Introduction

Today, we begin a new series. What is this series about? It is about Grace and Truth. The first sermon is titled "Full of Grace and Truth." Do you know what grace is? Grace is something you receive entirely for free. To this day, the day I accepted the Lord remains vivid in my mind. At that time, I had lost the will to live. There was no hope. I asked myself, what is the point of living?

I was down on my luck. When things go wrong, even drinking cold water hurts your teeth. It was an exhausting existence. Then, I walked into a church. Let me tell you what happened when I walked out after the service. When I entered, my vision was literally black and white, shrouded in grey. Why? Because the human heart was blinded by evil spirits. Everything looked grey, devoid of any beauty. But the inner feelings of a person are very real.

Yet, when I stepped out, I saw the grass—it was incredibly green. The sunlight was beautiful. The white clouds in the sky, the flowers, the trees—it was breathtakingly beautiful. Human perception is a remarkable thing. I wondered, why is this place so different? Inside the church, as we sang, tears streamed down my face. It felt as though a stray child had finally returned to his parents' embrace. If you ask me why I felt that way, I cannot give you a logical explanation.

But one thing struck a deep chord within me. The lyrics of an English hymn went like this: "Though He is the King of Heaven, He wants to be our friend." I thought to myself, who am I? Look at Singapore. If you can curry favor with the Lee family, you are considered someone of status, aren't you? But while I knew who Lee Kuan Yew was, he certainly did not know me. The whole world knew Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew, but whether Lee Kuan Yew knew me was an entirely different matter. I was in a wretched state back then.

Yet, here was the King of Heaven wanting to be my friend. What kind of logic is that? Only later did I realize that this is a free gift. I gave God nothing, yet He loved me. This God is truly good. From that moment, I grasped a fundamental concept: receiving grace. This concept, however, often causes confusion. Many people start off well, but as time goes on, their prayers stop working. They claim the "honeymoon period" is over. That is nonsense. The truth is, they have fallen from grace because they constantly try to give something to God.

Human nature is peculiar. Some brothers and sisters in our midst always want to give me something. What could I possibly need from you? I need very little. They want to do something just to show off in front of me, but frankly, there are very few things I actually value. It makes me reflect deeply. The gospel I have always preached is the gospel of free grace. It is not because you are good enough; it is because we are in a wretched state and desperately need it. That was my understanding when I first believed.

Our God loves us and wants us to receive freely. Yet, some believers are incredibly foolish. They ask, "Pastor, is it too utilitarian of me to come to God just to get benefits?" I tell them, "What else do you propose to do? What do you think you can give to God? In your wretched state, what could you possibly offer Him?" It is not a question of being utilitarian. Who doesn't want to receive benefits from God? It is entirely natural and right to receive from Him. He is our Heavenly Father.

Yesterday, I met a brother. When I saw him, I said, "I almost didn't make it to see you," because the day before, I nearly passed away. This brother then began to share testimonies with me—one after another, a whole series of testimonies of grace.

He said, "Pastor, do you know what happened in our organization?" He is the top executive, the number-one man in his company. But even he needs God. Do you think top executives don't need God's grace? There are many problems they cannot solve on their own. He told me, "My entire enterprise is doing exceptionally well. It is all by God's grace."

Then he shared this story: One day, a female subordinate walked into his office. Her face was pale, and she was shivering. He asked, "What is wrong? Are you ill?" She replied, "No, it is severe menstrual pain." She suffered terribly every month and needed medication, but she had forgotten to bring it. This brother said, "Come, let's go to my car. It is not convenient to pray in the office." So they went to his car.

In the car, he played a recording of my prayers for fifteen minutes. He told me, "Pastor, after fifteen minutes of your recorded prayer, her pain was completely gone." Completely gone. After that, he sent her a few prayer recordings. She was worried, wondering if the pain would return that night or the next day. But the next day, she was perfectly fine. Nothing happened.

Let me tell you, this is remarkable. The gospel I preach is a gospel of receiving grace freely. This subordinate of his—if you had talked to her about Jesus previously, she would have made a face. She did not look like the type who would believe in Jesus at all. Some people look the part, but when you talk to them, they just give you half-hearted responses. This woman did not look the part at all. Yet, what happened? Now, she listens to the teachings, takes meticulous notes, and writes summaries. She is highly serious about it.

