The Breakthrough God is in you!

1 Chronicles 14:11 (NKJV): So they went up to Baal Perazim and David defeated them (the enemies) there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore they called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

Every name, place, or object in Hebrew has a meaning. The word ‘Baal’ in Hebrew simply means ‘master, lord, or possessor’, and the word ‘Perazim’ in Hebrew is the plural of the word ‘Perez’, which means ‘breaking forth, breach, make a gap, or break out’. Therefore, putting these two words together, ‘Baal Perazim’ means ‘Master/Lord/Possessor of many breakthroughs’! You see the plural 'Perazim'? It's not singular, which means more than one breakthrough! Praise God! Our God is a God of many breakthroughs!

David also said this anointing for breakthrough is like a breakthrough of water. Now imagine this: As you punch a hole in a big tank of water, all of a sudden, water just gush out and washes away everything that comes its way. And that’s exactly how God’s anointing also breaks through every barrier or hindrance that comes your way!

Let’s look now at the background leading to David’s triumph over the enemies in 1 Chronicles 14. It all began with David thinking of bringing back the ‘ark’ (1 Chronicles 13:1-3), after having conquered Jerusalem in the first place (see also 2 Samuel 5:1-10). In fact, upon being anointed as king, these were the two main priorities he had in his mind! This speaks volume of David’s heart (a man after God’s heart). What’s most important to God was also most important to him. No wonder he was so blessed, and God called him His 'beloved'. The ‘ark’ here speaks of Jesus Christ Himself. It can also mean ‘God’s Promise’, or ‘God’s leadership in a battle’. Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, likewise, as you bring back the ‘ark’ (i.e. Jesus Christ) and put Him back to His rightful place in your life, His anointing shall also flow through you!

Have there been areas in your life you needed a breakthrough recently? You may also have given up hope for that one miracle you've been believing Him for! For some of you, it may be for healing in certain areas of your body, and for some, it may be in your family, career, business, or even in ministry. Whatever it may be, don't lose heart, because I have a good news for you. The Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). You know what? He hasn't changed! The same anointing for breakthrough that worked in David (1 Chronicles 14:11) was the same that came on Jesus in Luke 4:18 as He began His earthly ministry, and this very same anointing is also in you right now. As a believer, Christ lives in you (Colossians 1:27), and because He lives in you, you have every reason to hope! The word ‘Christ’ simply means ‘Anointed’, or ‘rubbing with oil’. The 'Anointed' lives in you, and He is indeed the Source of anointing that breaks every yoke and bondage! Notice in Luke 4:18, this anointing covers every aspect of your life, and there’s really nothing too hard for Him, whatever breakthrough you are trusting God for at the moment!

1 Chronicles 14:9 says ‘the enemies went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim’. This word ‘Rephaim’ comes from the word ‘rapha’, meaning ‘repair, mend, heal’. You see, ‘rapha’ is supposed to be yours, but somehow your adversary may have ‘raided’ (or ravaged) your ‘rapha’, and got a ‘foothold’ on your ‘health’ (whether physical health, financial health, relational health, etc) causing ‘disrepair, sickness, delays, or problems’. But take heart, people of God, because just as God was with David then (1 Chronicles 14:11), He is also with you today! The same anointing for breakthrough that worked in David is also working in you today!

What happens if the adversary comes 'raiding' again? In 1 Chronicles 14:13, the Bible says the enemies once again made a raid on the very same valley (of Rephaim). This time, as David inquired of the Lord again, God gave him a new strategy that would eventually 'cut off' the enemies for good! (1 Chronicles 14:14-15). Today, this same anointing in you will also show you the way to your complete breakthrough! (1 John 2:20)

1 Chronicles 14:16 then says, ‘So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gezer. ‘Gibeon’ in Hebrew means ‘hilly (i.e. having many hills/blockages), hindrance, or barrier’, while ‘Gezer’ means ‘something cut off’. Do you see something here? ‘God driving the enemies from Gibeon as far as Gezer’ speaks of ‘God driving away every hindrance until they are totally cut off from you’! Even mountains can be removed and be cast into the sea, if you believe and not allow yourself to doubt (see Mark 11:23-24). Let's take God at His Word!

People of God, remember your 'ark'! Your breakthrough begins when you bring the 'ark' back to its rightful place in your life. Today, you are the 'temple' where the 'ark' should reside in, and when the ‘ark’ is in you, you have every reason for rejoicing! David knew this very well. What Saul had ignored, David made it right. This was in fact the key to David's success and fame.You know why? When the 'ark' ('picture' of the Anointed One) is in you, His anointing for breakthrough will also surely flow, and it shall then break through every barrier that comes your way!

