female announcer: Today
with "Joseph Prince." Joseph Prince: It's always
the principle for God's people. It's better for the devil not to
attack you than to attack you, because when you know how
to counterattack in the name of the Lord, you always get spoils,
spoils of war. And you have to come back
with all the spoils of war to divide, amen? So, if all the battle is coming
against you, look at the spoils, amen? Praise the Lord. God's Word can bring healing
where--thank God for medical profession,
but only God's Word can go places
where the best of man cannot. The things that are impossible
with man is possible with God. Always remember this law. When it's impossible with man,
it's possible with God, all right? I think you can reverse it. You won't go wrong. When man think
it's possible with him, it's impossible for God to help. [music] Joseph Prince: Greetings,
church. Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah. When I was around 17, 18,
I remember when I first was attack mentally. It was a very dark moment
in my life. If I go to a psychiatrist
they'll say it's depression, but I know better than that,
it's not just depression. It is actually an onslaught
against my mind. I was very steeped in the occult
for many years and when I try to extricate myself out,
it's like the powers of darkness refused to let me go. It took the grace
of my Lord Jesus Christ to rescue me. And after I was rescued--
even after I was born again, water baptized,
Spirit-filled, the attack still came on my mind. I thought I will lose my mind,
and I was afraid that one day the temptation will get
too strong. I will renounce Jesus
and go to hell. I was so afraid of the blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit. I was confessing my sins
all the time. I cannot understand how come
Christians don't confess their sins all the time. I see them laughing. I see them playing soccer. I see them going to church,
you know, singing. I don't see them, you know,
confessing their sins, and I was thinking,
"How can you wait until you go home to confess,
even? What if halfway you need
God's protection and then the car
knocks you down," you know? I had all these kinda
bizarre thoughts. So don't think for one moment
I'm not someone who don't-- who do not know
how terrible sin is, okay? It is because I know how severe
sin is that I'm so afraid. It's because I fear God the way
a lotta people are teaching it today. I fear God in that way,
so don't say for one moment I have no fear of God. I feared God because I feared
that I get punished, that I started confessing
all my sins. It got me worse. I nearly lost my mind,
so one day said, "God--" It was a very dark moment. My parents don't know
what I'm going through. In the quietness
I couldn't sleep at night, started hearing strange voices,
and then I took my little Bible. I still remember there's
a black Bible, and I say, "God, speak to me, God. I have to hear from you. Please, speak to me. Speak to me." And all the other books
that I've read, you know, books by great men on faith
and different things, didn't help me at that time. I need a specific Word from God,
and I just open the Bible at random, which, again,
I don't advise you all to practice this. This was an extreme situation. And I read 2 Timothy and,
lo and behold, wow. I just went--by reading it,
the sword of the Spirit cut away all the fears
and all the depression and all the inroads the devil
was making into my mind. And, like,
it was 2 Timothy chapter 4:18. "And the Lord will deliver me--"
This has been personalized already. The "me" is there. "And the Lord will deliver me
from every evil work--" My fear at that time was that,
"what if there's-- so far so good, you know? I've been overcoming a lot
of his traps, a lot of his-- you know,
telling me to blaspheme God, telling me all kind
of crazy things, but I've not succumb to it. I've not yielded to it." So, I say,
"What if there's one strong enough
and I yield to it?" And the Lord says the Lord
will deliver me from how many? From how many? What if there's a new version? What if the devil bring
temptation 6.0, a new version, you know, the latest? Every evil work. No weapon that's formed. Any weapon that's formed
against you will not prosper, so this became my verse. And I was afraid
I will not make it to heaven. The following say,
"And preserve me for his heavenly kingdom." The Lord will deliver me
from every evil work, amen? And preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom. "To him be glory forever
and ever. Amen!"