Of course, for a woman in her thirties or forties, menstrual pain is a serious issue. For many, it starts in their teens and persists for decades. Some suffer until menopause. They have to take medical leave and painkillers every single month of their lives. Let me be frank: many sisters among us who struggle severely with judging good and evil suffer from menstrual pain.

Yet, every single one who came to us was healed. Completely healed. Many of you listening to me now have experienced this. Your illnesses were cured. Let me ask you: what did this young woman do for God? Absolutely nothing. Why did God heal her then? Because that is the nature of our God. But some people lose their heads as they continue in their faith. They start thinking they must give something to God.

They ask, "God, what can I give You? What would You like to eat?" Do you think God is a patient in a hospital ward, waiting for you to bring Him some treats? It is absurd. Our God needs nothing from us. He only desires to bestow His benefits upon us. Is that clear? Look at the chat—so many sisters are typing that their menstrual pain has been completely healed.

This brother's own story is even more intriguing. Previously, he was the number-three man in his organization. The top leader was about to retire. As the number-three man, he had very little actual work—it was largely a ceremonial role. So, he spent his days doing transcription and writing work for our ministry. After joining our church, he dedicated himself to this literary work daily. And as he did so, he was promoted to the number-one position. The process was extraordinary.

Why? Because the number-two man was determined to take the top job. But he developed heart disease and various other ailments, rendering him unfit for the post. Thus, our brother stepped into the vacancy. He was like Judah among the twelve tribes, inheriting the blessing by default. After he became the head, his branch—which is part of a larger national system with performance rankings—began to rise.

He did not have to strain himself. God simply poured out His grace. His branch rose from the very bottom of the rankings to the top tier, with excellent performance. This is the power of receiving grace. Yesterday, I joked with him, "Your promotion to the top job was the grace earned from doing transcription work." We laughed. He said, "Pastor, I have more stories." I replied, "Tell me another. I love to hear them, and I will use it in my sermon tomorrow."

He said, "My daughter was once a severe depressive. She was healed through our prayers. Years passed, she went through middle school and high school, and this year, she sat for the university entrance examinations." Normally, her scores were around 280—not even enough for a basic college. In the mock exams, she managed 360. I said, "Wow." He said, "Pastor, don't say 'wow' yet; the best part is yet to come." The entire family was anxious about the national college entrance exam.

His wife, who previously had a lukewarm attitude toward faith, suddenly found her zeal because of the impending exam. She diligently went through our 101 Course—one lesson every three days—and prayed with intense focus. The daughter also prayed. Since mobile phones are banned in the exam hall, she downloaded several prayer recordings onto her smartwatch, put on her wireless earbuds, and listened to the prayers while taking the exam. One recording was not enough; she downloaded several.

Meanwhile, his wife prayed desperately at home and studied the 101 Course on Genesis with absolute dedication. It sounds amusing, doesn't it? But let me give you the hard facts: she scored 437. The cutoff for a four-year undergraduate degree was around 433. With her actual ability of 280, she qualified for a university degree. Now she has her pick of colleges. In the past, when I asked this brother to bring his wife to see me, she refused. Now, she says she wants to meet the "great master." But it is not about me; it is entirely God's grace.

What did they do for God? Nothing. It was pure grace. Brothers and sisters, you must align your attitude correctly. You must receive more of God's grace. We survive and thrive by His grace alone. Remember this: do not attempt to make transactions with God. Do not say, "I give You this, so You give me that." In the early days of our church, whenever a prayer meeting was announced, people would slip away instantly. Very few attended the prayer meetings after Sunday services because they had not formed the habit.

A month later, some came back saying, "Pastor, I want to pray." I asked, "Didn't you used to run away the moment prayer was mentioned?" They replied, "Yes, but I failed my exam." Does prayer work when you fail an exam? Yes, it does. When the results came out, they had passed. The difference between a pass and a fail is like night and day—it has real, tangible value.

They said, "Pastor, that is impossible. I barely wrote anything on the paper. How could I pass?" I suspect there might have been a clerical error in grading, but how God did it is beyond my knowledge. We have seen massive miracles—people passing doctoral defenses and graduating against all odds. This is not about what we give to God; it is entirely His grace. Why? Because the gospel we believe in is a gospel of receiving benefits from God. Is that clear? It is a powerful truth.

