Scripture reference: John 1:1-14 AMPC; 2 Corinthians 4:4-7 AMPC
Right, you may be seated. We’re going to just receive the message. Hallelujah.
I’m going to read you some beautiful scriptures this morning about Jesus. Isn’t that wonderful? Doesn’t that just warm your heart? To want to have beautiful scriptures about the beautiful Son, the morning star. I mean, His is the Name that is above every name. The Bible says that at His Name, every knee shall bow, every, every knee, not some knees. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because He is. Because He is. Glory to God.
I’m going to just read that scripture about Jesus and the Light. In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was God. The Amplified Bible says, 1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. (John 1:1 AMPC) Christ, was God Himself. Christ is God, Himself. He was present originally with God. The Holy Spirit wants you to see Jesus, this morning through scripture. He wants you to see Jesus, your Lord, our Lord.
2 He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 In Him was Life, and the Life, (John 1:2-4 AMPC) That’s the eternal life that you receive when you receive Jesus. Eternal life, when you get born again, the Life of God Himself comes into your spirit.
To receive eternal life does not mean; when I die, I go to Heaven. To receive eternal life means; I get born again, my spirit gets born again and recreated so that I receive the very Life of Christ. As Christ lived, now I receive that Christ, so I can live as He lived. That’s why, when God says, you’ve been predestined to be transformed into the image of Christ, it’s because you can be, because the very life of Christ Himself came into you, by the Holy Spirit who did the work, the new birth-work in you. He did the miracle of the new birth. He made you a new creature in your spirit because God is a Spirit. Right. Glory.
So, 4 In Him was Life, verse 4, and the Life, that Life, the living Christ in you by the Spirit of Christ, and the Life was the Light, the Life was the Light. 5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it through him. 8 He was not the Light himself but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light. 9 There it was, ah I love the way the Amplified puts it; there it was, – the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. (John 1:4-9 AMPC)
Every person in the whole world can be illumined by the Life and the Light of God because the Life is the Light. So, anybody and everybody in the whole world can receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. That is why God said go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature because there it was – He came. When He came, there it was; the steadfast, genuine Light, that illumines every person. Every person that received Jesus received the Light, the Life and then the Light because the Life is the Light. You just knew; I’m a son of God. Put your hand on your heart and say this; I am a son of God. Jesus is my Lord. God is my Father. Hallelujah. The Holy Spirit lives in me. Ja. That’s right.
It says, 6 There came a man. Okay. There I was; verse 9. 9 There it was—the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. 10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. (John 1:9-10 AMPC) You can go read about that in Romans chapter 1. It says they did not acknowledge Him. Even though they knew He was God, they didn’t acknowledge Him. They chose not to recognise Him.
Men and women, today still choose to not recognise Jesus as the Life and the Light. It suits them to have philosophies, that there’s some other way; even though Jesus said, I am the Truth, the Light, and the way. It suits men and women that have been blinded by the god of this world, to make some other way, some other explanation. That’s why we pray for them; that’s why we have the prayer in the pre-service. We pray for people to get birthed and born-again into the kingdom. So that they can make heaven their home and miss hell that was not created for human beings. It was created for Satan and his fallen angels.
They are going about in humanity in the world, seeking whom they may devour, seeking whom they may blind. The Bible says, “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they should not see, so that they should not see the light of the glorious gospel, as it is seen in the Face of Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, I am going to show you where that scripture comes from and we’re going to read it together, but then I’m going to go back to John 1. Here, 2 Corinthians 4:4-7, I think we should all look at that, Amplified Bible, 2 Corinthians 4:4-7, 4For the god… you see, little g, there’s only one capital “G”, the only one, living, true and living God… the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. 5For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely as your servants (slaves) for Jesus’ sake. 6For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (2 Corinthians 4:4-6 AMPC).
We possess this treasure in our earthen vessels. That we can beam Jesus forth, to anybody. We can beam; beam; beam forth. Remember that TV show, The Care Bears? They beamed, light came from them, okay? Just to give you a picture, and they would say to each other; that’s the original Care Bears, they’ve just become strange now. The original Care Bears were really sweet; they went about really wanting to help people and then they would all get together and they would say, “Care Bears”, where there was a problem, “Care Bears, stare there”, and all this, this rainbow light would come out of all of them and just fix that problem.
Just to give you, to show you what’s in you. What comes out of you. The god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ mind. The Lord wants you to look at this scripture, look very well at the scripture. 4The god of this world… Satan… has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. 5For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely as your servants (slaves) for Jesus’ sake. Verse 6… 6For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light… (2 Corinthians 4:4-6 AMPC).
Jesus shines. That’s why when you, when you’re worshipping Him and praising Him, I see the light. That’s a light, because it’s a life thing you’re doing. You know, it’s a moment where I can see you and know you’re after the Spirit. You know, I can touch your spirit, and the real you. Hallelujah. Because the real you, that I see afterwards; that’s talking a whole lot of nonsense, and talking carnal things, is not the real you. It’s not the real you. So, it’s a moment where I can know you’re after the Spirit, and I could see, oh, this awesome spirit being, worshipping with me. Hallelujah. Glory, glory, glory.
