Receive your 'bow & arrow' for the battle ahead!

2 Corinthians 2:14: Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

We are entering a new season, a season of triumph, and a season of victory in the spiritual realm!

People of God, it's high time to receive your 'bows & arrows' as the Lord leads you on in battle. This is definitely the end of the end-times. He is currently releasing a timely and divine strategy for you as you move on triumphantly in Christ!

It's God who always leads us in triumph. The word ‘leads’ here speaks of God leading us in triumph. He is our Leader. The word ‘triumph’ comes from the word ‘thriambeuo’ in Greek which means ‘to make an acclamatory procession, to conquer, to give victory, to triumph over, with songs or noise of celebrating, with shouts of triumph.’ In New International Version, it says ‘God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ.’

This procession comes with celebration, a celebration of triumph, parading the victory won, to loud cheers, applause, and shouts of triumph (Psalm 47:1, Exodus 15:1, Exodus 15:21, Psalm 92:4). And we triumph not by our own self-effort, but we triumph in Christ, the anointed, all-powerful One.

Be ready triumphant people, for we are entering such season now. The battle is on, but the victory is ours. The ‘ark of the covenant’ is in procession again, just as in King David’s time (1 Chronicles 15:14-16) when the ark was brought into Jerusalem. It’s also likened to the time Jesus entered Jerusalem in a triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1-9), and people were shouting ‘Hosanna’ (means ‘help, save, rescue us!’). It’s an exclamation of adoration to the Messiah, the anointed One. This triumphal entry was a major 'milestone' as Jesus the Messiah was publicly recognized. Before that, Jesus did not have public recognition as the Messiah, and ministered outside Jerusalem. So the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem then was a public parade (procession) of the entrance of the King of Glory. Jesus is the King of Glory. The ‘ark of the covenant’ always symbolizes the glory of God, the very presence of God. The ark is also a symbol of God’s promise, a reminder of God’s leadership in a battle.

When we live in triumph in Christ, we’ll diffuse or spread the glory of God. However, this is not done through toiling, striving, or self-effort. It’s done in the spirit. It’s done from our resting in the Lord. It’s done by the leading of the Lord. The fragrance or sweet aroma of the knowledge of the glory of God shall permeate the spiritual realm, wherever we go. And whatever happens in the spiritual realm shall be reflected in the natural realm. Imagine the sweet fragrance of flowers and fruits filling the air. Likewise, the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). This is truly an end-time prophecy. And this knowledge of the glory of God is not just ‘head knowledge’. The word ‘knowledge’ here in Greek is ‘gnosis’. It means ‘knowing, understanding, be sure.’ It is ‘yada’ in Hebrew. It means ‘be sure, knowing, endued with.’ It is knowing by experience.

This fragrance of the glory of God is spread ‘through us.’ We are ‘the vessels, the channels, the carriers’ of the glory of God everywhere we go. We are the carriers of spiritual light that emanates in the darkness. When light comes, darkness flees. So, every time we pray in the spirit, or preach the Word, we are changing the spiritual realm with the ‘light’. The ‘light’ emanates to change the atmosphere around us. This ‘light’ is the glory of God (Revelation 21:23). Likewise, every time we praise and worship, the ‘light’ shines and triumph over the darkness. Every time we love (‘agape’) and serve, every time we edify someone with the Word of God, every time we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, this ‘light’ emanates and changes the spiritual atmosphere around us. This is how the knowledge of the glory of the Lord fills the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

So, be ready people of God, for you’ll be used by God as such vessels in this season, in a greater intensity than you’ve ever known before, whatever the call of God is in your life. The time is now. The glory of God is here, and reaping time is now (John 4:38). Hallelujah!

Meditating God's Word

Joshua 1:8: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

‘This Book of the Law’ here refers to the Word of God, the Bible. Joshua 1:8 says 'it shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night'. It simply means 'you shall keep meditating the Word of God day and night, every day, consistently'. This, my friend, is the key to your prosperity and good success!

In Joshua 1:8, the word ‘meditate’ is ‘hagah’ in Hebrew. It actually means ‘to ponder, to speak, or to utter’. Romans 10:17 says, ‘so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’. It means your faith arises when you hear the Word of God being spoken and confessed, and in order to hear the Word being spoken, somebody has to speak it out. That’s what ‘hagah’ means. That's why Joshua 1:8 says, 'it shall not depart from your mouth'. The word 'mouth' here implies you need to 'speak it out'! So, the word ‘meditate’ in Joshua 1:8 does not actually mean 'to contemplate the Word of God silently', though there’s a place for this in your quiet time.

As you meditate one particular verse (or a promise of God), begin speaking it out under your breath, many times over. Now you don’t have to shout it loud for everybody to hear, but you can speak it over and over again under your breath. You can even do this wherever you are. This way, you are speaking into your spirit man throughout the day. Every morning, I'd choose a verse (or a promise) in the Bible (as led by the Lord) and begin uttering it over and over again. I'd continue meditating in it throughout the day, and I tell you, it has changed my life tremendously!

Joshua 1:8 continues with ‘that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it’ (New King James Version). In New International Version, it says, ‘so that you may be careful to do everything written in it’. You are what you speak or confess. So, the more you confess what God says (about who you are in Him), the more you'll be (and do) what God says (about who you are in Him)! God definitely wants you to prosper and be a good success.

As you 'meditate in the Word of God' and ‘be careful to do what the Word says', then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. This is God's promise for you. People pay so much nowadays for motivational speakers or for 'keys' (or secrets) to become prosperous and successful. But the fact is all the real 'keys' (or secrets) are already written in the Word of God for you to receive!

The Word of God is your essential 'spiritual food' to keep you strong spiritually, just as your 'physical food' is essential to keep you strong physically. Not only that, the Word of God is also your ‘handbook’ to prosperity and good success! So, beloved, go ahead and meditate God's Word every day! Personalize each verse for yourself. God's Word is indeed your personal 'handbook' in life. It will never fail you. For example, you can personalize Joshua 1:8 for yourself by confessing this way: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then I will make my way prosperous, and then I will have good success”.

To begin with, meditate one verse today. Personalize it for yourself. Then, choose another verse the next day. Keep doing this every day, and you’ll surely be on your way to prosperity and good success!

Seek first His kingdom & His righteousness

Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The word ‘kingdom’ in this verse is ‘basileia’ in Greek. It means ‘rule, reign, realm’. So, to seek God's kingdom is to seek His rule, His reign, or His realm.

In Matthew 6:10, when Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’, this word 'kingdom' is the same word ‘basileia’ as in Matthew 6:33. It's God's heavenly kingdom, a spiritual kingdom, where He rules and reigns! It's definitely not a worldly kingdom. It's definitely not a political kingdom. But it's God's kingdom. It's exceedingly rich in heavenly resources, and Matthew 6:10 says 'let it be done on earth as well'! It's for you to receive!

The word ‘righteousness’ is ‘dikaios’ in Greek. It means ‘justification, just, holy’. Beloved, seek to be righteous in Christ. Your righteousness is not in yourself, i.e self-righteousness, but your righteousness is in Christ. For God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). To be ‘righteous’ here means to be ‘in right standing’ with God. It means God has nothing against you anymore. Jesus has made it possible when He died on the cross for your sins, and you are now reconciled to God the Father, justified, accepted, and forgiven. Praise God! Believe and receive.

As you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, the Bible says 'all these things shall be added to you'. What are ‘all these things’? All that you ever needed in this life! Your finance. Your career. Your business. Your education. Your children's education. Your health. Your house. Your car. Your computer. Your furnitures. Your food. Your clothings. Your holiday. Your every other need, God knows what. Jesus says 'do not worry' about all these, or what you will eat or what you will drink, or what you will wear (Matthew 6:25), because if He feeds the birds of the air (even though they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns), are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26) Now I'm not saying you should run away from responsibilities. I'm not saying you should be greedy or covetous. But I'm asking you not to worry.

Beloved, He certainly knows your every need in life. So, whatever lack you may be facing now, keep looking to Him. Don't give up if you haven't seen it coming yet. Don't get distracted by others. Look beyond your situation now, and look to Him. Fix your eyes on what Jesus has done on the cross. He has already taken your poverty, sickness, or any other curse on the cross, once and for all, some 2,000 years ago. You are already blessed when you believe and receive Him. He certainly has a wonderful plan for your life. Start yielding to His plan, not to the pressure. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep receiving. You'll be glad you did!

He delivers you because He delights in you!

Psalm 18:19b (NKJV): He delivered me because He delighted in me.

In New International Version (NIV), the word 'deliver' here is written as 'rescue'. God rescues you because He delights in you!

