Friday, December 27, 2013

Receiving your Light for a brand new year

Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV): Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

The word 'light' here is 'owr' in Hebrew, which can mean 'illumination, bright, clear, morning sun, lightning, happiness, break of day, glory, shine, set on fire'. As you can see, this word 'owr' has a wide range of meaning in Hebrew.

Isaiah 60:2-3 then says, 'For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light ('owr'), and kings to the brightness of your rising'.

People of God, even though the world may be getting 'darker and darker' (in every sense) in this end-time, 'but the Lord will arise over you'. The Word of God says so. The word 'arise' here is rather interesting. It is pronounced 'zarach' in Hebrew, which actually means 'to shoot forth beams of light, to appear on you like the sunrise'. Let me paraphrase the verse above now: Even though the world may be getting 'darker and darker', but as for you (the believers), the Lord will 'shoot forth beams of light' over you and 'appear on you like the sunrise'! Hallelujah! Take it, believe for it, and receive it. Amen!

Now, who is this 'light'? John 1:6-10 says, 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the Baptist). This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

Notice the words 'true Light' here? Indeed, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and this truth sets us free (John 8:32). And when this true Light comes, all darkness (even false lights) will have to flee. 1 John 2:8 says, 'Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true Light is already shining'.

People of God, to be 'in this Light' is to be 'in Christ'! Jesus is your Light!

1 John 1:5-7 says, 'This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all... if we walk in the light (i.e. in Him) as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin'.

The word 'light' here in Greek is 'phos', which means 'to shine, to make manifest (to show up, to reveal)'. The Word of God says Jesus Christ is God manifested (showed up, revealed) and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

Just as Jesus Christ (the true Light) reveals God the Father, the light that shines (from the physical sun) also reveals the physical sun. In other words, without the light, you wouldn't know there's a sun!
Note: The Lord God Almighty forbid that we worship the physical sun, but He shows us the physical sun as a sure 'sign' that points us to Him and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (see John 1:1-18). If the 'physical sun' reflects God the Father, then the 'light' has got to reflect God the Son! The 'physical sun' and its 'light' cannot be separated. They are 'one'. If the 'light' is taken away from the 'physical sun', it is not called the 'sun' any more. May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened. Amen.

Isaiah 60:19-20 says, 'The (physical) sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended'.

Today, know that Jesus Christ is to you an 'everlasting light'!

So, friends, if you are currently going through a time of 'darkness' (in family, in relationship, in business, in career, in health, in finance, or in any other area of your life), and it seems your hope has also gone dimmer and dimmer, this is your time to receive the 'Light'. This 'Light' will also bring with Him a renewed hope for you. Amen. The Word of God says 'Christ in you, the hope of glory' (Colossians 1:27).

Know also that Jesus Christ Himself has already carried all your 'darkness' when He died for you on the cross, and in exchange, you can now receive the 'light'. The Word of God says, 'Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" (Luke 23:44-47)

And because He gave you this 'light', you can now therefore 'proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy' (1 Peter 2:9-10). Have a year full of His light and the praises of the Lord. Amen!

Friday, December 20, 2013

Receiving God's grace to overcome and start anew

Judges 3:9 (NKJV): When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

The word 'deliverer' here in Hebrew is 'yasha, yesha, or yeshayah (Yah, the Savior and Deliverer)', and the name 'Othniel' means 'force, strength of God', from the words 'Othniy' (meaning 'force, strength') and 'El' (the name of God Almighty). Indeed, Jesus is our Overcomer God, strong and mighty!

This deliverance came about at a time when the Israelites were brought back to the 'land' of their past

When the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and Asherahs (i.e. the gods and goddesses, or masters of this world), the anger of the Lord was hot against them. They were then sold into the hand of King Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia and served this king for eight years (Judges 3:7-8).

What does 'Cushan-Rishathaim' mean here? It means 'double wickedness, or repeating wickedness of guilt and curse'. This speaks of your past 'guilt' and 'curse', or some recurring thoughts of your past 'trying to make a comeback' and 'attacking you over and over again'. 

Notice that 'Cushan' is from the word 'Cush', the son of Ham (Genesis 9:22-23), which speaks of 'guilt and curse', because Ham uncovered and exposed his father (Noah's) nakedness. 'Rishathaim' means 'double wickedness, or repeating wickedness', from the words 'rishah' (meaning 'condemnation, fault, wickedness'), and 'ayim' (speaks of 'double, plural, repeat').

How about 'Mesopotamia' then? What does it mean to the Israelites? It speaks of Israel's past, because it was here that the Lord spoke to Abraham: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." (Genesis 12:1-2) Abraham did not look back to Mesopotamia (speaks of his 'past') since.

People of God, have you been having nightmares or thoughts recently that bring you all the way back to certain past failures, mistakes, or shame of yours? And all of a sudden, all those past memories you've always wanted to forget begin to 'creep into mind' and 'haunt' you again! Or have you been feeling 'down' recently and memories of the past kept coming back as a recurring thought? For some, even certain faces or places may evoke (bring back to mind) past bad memories all over again!

You see, the devil will always try to pull you back to your past, or bring you back to the remembrance of your past failures, mistakes, sins, shame, disappointment, and defeat. In fact, he's good at that! The Bible says he (the accuser of our brethren) accuses us day and night (Revelation 12:10). But thanks be to God, because in Christ, we have overcome him by the Blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the Word of our testimony! (Revelation 12:11)

Now there's a big difference between the Holy Spirit and the devil. The Holy Spirit will always remind you of your right standing in Christ, i.e. you are now forgiven, and righteous in Christ (John 16:10, Romans 8:1, Hebrews 10:17), but the devil will always remind you of your past guilt, failures, mistakes, shame, i.e. your dark past (Revelation 12:10). In short, the devil wants you to stay in that past, and he knows that as long as you stay in that past and get yourself stuck in it, he will always have the upper hand over you!

Not just that, the devil also wants 'history to repeat itself' in your life, and he wants you to 'relapse into your old cycle of pain again'. That's also exactly what Cushan-Rishathaim the king of Mesopotamia did to Israel those days! But thanks be to God because Jesus came and carried this curse when He died for you on the cross once for all some 2,000 years ago! (Hebrews 7:27) You see, God didn't allow history (of His suffering and shame) to repeat itself at the cross! And just as He did not have to die on the cross the second time, 'history' also need not have to repeat itself for you neither! 