A few days ago, one of our sisters took leave to visit her mother. Her mother is an old-school Christian who strongly opposed us, viewing us as a cult. Her own faith was a miserable struggle—she was dirt poor and heavily in debt. On her way back from her church, she was hit by a car, suffering multiple fractures. She lay at home in excruciating pain. Fractures are incredibly painful; she had to be put on morphine and pethidine.

When our sister arrived home and saw her mother screaming in agony, it was heartbreaking. She asked me, "Pastor, what should I do?" I said, "Pray. Lead her in prayer." The mother refused. I told her, "It does not matter. That refusal is from the demon, not your mother. She is completely under demonic control. You must distinguish between the two."

So, regardless of her mother's resistance, she began to pray over her. It did not matter if her mother did not join in. She simply released her faith and said, "Mother, I pray that your pain will leave you." Of course, her mother wanted the pain to stop. When her mother uttered blasphemous words, she said, "Mother, that is not you speaking; it is the demon. I will deliver you from this demonic oppression, and you will receive grace." Her mother wept. The blasphemous words coming out of her mouth were not her own; they were from the demon.

Let me tell you, even pethidine and anesthetics had failed to relieve her pain. Yet, after our sister prayed, her mother did not need any more injections for days. The pain vanished completely. Today, our sister had to leave her hometown to return to work. She said, "Pastor, now that I am leaving, my mother's pain will probably return." I replied, "Not necessarily. You must understand the power of God. Our God is not limited by time or space. Even if you are thousands of miles away, His power remains fully effective."

Do you believe this? She said, "Pastor, my faith is too weak." I tell you, God's grace does not depend on your physical presence. We have sisters among us whose mothers died of cancer, and the pain of that loss remains vivid to this day. They ask, "When can we spread this gospel of grace?" Often, people ask, "Do you believe?" and if the answer is "No," they give up. That is the wrong approach.

That is not how you frame the question. The correct question is: "Do you want to receive benefits? Do you want to be delivered from this pain? I offer you this grace." While we were still sinners, Christ died for us on the cross. This is how God demonstrated His love. We must restore our desire for God's grace. It is not about what we have done for God; it is about the great salvation He has accomplished for us. Is that clear? Did these people give anything to God? No. God gave to them. The moment you attempt to give something to God to earn His favor, you fall from grace. Is that clear?

When we first believed, we were in a wretched state, completely empty-handed. We simply received. How is it that, over time, people distort this faith and think they must give something to God in exchange for His grace? That is when they fall from grace. When they fall, they call it the end of the "honeymoon period." What utter folly. There is no such thing as a honeymoon period. Grace is eternal. Our God is always full of grace and truth. Do not fall from grace.

Therefore, let me make this clear: service is grace, work is grace, giving is grace, tithing is grace—everything is grace. Many serve God thinking they are making a grand contribution to Him, only to end up with cancer. They are good people, but they have a fundamental flaw in their thinking. They have fallen from grace. Do not lose this grace. Live under it permanently. This is precisely why the Apostle John wrote: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth."

Why did the Old Covenant fail? It lacked grace. What is the underlying logic? Man sins, and by disobeying God's word, he falls under a curse. No man is without sin. Once cursed, the demons enter, bringing oppression and stripping you of your authority. The demons then drive you to sin further, perpetuating destruction in your life. It becomes a vicious cycle that cannot be broken.

This curse persisted until the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Our Lord Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He, the Lamb, became flesh and entered this world, overflowing with grace, offering it to us freely. He surely bore our griefs and carried our curses. By His stripes we are healed, by His punishment we have peace, and by His precious blood we are redeemed. All of this is given to us freely, is it not?

Once sin is laid upon the Lamb, demons can be cast out, freedom can be attained, and we can choose to love God. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would logically choose to receive more and more grace, to be delivered, to cast out demons, to gain freedom, and consequently, to choose to love God even more.

The message I want to share with you today is to bring you back into grace. It is not because we deserve it. Do not tell me, "Oh, Pastor, I am not worthy." When will you ever be worthy? Even when you are lying in your coffin, you will still not be worthy. Frankly, you deserve nothing. But this is not about merit. It is about God's love for us. He became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Even though we deserve nothing, God still pours out His grace upon us. Is there anything in your life that is not a result of His grace?

