Monday, November 28, 2016

Prospering in the end time

I heard the Lord say these words recently:
"Prepare for a time of prospering! Do not look at the world, but look to Me! And I will show you the way to prosperity! Prepare for a time of wealth transferring to My people, for My kingdom's sake and for My kingdom's expansion! Some have begun to see it happening. But more will begin to see it. This is a time to receive this anointing and enabling from Me!"

People of God, when the world is striving, that's when the Lord is thriving! Many in the world will not know what to do (and how to go about) in their lives anymore, especially in these challenging and perilous times. Not even the foremost of politicians or economists. And that's when many will begin to look to the Lord God for help. This is a time of great awakening! This is a time of great revival in our land!

Isaiah 60:1-3 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'. And Isaiah 60:5 says, 'Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you. The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you'.

Notice 'darkness shall cover the earth', but not God's kingdom on earth; and 'deep darkness the people', but not God's people! Contrary to what some people think, the above verses in Isaiah 60 are not just for Israel (or the Jews), but ALSO for those who are in Christ. In Him, you and I (the believers in the New Covenant) have been 'grafted in' (see Romans 11:16-18), as written by the apostle Paul.

What is true prosperity in the Lord?
The Bible says in Proverbs 10:22, 'The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it'. Walking in true prosperity in the Lord is not like the world's way of seeing prosperity. The world measures 'prosperity' solely by the amount of money/assets/properties/lands/luxuries one possesses. But the Bible says true prosperity in the Lord has no sorrow attached to it! No sorrow, no worry, no fear (because your conscience is clear), no anxiety, no feud, no strife, no sleepless nights! What's the point of having loads of money (or material things) but one comes back home only to see feud, strife, sorrows, and infighting? Or being surrounded by people who are only after one's money?

True prosperity is not attained by selfish means/gains, or sinful means (e.g. cheating, conning, gambling), but upon the instructions (blueprints) given by the Lord for those who seek Him! And that's when you'll also be rightly positioned to receive prosperity from the Lord

When the Lord prospers you in this end time, the Lord meant it primarily for the expansion of His kingdom, and not for a person to own more and more luxuries (houses, cars, yachts, etc) on earth, or to indulge in the flesh (e.g. parties, parties, and more parties).

Does God want you to prosper?
YES! As good parents, do you wish your grown-up children to prosper or to suffer (lack, poverty)? Of course to prosper! No parents in the right mind will want otherwise! How much more your Abba Daddy in heaven want to see you, His beloved children prosper
3 John 2 says, 'Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers'. See the words 'in all things' here? And the word 'prosper' here in Greek literally means 'to succeed in reaching (something), to succeed in business affairs'. 
Luke 4:18-19 says, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (Christ), because He has anointed Me to.... proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord'. The word 'acceptable' here in Greek comes from the word 'dechomai', meaning 'to receive (providence)'.
2 Corinthians 8:9 says, 'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich'. The word 'rich' here is 'plouteo' in Greek, and it means 'to be wealthy, to increase with goods'. You see, this verse isn't just talking about being rich in your soul, but also being rich with goods

As a matter of fact, when you prosper in the Lord, He gets the glory! But when you live in lack and poverty, He doesn't get the glory! Notice Isaiah 60:6-7 says, 'Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you; they shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory'. 

The ways to prosperity is by sowing seeds
Not just financial seeds, but seeds of love and kindness! The seeds that you plant will in turn germinate and grow into trees with many fruits. Your sowing of seeds unconditionally will eventually grow into reaping of many fruits. The Lord is looking at your heart, and He will know how to reward you, even in ways you can never imagine possible. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, 'But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully'. 

As for financial seeds, sow to ministry/ministries that feed you spiritual food (i.e. the Word) and to ministry/ministries that have blessed you. Is there any biblical support for what I have written here? Yes. Genesis 14:18-20 says, 'Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine (speaks of 'spiritual food and drink'); he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him (Abram) and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he (Abram) gave him a tithe (one-tenth) of all'. 'Melchizedek' (who was the priest of God Most High) here is a 'picture' of  'ministry/ministries that represent Jesus Christ who is the King of all kings'.