So, just because you've been hurt in a business, relationship, or even in ministry before doesn't mean history must repeat itself! 

Judges 3:10-11a (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel), and he judged (i.e. ruled, delivered, saved) Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. So the land had rest for forty years." Praise God! 

Do you see Jesus in the Old Testament here? He is in the Old Testament concealed, and in the New Testament revealed. 'Othniel' here is a 'typology' (the 'shadow' of things to come) of Jesus Christ today, your Deliverer. In cross-reference, notice in Luke 4:18-19, the Bible also says 'the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus', as He began His ministry on earth.

People of God, as you let go of your past and look forward to a brand-new year ahead, God's grace (supply, ability) to start anew is also very rich for you this coming year. Everyone has a past. It's a matter of to what extent (whether greater or lesser). So, no matter what your past may be, receive now a fresh release of His river of life (that brings life) and healing today. Receive also a fresh new grace for you to move forward. 

As you keep receiving this refreshing from the Lord, you know you have overcome your past and are ready to move on (by His grace) when you can smile and give thanks for who you are in Christ today and what He has done for you thus far (i.e. how He had worked in you till you are what you are today).

BUT NOW thanks be to God who always leads you in triumph in Christ, and through you diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14). NOW is your time to move on and  triumph again! Amen!

Monday, December 2, 2013

God is still with you even in your darkest hours

2 Kings 6:16 (NKJV): So he (Elisha) answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

If there's any 'trademark' set of words that Jesus said (over and over again) in his earthly ministry, I would say it is "Fear not!" For instance, in Luke 8:49-50, when news came that Jairus' daughter was dead, Jesus simply answered, "Fear not; only believe, and she will be made well."

And in John 14:26-27, Jesus said, "But the Helper (Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Here, Jesus was actually saying when He goes up, His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) will be with you, so fear not! His Spirit is His presence. In other words, He promised that His presence will always be with you, so fear not!

Let's look now at an Old Testament example. In 2 Kings chapter 6, the king of Syria was planning to war against Israel, and he consulted his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place." Within his inner circle, he was indeed planning a secret strategy of war against Israel (2 Kings 6:8), but somehow Elisha (the prophet and the man of God) 'caught it in his spirit' and warned the king of Israel beforehand, saying, "Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there." (2 Kings 6:9)

Upon knowing that the Israelites had somehow found out their secret plans of war, the king of Syria was greatly troubled, and called his servants and said to them, "Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?" (2 Kings 6:11) He was wondering who was the betrayer among them. And one of the servants then said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom." (2 Kings 6:12)

And so it was, from then on, Elisha became a marked man, a target of the enemy! In other words, he was deemed to be dangerous to the enemy, and he had to be annihilated! The king of Syria then said, "Go and see where he (Elisha) is, that I may send and get him." (2 Kings 6:13)  And it was told him, saying, "Surely he is in Dothan." Therefore, the king of Syria sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city (2 Kings 6:14).

So there was Elisha, and the whole army of the enemy went after this one servant of God! A whole lot versus one man! And he didn't even do anything wrong in God's eyes! In fact, he did the right thing by warning the king of Israel of the impending attack! Nevertheless, he did 'ruffle some feathers', and this did not go well with the enemy.

People of God, are you also going through a long night like Elisha was? And in the midst of the darkness that surrounds you, you also feel so lonely and no one seems to understand. Maybe, you have just embarked on something that God has called you to do, and all of a sudden, you find yourself a target of attack by the enemy and his cohorts?

If you are, take heart, because the Lord is here to assure you that even in the darkest of hours, He is still with you and His presence is still with you.

By the way, the name 'Elisha' ('Eliysha/Eliyshuwa' in Hebrew) means 'God of supplication, God who supplies, God who is rich in His supply'. Interestingly, the word 'Syria' actually means 'highland, elevated, citadel (fortress on a high land)' which speaks of 'the haughty, the lofty, the proud of this world'.

People of God, in the midst of the attacks and the darkness that may have surrounded you, God is saying to you that He is still the same God to you as in Elisha's time, a God who supplies, and a God who is rich in His supply (of His help, His wisdom, His favor, and His protection).

Look now how Elisha responded when his servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" (2 Kings 6:15) And he answered, "Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (2 Kings 6:16) He then prayed for the Lord to open his servant's eyes, and lo and behold, the servant saw 'the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha'! (2 Kings 6:17)

You see, Elisha chose not to see the enemy's entire army and get himself panicky. He really could have done that! In fact, many people would have done that! But instead, he saw God! People of God, for you too, if only you could see the chariots of fire all around you as well right now! If only you could see that you are never alone! Never alone even a second! If only you could see that His horses and chariots of fire always outnumber the enemy's! The Word of God says, "I will never (by any means) leave you nor forsake you." And if He is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31)

The truth is when Jesus died for you on the cross, He has already also carried your loneliness all by Himself up at the cross, so now you'll never have to be alone. And His Spirit (His presence) is now always with you, never leaving you nor forsaking you.

And He has even carried all your darkest of hours on the cross (there was darkness about the sixth hour until the ninth hour when he was up at the cross alone - see Luke 23:44), so that now you have His light, and will always be in His light, no matter how dark the world outside may be!

Victory is therefore already yours for the taking. He has already won it for you, as He did for Elisha those days (2 Kings 6:8-23). Receive it now by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!

God is releasing His balm to soothe and heal you today!

Jeremiah 8:22a (NKJV): Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?

'Balm' is defined as 'sweet-smelling oil, soothing (comforting, calming) ointment derived from trees as medicine for healing'.

What is 'balm of Gilead' then? It is the balm that comes from Gilead (pronounced 'ghil-awd' in Hebrew), a wooded and hilly area east of River Jordan, known for its medicinal balm and as a refuge for fugitives (people escaping and running away from war or problems).

Recently, during a time of personal worship and prayer at home, I heard these words from the Lord, and immediately an elderly lady whom I know came to mind. I then phoned her and faithfully released these words to her:
"Holy Spirit, the sweet Spirit of Jesus, fall upon (the name of the lady) like a balm that soothes and heals the many years of pain and hurt in this life. In Jesus' name. Amen."