If you have a lumbar issue, lay that problem on Jesus. If you have brain issues or a cerebral infarction, lay it on Jesus. If you suffer from a myocardial infarction, lay it on Jesus. The blind, the lame—Jesus has surely borne our iniquities. If you have a soft heart, this truth will move you to tears. We were meant to live under a curse, tormented by demons, crushed to the ground with absolutely no power to resist.

But Jesus came, bringing an abundance of grace. What does "abundance" mean? It means from the day you were born to the day you believed, and from the day you believed to the day you depart this world, every single thing depends on grace. It is an absolute fullness—living your entire life within His grace.

Scripture

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (John 1:14-18)

Prayer

Lord, we thank You and praise You. You have prepared for us the Lamb, the Lamb of God. He died for us, even on the cross, surely bearing our griefs, carrying our sorrows, and taking upon Himself our curses, delivering us from the bondage of sin. You have also given us the Holy Spirit to be our helper, to guide us into Your grace.

Today, we return once again to Your grace, simply to receive, simply to look upon Your grace and mercy. Lord, work Your salvation and continue Your wondrous work in us. Mold us, let us walk according to Your will, so that we may begin to live out Your image. Lord, break the bondages upon us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we cast out these demons—demons of sickness must go, the blind must see, the lame must walk, and the root of the knowledge of good and evil must be completely severed.

Lord, by Your great power, by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and by the love of Jesus Christ, we are more than conquerors. Lord, help us, lead us, rid us of our bad habits, put to death the misdeeds of our flesh, so that we may become more and more like You. Lord, we desire to receive more of Your grace, grace upon grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture Background

When the Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John, the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and Mark had already been in circulation for a long time. It was in his advanced years that John penned this Gospel. What was happening in that era? Something highly peculiar was taking place: many people were falling away from grace and descending into spiritual decay.

Let me tell you, departing from God's grace is a tragedy. Why? Because many people wanted to offer something of their own to God. How do we know this? Otherwise, why would John have written this? When John wrote, many had already lost grace. Why? It was because of James, the biological brother of Jesus, and Peter. James, the author of the Epistle of James, promoted a very strange concept—the law. That is precisely what causes people to fall from grace.

Therefore, let me advise you: even though the Epistle of James is included in the Canon of Scripture, do not ignore my counsel; read it with discernment. If you are a critical reader, you will see that there are fundamental issues with what is written in James. His concepts are entirely different from those delivered by the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ.

Consider the leadership structure: the head of the church was James, the author of the Epistle of James; the second-in-command was Peter, who wrote 1 and 2 Peter; and the third was John. This means John witnessed firsthand the decline of the Jerusalem church. They ran it into the ground.

How did they ruin it? How did they end up destitute? John saw it with his own eyes. Why did it happen? Because they emphasized works. You must understand that all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. Thus, in his old age, as John reflected on church history, he identified the root cause of the failure and wrote the Gospel of John.

This is why he wrote: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Who is this Word? It is Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

Why emphasize grace? Because grace is that which is received freely. If it is not free, it is not grace; it is wages for work done. Do you understand? Falling from grace is a grave issue, and it happens when you rely on the law. Did they lack love? No, they had love, but by relying on the law, they turned everything upside down. This is not unique to them; throughout the 1,500 years from Moses to John, relying on the law never worked. It brings a curse because it fails on a fundamental logical level: you simply cannot keep the law by your own strength. Where did the problem lie? It lay in a distorted understanding of God.

We must have a clear understanding of God. "In the beginning was the Word." Where were you then? You might be born in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, or 2000s. Where were you in the beginning? You did not exist. Not only did you not exist, but your mother, your grandmother, and your grandfather did not exist either. Did God require your assistance to create the universe? Absolutely not. Why then do you boast today? At what point in your life are you not merely a recipient of His provision? Why do you suddenly think so highly of yourself?

You get promoted from a junior clerk to a minor section chief, and suddenly you think you are important? You just paid off your debts, and now you boast? Let me tell you, many people simply do not know their place. They become arrogant, and the moment they do, they are brought down because they have fallen from grace. "In the beginning was the Word." John witnessed this reality. What happened back then? John the Baptist came to bear witness to Jesus Christ, declaring that He was indeed the Messiah.

