeting. It’s only possible by the work of God. So, you live your life, but you shouldn’t live it however you desire. You can do cursed things on your own, but you cannot make blessings on your own. You need to have these blessings of meeting that are created by the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s very fascinating. People who have money as their Lord will find other people who worship money. For people who are the master of their own lives and they received a scar, they will meet other people who also have a scar. However, for people who believe in Christ as their Lord, they will be attached to other people like that, and that’s the blessing of meeting. What is the blessing? Jesus being the Christ and Jesus being the Lord is the blessing of all blessings.
(4) Save church, missions, future generation – Restore economy
That is when you will begin to receive the economy that God has hidden, the economy to save the church, to do missions, and to save the next generations. But you’re being tricked by another lie again; you think that money belongs to you, but God has simply entrusted that money to you for now. You might ask, “God, why are You not giving me more money?” It’s because you don’t have what it takes, but He’s given you what you need. But, He will give the economy to save the church and the future generations to somebody else. The economy to do missions will be given to somebody else. The economy to save the next generation, He will give that to people specifically because all of creation belongs to the Lord. Even your life itself does not belong to you; your time does not belong to you, your body is not yours. May all of that be used for the Lord.
Conclusion
1. Always – Rejoice (1 Thess. 5:16)
In conclusion, rejoice always. If you place the standard on yourself, there’s nothing to be thankful for, but because the Lord has saved me and He is always with me, that is how I can rejoice always.
2. Pray continually (1 Thess. 5:17)
Pray without ceasing? How can I do that? If you set the standard on yourself, then you cannot pray. But because the Lord is guiding you and answering you without resting, that’s why we can pray without ceasing.
3. In all circumstances – Give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18)
Be thankful in all circumstances? I need something to be thankful for! But you have nothing to be thankful for because your standard is yourself, but for the people who place their standards on God, they know that God is always working for His good purpose, so we are always thankful. How can you tell whether you believe in Christ as your Lord or not? You can tell if you are always thankful, praying without ceasing, and rejoicing always. If you don’t have those three things, may you change yourself today, then the Word of God will be fulfilled exactly. May you have victory throughout the week.
Message Prayer
Let us pray together holding onto the Word we have received.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We have returned Your materials as offering. We pray that everywhere this offering is used, it will be used to save the church, the 237 nations, and the future generations. We pray that You will give the hidden economy of light upon the hands that have given this offering in faith. May this be the time when all the curses and disasters of poverty may be completely broken down. We pray in the name of our victorious Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Lord, we thank You. We pray that this one-time meeting will be a meeting for world evangelization. May this be the blessed meeting that breaks down the curses and disasters of America and the 237 nations of the world. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Mon.-Fri. 5:30, Sat. 6AM) – Raise the bartizan of prayer
2. Hollywood camp – Temple
3. West Coast Winter Retreat
4. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, guidance, working, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who desire to believe, enjoy, and testify of the fact that Jesus is both Christ and Lord, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.