The word ‘delight’ in this verse in Hebrew is ‘chaphets’ (pronounced as ‘khawfates’). It means ‘favors, likes, bends towards, pleased with, or has pleasure in’. God delivers you because He favors you, likes you, bends towards you, is pleased with you, or has pleasure in you! He really is that good to you! He's definitely not out to get you or punish you. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for you on the cross! Jesus has indeed carried all the punishment for your sins. As a believer, you can now therefore stand righteous before God, because you have been reconciled to God, through what Jesus Christ has done on the cross. For God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). To become 'the righteousness of God' means to be 'in right standing with God'. It means God is not angry with you anymore! In fact, the Bible says He delights in you! That's how good He is to you, my friend. But you need to 'allow' Him. Nothing will ever happen if you do not 'allow' Him.

At one point, Simon Peter was going through a hard time, and he was also in lack. Even after a whole night of toiling, he still couldn't catch any fish (Luke 5:5), and that means no 'income' for his family that day! However, he did one right thing. He allowed Jesus to come into his boat (Luke 5:3). I mean he could have turned Jesus down when Jesus stepped into his boat (to teach and speak to the multitudes). But he allowed, and that was the beginning of a turning point in his life. From catching nothing, he then caught a great number of fish (Luke 5:6) so much so that his fishing net was about to break! He definitely had more than enough, and he even had to ask his partners from the other boat to come and help!

Beloved, would you allow Jesus to come into your 'boat' now? Is there any area you want Him to deliver you or set you free? Whatever your situation or problem may be, whether it's a bondage of sin, a curse, a failure, a sickness, or a financial lack, Jesus can come into your 'boat' now and turn things around for you. Believe He's here to deliver you, He's good to you, and He delights in you.

Christ in you, the hope of glory!

Colossians 1:27b: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It's a time of giving thanks as we enter into a celebration of bountiful harvest, where the gospel (good news) of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be preached like never before! We are entering such season now, a harvest season in the time-table of God.

We have been seeing many places hit with natural calamities recently, e.g waves roaring (tsunami), earthquakes in various places, typhoon, and flood. These are signs of the end-time, as prophesied by Jesus Himself (Luke 21:11, Luke 21:25, Matthew 24:6-7). In times of distress like this, though human and natural hopes may fade, but there remains a hope that will never fade, or the Bible says ‘will not disappoint’ (Romans 5:5). It is our hope in God!

Instead of looking at the situation around us with fear and anxiety, let us look at this end-time with ‘hope’. Luke 21:28 says, ‘now when these things (signs of the end-time) begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near’. Psalm 24:9 says, ‘lift up your heads, for the King of glory shall come in’. Who is this King of glory? He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, your Redeemer and Savior. So instead of looking around you with fear, look up to Jesus. He is your only hope. John 14:6 says Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father (Originator, YHWH, Elohim, or God Almighty) except through Him (Jesus, or Ye-shua).

Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). The word ‘hope’ in this verse is ‘elpis’ in Greek which means ‘to look to, and to put confidence in, with anticipation and expectation’. Now, in this context, 'hope' is not an 'empty wish'. Hope (in God) is real, and it does not disappoint (Romans 5:5). Let’s look at Psalm 42:11 now. The psalmist wrote, 'hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God'. In the midst of distress, the psalmist was crying out deep from his heart to God’s heart (Psalm 42:7), and he ended this psalm with hope in God. In Hebrew, this word 'hope' is ‘yachal’. It means ‘to wait patiently, to trust, to stay with’.

Beloved, Christ in you is the hope of being in His presence forever. When you have Him, you are in the safest place ever. There’s no place on earth that’s as safe as being with Him. Some people try to reach God through various ways, e.g religious laws, man's philosophy, man's teachings, etc, in the hope of finding salvation, but in order to receive God’s salvation, you need the Savior! It’s Jesus whom all of us need. In fact, Jesus, or ‘Ye-shua’ in Hebrew means ‘God saves'. He is 'God the Savior'. There's only one way to be saved (John 14:6). We don’t come to the Father through other means. We come to the Father through Jesus, our only Savior and Redeemer! It is only through Him (Jesus, or Ye-shua) that one can be saved (John 14:6).

That’s why, my friend, in this end-time, the gospel (good news) of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be preached in all the world, to all nations, before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). Everyone, every race, every tribe, and every nation need to hear this gospel (good news) of God’s salvation. God’s will is that none should perish, but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), and those who endure to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13). Let's not doubt. Let's not waver. Let's keep looking to God, and keep putting your hope in Him till the very end!

People of God, it's time to 'advance as one' with the whole body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) in the world, and let's enter such harvest time together, where the gospel (good news) of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be preached like never before, with such great intensity and vigor. Jesus our Savior and Redeemer is definitely coming back soon! (Matthew 24:30-31)

The procession of the 'ark of the covenant' has started again!

2 Corinthians 2:14: Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

The word ‘triumph’ (in Greek, ‘thriambeuo’) means ‘to conquer, to be victorious, to rise above, or to shout aloud joyfully in a triumphal procession, with songs of celebration and jubilation.’ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in a triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord!

This triumphal procession is likened to the procession celebrating the triumphant Roman generals in Apostle Paul’s days, where they would parade the spoils of the war that was won, to loud cheers and shouts of triumph from the citizens in the streets.

The procession of the ‘ark of the covenant’ has started again in our time and generation, just as in the ancient days to Jerusalem. The ‘ark of the covenant’ is a 'picture' of the glory of the Lord, and Jesus Christ Himself is the King of glory (Psalm 24:7-10). The glory of the Lord is pouring out on the church and on our land like never been seen before, with great and notable miracles, signs and wonders confirming the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have entered this time in world history, the end-time, as been written in Malachi 4:1-6. This is the time to position and prepare ourselves for the coming glory, and for the outpouring of His Spirit and His power.

Just as in the days of King David when the ‘ark of the covenant’ was brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:1-29) in a triumphal procession, our Lord Jesus Christ's triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) accompanied by shouts of "Hosanna" (meaning "Lord, help, save us!") was also a 'type' of the entrance of the glory of the Lord in this end-time.

God is the one who always leads us in triumph in Christ. We triumph not by our own strength, intelligence, or self-effort, but we triumph in Christ. Christ has already done it for us, by His finished works on the cross. On the third day after He died for us, He rose again. He has won the victory for us! Life has therefore conquered death. The enemy has been defeated. Our God is a triumphant God! This is our time to shout to God with the voice of triumph (Psalm 47:1), and this is our time to 'arise and shine', for our 'light' has already come (Isaiah 60:1).

As God leads us in triumph in Christ, let the fragrance of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord diffuse (spread) everywhere through us, in every place, wherever we go and whoever we meet, all over the world. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). We are seeing this prophecy coming to pass in our time and generation. Hallelujah!

The river of revelation

Proverbs 29:18 (King James Version) : Where there is no vision, the people perish.

In New King James Version (NKJV), the word ‘vision’ in this verse is ‘revelation’. So, where there is no revelation, the people perish. The word ‘revelation’ here is ‘khawzaw’ in Hebrew. It means ‘to perceive, to have a vision, to see, to have prophetic revelation’. Friends, if you have been running dry of revelation, guidance, or direction in life recently, or if you have been wearied by the earthly things, Jesus is inviting you now to come, and drink from Him (John 7:37). His Spirit always leads and guides you into all truth (John 16:13), in every way!

When you have God's revelation in your life, you’ll know 'what to do and what not to do'. You’ll make timely and accurate decisions, and not only that, you’ll also know His timing and season in your life. You’ll not move ahead of time, move behind time, or miss the time, but you’ll always be in time.

In Isaiah 28, you’ll see the results of drinking from two contrasting sources, one is the small letter ‘s’, spirit (alcohol), and the other is the capital letter ‘S’, Spirit of God. A person who drinks from the spirit (alcohol) ‘errs in vision, and stumbles in judgment’ (Isaiah 28:7). To ‘err in vision, and stumble in judgment’ means to lose the ability to discern, and to see clearly. The contrast can be found in Isaiah 28:10-12, when one drinks from the Spirit of God, praying in the spirit (with stammering lips and another tongue), and there's 'rest and refreshing'.

As you keep drinking and receiving from Him, He will speak to you (Isaiah 28:11) line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). Be open to receive. It may come in still small voice, by conscience, in an audible voice, in dreams, in visions, in thoughts, or as you read the Word of God.

Beloved, my prayer for you today is you’ll ‘plow’ when it's time to 'plow', and ‘sow’ when it's time to 'sow'. You'll not miss your time. You'll not miss your season. You’ll not keep ‘plowing’ when ‘sowing’ time has come (Isaiah 28:24-25). Keep drinking. Keep soaking. Keep receiving. God is good. He'll never leave you dry. His river is flowing now, and He'll be sure to counsel and guide you whenever you needed it. Isaiah 28:29 says 'He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance'. Receive, in Jesus' name. Amen!

You shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace!

Isaiah 55:12: For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace.

God is indeed doing a new thing in your life!

This is the time to let go of all your past griefs and sorrows to Jesus. This is the time to let go of all your past regrets and failures. This is the time to let go of all your past hurts and shame. He has indeed carried all these on the cross. Surely Jesus has borne your griefs and carried your sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He was wounded for your transgressions, and bruised for your iniquities. The chastisement for your peace was upon Him, and by His stripes you are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

Beloved, do not look back to your past. God is preparing you to enter a new season. It's time to move out of your past griefs and sorrows. It's time to shift out of your past griefs and sorrows. Leave them all on the cross, and start entering into His joy and peace. I sense fresh new grace coming your way. A new season always comes with fresh new grace. Yes, good and new things are indeed coming your way!

In Isaiah 55:12, the word ‘joy’ is ‘simkhaw’ in Hebrew. It means ‘exceeding gladness, fullness of joy, pleasure’. The word ‘peace’ here is ‘shalom’. It does not just mean ‘peace’, but it can also mean ‘prosperity, health, wellness, wholeness’. So, everyday in your life, in this new season, you shall go out with 'exceeding gladness, fullness of joy, pleasure', and be led out with 'peace, prosperity, health, wellness, wholeness’.

You shall receive your 'open doors'. You shall receive the favor of God and the favor of men. Believe and receive it. And not only that, you have the Holy Spirit leading you as you go out. Isaiah 55:12 says you are being 'led out with peace'. Romans 8:14 says, ‘as many as are led by the Spirit, they are sons of God.’ You are indeed His child, His beloved child. Romans 8:17 says, ‘as children, we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ’. An heir of God is one who 'inherits' and 'shares' the richness of His kingdom and His glory.

So, rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for the richness of His kingdom and the richness of His glory is here. Beloved in Christ, in all that you do today, start to go out with joy, and be led out with peace! Amen!

God gives you every good thing!

Psalm 84:11: For the Lord is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

God will not withhold any good thing from you. Because you are His beloved child, and He is your good heavenly Father, He gives you every good thing! He gives you good health, He gives you good providence, He gives you good talents, He gives you spiritual gifts, He gives you wisdom, He gives you 'open doors', He gives you breakthroughs, in short, He gives all! In fact, He even gave His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for you, so that you may have everlasting life! (John 3:16)

Psalm 84:11 says God is both your 'sun' and your 'shield'. The word ‘sun’ is ‘shemesh’ in Hebrew, which means ‘brilliance, glory, ray.’ The word ‘shield’ is ‘magen’ in Hebrew, which means ‘defense, protector, covering.’ So, God is your 'brilliance, glory, ray', and He is also your 'defense, protector, covering.' The psalmist wrote God will give grace and glory. The ‘sun’ is a picture of God’s glory, while the ‘shield’ is a picture of God’s grace. Beloved, God wants you to experience both!

Let’s cross refer now to Exodus 33:18. Moses asked God to show him His glory. But there was a problem there. Moses, human and sinner as he was, would surely die when faced with God's glory (Exodus 33:20). God's glory is God's very presence, His holy presence. He is perfectly holy, and would never condone sin. But instead of saying 'no', God said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by". You see, God made a way for Moses. God did not withhold. Such was God's love for Moses! So, He put Moses in the cleft of the rock, and as His glory passed by, His hand covered him. The ‘rock’ here is a ‘typology’ of Jesus. He is our Rock and our Fortress (Psalm 18:2). The word ‘cleft’ here means ‘cracked, broken’. So, the cleft of the rock here is a picture of Jesus Christ being ‘cracked, broken’ on the cross in order to cover you from the judgment for your sins. Jesus is your covering. This is grace!

God also said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassionon whom I will have compassion (Exodus 33:19). Notice the sentence 'I will proclaim the name of the Lord' here. It simply means 'God will manifest His character'. A 'name' always carries a 'character', and God's foremost character is ‘love’. God is love (1 John 4:16), and the first fruit of His Spirit is also ‘love’ (Galatians 5:22). So, God manifested His goodness, His love, His grace, and His compassion to Moses. Today, He is also manifesting His goodness, His love, His grace, and His compassion to you!

Beloved, just as God did not withhold any good thing from Moses, He will also not withhold any good thing from you. He will even make a way for you. Receive His goodness, His love, His grace, and His compassion today. You can, because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross, once and for all.

Receiving your breakthrough

Acts 16:26: Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

It's breakthrough time! I thank God for the 'captives' are being set free and 'bondages' are being broken in many lives. There's an anointing here to break every bondage and chain that may have hindered you in the past. Receive it now. It's time to be set free, and whatever the devil meant harm for you in the past, God is turning it around for good to you now!

What is a breakthrough? It's an act of breaking through the enemies' defenses. It's a major 'milestone' in your journey towards your God-given destiny. It's also when one is being set free from captivity or bondage. I see the chains of debts being broken in you. I see a breakthrough in your career or business. I see a breakthrough in family relationships. I see new doors being opened in your ministry. Some of you have been hindered by ill-health in the past, and you are now entering a new season of breakthrough in your health. It's time to receive, just as when Paul and Silas received their breakthrough when they were imprisoned (Acts 16:26).

Friends, if God has spoken to you about a goal or a destiny, and somewhere along the way, you have been 'derailed' by the devil, or the destiny seems like it's going to be 'aborted', then be encouraged, for I heard these words for you, that the 'good works' that God has begun in your life, He shall bring it to full completion (Philippians 1:6), and it shall not be aborted.

Paul and Silas were on their way to a destination too. It was a prayer meeting in Lydia's house (Acts 16:15-16). However, their journey was 'derailed' when they were beaten and thrown into prison. It all started when Paul had to cast out an annoying evil spirit from a slave girl who did fortune-telling for her masters (Acts 16:17-18). The masters got angry for the loss of their income, and reported them falsely to the authorities. So, instead of reaching their destination, they were thrown into prison for allegedly causing trouble in the city. In the prison however, Paul and Silas stood firm in the Lord, even in the midnight hour (Acts 16:25). They did not blame. They did not find faults. They did not complain. Instead, they continued to pray, and they continued to praise and worship. Suddenly, the breakthrough came in the form of an earthquake. This earthquake totally shook the prison to the very core, and the prison doors were opened, the shackles were broken, and the chains were loosed. They were indeed set free. Beloved, there's such anointing being released on you right now. What you can do now is to receive it.

And you know what? Things got even better for Paul and Silas after that. They had the prison-keeper and his family saved and baptized (Acts 16:27-33). Eventually, they reached their destination, the prayer meeting (Acts 16:40), plus some great testimonies to share too!

Growing spiritually

2 Corinthians 4:16: Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

Your ‘outward man’ is your physical body, while your ‘inward man’ is your spirit. So, ‘the inward man is being renewed’ in this verse here means ‘your spirit is being renewed’. The word ‘renewed’ here is ‘anakainoo’ in Greek, which means ‘restored, renovated’. Just as a house can be renovated from time to time, your inward man is to be ‘renovated’ day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). The Bible says 'you are being transformed from glory to glory' (2 Corinthians 3:18), and that's how you grow spiritually, in the ‘inside’ of you.

When you grow in the ‘inside’, you will grow in the ‘outside’! In other words, when you expand in the 'inside', you'll expand in the 'outside'.

Let’s look at Psalm 75:6-7 now. It says, ‘for exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.’ In King James Version, this word ‘exaltation’ is written as ‘promotion’. It is ‘ruwm’ in Hebrew which means ‘to rise, to raise, to go up, or bring up’. Here, you'll realize that real promotion in life doesn't come from manipulation of people or 'trying to make things happen' in fleshly ways. These carnal ways may work for a while, but it won't last for long. Friends, know this, a real and lasting promotion comes only from God! It is God who can make things happen for you, and it is Him who opens a way of promotion or expansion for you!

What is the co-relation between spiritual growth (in the ‘inside’) and promotion (in the ‘outside’)? Does one results in the other? The answer is yes. How much you grow in the ‘inside’ will eventually determine how much you grow in the ‘outside’. It’s in a direct proportion. Before promotion in an area of your life comes, there’s always a time of preparation where you are to grow spiritually in that area first.

To grow spiritually is to become more and more like Jesus. It doesn’t really depend on how long you have been a Christian, how old you are, how much experience in life you have, how many bible verses you memorize, how regular you attend church, or how active you are in church ministry, even though these are all good. When you grow spiritually, you are actually growing in the ‘character’ of Jesus. Let me give you an example. If your capacity to sincerely love has expanded from loving your own family to loving others in the neighborhood or in your organization, you have grown spiritually in the area of ‘love’, and there's an expansion in your capacity to 'love'.

