A Lliving Revelation Knowledge Realities

Most Christians have read apostle Paul's letters dozens of times and walked away unchanged. Not because the letters lack power - but because the revelation inside them has never been fully unlocked. 

Did you know apostle Paul's letters in your Bible are not arranged in the order he wrote them? 

They are organized by length, not by date. And when you read them in the order apostle Paul actually wrote them, something remarkable happens. 

A completely different picture emerges - not just of Paul, but of what Christ accomplished and what that means for you right now. 

Today  we are going through every letter apostle Paul wrote and pulling out the legal, covenant, and new creation realities that transform the believer's identity, authority, and daily walk. 

In this teaching we cover every major letter apostle Paul wrote- in chronological order- through the lthree greatest works: 

New Creation Realities, 

What Happened from the Cross to the Throne, 

and What We Are in Christ. 

What you'll discover: 

- • Why the four Gospels could never reveal what Paul reveals.  What actually happened between the cross and the throne .

- • Why Paul's letters are not in order in your Bible and what changes when you read them chronologically 

- • What Paul was saying in Galatians, Thessalonians, Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews 

- • Why righteousness is the key word in every Pauline epistle - The defeated Satan - what the enemy knows that you don't - Why sons don't beg - Paul's revelation about prayer 

- Justification by faith, grace alone, and what it actually means for your daily life.  The mystery of the church and the supremacy of Christ in Colossians - Paul's final words from a Roman prison and what they reveal about covenant joy - The single revelation that ties every letter together 

This is not a Bible survey. This is the Pauline revelation unlocked through the teacher who spent his life uncovering it.

 Whether you are doing personal Bible study, small group lessons, or searching for a deeper understanding of the New Testament, this teaching will transform how you read every letter Paul ever wrote. 

No longer will these be disconnected books on a shelf. They will become a living revelation of who you are in Christ, what you carry, and what the enemy has been hoping you never discover. 

Key Scriptures: 

2 Cor 5:17,21 

Eph 1:3,18-20 

Eph 2:6 

Col 1:13,27 

Col 2:9-10,15  

Rom 8:111 

Gal 2:20 

 Phil 4:13,19 

 Heb 1:3 

 Heb 4:14-16 

Rev 12:11 

Every Revelation in Paul's letter explained.

There is a question that has haunted sincere believers for 2,000 years. Why does the Christian life so often feel like a struggle when the New Testament declares it to  be a victory? 

Why do believers who love God, attend church faithfully and pray consistently still live in weakness, in fear, in sickness, in doubt, in defeat? 

Wny is There Such A Vast distance between what the Bible promises and what most Christians Actually Ехрегiепсе ?

And The Answer We Found Was Not In Bettler Preaching, Not In More Emotional Worship not in longe lists. 

The answer was Was Found in 13 Letters Written By One Man , The Apostle Paul, Whose Revelation Of What Christ Accomplished Between The Cross✞ And The Throne 👑Has Never Been Fully Unpacked By Any Generation Of The Church.

Until you understand what apostle Paul was given and what he was trying to tell, you will read your Bible and remain unchanged. You will pray and And Remain Powerless.

You will believe and remain defeated because the missing piece is not faith. The missing piece is revelation. And revelation comes through   understanding the Pauline epistles the way the Holy Spirit reveals to your spirit.

¶Note :  "The Pauline epistles must ever stand as the work of a super genius or a divine revelation. There is no middle ground." 

And once you see what Paul was actually saying, once the layers of religious tradition and (five) sense knowledge interpretation are removed from these letters, everything changes. 

Your prayer life changes. 

Your authority changes.

Your identity changes. 

Your relationship with sickness, with fear, with condemnation, and with the enemy changes completely. 

New creation realities, what happened from the cross ✟ to the throne 👑 and the Bible in the light of our redemption. 

Complete unpacking of what apostle Paul was given and what he was trying to communicate. And today we are going to go through every major letter apostle Paul wrote in the order he wrote them.

 Not as theology to be studied, but as living reality to be entered into. 

But before we open a single letter, we must understand something absolutely foundational. 

We must understand why apostle Paul's letters exist at all. And why they contain truths that the four gospels could never reveal. 

Because here is something most believers have never been told. The four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, saw everything. They witnessed the miracles. They heard the teaching. They stood at the cross. They encountered the risen Christ. They watched the ascension. And not one of them understood what he was actually doing. 

 When they stood around the cross watching Jesus die, not one of them knew he was dying as their substitute. Not one knew what happened to his spirit during those three days and three nights. Not one understood what the resurrection meant legally. They were staggered by the resurrection, mystified by the 40 days before the ascension, and entirely ignorant of what it all meant for them. 

And here is the remarkable literary miracle  identified. Luke was apostle Paul's companion for 18 years. Mark traveled with apostle Paul. John lived for more than 70 years after the ascension and must have known the Pauline revelation. 

Yet in none of their gospels is there a single sentence indicating they knew what Christ had actually accomplished. 

The Holy Spirit shut them in. He only allowed them to record what he wanted recorded. The life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the man, Jesus Christ. 

The deeper revelation, the inner secret of God's mighty purpose in the incarnation was reserved for one man. A man who had never walked with Jesus during his earth ministry. A man who was in fact persecuting the church when the Damascus road encounter changed everything. The Apostle Paul.

Apostle Paul received a revelation that none of the twelve apostles received. A direct supernatural  complete unveiling of what happened from the cross to the throne and what that means for every person who is born again. 

 There has been far too little growth in the knowledge of the Pauline revelation since Martin Luther, John Calvin, and the John Wesley's. 

These men gave us tremendous things, but they did not have the whole picture. 

And today we are going to go through every major letter apostle Paul wrote in the order he wrote them. Not as theology to be studied, but as living reality to be entered into. 

And today we begin to unpack it letter by letter, revelation by revelation. 

To understand apostle Paul's letters, you first must understand what Paul was given. What Happened from the Cross ✞ to the Throne 👑, to this single subject, the most overlooked, most ignored, and most transformative period in all of human and cosmic history. The three days and three nights between the cross and the resurrection. 

 When Jesus went to the cross, something happened that no natural mind can fully grasp. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 declares it. 

Him who knew no sin, God made to become sin, not sin reckoned to him, not sin attributed to him. He was made to become sin. And we must careful with this distinction. The sin offering under the old covenant had sin reckoned to it. 

Christ did not have sin reckoned to him. 

He became sin. His spirit received the very nature of the adversary. He became the substitute for the entire human race. And in that moment, he who had never known the separation from the Father that every fallen human being carries, bore it completely for everyone. 

 He went to Hades. He suffered there as the substitute for fallen human until every demand of justice was satisfied. 

Psalm 88. My soul is full of troubles. My soul has arrived at Sheol, the kingdom of death. I am become a man without God. In the lowest pit, the pit of dense darkness. 

These are not the words of defeat. These are the words of a substitute paying a debt that was not his own. And then when the price was fully paid, when justice was fully satisfied, something happened that heaven had never witnessed before. 

 God justified his son in spirit. 1 Timothy 3:16 declares it. He was justified in spirit. He was the first person who was ever born again. 

Acts 13 confirms it. This day have I begotten thee. And then Colossians 2:15. 

 The verse returned to again and again. Having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, publicly, triumphing over them. He hurled back the hosts of darkness. Hebrews 2:14 in Rotherham's translation declares it with stunning force. He paralyzed the deathdeing power of Satan. He paralyzed him. He broke him. He stripped him of his authority. 

 He took the keys of death and of Hades. 

This was an eternal victory. Satan was eternally broken, eternally conquered. Not temporarily, but eternally. The battle is not ongoing. 

 The battle is finished. 

 Then he arose from the dead as the Lord high priest of the new covenant. He carried his own blood, not the blood of bulls and goats, but his own blood into the heavenly holy of holies. 

Hebrews 9:12. 

 With his own blood, he entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. The Supreme Court of the universe accepted the blood. 

The seal of man's eternal redemption was established. 

Jesus Christ then went to paradise and proclaimed to the waiting Old Testament saints the fulfillment of every promisory note the high priest had offered for 1,500 years. 