You are all growing up so beautifully in the Word, we are touching more and more of each other, of the life of Christ in each other. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Bible says, for us to not know each other after the flesh, but after the Spirit, because you have a recreated spirit in you. Hallelujah. That’s why I love to hear you pray. You know how I put some of you on the spot, and then you’re forced to dig deep into your spirit and then your spirit man just manifests and it’s like, thrills me, because it thrills God. Hallelujah. Because that’s who you are, that’s the real you; recreated in the image of Christ. That’s that part of you, that’s like Christ beaming forth to me. It’s like, beam that spirit beam to me. Beam it to me. Will you let me beam to you?
This morning, as I speak to you about beautiful Jesus. His Words beam to you this morning and it says here, verse 6 again… 6For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)… Hallelujah… 7However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth… For me to be able to stand here this morning and talk about Jesus and the Gospel and His death and the cross.
It’s in my frail human vessel, but I can beam it forth. In this frail human vessel of earth. Why is this precious treasure in this frail human vessel of earth? … that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 AMPC). Glory to God. Hallelujah.
Every time you speak to somebody about Jesus, you’re beaming it forth. I’m talking about when it’s coming from your heart, you know. Just coming from your heart, because there’s a love in your heart for that eternal, that eternal destiny of that person, and the Holy Spirit puts it there and you don’t quench it, you don’t, you know. You respond to it.
I shared a story with the first service about a precious friend of mine and I was really burdened for her eternal destiny, because it was evident to me in the years that I knew her, that she wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
We were going to have like a woman’s meeting, at our church, and I just knew it was going to be very precious. I thought; I’m just going to call her Rita. I thought, “I’m going to invite Rita”. Surely, in the corporate anointing, she will just sense Jesus and fall in love with Him and want Him. I remember they did an altar call at the end, and my eyes were so closed like this, and I was like, Ah Rita, put up your hand; put up your hand. Say the prayer; say the prayer. Because it’s so easy, to just say the prayer, for your heart to believe and receive Jesus, in an instant.
Nothing happened and we kind of drove back to her house in silence. I was driving her in the car, she was sitting in the passenger seat in the front. We stopped outside her house, I said, “Rita, how was that for you?” She said, “Well, obviously something’s going on there,” and I remember that’s how she looked when she said it, “Well obviously something’s going on there, but I’m not interested.”
The presence of God just moved into the car. You know what I’m talking about, right? Sometimes when you’re worshipping with a beautiful song, the presence of God just comes more. Of course, He never leaves you or forsakes you, He’s always in you, but just in your car, He will just manifest just more, you know. He just came into that car, and the Glory of God was just there and I had to speak, and I had to say, “Rita, Rita, I want to tell you that Jesus is my Lord, and He’s, He’s real to me. I hear Him speak, I speak to Him. I hear Him, He lives in me.”
I just went through it simply, that a child could understand it and I said to her, “Rita, if this is the truth that I’m telling you, wouldn’t you want to know? If this is the truth, wouldn’t you want to know?” She said, “No. Even if it was the truth, I don’t want to know.” It was like a death sentence in me, and for me. I said, “Okay.” We said our goodbyes, we continued. We continued in our relationship. Our boys were together in school. Every now and again, I think about Rita, and I just say, “Lord, Lord, Lord”.
People, hell is a very real place. God did not create it for people, but Satan is blinding the minds of the unbelievers so that they don’t receive, that they don’t receive the light. God beams forth from our hearts. I know what’s happening here because this is Pastor John’s desire that we, we are a people that will invite people to church. Now, at this time to come and hear the Gospel message on a Sunday morning like this. People are ready, people are ready.
People are ready for you to invite them, they are ready, people are ripe. May you see, may you see, may you participate with the Lord of the harvest. May He thrust you, Heritage of Faith, may He thrust me into the harvest that is ripe. It’s ripe, its ripe.
These meetings on a Sunday morning now, are going to be geared. Pastor John has spoken to me this week, they are going to be geared, for you to bring unbelievers, so that they can hear the gospel, so that they can get saved. Yes, you are going to get blessed too, because how wonderful it is, I can never hear the gospel enough.
Tell me the gospel of Jesus, tell me the good news of Jesus, tell me how He came to die for me, tell me how He was on the cross, tell me how He went into the tomb, tell me how God raised Him from the dead, tell me how He now lives in me.Hallelujah. I can be a son of God, hallelujah. It is time for you to bring and to invite and say: “Come listen to the music, come listen to the message of Good News. Come listen to some Good News, that God loves you and He cares for you.” Hallelujah.