As this 'balm' was being released, I knew this life was miraculously healed and set free in Jesus' name then and there, from the many years of pain and hurt in her soul. She couldn't hold back her joy neither, and she cried (and cried) with such joy that made me cry as well! There was indeed a real, tangible presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit hovering and embracing her even when I was ministering to her on the phone that day.

Later on, I also heard from this same lady how her doctor was so surprised and amazed at the rate of her recovery from her lingering (and dimming) eyesight problems, and the doctor indeed acknowledged that "This must be God!" Praise God, and all glory to God!

Beloved of God, I also pray for a release of His balm upon you right now, in Jesus' wonderful name. I believe distance is never a problem in the spiritual realm, and so, wherever you may be right now, you too can receive His healing and be set free, just as this elderly lady had received on the telephone the other day!

When Jesus died on the cross for you, know that He had already carried upon Himself all your wounds, hurts, and the many years of pain (whether in your soul or in your body). Isaiah 53:4-5 says, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

Just as the 'balm' (the sweet-smelling oil) is being derived from trees, the anointing oil that heals all your griefs and sorrows when Jesus died for you on a tree (Galatians 3:13-14) has also been released today to set you free even from all those years of 'captivity'. Indeed, just as the 'balm of Gilead', He is not just to you a medicine for healing, but He is also to you today a refuge in times of need. Amen.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Prepare for a change of 'soil' and for His 'seed' to be planted!

2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV): Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

The Bible says 'to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God in your life. 'The knowledge of God' in this context can mean 'the knowledge of God's Word, God's will, God's plan, and God's vision for your life'.

The word 'imaginations' here is translated in New King James Version as 'arguments'. An imagination is like a 'seed', and if a wrong (and ungodly) imagination is not dealt with, it will eventually grow to become a 'big tree'. So, you see, imagination is a very powerful thing. As a matter of fact, whatever man can conceive in his imagination, it can become a reality, whether to the good or to the bad.

'Every high thing' here in this verse speaks of 'the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of ungodly riches, and the desires for the ungodly things that choke God's Word, God's will, God's plan, and God's vision that God has planted in your life'.

Recently, the Lord said, "This is the time to throw away the old soil, the thorny ground; and replace it with the new soil, the good ground, because I am in the midst of planting seeds in many of My people's soil."

'Soil' here speaks of 'your heart and mind', and a change of 'soil' speaks of a change of heart and mind, so that whatever 'seed' God is planting (in your 'soil') will yield a crop and bear fruit - some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred. On the contrary, the 'soil' that is infested with thorns cannot yield a crop and becomes unfruitful, because the thorns would grow up and choke the 'seed' that is being planted. 'Seed' here speaks of 'God's Word, God's will, God's plan, and God's vision for your life'.

Mark 4:14 says, 'the sower sows the word'.

Mark 4:7 says, 'And some seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop'. Mark 4:19 explains it, 'and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful'.

Mark 4:8 says, 'But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced; some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred'. Mark 4:20 explains it, 'But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred'.

As you prepare for a change of 'soil' and for His 'seed' to be planted:

1. Consciously come under the blood of Jesus, and allow His blood to wash and cleanse you from any wrong imagination or thought. 

2. Be focused on (be engrossed with) God's goodness in your life, God's good work in your life, God's plan for your life, God's vision for your life, and God's love for you. As you focus on (be engrossed with) the right things from God, all the strangleholds of sin (or addiction) will eventually have to be loosed from your life.

3. Take authority over your thought life, and cast down every wrong imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God in your life.

4. Submit and surrender your imagination, mind, and thought to God, His Word, and His will.

Here are some of the verses you can meditate (speak/declare aloud over and over again) till you have the mind of Christ again:

1. I cast down arguments, imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

2. I think only of those things which are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report. I think of those things which have virtue and are praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

3. God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed on Him and I trust Him (Isaiah 26:3).

4. I set my mind on the things above and not on the things on this earth. I set my mind on the things of God (Colossians 3:2).

5. I live according to the Spirit and mind the things of the Spirit. I am spiritually-minded and have life and peace (Romans 8:5-6).

Monday, October 14, 2013

You are built together for His dwelling place!

Ephesians 2:20-22 (NKJV): ... Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom, you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

'Built together' here in Greek is 'sunoikodomeo', which means 'being constructed, or composed together', and 'dwelling place' ('habitation' in King James Version) here is from the word 'kat(a)oikeo', which means 'to reside permanently, or to be housed permanently'.

In cross reference, let's look now at 1 Corinthians 6:17, and then 1 Corinthians 6:19. It says, 'But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him... Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?'

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul wrote, 'Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells (lives) in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred (holy, set apart, separated unto God), and you are that temple'.

From the Scriptures above, it is clear that in the New Covenant, God dwells (lives) not in temples made of bricks and stones, but He dwells (lives) in you, the temple of the Holy Spirit. By the way, the word 'temple' mentioned in all the above verses here is called 'naos' (pronounced 'nah-os') in Greek, which simply means 'dwelling place'.

One can personalize Ephesians 2:22 this way: "In Christ, I am being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

People of God, do you see that now? You are being built together for what? What was the reason God 'constructed, or composed' ('sunoikodomeo') you in the first place?

The answer is so that He can make His home in you! For some people in this world, they live for eating, for some, they live for drinking, and still for some others, they live for all the pleasures they can ever get in this world, but God's Word says you are being 'built together' for God's glory (presence) to reside in you!
Note: There is nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and enjoying the good pleasures that God has given you, but I mean 'the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but rather righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17).

And when the glory of the Lord is in you, people will come looking for you because somehow they know you have the 'answer' to their 'questions'! That was exactly what happened when the temple of Solomon was being dedicated to the Lord! (see 1 Kings 8:22-63) 1 Kings 8:60 says, '(so) that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; and there is no other'.

The Old Testament is the 'shadow', and the New Testament is the 'substance'. So, let's go to the Old Testament now to find out the details of what a 'temple' is, and let Scripture interpret Scripture. In the context of our Bible-study today, the temple of Solomon is the 'shadow', and you (the temple of the Holy Spirit) are the 'substance'.
Note: The composition of the temple
'The inner sanctuary ('The Most Holy Place' where the ark of the covenant is)' speaks of your 'spirit';
'The Holy Place' speaks of your 'soul'; and
'The porch and the outer court' speaks of your 'body'.

