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.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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 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!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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).
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).
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against the enemy
Isaiah 59:19b: When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
If you check the Hebrew dictionary for this word ‘flood’ in Isaiah 59:19, you’ll realize that we are not talking about the enemy’s flood that try to destroy us, but instead it’s God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works.
The word ‘flood’ in this verse is ‘nahar’ in Hebrew. It means ‘great waters, God’s running waters.’ It can also mean ‘prosperity, sparkle, cheerful.’ So when the enemy tries to come in, attack us, or swarm us, like a ‘nahar’, like a flood, God will lift up a standard against him, putting to flight and chase away the enemy.
Who is this ‘enemy’? He is our ‘adversary’, satan and his works of darkness. Let us cross refer to Psalm 90:5 and Isaiah 28:2 about God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works. Psalm 90:5 says, ‘You (God) carry them (enemy) away like a flood.’ Isaiah 28:2 says, ‘Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.’ Wow! It means when the enemy tries to swarm and overpower us, the Spirit of the Lord shall raise a standard against it, like a great flood of mighty waters.
The power of the Holy Spirit has come on the church since the day Acts 1:8 came to pass, when ‘we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us.’ And the Spirit of God will lift up a standard against the enemy and its works. The word ‘standard’ here means ‘banner’. Our God is the Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner, our victory (Exodus 17:15). Praise the Lord! When we raise a ‘banner’, it is a sign of victory and triumph.
So, friends, if the ‘adversary’ tries to attack you, or swarm you, be it in your personal life, in your church, or in your land, know this: the Lord will lift up a ‘banner’ against it. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit has already been given to the church. Begin to commune with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), pray in the spirit, take authority in the spiritual realm, and we will triumph, putting to flight, chasing away the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God! In fact, God has been raising up many intercessors at the spiritual forefront in this end-time. God is raising us up for such a time as this, friends. And God promises that ‘no weapon formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against us in judgment, God shall condemn. This is our heritage as the servants of the Lord, and our righteousness is from the Lord (Isaiah 54:17). Amen.
If you check the Hebrew dictionary for this word ‘flood’ in Isaiah 59:19, you’ll realize that we are not talking about the enemy’s flood that try to destroy us, but instead it’s God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works.
The word ‘flood’ in this verse is ‘nahar’ in Hebrew. It means ‘great waters, God’s running waters.’ It can also mean ‘prosperity, sparkle, cheerful.’ So when the enemy tries to come in, attack us, or swarm us, like a ‘nahar’, like a flood, God will lift up a standard against him, putting to flight and chase away the enemy.
Who is this ‘enemy’? He is our ‘adversary’, satan and his works of darkness. Let us cross refer to Psalm 90:5 and Isaiah 28:2 about God’s flood that sweeps away the enemy and his works. Psalm 90:5 says, ‘You (God) carry them (enemy) away like a flood.’ Isaiah 28:2 says, ‘Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.’ Wow! It means when the enemy tries to swarm and overpower us, the Spirit of the Lord shall raise a standard against it, like a great flood of mighty waters.
The power of the Holy Spirit has come on the church since the day Acts 1:8 came to pass, when ‘we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us.’ And the Spirit of God will lift up a standard against the enemy and its works. The word ‘standard’ here means ‘banner’. Our God is the Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner, our victory (Exodus 17:15). Praise the Lord! When we raise a ‘banner’, it is a sign of victory and triumph.
So, friends, if the ‘adversary’ tries to attack you, or swarm you, be it in your personal life, in your church, or in your land, know this: the Lord will lift up a ‘banner’ against it. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit has already been given to the church. Begin to commune with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), pray in the spirit, take authority in the spiritual realm, and we will triumph, putting to flight, chasing away the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the living God! In fact, God has been raising up many intercessors at the spiritual forefront in this end-time. God is raising us up for such a time as this, friends. And God promises that ‘no weapon formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against us in judgment, God shall condemn. This is our heritage as the servants of the Lord, and our righteousness is from the Lord (Isaiah 54:17). Amen.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The one who trusts God will never be dismayed!
Isaiah 28:16b: Whoever believes will not act hastily.
It reads ‘the one who trusts will never be dismayed’ in New International Version. It means whoever believes and trusts in God will not panic (when faced with a challenge in life), be anxious, or make hasty decisions.
When we place our trust in Him, He'll give us knowledge and understanding in handling a matter or situation. Who will be taught knowledge and understanding? The Bible says God will give understanding to those who trust in Him, those who are humble, and not those who are proud or 'drunkards' (Isaiah 28:1).
So beloved, whatever situation or problem you may be facing now, place your trust in Him. He's your answer, and He always has the answer.
When we place our trust in Him, He’ll also reveal His guidance to us- precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). We’ll always be in the right timing and season, doing the right thing at the right time. We’ll not be behind time, or ahead of the right timing. We’ll not be hasty in doing something.
God will surely show us the right thing to do. So beloved, allow ourselves to listen to the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 28:23). The Bible says He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance (Isaiah 28:29).
