Truth will set you free
Expectation is the breeding ground for miracles. Faith cannot flourish without expectation.It requires us to expect great things. So fasten your seatbelts; we’re about to take off!............
September 22, 2024
Expectation is the breeding ground for miracles. Faith cannot flourish without expectation.It requires us to expect great things. So fasten your seatbelts; we’re about to take off!
Did you know that if you’ve received Jesus, you’re not of this world? If you believe in the gospel, you belong to a different dimension. The house of the Lord is a place of joy. Think about it: if someone walks into a church and sees people crying, that might seem normal because people cry. But if they walked into a church where everyone is laughing for no reason, they might think something’s off.
Psalm 16:11 – “In His presence, there is fullness of joy.”
How many of us have cried without a clear reason? Look at all the honest ladies here—God bless you! If you can cry without a reason, then you can certainly laugh without one, too. Amen! In His presence, there is not just half joy, but fullness of joy.
You won’t find that fullness of joy in a bucket of fried chicken. True fullness of joy is found in God’s presence. Rejoice, and again I say rejoice! If you’ve been nudged, you know it’s time to change your posture! Regardless of your problems today, no matter how legitimate they may seem, remember: Jesus is bigger than all your reasons.
Jesus is the reason for this season of joy. So, regardless of all your problems, can you take a moment to set them aside and say, “Because of You, Jesus, I am joyful today”? Let’s turn to
John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When Jesus says, “I am the way,” He means He is the only way. There are not multiple paths; there is only one, and His name is Jesus. This way, this truth, and this life lead us to the Father. The gospel of Jesus is not merely about getting you to heaven; it is about bringing you into a relationship with the Father.
When I was in Sunday school, I memorized this verse and understood it to mean that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. But it doesn’t say that. It says, “No one comes to the Father without Jesus.” I’m not saying that if you believe in Jesus, you won’t go to heaven. What I’m saying is that believing in Jesus offers something greater than heaven, and that is the Father.
The Father is greater than heaven. The Father is greater than heaven.
In August 2016, I spoke to Betty for the first time. Within just a day or two, I made up my mind to marry her. Our marriage was finalized within two weeks, and within six months, we were married. I know this might be hard for some of you from the West to understand, but that’s how it happened!
My parents met for the first time without any engagement and got married in just 10 days. That’s what I call acceleration! You meet the right person, you get married.
After a six-month waiting period, we got married. I think we met in person maybe five or six times—not more than that. So, I don’t really know her all that well. In fact, after seven years of marriage, I still feel like I’m getting to know her! There’s so much to learn. Amen! For those of you who take a long time to get married, remember: you’ll never fully know the other person. It’s a step of faith! Okay, that’s just me speaking, not the Lord, so consider this a disclaimer!
Now, getting back to the message—imagine at one point in our relationship, someone told me about all of Betty’s assets. My focus was on those assets instead of seeing the bigger picture: the person herself.
She had her home in Kerala, and I had my home in Delhi. But when we came together, we left our homes and started our own. It didn’t matter where that home was; what mattered was that we were together.
We were living in Noida before moving to other places, but regardless of our geographical changes, our home moved with us. Your home is not just in heaven; it’s where your heavenly Father comes and abides with you. The day you receive the gospel, you receive the person of Jesus. And when you receive Him, you dwell together with Him, and that becomes your heaven. So heaven isn’t just something that will happen someday; heaven happens to you when you receive the person of heaven. How many of you are waiting to get to heaven? Don’t raise your hands! The good news is: you don’t have to wait. Today, you can receive heaven if you have the person of Jesus.
Let me show you some words from
Luke 17:21 – “The kingdom of God is not here, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
The kingdom of God is within you. You can understand this in two ways: the kingdom is in the midst of you or within you. It becomes real among us when the people of God, who carry His kingdom, come together. The word “kingdom” comes from two parts: “king” plus “domain.” So, the kingdom is the king’s domain, meaning wherever the king’s authority extends, that is His kingdom.
When you receive the King, you receive the kingdom within you. You don’t have to die to experience the kingdom; you have to encounter Jesus. Death is not our savior—Jesus! The day you believed in Jesus, you became one with Him. He has brought the entire reality of heaven into your life.