Therefore, I can say that the temple of Solomon those days was a 'picture' of you today, the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Kings 6:22 says, 'The whole temple he (Solomon) overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary'. When I see this word 'gold', one word comes into mind, and that word is 'precious'! And the Bible says, 'The whole temple of Solomon was overlaid with gold'! You know what this means? God is telling you today that you are precious in His eyes too, even if others may not see you that way! But God sees you precious! Period.

1 Kings 8:1 then says, 'Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion'.

This 'ark of the covenant' speaks of Jesus Himself, the King of Glory. 1 Kings 8:9 says, 'Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there...' The 'two tablets of stone' here speaks of the 'Law' given to Moses. The Bible says 'Jesus has come to fulfil (satisfy) the Law...' (see Matthew 5:17-18). As a matter of fact, no one can fulfil (satisfy) the Law perfectly except Jesus who is perfect in all His ways.

Now, notice in 1 Kings 8:5, the Bible says, 'Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.

Before the 'ark' (which speaks of 'Jesus') was brought into the 'inner sanctuary' (which speaks of 'your spirit, or heart'), there was a sacrifice of sheep and oxen 'that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.

Today, in the New Covenant, we don't need to sacrifice sheep and oxen any more, because Jesus (the Lamb of God) has already been sacrificed for you, once for all! Hebrews 10:10 says, 'By that (sacrifice) will we have been sanctified (cleansed, set apart, made holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'. So, what you need to do today is simply looking to all that Jesus has done for you at the cross. Many people see Jesus as just another 'religious' teacher or prophet, but what do you see Jesus as? He is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and there is no other name by which one is saved but the name of Jesus! (see Acts 4:12) May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as you keep looking unto Him. Amen.

Indeed, His sacrifice on the cross some 2,000 years ago was a perfect sacrifice, greater than all the sheep and oxen being put together and sacrificed in this world! (see Hebrews 10:1)

Upon bringing the 'ark of the covenant' into its rightful place (i.e. the inner sanctuary), 1 Kings 8:10 says, 'And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud (speaks of 'the glory of the Lord') filled the house of the Lord (i.e. the temple)'!
Note: The glory of the Lord is His very presence, and where the presence of the Lord is, there is peace, rest, and joy.

As you open your heart for the 'ark' to come into your 'inner sanctuary', you too will be filled with the glory of the Lord who dwells in you! Never mind about the past, or what has happened in your past, but in Him, know that the blood shed on the cross for you has already washed and cleansed you from all your sins, curse, past and hurts the moment you receive Him into your life. Just as the temple of Solomon was dedicated, you too can have a brand-new start in life today! Will you give your life to Him anew and afresh all over again? A brand-new season of God's glory beckons if you do.

In amazement of the glory of the Lord that filled the temple, Solomon then said, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying befire You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer that Your servant makes toward this place." (1 Kings 8:27-29)

Beloved of God, God also wants you to know that His eyes are always open toward you too (His temple) night and day, for He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), and therefore you can be assured that He is always watching over you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Not only that, because He makes you His home, His name shall also be in you, and He is your:
El-Shaddai (God Almighty and All-Sufficient to you),
El-Olam (God Everlasting and Eternal to you),
El-Roi (God who watches, who sees, and who is All-knowing to you),
El-Gibbor (God the great God to you),
Immanu-El (God who is with you),
YHWH Yireh (The Lord who provides for you),
YHWH Rapha (The Lord who heals you),
YHWH Nissi (The Lord your Banner of Victory),
YHWH Shalom (The Lord your Peace),
YHWH Raah (The Lord your Good Shepherd),
YHWH Tsidkenu (The Lord your Righteousness),
YHWH Shammah (The Lord who is always here for you, and Ever-present to you),
who lives in you.

And so, if He is in you, of whom (and what) shall you fear?

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Your praise releases authority and open door!

Psalm 34:1-2a (NKJV): I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord...

This word 'praise' in Hebrew is 'tehillah', from the word 'haw-lal', which means 'to be loud and clear, to shine, to celebrate, to boast about God (His greatness), to make His name great (high above all else)'.

Let's go to the Hebrew alphabets ('alefbet') for this word 'haw-lal' now:
The consonants are 'h-l-l' (Hey-Lamed-Lamed).
'Hey' speaks of God's grace (i.e. supply, ability), blessing, and anointing;
and 'Lamed' is a 'picture' of a 'shepherd's staff, or rod', and is a sign of 'authority'. 'Lamed' can also mean 'to point forward, or to move forward with the authority of God'.

People of God, as you praise ('tehillah') the Lord, He will also supply you with the authority to point forward, or to move forward! Praise releases authority! Just as Moses raised his rod and the Red Sea miraculously opened, your praises will also release authority in the spiritual realm that causes breakthroughs and doors to be opened!

So, what is praise? Simply put it, to make His name great in your life! Yes, and high above all else, and over every situation in your life. 'He is great and greatly to be praised...' (Psalm 96:4).

The Bible also says 'God is enthroned in the praises ('tehillah') of Israel' (Psalm 22:3). In other words, He becomes King (in and over your life) when you praise Him! The enemy (the forces of darkness) may be trying to ‘spew poison’ against you, and will also do anything to try to dominate you, but God already has an answer for you this day! The answer is in your praises! Begin praising the Lord, and keep on praising Him! Because when you praise, He, the Lion of Judah is enthroned. 'Lion' speaks of 'authority and dominion'. The real authority and dominion in the spiritual realm is in the Lion of Judah (the king of your praises), and you are in Him! All the words (and works) of the enemy will therefore have to leave when you praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

No wonder the psalmist wrote, 'Seven times a day I praise ('haw-lal') You' (Psalm 119:164). 'Seven times' here is a 'picture' of 'perfection, or continuity'. So, people of God, let the praises of the Lord continually be in your mouth. Amen!

Let's look at the life of David now. He lived to sing praises unto the Lord! You see, like so many other people, David too experienced a 'dead-end' at one time! (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15) He was fleeing from King Saul, but ended up in King Achish's (the king of Gath's) path, who was also hunting for him! By the way, Goliath (whom David slain not too long ago) was this king's blue-eyed boy! So, as you can see, David was a marked man!