He was the light, and John the Baptist testified to Him. And what followed? To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. You might read this and only half-understand it, but that is fine. What you must grasp is that faith is the key. To those who believe in His name, He gives the authority to be His children.

Is it not because of our faith that we receive this authority to subdue demons in the spiritual realm? You do not cast out demons because you are good enough; you do it because you believe. You do not overpower these spirits because of your own strength, but because of the power of Jesus Christ. By believing in His name, you become a child of God, vested with His authority to command evil spirits. If this is not grace, what is? What could you possibly do to earn such grace? You cannot earn it.

Do not think you can approach God like a man riding a bicycle to visit his mother-in-law, with a chicken in one hand and a duck in the other. You do not need to bring gifts to appease Him. It is about faith. If you cannot sleep at night, try exercising your faith. It works. God will give you the authority as His child to overcome demonic forces.

John wrote this to make it clear that the Word which was in the beginning became flesh in Jesus Christ. The Jesus we believe in is not merely a historical figure of flesh, but the incarnate Word of God. He was not born of human will or desire, but of God. What did He bring? Moses brought the law, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. I will speak more on truth at a later time.

What does it mean to be full of grace and truth? It points to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is both the Son of God and the Lamb of God—this is the identity of Jesus Christ. What do we believe about Him? We believe He is the Lamb of God who has borne our sins and carried our sorrows. Because of this, we have freedom in Christ. This is the core of all our testimonies.

Of all the things you have experienced, which of them did you actually deserve? None. Do you think God actually cares about the trivial matter of your daughter's university entrance exams? He does not. Yet, He grants you this grace because He desires to comfort you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must understand the key points John wrote: first, Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh; second, the power of testimony. As Revelation states, we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Remember this: if you are in a church where there is no presence of God and no testimonies—where one member after another is diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized, and eventually even the pastor gets cancer and goes to the hospital—what kind of testimony is that? That is no testimony at all. True testimonies are like those of Jesus Christ: healing the sick and casting out demons. If a church only has testimonies of falling ill but none of being healed, my advice to you is simple: run. Run as fast as you can.

This brings to mind a story. Many years ago, a sister joined our ministry. She was a working professional who served actively after office hours. She told us about her previous local church where she had been highly active.

Despite her enthusiasm, she eventually noticed something was seriously wrong. Their leader fell gravely ill and passed away. The church members then asked her to step up and take over the leadership. She thought about it logically: if the previous leader ended up like this, she wanted no part of it. She was smart.

Subsequently, another brother stepped up to lead. He was full of zeal, driving people around and serving tirelessly. Later, we had to minister to this very brother because he suffered from severe gastric bleeding and a host of terrifying illnesses. When he fell ill, the congregation again asked the sister to take over. She refused and eventually came to us. Why? Because we do not have this kind of nonsense here. She was pragmatic. Did she do everything perfectly? No.

But she was smart in one key aspect: she understood the need to receive grace rather than trying to make "great contributions" to God. In my study of these bizarre church phenomena, I have found that they all stem from falling from grace. They think they are doing God a great favor, and that is fatal.

It was the same in John's era and in the Jerusalem church. John lifted up the banner of grace. Some might ask, "Are you preaching the Gospel of Grace?" Is there an issue with the Gospel of Grace? Is there an issue with receiving grace? Absolutely not. Do not let anyone deceive you into thinking grace is problematic. Our God is a God of grace. Go back to the Scriptures. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died and rose again for us, took away the sins of the world, and gave us authority to cast out demons.

The captives are set free, and the oppressed are liberated. What could be better? Furthermore, the angels of God ascend and descend among us. What is the logic behind this? It is because this is the house of God and the gate of heaven. The angels ascend and descend to do their work—bringing down the blessings of heaven and taking up our earthly problems. Because this is the house of God and the gate of heaven, we can draw upon heavenly promises and resources.

Our church has been a church of spiritual warfare from the very beginning. Once, I nearly stopped breathing. I have had moments of physical weakness, though I never quite expired. On one occasion, I experienced severe respiratory distress—I could exhale but could not inhale. It felt like the end. I could not even utter a prayer. Suddenly, God opened my eyes, and I saw the hills covered with a dark mass of demons, firing arrows directly into my chest. That explained why breathing had become so difficult.