Do you know something? When you are praying, nothing is being released from above; it is being released from within you. Today, the ball is not in God’s court when it comes to your healing. The ball is in your court for you to receive that healing. Any answer to your prayer is not waiting on God; it’s waiting on you to receive what God has already released through Jesus 2,000 years ago when He said, “It is finished.”
Think about this: before Jesus came, people in the Old Testament already had access to heavenly blessings. They understood the secret of success. Joshua said, “If you do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, but meditate on it day and night, and observe to do according to all that is written in it, then you will make your way prosperous, and you will have good success.” This promise was given to the Jewish people even without Jesus.
What I’m trying to say is that they had access to heavenly blessings through their faith and obedience to God’s promises. My question to you is: how did Jesus make a difference? If you’re trying to live the same way as they did in the Old Testament, how has Jesus changed anything? Challenge yourself: the Old Testament saints walked in power, authority, and performed signs and wonders—even without invoking the name of Jesus. So, how does Jesus’s coming make a difference? Say it with me: “It is finished.”
In the Old Testament, blessings were based on obedience.
Deuteronomy 28:1 says, “If you carefully obey the laws of the Lord your God and do not swerve from them, then these blessings will come upon you and overtake you.”
The difference now is that, in the New Testament, your blessings depend on the obedience of Jesus and His righteousness—not your own.
When you believe in Jesus, something amazing happens: you receive heaven’s entire deposit within you. In the Old Testament, heaven and earth connected whenever an altar of worship was created. At the altar, when sacrifices were offered, that’s when heaven and earth met.
In the New Testament, the true altar that connects heaven and earth is Jesus. The ultimate sacrifice that bridges this connection is also Jesus. If you need proof, read
John 1:51 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
When Jesus spoke these words, He was referencing an Old Testament story.
In the Old Testament, Jacob had a vision while sleeping. He saw a staircase with angels ascending and descending, and when he woke, he said, “Surely the presence of God is in this place, and I did not know it.” But what made that place so special? Why was God’s presence there? Jacob had likely slept in many places, but this location was different. Many years earlier, Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, had built an altar in that very spot.
You see, when you build an altar and bring a sacrifice to the Lord, heaven and earth connect. And when heaven and earth connect, something powerful happens. If the earth is sick, heaven’s healing flows down. If the earth is in need, heaven’s provision comes. If there is anxiety on earth, heaven’s peace descends. Every time there’s a connection between earth and heaven, heaven will always invade earth.
That’s why, when God called the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, His desire was for heaven to remain connected to the land of Israel because of the covenant He had made with them. Now, that entire covenant is fulfilled through Jesus. Jesus has become the one who connects heaven and earth.
Wherever Jesus goes, heaven is present because He is the portal that connects heaven to earth. He could touch a sick person, and they would be healed. He could speak words of faith, and situations would change. He could calm a storm with just a word. Do you see how heaven connects to earth through Jesus? Wherever He goes, heaven and earth unite. Amen. And since Jesus is within you, you now connect heaven to earth. You are the portal that links heaven to earth.
Do you remember when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”? Later, He said, “You are the light of the world.” So which one is true? Is Jesus the light of the world, or are you? The answer is that when the Light comes into us, we become the light. When the Anointed One comes into our lives, we become the anointed. The word “Christ” means “the Anointed One.” When the Anointed One lives in you, your life reflects the complete power of His anointing.
That’s why I want to challenge you today. Any issue in your life that doesn’t align with the reality of heaven should not be something you grow comfortable with. The same healing that can cure cancer is the same healing that can cure your cold and cough. The same peace that calmed the storm is the same peace that can calm your anxiety. You have the Anointed One within you. You carry the power of the Anointed One. So ask yourself, how is your life not reflecting the reality of heaven? Think about it. In what areas of your life are you not representing heaven in all its dimensions?
I’ll tell you why:
John 8:32 – “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
Do you realize that the Truth is already within you, and His name is Jesus? But simply having the truth doesn’t change anything. You have to know the truth within you. Only the knowledge of the truth will set you free. It’s not just the truth that sets you free—it’s knowing the truth.
