Those who are in Christ have also His Life!

Luke 24:1-3 (NKJV): Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they (the women who came from Galilee) and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

And as the women were still greatly perplexed, two men stood by them in shining garments and said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (see Luke 24:4-5)

JESUS IS ALIVE!

People of God, know that He can 'resurrect' any ‘dead’ area of your life as well! Maybe it's a ‘lost’ dream, or a ‘dead’ dream, a dream you 'used to believe' (or have received). Or maybe it's something you have long given up hope of, even though you knew it was God who has begun it, given it, or spoken to you about it. 

Take heart, my friend. In Christ, there's always hope! Because He is alive, everything 'dead’ in your life can be made 'alive' again through Him. You see, He is not just the way, and the truth, but He is also the LIFE! (see John 14:6) In John 11:25-26, Jesus Himself said, “I AM the resurrection and the life”, and He went on to say, “Whoever lives and believes in Me (i.e. in Christ) shall never die.” Will you take Him at His Word? The Bible says heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will still remain (Matthew 24:35). In John 11:25-26, Jesus was actually responding to Martha, Lazarus' sister. Lazarus was already dead 4 days by then, his body rotting, and there was already a stench. But even in the most impossible situation, and just as everyone has already 'given up hope' of seeing Lazarus alive again, Jesus did the 'unthinkable' and called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

And then in 1 Samuel chapters 1 & 2, Hannah’s ‘dead’ womb was ‘resurrected’ & ‘made alive’ again when she cried out to the Lord. The Lord did hear her cry, 'touched' her womb, and later on, Samuel was born! In fact, the name ‘Samuel’ means ‘Heard by God'. Hannah has indeed found grace in God! The name ‘Hannah’ in Hebrew actually means ‘find grace’ or ‘find favor’. The Bible then says Hannah 'rejoiced in God’s salvation’ (1 Samuel 2:1) because her 'dead' (womb) has become 'alive' and borne 'fruit'! The word ‘salvation’ here is translated in Hebrew as ‘Yeshuwah’, which means ‘Jesus’. Praise the Lord! Everything Jesus touched became 'alive' again, because HE IS the LIFE! And not only that, Hannah went on to give birth to 5 more children after that! Glory be to God! Jesus truly is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think of (Ephesians 3:20). Amen!

Friends, do you see it now? Everything Jesus touched became ‘alive’ again! In the Old and in the New Testament alike. And those who are in Christ have also HIS LIFE! It's the same for you today! He is indeed the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Believing, you'll receive.

Stay rested in the 'ark'!

Genesis 6:18 says, "...go into the ark..." That's what God spoke to Noah before the 'great flood'. And then in Genesis 7:1, the Lord also said this, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation."

Today, as the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), the Lord is calling you to get in & remain in His 'ark' as well!

Let's look at the name Noah first. It's called 'Nuwach' in Hebrew, which means 'to rest, being quiet, settled down, comforted'. In short, 'Noah' means 'to rest'. In fact, his name 'Noah' was given prophetically by his father Lamech after he was born, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed." (see Genesis 5:29)

How about the word 'ark'? 'Ark' is 'tebah' in Hebrew which means 'box', and the Lord asked Noah to build it with 'gopherwood' (like cypress wood) that's normally used to build house. So, this is a 'picture' of 'God's house', and we also know that the 'ark of the covenant' in the Old Testament is also a 'picture' of Jesus Himself, the King of Glory.

'Noah' is a 'picture' of you, and the 'ark' is a 'picture' of Christ.

So, when the Lord asked Noah to get into the 'ark', it's like today, God is calling you to 'find rest' in Christ, your 'ark'. And when you are in Christ, you are safe, even if the world around you is full of 'storms'! This happened to Noah too during his time! He just needed to 'rest' or get settled down in the 'ark', no matter what happened outside (i.e. the 'tsunamis', 'torrential rain', 'earthquakes', 'thunderstorms', 'troubles' or 'judgments' outside the 'ark').

"Pastor, you ask me to 'live in a box'? That's too small and narrow a thing!" My friend, this 'one' is no ordinary 'box'! This 'box' is in fact larger than 'heaven and earth put together'! Genesis 14:19 says He is the Possessor of heaven and earth, the Most High God! That's who Christ is! He is also omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient! So, if you end up in Mars, He's there! If you go to Jupiter, He's also there! And if there's a technology that flies you to the sun, He's there as well! That's how great He is!

