Be strong and of good courage!

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) says, "... Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The word 'afraid' in this verse is pronounced as 'awrats' in Hebrew, which means 'fear, or be shaken, or allow yourself to be harassed (even by words/enemy's threats)'. In other words, do not be shaken, or allow yourself to be harassed (even by words/enemy's threats), as you 'cross over' into the new things God has for you.

Fear not, as you 'cross over'! These are His current prophetic words for you, likened to Joshua's 'crossing over' River Jordan. Whether it's a mandate, a calling, new ventures, change of vocation, re-direction in career, etc, it's a season to be bold. And by God's grace, you'll advance like Joshua advanced! Continue to stay focused in what God has called you to be, no matter what you see or what you hear, or no matter how 'dark' the world surrounding you may be. Don't let anything or anyone 'hold you back' from what God is doing in your life. Receive God's 'overcoming anointing' to advance. This anointing is for you to 'overcome' any 'obstacle' as you move into your God-given mandate/calling. I believe you'll rejoice in the end. Just be strong and be very courageous.

In Numbers 13:30, Caleb quieted the people who feared entering the Promised Land, and he said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." People of God, in Christ, you have also overcome. 1 John 4:4 says, 'He who is in you is greater than he that is in this world'. God is raising up His Calebs of today! I want to believe you are one of those. By the way, the word 'Caleb' means 'force, attack (like a dog, in a good sense)' in Hebrew. He had a different spirit (Numbers 14:24). Instead of fear, he had God's faith. Instead of receiving the spirit of fear (like the majority in his days), he received the spirit of power, love, and sound mind. You see? That's the problem with 'fear'. Fear weakens power, negates love, and causes unsound mind (or unsound decision). But Caleb did not allow 'fear' to take place in his heart. And that's what made him different! People of God, let it be so for you too! Also, Caleb was from the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6), after the 'seed' of the 'Overcoming King', the Lion of Judah (i.e. Jesus). Likewise, as a believer today, you too are also after His seed. Amen!

For the record, Caleb was 40 when he spied the Promised Land, and he was 85 when he was given Hebron as his inheritance after the conquest (see Joshua 14:6-10). Yet, he was just as strong as before! (see Joshua 14:11) Age is never a factor for God to use you in His end-time army. The irony is I've seen people in their twenties very much 'bound' by human traditions and 'old wineskins', but I've also seen people in their eighties at the very 'cutting edge' of what God is currently doing, moving as He moves in new, unprecedented ways! However, on the other hand, if you are a youth, let not also anyone despise your youth (1 Timothy 4:12).

So, prepare yourself, just as God's people did those days (Joshua 1:11). Reflect back on the prophecies and dreams you know (that you know) are from the Lord. Be reminded of His promises you've received so far, as you 'cross over', just as God's people reminded themselves of 'the promise of a land filled with milk and honey' those days.

This is also your time to walk into the inheritance God has given you! Let go of those past regrets. Your 'Moses' is dead. This is a new season. It's your 'Joshua' time. A new season always comes with a fresh new anointing. His grace is also more than enough for you to 'overcome' as you 'cross over'. Just be bold and be very courageous. Know that your 'land that is to come' is good and filled with His shalom & rest (Joshua 1:13). So, go ahead, and go with God! He is with you. Joshua 3:3 says, 'When you see the ark of the covenant (representing God's presence & leadership), ..., then you shall set out from your place and go after it'. So, move as He moves. That's how He'll use you for His great exploits!

As the feet of the priests who bear the 'ark' rested in the waters of Jordan, the waters got cut off (Joshua 3:13), and God's people began crossing over. They've overcome their first 'obstacle'. Praise God! After everyone had completely crossed over, the 'ark' and the priests then also crossed over (Joshua 4:11). This is a 'picture' of the Lord going before and after you. On that day, the Bible says about 40,000 who were prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle (Joshua 4:13). Interestingly, the number 40,000 in Hebrew numeric means 'wise rule, skillful, expert'. Likewise, He is also currently raising up such people, a people 'wise and skillful' in the operation of the spiritual gifts and offices given them (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-13). In regards to this, as Paul exhorted Timothy, God is also exhorting you now that He has not given you the spirit of fear, but He has given you the spirit of power, love, and sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:6-7) as you 'stir up' (by using) the gifts given you.

Throughout this new season of yours, there's one vital principle He wants you to always keep in mind, and this is found in Joshua 5:9. Here, the Lord spoke to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." The words 'rolled away (like a wheel)' means 'Gilgal' in Hebrew, and that's also the place where the children of Israel camped upon 'crossing over'.

