'Triumphal Procession' in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, "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" (see New King James Version).

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

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

The procession of the ‘ark of the covenant’ has already started again, & you are now in the midst of this great end-time procession! This is your time, God's people! The ‘ark of the covenant’ always means the glory of the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself! He is coming to His church and to our land in ways we have never seen before in history. We are now in such time & season of God's calendar, a time when you'll see more of His manifestation all over the world. Therefore, let us position ourselves for His glory! The fullness of the Lord is at hand!

Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11) was an entrance of the glory of God, just as in the days of David when the ‘ark of the covenant’ was brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:1-29).

He is always the One leading you in triumph! It’s not by your own strength or self-effort, but it’s in Christ. As a believer, know that Christ has already done it for you on the cross some 2,000 years ago. On the third day after He died for you, He rose again. Life has therefore conquered death. Mercy has triumphed over judgment. Health has triumphed over illness. Prosperity has triumphed over lack. The enemy has been defeated, and our Lord has already triumphed! This is your time to shout to the Lord with the voice of triumph & victory (Psalm 47:1)! And yes, believe it in every area of  your life!

As you triumph in Christ, let the fragrance of this knowledge of Christ (& what He has done on the cross) spread everywhere through you, wherever you go and whoever you meet, because the time for the knowledge of the glory of the Lord filling the earth, as the waters covering the sea (Habakkuk 2:14) has come! Hallelujah!

Inner change leads to outer change

It’s time to allow Him to change you in the area He wants you to change! And I’m talking about ‘inner’ change, i.e. a change in the ‘inside’ of you. Change in the ‘inside’ will lead to change in the ‘outside’! In other words, an ‘inner’ change will eventually lead to an ‘outer’ change! (be it in your career, ministry, family relationships, finance, or in any other area of your life)

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “With unveiled face (i.e. transparent, honest, putting away ‘mask’, uncovered before Him), beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed (i.e. changed) into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” So, the Bible says a true ‘inner’ change comes by consciously & continuously beholding Jesus (feeding from His Word) & by the works of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at Genesis 37 now. This man Joseph had a destiny, a big one. In fact, his name ‘Yowceph’ means ‘let him add, or increase more and more’ in Hebrew. To the Israelites, a name means everything to them, and more often than not, a name also carries each one’s character & destiny! So, as you can see, Joseph was meant to “increase more & more”! However, before he could be who God wanted him to be, an ‘inner change’ must take place in his life first! And unless this happens, his outward ‘expansion’ (i.e. promotion) would still remain a distant ‘dream’!

Here in Genesis 37, instead of ‘let him add’ or ‘more to more’, Joseph’s life actually went from ‘minus to minus’, from bad (Genesis 37:2-4) to worse (Genesis 37:18-20), and then worst (Genesis 37:27-28). Not enough by being a guy despised by his own brothers (& notorious for pulling down others with his words & bad reports), he was also thrown into a pit, and then sold as slave! And if that’s still not bad enough, Genesis 39:19-20 says he was also thrown into prison for a wrong he never committed! So, as you can see, his life went ‘down & down’ all the way, from his father’s ‘blue-eyed boy’ to a lonely, ‘stripped of everything’ prisoner in a land far away from home!

As some people say, “When you are down at its lowest, the only way now is up!” It was then that Joseph had a change of heart, an ‘inner’ change of character.

In Genesis 40, by the time Pharaoh’s butler and baker were thrown into the same prison as he was, Joseph was already a changed man. And now, instead of being indifferent & insensitive (the way he used to be with his brothers earlier), he showed genuine concern and care (Genesis 40:7) for the fellow prisoners! Not only that, he even helped them by taking time to explain their dreams! And you know what? The rest was history! Later on, this very same butler (whom he had helped) remembered him, when no one else could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41:8), and the very next moment, Joseph was elevated to be Egypt’s next prime minister! His ‘expansion’ has finally come! And guess what? He did ‘increase more and more’ since that day, & God’s destiny in his life eventually came to total fulfillment! (see Genesis 50) And all these began with a simple change of heart on his part!