 He led captivity captive. And when he ascended from Mount Olivet, the cloud that received him out of their sight was those Old Testament saints Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, every person who had trusted in the promise being taken to the Father's house. Then he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. 

The work was finished. The redemption was eternal. And all that he accomplished became the legal inheritance of every person who would ever be born again. 

 This is what apostle Paul was given. This is the revelation that the Damascus road encounter deposited into one man. And this the full weight of what happened from the cross ✟ to the throne  crown 👑 is what every single one of apostle Paul's 13 letters is trying to communicate. 

    When you read Paul without this foundation, you read words. When you read  apostle Paul with this foundation, you read living reality. 

   Now we go to the letters themselves in the order apostle Paul wrote them. 

Starting not with Romans as most people assume, but with the letter Paul wrote first. First Thessalonians. 

Apostle Paul's first letters were not Romans. They were not Ephesians. The chronologically first letter Paul wrote was First Thessalonians written  approximately 17 years after his Damascus road encounter. 

 17 years of carrying this revelation before the first word of the New Testament was committed to paper. The early church that turned the Roman    Empire upside down did all of it without a written New Testament. They carried the spoken word. They lived the revelation. 

   And when apostle Paul finally wrote it down, he was not writing theology. 

He was writing lived reality. First Thessalonians establishes the foundation that everything else apostle Paul writes depends upon. 1 Thessalonians 5:23,  "The God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly spirit and soul and body." Three parts, three distinct dimensions. Because until you understand that you are a spirit and that you have a soul which is your mind and emotions and that you live in a body, until you understand which dimension was recreated at the new birth and which still require renewal, you will spend your entire Christian life trying to fix the wrong part of yourself. 

 At the new birth, your spirit was recreated, not improved, not cleaned up, recreated. It received the very nature and life of God. It became the righteousness of God in Christ. It became one with the spirit of Christ. It

Jim Swanson: Inspiration by Revelation Brings Translation

 Date:17/05/2026 

Jim Swanson:  I would like to preface a few remarks this morning on the importance of spoken and written words. Not from the scriptural standpoint, but what happens in the world. 

You don't think words are important. Let me give you some background about how important words are. And when you testify or you are a testimony by your life, you don't probably realize the impact it has on things in the natural  realm. How many sisters here know that when you plant a garden and you talk to your plants, they thrive?  Doesn't anybody have that experience? I experience that. 

Let me prove it to you from the Word. Let there be... When God said in Genesis.

But you speak good things, what happens? It continues to be responsive to your life and words because you say,"I love you." 

So if you go by the plants, do the same thing. Say, " Oh, I wish you weren't even in the garden." It won't be very long. It'll just kind of curl up and die.

Do you see how important are expressions of inspiration when the right music. I'm not teaching you a lesson. I'm just going heading into something here. The inspiration that was behind those beautiful songs is proven by what life it creates or maintains. 

 And a well, you say, "But brother Jim, this isn't even hardly normal." No, I know it's not normal. I'm not normal.

 Oh, how can you pray for water? Well, if the Holy Spirit types the water, that's what you want to pray for is you want to be filled with the Holy Ghost, don't you? 

I know it's in type, but we need types sometimes to just bring it. I told brother just down to the simplest terms we can use. Water is an entity that can be affected by words.

Acidic water in your system causes suffering, cancer and arthritis. That's right. Does anybody agree with that? If you do any research at all, I love to delve into things because I know it's a type and shadow of what God did. But alkali water brings strength, healing, and wellness. 

There's nourishment through the written word.  You say, "Brother Jim, this word is written." But it was spoken first. Amen. So when it was spoken, it was spoken by inspiration. 

You can't tell your heavenly Father, why did you, why did you speak it? Because even though nobody was there to hear it, it was still inspired word that he spoke. You know why? It was him speaking. And so this became him. It's not just a book that we have. It's a recording of His very thoughts and intents. This is God's word. You're God's words. Amen. Do you realize the power that you have in your being? If you are born again by the spirit of God, you are not your own. You're His. And everything you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. And it will affect something. That's right.  So in that phrase, in that terminology, there has to be an intent. Right. Amen.

The intent of writing those words on the glass, "I hate you." Like you spoke to it and "I hate you." Those words were written because the intent of the one that wrote it was wrong. Amen.

It's pulpit in the land. They're only touching the outside. In other words, and included in that is we always just kind of zero in one attribute. You know, our Father is full of attributes, isn't he? Amen.  But if we just grab one attribute and said that's good for me and leave the rest, we're not even close to our heavenly Father. We don't know what his will is because we're only hanging on to one attribute. God is all encompassing attributes at whatever we have needed. He'll never ever ever leave His Word because it will not, remember, return unto him void. What's void mean? It won't accomplish anything. But I'm here to tell you the Word that was inspired at the beginning has a journey and it's to you to and then turn around because you believe it and you speak the word, it comes back to Him full. It's not void. 

God can't be blessed with void believers. That's right. That's right. Or if you keep it quiet. Amen.  I'm getting ahead of myself. So, let's just lay that aside for just a minute. And I want to... It's hard. Oh boy, is it ever hard.

Just don't look at the man. Just look at the Word that I'm speaking. It's send that word to their souls, to where they're just something inside that's inspiring them. What do you think when Beethoven couldn't hear the music? AII he had is a vibration. And so he gets his ear down on the floor and hits those keys up a vibration. And I hope this morning the vibration of the Holy Ghost through the inspiration of His Word speaks to your heart. Amen. That's what we're here for folk. Is the inspiration of God. We didn't come to hear a sermon. We came to hear revelation. And it only comes from the Father. 

Let me read these things if you would let me. The Word was meant to be spoken. Yes, sir.  What do you think the ten commandments were written down for? It had to be spoken and then written. Yeah. And they put them in the ark. there in the Holiest of Holies. Why? To hold on to the written word.  What do you think God sent a prophet for? To take the Word and make it alive. Yes, sir. And we've got it in print now because it's God's word. I'm not saying it's greater than this Bible right here, but it is the Bible. Yes, sir. 

The spoken word is the original seed. It is the Bible. Listen, every time you speak the Word, listen to these words. The Lord gave these to me. Every time you speak the Word, every time there is an effect somewhere around you.

Every time you speak the Word, something happens.

You know why? There's inspiration behind the word. It's not you speaking. Yes, it is you by the Holy Ghost. Oh, I want to go into Hanny, right? But I just hold on. If I forget you, raise your hand and say, "Hattie." Her desire was to agree. And she didn't really even plan on it, did she? She's sitting in the back there with ...

Every word that you speak, you plant a seed. Where? 

 In the soil of your heart. Did you hear what I said? But you have to speak it. 

 It's not enough to think it. 

 It's not enough to read it, but you have to speak it. 

Because speaking is the original spoken word. Is the original seed. So once you speak the Word , that power of that word goes into the soil of your heart and it's planted. 

You are not only to say it once. But saying it dear until your body aligns with the Word. Praise God. 

I said, "You keep saying it, but Brother Jim, nothing happened."I don't care if it happened or not. That's not even the point. He didn't say if you feel it. He said, "Say the word. Speak the word." There's something in the word. It's powerful. It's right there for you. 

Now, I've never preached this before, but I'm going to tell you something. God is here this morning to quicken that spoken word that was inspired when it was wrote to your soul. And you'll never be the same when you walk out. But if you absorb what God is saying in His Word, not what I'm saying, but what the Holy Ghost is telling you now.

You know what? We can call it a fact if we want to. You are not making a wish, when you are saying this scripture, by his stripes we are healed.  That's right, brother . That's exactly what the scripture said. You're not making a wish. 

 I wish I could apply that to my life. I'm going to get real straight here. You are not supposed to make scripture a wish. It's a fact. No, it's deeper than a fact. It's a truth. You shall know the what? Truth. The truth shall set you free.

 Hallelujah. Faith does not come by silent agreement.  Faith doesn't come by you sitting in church and agreeing what he's saying. 