As you let go of the things behind you, and look forward to the things ahead (Philippians 3:13), this anointing for breakthrough will also go with you. See your 'path' opening up right now, because God has broken through for you! Believing, you'll receive. Amen!

Jesus is your Perfect Offering

1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV): You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The word 'offer' is a verb, and it means 'to give freely as a gift or as a sacrifice'. Jesus' sacrifice for you on the cross was a perfect sacrifice and a perfect gift for you, done once for all (see Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 7:27-28).

What then is an 'offering'? It is a noun. This word 'offering' simply means 'a gift, or a present'. Biblical offerings in the Old Testament include animals, birds, land produce, or incense. A nation or individual those days made offerings in order to have right relationship with God. However, in Old Testament days, this practice was also a never-ending 'cycle', i.e. whenever someone sinned, he had to offer up another offering! How about you in the New Covenant today? The Bible says by Jesus' one offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). As a believer, all your sins have been removed permanently because of Jesus' complete, perfect, and finished work on the cross for you. And He did it once for all!

The Old Testament is the 'shadow' of the things to come. So, if the 5 types of offering (see Leviticus chapters 1 to 5) is the 'shadow', then Jesus' work on the cross some 2,000 years ago is the 'substance'.

Today, as a believer, know that Jesus has become your perfect offering, and indeed He has fulfilled perfectly all the 5 types of offering mentioned in Leviticus 1-5.

Leviticus 1:2-3 says, 'When any one of you (i.e. 'offeror') brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock - of the herd and of the flock. If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord'.

The 5 types of offering:

Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1)
This speaks of Jesus' entire dedication to God when He died for you on the cross, and He did it willingly for you. This was an offering made by fire, a burnt sacrifice, and the sweet aroma of this burnt offering then delighted and pleased God the Father, who accepted this offering.
Today, Jesus' acceptance before God the Father is being transferred to you as a believer. The Bible says, 'as He is, so are you' (1 John 4:17). God therefore accepts you the same way as He accepts His Son, and He is also well-pleased with you, because you are in Christ.
Note: 
In the Old Testament days, the animal (sacrifice) was killed by gripping its nose and mouth (i.e. muzzle it), held tight, and then a knife was plunged into its throat. With every heartbeat, the dying animal would then pump out its own blood. It was a slow but sure death. The animal was then skinned and cut ('picture' of Jesus being wounded, striped, and pierced), and put on the wood to be burned (speaks of 'judgement' at the wooden cross).
Sounds cruel? But somebody had to die because of our sin and unrighteousness. The Bible says, 'for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 6:23).

Grain Offering (Leviticus 2)
This speaks of the Person of Jesus Christ, who also has become the Bread of life for you (John 6:33-35).
Note: 
It's a bloodless offering, i.e. no animal sacrifice, unlike the other 4 types of offering. 
'Fine flour' used for this offering speaks of Jesus' perfection, whereas 'oil' speaks of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Spirit indwelling Him.
'Frankincense' was one of the best and costliest perfumes then, and it concerns 'priesthood'. This speaks of Jesus being your High Priest. 
'Salt' used for this offering speaks of 'covenant'. Jesus has provided a covenant for you when He came to die for you. 
The 'bread' then went into the oven (or pan), and this speaks of Jesus experiencing God's fire of judgment on your behalf.

Peace Offering (Leviticus 3)
The fact that a peace offering is needed implies something has gone wrong in regard to man's relationship with God. Since Adam's fall, man by nature has become 'unfit' to fellowship with God. So, this offering implies that peace needed to be made between the 'Sinless' and the 'sinner', and this peace was made when Jesus died for you on the cross!
Today, you have peace (and quietness) because you know Jesus has become the full satisfaction of God's wrath and punishment against sin. Real peace in one's life therefore rests not on one's feelings, but on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Sin Offering & Trespass Offering (Leviticus 4 & 5)
The difference between sin offering and trespass offering is a very thin line, but basically sin offering is for sins done ignorantly (or because of one's sin nature), whereas trespass offering is for sins done knowingly (or outward act of sin).
The priest laying hands on the animal's (i.e sacrifice's) head those days is a 'picture' of your sins being transferred to Jesus Christ. He has indeed become your perfect sacrifice, sinless and unblemished, on the cross. The Bible says, 'Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God (i.e. in right standing with God) in Him' (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The priest would then dip his finger in the sacrifice's blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary (Leviticus 4:6). The number 'seven' means 'perfect', representing the perfect work of Jesus on the cross.
When His work was finished, the veil of the temple that separated the 'Holy of Holies' from the 'Holy Place' was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50-51). This speaks of you (in the New Covenant) having access to His very presence, because someone had opened the way for you. Today, as a believer, there's no animosity between God and you anymore, and you can now therefore come boldly to the throne of His grace (Hebrews 4:16).
Note:
Here's an amazing fact about the veil of the temple: It's about 60 feet in height, 32 feet in width, 4 inches thick, and very tightly woven. Rabbinical records have shown that even two teams of oxen pulling the veil in opposite directions couldn't tear it apart. Yet when Jesus died on the cross, the veil was miraculously torn from top to bottom!