I was praying quietly, barely able to make a sound. Then, I saw it—right above and behind me, a brilliant golden light. The heavenly hosts, the angels, charged forward. The demonic forces collapsed instantly, utterly routed. I woke up, and my breathing returned to normal. It was a spectacular battle, a real spiritual warfare. What did I do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Jesus Christ did it all for me. The angels of God are ascending and descending among us. We must see the heavens opened.

We must understand what the Apostle John wrote. You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending. For what purpose? To bring down grace. Is that clear? Let me break this down for you, step by step. If you think the previous part was just about "grace, grace, grace," let us now deal with the hard facts.

In the Beginning Was the Word

What did John write? "In the beginning"—the absolute beginning of all things—the Word was with God. Can you fully comprehend this? Let me tell you frankly, neither you nor I can fully grasp it. But that was not John’s point. This was God's revelation to him: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

This links directly back to Genesis. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This Word, which was with God and indeed was God, is the source of all creation. Why start with this? Because it establishes the absolute foundation of our faith. The Jesus Christ we believe in is this very Word. That is the core of our belief.

This Word is not some local deity that you can bribe with incense or offerings. He does not reside on Mount Wutai or Mount Huaguo. He existed from the very beginning. The Jesus Christ we believe in today is this eternal Word.

What can you possibly offer Him? Which generation do you belong to? The 60s? The 80s? It does not matter if your hair and eyebrows have turned completely white. You can never become this eternal Word. At best, you are just a mortal born in the 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s.

You must recognize your own limitations. Man must know he is merely man, living on this earth with very little control over his own destiny. Once you realize this hard truth, you become humble. What is the logical conclusion? We must realize we need God. Therefore, "In the beginning was the Word" is our foundation. We believe in that eternal Word, who became flesh.

This is crucial. Without this understanding, you lose your sense of perspective. Some people get a PhD and suddenly think they are masters of the universe. That is foolishness. Whether you are a PhD, a post-doc, or a professor, you must know your place. You are human. Your life is short, and your vision is extremely limited.

Once you accept your humanity, you humble yourself. The things you fret over are incredibly trivial. When we realize that "In the beginning was the Word," our perspective changes. A prime minister of a great nation once wrote about "gazing at the starry sky." It sounds Christian, but it is simply the realization of anyone in high authority that there are always higher powers. It brings a sense of awe.

When you look at the vast universe, you realize how insignificant you are. Why do we need God? Because we are utterly dependent on Him. John laid down this solid foundation, and this truth is fully verifiable.

The Word Became Flesh

The Word was in heaven, in the spiritual realm. With our physical eyes, we can see nothing and touch nothing. How then do we know God? We cannot. How do we escape our predicament? We sin, the demons come, we are oppressed, and we fall into a vicious, unbreakable cycle. What is the solution? Before the creation of the world, God predestined Jesus Christ—the Messiah. The Word became flesh. Man was created, fell, and lost grace. But God prepared His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to dwell among us, full of grace and truth. He came to explain heavenly things to us, things we could never otherwise comprehend.

Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. You will see two entirely different sets of logic. God's logic versus man's logic. One is the logic of eternal life; the other is of this temporary world. One leads to destruction; the other leads to truth.

Why did the Word became flesh? To bring us grace, to build a bridge so that the angels of God could ascend and descend upon the Son of Man. He came to dwell among us, bringing down grace. As it is written: "And of His fullness we have all received." Have you received it? Many among us have received it abundantly. We do not need John to tell us; we have experienced it ourselves—grace upon grace.

Jesus Christ brought down the absolute truth of God. What do we believe? We believe that Jesus is the Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of God. How do we verify this? It is simple. When we pray in the name of Jesus today, are people healed? Yes, they are. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the dead are raised.

Why is the name of Jesus so powerful? Because He is the Word through whom all things were created. To this Word, making the blind see or the lame walk is a trivial matter. Pain disappearing is a minor detail. This Word is the power of God. When Jesus was on earth, He rebuked people for their unbelief. Today, we deserve the same rebuke. We are too slow to believe; we do not comprehend the power of God.

In all of human history, no one has done what Jesus did. It was unprecedented and remains unmatched. Later, those who believed in Him, like the Apostle Paul, did the same works. What about us? We do the same. What Jesus did, we can do because the Word made flesh is still among us today. God dwells in our midst.