As you read through Joshua 1-11, notice that Gilgal was always the place of Joshua's camp throughout his conquest of Canaan:
After Joshua took Jericho and Ai, he returned to Gilgal (see Joshua 1-8).
Then, after Joshua launched a southern campaign against Lachish, Hebron, Debir, and Gaza, he returned to Gilgal again (see Joshua 10).
And finally, in a northern thrust all the way to Hazor, Joshua also launched the attack from his camp in Gilgal (see Joshua 11).
And that's also the importance of 'Gilgal' in your new season as well!

Now let Scripture interpret Scripture. In Luke 24:2, on the first day of the week when Jesus arose, the stone ('picture' of 'obstacle, stumbling block') was also rolled away. You know what that means? In your 'Promised Land', know that all your curse (whether spoken against you, or a generation curse) and reproach have been 'rolled away' through Jesus Christ your Lord! 'Promised Land' here is also a 'picture' of 'the New Covenant'. So, as a believer in the New Covenant, God doesn't want you to be conscious of whatever curse spoken against you anymore, but He wants you to be always conscious of His goodness and shalom for you! Just as Joshua returned and camped in Gilgal upon every conquest (central, southern, and northern), you too should always be reminded of your 'Gilgal' throughout your new season.

You know why Israel failed when they first attempted to take Ai? Yet, Ai was a much 'lesser' opponent compared to the Jericho they've just conquered! So what went wrong? Because somebody by the name of Achan took of the accursed things! (Joshua 7:1-3). That spells trouble! By the way, 'Achan' literally means 'trouble' in Hebrew. You know why? Achan had effectively 're-installed' curse, when all of Israelites' curse should have already been 'rolled away'! As a consequence, God wasn't there in that battle, and God's people had to flee. Not until the 'curse' was taken away did the children of Israel win again (see Joshua 7:13, Joshua 8:1). The message was clear, and that's how particular God was against His people being reminded of their curse and reproach.

Today, God also wants you to be always reminded that 'all your curse have also been rolled away'. At the cross, Jesus has already taken all your 'beatings, curse, and reproach', so now you can have all His 'blessings, goodness, and shalom'. Amen!

Unto us, a Child is born!

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV): For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This verse has been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah some 700 years before Jesus (Yeshua, i.e. Salvation, Savior) came on earth (John 1:14). There is also no other name by which one is saved, but by the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

People of God, not only was He born to this world, but He was also born to die for us.

He was born to suffer and die, so that you may have life (see John 3:16).
He was born to carry all your sins, so that you may become the righteousness of God in Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
He was born to carry all your curse, reproach, shame, and beatings, so that you may have all His blessings, shalom peace, and goodness (see Galatians 3:13).
He was born to be stripped of everything, so that you may have abundance in every good thing (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).
He was born to be wounded, smitten, and stricken, so that you may have His healing, comfort, and health (see Isaiah 53:3-5).

There was such great 'exchange' when He died on the cross for you some 2,000 years ago. And these are the reasons why He came!

That's why the Bible says 'unto us, He was born!' (Isaiah 9:6) Those who walked in darkness have now finally seen the 'great light' (Isaiah 9:2). He is also the Word became flesh (John 1:14), and the psalmist wrote 'the entrance of His Word brings light' (see Psalm 119:130).

The Bible also says 'those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined (Isaiah 9:2). He has indeed broken every yoke and burden, even the rod of the 'oppressor'! (Isaiah 9:4) Praise God! And it's on this very background of Isaiah 9:1-5, comes Isaiah 9:6-7!

And His name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

"Pastor, what's so important about a name?"

It means everything! In fact, the word 'name' in 'Hebrew' is 'shem', which means 'character, authority, or fame'. It means a 'name' carries one's character, authority, or even fame! Take prophet Isaiah for example. His name is pronounced 'Yesha Yah' in Hebrew, which means 'Yah has saved'. 'Yah' is the name of God (i.e. the redemptive name of God), while 'Yesha' means 'save, set free, set at liberty, deliverance'. True enough, God used this prophet greatly to prophesy the coming of the Savior! You see, your 'name' carries your character, authority, and even fame!

Now that you know His name also means His 'character, authority, or fame', 1 John 4:17 also says 'as He is, so are you'. As a believer of Christ, you are after His seed, i.e. His spiritual DNA. There's no mistake about it. And because you are after His kind, you can also say: "As His character, authority, and fame is, so am I!" You know what? It runs in your 'blood'! It runs in your 'DNA'! Now, people of God, this is the best gift you can ever receive, and this is also supposed to be your best present of all! So, receive all that is 'Him' in your life right now, knowing that not only is He living in you, but His name, His character, His authority, and His fame is also living in you today! Wow! Praise God!