We all have the same Jesus, but we walk in different degrees of His power, authority, and glory. Why? Because it depends on how much we know Jesus. The more you know Him, the more you know His truth, and that truth will set you free from the inside. We often think that something external will happen to set us free, but no—you’re already free. The problem is that you don’t know how free you are.
Let me give you an example. Imagine you’re standing here, bound by chains before Jesus came into your life. When He entered your life, He broke those chains. Right now, there are no chains holding you. If you truly know Jesus, you know He’s already broken them. But because you don’t realize it, you’re still acting as if you’re bound. Jesus doesn’t need to come back from heaven to set you free. You simply need to know the truth, and that truth will set you free.
Do you realize that many of us are trapped in prisons of our own making? We are both the jailer and the victim. You may think that some external circumstance will set you free, and because of that, you’re waiting for something outside of yourself to change. But what truly sets you free is knowledge—the knowledge of Jesus. When that knowledge comes, you’ll suddenly realize, “Wait, I am already free. What am I doing?”
Let me give you an example. Do you know how they train elephants? When elephants are small, they tie a chain around their legs and secure them with a stick in the ground. As a baby, the elephant tries to free itself, but it’s not strong enough. Over time, it gives up trying. The interesting thing is, even when the elephant grows big and strong, it still believes that tiny stick is enough to keep it grounded, because its mind has been conditioned to think it’s powerless.
Don’t let the enemy condition you with his lies. The devil is like a roaring lion—he’s not the lion, just pretending to be one. Imagine being in the dark and hearing his roar, and you’re terrified because it’s dark, and you can’t see what’s making that noise. But the moment you turn on the light, you realize it’s just a rat trying to roar. That’s why the devil doesn’t want the light of truth to come on. He knows that if you see the truth, you’ll know he has no power over you.
The Bible says,
James 4:7 – “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
You think you’re scared of him, but do you know he’s actually scared of you? He’s terrified of the moment when the light bulb of revelation goes on in your mind. When you realize the truth, he loses all his power. The issue is not that God hasn’t set us free—He has, through Jesus. The question is, do you know that you’re free?
It’s not that God hasn’t healed you, but do you know that you are healed?
When I was a child, my parents would send me out early in the morning to buy milk and bread. There was a ferocious dog in the neighborhood that terrified me. Even though the dog was caged, the moment it saw me, it would go crazy, barking wildly. And even though I knew it was behind bars, I was still afraid. Every morning, I would try to pass by quietly without disturbing it.
One day, my cousin saw this and said, “Sam, dogs can sense fear, and they feed on it. Next time, don’t be afraid. Resist him.” So the next morning, I was ready. As soon as the dog began barking, I stood my ground and rebuked him. The dog immediately shut up!
Resist the devil. Don’t be afraid of him.
1 John 4:4 – Greater is the One who is in you than the one who is in the world
Now, the issue we face is that we’re not living in the truth—we’re living in a perception of the truth. How many of you know that the earth revolves around the sun? You learned that in school, right? And that is an unchanging truth. But in your own perception of reality, it can feel like the world revolves around you. Every event, every circumstance seems like it’s centered on you. But that’s just your perception, not the truth.
How many of you understand what I’m saying? You see, most of the time, we’re not living in the actual truth—we’re living in the perception of our version of truth. But imagine God’s truth as something higher. This is God’s reality, His absolute truth. And yet, many of us are trapped in our own version of truth, which isn’t aligned with the higher dimension of God’s truth.
Let me give you an example. Right now, it’s 12:15 PM. Is that the truth? Yes, it’s the truth for this specific place and time. But it’s not an absolute truth, because there are places on the earth right now where it’s 12:15 AM. Are you following me? So there are some truths that change with time, and there are some that change with geographical location.
Now, let me introduce a new term to explain this. This kind of “truth” that changes with time and place—we can call it a fact. The fact is, right now it’s 12:15 PM where we are. The money you have in your bank account is a fact, not necessarily the truth. Why? Because it can change. So, your facts can change.