People of God, like Noah in his time, remain rested in the 'ark' (i.e. in Christ), no matter what happens in this end-time. The Bible says Noah 'found grace in the eyes of the Lord' (Genesis 6:8). Today, you have also found grace (because of what Christ has already done for you on the cross). And when you are in Him, whatever 'waves' or 'storms' cannot 'touch' you! And even if you 'fall down' (due to the 'raging seas' outside you), you fall down inside the 'ark'! Praise God, you can stand up again because you are still in Him! Know also that He will not get you 'thrown out'! (unless you choose to 'throw yourself out') I've checked the Scripture, and there was no mention of Noah suffering any 'lack' or 'trouble' whilst 'in the ark'! In fact, Genesis 7:23 says 'only Noah and those in the ark' remained 'alive'! People of God, ONLY IN CHRIST, you are truly 'safe' and 'alive'! There's nowhere else! (John 14:6)

Beloved, as a believer, always know and remind yourself that 'you are in the ark'. Bring every aspect of your life (i.e. marriage, health, finance, business, ministry, career, etc) into this 'ark' as well! And the moment you know you are in the 'ark' (i.e. in Christ), know that there's no more 'pain', no more 'sorrow', and no more 'death'. Know that old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 21:4-6), and don't wait till heaven! You can experience His goodness and blessing even right now on earth! Yes, you can, because you are already in Christ!

I end with this: If anyone IS (present tense) in Christ, he IS (now) a new creation. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

And by the time the door of the 'ark' was opened, what Noah saw was a (beautiful) 'rainbow' (Genesis 9:13). Beloved of God, stay in the 'ark' too, till you see your 'rainbow', and that's when you meet Him at His throne (Revelation 4:3).

Washing of water by the Word

John 13:5 (NKJV): After that, Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

This verse speaks of Jesus washing your 'feet' (i.e. your daily walk) with the ‘water’ of His Word. The word ‘water’ here represents ‘His Word that sanctifies & washes you clean’. In cross reference, Ephesians 5:26 says, ‘that He might sanctify and cleanse her (i.e. His people/church) with the washing of water by the Word'.

The word ‘towel’ here is ‘lention’ in Greek, which means ‘linen cloth’, and ‘linen’ represents ‘righteousness’ (see Revelation 19:8). Isaiah 61:10 says ‘you are clothed with the robe of righteousness’. So, as Jesus wiped the disciples' feet with this ‘linen cloth’, it is a ‘picture’ of Jesus’ righteousness 'rubbing' on them.

‘Feet’ here speaks of your 'daily walk', and often, our feet can get ‘dusty’ or dirty as we walk in the 'streets'. This applies to your ‘spiritual walk’ as well. ‘Dust’ speaks of ‘stains’ or 'sins' in your daily walk, and the Bible says 'dust' attracts the ‘serpent’ (see Genesis 3:14). And as the ‘stains’ gather on your ‘feet’, the devil (represented by the 'serpent') would find every opportunity to ‘bite you’ & ‘knock you off’ (i.e. accusing, condemning, and heaping all kinds of guilt in you). And you know what? The devil wants you down & out, and he wants you to know how 'rotten' a Christian you are, and at the end of the day, he wants you defeated, 'stolen, killed, destroyed' of your God-given destiny!

People of God, never let the devil 'wreak havoc' in your life any longer! 

Now is your time to keep feeding on His Word, and let Him wash you with the ‘water of His Word’ every day. You are never too 'filthy' for Him to wash you again. Keep holding on to His Word. Listen to preachings that are full of Jesus & His perfect work on the cross! Let His Word continue to speak to you every day! Remind yourself always of who you are in Christ! And if the Word says in Christ, you are already forgiven & made righteous, blessed, healed, prosperous, and redeemed from every curse, then take Him at His Word, believe and receive! And that's how the devil is defeated right before your eyes, and victory has become yours again!

No wonder In John 13:8, Jesus said this, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” In other words, He's saying this: “If you want to walk with Me victoriously as My disciple & partner (& have a part in My kingdom plan), let me ‘wash your feet’ first.” Amen!

"In righteousness, you shall be established!"

Isaiah 54:14: In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and you shall be far from terror, for it shall not come near you.

This was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah some 700 years before Christ died on the cross. Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, you can say, "In righteousness I am now (already) established!", because He has already done it for you on the cross some 2,000 years ago! In cross-reference, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ)."

What does 'righteousness of God in Christ' mean? It means 'in Christ, you are now in right standing with God'. In other words, there's no more animosity between God and you, because of what Christ has done for you on the cross. It also means 'God is not angry with you anymore' (see Isaiah 54:9) because all the wrath (anger) of God against your sins have been satisfied & punished on the body of Jesus at the cross!

Isaiah 54:17d also says 'your righteousness is from God'. It means you cannot become 'righteous' by your own deeds and efforts, but you can only be 'righteous' through Christ. It's a gift from God (Romans 5:17), and only to be received by faith.