This became my verse, and I-- do you know something? Many years have come and gone. Quite some years
have come and gone. The years pass so fast,
don't they? And I'm still young. Many years have come and gone. I've never heard--until now,
I have never heard anyone preach this verse. I have never heard
on television, through media. I've yet to hear anyone
preaching on this one verse that Paul said. It's an amazing verse. It's been personalized
for you already. "And the Lord will deliver me." That is a strong will, amen,
church? God wants your life blessed,
people, and there's a sword for every situation in your life. Maybe you're a fearful type,
so when you feel the fear coming up, you say,
"It is written, 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind. It is written.'"
Sometimes, it's good not to personalize it,
because the word is "us." God has not given us,
so leave "us" there, because "us" give you
a sense that you're not in this alone. Can I have a good amen? The Bible says the Word of God
is quick and powerful and sharper than
any two-edged sword. You know, in those days,
they have a two-edged sword that cuts both ways, but God--
God's Word is sharper, sharper than
any two-edged sword. So, what is sharper
than any two-edged sword? During the time
when Paul wrote it, Paul saw it, but they didn't use it yet. They had no capacity. It wasn't invent--
it wasn't discovered yet. Today, we know that during
surgery they can be so precise when they cut, all right? It's called laser. Even for your sensitive eye,
they can use laser on your eye in such a way they cut
what they want to cut and what they don't want to cut
is left uncut. It is so precise, and the Bible
says the Word of God is quick and powerful laser and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit. How does a man divide soul
and spirit? Very hard. Even those who teach soul and
spirit, it's very hard for them to completely separate. And the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow. Joints and marrow. Your marrow is in your joints. Your marrow is in the bone. How do you separate the part
where, "Yap. Here is where marrow ends
and bone starts"? Well, God's laser-sharp Word
can do that. That's why when you hear
the preaching of the Word, where the doctors
and where laser cannot even go in and touch those areas
lest they affect the other organ, God's Word can. And that's why God's Word
can bring healing. Where thank God
for medical profession, but only God's Word
can go places where the best of man cannot. The things that are impossible
with man is possible with God. Always remember this law. When it's impossible with man,
it's possible with God, all right? I think you can reverse it. You won't go wrong. When man thinks it's possible
with him, it's impossible for God to help. That's my own version. There's not the Bible, okay? So, the last part,
you can ignore it if you want. I always find that it's not true
that God help those who help themself. That's nonsense. That didn't come from the Bible. That's not a Bible verse,
all right? That was Benjamin Franklin,
I think, who said that. "God help those
who help themselves." Lemme tell you this. God help those who are helpless,
all right? People are still strong. That's the problem,
so this year God wants to possess your family. "But, Pastor Prince,
do you understand my family has broken up? I appreciate your heart, Pastor,
but it's really bad now." Well, well, well, well,
praise God. We're in the season
of resurrection, amen? You don't tell God it's beyond. God says the things
that are impossible with man-- is it impossible with man now,
impossible with you, husband? You're a man.
Impossible with your wife? She's a woman. You're all
in the category of man. You know something? It's possible with God,
and this is God's dream for all of us. It's taken
from the 15 Songs of Ascents, or 15 Songs of Degrees. In the 15 Song of Degrees
you'll find the book of Psalms. Some people believe the two--
I'll give--just give you the two major thoughts, okay,
which is more popular. The 2 thoughts are these:
the 15 psalms from Psalm 120 to Psalms 134, 15 psalms,
they are called the Songs of Degrees
or Songs of Ascent. That means from one song
you go higher to another song. It's like going up the steps,
and one of the views is that back in the Temple of Solomon,
in those days, the steps to the temple is exactly 15. This is not the Solomon step. This is the one that's inside,
all right, going to the holy place. It is 15 steps. And every step,
when the Levites step on them, the first step,
they will read the very first psalm of degrees. Then, they step the next step. They'll see the next psalm
of degrees. Another view people have is that
this song is sung by all the pilgrims
for their main seven-- the feasts of Israel,
when they come up from usually the Jericho area,
which is the lowest part of planet Earth. And they come up, up, up,
up to Mount Zion. They go up to Jerusalem. As they go, they sing