Remember when you were a child and the first time you were given 'pocket money' to spend? Why do you think your parents gave you those 'pocket money' at that time, and not before that? Because they felt you were ready. Because they felt you should be responsible enough by then. It's the same how God entrusts you with bigger things in life. It may be an expansion in wealth, an expansion in business, an expansion in spiritual ministry, or a promotion in your career. He'll promote you when He knows you are ready.

Beloved, let's make it your aim to grow spiritually everyday. As you are being transformed from glory to glory to be more like Him day by day, you'll begin to see an expansion or a promotion in all that you do in the 'outside'!

In everything give thanks!

1 Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

It’s easy to give thanks when good things happen. However, the Bible says ‘in everything give thanks’. You know what does 'in everything' means? It includes the time when you are facing a problem or a difficult situation. Yet the Bible says, even in these, give thanks.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you are to accept your problem as ‘fated’, and nothing can be done with it anymore. That’s not what the apostle Paul meant in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. The Bible says it is God's will for you to prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

When you give thanks (in spite of your current problem), know that your victory or breakthrough is at hand. Notice the words ‘for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’. Now that makes a whole lot of difference in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, and Christ Jesus has made all that difference! He has already taken your curse, sickness, or any other problem when He died on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5), and now you are blessed and healed, and now you have your victory and breakthrough! All these have been done for you when Jesus said "It is finished!" (John 19:30) on the cross. What you can do now is to believe and receive. That's why the apostle Paul wrote 'in everything give thanks', even in 'not so good' situation, because in Christ Jesus, there’s already a victory, there’s already a breakthrough, and there's already a 'way out' for you!

Let’s do some cross-reference in the Bible now. 1 Corinthians 15:57 says 'thanks be to God who gives you victory through Christ Jesus our Lord'. The word ‘gives’ here in Greek is both in present tense and continuous tense. It actually means ‘keeps on giving’. It means God 'keeps on giving' you the victory or breakthrough you needed. He has indeed won every victory for you on the cross. That's how blessed you are in Christ! And 2 Corinthians 2:14 says 'thanks be to God who always leads you in triumph in Christ'. The word ‘always’ here really means ‘always’, not ‘sometimes’, ‘often’, and not even ‘almost always’. God always. Give thanks to God who always leads you in triumph in Christ!

Why do you normally say "thank you" to someone? You say it when that someone has helped you, or at least promised to help you. It's the same when you say "thank you" to God. When you thank Him, you are actually and effectively saying thanks for His help! He is indeed your help. He has indeed carried your debt, your sickness, or your every other problem on the cross. Even if you don't see your breakthrough coming immediately, it doesn't mean nothing's happening. When you believe and receive, something has happened in the spirit, and what happens in the spirit will soon be reflected in the natural.

Are you currently facing a 'difficult' situation? Maybe it's a mounting debt, a sickness, or a problem that 'seems to have no solution' at the moment. Be encouraged, my friend. To God, nothing is ever impossible (Matthew 19:26). Only believe. In my life, I know He has never failed to deliver me, even through my 'darkest of hours'. I believe He'll never fail you too, and He'll definitely show you a 'way out'. Take heart.

Beloved, begin to give thanks, and let it flow in your heart, and out in your speech, because your victory and breakthrough is at hand!

Choose to bless and speak 'life'!

Proverbs 18:21: Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit.'

Whatever you speak over your life, or whatever you speak over your spouse, your children, your family, or anything else (business, studies, work, etc) will either bring ‘life’ or bring ‘death’. That’s how powerful your tongue can be! Sometimes we hear words like, “I am useless!”, “I am not going to make it!” or “I am good for nothing!” being spoken. But instead of saying such ‘death’ words, why not say, “I am already blessed” or “by Jesus' stripes, I am already healed!”.

When you speak ‘life’ over an area of your life, you are actually declaring it into being. So, if you want to see a breakthrough in finance, begin to speak 'life' over your finance, and if you want to see yourself living in good health, begin to speak 'life' over your body. That's what Proverbs 18:21 tells us!

Our tongue can either be used to bless or to curse (James 3:9-12). But friends, choose to bless. When you speak 'life', you are actually speaking 'blessings'. The word ‘bless’ in Greek is ‘eulogeo’, which means ‘to speak well of'. Start to 'speak well of' your life. Start to 'speak well of' your spouse, your children, and your family. Start to 'speak well of' every other area of your life! As a believer, know that Jesus has already carried your curse upon Himself on the cross, andyou are meant to be blessed!

Choose also to bless others. When you bless others, you’ll start to see yourself blessed too. The bible says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Those who have past brokenness, bitterness or hurts (that have not been healed yet) may sometimes speak bitter or hurtful words, even unknowingly or unintentionally. The bible says ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’ (Matthew 12:34). This in turn causes even more hurts. It's like a 'spring' that sends forth 'bitter waters' (James 3:11). But when one is healed, 'sweet waters' will begin to flow out, and it shall 'water' and 'nourish' many others as well.

Maybe you have been broken or hurt before in the past, and it wasn't even your fault. Or maybe you have been finding it hard to forgive yourself, or forgive someone. Take heart my friend. Whatever you have been going through, God understands, and He wants to heal you right now. Know that with Him, nothing is impossible. Jesus has already died on the cross to carry your brokenness and hurts, and He has already made you whole. What you can do now is receive your healing. He wants you healed because He so loves you, and He has blessings waiting for you to receive.

Beloved, you are meant to be blessed, because this is God's inheritance for you. You are an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:7). You are also ‘blessed with every spiritual blessing’ (Ephesians 1:3). And not only that, He also wants you to be a blessing to others, and out of you shall flow ‘rivers' of living waters that water and bring ‘life’ to many others (John 7:38).

Be a true worshiper

John 4:23: But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

A true worshiper of God worships in spirit and in truth. Let’s begin by defining the words ‘spirit’ and ‘truth’. The word ‘spirit’ here is ‘pneuma’ in Greek. It’s the deepest part of you, your spirit. ‘Pneuma’ is the word used both for the ‘spirit’ of man and the ‘Spirit’ of God. The word ‘pneo’ in ‘pneuma’ actually means ‘breath’. As true worshipers, we worship God with our spirit. We can even worship in the spirit, just as we pray in the spirit. The word ‘truth’ in John 4:23 is ‘aletheia’ in Greek. It means ‘truly, true, not concealing, not hiding anything.’ As true worshipers, we also worship in truth, or in other words, ‘just as we are’, without hiding anything from Him, or without ‘putting up a front’.

Let’s now look at the background story of this verse John 4:23. That was when Jesus met a Samaritan woman. Do you know who the Samaritans were? They’re a race formed when the Jews married non-Jews. They lived in a region called Samaria, and in those days, the Jews despised them, and they would never want to pass through these Samaritans' land.

However, Jesus did pass through their land. You may ask, ‘why did Jesus reveal such important truths about worship to a Samaritan woman?’ Not only that, as a woman in those days, she had no standing even in her own community. Worse still, she’s been living in sin (John 4:17-18). You may also ask, ‘why didn’t Jesus reveal these truths to the Pharisees, or anyone who’s of high-standing in Jerusalem?’ Well, nothing in Bible was written by accident. Here, Jesus was demonstrating God’s love for the Samaritans as much as He loved the Jews. God loves all of us. We can worship Him disregarding of our background or race. Also, Jesus revealed this truth to a Samaritan woman (instead of a ‘knowledgeable, intellectual’ Pharisee) because she was open, and was humble enough to acknowledge her weaknesses (John 4:19). In those days, worship has become a religious, outwardly act, 'just for show’ (instead of from the heart).

Today, God is looking at the heart of a worshiper, not how much ‘head knowledge’ one may have, or how ‘sophisticated’ one may be, or how high a position (even in ‘spiritual office’) one may be in. He is looking for those who are totally open to Him, those who worship Him ‘just as they are, without hiding anything from Him’, and those who are humble enough to acknowledge their weaknesses (like the Samaritan woman). These are the ones God is seeking for. Beloved, as said by the prophet Jeremiah, let us lift our hearts (and not just our hands) to Him in worship (Lamentations 3:41), and let us worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Receive God's forgiveness

1 John 1:7b: And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

The word ‘cleanses’ is ‘katharizo’ in Greek. It means ‘to cleanse, purify, or purge.’ It comes from the word ‘katharos’ which means ‘clean, clear, or pure.’ The blood of Jesus Christ is effective to cleanse us from all sin. The word ‘all’ here is ‘pas’ in Greek. ‘All’ means ‘all’. In Greek, this word can mean ‘any, every, the whole, whatsoever, thoroughly.’ So, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from every sin, whatsoever, all our sins.