Let me define each of these 5 names of Jesus:
1. Wonderful ('Pele' in Hebrew = miracle, marvelous, greatness)
2. Counselor ('Yaats' in Hebrew = guide, advise, purpose)
3. Mighty God ('El Gibbor' in Hebrew = strength, excellence, champion)
4. Everlasting Father ('Abba Ad' in Hebrew = eternity, without end, advancement)
5. Prince of Peace ('Sar Shalom' in Hebrew = peace, wellness, wholeness)

All the above are His presents for you today. So, go ahead! Take it, and receive all that He has given you! Here are some examples:
Receive your miracle today!
Receive His marvelous work in you today!
Receive His purpose for you today!
Receive the DNA of a champion today!
Of course, receive His eternal life today, if you have not!
And the list goes on. Amen!

Interestingly, there are 5 names here, and the number '5' in Hebrew is also the number of God's grace. The Bible says, 'Grace and truth came through Jesus' (see John 1:17). Jesus is indeed God's grace and truth personified!

Finally, Isaiah 9:7 says, 'Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end..." The word 'government' here is 'misrah' in Hebrew, which means 'kingdom, empire', from the root word meaning 'prevail, victory, power'. You know what? It means 'of the increase of His prevailing power & victory, there will be no end'. Great is the Lord!

The kingdom of God is definitely advancing in our time, and you, His people, are in it together. Praise God! And nothing's going to stop Him. No evil, no forces of darkness, and no oppression can, both in this time, and forever (see Isaiah 9:7). That's who He is, the Great 'I AM' (Exodus 3:14), and the possessor of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19). He will continue to advance until the whole earth is filled with His light (see Habakkuk 2:14). And 'the zeal of the Lord of hosts (Himself) will perform this' (Isaiah 9:7). Hallelujah!

People of God, remember as He is, so are you too! So, not just as a people, but as an individual, you too will also be increasing and advancing in His victory, power, and peace as well. Believe for it, and you'll receive. Amen!

Note: Some may ask, "Was Jesus really born on 25th December?" To me, any celebration when Christ is exalted (and no other name is), we will celebrate, whether it's in December, or March, or September, or October, or any other month! Any celebration that exalts the name of Jesus (and only Him), we are for it. In fact, whenever we meet as a church (i.e. a people) any time during the year, it should also always be full of Jesus. His name is what matters. 

For the record, Jesus was more likely born during autumn (i.e. during Sukkot's season in September/October) than during winter (i.e. during Hanukkah's season in December). In other words, He was probably conceived in December, and about 9-10 months later, He was born.

Enforcing your victory through vehement praises!

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV): And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

In New International Version, Matthew 11:12 puts it this way: From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Recently, the Lord spoke to me, "Tell the people to 'praise vehemently'!" Yes, 'praise vehemently'! That's how you become 'violent' in the spiritual realm! That's how you are 'forcefully advancing'! Your vehement praises overcome every obstacle! Now, I'm not telling you to be violent in the flesh. We are not fighting flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). So, how do you become 'violent' in the spirit? Or in other words, how do you 'forcefully advance' in the spirit? The answer is in your praises! To praise Him is to declare His name into the spiritual realm. Praise the Lord! He is your everything! He is your El Elyon (The Most High God), He is your El Shaddai (God Almighty, God all-sufficient), He is your YHWH Nissi (The Lord your banner), He is your YHWH Rapha (The Lord that heals), He is your YHWH Jireh (The Lord provides), and the list goes on!

To praise Him is therefore to proclaim His name, His power, His redemption, and His blessings into every situation of yours! By praising Him, you are actually 'bringing Him down to your atmosphere', and as He is enthroned in your praises (Psalm 22:3), you are allowing Him to become King over your every situation (instead of you trying to be 'in charge' over your current situation). By praising Him, you also can't help but to give thanks, because you are declaring how great and how good He is to you!

Note: Of course, your praises begin from your heart, not just an outward show.

People of God, we are living in violent times. No one can deny this. Our health gets 'violated'. Our providence gets 'violated'. At other times, even our inheritance in Him gets 'violated'! This is none other but the work of the 'enemy'. He tries hard to 'violate' you, i.e. to steal, kill, and destroy all the good things God has given you (or meant for you). Some of you may even have reached the boiling point of saying, "Enough is enough of me (or family) getting violated!"

But praise God! God has His 'antidote' for you! Your 'antidote' against the works of the 'enemy' is praise (& keep praising Him), and yes, violently! Let's 'take the bull by the horns'! Psalm 149:6 says, 'Let the high praises ('tehillah') of God be in your mouth, and a two-edged sword (symbolizing the 'Word of God') in your hand'. You destroy the enemy's works (& plans) by your praises and the Word being proclaimed (& released)!