Beloved, maybe you know you too have a God-given destiny, or a ‘dream’ that has yet to come to pass. But you have also been discouraged, and left wondering if those ‘dreams’ will ever come to pass in your lifetime. You may even wonder if God has already forgotten about it altogether! May you receive His divine encouragement now, because I believe all’s not lost yet, and it’s never too late for a change! If God can do it in Joseph’s life, he can do it for you too! I really believe so! In fact, all it takes now is your allowing it. Of course you don’t have to end up in prison (like Joseph did) to have a change of heart! But will you allow Him to change you? Will you allow Him to lovingly search your heart? How about those ‘hidden’ areas in your life that have been ‘clouded’ with ‘cobweb’? How about a certain weakness in your character? Will you allow His light to ‘pierce’ through? Will you also allow Him to bring you back to His original plan for your life? Will you allow those ‘dark clouds’ to be cast away by His light? When the ‘dark clouds’ are gone, what you have is ‘clarity’, even in your vision & destiny!

My sincere prayer for you is that you'll walk in all of God's destiny for you, and the good work that He has begun in you, by His grace, He shall bring it to full, flourishing completion! Be blessed!

Delight yourself in the Lord!

Psalm 37:4: 'Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart'. 

'To delight' is like the 'radiance' in a baby's face upon seeing her beloved mommy & daddy approaching! I remember seeing this in my daughter Sophia's face when she was a toddler then. Pastor Sharon and I were so busy at work then that we had to arrange a babysitter for her, and at times, we could only come and fetch her every few days. Can you imagine the delight in her face upon seeing us at the doorstep? We could literally feel her heart leaping with excitement & joy! Why? Simply because she knew her mommy & daddy love her dearly & she missed us much (just as we missed her much too!). Also because she knew her mommy & daddy are good to her, & can't wait to embrace her and give her good things! She also had complete trust that her mommy & daddy would never harm her, and have only good thoughts for her! 

Beloved, that's exactly how your Father in heaven sees you (His beloved son/daughter) too! He has never meant harm to you, and is (& will always be) good to you! Jeremiah 29:11-12 says it very aptly, 'for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. You will call upon Me, and I will (& am here to) listen'.

Delighting yourself in Him is to know (& being assured) that He is good to you, all the time!

In Luke 1:41, the baby in Elizabeth's womb was also 'leaping' at the coming of Mary who would be giving birth to Jesus! You know why the babe started leaping? Because his soul was delighted at the presence of Jesus! Hallelujah! The presence of Jesus brings much delight! So, you can say 'to delight in the Lord' is 'to have pleasure in, or taking pleasure in being with Him or worshiping Him'.

The deeper meaning of 'delighting in the Lord' is found in the Hebrew word 'anag' in Psalm 37:4. This may surprise some of you, but it actually means 'to be soft or pliable before the Lord'. It also means 'to be easily shaped and flexible before the Lord', or 'the willingness or humility to be shaped by the Lord'. In other words, 'to delight in Him' is to allow yourself to be shaped by Him, to be soft or pliable before Him, and to be willing to be led by Him. Romans 8:14 says 'as many as are led by Him, these are called sons (or daughters) of God'!

It's also not wrong for people to say 'delighting in Him' is 'to sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy His presence', by feeding on His Word, praying in the spirit, or in praise and worship. It's in His presence that you'll receive wisdom, revelation, and guidance in life, and that's how you can be 'at the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing' always!

As you delight in Him, you'll also never miss all the goodness God has for your life! You'll even be blessed beyond what your mind can think of. His ways are always higher than yours (Isaiah 55:8-9), even in giving you every 'good thing'!

So, go ahead, continue to delight yourself in Him, and just as the psalmist David has written, 'God will even give you the desires of your heart', in His ways and in His time!