And how did David respond in such a 'dead-end' (or 'checkmate') situation? Okay, out of fear, he pretended to be mad! But what else did he doPsalm 34:1-2 says, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord..." David began praising ('tehillah') the Lord! And you know what? God somehow opened a door of escape for him to the cave of Adullam! Not only that, God's authority was also with him, as he then raised up a new army of warriors from among those who were in distress, in debt, and discontented (1 Samuel 22:1-2). Praise the Lord!

So, people of God, for you too, how do you respond when you find yourself in a 'dead-end' road (or 'checkmate' situation)? You praise the Lord! What do you do 'when the going gets tough' in life? You praise the Lord! And what do you do if you find yourself stagnated and unable to move forward in life? You praise the Lord too! Let the praises of the Lord be released into the air loud and clear, in spite of what happens!

Recently, I heard these words from the Lord during a time of praise and worship:
"This whole month, as you praise, you're going to see things moving into order for your life. You're also going to see authority and doors being opened for you supernaturally. So, keep praising, no matter what. Never quit praising. Your praises unto Me will open a supply of My direction, revelation, and authority. Your praises will be the key to a year of authority and open door, and for heavenly wisdom to be released on you even as you move forward into the next stage of your life!"

Another Hebrew word for 'praise' is found in 2 Chronicles 20:21. It says, 'And when Jehoshaphat had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise ('ya-dah') the Lord, for His mercy endures forever."'

This word 'ya-dah' means 'to shoot up, to lift up hands and revere Him, or to throw oneself before Him'. By the way, this word 'ya-dah' is also where the word 'Judah' comes from.

Let's go to the Hebrew alphabets (alefbet) for this word 'ya-dah' now:
The consonants are 'y-d-h' (Yud-Dalet-Hey).
'Yud' is a 'picture' of 'hand';
'Dalet' is a picture' of 'door';
and of course, 'Hey' speaks of God's grace (i.e. supply, ability), blessing, and anointing.

Therefore, 'ya-dah' (Yud-Dalet-Hey) means 'the hand of God that opens the door to grace (i.e. supply, ability), blessing, and anointing for your life'. And that's exactly what happened to Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah those days! (see 2 Chronicles 20:1-30) When all of Judah were surrounded by a great multitude to come and battle against them, Jehoshaphat was instructed by the Lord to send out the singers and musicians to the front-line! (2 Chronicles 20:21) And when they began to sing praises, the Lord supernaturally set ambushes against all their enemies who got so confused they 'self-destruct' one another! (2 Chronicles 20:22-23) See His authority over the enemies at work here? Not just that, His hand then also opened the door for them to take away the spoils (valuables and precious jewelry) of the enemies. In short, He opened the door of blessing ('berachah') for them as well. Praise the Lord!

Let's look at another example now, and this time in the New Testament. When Paul and Silas were put into a prison at Philippi, instead of feeling sorry or angry, they began singing praises unto God! (see Acts 16:25 KJV). I like the word 'praise' here in Greek. It is pronounced as 'arete', which means 'to speak excellence (of God), to declare bravely (like a man), or to roar with a loud voice'. God then caused an earthquake, and all the doors of the prison were opened (Acts 16:26). The keeper of the prison, upon seeing this, and supposing all the prisoners had fled, tried to kill himself, but Paul and Silas stopped him. Falling down and trembling before them, he then asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (see Acts 16:27-31) He and his whole family were then baptized on that same night! (Acts 16:33) Well, again, that's God's authority at work! Praise the Lord!

In conclusion, no matter how big your challenges may be at the moment, take heart, because there's an answer! Begin praising the Lord and keep on praising like David, Jehoshaphat, or Paul and Silas did. He is still the same mighty God, the Lion of Judah, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And the praises that come forth from your mouth will also release His authority over that very situation of yours, and open the door of His supply, ability, blessing, and anointing for you, just as He did for His people those days. Amen!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Choose for yourselves this day!

Joshua 24:15 (NKJV): ... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River (Euphrates), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

The word 'serve' here is pronounced as 'awbad' in Hebrew, which means 'to follow, to execute, or to work on somebody's plan (in this case, God's plan, blueprint, destiny, or desires for you)'. 

What is a 'blueprint' then? One of its definition is 'a detailed plan of action'. Each of us is given a specific 'blueprint' in life (including our vocation or ministry) to follow. However, many never reach where they should be (i.e. God's destiny for their lives), because they quit following (or believing) God's blueprint for their lives. One common reason is impatience. Another reason is thinking they know better. In short, they want it quick fix, and they want it their way!

People of God, this is a time to align your own desires (or even expectation) with His desires for your life. When these two are aligned, it will result in many breakthroughs, and a life that bears much fruit (see John 15:4-5).

Let's look at the life of Joshua in the Bible now. He was definitely one of those great people in the Bible who had seen many breakthroughs, and a life that bore much fruit! So, what was the key to Joshua's success in fulfilling God's destiny in his life (i.e. leading his people to possess the land promised to them)? 

The answer is He kept following God's instruction till the end! He kept believing God's blueprint every step of the way! Of course, he did not quit believing and reaffirming all that God had spoken to him. Neither did He grow weary of following all that God had instructed him! Proverbs 13:13 (NIV) says, ‘He who scorns instruction (i.e. God’s blueprints) will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded’.

You see, he could really have chosen his own way (or even the worldly way) of conquest, but he did not. After the initial victories in Jericho and Ai, notice that he chose to reaffirm God's instruction and covenant instead. Joshua 8:30-33 says, 'Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel... And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. And there in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal...'

Interestingly, the name of this place between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal is called Shechem. In Hebrew, this word 'Shechem' actually means 'to incline (oneself), to lean towards, to move towards a direction, or to choose'. See the word 'to choose' here? And it’s also here that Joshua and all of Israel chose to reaffirm all that God had spoken to them before they moved on into further conquests! 

People of God, this is also your time to re-visit and reaffirm all that God has promised and spoken to you so far. Like what Joshua did in Shechem, may you also choose to keep following and believing.

Let's go all the way now to the last chapter in the book of Joshua. Joshua 24:1 says, 'Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God'. 