the 15 psalms. Whatever it is,
the message to us is this: God doesn't bring you lower
and lower and lower. God brings you higher
and higher and higher. Keep on singing the Psalms,
and you cannot remain the same level that you were before. You will go higher
than you were before. And then, the more you do it,
the more you go higher, until 15 is the number of rest. You come to a place of rest,
the place of victory, the place where
there's no enemy, no fatigue, no stress, all right? No curse
because you have arrived. Can I have a good amen? So, we're looking
at the Psalms of Degrees today. Just to let you know,
I'm quoting the Psalm of Degrees, okay? Psalms 128 says,
"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways. When you eat the labor of
your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you." How many want that? Say "amen." Some people eat,
but they're not happy. Some people eat,
and things don't go well. "Your wife shall be
like a fruitful vine--" Your wife shall be
like a fruitful vine. Praise God. She won't be dried up, amen? You know, vine talks of grapes. She'll be a fruitful vine,
and when they're fruitful it's like a cluster of grapes
that the two spies brought back from the land of Canaan,
that they brought-- bear it on their shoulders. Your wife will be like that,
a fruitful vine, amen? And then, from vine,
in those days, they make wine, amen? Amen. Your wife will have lips
of wine, amen? Only if your wife is
here with you, you may kiss and taste that wine, all right? Only if your wife is here
with you, okay? All right. Okay. Your mother-in-law? Okay, Ken, all right? So, you can have fun in church,
you know? As long the jokes are kosher,
all right? Do you think in heaven
there's no such things? I can see angels saying,
"Have you heard the latest?" Another angel will come,
"Tell you what. This one is good." We have fun in heaven, amen? God created us to laugh. It's okay to laugh,
but you never laugh. See, when you go
to the movies today, they're getting lower and lower. There used to be a time comedy
shows don't have to allude to sex, but now they allude
to a lot of these kind of things to get laughter. That's the lowest form of jokes. When you have to resort to
sexual innuendos to get jokes, it's the lowest form. Back in those days,
when people like Jerry Lewis and--you know, all those guys,
Bob Hope and all that, I mean, they could talk
something that's really funny. I mean, that is the master. Hmm? Anyway, y'all don't care. So, the next one is,
"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the very heart of your house. Your children like olive plants
all around your table." Your children like olive plants. They're anointed, people. The olive plant is a plant
that's revered, you know, for holy purposes,
sanctified purposes. They use it to anoint
the priests, the prophet, the king. They use it to light up
the menorah. They use it to--for medicine. They use it for soap
in those days. In fact, there are stages
whereby one day someone was teaching in Israel about
the very best--the extra-virgin olive oil is always used
for the temple, right? To light the temple. To light the temple,
the very best. And then, see,
after that they will squeeze it again, because it's all like,
you know, with rocks and all, stones and all that. And they will go round and cause
the stone to press some more. There's still some more oil. The next stage, the oil, right,
is used for medicine. Think about it. This is what the guide said
in Israel. Then the third pressing,
the third pressing, is used for cleansing,
soap cleansing. I thought it was
very interesting, the stages of that. When I was listening to it,
minding my own business, the Holy Spirit spoke to me
and says, "This is what Jesus went through. It all started in Gat Sheman." "Gethsemane" means
"the place of the oily-oil press." The olive press. Gat Sheman. "Sheman" is oil. "Gat" is press. When Jesus was first pressed,
it was a dark, dark time. It was the hour of darkness,
in Jesus's own words. Why? To bring light of the sanctuary
into your life, where you can see
with unworldly eyes, where you can see
with uncommon eyes. You see things
that others don't see. That's the first pressing,
Garden of Gethsemane. Second pressing, he was beaten. He was scourged. That medicine is--that one is
used for medicine. By his stripes we are healed. Can I have a good amen? And the last one,
the last stage, they use it for what? Cleansing. Washing. At the cross he was pressed
again, and this time it is for our cleansing, amen? So, you know--and here
I am listening to the guide, and the Holy Spirit
is taking his water of his sharing,
turning it into wine, and I'm getting intoxicated,
amen? I pray you are, too. And may your marriages
be intoxicating. And kiss often, amen? Yeah, buy mouthwash
and all that. Use it often and kiss often,
amen? Amen, because
I love to eat garlic, and I eat garlic raw, you know? I almost have with every meal
garlic raw, onion raw. Praise God.