There is no scarcity in heavenly economy!
There is a big difference between 'walking in divine providence' and 'walking in worldly providence'.
'Divine providence'
In heavenly economy, there is no scarcity of resources, i.e. 'If you have more, I can have more too'. It means one is walking in the (unlimited) supernatural realm.
'Worldly providence':
In worldly economy, there is scarcity of resources, i.e. 'If you have more, it means I have less'. It means one is walking in the (limited) natural realm

The apostle Paul understood this, and he wrote it very aptly in Philippians 4:19, 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'. Notice the words 'in glory' here? It means 'in the (unlimited) heavenly realm'! In other words, 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in the (unlimited) heavenly realm by Christ Jesus'! Not according to the (limited) worldly standards!

People of God, this is a time to receive the anointing and enabling to walk in divine providence of the Lord, because you don't belong to this fallen world that operates under the Babylonian system/structure. You may be in the world, but you are not of the world (John 17:16). The way of the world is always 'confusion', and that's what the name Babylon means. But the way of the Lord is perfect, His Word is proven, a shield to all who trust in Him (Psalm 18:30). The Lord will show you how, and He will lead you every step of the way. Ask, and you will receive. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Walking in the favor of God

Luke 2:52 (NKJV): And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The word 'favor' here in the New Testament is 'charis' in Greek, which can mean:
- divine influence upon your life
- divine acceptance upon your life
- divine benefit upon your life
- divine pleasure upon your life
- divine gift upon your life

This word 'charis' is from the word 'cha-i-ro', meaning 'be well-off, be well, be cheerful, be joyful, be happy, be glad, God speed'.

As Jesus is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17) And just as Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men, so should you be in this world!

Notice what Luke wrote in Acts 2:46-47 regarding the church (i.e. the people of God): 'So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved'.

See the word 'favor' here? It is the same word 'charis'. In other words, the people of God were enjoying the divine influence, divine acceptance, divine benefit, divine pleasure, and divine gift of the Lord upon their lives! And when the favor of God was with them, they couldn't help but be 'attractive' to those around them, even the unbelievers! And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved! See? Favor of God and favor of men!

How about the likes of Joseph and David? You can see the same word 'favor' written by Luke in the Book of Acts. Acts 7:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor ('charis') and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house'. Acts 7:45-46 (NKJV) says, '... David, who found favor ('charis') before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob'.

Let me 'qualify' what I write about 'favor' here. I am not saying when the favor of God is with you, you will never have to face any opposition, or even persecution (particularly from those who may be envious or feeling threatened by what the Lord is doing in your life). What I am saying is when the favor of God is with you, He will know how to prosper you (in all that He has called you to do), and He will raise up the right people to favor you! And that's exactly what happened to the people of God in the early days!

"How do you apply the above verses in this end-time?"

No doubt the world is not getting any better, with more and more wars and rumors of war, earthquakes occurring in various places, pestilences, etc. You don't need a prophet to tell you this. Even the people who are unbelievers can tell you the same. You can see this everywhere, and in the news channels. Isaiah 60:2 (Holman Christian Standard Bible) confirms it, 'For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples...' But Isaiah 60:2 then continues with these very encouraging words, '... but the Lord will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you'.

People of God, the second part of Isaiah 60:2 is yours to receive! Therefore, no matter how 'unfavorable' the conditions around you may be, as a people who are in Christ, you can still (and should still) be walking in the favor of God and favor of men! The expression 'but the Lord will shine over you' here in the Old Testament parallels with 'the favor of God' (i.e. 'charis' of God) in the New Testament.

In cross-reference, the priestly blessing mentioned in Numbers 6:24-26 says,
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."

See? 'The Lord make His face shine upon you'! Now, that's 'the favor of God' upon you! Just as in the physical realm, you can feel it when the physical sun shines upon you (i.e. the ray of light, the warmth), the same it is when God's face shines upon you! You can feel it when 'His divine influence, divine acceptance, divine benefit, divine pleasure, and divine gift' is upon you!