After the end of all his successful conquests, and towards the end of his life, notice that Joshua did come back to this very same place Shechem. And here, just as he did in the earlier days of his conquests, he gathered the people to reaffirm God's instruction and covenant again! You see, he never gave up following and believing till the very end! No wonder he also ended well in his life!

In Joshua 24:14, he said to all the people, "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve ('awbad') Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River (Euphrates) and in EgyptServe ('awbad') the Lord!
Note: 'The other side of the River' speaks of 'the Babylonian system (literally meaning 'confused system') of mammon', and 'Egypt' speaks of 'the bondage, or being limited in the worldly way'.

In Joshua 25:15, he then said, "...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ('awbad')... But as for me and my house, we will serve ('awbad') the Lord." To paraphrase it, "...choose for yourselves this day whose plan, blueprint, destiny, or desires you will follow, execute, or work on... But as for me and my house, we will follow, execute, or work on the Lord's plan, blueprint, destiny, and desires for our lives."

By the way, Joshua ('Yehowshuwa') in Hebrew means 'YHWH saved', a 'type' of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In Luke 22:42, He said, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." He humbled Himself, chose to lay down His own will (and expectation) and allowed His Father's will and desire be done instead. As a result, He was also exalted above all names! (Philippians 2:7-11)

Just as Joshua chose to ‘awbad’ God’s blueprint and plan for Israel, which in turn released tremendous blessing to the whole of Israel, Jesus chose to ‘awbad’ His Father’s blueprint and plan by laying down His life, which in turn released salvation and tremendous blessing to the whole of mankind!

Beloved of God, in the New Covenant, His grace (i.e. supply, ability) has already been released and poured out for you when He died on the cross some 2,000 years ago. Therefore, choose also this day to receive all that He has given you (even His specific strategies and plans for your life), and like Joshua, you too will make your way prosperous and will have good success (Joshua 1:8). Amen!

Monday, September 23, 2013

'Crossing over' from blessing to blessing

Isaiah 43:1-2 (NKJV): But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters (i.e. 'cross over' the waters), I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

The Bible says we are to be fruitful and multiply! (see Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1) However, to increase and multiply, there are times we'll also need to leave the 'old' and move into the 'new'. Isaiah 43:18-19 (from the same Isaiah chapter 43) says, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Just an illustration here. If a plant in a small flowerpot keeps growing and you let it remain in that same small flowerpot, it will eventually outgrow the flowerpot. And what happens if you choose not to transplant it (i.e. uproot and re-plant the growing plant) into a bigger flowerpot? This plant will eventually wither and die prematurely! The same it is with us. The Bible says we are to grow from glory to glory, grace to grace, faith to faith, and blessing to blessing! But the moment we choose not to 'transplant' ourselves (say, from one season to another, as and when He leads us to), or move from blessing to blessing (one level of blessing to another level of blessing), we will also eventually 'go down'!

Abraham in the Bible is an epitome of a man who kept 'crossing over' from blessing to blessing! And of course, he did not 'go down'. One characteristic all through his life was that he's a man who always 'crossed over' whatever 'barrier' (again and again) into a new level of blessing

Genesis 11:31 was the beginning of Abram's many 'journeys' in his faith walk. It says, 'And Terah (Abram's father) took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there'. 

The whole entourage journeyed along the River Euphrates, and in order to reach Haran, they had to 'cross over' the Euphrates. Interestingly, the word 'Hebrew' is pronounced 'abar' or 'eber' in the language, which actually means 'cross over'! In other words, 'Hebrew' means 'cross over'! And who was the first Hebrew in history? Abram! In fact, this act of Abram's 'crossing over' the River Euphrates (and then, further 'crossing overs' all through his life) eventually defined his name and identity! In short, by continually 'crossing over', he later became known as 'Abraham', meaning 'the father of multitudes', or 'the father of many nations'!

Therefore, through his covenant with the Lord, Abraham's descendants (and all those grafted in) would also be a 'crossing over' people! That's you and me too, the believers today!

People of God, what are the areas the Lord has been speaking to you to ‘cross over’? For some, it may be a new business venture, and for another, it may be a career change, a ministry re-direction, or even a location change. Whatever it may be, a new level of anointing, blessing, and prosperity is awaiting you as you 'cross over', just as happened to Abraham!

Recently, the Lord released these words in Isaiah 43:1-2 to me personally, and I believe this is also for those of you who have received 'greenlight' or 'confirmation' from the Lord to move on to the next level, but somehow, for one reason or another, there seem to be some hesitations. He says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters (i.e. 'cross over' the waters), I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow (overwhelm, drown) you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

When a 'barrier' is overcome, you'll then begin to see God’s promise (or promises) spoken to you coming to pass! Isaiah 43:1-2 says 'He will be with you' as you ‘cross over’ any 'barrier'. So, fear not! And that's how you move from blessing to blessing! As a matter of fact, 'movement' is normally required in order for one to ‘cross over’ into a new season, and your inheritance as Abraham's descendants is to keep on moving in God's timing, like he did.

Prosperity will eventually come as you align yourself with God's timing and season. In other words, 'as He moves, you move', 'as He stops, you stop', and 'when He says so, you say so', 'when He says no, you say no'. 

This is also a time to meet with Him in His 'tabernacle' (shelter, tent, booth, hut, or 'sukkah' in Hebrew) and encounter His glory (see Nehemiah 8:14-17) like never before. New anointing is going to be released as you 'tabernacle' with Him.

When my daughter, Sophia was in her pre-school, one of our favourite pastimes was to build a tent together at home, and we would then dwell inside that little tent together and play. She loved it, and we would pretend we're really camping in the woods. We would eat our favourite snacks and drink our favourite drinks together. She especially loved being in the warm embrace of her daddy and mommy, especially on a cold, rainy day. There's just something 'warming' when you are in a tent together. You feel protected. You feel the 'togetherness'. You feel the 'oneness'. You feel loved. And you feel you are not alone. This helped me to understand the warm embrace of our Father God. The 'daddy and mommy' here speaks of ‘our Father in heaven’ and the ‘child’ here speaks of ‘you and I, the children of God’. And today, your Father in heaven wants to and enjoys 'tabernacling' with you (His children) too!