It's not enough. Sure you agree.  But faith doesn't come by silent agreement. It is released from the believer's mouth.

Why do you think had he right? "That ain't nothing but the truth. "

She could have sat there and thought about it and thought about it and thought about it. But when she said, "that ain't nothing but the truth," the Holy Ghost came right there in the room. Why? Because it was spoken from the mouth.  Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speak. 

Amen. We can say whatever we want about believing and everything, but how about speaking it? And you can't speak it until it's revelation. And inspiration that comes by revelation. Brother, too many believers are waiting for a sign of change before opening their mouth and declaring it. 

 You know, I'm preaching to this boy right here. Too many believers are waiting for a sign of change in themselves or their body, before opening their mouths and declaring it. What are you saying? If God is really quicken in the Word to you, you may not understand it all, but you declare it as truth.  Works is faith expressed. Yes, sir. 

That's something you do. Yeah, Don't do it if you don't have the revelation and inspiration here. But that's why you come to church to hear the preaching so the Word becomes alive to you. 

Don't worry about what's written on your life. This, this, or this, and whatever.  It'll discourage you every time. Only just remember what he wrote on the tables of your heart. And that's this precious word right here. And I see some folks back there raising their hand. I agree. And I hope you agree with what I'm saying because it's the truth. It's because brother Jim said it.  It is because I'm good 85 and oh milestone whatever that means. And I couldn't care less about age or whatever. I could be 185 for all I'm concerned about because I know one thing. My redeemer lives. And one of these days all the funerals or whatever is going to go on. I don't have to worry about that because I'm already in Him. Amen. Let me hurry here.

Faith doesn't wait for physical evidence. Amen. 

It creates it. 

 I know these are simple, but we got to we got I said, "Brother, it's got to be a simple gospel." Amen. I don't even know if the young boys and the young kids change. Amen. It creates a physical change. So, you are already raptured. 

Your body's already ready to leave. Oh, help us, Lord. 

Jesus didn't say first feel that you're healed then you will be. No, he said speak or say to this mountain and it shall be removed. And the mountain won't move until faith speaks to it with authority. Amen. That mountain will always be there. But faith can move that mountain there. But faith can move that mountain because there's authority in faith. 

 It isn't you saying it and yet it is you saying it. That's right. What a simple thought. Mountain say. So you're speaking the very words of life.  He said, "Let there be. Let there be." In the book of Genesis, and and I believe it's Genesis 2:7. I'm not positive, but I think it is where he said, "And he breathed in him the breath of life, and man became a living soul." You know what the word breath means? Inspiration because you're either inspired or expired. 

You're either alive or you're not alive. 

And when you're dead to yourself, somebody can poke and hurt you all you want. You don't care. It's like a drunk man. He doesn't care. He loves anybody ever. And the Holy Ghost makes you drunk on the wine of the word. And it doesn't matter what they say to you. It doesn't matter what you have to go through. But if you're expired, you're not alive.

 So, if you're looking for a change, you better just believe that faith will bring that change in your life. Okay?  Faith is not weak. It is alive!

They prayed and then brother Branham said and then they stopped and they said, "wait a minute, the Word is the only thing that's going to heal this man", anyway because we as human beings tend to say oh this poor brother look what he's going to leave his family, his children and everything. No, that's not faith talking. You know where faith comes, God, he's a giver of faith. Because He is faith. God is faith. You cannot separate faith from His Spoken Word or Written Word. It's right here. Faith cometh by hearing the Word. So what happened? Instead of making long prayers for this brother, Amen,They just started speaking the word Jesus.  JESUS. They did it over and over and over until finally the clouds of despair and impending death started to move away. Didn't have to pray for him anymore. The Bible doesn't say if you pray to this mountain, if you speak, say to this mountain, look how important words are. I just told you how important they were on a glass of water and rice. What about from the heart? 

What about when you speak it.  Faith is not weak. It's alive and sharper than any two-edged sword. Does it say the word of God? And what discerns the thoughts? Amen. But it goes deeper than that. Intent. Amen. That's right. What's your intent for asking God to heal you ? "Oh, I'm really important". You're nothing. Your intent better be pure before your heavenly Father. And if it isn't, why would you even say such a thing? Because you're not in a category or a place to receive what God's got for you until you humble yourself and say,"Lord, it isn't even important that I get healed of this disease. I just want to worship you." But we don't spend enough time worshiping Him. We just keep asking him questions. Why? God wants us to worship Him. And the word tells us to worship Him and we want to worship Him. But if we've got an agenda and always thinking, well, for me, for me, for me, for me, and you and you forget the most important thing, and that is to worship your heavenly Father for all the good He has done. Amazing grace. Yes, sir, amazing grace has taught my heart to  fear.

I didn't know I was lost.  Did you know you were lost? Something was hungering in your heart, but you didn't know. Like brother said, you didn't go searching for God. But if there's a quickening power of the Holy Ghost in your soul , there has to be an answer to that. And you will reveal that somewhere somehow down you in your life because it's a word that changes you.  Things begin to shift when we enter the unseen realm. Faith is in another realm. Yeah, that's right. Okay. And things in that other realm begin to shift from what we are experiencing in the natural realm. And yet faith is given to affect us in this natural realm, isn't it? Without faith, it's impossible to please God 

But you're going to have to receive faith in this realm. Don't wait till we get on the other side. We may not even get on the other side if you don't know what faith is for a toothache. He said, "Okay, things begin to shift. Angels are activating your body right now." Amen. Praise God. He had to constantly go back and he said,"Well, the angel appeared to me and said, you'll have a ministry and if you can get the people to believe." So he always went back to that angel of the covenant knowing that that angel is the one that said you'll have a ministry to what it really was the angels activate your body and it begins to respond to the word. So the angels are causing a response in your life to the word and you just sit there in church and wonder what what is it that something's happening when I hear the word preach? I can't even put it into words. Of course you can. It's from another realm. You don't have even the words to speak it. But if you're sitting there today and receiving it, God is actually speaking to your soul.

Demonic oppression when the angels are present starts to break your oppression then allows your mouth to speak God's truth. That's the only thing that's going to break demonic oppression is God's truth. 

It isn't the doctors and philosophers and psychoanalysts and all. That doesn't break depression. That's right. God's truth breaks it. That's right. But brother Jim, we don't have demonic oppression. Oh, really? He's so subtle. He just changed one word to doubt. And guess what? She came under demonic obsession. Amen. Amen. Didn't she? That's right. She plunged the whole world into chaos by one word change. Oh, but he can quote the word, brother Jim. And the services are so good and everything and the pastors got a burden because the people need to be changed. Amen. I have to say this. When Lazarus was in the grave rotted, oh Lord, he stinks. I wrote down here,"What difference does that make?" Amen. I don't care if he stinks. I am the resurrection and the life. So what happens is when he speaks the word the rotten smelly oh the rotten smelly body that they did the best to put all spices and wrapped them all up and everything had to leave instantly for he had a body change. You talk about a body change in and I think it's 1 Corinthians 15. We shall all change in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. That's what Lazarus had. It was a body change in a twinkling of an eye. Do you think Jesus sat there and said,"I wonder if he's going to come out of the grave." No. It's quickening power. He's the giver of quickening power. So a dead Lazarus sitting there had no problem there at all as far as Jesus was concerned. 

 And three is what? Perfection. 

Amen.  I never thought of that before, but he must have been, brother. He must have been in the upper room cuz right around that time you think he said, "Oh, no. I don't want to get involved in that." He was already a new person. He doesn't remember the sin you and the blood vessels 

Because the creator was standing right there and all he had to do is speak the word, Lazarus. And when he speaks your name, there's something that changes in you and you'll never be the same once.