Now, look at what Jesus cried out when He was about to give up His Spirit at the cross. Matthew 27:45-46 says, 'Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"' In other words, God the Father turned His face away from His Son Jesus (who carried all the filthiness of our sins), so that His face can now shine upon you!

"But why are some believers seem to walk in favor (or greater evidence of favor) more than other believers?"

Remember the word 'favor' is 'charis'. It is a gift of God to you (who are in Christ)! In Christ, you actually already have it! Simply because of what Jesus has already done for you on the cross. It is not something you can buy or earn with your own self-effort. So, why then some believers seem to walk in favor more than some others?

To answer the above question, let's go to Luke 1:26-38:
'... the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you... For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her'.

Can you imagine what if Mary had rejected all that the angel Gabriel had conveyed? What if Mary had said 'nay' instead of 'aye'? What if Mary had said, "No, that's not for me. Who am I to be chosen for such?" Mary would have missed out the privilege of bringing forth the Son of the Living God!

But look now at Luke 1:38: "Behold (here am I) the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." People of God, this is the key to seeing the favor of God HAPPENING in your life! A heart that is willing and yielded, and a heart that is fully surrendered to all that the Lord had wanted to do in your life! Like Mary!

And soon you too will bring forth the many good things that God had already intended for you! Amen!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Living by the power of God

I heard and released these words from the Lord on Sunday, November 6, 2016:
"A new spiritual era has been opened for My people! This is a time to walk into the new era by faith! I will give you the anointing that you need! I will give you the enabling that you need! Receive! A new era of walking in the Spirit and walking in My power, even in ways that the world has not seen before!"

Then, I heard and released these further words from the Lord:
"And I will cause you to rise above the status quo, and you shall fear no man, but fear God. And you shall not bow down to man-made traditions, but you shall live by the power of God, just as Peter and John were in the book of Acts."

In the book of Acts 1:8, Jesus says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." After He had spoken these words, while the disciples were watching, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of sight (Acts 1:9). Notice Acts 1:8 were the last words of Jesus before He was taken up! Last words are important words! And here, it has to do with receiving the power of God!

The word 'power' here is 'dunamis' in Greek, meaning 'miraculous power (or ability), abundance of power (or miracle), mighty (wonderful) work', from the word 'dunamai' meaning 'to be able, to be possible'. In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

In 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, the apostle Paul wrote, 'And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith will not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God'. Notice 'the power of God' here?

Living by the power of God
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NKJV) says, 'For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power'.
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV) says, 'For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power'.
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT) says, 'For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power'. Oh, I love the New Living Translation (NLT) for this verse! It says, 'living by God's power'!

By whose power the lame walk?
Not long after receiving the power of God from on high, Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And they saw a certain man lame from his mother's womb asking for alms at the gate of the temple. Peter then said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And immediately this man's feet and ankle bones received strength! (see Acts 3:1-7) That's the power of God working!

Interestingly, it was also in the ninth hour (i.e. 3pm) that Jesus gave up His Spirit on the cross! (see Luke 23:44-46) Indeed, He gave it all up on the cross, so you (like Peter and John) can now receive His Spirit and His power!

And 'Peter and John' here speaks of 'you and I, the believers today'! Why do I say that? 'Peter' ('Petrus' in Greek) means 'a piece of rock (or stone)', and 'John' ('Ioannes' in Greek) means 'grace and favor of God'. As believers today, 1 Peter 2:5 says we are 'the living stones, being built up a spiritual house', and Romans 6:14 says we are 'not under law but under grace', i.e. we are now living in the New Covenant, the covenant of the grace of God.

A time to pray in the spirit like never before!
Do you know why the apostle Paul emphasized so much on praying in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:18) and walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16)? Because to pray in the Spirit is to pray in the power of God! And to walk in the Spirit is to walk in the power of God! Even the power of God to overcome sin! In Galatians 5:16, the apostle Paul wrote, 'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh'. It means you'll be so full of the Spirit and power (i.e. yielding to the Spirit and the power of God) that you have no desire to walk in sin!

In Ephesians 6:10-11, he wrote, 'Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, (so) that you may be able to stand against the wiles (schemings) of the devil...' And he wrapped it up with Ephesians 6:18-19 that says, '...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance...' See the word 'always' here when he wrote about praying in the Spirit?