Also, as you move on and 'cross over', remind yourself to remain in His joy always. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Receive this joy of the Lord today

Notice this joy doesn't come from the world, but comes directly from heaven. This joy will in turn be your strengthNever allow the devil (or anyone else) to take away this joy from you, no matter what 'bad news' you hear (say, from the media), or no matter what people may say against you. The enemy will do anything to rob you of this joy, because he knows if you lose your joy, you’ll also lose your strength. And if you lose your strength, it's never going to be easy to carry on and walk into the fullness of God’s plan and destiny for your life in the new season. But fear not! Because the Lord has promised in Isaiah 43:1-2 that 'He is with you', and 'through the rivers, they shall not overflow (overwhelm, drown) you'. Continue to look to Him and abide in Him (John 15:4-5). Amen.

Monday, September 16, 2013

A time of realignment and walking into His plan again

Hebrews 12:1-2a (NKJV): Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...

The word 'weight' here in Greek is 'ogkos', which means 'burden, hindrance', whereas the word 'sin' here is 'hamartia' in Greek, literally meaning 'missing the mark' or 'out of alignment'. The writer of Hebrews wrote that as we run this 'race of faith', we are also to 'lay aside' all these, even as we keep looking unto Jesus, the beginner and 'completor' (the One who completes) of our faith.

Why did the writer of Hebrews say so? Because these weights and sins, if not laid aside, easily 'ensnare' us. This word 'ensnare' in Greek can also mean 'beset, trouble, discourage, thwart, oppose'. In other words, any burden and sin in life, if not let go, eventually besets, troubles, discourages, thwarts, or even opposes whatever God has called you to be or planned (destined) for you to be.

Recently, these words were released during one of our prophetic worship and prayer gathering:
"As the lid that has been hindering you is being removed and pushed away, it will also remove your disappointments. This coming year is a year your hope will not be in vain. This coming year is a year your hope will not be disappointed."

Yes, even as the lid (which represents the 'hindrances' in your life) is being removed and pushed away, your disappointments and discouragements will also be removed! Hebrews 12:12-13 confirms it, 'Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet (i.e. in alignment again). So that what is lame may not be dislocated (i.e. turned out of the way, made worse), but rather be healed (made whole).

Note: 'The hands which hang down, and the feeble knees' here speaks of one's disappointment and discouragement.

Notice also the word 'alignment' is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as 'placing/arranging thing(s) into a straight line or in line, or coming into agreement with somebody'. So, you can also say that 'to be out of alignment' with God is 'to be not in line, or not agreeable' with God and His plan for you. And that's what sin ('hamartia') is defined as in Hebrews 12:1!

People of God, this is a time of realignment and walking into His plan again! Don't get me wrong. Not that we don't align at other times, but just that this is His appointed time. There's a time and season in everything. Let us flow in His time. This is a time to be 'at-one' with Him (i.e. in agreement with Him) again. Notice that's where the word 'atonement' comes from.

Isaiah 44:21-22 says, 'Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions. And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you'.

It's when you return to Him that you can be realigned with Him again. But it does take humility on your part. Let's humble ourselves before the Lord this day, knowing that He is God and we are not, and He knows better than us. The Bible says, 'With humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life' (Proverbs 22:4). 1 Peter 5:5-7 says, '... and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care (and that includes weight, burden, hindrance, sin, anxiety, or worry) upon Him, for He cares for you'.

What are the 'weights' and sins that may have 'ensnared' you in recent times? For some of us, it may be pride, for others, it may be uncontrolled lust, and still for some others, it may be a certain addiction to something. Whatever these may be, know that He is here to help you, because He loves you and cares for you. Let go and let Him carry them all. Just do not let anyone condemn you further. In Christ, know that you are now already washed, cleansed, forgiven, and sanctified because of His blood shed for you on the cross (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). 

As you let go of these 'weights' and sins to Him, there'll also be new hope. Receive this new hope. This hope will not be in vain, and will not disappoint (Romans 5:5). 

Also, if you haven't got your breakthrough or victory yet (even after waiting for some time), take heart and don't give up yet, even if you felt you have tried and exhausted all means, and you thought it's now over, hopeless, and in vain. 

The truth is you have not exhausted all means yet! You know why? Because you still have the Holy Spirit in you and with you! The Holy Spirit can never be exhausted! He will never get worn out, and He will never be running out of ideas! He is All-knowing, All-consuming fire, All-wise, and All-powerful, and therefore He can also open a way (out) for you. Ask, and you will receive (Matthew 7:7-8). Recently, the Lord said: "This is the time to ask the Holy Spirit to teach and lead you to pray prayers that lead to your breakthrough!"

Yes, ask of the Holy Spirit to teach and lead you this day! Hebrews 12:25 then says, 'See that you do not refuse Him who speaks...’, because His ways are always higher than yours, just as the heavens are over the earth! (see Isaiah 55:8-9) And because He is also the Spirit of love (Romans 5:5), He will also never lead you into trouble! In fact, on the contrary, His love never fails to bring you out of your trouble! (1 Corinthians 13:8)

People of God, as you return to Him and realign with Him again on this Day of At-one-ment (Isaiah 44:21-22), may Isaiah 44:23 also be upon you this next whole year: 'Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel'. Amen.

Monday, September 9, 2013

The power of agreement

Matthew 18:19-20 (NKJV): "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

The word 'agree' here is 'sumphoneo' in Greek, which means 'to accord/concur, to agree together, to agree with, sounding together (alike), or in harmony'. In other words, 'to agree' here also means 'amen' (‘surely’, ‘so be it’).

People of God, it’s very important what you agree on earth (or who you agree with on earth), because whatever you agree, you will also have it (i.e. ‘so be it’). So, if you agree with the Word of God, you will have what the Word of God says. On the other hand, if you agree with what the world says, you too will have what it says! For instance, if you agree with somebody who says, “This year is going to be a bad year. I think we are going to suffer pay cut, or worse still, get retrenched!”, then both you and that somebody will also have it, i.e. what you’ve agreed!

“But what does God say about our times?”

Isaiah 60:1-3 (NKJV) says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

So, despite all those negative outlook and forecasts you read in the media, and ‘the darkness covering the earth, and deep darkness over the people’, the Word of God has something else to say, ‘but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you’! Now, if you agree and believe what He has just said, you too will have what He says! This, my friend, is the power of agreement!