Well, I'm going to read it to you. Fact is you might be sick. That's a fact. But the truth is you are healed by His stripes. I know that you're with me on this one. I know you are. Fact it might be that you are in pain but the truth is if that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in you quickened your mortal body. Who cares, facts change, truth never   changes. The word is truth and when You speak truth consistently.  The facts have to bow their knee to the truth. Amen. Your body listens.  Oh, I've got some quotes here. Your body listens to your words. That's right. The power is in the tongue. A silent believer is a powerless believer. What am I saying? Speak it out, folks. What's your need? Say to this mountain. All right, you mean to tell me when Jesus cursed that fig tree, that fig tree had to hear that voice?" Yes, sir.  How could a tree curl up and die by the roots if it didn't hear a voice?  Jesus didn't take a machete or cut it down or drill and put poison in it. He just spoke the word. That's right. What do we talk about? 

And you're going to receive the word this morning and it's how it's spoken.  But it's not just spoken, it's how you receive it. 

So when the scripture says in I think it's Mark 11 where he cursed the fig tree, the cursing was you're not going to produce fruit anymore. And because he created the fig tree, I guess he can curse it when it doesn't produce.  So, we've got got an issue here The fig tree had to hear the voice of the creator, right? Didn't it? Yeah. Because it dried up from the roots. That means it heard the voice. Yeah.  Now, he moves right in to say going to respond to my voice? 

 It has to have the capacity, like I said before, it has to have the ability or capacity to hear your voice." 

 The reason Moses was treated like he was, he couldn't go in the promised land, is because he didn't speak to the rock. God told him to speak to the rock, He struck the rock That's a second crucifixion right there.  So when when Jesus said to his disciples, "Speak to  the mountain. Be moved." He didn't say he destroyed the mountain.  He said,"Speak to the mountain." So that means and if you don't praise me, the rocks will cry out. Well, wait a minute. Rocks don't have a voice. Or do they not?

I'm going to ask you the question this morning. What do you want honestly from your soul? What do you want, brother Paul? Change the body. Well, I think that's probably evident there to everyone here. We want a change in body, right? 

So anyway, when we received the truth, it wasn't accepted by everybody. But that's what we had to go through in order to prove what we were predestinated to. So the whole circle of events brought the word back because we spoke the word back through our believing. 

"That ain't nothing." Well, Sister Hattie, if she was here, what do you mean by that? She interpreted or defined it or explained it, "but the truth." 

So, what she did, she voided everything else out in her thinking. She wiped the slate completely clean and she said "that ain't nothing." In other words, whatever there was that might disagree, kicked it out of her thinking. But it wasn't just there in the head. It was here in the heart. And the eternal God of the heavens was there to quicken that statement from that little sister.  She was not the same after she quoted, but she had to speak it out. 

 The truth. 

The truth put her in a position to receive by the heavenly Father anything she wanted. That's right. 

You think she's unique in that way? Or do you think you can do the same thing? Of course you can. If it's quickened to your soul, it's by inspiration. Hi, say brother Jim, I don't  know I'm different. I know I'll realize that, but I'm trying to get something home here. I'm trying to hold myself down from something here, but let me just visiting another realm. All right. One of them is under direction of an angelic being by a gift and the other one is the inspiration  of the Holy Spirit speaking the words of the written word.  Praise God. That's a deep thought. 

So I just have a little he called it a sermon each night but it's more than a sermonet because we've heard each night or at least a portion which I know that the people of the audience will receive some eternal truth as long as God's word is read.

 Amen. 

 Shall we pray? Heavenly Father tonight get glory, Heavenly Father, out of our efforts that we're trying to put forth for your glory. Now, here lays the word here on the pulpit opened up. But who can understand it when it's written by inspiration promised that it was hid from the eyes of the wise and prudent and would be reveal revealed to babes such as would learn. We pray that you'll let us consider ourselves babes not knowing anything. That we might learn some things through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. 

 May he take the word I just when I read this. May he take the word of God now, the Holy Spirit, God himself take together on every word in the Bible. It's the most wonderful book that was ever written. There's never been a piece of literature ever written like the Bible. It's the only book in existence to tell you where you came from, who you are, and where you're going. Amen. We got libraries, he said, full of different books, but none of them gives you eternal salvation. Neither one of them, it can be man's ideas. And I don't want man's ideas this morning. I want you to receive what God has got for you, cuz your heart is different than his heart or her heart. But we all have the  same desire. We want more of God or should. Amen. Amen. Oh, Lord.  Got to say some more here. Just hang on. 

She said that same, this is 1959, my new ministry, the same Jehovah Jireh trying to get his promise over to me in my thickness and dullness of mind, he could speak my need into existence, the same as he could speak Abraham's need into existence.

II. HOW ZACCHAEUS GOT SAVED • 二、撒该如何得救

 40 John Sung Revival Sermons

40篇宋约翰复兴布道

二、撒该如何得救

（路加福音 10:1-10）

第1节写道：“耶稣进了耶利哥，经过那里……”这是耶稣最后一次访问耶利哥。多么难得的机会！因此，圣经特别记录了“祂经过那里”的行动（中文译本）。多么奇妙！

如果一个商人到厦门，他会寻找主街和最大的建筑。如果一个学生到厦门，他不会错过参观厦门大学。如果一个影迷到厦门，他会走进电影院。但耶稣到耶利哥不是为了观光……而是为了拯救罪人。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，耶稣今晚就在这里。如果你是罪人，祂正在寻找你。如果你是罪人，耶稣想要拯救你。这是一个难得的机会。你多年来一直在寻找救恩，却始终没有找到。 愿今晚每个人都能找到它。

第2节：“那里有一个人名叫撒该，是税吏长，很富有。”耶稣来到耶利哥是为了寻找谁？为了寻找祂最大的宝藏。经文说：“那里有一个人名叫撒该。”撒该的意思是“纯洁”。但是，这或许只是一个空洞的名字！也许在座的各位中有人叫天德（Thian Teck），意思是“天上的美德”，或者叫善德（Sian Teck），意思是“仁慈的美德”。这难道也是一个空洞的名字吗？撒该的意思是“纯洁”。他是个大人物，是个资本家，但彻头彻尾是个罪人。然而，富人也能得救。耶稣曾说过：“骆驼穿过针眼比财主进神的国还容易呢。”让我告诉你，富人也能得救。 撒该的名字如今已铭刻在天上！撒该拥有金钱、名望、权力，一切应有尽有：但他唯独缺少平安。他勒索自己的同胞，并将钱财献给罗马。他是个叛徒。犹太人恨他。但撒该对人们的嘘声和仇恨毫不在意。他一心寻找耶稣，并且满心欢喜地寻觅着。

第3节：“他想看看耶稣是谁，只是因为个子矮，加上人多，所以看不见。”这里说，许多人跟随耶稣。是的，无论耶稣走到哪里，都会有许多人跟随他。撒该想见耶稣。他想让耶稣赐给他平安。或许撒该曾到过圣殿，向偶像呼求：“哦，偶像啊，救我，救我！”但他没有得到平安。他奔向耶稣，不是为了看人群，而是为了看耶稣。今晚，让我们不要看任何人。让我们仰望耶稣。

 撒该是个富翁，身材矮胖，所以他看不见耶稣。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，教会之外还有许多人看不见耶稣，因为我们挡住了他们的路！

无论如何，撒该一定要见到耶稣。他虽然个子矮，却找到了一棵桑树。他爬上树，心里想：“耶稣一定会经过这里。”众人嘲笑他，他却毫不在意。他忘记了自己的身份，意识到自己是个罪人，他渴望亲眼看看耶稣。

我去过很多地方，也见过不少高官，他们都不敢公开来听我讲道。有一位写信给我说：“宋先生，请到我家来吃饭，我想听您讲道。”但是，看看撒该，他正爬在树上，等待着见到耶稣。

（诗篇 10:10） 4. “于是他跑上前去，爬上一棵桑树，要见耶稣……”撒该没有丝毫犹豫，他跑了起来，跑上了一棵桑树。

5. “耶稣到了那里，抬头看着他，对他说：‘撒该，快下来！今天我必须住在你家。’”这几句话描绘了耶稣的爱。耶稣一步一步地来到撒该面前，用慈爱的目光注视着他。在成千上万的人中，耶稣的目光只落在撒该身上。耶稣来是为了拯救罪人！