God is with us today to give us His abundant grace. We must not deviate from this path of grace. The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Why is it phrased this way?

Let me tell you: grace is greater than the law. It is even greater than raw truth. By the standard of law and truth, we all deserve death. But Jesus Christ came. You did not fulfill the law; Jesus did. Therefore, we receive this grace and are progressively transformed into His image. We must get this logic straight. Why did He come? As the Lamb of God, to take away the sin of the world.

The Lamb of God Takes Away the Sin of the World

If Jesus Christ had not borne our transgressions and carried our sorrows, we would be utterly finished. If you try to pay this debt on your own, you will never be free from demonic oppression. It is impossible. That is why Jesus came and was crucified—as a sacrificial lamb. His purpose was to take away the sin of the world. It is as simple as that.

He shed His blood to pay our debt. Jesus cleared our account instantly. Once the debt is paid, the demons can be cast out. They no longer have any legal hold over us. Every time we pray, pleading the blood of Jesus, our transgressions are wiped out. We command the demons to leave in the name of Jesus, and they must obey. It works. It is highly effective.

Do not impose the law on people first; give them grace first. Is that clear? Those who are screaming in pain are oppressed by demons because they lack God's grace. We must let them experience His grace first, to see how good it is. It is not because they deserve it or because they are good enough; it is because they are wretched enough. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world by dying on the cross. This is why Paul counted everything as loss compared to the priceless value of knowing Christ Jesus. Do you truly treasure Him? He is indeed the ultimate treasure.

He Baptizes with the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist preached a gospel of repentance and baptized with water. But Jesus Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. There is a fundamental difference. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is crucial. It did not exist in the Old Testament. It was only after Jesus rose from the dead, on the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit descended and filled the disciples.

I must remind you of the established order: first, repentance; second, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; third, water baptism; fourth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This baptism is an essential component of the Gospel. Praying in tongues is inseparable from the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, you must practice praying in tongues regularly. Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh. The Holy Spirit is full of grace. He helps us in our weakness. You did not earn this; it is God's design to help you. Do not fear. Remember that the Jesus we believe in is the eternal Word. He became flesh to give us grace and truth. Why does grace come first? Because you are weak and incapable. You need grace first before you can enter into truth. Without grace, you will never reach the truth. Give thanks to the Lord.

You Will See Heaven Opened

When we first established the church back in 2010 and 2011, I preached on this concept of heaven being opened. We desperately wanted this place to be the house of God, where heaven is open, and the angels of God ascend and descend. We wanted His presence.

We desired it intensely. Did it happen? Yes, it did. Why? Because we preach the true Word of Jesus Christ. Jesus raised the dead. His works were unprecedented. Through powerful miracles, He proved He is the Son of God, the eternal Word.

Jesus told Nathanael, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." How was this accomplished? Through the cross and His resurrection. He broke open a portal from earth to heaven, allowing heavenly grace to pour down upon us to build His glorious church.

When God's glory fills our midst, and His angels ascend and descend, bringing grace, we see countless testimonies. The testimonies we share are just a fraction of the reality. We cannot spend hours broadcasting testimonies on Sunday; we must maintain order.

Fortunately, they just log off, they don't sink into the ground. We have too many testimonies, so we select only a few. I do not force anyone to attend our services. You come if you wish; you stay away if you prefer. No one will coerce you. This is grace. Hearing these testimonies is a privilege. If you choose to ignore them, it is your own loss.

Understand this: the angels of God are ascending and descending among us. This is the house of God; this is the gate of heaven. This began with Jacob, who slept on a stone and saw a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending.

When Jacob awoke, he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." We must realize that all of this is God's doing. What have you contributed? Nothing. Even the church is built by God, established on the Rock. Our only role is to receive—and to receive grace upon grace, entirely free of charge. Thank God that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of casting out demons. Without it, deliverance would be impossible. Demonic oppression is a brutal reality.

Let me be clear: all sickness and disasters are closely linked to demonic forces. We desperately need God's grace because, in our own flesh, we are no match for these spirits. We must desire to build a glorious church, to receive more of His grace, and to experience grace upon grace. This is my message to you. I trust I have made myself clear. May the Spirit of God reveal these truths to you, so that you may walk in His abundant grace.

Amen. God bless you.