The Oxford Dictionary says 'to be vehement' means 'being passionate, violent, forceful, showing (or caused by) strong feeling, having intense emotion, or great intensity'. That's what your praises should be! Praise and keep praising! It's like keep knocking the door! It's like using the hammer to hit (& keep hitting) the wall, and finally the wall crumbles! That's vehement praise! Keep praising until you see His glory and power! It means 'until you see a breakthrough right before your eyes'! That's violent praise! The Lord is calling His triumphant people for such!

By the way, the word 'violent' in Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) is 'seize, forcefulness' in Greek. So, despite or in spite of, say, whatever health condition you are facing at the moment, keep praising the Lord! You may not see a complete manifestation of your healing yet, but just keep praising! Even if in anytime you don't feel like praising, just open your mouth and praise, by faith! And shout aloud! Sing your praises out loud! Get hold of a good praise cd if you need to! Praise until the spiritual atmosphere changes! Praise until you know you are above (rise above), and not under (a circumstance)! And there, you have your victory! And that's how you praise your way to your breakthrough! Victory has already been won for you at the cross! But you need to 'enforce' it! 'To enforce' is 'to allow it to happen, or to cause it to happen'. You need to 'declare' it! You need to 'sign' your land title deed! Praise is not a self-effort thing of 'trying to earn your victory'. No! As a believer in the New Covenant, you praise because you know your victory has already been won at the cross! In other words, in the spiritual realm, your breakthrough and victory has already happened! Now, 'enforce' it! Your praises enforce your victory! Your praises declare your victory! It's like when someone gives you a gift (say, a land title), it's already given to you (and meant for you). But unless and until you 'sign' the land title deed (i.e. in agreement), you'll still not have it physically! So now, 'enforce' it! 'Sign' the deed! 'To sign the deed' here is 'to praise', and you'll just be one step away from your victory and breakthrough! Hallelujah! This is the power of praise! Glory be to God!

People of God, this is your time to advance! This is your time to walk into your full inheritance! Enough is enough of the devil's violation! Do you want to see yourself advancing from where you are now? Or do you want to see a breakthrough after being stagnant for so long? If you've done all that you've been taught, say, taken holy communion, beheld Jesus and His finished work, etc, then it's time to 'praise' now! Your praises is like your last piece of the 'jigsaw puzzle'. Your 'praises' will break down the 'wall' that has been hindering you all these while. That's when your breakthrough comes! Your 'praises' will break the 'chains' that has been stifling you all these while! That's also when your breakthrough comes! People of God, there's a clarion call to 'praise' right now!

Look now at Joshua 6:5 and Joshua 6:20. Here's an example of 'the violent takes it by force'. As Joshua led the people to 'praise vehemently', and as they gave a 'great shout' ('teruwah' in Hebrew, which means 'jubilation, shout of praise and celebration, acclamation of joy'), the wall of Jericho fell down flat, and the people of God 'utterly destroyed' all that was in the city with the edge of the sword (a 'picture' of the Word of God). See? Praises and proclaiming the Word!

In New Testament, look now at Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-26. At midnight (a 'picture' of 'being in the darkest hour'), chained and locked in the prison, and as they prayed and sang praises unto God (see King James Version), God sent an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, and that's how all the prison doors were opened, and everyone's chains loosed! You see, it didn't matter to Paul and Silas even if the other prisoners get offended by their loud voices of praise in the middle of the night! They continued to praise vehemently! They did not exactly know what to expect, but they just kept praising! In other words, they kept praising unashamedly! Triumphant people, don't be ashamed of your violent praises to Him! And that's when your breakthrough comes, just as it was for Paul and Silas.

Praises lead to your 'wall' crumbling down! Praises lead to your 'chains' breaking off and your 'doors' being opened! Praises lead to 'the captives being set free'! After an intense time of 'violent praise', there'll surely be peace and rest following suit. Wow! Let me back this up in the Bible. Not long after Matthew 11:12 (i.e. 'the violent take it by force') is Matthew 11:28 (when Jesus said, "I will give you rest"). By the way, the word 'rest' here is translated as 'Sabbath'. And after that, Matthew 12 continues with Jesus being the Lord of Sabbath. Do you see it? Say, for example, upon being awaken by a terrible (or scary) nightmare in the middle of the night, what would you do? Allow the spirit of fear to envelope you? No! Begin praying in tongues and begin praising the Lord violently! And as you praise, you can't help but also release the Word of God into the spiritual realm! And that's how you'll receive your peace and rest soon after.

You see, there's a difference between 'being passive' (i.e. being laid back, even escapism) and 'being restful' in the victory that the Lord has won for you. Choose to praise! Choose God's way of victory! And that's how you'll be triumphant in Christ, every day and in every area of your life. Amen!