I love to read Isaiah 53, 54, and 55 together as one. It always reminds me of Jesus' perfect work on the cross (Isaiah 53) so that I am now made 'righteous' through Him (Isaiah 54), and in turn, let it 'flow to others' so they are 'filled' as well (Isaiah 55)! In short, Isaiah 53 leads to Isaiah 54, and then in turn leads to Isaiah 55. It's a continuation.

Isaiah 55:1 then says, "Everyone who thirsts; come to the waters; and you who have no money; come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy 'wine' and 'milk' without money and price." Here, Isaiah was talking about God's free gift of His salvation & righteousness, because Somebody has paid the full price for it (at the cross)! Your thirst for God's righteousness has already been 'satisfied' through Christ! Not only that, in Him, you also receive the fullness of His joy ('wine' in this verse is a 'picture' of His joy) and His love ('milk' here is a 'picture' of His love/affection). For a record, Jesus 'turned water into wine' on a 'joyous' wedding occasion (John 2:9), and 'bosom'/'breast' in the Scripture speaks of God's love (John 13:23).

And you know what? There was actually an 'exchange' done on the cross between Jesus and you. Your 'thirst' for righteousness was 'quenched' when Jesus forsook His, as He said, "I thirst!" on the cross (John 19:28). His righteousness has been 'imputed' on you, and so, instead of you 'thirst', He 'thirst'! He did it so you can now be 'clothed with the robe of righteousness' (Isaiah 61:10). It means His righteousness was forsaken, so you can now be made righteous through Him!

And as He 'thirst', the Roman soldiers dealt Him a last cruel blow by giving Him sour wine (vinegar/a form of 'acid') to drink, thinking that He was 'thirsty for water'. This was in fact a form of cruelty (and sarcasm) instead of showing genuine concern (note: you don't give someone vinegar/acid to drink when he/she is thirsty for water!). So, not only Jesus suffered 'indescribable' wounds (Isaiah 53:2) on His outer body, imagine those 'acid' burning through His wounded lips, dry esophagus, stomach, and intestine in His inner body! And this was in addition to some six hours of being nailed on the cross (with non-stop bleeding)! He then finally said, "It is finished!" His work was finally done (John 19:30, Revelation 21:6), and He did it just for you (for He knows you by name), because He loves you so dear.

Entering a phase of 'enlarging'

Isaiah 54:2(NKJV): "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes."

As you enter a new phase in your life, the Lord is also bringing you to a place of 'enlarging'. He is not a 'diminishing' God. He is a God who 'expands' and 'enlarges' you, till you see all your God-given destinies fulfilled. In Isaiah 54:4, the Lord also says, "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth (younger days), and will not remember the reproach of your 'widowhood' anymore." These are His words of assurance as He leads you into a new phase. It's a fresh one. It's a new one. And it's definitely a better one! People of God, old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I was ministering to someone recently, and I saw a vision of 'a beautiful young, fresh, green shoot (of plant) sprouting out from the soil'. I asked the Lord what it means, and He simply said these words, "Fresh. Young. Green". Amen! And yes, a new start is taking place! It's your time to let go of those 'shames' in the past. It's your time to let go of those 'reproaches' in the past. The days of the 'swarming locusts' (that may have eaten up your God-given zeal, courage, and destiny) are over! The Lord is resurrecting those areas of your life, and take heart, He surely hasn't forgotten you. Give these areas to the Lord again! There's a fresh touch, and there's a new start. I see Him 'touching' some of these areas now. To some of you, it may be your family relationships (parent-children, husband-wife, etc), and to some, it's your health that He's 'touching'. I also see the Lord reviving some careers, businesses and ministries, and He's 'touching' your finances afresh as well. Praise the Lord! Allow Him and receive in your spirit.

The Lord also brought my attention to these three words in Isaiah 54:2: Curtains, cords, and stakes.

Curtains: When there's a larger space, there'll be a larger stretch of curtains. There's an 'enlarging' in your spirit, and when your 'inside' is enlarged, your 'outside' will follow suit.

Cords: This speaks of your capacity to 'contain'. When there's a greater capacity to 'contain', it means the cords need to be lengthened as well. There's an 'enlarging' in your 'green pastures', and when your 'green pastures' is enlarged, more 'sheep' can come grazing and be fed. This applies to your business and ministries as well.

Stakes: This is like a 'nail', a 'picture' of God's Word (see Ecclesiastes 12:11) being strengthened in you. There's also an 'enlarging' in your understanding of His Word and in His things, and just as the 'stake' is being strengthened, there's also a strengthening (deepening) of your understanding of His Word and His things.

Amen!