耶稣抬头望着撒该，说：“撒该！撒该！我亲爱的撒该！”撒该从未见过如此慈爱的人，也从未听过如此温柔的呼唤。尽管撒该是个罪人，耶稣却爱他。

耶稣说：“快下来！撒该，快下来！今天我必须到你家去。”不是明天，也不是后天，而是今天。我要住在你家。撒该的家并不洁净，耶稣却要去他家。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，即使我们的心也不洁净，耶稣也愿意来我们家住。

有一天，我在一个地方传道。一位妇人对我说：“宋先生，我虽然瞎了眼，却犯了罪。我犯了奸淫，生了孩子，却把孩子弄死了。耶稣能救我这样的人吗？”我说：“姐妹，如果你悔改，耶稣就会救你。”

有一次，我来到江西。那里有两姐妹，非常可怜。她们一家被土匪杀害，是仅存的幸存者。她们原本是学生，但后来被迫卖身为妓女。其中一个姐妹无法继续下去，精神失常了。后来，一位军官帮助另一个姐妹学习护理。 那女孩来听我讲道。她深受触动，问我：“宋先生，耶稣会拯救像我这样的女孩吗？”我说：“姐妹，如果你悔改，耶稣就会拯救你！”

我记得有一位海关官员，第一次听我讲道后就悔改了。但他第二天没有来。他说：“我还年轻。如果我听福音，我就不会沉迷于女色和赌博了。在我死之前听福音还不算晚。”

第6节：“撒该立刻下来，接待耶稣。”亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，请看！许多信徒脸上都带着愁容。撒该却不是这样。他非常喜乐。

第7节：“众人看见这事，就私下议论说：‘他竟到罪人那里去！’”众人看见耶稣进了撒该的家，就私下议论起来。 他们说：“撒该是个罪人。耶稣为什么去他家？耶利哥城里有很多地方，耶稣为什么偏偏要去撒该家呢？”许多人不了解耶稣的心意。教会里许多人也不了解耶稣的心意。耶稣来不就是为了拯救罪人吗？

第8节：“撒该对主说：‘主啊，看哪！我把所有的一半都分给穷人。’”如果他有10000美元，那么他要捐出5000美元。这可不是件容易的事！撒该当时就向主许诺，而不是事后才许诺。“让所有的穷人都来，我把所有的一半都给他们。”因为找到了耶稣，他并不介意一贫如洗。撒该还说：“我若欺骗了谁，就偿还他四倍。”哦！偿还四倍可不是件容易的事！

 撒该在听到福音五分钟后就得救了。就在十字架上。这个贪婪的人在十字架上得救了。

第9节，耶稣说：“救恩实在临到这家了。”不是明天，而是今天，救恩就临到这家了。在耶稣进入撒该家之前，撒该全家就已经得救了。耶稣不仅拯救了撒该，也拯救了他的全家。哦！罪人撒该在不到五分钟的时间里就改变了。但是，多么令人悲哀，教会里许多“信徒”多年来却仍然没有得救。

第10节，“人子来，为要寻找失丧的人。”耶稣说：“撒该，我来是要拯救你。过去三十年，我为你受了何等的苦楚，不是为别人，乃是为拯救你。”

亲爱的弟兄姐妹们！让我来作我的见证。 我是一个罪人中的罪人。我的父亲是一位牧师。我们全家都是信徒。我出生就受洗。我祷告，我读圣经。但我的心却空空如也。18岁那年，我去了美国。我忘记了主。我自以为聪明博学。我拥有了一切，却没有平安。我曾多次想要自杀。人们视我为学者，非常快乐。但他们并不知道我的痛苦。起初，我以为耶稣只是一个普通人，而不是救世主。赞美主！那是1927年2月10日。那天晚上，耶稣在美国找到了我。耶稣在一所无神论神学院的405房间里找到了我。那天晚上，圣灵光照了我。我哭了。这让我感到安慰。午夜时分，我看到了一道光。在光中，耶稣对我说：“孩子！我为你的罪而死。”从那时起，我彻底改变了。

 亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，我多么希望，那位拯救我的耶稣，今天也能拯救你们。耶稣来到世上，祂将祂的荣耀留在天上——为了你们，也为了我。即便我们的罪孽深重如海，高不可攀，耶稣也能改变我们，拯救我们。愿耶稣用祂的宝血救赎你们。

主题曲

在十字架上，在十字架上，

愿祂永远荣耀我！

我所有的罪都已洗净

在耶稣的宝血里。

II. HOW ZACCHAEUS GOT SAVED

(Luke 10:1-10)

Vs. 1 reads, “And Jesus entered Jericho and while passing through....” This was Jesus' last visit to Jericho. What a rare occasion! So the Bible particularly records the action of “His passing through” (Chinese Translation). How marvellous!

Should a merchant pay a visit to Amoy, he would look for the main street and the biggest building. Should a student come to Amoy, he would not miss a visit to Amoy University. Should a cinema fan be in Amoy, he would enter the cinema hall. But as for Jesus, He visited Jericho not to sightsee ... but to save sinners. Beloved brothers and sisters, Jesus is here tonight. If you are a sinner, He is looking for you. If you are a sinner, Jesus wants to save you. This is a rare chance. You have been looking for salvation for years without finding it. May everyone find it tonight.

Vs. 2. “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.” Whom did Jesus seek when He came to Jericho? To seek His greatest treasure. Here it says, “A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus.” Zacchaeus means “Pure”. But, that might just be an empty name! Maybe there are some in the audience called Thian Teck, i.e. “Heavenly Virtue” or Sian Teck, i.e., “Benign Virtue”. Is that an empty name too? Zacchaeus means “Pure”. He is a big shot, and a capitalist, but a sinner through and through. However, a rich man can also be saved. Jesus once said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” Let me tell you, a rich man can also be saved. Zacchaeus' name is now written in heaven! Zacchaeus had money, fame, power, everything: But what he lacked was peace. He extorted from his own people and gave the money to Rome. He was a traitor. The Jews hated him. But Zacchaeus paid no attention to the peoples' boos and hatred. He was now looking for Jesus, and he was happy in his search.

Vs. 3. “He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.” Here it says, Many were following Jesus. Yes, wherever Jesus goes, many will follow Him. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He wanted Jesus to give him peace. Perhaps Zacchaeus had visited the temple to call on the idols, "O Idols, save me, save mel" But he got no eace. He ran out to see Jesus, not to see the crowd, but to see Jesus. Tonight let us not look to anyone at all. Let us see Jesus.

Zacchaeus a rich man was fat and short. So he could not see Jesus. Beloved brothers and sisters, there're many outside the Church who can't see Jesus, because we are blocking their way!

No matter what, Zacchaeus must see Jesus. Though a short fellow, he had found a sycamore tree. He climbed up the tree, saying to himself, "Jesus is sure to pass this way." All the people jeered. He didn'a care. He forgot his status. He realised he was a sinner. He wanted to see what Jesus was like.

I have been to many places. I've met quite a few big officials who dared not come openly to hear me. One wrote me, "Mr. Sung, please come to my house for dinner. I'd like to hear you preach." But, lookl Here is Zacchaeus on the tree waiting to see Jesus.

Vs. 4. "So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.…” Zacchaeus did not take his sweet time. He ran. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree.

Vs. 5. "When Jesus reached the spot he looked up, and said to him, Zacchaeus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." These few words paint a picture of Jesus' love. Jesus came, step by step. He came to where Zacchaeus was. He looked at him with loving face. Amidst thousands, Jesus looked at no one, but Zacchaeus. Jesus comes to save sinners!

As Jesus looked up, he said, "Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus! My beloved Zacchaeus!" Zacchaeus had never seen anyone before who looked so kindly to him. Never heard any calling so gently to him. Though Zacchaeus was a sinner, Jesus loved him.

Jesus said, "Come down quick! Zacchaeus, come down quick! Today I must be at your house." Not tomorrow, not day after tomorrow, but today. I want to stay at your house. Zacchaeus' house was unclean, yet Jesus wanted to go to his house. Beloved brothers and sisters, though our hearts are unclean Jesus wants to come in to stay.