For example, you could go to the hospital, receive a negative medical report, and that’s a fact—it’s your current reality. But facts can change. The problem is that our version of the truth is often surrounded by facts, which are temporary. However, God’s truth is not based on facts that can change; it is built on the unchanging truth of Jesus.
Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Because we live focused on the facts of life, we often feel limited and defeated, unable to reach our full potential. But God’s truth is constant, and His reality isn’t based on changeable circumstances. When we align our perception to God’s truth rather than the facts around us, the quality of our life changes. Your quality of life is directly tied to your perception of truth. A change in understanding or knowledge can transform your life.
Imagine you wake up in the morning feeling joyful, and that joy carries you through the entire day. Now, consider another scenario: you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, spill your coffee, stub your toe on the sofa, and your car won’t start because you’re out of petrol. Suddenly, your day is ruined by a series of unfortunate events—facts that shape how you feel. These facts often rule our lives. But God wants you to rise above the facts and live by His truth.
The difference between facts and truth is simple: facts change, but truth does not. So, when you receive a negative medical report, that’s a fact—it has the potential to change. When the doctor tells you there’s no hope, that’s not the truth—it’s a fact that can change. When the debt collectors come and say your life is over, that’s not the truth—it’s just a fact that can change.
Don’t let the temporary facts of life dictate your destiny. Align yourself with God’s unchanging truth and watch the facts change for your good. Walking in faith is applying God’s truth in your life, no matter the facts. So, when you receive that negative medical report, remember—it’s just a fact, and it can change.
Exactly! You see, when you receive God’s report—the ultimate truth—you shift your heart away from the temporary facts of this world, like a negative medical report, and anchor yourself in God’s truth. Now, instead of being caught up in the facts, you’re living according to the higher, unchanging truth of God.
That’s why every time we know the truth, it delivers us from the perception of facts—the temporary facts we’re living in. It frees us from the reality we think is unchangeable. That’s why the Bible says,
John 8:32 – “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”
Let me ask you, how many of you have a negative fact in your life that you don’t like? How many of you want it to change? Just raise your hands. I have good news for you: the truth of God, which never changes, has the power to change the facts in your life.
So, don’t stay defeated by your current facts. Know the truth! Like I mentioned earlier, many of us are living in a prison of our own making. We are the prisoner, the warden, and the jailer. But the day you truly know the truth, you can simply walk out of that prison and be set free. Don’t be trapped by the temporary facts of this world. Instead, align yourself with God’s unchanging truth, and those facts will change. They have no choice but to change! Let me give you some examples to make this clear. If the fact is that you’re sick, what is the truth? What is the message of the gospel that comes from the cross? The truth is that you are healed. But you might say, “I feel sick in my body.” So what? The truth is still that you are healed. Remember,
Joel 3:10 – “Let the poor say I am rich”
How many of you are ready to say, “I am rich”? Don’t be afraid. The bank balance that’s speaking to you is just giving you a fact, but the truth is that you have the prosperity of Jesus!
I’m telling you, the day you know the truth, you won’t live by the amount in your bank account. You’ll live by faith, hearing God’s voice. It’s been 10 years since I stepped into ministry, and I can tell you, my life has only gone upward. And trust me, God is not a debtor—He will fulfill all your desires and dreams. Know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
Now, if you’re feeling anxious, that’s just a fact. What is God’s truth? Peace! So, peace is your portion. Joy is your portion. Healing is your portion. Prosperity is your portion. Everything that is in Jesus is your portion. Anything you can find in heaven is your portion. So, move from the place of truth!
Look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The king said, “If you don’t worship this idol, you’ll be thrown into the fire.” They replied, “We will not worship this idol. Throw us into the fire if you must, because we believe that God will save us from it. But even if He doesn’t save us, we still won’t bow down.” Be like them! Don’t bow down to sickness. Don’t bow down to anxiety. Don’t bow down to the problems that try to limit you. Be like them—ready to go through the fire, but never willing to bow down. See, many Christians say they want to die for Jesus. Yes, that’s a noble thought. But I’m saying, first, you have to learn how to live for Jesus. If you can truly live in Christ, then you have the credibility to say, “I’m ready to die for Him.”