In 1 John 1:9, it says, ‘if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. The word ‘confess’ here is ‘homologeo’ in Greek. It comes from two words, ‘homo’ which means ‘the same’, and ‘logos’ which means ‘say’. So, the word ‘homologeos’ means ‘to say the same, or to acknowledge’. God says He is faithful to forgive us. The word ‘faithful’ here is ‘pistos’ in Greek, which means ‘sure, true, trustworthy’. So, God is sure to forgive us, when we acknowledge our sins, and he cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Because He cleanses you from all unrighteousness, you are now made righteous in Christ. To be righteous here means 'to be in right standing with God'. The interesting word here is ‘cleanses’. In Greek, this word (in 1 John 1:7 and 1 John 1:9) is both in present and continuous tense. It actually means ‘keeps on cleansing’. We can illustrate this like a waterfall, which never stops washing and cleansing the stones in it. It’s a 'waterfall of forgiveness', from the time you first received Jesus. It means God continually cleanses you of your sins.

When you know you are forgiven, you will be healed, in spirit, soul and body. You'll even start to see healing in your finance, in your family, in your career, in your relationships, etc. Psalm 103:3 mentions forgiveness before healing comes. In Luke 5:20-24, when a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus, Jesus said, ‘your sins are forgiven’, before He said, ‘rise up and walk’.

Beloved, receive your forgiveness now. You can because Jesus has done it for you on the cross. When you know you are forgiven, your healing will start flowing!

Communing with the Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14: 'The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.'

The word ‘communion’ here is ‘koinonia’ in Greek. It means ‘fellowship, relationship, intimacy, or partnership.’ So, when Paul wrote 'communion of the Holy Spirit', he meant having 'fellowship, relationship, intimacy, or partnership' with the Holy Spirit. All these words are relational in nature. The Holy Spirit is indeed relational. He wants to relate with you. He's not merely a 'force' or 'power'. He is a Person of God.

Beloved, when you have a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, you’ll not easily be shaken, no matter what happens in the outward, and you’ll not easily be discouraged. Deep in your spirit, you’ll be steadfast, because you know Him. He is the source of love, joy, and peace in your life. He's also your Comforter, Teacher, and your closest Friend. He's always here for you and with you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's who the Holy Spirit is!

The Holy Spirit has been given to us since the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). When you are filled in the Holy Spirit, the evidence is that you'll pray in tongues (or in other words, pray in the spirit). It's the Holy Spirit who gives you the utterance as you pray (Acts 2:4). When you pray in the spirit, you are indeed praying in the perfect will of God (Romans 8:27). Sometimes we tend to pray selfish prayers, or pray from our fleshly point of view, or we are lost for words what to pray. That's where praying in the spirit comes in. Praying in the spirit also builds yourself up on your most holy faith (Jude 20) and edifies (strengthens or energizes) your spirit (1 Corinthians 14:4). When you pray in the spirit, you are also entering spiritual rest and refresh (Isaiah 28:11-12). So, if you feel like you are in a ‘plateau’ spiritually, and you just can’t seem to progress further (i.e spiritually stagnant), do take some time off from your 'busyness', and begin spending time praying in the spirit, soaking yourself in His very presence. In fact, I suggest you pray in the spirit at least an hour everyday. You'll come out refreshed, refilled, and renewed!

The bible says, 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9). The Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you the deeper things that 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard', but you need to take time to wait on Him. One way is by praying in the spirit. You'll begin to know by revelation what God has in store for you, in every area of your life. You'll be sure what's the next step you need to take in life. You’ll also be rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:7). You’ll not be so easily deceived by the devil, or lured by the temptations of the world, because you know His voice, the voice of the Holy Spirit. You'll recognize His voice, and you'll follow His leading. He'll guide you into all truth (John 16:13), and He'll lead you to fulfil your God-given destiny in life. All these happen when you commune with the Holy Spirit.

God is our 'rest and refresh'

Isaiah 40:31: But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength! The word ‘wait’ here is ‘qavah’ in Hebrew. It carries the meaning ‘to expect, to gather together, to look patiently on’. So, as we take time to wait on Him, we shall be renewed and refreshed in our strength.

There are times we get spiritually tired, especially after ‘doing the running’ in spiritual ministry, in serving at church, in looking after our family, or in business and career. But there’s good news for you. God is your spiritual ‘rest and refresh’. Isaiah 40:29 says, ‘He gives power to the weak’. The word ‘power’ here also means ‘vigor, strength, might’. So, as we wait on the Lord, we’ll receive God’s vigor, strength, and might again. He replenishes your spiritual energy that has been drained.

In Isaiah 40:31, there seems to be a cycle illustrating how we can be diminished in strength, and how God can replenish our strength. It says, ‘they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run, and then they shall walk’. The first is ‘to mount up’, or in other words, ‘to launch up into the sky’. Anyone who studies science knows this 'mounting up' takes a whole lot of energy. Then comes the second, which is ‘to run’, and finally, ‘to walk’. So, you'll see in life there’s a continuous cycle of ‘mount up, run, and walk’.

Now, how do we get ourselves replenished in the Lord again? The answer is when you take time to rest in Him, in Word and in Spirit. When you know you are drained, or when you start to feel a little 'edgy', then it's time to leave your 'busyness' aside, and begin to feed on the Word, confessing and meditating on the Word, and to pray in the Spirit. Have a 'time-out' just to be with the Lord. You’ll be renewed and refreshed again by the Word and Spirit, and as you do that, you’ll ‘mount up with wings like eagles’ again. Even when the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall (Isaiah 40:30), but you who wait on the Lord shall be renewed in strength, and shall never be weary and shall never faint!

There's rest for God's people

Hebrews 4:9: There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

The word ‘rest’ in this verse is ‘sabbatismos’ in Greek. It comes from the word ‘sabbath'. The word ‘rest’ here is also a ‘typology’ of heaven. When you rest in God, you are actually ‘living in the heavenly realm, or operating from the heavenly realm.’ So, this verse says ‘there remains therefore ‘a living in the heavenly realm’ for God’s people.

In heaven, there’s rest, and there's no toiling or striving. You see, heaven is not a cursed place. Heaven is overflowing with blessings. It is a supernatural realm, and when we say we work from our rest in God, we are actually living and operating from this heavenly realm. Jesus says, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (Matthew 6:10). You can have ‘heaven’ while living on earth. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were also living in this realm of resting in the Lord, living in the heavenly realm where there was no striving or toiling. Tending the garden of Eden was a pleasure and it was easy because they were living from their ‘rest’ in God. They were blessed with good things in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). But, all these came to an end after they disobeyed God, and they had to toil and till the ground with much effort, as the ground has become cursed (Genesis 3:17). They had to ‘sweat it out’ for their living (Genesis 3:19). But friends, you don’t have to live like that anymore. I have good news for you today. God has redeemed you from every curse. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, He said, ‘It is finished!’ (John 19:30). He has done His part. He has taken away your curse on the cross, and so now you are blessed. His body has already been broken, and His blood has already been shed to take away your curse and sins. What you need to do is believe and receive. Notice after Jesus has finished His works on the cross, He sat down (Ephesians 2:6). To ‘sit down’ is a resting position, and the bible says you are sitting together with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

Beloved, you can rest in Jesus’ finished works today. You can now work from your rest in Him. When you work from your rest in His finished works, you don’t have to toil and strive anymore, hitting nowhere. Work becomes a joy, just like Adam tending the garden before his fall. You are now working and doing God's will from a state of being blessed. You are now working in God’s heavenly and supernatural realm. From this realm, there’ll be joy and peace, there'll be rest, and there'll be heavenly flow, resources, wisdom, revelation, ideas, open doors, and everything you ever need in life. Hallelujah!

God's love has been poured out in your heart!

Romans 5:5b: God's love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

God's love in Greek is ‘agape’. It is His constant and unconditional love for us. In Romans 5:5, Paul wrote that God’s love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Notice how generous God is to us! God doesn't just sprinkle His love in our hearts, but Romans 5:5 says God pours out His love in our hearts!

The bible also says God is love (1 John 4:16). In fact, if you see Galatians 5:22-23, the first fruit of the Spirit of God is ‘love’. Love is the very foundation in our Christian living, and on this love (loving God and loving others), hangs all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:40).