Hallelujah. "Come here, baby," amen?
Hallelujah. The secret of a fiery preacher. Hallelujah. My son say, "So smelly." "Your wife shall be like
a fruitful," fruitful, fruitful, fruitful, "vine,
the very heart of your house. Your children like olive plants
all around your table." And you know something? Olive, also,
is a tree that lasts for thousands of years. It can perpetuate. As long as you put new shoots
in it, okay, it will continue growing. New shoots in the--an old olive
tree causes the old olive tree to continue to perpetuate, amen? Having children causes you
to stay young. Playing with children helps you
to stay young. I don't mean working
in childcare and all that. Sometimes, there are ladies
down there whose face look like it's baptized in lemon juice,
all right? I'm talking about enjoying time
with them, you know? I thank God
for all those people, but I'm just saying doesn't mean
that's your profession. Means you are doing--you know,
there are people who are just looking at the bottom line,
their salary or--you know, there are people doing this kind
of thing in every sector, in every field,
every profession, but there are people
who really love kids. They really enjoy being
with kids. They know how to go down
in their knees and all that. Lemme tell you this, all right? It's a way of staying young. Y'all don't agree. I'm telling you it's a way
of staying young. Praise God. God gave me another one, right,
not too long ago, and now I'm going
through the whole thing again. And it's fun. It's fun to be on all fours
just after you handle a call that is quite stressful,
and then work calls. Then you spend time
with this little one, and he just de-stresses you. He just help you forget
everything else, amen? And you're having fun trying
to find the missing map. Amen, amen. Okay, all your children, like,
all around your table. Next verse, "Behold,
thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." This is how the man will be
blessed who fears the Lord. I'm showing you all this
because this, my friend, is not just a song of degree. It's a faith picture
that God has for his people. It does not matter right now
whether your house is in chaos. Doesn't really matter right now
that y'all don't spend time talking. Doesn't really matter right now
where your children are. You don't even know,
and they don't report back to you. Doesn't really matter,
because I'm not talking to you about Bible that tells you
about the law. The law says this is
God's standard, all right? Now you gotta do this,
do this to be like that. This is not a message of law. This is a message of grace. Grace does not exact. Grace supplies. I come from God's presence
to tell you God is giving you a faith picture of what
your family will be like in the future, amen? A family that has gone through
a crisis will be stronger than a family that hasn't. It's always true. All the leaders who have gone
through the fire with me ends up on the other side stronger
leaders than those who have never been through the fire,
amen? It's always the principle, amen? It's better for the devil not
to attack Israel than to attack Israel, even in modern wars. When Israel was attacked
and Israel counterattacked, they always get back more lands,
until United Nations say, "Hey, hey, stop." Always when Israel is winning
they say stop. It's always the principle
for God's people. It's better for the devil not to
attack you than to attack you, because when you know how
to counterattack in the name of the Lord, you always get spoils,
spoils of war. And you have to come back with
all the spoils of war to divide, amen? Had there be no battle,
there'll be no spoils. There'll be no gold, silver. There'll be no things that--
in fact, through the spoils David built Temple of Solomon. I know Solomon built the temple,
but it was a supply from David. And David clearly says it's from
the spoils of war, so he must have had a lot of war. So, if all the battle is coming
against you, look at the spoils, amen? Don't just sit down there
feeling spoiled, crying. Look around for the spoils,
amen? There are spoils of war. Hallelujah. Every battle.