One day, I was at a certain place preaching.A woman said to me, "Mr. Sung, though I am blind, I had sinned. I had illicit intercourse and gave birth. I killed the baby. Can Jesus save a person like me?" I said, "Sister, if you repent, Jesus will save you."

Once, I came to Kiangsi. There were two sisters, very pitiful. They were the only survivors of a family killed by bandits. They were school girls, but after this they sold their bodies to become prostitutes. One sister could not go on in this and became crazy. After this a military officer helped the other to learn nursing. The girl came to hear me. Being convicted she asked me, "Mr. Sung, will Jesus save a girl like me?" I said, "Sister, if you repent, Jesus will save you!"

I remember a Customs Officer who repented after hearing me for the first time. But he didn't come the next day. He said, "I'm still young. If I listen to the Gospel I can't womanise nor gamble. It won't be too late to hear the Gospel before I die."

Vs. 6. "Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed Jesus." Beloved brothers and sisters, Look! Many believers wear a sad countenance. Not Zacchaeus. He is very happy.

Vs. 7. "All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." When the crowd saw Jesus go into Zacchaeus' house they began to murmur. They said, "Zacchaeus is a sinner. Why did Jesus go to his house? Many places there are in Jericho, why shoul,,d Jesus choose to go to Zacchaeus' house?" Many don't know Jesus' heart. Many in the Church don't know Jesus' heart. 0, is not Jesus come to save sinners?

Vs. 8. "Zacchaeus said to the Lord, Look, Lordl Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor." If he had $10,000 then it would be $5,000 for charity. That's no easy matter! Zacchaeus promised the Lord there and then, not afterwards. "Let all the poor come. I'll give them half of my property." For having found Jesus he won't mind being penniless. Zacchaeus also said, "If I have cheated anybody, I will pay back four times." O! To pay back four times is no easy matter!

In five minutes after hearing the Gospel, Zacchaeus was saved. On the tree. This covetous fellow got saved, on the tree.

Vs. 9. Jesus said, "Truly Salvation has come to this house." Not tomorrow, but today, salvation comes to this house. Before Jesus came into Zacchaeus' house, Zacchaeus' whole house was saved. Jesus saved not only Zacchaeus but his whole family. O! ZacchaeLIS the sinner was changed, in less than five minutes, he was changed. But, how sad it is that many "believers" in the Church for years. are not saved.

Vs. 10. "The Son of Man came to seek what was lost." Jesus said, "Zacchaeus, I come to save you. For the last 30 years what sorrows have I tasted for you. Not for any others, but to save you."

Beloved brothers and sisters! Let me give you my testimony. I am a sinner of sinners. My father was a pastor. Our family all were believers. I was baptised at birth. I prayed. I read the Bible. But not in my heart. At 18, 1 went to America. I forgot the Lord. I thought I was clever and learned. I got everything, but no peace. . I wanted to commit suicide many times. I was looked upon as a scholar, very happy. But they didn't know my sorrows. At first I thought Jesus was a mere man, not the Saviour. Praise the Lord! It was Feb. 10, 1927. That night, Jesus found me in America. Jesus found me in Room 405 of an atheistic seminary. That night the Holy Spirit shone into me. I wept. lt gave me relief. Midnight, I saw a light. In the light Jesus said to me, "Littfe child! I died for your sins." At this, I was completely changed.

Beloved brothers and sisters, How I wish that the Jesus who saved me save you today. Jesus came into this world. He left His glory in heaven-for you and for me. Though our sins be as the deepest sea and higher than the mountain, Jesus can change us, save us. May Jesus redeem you by His precious blood.

THEME SONG

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever!

All my sins are washed away

In the Blood of Jesus.

Next »

«previous (1. HEAVEN AND HELL)

40篇宋约翰复兴布道

二、撒该如何得救

（路加福音 10:1-10）

第1节写道：“耶稣进了耶利哥，经过那里……”这是耶稣最后一次访问耶利哥。多么难得的机会！因此，圣经特别记录了“祂经过那里”的行动（中文译本）。多么奇妙！

如果一个商人到厦门，他会寻找主街和最大的建筑。如果一个学生到厦门，他不会错过参观厦门大学。如果一个影迷到厦门，他会走进电影院。但耶稣到耶利哥不是为了观光……而是为了拯救罪人。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，耶稣今晚就在这里。如果你是罪人，祂正在寻找你。如果你是罪人，耶稣想要拯救你。这是一个难得的机会。你多年来一直在寻找救恩，却始终没有找到。 愿今晚每个人都能找到它。

第2节：“那里有一个人名叫撒该，是税吏长，很富有。”耶稣来到耶利哥是为了寻找谁？为了寻找祂最大的宝藏。经文说：“那里有一个人名叫撒该。”撒该的意思是“纯洁”。但是，这或许只是一个空洞的名字！也许在座的各位中有人叫天德（Thian Teck），意思是“天上的美德”，或者叫善德（Sian Teck），意思是“仁慈的美德”。这难道也是一个空洞的名字吗？撒该的意思是“纯洁”。他是个大人物，是个资本家，但彻头彻尾是个罪人。然而，富人也能得救。耶稣曾说过：“骆驼穿过针眼比财主进神的国还容易呢。”让我告诉你，富人也能得救。 撒该的名字如今已铭刻在天上！撒该拥有金钱、名望、权力，一切应有尽有：但他唯独缺少平安。他勒索自己的同胞，并将钱财献给罗马。他是个叛徒。犹太人恨他。但撒该对人们的嘘声和仇恨毫不在意。他一心寻找耶稣，并且满心欢喜地寻觅着。

第3节：“他想看看耶稣是谁，只是因为个子矮，加上人多，所以看不见。”这里说，许多人跟随耶稣。是的，无论耶稣走到哪里，都会有许多人跟随他。撒该想见耶稣。他想让耶稣赐给他平安。或许撒该曾到过圣殿，向偶像呼求：“哦，偶像啊，救我，救我！”但他没有得到平安。他奔向耶稣，不是为了看人群，而是为了看耶稣。今晚，让我们不要看任何人。让我们仰望耶稣。

 撒该是个富翁，身材矮胖，所以他看不见耶稣。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，教会之外还有许多人看不见耶稣，因为我们挡住了他们的路！

无论如何，撒该一定要见到耶稣。他虽然个子矮，却找到了一棵桑树。他爬上树，心里想：“耶稣一定会经过这里。”众人嘲笑他，他却毫不在意。他忘记了自己的身份，意识到自己是个罪人，他渴望亲眼看看耶稣。

我去过很多地方，也见过不少高官，他们都不敢公开来听我讲道。有一位写信给我说：“宋先生，请到我家来吃饭，我想听您讲道。”但是，看看撒该，他正爬在树上，等待着见到耶稣。

（诗篇 10:10） 4. “于是他跑上前去，爬上一棵桑树，要见耶稣……”撒该没有丝毫犹豫，他跑了起来，跑上了一棵桑树。

5. “耶稣到了那里，抬头看着他，对他说：‘撒该，快下来！今天我必须住在你家。’”这几句话描绘了耶稣的爱。耶稣一步一步地来到撒该面前，用慈爱的目光注视着他。在成千上万的人中，耶稣的目光只落在撒该身上。耶稣来是为了拯救罪人！

耶稣抬头望着撒该，说：“撒该！撒该！我亲爱的撒该！”撒该从未见过如此慈爱的人，也从未听过如此温柔的呼唤。尽管撒该是个罪人，耶稣却爱他。

耶稣说：“快下来！撒该，快下来！今天我必须到你家去。”不是明天，也不是后天，而是今天。我要住在你家。撒该的家并不洁净，耶稣却要去他家。亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，即使我们的心也不洁净，耶稣也愿意来我们家住。

有一天，我在一个地方传道。一位妇人对我说：“宋先生，我虽然瞎了眼，却犯了罪。我犯了奸淫，生了孩子，却把孩子弄死了。耶稣能救我这样的人吗？”我说：“姐妹，如果你悔改，耶稣就会救你。”