You may say, “Pastor, it’s easier said than done. I find it so hard to love that ‘so and so’. Even the sight of him/her or his/her voice can irritate me!” My friend, stop trying too hard to love someone with your own self-effort and strength. Stop trying to love someone using your mind, willpower or emotions. These are all in your soul level. The bible says the love of God is being poured out in your heart (Romans 5:5). Here, Paul's talking about your spirit level, your inner man. Love (agape) never fails, even when everything else fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Your friends, colleagues, superiors, or even your family and loved ones may fail or hurt you at times, but take heart, His love never fails. What you need to do now is simply ‘receive His love’ first. "Pastor, you mean it's that easy, and nothing else?" Yes, it's that easy, and nothing else. Just receive. As easy as that. Christian life is a life resting in Jesus' finished works, and so, we love, we work, and we minister out of our rest in Him. When you have been so filled with His love, loving others will not be hard to you anymore, especially those whom you get easily irritated with. God's love will just flow out easily from your heart, because you have first received and experienced His love.

Beloved, His love is for you to receive freely (Romans 8:32). When you have experienced His love being poured out in you, something in your heart changes, and you just can’t help but to love others freely too. Love will just flow out like rivers of living water (John 7:38) from you to others.

It's time to realign with God!

Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The word ‘blessed’ in this verse is ‘makarios’ in Greek. It means ‘fortunate, happy, well-off.’ The word ‘pure’ in Greek is ‘katharos’ which means ‘clean, clear, pure.’ Jesus says blessed are the ‘clean, clear, pure’ in heart, for they shall see God.

The word ‘see’ here has deeper meaning than just the verb ‘see’ that we know. In Greek, this word is ‘optanomai’. It means ‘to gaze (with wide open eyes at something remarkable), the appearance, showing self.’ So it carries the meaning that those who are pure in heart shall experience God showing Himself. It is an experience of His revelation.

In Psalm 51:10, King David prayed this, “create in me a clean heart.” He wasn’t just repenting from his sins. He was also aligning himself back to the very heart, desire, and intention of God in his life. Deep down in David's heart, he knew he had gone 'off-track', and he knew without God's leading and revelation, he could never continue as God's anointed king!

Beloved, like David, this is a time to realign yourself with God. God wants to separate His desires from your own selfish ones. He wants you to follow His desires and ways, so that His plans for your life will be accomplished. Rest assured His plans for you are always plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). You may have started out correctly according to God's will, but maybe down the road, things may have gone 'off-track', and God's desires in your life may have been 'contaminated' with your own self-seeking, impure intention or desires. So, instead of glorifying God, you may have sought your own.

If you are in a situation where you don't see an answer no matter how you try, or your breakthrough tarries even after you have done everything you knew how, it's time to look honestly again at your intentions and desires. It's time to let go of your own fleshly desires, and let God's desires be yours. I like how Paul put it, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). He had no more of his own selfish desires or ways. It's all God's.

Beloved, it's time to move where He moves, and move how He moves. His revelation will start flowing again in your life, and your breakthrough will come, even in ways you have never imagined before!

All things work for good to those who love God

Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The Word of God says ‘all things work together for good’ to those who love God. Is God the love of your life? The answer for me is a definite yes! I believe the same is for you too! Then rest assured that ‘all things work together for good’ in your life! Notice in ‘all things work together for good’, the word ‘for good’ here in Greek is ‘agathos’. It really means ‘for your benefit.’ So, in other words, ‘all things work together for your benefit.’

Friends, if you are wondering why certain things happened in your life, even after you have done everything you knew how, then begin to rest in God, and know that He is still here with you. The bible says ‘He will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5). Rest assured God knows what He is doing. God has a purpose for everything in your life. In fact, you have been called according to His purpose. His destiny and purpose for you is sure, and His plan for your life is always good. The bible says ‘His thought for you is always thought of peace and not evil, that gives you a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11).

Now imagine this. God is like a ‘portrait artist’, and you are like a ‘white canvas’. At the moment, He is in the midst of painting a wonderful portrait of you. At first, you may not understand or figure out what the artist is trying to draw. He may start off by drawing your nose, or maybe your eye brow first, or maybe even your cheek first. But the fact is a good artist knows what he’s doing. The same is true with God. He is the great ‘artist’ of your life, and He is definitely in the midst of drawing a ‘wonderful portrait’ of you now. Now tell me this, which good artist does not give his very best for his own works? The same is true with God, and you are definitely His masterpiece in the making!

So beloved, rest in Him, and trust Him, His wisdom, and His timing for your life. Ephesians 1:11 says ‘in Him, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to His purpose, who works all things according to the counsel of His will.’ The words ‘according to the counsel of His will’ here actually means ‘according to His wisdom.’ His wisdom, His timing is perfect.

Friends, look to Jesus now, trust in His goodness and His plan for your life, and in everything, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18), for He is in the midst of ‘drawing a masterpiece in you!’

The goodness of God leads to true repentance

1 John 4:19: We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 says, ‘we love Him because He first loved us.’ It doesn’t say, ‘He love us because we first loved Him.’ Now who loved who first? Obviously the answer is God loved us first. God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That’s how good God is to us.

In Luke 5:3-10, you can see God’s love and goodness demonstrated in Simon Peter’s life. This led him to true repentance, and he finally became a disciple of Jesus. In Luke 5:3, Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat at the time he was washing his fishing nets after a frustrating night of toiling, with no results (Luke 5:5). In other words, Simon Peter was feeling such a failure that day. And that was the time Jesus came into his life. Little did he know it was the turning point of his life. Friends, when Jesus comes with all His love and goodness into your life, your life will definitely be changed too!

In Luke 5:4, Jesus asked Simon Peter to launch out into the deep again, and let down his nets for a catch. Simon was a little apprehensive at first as he had toiled whole night without results, and who is this ‘man’ asking him to go back to the sea again. Nevertheless, he obliged. Guess what? This time, he caught a great number of fish, and the net was about to break! Simon even had to ask his partners in the other boat to come and help. Now when Simon Peter saw this goodness of God, he was astonished and fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ But Jesus answered, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ Simon found and experienced God’s love, goodness, grace, and even destiny in life. He forsook all, and followed Jesus from then on.

So, from an uneducated, rough and probably foul-mouthed fisherman who was a failure, God’s goodness changed his life that day. It led him to true repentance. He confessed being a sinner (Luke 5:8). There was a change in his heart and mind. He suddenly realized how much God loved him, and how good God has been to him. He probably might have thought otherwise before that. But now he has experienced the goodness of God that changed his life forever. This is true repentance, my friend.

Simon Peter went on to become a key disciple of Jesus, and later in Acts 2:14, he preached a sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit where 3,000 souls were saved that day, and the church was birthed forth.

Friends, it is God’s love and goodness that really leads to true repentance, not judgmental preaching and message that is based on fear, or religious law that tries to change us in the outside. We are talking about true repentance from the heart, the inner change. God is not an angry God looking around and hunting for your sins, waiting to punish you. In fact, your sins have already been punished when Jesus died on the cross, once and for all (Romans 6:10). Your sins have already been judged on the cross. So now, believers, rest assured that you are not punished anymore. Believe He is always good to you. Receive His goodness today!

We are entering a season of triumph!

2 Corinthians 2:14: Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

It is God who always leads us in triumph. The word ‘leads’ here speaks of God leading us in triumph. He is our Leader. The word ‘triumph’ comes from the word ‘thriambeuo’ in Greek which means ‘to make an acclamatory procession, to conquer, to give victory, to triumph over, with songs or noise of celebrating, with shouts of triumph.’ In New International Version, it says ‘God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ.’ This procession comes with celebration, a celebration of triumph, parading the victory won, to loud cheers, applause, and shouts of triumph (Psalm 47:1, Exodus 15:1, Exodus 15:21, Psalm 92:4). And we triumph not by our own self-effort, but we triumph in Christ, the anointed, all-powerful One. Friends, we are entering such season now. The battle is on, but the victory is ours. The ‘ark of the covenant’ is in procession again, just as in King David’s time (1 Chronicles 15:14-16) when the ark was brought into Jerusalem. It’s also likened to the time Jesus entered Jerusalem in a triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1-9), and people were shouting ‘Hosanna’, which means ‘help, save, rescue us!’ It’s an exclamation of adoration to the Messiah, the anointed One. This triumphal entry is important as this was when Jesus the Messiah was publicly recognized. Before that, Jesus refused public recognition of Himself as the Messiah, and ministered outside Jerusalem. So the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem was a procession, a public parade (or show) of the entrance of the King of Glory. Jesus is the King of Glory. The ‘ark of the covenant’ always symbolizes the glory of God, the very presence of God. The ark is also a symbol of God’s promise, a reminder of God’s leadership in a battle.

When we live in triumph in Christ, we’ll diffuse or spread the glory of God. However, this is not done through toiling, striving, or self-effort. It’s done in the spirit. It’s done from our resting in the Lord. It’s done by the leading of the Lord. The fragrance or sweet aroma of the knowledge of the glory of God shall permeate the spiritual realm, wherever we go. And whatever happens in the spiritual realm shall be reflected in the natural realm. Imagine the sweet fragrance of flowers and fruits that fills the air. Likewise, the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). This is truly an end-time prophecy. And this knowledge of the glory of God is not just ‘head knowledge’. The word ‘knowledge’ here in Greek is ‘gnosis’. It means ‘knowing, understanding, be sure.’ It is ‘yada’ in Hebrew. It means ‘be sure, knowing, endued with.’ It is knowing by experience. It’s the expression ‘I know that I know that I know.’