Every battle. Every battle. Praise the Lord. Every child that's gone through
a season of flu or whatever, how does it--
as it is for the parents: all the sleepless nights,
all the pain, all the mental anguish and all that. That child is now stronger
in the area, amen? That particular virus
won't be able to attack the child as before. The child is stronger
in the area, amen? Amen. So, the principle of life is
all such that with the attack comes the law of compensation,
the law of restoration, amen? I don't wanna preach that, but,
see, this is my first portion. I need to finish this verse. Okay, church? All right. Now, all this, "The Lord
bless you out of Zion." "Behold, thus shall the man
be blessed--" Now, he's telling you
this is how-- God say, "This is how
I see a man blessed. If I bless a man, this is how
he's gonna--thus shall the man be blessed: his wife will be
a fruitful vine, his children olive plants,
run about the table." Sounds to me like prosperity. Sounds to me like a house
of honor, blessing, a house of where man and woman,
husband and wife have children, family. And, most of all, Christ is
there in the home, amen? Behold, thus shall
the man be blessed. Now, men, look up here. It starts off--verse 1 again. "Blessed is every one who fears
the Lord, who walks in his ways. When you eat the labor
of your hands--" Talking to the man or woman? "Your wife shall be
a fruitful vine. Your children--"
Who is he talking to? To the man. Drop down. "Behold, thus shall the man
be blessed--" When the man is blessed,
his wife is blessed. When the man is blessed,
his children are blessed. No point trying to lecture
or nag at your wife to get blessed, or,
"You know, you don't do quiet time." Or, "I see you don't do this.
You don't do that." You be blessed, man. Man, you be blessed,
until you so tempt her for the victorious life
that she sees in your life. When she see her husband change,
she will change. Women change when they see
their leader change. Your wife is not the leader,
amen? Stop abdicating responsibilities
to her, amen? She will take it up.
Women are amazing. They'll take it up. Praise God. Amen. People are fidgeting,
walking around, wanting to leave the room. Shut every room right now,
in Jesus's name. Praise the Lord. And put a bolt and a lock,
hallelujah? You are stuck. Nah, see, the thing about me
is that I don't hold marriage seminars. Have you notice this? In the history of our church
we don't have marriage seminars, because when you have
marriage seminar, the ones who are responsible,
who need change don't come. They'll tell their wife,
"You go." They're not--
like, 80% are all women. No, you have to hijack. So you're stuck, see? By now you can go your way,
but you heard a lot already. I just think it's wisdom. All right, so Bible says
when the man is blessed, his children are blessed. When he is blessed,
his whole household is blessed, so God puts the onus
on the man, amen? Are you listening? To me, this is good news. It is good news. When things go wrong, all right,
I don't blame my wife. I don't blame, you know,
the older brother or the older sister. I don't blame my children, even. I blame myself. "What example have I set,
you know? What gave them this idea it's
okay to watch this kinda movie? What was the practice
in the house? Are there things lying around?" Blame yourself first. Don't blame others,
and you'll find that God will come with you,
because God is on the side of justifying those
who are blame, who had blame. God didn't justify people
who are blameless. God justifies people
who are ungodly, so there's no problem
taking accountability. Be a man, amen? Like a great man once said,
"To be a male is a matter of birth. To be a man
is a matter of choice, y'all." It's a matter of choice,
so be a man, amen? Okay, la-yah. "Amen, Pastor Prince!"
It's gotta be like that, man. Come on. [music] announcer: Next on,
"Joseph Prince." Joseph Prince: All of you,
all of us, remember this: the Holy Spirit is with us,
but he'll never leave us. But he can be grieved. That's why he can be grieved. Let's live lives
that you can feel him almost like rejoicing inside. And every time--
he's come to glorify Jesus. The more we glorify Jesus,
the more we bring glory to his name, he rejoices. You can sense him. You can sense him grieved. You can sense him rejoicing. There's always the Holy Spirit
inside, amen? And he's the one that you--
live for the audience of one, and then there'll be anointing. There'll be a poise. There'll be a genuineness,
an integrity around you that people can sense
without you opening your mouth. These things are spiritual,
all right? There'll be a weightiness, amen? Praise God. [music] Joseph Prince: Dear friends, thank
you for watching. Be sure to hit subscribe if
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