有一次，我来到江西。那里有两姐妹，非常可怜。她们一家被土匪杀害，是仅存的幸存者。她们原本是学生，但后来被迫卖身为妓女。其中一个姐妹无法继续下去，精神失常了。后来，一位军官帮助另一个姐妹学习护理。 那女孩来听我讲道。她深受触动，问我：“宋先生，耶稣会拯救像我这样的女孩吗？”我说：“姐妹，如果你悔改，耶稣就会拯救你！”

我记得有一位海关官员，第一次听我讲道后就悔改了。但他第二天没有来。他说：“我还年轻。如果我听福音，我就不会沉迷于女色和赌博了。在我死之前听福音还不算晚。”

第6节：“撒该立刻下来，接待耶稣。”亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，请看！许多信徒脸上都带着愁容。撒该却不是这样。他非常喜乐。

第7节：“众人看见这事，就私下议论说：‘他竟到罪人那里去！’”众人看见耶稣进了撒该的家，就私下议论起来。 他们说：“撒该是个罪人。耶稣为什么去他家？耶利哥城里有很多地方，耶稣为什么偏偏要去撒该家呢？”许多人不了解耶稣的心意。教会里许多人也不了解耶稣的心意。耶稣来不就是为了拯救罪人吗？

第8节：“撒该对主说：‘主啊，看哪！我把所有的一半都分给穷人。’”如果他有10000美元，那么他要捐出5000美元。这可不是件容易的事！撒该当时就向主许诺，而不是事后才许诺。“让所有的穷人都来，我把所有的一半都给他们。”因为找到了耶稣，他并不介意一贫如洗。撒该还说：“我若欺骗了谁，就偿还他四倍。”哦！偿还四倍可不是件容易的事！

 撒该在听到福音五分钟后就得救了。就在十字架上。这个贪婪的人在十字架上得救了。

第9节，耶稣说：“救恩实在临到这家了。”不是明天，而是今天，救恩就临到这家了。在耶稣进入撒该家之前，撒该全家就已经得救了。耶稣不仅拯救了撒该，也拯救了他的全家。哦！罪人撒该在不到五分钟的时间里就改变了。但是，多么令人悲哀，教会里许多“信徒”多年来却仍然没有得救。

第10节，“人子来，为要寻找失丧的人。”耶稣说：“撒该，我来是要拯救你。过去三十年，我为你受了何等的苦楚，不是为别人，乃是为拯救你。”

亲爱的弟兄姐妹们！让我来作我的见证。 我是一个罪人中的罪人。我的父亲是一位牧师。我们全家都是信徒。我出生就受洗。我祷告，我读圣经。但我的心却空空如也。18岁那年，我去了美国。我忘记了主。我自以为聪明博学。我拥有了一切，却没有平安。我曾多次想要自杀。人们视我为学者，非常快乐。但他们并不知道我的痛苦。起初，我以为耶稣只是一个普通人，而不是救世主。赞美主！那是1927年2月10日。那天晚上，耶稣在美国找到了我。耶稣在一所无神论神学院的405房间里找到了我。那天晚上，圣灵光照了我。我哭了。这让我感到安慰。午夜时分，我看到了一道光。在光中，耶稣对我说：“孩子！我为你的罪而死。”从那时起，我彻底改变了。

 亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，我多么希望，那位拯救我的耶稣，今天也能拯救你们。耶稣来到世上，祂将祂的荣耀留在天上——为了你们，也为了我。即便我们的罪孽深重如海，高不可攀，耶稣也能改变我们，拯救我们。愿耶稣用祂的宝血救赎你们。

主题曲

在十字架上，在十字架上，

愿祂永远荣耀我！

我所有的罪都已洗净

在耶稣的宝血里。

“Ephphatha”

 

◄ What does 'Ephphatha' mean? ►

Definition and Occurrence

The term “Ephphatha” occurs in Mark 7:34, where it is recorded as an Aramaic word spoken by Jesus during a miraculous healing:

“And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’).”

Mark’s Gospel includes this Aramaic term with an immediate translation for the original readers who might not have known Aramaic. In context, Jesus uses “Ephphatha” to restore the hearing and speech of a man who was deaf and had a severe speech impediment.

Biblical Context

In Mark 7:31-37, Jesus ministers in the region of the Decapolis, an area populated by both Jewish and Gentile communities. When the deaf and mute man is brought to Him, Jesus sets him apart from the crowds, performs the healing, and utters “Ephphatha!” Following this, the man’s hearing is restored, and he immediately begins to speak plainly.

This healing account demonstrates the inclusive compassion of Jesus, extending miraculous grace not only in predominantly Jewish localities but also in places culturally influenced by Hellenistic and Gentile populations.

Language and Etymology

“Ephphatha” (אֶפְתַּח in Aramaic versions) is derived from an Aramaic verb meaning “to open.” Aramaic was widely spoken in first-century Judea and Galilee alongside Hebrew and Greek. The transliteration “Ephphatha” appears in Greek manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel to preserve Jesus’ exact Aramaic expression.

This is one of several instances in the New Testament where Aramaic words are preserved to convey a powerful moment-others include “Talitha koum” (Mark 5:41) and “Abba” (Mark 14:36). In each case, the authors either translate or clarify these words for the wider Greek-speaking audience.

Theological Significance

1. Healing and Restoration. By speaking “Ephphatha,” Jesus demonstrates divine authority. The immediate restoration of the man’s hearing and speech reinforces Jesus’ identity and mission: to bring physical, spiritual, and relational wholeness.

2. Fulfillment of Prophecy. The healing of the deaf and mute recalls prophetic expectations such as Isaiah 35:5-6 (cf.), describing the coming Messianic age: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped … and the mute tongue will shout for joy.” Jesus’ action fulfills these promises.

3. Symbolic Meaning. While “Ephphatha” literally means “be opened,” it can also signify a spiritual opening. Many interpreters note that Jesus’ miracles often point to deeper truths. Just as He opened the man’s ears and freed his tongue, He also opens hearts to understand God’s message of salvation.

Textual and Manuscript Considerations

The inclusion of the specific Aramaic word followed by its translation underscores the reliability of Mark’s eyewitness accounts. Ancient Greek manuscripts, such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, preserve the passage. Scholars note consistency among the manuscripts regarding Jesus’ spoken words and the immediate clarification “which means, ‘Be opened!’”

This textual harmony supports the authenticity of the event as recorded. Even minor differences in grammar or spelling among manuscripts do not affect the account’s core meaning, further confirming that the word “Ephphatha” has been faithfully preserved throughout centuries of copying and translation efforts.

Practical Applications

1. Faith and Expectation. Just as Jesus “opened” the man’s ears to hear, today readers are reminded to have faith in the power of the divine to intervene in every situation, trusting that God can bring miraculous change, physically and spiritually.

2. Spiritual Openness. “Be opened” can be applied beyond the physical realm, encouraging believers to remain open to divine truth, guidance, and growth. It urges a prayerful heart posture, seeking both understanding of Scripture and alignment with God’s will.

3. Divine Compassion. The example of Jesus’ personal attention and care for the individual highlights the compassionate nature of the Healer. It engages believers to be likewise attentive, caring, and ready to help those around them.

Historical and Cultural Notes

Aramaic served as a common language in the region during the Second Temple period. Archaeological findings and scholarly research on inscriptions and manuscripts corroborate the widespread use of Aramaic among Jewish communities in Galilee, Judea, and surrounding Gentile areas.

Culturally, miracles recorded in the Gospels show continuity with the Jewish understanding that God intervenes in creation. The direct use of Aramaic words in Mark, alongside their Greek explanations, reflects an authentic integration of local speech patterns preserved for a broader audience.

English idiom: Burn the Candle at Both Ends

 Burn the Candle at Both Ends 

‘Burn the candle at both ends’ is such an old phrase. I mean, who burns candles unless there’s a power outage. And can you even picture a candle being burned at both ends?

If the phrase has left you feeling confused, you’ve come to the perfect place. Here , I will teach you what the phrase means and explain how it may have originated. Then we’ll go onto usage of the phrase, including how and when you can use the phrase, before going through some examples of alternative phrases that you can use in its place.