In 1 Corinthians 14:4, he wrote, 'He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself...' The word 'edifies' here is 'oikodomeo' in Greek, meaning 'to embolden, to activate, to build up (power)'. So, people of God, when you pray in the Spirit (i.e. pray in tongues), know that you are activating the power of God to work in (and through) your life! That's the 'dunamis' power of God working for you! Let it be so! Hallelujah!

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Walking into a new spiritual era

I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Tell My people this is a time to declare a new spiritual era being opened up in their lives! Tell them not to miss this time and season to boldly walk into a new era of My divine power, wisdom, and prosperity! Let Me anoint them with oil, and let Me open a new spiritual era in their lives! This is a time of My divine power, wisdom, and prosperity being manifested! Only believe!"

In obedience to what the Lord has spoken, I conducted an anointing service at church last Sunday, especially for those who had wanted to start anew in life. It was an awesome time in the presence of the Lord! Healing and miracles took place, and testimonies are still coming in. I was told someone was healed from cancer, certified by her doctor! All glory to Jesus!

People of God, the above words from the Lord are for you too, especially if you have wanted to start anew in life. The key Bible verses in this time and season are Luke 8:40-56, about Jairus' twelve-year-old daughter being restored to life, and a woman having a flow of blood for twelve years being healed. Notice the number 'twelve' here, which I will explain the significance later. Both experienced the divine power of God manifested, and both began walking into a new era in their respective lives!

Note: The word 'era' is defined in Oxford Dictionary as 'period in history starting from a particular time or event; period in history marked by an important event or development'.

Luke 8:40-56 - 'a new spiritual era' replacing 'a seemingly hopeless situation' 
What are those 'seemingly hopeless situations' in your life at the moment? Your health? Your finance? Your marriage? Your children? Your career? Your ministry? Your business?
In Luke 8:50, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." 
People of God, Jesus is saying the same to you right now, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and your situation will be made well." He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the same Jesus who did great miracles those days, as He is in your life today. To men, it may be impossible, but to God, all things are possible (Luke 18:27).

Luke 8:40-42 (NKJV) says, 'So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitudes welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come into his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.

The name 'Jairus' here is from the Hebrew word 'yaiyr', meaning 'enlightened'. Indeed, his spiritual eyes were opened and enlightened to see hope in Jesus who is the Light. In John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Jairus then fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his home, believing that He is the only hope for his dying daughter

Luke 8:43-48 (NKJV) says, 'Now a woman, having a flow of blood (i.e. bleeding) for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

Why the number 'twelve', and what is the significance of the number 'twelve' here? The girl was about twelve years of age when she was dying, and the woman had a flow of blood (i.e. bleeding) for twelve years! There is no insignificant details in the Bible. There's a reason for everything written in the Scripture. For the record, the number 'twelve' in Hebrew doesn't just mean 'divine government' or 'New Jerusalem', but it can also mean 'divine power of God'. As you can see here, both the girl and the woman were about to experience the divine power of God being manifested in their lives! It was a turning point in their lives. It was a new era in their lives, having experienced the divine power of God so real!

Luke 8:49-56 (NKJV) says, 'While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher." But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened'.

If you read this chapter in Luke 8, it looks like Jesus had missed His time and opportunity to heal Jairus' daughter! Notice Luke 8:42 says, 'she was dying', but Luke 8:53 later says, 'she was dead'! So, at first, it does look like Jesus was 'distracted' along the way (by the woman having a flow of blood for twelve years). To the minds of men, it was time lost, a 'procrastination', and a missed opportunity to do a great miracle! But God! He is never late! He is always on time! Today, He also wants you to know that He is always on time for you

People of God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Know that the same Jesus who was 'on time', and who was 'never late', is also the same Jesus to you today! His divine power is also unchanging. He stays the same. He never changes. The same Jesus who did great miracles those days is also the same Jesus to you, even now!

In Jesus' name, I therefore pray a new spiritual era being opened up for you as well, a new era of His divine power, wisdom, and prosperity being manifested in your life! Only believe, and you will receive. Amen!