In 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, Paul wrote, "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us - by me (Paul), Silvanus, and Timothy - was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

See the words ‘through us’? Though all the promises of God in Him are Yes and in Him Amen, it does take you to believe and say “Amen!” to whatever He has to say! And that’s how God’s name can be glorified through you too!

“What does 'Amen' means here?”

It simply means 'surely, so be it (unto me)'. In Hebrew, this word 'amen' is 'aman', and interestingly, the first time this word ‘aman’ appears in the Bible is in Genesis 15:5-6, which speaks of Abraham’s faith! It says, ‘Then the Lord brought Abram (later known as Abraham) outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be.” And Abram believed (‘aman’) in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness’.

In Hebrew, this word 'aman' simply means "I believe what You say" or "I believe the message". And very interesting also, the word 'faith' in Hebrew is pronounced 'emunah', which actually comes from the same word 'aman'! By the way, ‘emunah’ can mean ‘faith, trust, firmness, established, believing heart’.

Today, these words spoken to Abraham in Genesis 15:5-6 have already come to pass, simply because Abram believed (‘aman’) in the Lord those days! Now, here’s another example of the power of agreement! It takes two to tango, so to speak!

People of God, do you know that you are so blessed because you are now in the New Covenant? Do you know that those days in the Old Covenant, the people could hardly say “Amen!” to the blessings? Look at Deuteronomy 27:14-26 and see for yourself, and compare these with Deuteronomy 28:2-14. Do you notice the people in Moses’ days could only say “Amen!” to the curses, but not to the blessings? You know why? Because Jesus had not come and died on the cross yet (to carry away all the curse of the law)!

But in the New Covenant, Galatians 3:13-14 says, ‘Christ has (already) redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith’.

Today, the good news is through His obedience (see Philippians 2:8-11), He has also carried all those curses pronounced in Deuteronomy 27:14-26, so that you (who are in Christ) can now say “Amen!" or "So be it (unto me)!" to all the blessings in Deuteronomy 28:2-14! In other words, Jesus is the very reason you and I can say “Amen!” to the blessing of Abraham today!

By the way, do you also know that Jesus Himself is called the Amen? Revelation 3:14 says, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God…’ Here, the apostle John referred to Jesus as the Amen

So, every time you say “Amen!”, know that you are also declaring “Jesus!”, “Salvation!”, “Rescuer!”, “Healer!”, “Deliverer!”, “Provider!”, proclaiming that all the promises of God for you are indeed “Yes and Amen” to the glory of God! Praise God! So be it! Amen!

People of God, will you also say "Amen!" to all that Jesus (the Word of God) offers you today? Blessed are you if you do.

Let us not be like the people in Jesus' own hometown (Nazareth) who did not say "Amen!" to Him when He declared, "Today this Scripture (in Isaiah 61:1-2) is fulfilled in your hearing." (see Luke 4:21). Not only that, they even tried to kill Him by throwing Him down over the cliff! (see Luke 4:29) He therefore had no choice but to go elsewhere - to where people will say "Amen!" to Him who is the Word.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Nothing shall by any means hurt you!

Luke 10:19 (NKJV): "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

These were some of Jesus' words to the disciples as He sent them out into every city and place (Luke 10:1). The word 'authority' (or 'power' in King James Version) here is 'exousia' in Greek, which actually means 'the right, privilege, mastery, force, or ability'. In other words, Jesus has given you (the believers) the right over all the power of the enemy! Notice the word 'all' here, and not just 'some'. Praise God!

And as you take this 'right' He has given you, He also assures you that 'nothing shall by any means hurt you'! In Greek, the words 'hurt you' here can also mean 'be unjust (toward you), do wrong (against you), injure you, or harm you'.

Isaiah 54:17 confirms it by saying, 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn'. You know what this means? When the 'enemy' forms his 'weapons' against you, they can never prosper (or succeed) and they can never hurt you! Why? Simply because you have a 'big brother' with you. In other words, you are in Christ! So, it's not about who you are, but whose you are! You are His! You belong to Him, and that makes a whole lot of difference!

In Acts 28, Luke wrote an account of how the the serpent (a picture of 'the devil') could not harm Paul. 'Now when they had escaped (from the tempest), they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live." But Paul shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god' (Acts 28:1-6). Now of course Paul wasn't a god, but he had Someone whom those natives did not have at that time! Paul then went on to heal all those who had diseases on the island (see Acts 28:7-9).

In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Note: Of course, you don't ask for the serpent to bite you, or to drink anything deadly to prove a point here, but Jesus meant 'if the serpent comes or if you drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt you'.

Notice the words 'those who believe' here? Jesus Himself said, "As you have believed, so let it be done for you" (see Matthew 8:13) and "According to your faith (i.e. as you have believed) let it be to you" (Matthew 9:29).

In a world that's full of 'fiery darts' every where, the same Paul had this to say, "...above all, taking the shield of faith (i.e. believing heart) with which you will be able to quench (extinguish, put out the fire) all the fiery darts of the wicked one' (see Ephesians 6:16).

You see, these 'fiery darts' can even come through people, e.g. "Well, I think you are never meant to prosper in life. Maybe you are fated to be poor!", or "Your grandparents had cancer, your parents had cancer, well, there's a high likelihood that you will have it too!" 

Take your authority and rebuke the 'fiery darts' in Jesus' name, because these are definitely not what the Word of God says about you! 3 John 2 says 'you shall prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers', and Galatians 3:13-14 says 'you are blessed with the blessing of Abraham because Jesus has become a curse for you on the tree (cross)'.

No wonder Paul wrote 'above all' (i.e. 'of foremost importance'), take the shield of faith! That's how important your faith (or believing heart) is! People of God, never allow the devil (or anyone) to pull down this 'shield of faith' that's yours! Because if this shield of faith is down, fear and doubt will most definitely creep in.

Psalm 91:3-6 says, 'Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler (small shield). You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday'. And Psalm 23:4 says, 'Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me'.

So, people of God, fear not because He is with you and He has also given you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19) in this end-time. As Paul put it, 'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil' (Ephesians 6:10-11). Amen.