And without further ado, let’s get down to it…

What is the meaning of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burning the candle at both ends’ dates back to the period before we had electricity, when we had to rely on candles for light whenever there’s insufficient sunlight.

The term was used to describe when someone is trying to do too much in a short period of time, which means that they have to stay up late at night, and get up early in the morning to get it all done.

Following on from that, when someone has to burn a candle late into the night, and then light a candle before sunrise in order to complete a project of some kind, then the candle is likely to burn out, and the individual is also at risk of reaching ‘burn out’.

What is the origin of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ originally showed up in the French language: ‘Bruloient la chandelle par less deux bouts’. It first appeared in the English language in the early 17th century, but back then it had a different meaning. It referred to wasting material wealth, since burning a candle at both ends can be considered needlessly wasteful.

However, of the course time, the phrase took on its more modern meaning about overextending oneself in their efforts, as popularised by the poet Edna St. Vincent Millayin her poem ‘First Fig’ published in 1920 where she wrote:

“My candle burns at both ends;

It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—

It gives a lovely light!” 

We also have the phrase ‘burn the midnight oil’ which refers to staying up late, and this dates back to at least 1635, since it appears in a poem published at this time titled ‘Emblems’ written by the English author Francis Quarles, the official chronologer to the City of London, who wrote:

‘We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil,

We tire the night in thought, the day in toil.’

How and when to use the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

The phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ is suitable to describe both personal and professional circumstances. For example, you could use it to describe how you’ve been working long hours on a particular project for work, or equally you can use it to describe how you’ve been putting long hours in for a hobby.

It is generally considered informal language on the whole, and it is also used as a warning. For example, someone might say ‘If you keep burning the candle at both ends, both you and the candle will burn out’.

What can you use in place of the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’?

If you’d like to choose an alternative phrase to ‘burn the candle at both ends’ for example if you’re speaking with a non-native English speaker who may be unfamiliar with English idioms, then there are many alternative phrases to choose from. Here are some examples for you.

• Mind you don’t overwork yourself.

• Don’t do hours you don’t get paid for.

• Be careful you don’t burn out putting so many hours in.

• I’m working all the hours God sends to get this job done.

• I’ve been working late into the night and getting up early in the morning for this project.

• This project has had me working late into the night and getting up early in the morning.

Final word

So, to sum up, the phrase ‘burn the candle at both ends’ means working on something late into the night and early in the morning, or generally putting long hours in. The phrase dates back to the use of candlelight prior to the invention of electric light, but the phrase was not truly popularised until the year 1920, when it appeared in a poem by poet Edna St. Vincent Millayin called ‘First fig’.

The phrase is often used as a warning that if someone spends too much time on something, then they are not getting enough rest, and are at risk of reaching burn out.

Knowing from the Lord that he had but "five-times-three" years to finish his work, John Sung burned the candle of his life at both ends without any let up. He died in Peking August 18, 1944 at the age of forty-two, consumed in the Master's service.

40 John Sung Revival Sermons

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE

In the early years of the thirties, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" of the Church in China began to echo to her sons and daughters in Southeast Asia. It was the voice of a Chinese John the Baptist, the greatest preacher China has ever heard.

The voice of John Sung, preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, brought thousands, campaign after campaign, to the feet of the Saviour. The voice of John Sung, preaching holiness and dedication, called thousands more to an evangelistic crusade and hundreds into the fulltime ministry. In a brief fifteen years, this apostle of modern China had traversed the length and breadth of his own country and all over Southeast Asia, winning several hundred thousand souls to Christ.

John Sung was born in Hinghwa, Fukien Province in 1901, one of many sons and daughters of a Methodist pastor. A brilliant scholar with a high ambition, he found his way to the United States in 1920. From 1920 to 1926 he applied himself with all his might to the study of science. He graduated with a Ph.D. in chemistry at the head of his class.

At the zenith of success glittering with many honours, there came the Word of the Lord Jesus to him, "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Remembering his vow of earlier years to serve the Lord, John Sung gave up a lucrative profession to study for the Gospel ministry. He was introduced by a friend to Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Alas! A seminary that taught a "God-is-dead" theology under the care-taking of a principal surnamed (Henry Sloane) Coffin became but a "cemetery" to John Sung's troubled soul. But God showed John Sung the way to salvation and life everlasting as he diligently sought Him, the modernist theologians notwithstanding. This brought such a flood of joy to his quickened soul that he literally burst out to tell his teachers and friends of his newfound salvation.

    Supposing John Sung had lost his mind, the Seminary authorities sent him to a mental hospital. Here he was kept for 193 days, days of bitter suffering, yet of deeper communion with his Lord. During this period, says William E. Schubert his bosom friend, he read his Bible forty times!

    His wilderness days over, John Sung made his way back to China, answering the call of God to minister to his own people. As the ship he sailed in ploughed through the Pacific Ocean, he tossed into the sea all his academic awards, even medals and gold keys, save his doctor's diploma to show his father in filial piety. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35).

The first three years of his labours were years of probation. From 1930 onwards, however, the Lord began to multiply his ministry, more and more, until the close of the decade. Knowing from the Lord that he had but "five-times-three" years to finish his work, John Sung burned the candle of his life at both ends without any let up. He died in Peking August 18, 1944 at the age of forty-two, consumed in the Master's service.

One decade after John Sung's death, his exploits were made known to the English-speaking churches by Leslie T. Lyall through "John Sung, the Flame for God in the Far East." Other English publications on John Sung, such as William E. Schubert's "I Remember John Sung" and numerous articles appearing in magazines and periodicals from time to time have also increased this knowledge, to the edification of saints old and young.

In the Introduction to his book, "I Remember John Sung," veteran missionary William E. Schubert says of China's flaming evangelist:

Dr. John Sung was probably the greatest preacher of this century. I have heard almost all the great preachers from 1910 until now, including R. A. Torrey, Billy Sunday, Henry Jowett, the great holiness preachers, the Methodist bishops, including Bishop Quayle, even Harry Emerson Fosdick, who set a great example of the homiletic art, though I did not agree with him, and finally Billy Graham. Yet John Sung surpassed them all in pulpit power, attested by amazing and enduring results, of which we will give examples later.

A young missionary after reading Schubert's book in which are appended a couple of John Sung's Sermons asked for more. So have other English readers of Dr. Sung's biographies.

Dr. Sung's sermons are published in Chinese by my aunt Miss Alice Doo. With her cooperation and in response to popular request, I have translated a first instalment of twenty sermons (of a total of forty), particularly the shorter ones and those it was my blessing to hear at the peak of his ministry in Singapore in 1935. The reason why Forty Sermons are chosen is that this was the number preached in Singapore during a two-week period, three sermons a day. To go through all forty sermons would give the reader a sampling of the Revival we went through.

These Sermons are called "Revival Sermons", for such they are. The aim of the preacher in these sermons is the breaking down of strongholds of resistance of the unregenerate heart, rebuke of carnal Christians and professional Church workers. The style of John Sung's preaching is eminently expository, verse by verse, under a given theme. But the centrality of any theme is always the Cross --- Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). Hence the power of his sermons.

Another feature of John Sung's sermon delivery was the coupling of the message with an appropriately chosen Gospel chorus --- one with a catchy tune, Western or Oriental, that helped to drive home the sermon into the hearer's heart. The evangelist usually preached a two-hour sermon. That he was able to keep up the interest of his audience was by the recurrent singing of these choruses. Hence the inclusion of a "Theme Song" at the beginning or end of these translated sermons.

Though much of the power released by the Holy Spirit during the Revival in the thirties could not be preserved on paper, the faithfully recorded words of his sermons are surely a means of grace to lead a new generation to Christ. Nor are some of the things he said without reproach, for after all, he was but an earthern vessel --- but God was pleased to use him for His own glory.

If some souls will be brought into the Kingdom and oldtimer Christians re-quickened through these Sermons in English syllables, the efforts of this translator will not have been made in vain.

    Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power!

Thy floodgates of blessing on us throw open wide!

    Lord, send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power

That sinners be converted and Thy Name glorified!