Let go of the past 'baggage'!

"Let go of the 'baggage' of your past & be set free to start anew this new season!" I heard these words recently, and it has everything to do with your destiny!

The 'baggage' can be a certain person (or a group of persons), work, memory, backlog, etc of your past. Some of you may even need to be set free to enter into a new 'environment'. There'll be new friendships. There'll be new 'doors'. There'll be new 'opportunities'. Be open and flexible before the Lord. This is His time of re-positioning. This is His time of bringing you into a new season. And His ways are always higher than yours! (Isaiah 55:8-9) Have a 'hearing' & 'listening' heart. My prayer for you is you'll not miss your timing & season.

The 'baggage' may even be something good that you've had in the past season. Some may say, "But pastor, you don't understand, I can't let go!", or "But pastor, it's easier said than done!" But do you know there are people who may be in a new season, but not set free (from the past 'baggage') yet? This may hinder God's destiny for you to come to pass in the new season! The decision is yours. No doubt 'letting go' can be painful at times, and may not be easy. But if God says 'let go', you'd better 'let go'! There may even be some 'soul-ties' or 'emotional ties' that you need to 'let go of' as you enter a new season.

Let's learn a little from Abraham in the Bible. In Genesis 12:1, God clearly asked Abram (his name then) to 'let go' of certain things in order to step into His blessings & His destiny for him (see Genesis 12:2-3). What was it that he had to 'let go'? God said, "Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you". But Genesis 12:4 shows he didn't fully heed what God has said. Instead, he brought Lot (his nephew) along. This eventually caused lots of problems to Abraham (see Genesis 13:7, see Genesis 19:37-38 with 2 Chronicles 20:1), and you see, all those loads of problems could have been averted in the first place! He should only have brought along his wife (Sarai), and none other! "But, pastor, doesn't that sound cruel? Look, wasn't Abram doing the right thing by bringing along his nephew (Lot) whose father was already dead? He's just being a nice 'uncle'. After all, Abram's wife was barren and they were childless!". Sounds noble isn't it? But the big question is: "Did God say so?"

By the way, interestingly, the word 'Lot' actually means 'veil, or something that hinders', i.e. something that hinders/delays God's destiny/vision for your life. Someone with 'veiled eyes' is someone 'who can't see what God sees'. Look now at Genesis 13. There was a strife between Abram & Lot (over the issue of land & possession). A fatherly heart as Abram was, he even allowed Lot to choose the better place (a well-watered place) in order to end the strife (Genesis 13:7-12). And right after Abram had separated from Lot, God broke His silence and began speaking to Abram further about His destiny for him (Genesis 13:14-17). The 'veil' was 'lifted', the 'hindrance' was gone, and he was now 'set free' to walk in God's destiny/vision for him again. You know what? Not until Abram separated from Lot (let go of Lot) did God speak His destiny/vision to him again!

People of God, this is your time to 'let go' of your 'Lot' too (whatever that 'Lot' may be) if you want to hear further (or clearly) from Him & walk in His destiny again!

After you have entered a new season, don't look back! Move on as the Lord leads you. Don't be like Lot's wife. She looked back to her 'Sodom & Gomorrah', and as a consequence, became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). A 'pillar of salt' is like a 'statue'. It is 'stagnant'. It has no more 'movement'. It is 'not moving anymore'. Beloved, you've got to start looking forward & keep on moving! Leave the 'Sodom & Gomorrah' of your past behind. The word 'Sodom' actually means 'burnt/scorched, or volcanic (or some other turbulent) activities' in Hebrew, while the word 'Gomorrah' means 'a ruined heap'. In other words, don't look back to your past ruins, shame, 'volcanic activities', turbulence, etc. Look to Jesus. The 'veil' has already been 'torn' when Jesus died on the cross for you.

For every 'inch' of your 'Sodom & Gomorrah' that you let go, is every 'inch' of God's newness (& goodness) added to you!  

Step into His blessings!