Dying for Jesus? That’s easy. But living for Him—that’s where the real challenge lies. So, don’t bow down to the facts that haunt you. Instead, live from God’s truth. I am chosen, I am blessed, I am healed, I am prosperous. I have God’s peace. I have God’s righteousness. I have God’s joy.
But how do you live from this truth when your mind is bombarded with so many thoughts? Right now, it’s like a spider web—20,000 thoughts racing through your mind. Most of these thoughts are facts, but you want to live from the truth. So how do you make that truth bigger than all the facts trying to overtake your mind?
Magnify the truth above your problems.
The psalmist says,
Psalm 34:3 – “Oh, magnify the Lord with me”
You can choose to magnify the Lord. You can choose to magnify His truth above your problems. Just like when you use a magnifying glass to focus on something, that object becomes bigger and clearer. Similarly, when you focus on God’s truth, it will become bigger than the facts, bigger than your problems, bigger than your fears.
Start focusing on God’s truth and magnify it in your life.
Do you want to know the secret? How to magnify the truth in your life? It’s very simple. By declaring that word of truth from your mouth. I know you might think about it in your mind, but the moment you speak it out, you magnify that thought, which represents God’s truth, over every other thought.
When you speak it out, you take ownership of that truth. You’re saying, “This belongs to me. This is mine.” The devil will always try to bring you down. He’ll say, “You’re dirty. You have wrong thoughts. Look, you just thought something was wrong!” But at that very moment, you need to magnify the truth. Take a stand, open your mouth and declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” Every time you speak God’s truth out loud, you’re magnifying it in your mind. And the knowledge of God’s word is like light. It suddenly illuminates everything and you realize, “Why am I acting like a prisoner? I’m not a prisoner!” Any challenges in your life? Find God’s truth. Find God’s truth, know it, and make it your own.
Let me share a personal story. In 2019, before COVID, we were playing football, and Moses (the drummer, you know him) accidentally broke my leg. I was on bedrest for a long time with a ligament tear and other issues. The devil kept telling me I wouldn’t be able to play anymore. Even after a year, when I began to walk normally, every time I tried to run, I’d feel discomfort. The devil would constantly whisper, “You can’t run anymore, you’ll never play again.” But whenever I closed my eyes, the Holy Spirit gave me a picture of me playing football. While the devil gave me images of standing on the sidelines, watching others play, the Holy Spirit showed me scoring goals. What happened? I got back on the field, and I’m playing football again, and I’m playing well.
So, what I’m telling you is this: The devil will try to bring you down, but you stand on God’s truth. Speak it, believe it, and watch it change your life.
Stand on God’s truth. I heard a story recently that illustrates this power. It may not be verbatim, but you’ll understand the message. In this story, a group of robbers attempted to break into a man of God’s house armed with guns and knives. Everyone was terrified, but this man stood firm and challenged them, saying, “You better leave!” The robbers laughed, asking, “What are you threatening us with? You don’t have a weapon!” He replied, “I have God’s Word.” To their surprise, they fled in fear.
The story continues: The man of God’s wife was driving to get groceries when armed robbers confronted her at gunpoint and stole her car. When they stopped and discovered a picture of her husband inside, they returned the car, left the keys on the roof, and walked away. This is what the fear of God looks like!
Here’s another example: A ministry team was traveling in a car when highway robbers approached them. However, upon seeing posters of this man of God, they decided to leave. What I want you to see is the kind of boldness we, as children of God, should embody. If Elijah could call down fire from heaven saying, “If I am a man of God,” how much more bold should we be with the anointed one living inside us? Be bold! Remember David, the young boy who confronted Goliath, declaring him to be an uncircumcised Philistine? When challenges arise, stand firm in the name of the Lord! Whatever power your adversaries wield, we operate with greater power and authority. Be bold! The righteous are as bold as lions. Are you righteous? Yes! You are righteous through Jesus, by His blood. You are meant to be bold as a lion. Interestingly, the lion isn’t the strongest, fastest, or smartest animal in the jungle. It reigns as king because of its boldness.
We have been made kings on this earth, and when we call Jesus the King of Kings, He is king over us. So, put “king” in front of your name and walk in authority. Remember, the anointed one lives within you!
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