Receive the fullness of His goodness!

Psalm 23:6a (NKJV): Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…

The word ‘surely’ in this verse is ‘aken’ in Hebrew, which means ‘certainly, truly’. It speaks of a 100% certainty. As you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Shepherd (see Psalm 23:1), you’ll also receive the fullness of His goodness in your life! It’s the Bible that says so. You can receive it because Jesus’ work for you on the cross was full, perfect, and complete! In other words, His work on the cross was 100%! It was a sure work on the cross - perfect, finished, and completed.

Because Jesus is fully God (100% God) and fully man (100% man), He also came to suffer the full brunt of God’s punishment (i.e. God’s wrath against sin) and men’s punishment (i.e. religious laws), so you can now be completely set free!

Have you noticed Jesus never bargained/appealed for a lesser punishment? He just kept silent, and went through it all! He never asked Pontius Pilate to reduce his sentence, nor did He beg the Roman soldiers to whip him lesser. No, He didn't! But He came to suffer the full brunt! And He did it all for you.

On the cross, He was pierced, broken, or ruptured in seven areas of His body (the number ‘seven’ means ‘perfect’), i.e. His head, both His hands, His side (rib), His heart, and both his feet, so that you can be made complete and whole in every area of your life. All in all, it was a perfect sacrifice. Isaiah 53 has all the details. In fact, He was wounded and bruised till there was no more beauty or comeliness in Him (Isaiah 53:2). But He was willing. And He did it all with you in mind.

Even in His sufferings on the cross, He still thought of others, instead of bringing others’ attention to Himself or His pain! When one of the criminals beside Him said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42), Jesus still cared for him (in spite of His excruciating pain and breathlessness), and He answered, “…today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Not just that, He also thought of Mary (His earthly mother) and John (His beloved disciple) in the midst of His suffering (John 19:25-27). You know what all these mean? In His suffering, you were also in His mind! In fact, He thinks of you all the time. That’s how precious you are to Him!

So, why settle for less when Jesus has already given you all (i.e. 100%) on the cross? When He gives, somebody’s got to receive it, and that person’s got to be you! On the cross, He has already redeemed you from every lack (that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Jireh’), and on the cross, He has also redeemed you from every sickness (and that’s why He is called ‘Jehovah Rapha’). In fact, He has already redeemed you from every form of curse! So, how can He not be 100% good to you? Surely, He is altogether good to you, all the time!

Of course God has also given us all free choice. The choices you make are like ‘magnets’ that either attract ‘light’ or ‘darkness’, in and around your life. Choose then to focus on His goodness. David had this revelation when he wrote Psalm 23, and he knew ‘surely goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life’. You can too, by setting your mind on His goodness. This is how important your mind (thought) is. Let me give you an example: ‘Flowers’ attract ‘butterflies’, but ‘rubbish’ attract ‘flies’. If your thought is filled with ‘flowers’, you’ll attract ‘butterflies’, yes, even ‘spiritual butterflies’, i.e. angels to work for you and minister to you, even bringing many ‘goodies’ to you! But the opposite is also true with ‘rubbish’ in your mind! That’s how it works in the spiritual realm. But as you focus more and more on His goodness for you, those irritating ‘flies’ (whatever these may be) will eventually have to leave you!

People of God, I boldly declare that He is 100% good to you! He isn’t just 98% (or whatever other percentage) good to you. Psalm 23:6 says so. Never mind about the past ‘not-so-good’ experiences you may have, but from now on, why not begin to really take God at His Word? As you continue to look to Him as your Shepherd (Jehovah Raah), surely His goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life. Believing this, and you’ll receive. Amen!