Pastor Garth and I are going to be writing some new songs, some Gospel songs, that speak specifically about: You must be born again. Behold He stands at the door of your heart and He is knocking, knock, knock, knocking, knock, knock, knocking. (pastor Sharon singing) We are going to sing songs like that, and we are going to sit, and we are going to pray, and the early morning pre-service prayer, and we are going to just bring them, hallelujah. They are going to hear, and they are going to receive Jesus, glory. Hallelujah.
Because you possess, you and I possess a precious treasure, you possess the divine Light of the gospel. They have been blinded, but we have the Light. They have been blinded by the god of this world, but we have the Light. Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, praise You Jesus.
I continue to read from John 1, in Him was life, where was I? There is the true world, verse 9, 9 There it was—the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. 10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him]. 11 He came to that which belonged to Him – so He was before, right in the beginning, and then He came to that which He had created with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, He came, right? 11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own—His domain, His creation, His things, His world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him. (John 1:9-11 AMPC)
But, but but but but but but but, look at verse 12, 12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (and the power, and the privilege, and the right) to become the children of God. Hallelujah, 12 But to as many as did receive Him, and welcome Him, He gave the authority (and the power, and the privilege, and the right) to become the children of God. And verse 13 says 13 Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh – You do not owe your birth to bloods, the blood of your mother and the blood of your father, and they came together and they did things that make babies. You were not born by blood, look at that: 13 Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh, (John 1:12-13 AMPC) the will of a man and a woman to come together to make a child, but you owe your birth to God. You are born of God. Ah, don’t you want to say this with me? I am born of God, and sing this, and I love Him, and sing this with me: And I am born of God, and I love Him. Oh, hallelujah.
Jesus is beautiful, Jesus, the presence of God is so precious, I just want to read, I want to finish, I will finish. Oh, don’t you want to sing this with me, sing this: I am born again, and I am thankful, and I am a son of God, and I love Him.
Do you love Him, Garth? You adore Him. Me too. You love Him, Kate? Hey, Meredith? He is beautiful. The Bible says He is altogether lovely. He is altogether lovely. Hallelujah.
13 Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural Father], but to God. [They are born of God!]. 14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honour, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his Father, full of grace (favour, loving-kindness) and truth. (John 1:13-14 AMPC)
Jesus, this morning, we have brought glory to You. We have just simply read the Word which is You. We’ve just read the Word together and all we can do is say thank You. We had nothing to do with it. God so loved the world that He gave you, Jesus, so that whosoever should believe in You shall not perish, but shall have Life and the Life is the Light.
Father, we will walk in the Light. More and more. More and more, will we walk in the Light. More and more. You and I, we walk in some light, but more and more, we will walk in the light, because He keeps shining in us. His Holy Spirit keeps giving us more, because revelation is light. He reveals things to you. Pastor John says something, I will read some scripture, you will open the Word for yourself.
On a Monday and a Tuesday or on Tuesday and you go to John chapter 1 again. This whole week long, and you will go… in the beginning… and you will get light, more light about Jesus. You know, the Angels at the throne, for eternity, they fly around the throne where God sits, and they sit and go Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy. And some might think, it is for eternity to do that. No. They are flying and they are seeing God, and then they see another aspect of Him, and they see another, and they see another, O and He is God and He is Creator and they see another aspect of Him and they go Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy. Glory to God. Jesus is beautiful.
Father, thank You that your people have seen Jesus, have seen Jesus again fresh and new this morning and they will be inspired, just to share, just to invite, just to speak, to another being, about their eternal destiny. Hallelujah, and we will begin to participate, with this surge that is in Pastor John for the unsaved and the lost. We will begin to participate with it.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your work in our hearts, all week long for that, and Your people are blessed. Your people are blessed Father, they are blessed going out today, into their cars, into their homes, or wherever they are going because some restaurants are open now and you can get a takeaway and a table. Hallelujah.
I tell you Joburg, I was there last weekend, because I had to go and minister there, and they are like – no, I’m still praying, I’m still praying – but you know Joburg’s, they are very progressive. Yah, they went, when the President said they could go, they went. So, you have to sign in and get a table and order your takeaway and you go and sit, but they were out with their masks off, eating their food in this glorious sunshine on the Saturday. It was like, O Jesus, thank You. You know. Hallelujah.
You’re working to just bring things to where you know they should be. So you are blessed and your families are blessed and the Word and Blood of Jesus protects you and surrounds you, and your businesses and supernatural increase is coming through the new open door, the truth is still for you. Your strikes for supernatural increase. Hallelujah. Project strike. Project celebration.
They will celebrate you all week long, Father, in the name of Jesus. They will be filled with joy. I declare it over them. They will be lifted off by the Spirit of God, into a fresh place with You Father. Be alive with You and onto You, in Jesus’ name.
Blessed, blessed are you, blessed are you. Have a wonderful day. Wonderful week. You may leave, and we will continue to play the music as we leave. This is how we are assembling for a short time. Love you all.
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