This fragrance of the glory of God is spread ‘through us.’ We are ‘the vessels, the channels, the carriers’ of the glory of God everywhere we go. We are the carriers of spiritual light that emanates in the darkness. When light comes, darkness flees. So every time we are praying in the spirit, or releasing the Word, we are changing the spiritual realm with the ‘light’. The ‘light’ emanates to change the atmosphere around you. This ‘light’ is the glory of God (Revelation 21:23). So, every time we praise, every time we worship, the ‘light’ shines and triumph over the darkness. Every time we love (with the love of God, ‘agape’) and serve, every time we edify someone with the Word of God, every time we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the ‘light’ emanates outward and changes the spiritual atmosphere. This is how the knowledge of the glory of the Lord fills the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). It’s time to look away from ‘what it seems to be on earth now’, and look to God, for we ‘walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7). To walk by faith here is to walk by ‘pistis’ in Greek. It means ‘to walk in conviction, truthfulness of God, assurance, constancy, and reliance upon Christ.’ We are not to walk by sight, which is ‘eidos’ in Greek, meaning ‘an outward view, appearance, form, shapes, fashion, sight.’

So be ready fellow partners in Christ, for we’ll be used by God as such vessels in this season, the end-time season, in a greater intensity than we’ve ever known before. The time is now. The glory of God is here, and reaping time is now (John 4:38). Hallelujah!

Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing!

Psalm 34:10: The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 34:10 says ‘those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.’ The word ‘seek’ in Hebrew is ‘dawrash’. It means ‘to pursue, follow, worship, ask, or require’. So, those who pursue, follow, worship, ask, or require of the Lord shall not lack any good thing. What are the good things in your life? These include good health, good family, good relationships, good jobs, good finance, open doors, and the list goes on.

The psalmist says ‘even the young lions lack and suffer hunger’, but you will not. Lions are pictures of strength, might, and power. They are supposedly the most powerful of all animals, the king in the wild. But Psalm 34:10 says even the lions in all their strength, might, and prowess can be in lack, and can’t satisfy the hunger of their young ones. But when we look to God, we’ll never lack any good thing.

Let’s look at Psalm 20:7 now. It says ‘some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’ A chariot means ‘human despatch.’ A chariot was used in those days as a vehicle or wagon to despatch things from one place to another. Now what does a chariot speaks of here? It speaks of man-made things, men’s methods being used to despatch things. It symbolizes man-made systems, be they economic, social, or politics. Sometimes, we tend to rely so much on men’s methods or systems to give us good things, at the expense of looking to God, the source of all good things. ‘Horses’ in Psalm 20:7 symbolize ‘strength of the flesh.’ It speaks of 'human abilities.'

But instead of trusting in ‘chariots’ or ‘horses’, David, the one who wrote this psalm said he’d rather remember the name of the Lord and trust Him. David was a man after God’s heart, and he knew the way to prosper is to look to God. David knew who God is, ‘The Great I Am’, the awesome, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-present God.

Beloved, whatever situation you are facing now, start looking to God like David did, not to men of power, wealth or position for help, not to man-made methods or systems, and not to your own strength, might or intelligence. In times of uncertainty, God is the only One who is constant and certain. He is our Rock and Fortress (Psalm 31:3). Look to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. God always has a redemption plan for you, a way out for you, no matter what mess you may be facing now. He loves you, and He’ll never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). That’s why He came on earth. He has indeed finished His works for you on the cross and redeemed you. So look to Jesus, and His finished works on the cross. He has carried and taken all your sicknesses, poverty, curse, shame, and sins, died on the cross, and made you whole. Believe, and receive.

The power of worship

Acts 16:25-26: But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

When Paul and Silas were falsely accused (Acts 16:16-22) and then imprisoned (Acts 16:23-24), they began to worship God. They did not complain, find faults, wondering what went wrong, or got worried and anxious about their situation. They instead surrendered their situation to God in prayer and sang songs of worship (hymns) to God.

What is worship? It is ‘shachah’ in Hebrew, which means ‘to prostrate, fall down or bow oneself down.’ In other words, it means ‘to surrender ‘. In Greek, the word ‘worship’ is ‘proskuneo’, where the English word ‘prostrate’ come from. To prostrate is ‘to surrender, throw oneself in submission, or being yielded to a superior strength.’

So in Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas were worshipping God, surrendering their situation to God, resting and trusting God in total surrender. They chose not to worry, complain or sulk. Instead, they chose to worship, even in the middle of the night. Friends, when you are in your ‘midnight hour’, in the darkest hour in your life, and faced with a difficult situation, do not worry nor be anxious. Rest assured God is still here with you. And He is a great and awesome God, a miracle-working God. After all, He owns the whole galaxy. Put your trust in Him. Worship Him, just as Paul and Silas did. When we worship, we are actually surrendering our whole life, and the whole situation to God, allowing Him to take over.

You see, ‘worship’ and ‘worry’ are total opposites. To worship is to let God take over your situation, as you trust and rest in Him. To worry is not resting and trusting in God, but instead trying to figure out what to do with our own self-effort or strength. That’s the difference.

As Paul and Silas were worshipping, their breakthrough came. The ‘prison’ was shaken, the ‘chains’ loosed, and the ‘doors’ opened, by the power of God. Now don’t get me wrong. We do not worship God in order to get a result. In other words, we do not worship God to try to earn a breakthrough. Worship is not a human effort to earn something. We worship Him simply because of who He is, and how great and awesome He is, not because we want to try to earn a breakthrough or His acceptance. In fact, we are already accepted when He died for us on the cross. Our part is simply to believe on Him, and worship is an expression of our total surrender and trust in Him.

Beloved, it’s so good to worship God, and as you magnify Him in worship, trusting and resting in Him in total surrender, He’ll take over. Your ‘prison’ shall be shaken, your ‘chains’ shall be loosed, and your ‘doors’ shall be opened. Hallelujah!

God's protection is with you!

Psalm 91:4: He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

When you have Jesus, you have His protection. You are covered ‘under His wings’, as the psalmist said. Let me tell you a story to illustrate God’s protection. Once, there was fire in a farm, and many herds of cattle and poultry were burnt alive. As the fire died down, the farmer went around, assessing the extent of the loss in his farm. When he reached the chicken coop, he took notice of a carcass of a mother hen, lying dead on its front with the wings spread, and severely burnt at its back. As the farmer picked up the carcass of the mother hen, he was surprised to find all the small chicks beneath the dead mother hen, all alive! The farm fire did not touch them. The mother hen had obviously sacrificed herself in order to protect and cover her little chicks.

The same way, Jesus died for you, and he was smitten, stricken, bruised, and wounded for you on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5), like the mother hen died to cover and protect her little chicks. Jesus laid down His life for you. He has taken all your judgment and condemnation, on the cross. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us, carried our sins, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Such is God’s great love for you and me!

Now who is Psalm 91:4 talking about? The answer is Jesus Christ. Psalm 91:4 says, ‘His truth is your shield and buckler.’ Let’s cross-refer to the book of John now. John 1:17 says, ‘grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’ John 14:6 says, ‘Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.’ So, ‘grace and truth’ came down, in person. His name is Jesus Christ. He came to save us. The blood that has been shed on the cross not only washes all your sins away, but it also covers and protects you. So today, you can come under the blood of Jesus Christ, and plead His blood for protection.

Beloved, come under His covering and trust Him for your protection and safety, also for your family and loved ones, or even your possessions, finance, properties, and every other area in life.

You are God's beloved!

Luke 3:22b: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased,”

God the Father says Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and He is well pleased with Jesus. The word ‘beloved’ in Greek is ‘agapetos’, which comes from the word ‘agape’, the greatest form of love, God’s love. ‘Agapetos’ therefore means ‘dearly loved by God, God’s dear, God’s beloved’.

God the Father also says “in You, I am well pleased.” What exactly does ‘well pleased’ mean? In Greek, it is ‘eudokeo’, which means ‘approved, accepted, have good pleasure of.’ So Jesus is not only the beloved of God, He is also approved of God, accepted of God, and have good pleasure of God!

Today, if you have believed and received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, God also says this to you, “You are My beloved son/daughter, and in you I am well pleased.”