The way He reveals to us is progressive, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. He can reveal what’s best for us in many ways- in dreams, visions, prophecies, still small voice, inner witness, etc. The word ‘precept’ means ‘guidance’. In Hebrew, the word ‘precept’ is ‘tsav’. It means ‘commandment, or injunction (court order)’. So, God does command or order us, and we are to obey. There’ll be good results. God’s ways are always the best for you.
Let's do a little bit of bible-study here. There are two kinds of persons, two big contrasts, you can find in Isaiah 28:
Isaiah 28:7 talks about a person influenced by the spirit (small letter 's'), i.e. alcohol.
Isaiah 28:11-12 talks about a person influenced by the Spirit (capital letter ‘S’), the Holy Spirit.
The first kind is like a person influenced by alcohol, a drunkard, who ‘errs in vision, stumbles in judgment’. It means ‘stumbling in making decisions’. In other words, ‘making bad decisions’.
On the other hand, the other kind is a person influenced and led by the Holy Spirit, who prays in the Spirit (with stammering lips, in another tongue), and has ‘rest’ and ‘refreshing’ (Isaiah 28:12).
See, my friend, there’s no striving and toiling when we are open to Him, when we let ourselves flow with Him, and be led by the Holy Spirit. There’s rest and refreshing, not frustration, panic, and anxiety. Your life will have rest, yet more fruitful. You'll be living in His flow, His perfect will, fulfilling your God-given destiny. You'll also live in the right timing and season. So when it’s plowing time, you’ll plow. When it’s sowing time, you’ll sow (Isaiah 28:24-25). You’ll not plow when it’s a season to sow, or vice versa.
When you place your trust in Him, and are led by Him, you’ll be in the right place at the right time. So beloved, listen and hear His revelation for you everyday, day by day, moment by moment. God will lead you to make the right decisions, taking the right steps in life. That's what a Christian life is. We learn to rest in Him. Our fruitfulness in whatever we do comes not from striving or toiling in anxiety, and 'hitting' nowhere, but it's from our resting in Jesus and His finished works on the cross, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us the way.
My friend, God loves you so much that He wouldn't just create you and then leave you 'in the cold'. He's here to save you, and not just that, He's also always ready to lead you, teach you, and guide you.
It reads ‘the one who trusts will never be dismayed’ in New International Version. It means whoever believes and trusts in God will not panic (when faced with a challenge in life), be anxious, or make hasty decisions.
When we place our trust in Him, He'll give us knowledge and understanding in handling a matter or situation. Who will be taught knowledge and understanding? The Bible says God will give understanding to those who trust in Him, those who are humble, and not those who are proud or 'drunkards' (Isaiah 28:1).
So beloved, whatever situation or problem you may be facing now, place your trust in Him. He's your answer, and He always has the answer.
When we place our trust in Him, He’ll also reveal His guidance to us- precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). We’ll always be in the right timing and season, doing the right thing at the right time. We’ll not be behind time, or ahead of the right timing. We’ll not be hasty in doing something.
God will surely show us the right thing to do. So beloved, allow ourselves to listen to the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 28:23). The Bible says He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance (Isaiah 28:29).
The way He reveals to us is progressive, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. He can reveal what’s best for us in many ways- in dreams, visions, prophecies, still small voice, inner witness, etc. The word ‘precept’ means ‘guidance’. In Hebrew, the word ‘precept’ is ‘tsav’. It means ‘commandment, or injunction (court order)’. So, God does command or order us, and we are to obey. There’ll be good results. God’s ways are always the best for you.
Let's do a little bit of bible-study here. There are two kinds of persons, two big contrasts, you can find in Isaiah 28:
Isaiah 28:7 talks about a person influenced by the spirit (small letter 's'), i.e. alcohol.
Isaiah 28:11-12 talks about a person influenced by the Spirit (capital letter ‘S’), the Holy Spirit.
The first kind is like a person influenced by alcohol, a drunkard, who ‘errs in vision, stumbles in judgment’. It means ‘stumbling in making decisions’. In other words, ‘making bad decisions’.
On the other hand, the other kind is a person influenced and led by the Holy Spirit, who prays in the Spirit (with stammering lips, in another tongue), and has ‘rest’ and ‘refreshing’ (Isaiah 28:12).
See, my friend, there’s no striving and toiling when we are open to Him, when we let ourselves flow with Him, and be led by the Holy Spirit. There’s rest and refreshing, not frustration, panic, and anxiety. Your life will have rest, yet more fruitful. You'll be living in His flow, His perfect will, fulfilling your God-given destiny. You'll also live in the right timing and season. So when it’s plowing time, you’ll plow. When it’s sowing time, you’ll sow (Isaiah 28:24-25). You’ll not plow when it’s a season to sow, or vice versa.
When you place your trust in Him, and are led by Him, you’ll be in the right place at the right time. So beloved, listen and hear His revelation for you everyday, day by day, moment by moment. God will lead you to make the right decisions, taking the right steps in life. That's what a Christian life is. We learn to rest in Him. Our fruitfulness in whatever we do comes not from striving or toiling in anxiety, and 'hitting' nowhere, but it's from our resting in Jesus and His finished works on the cross, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us the way.
My friend, God loves you so much that He wouldn't just create you and then leave you 'in the cold'. He's here to save you, and not just that, He's also always ready to lead you, teach you, and guide you.
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