Now, notice in Luke 4:3, when Jesus was led after that by the Spirit into the wilderness, the devil tried to omit the word ‘beloved’ from Jesus. The devil only called Jesus ‘Son of God’, instead of ‘beloved Son of God.’ The devil was trying to tempt Jesus by saying, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ The devil omitted the word ‘beloved’ when he talked to Jesus, trying to cause Jesus to forget that He is the beloved Son of God.

Today, the devil’s strategy is still the same. He wants to divert you from knowing that you are actually God’s beloved. The devil will say this to you, “Hey, how about this sin you committed just now, how about that sin you committed yesterday? You think God is still pleased with you? You think God still love you? You are filthy, how can you be a beloved of God?” Well friends, this is a blatant lie of the devil.

When we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are already a beloved of God. We are also already made joint-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17), and already made to sit together with Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). In short, we are already made righteous in Christ. All our sins have already been forgiven when Jesus died on the cross, once and for all. And now on account of Jesus and His finished works on the cross, you have also become a beloved of God, and God is also well pleased with you!

So the next time the devil tries to make you doubt if you are really a beloved of God, look to Jesus again and His finished works on the cross. You are already made joint-heirs, sitting together with Jesus. You have already been accepted of God, not by your own works, but by what Jesus has already done for you on the cross.

Blessed beyond measure!

Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

You are blessed beyond measure! What exactly is to be blessed? To be blessed is ‘to have God’s favor, and God’s pleasure.’ In Ephesians 3:20, Paul wrote that God is able to bless you beyond your very own expectation. Notice the word ‘God is able.’ It’s in present tense. It’s about ‘now.’ Paul didn’t write ‘God was able’, or ‘God used to be able.’ So friends, you can be blessed beyond measure ‘now.’ If it has happened before in your life, it can happen again now!

The word ‘exceedingly’ is ‘huper’ in Greek, the original language of this text. It means ‘beyond, over and above, more than expected.’ So today, whatever breakthrough you are asking of God, He is able to do it, even beyond your expectation and measure. In other words, He can give you a pleasant surprise! So if you need a breakthrough in your finance, expect pleasant surprise from Him. If you are praying for ‘open doors’, get ready for pleasant surprise from Him. He has broken your curse when He died on the cross for you, and what you have now is blessings, and more blessings! Believe it, my friend.

I have personally experienced blessings beyond my wildest imagination. When I was a boy, I found out that I was born with speech impairment. I remember struggling to even say ‘hello’ clearly, and I was already ten years old then. My dad had to bring me for speech therapy in hospital, and get specialist’s help. Due to this impairment, I became a very shy, timid person, and without friends, as whatever I tried to speak out, it’ll only invite mockery and teasing from my schoolmates. I grew up this way. So through the years, I remembered asking God I wished to speak like a normal person, and I'd be more than happy if I could. You know what, not only God answered my prayer, He answered exceedingly abundantly above all that I asked or thought of. Today, not only have I been healed, the pleasant surprise is God did something beyond my wildest imagination. He made me a preacher, a teacher of the Word. Communicating with people and in the public has become one of my strengths today, and speaking in the public has become like second nature to me. Praise God! This has to be God’s work! Ephesians 3:20 says God is able to do it not according to my own power, but the ‘power’ that works in me. This word ‘power’ in Ephesians 3:20 is ‘dunamis’ in Greek. It means ‘God’s miraculous power.’ Hallelujah! He is always a miracle-working God. So beloved, if you are waiting for a breakthrough in your life, hang on there. Look to Jesus! Start to believe that you are already blessed, even beyond measure!

The joy of the Lord is your strength!

Nehemiah 8:10b: Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

God wants to give you joy in your life, not sorrow. This ‘joy of the Lord’ comes from God, and not from human or human activities. It definitely does not come from your Friday night’s ‘happy hour’.

What is this ‘joy’? If you check the word ‘joy’ in Hebrew, it is ‘khedvaw’. It means ‘joy, rejoicing, gladness’. When you read ‘the joy of the Lord’, it actually means ‘the joy belonging to God, depicting God, God’s joy, or joy from God.’

When Jesus died on the cross, He has already taken all your sorrows, wounds, pains, and griefs (Isaiah 53:4). He instead replaces these with ‘the joy of the Lord.’ So now you can have joy. And the good news is you don’t even need to work or pay for it. You just receive it gladly, and with an open heart. It’s as easy as this. It has been done for you when Jesus died on the cross. He has already taken all your sorrows, and has given you joy. Notice that ‘joy’ and ‘sorrow’ are total opposites.

When you have this joy from God, the bible says you’ll be strengthened. This joy inside of you will lead to strength that prevails over every situation outside of you. No wonder apostle Paul said, ‘rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!’ (Philippians 4:4). He’s got this revelation about the joy of the Lord!

Proverbs 15:13 says ‘a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.’ The word ‘merry’ here also means ‘gladness, rejoice, joyful.’ The word ‘sorrow’ in this verse means ‘pain, wound.’ Friends, the joy inside of you will lead to the joy outside of you, and even your countenance will change! People will definitely see a difference in you. So, let go all your sorrows to Jesus. Let Him take all those sorrows, and receive the joy from heaven in exchange. This joy that comes from God will be your force, a fortress, and a strength that prevails over every outward circumstance of yours!

God's grace is abounding toward you!

2 Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says ‘God is able to make all grace abound toward you.’ Notice here that God ‘is’ able, not God ‘was’ able, or God ‘used to be able’. God’s promise is always in the ‘now’, present tense, not past tense. He is the ‘I AM THAT I AM’ (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58), a present tense God. He is your very present help (Psalm 46:1). So God is in the present, now, able to make ALL grace abound toward you.

When you read ‘God is able to make ALL grace abound toward you’, it really means you can have God’s grace in ‘all’ areas of your life, not just one area of your life.

“Pastor, you mean I can have grace in ALL areas of my life?” Absolutely! Let’s stand on His Word. ‘All’ in this verse here is ‘pas’ in Greek. It means ‘every, whatsoever, whole.’ So, that includes grace in your career, grace in your family, grace in your business, grace in your finance, grace in every way!

And what does the word ‘grace’ means here? It is ‘charis’ in Greek. It means ‘being acceptable, having God’s favor, gift, benefit & pleasure bestowed on you joyfully and with liberality.’ Wow! This is God’s promise for us who believe. Jesus Christ has indeed taken every curse on your behalf at the cross, and therefore now, you can receive such abounding grace, in every area of your life. Believe & receive it!

The word ‘abound’ in Greek is ‘perisseuo’, which means ‘be in abundance, be in excess, have enough & to spare, excel, exceed.’ So when the world is going through economic recession, those who believe shall have abounding grace. There’s a big difference here, friend. So when people seem to have ‘closed doors’, you’ll just have supernatural ‘open doors’. Praise God! That’s what living in God’s heavenly kingdom is!

When God’s grace is abounding in you, the Bible says ‘you’ll have all sufficiency in all things,’ so that you may have an abundance for every good work. It means you’ll have all that you need, at all times in your life. This is how generous God is to you. He is such a great Giver. After all, He spared nothing. He even gave His only begotten Son Jesus to die for you (John 3:16).

The One Thing I Desire...

Luke 10:42: But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

The one thing that Mary desired was to be with Jesus.

In Luke 10:38, Jesus was in a house where two sisters, Martha and Mary, were staying. While Mary chose to be with Jesus, sitting at His feet and hearing His word, Martha was rather busy, distracted with much serving in the kitchen. Feeling unfair, Martha approached Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:40). But, instead, Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen a good part, which will not be taken away.” (Luke 10:41-42).

Sometimes we tend to be like Martha, worried and troubled about too many earthly things. Everybody seems to be rushing here and there, and be in a hurry. “Oh, I’m too busy, and I have no time to pray and read the Word.” There’s nothing wrong in being responsible with our daily tasks. But being too worried and troubled with it, at the expense of being with Jesus, we’d miss out even more. When Jesus was in the sisters’ house, there was only one thing that Mary desired, which was to be with Jesus. She’d never want to miss this precious time with Jesus. She just wanted to be with Jesus.

When you have Jesus, you have everything.

In the book of Acts chapter 4, some of the more educated people in Jerusalem (the rulers, the scribes, the elders, and the priests) were marveled with the extraordinary boldness that they found in Peter and John. They knew that Peter and John were once fishermen. But, there was such authority and power when they preach and teach. Even a notable miracle happened through them, when a man born lame was healed and was able to walk for the first time. They finally realized and acknowledged that both of them had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

When you have been with Jesus, people will realize there’s a difference in you.

Beloved and friends, choose the better part. Choose to be with Jesus. Choose to have an exclusive time with Him, everyday. Spend time in worship, in the Word, and in prayer daily. Your life will never be the same again. You’ll start to experience Him so real. And not only that, the results and the ‘fruits’ that you’ve always wanted and longed for will start to come.