Receive the life and the breath of God!

I heard these words from the Lord recently:

"When the enemy puts death in you, I put life in you! This is a time to receive the breath of My life in you, especially in those areas that seem dead in your life."

Prior to these words that I heard, I had a dream in the night where I saw someone having a chronic disease (even though in reality, this person has no such disease!) and he seemed to be shunned, ignored, and isolated in the confine of a house, while the people in the house passed him by, going about their own businesses. As I woke up, I began praying in the Spirit for the Lord's divine protection and health for that person. I was also led by the Spirit to take authority and bind the spirit of death and disease that tried to 'invade' that person.

People of God, this is an important time to guard your heart against every form of lies, negativity, discouragement, or even despair sown by the enemy against you. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word 'despair' as 'to lose all hope or confidence'. For some of you, the enemy has been trying very hard to put such 'despair' in you recently. Take authority and bind it in Jesus' name! And fill yourselves with the Word of God, because the words that He speaks to you are spirit, and they are life! (John 6:63)

In the days after Jesus' death, the disciples were rather discouraged and downcast, and they certainly felt like failures, hopeless in every sense of the word! Some had even thought of quitting ministry altogether and walk right back to their former jobs. 

But God! When everything seemed 'hopeless' and 'dead', Jesus showed up!

Let's go to the Scripture now.

John 20:19-22 says, 'Then, the same day (of Jesus' resurrection) at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."'

See the word 'breathed' here?

This word 'breathed' is 'emphusao' in Greek (from the word 'phuo' meaning 'to blow'), and it literally means 'to cause to spring up'! In other words, Jesus came to re-commission them and give them a new lease of life! It was a time of imparting new hope in them! And it was a time of releasing them to be of use again!

People of God, no matter how 'hopeless' and 'dead' your situation may be at the moment (be it in your health, finance, family relationships, career, business, or ministry), do not lose heart, because the Lord is also here to breathe His Spirit and His life in your situation right now! This is a time to receive by faith, and declare boldly that when the enemy puts death in you, the Lord is here to put life in you!

Let's go all the way to the Old Testament now. 

2 Kings 4:32-36 says, 'When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And Elisha called Gehazi his servant and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."'

The name 'Elisha' ('Eliysha' in Hebrew) is a 'picture' of 'God who is rich in all His supplies', the One who can even breathe 'life' into every dead (or impossible) situation. The son of the Shunammite woman was already dead on his bed, and 2 Kings 4:27 says the woman's soul was in 'deep distress'. But in the midst of all these, Elisha showed up! 

Having entered the house of this woman, and shutting the door behind him, Elisha then breathed into the mouth of the boy. Notice he wasn't satisfied with the flesh of the boy becoming warm, but he continued till the boy 'sneezed seven times' and 'opened his eyes'! You see, Elisha would not give up until he saw 'clear evidence of a perfectly (and completely) restored life'! The number 'seven' in Hebrew speaks of 'perfection, completion'.

People of God, the Lord your God will also not give up on you, even when everyone else on earth has given up on you! Like a vase that is broken and crushed, let Him mend what is broken and crushed in your life right now. To man, it is impossible, but with God, nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). And like the woman who was asked by Elisha to 'pick up her son', you too will 'pick up your God-given dreams again'. Amen!

A time to clear the clutter and put your house in order!

I heard and released these prophetic words from the Lord recently:
"Clear the clutter! Put your house in order! This is a time to go into deeper life of worship, deeper life of the Word, and deeper life in prayer! For you shall watch how I am going to call things into being swiftly, deftly, and suddenly! For there will be new surprises! And I am going to bring upon you unexpected blessings!"

Indeed, this is a key time to 'clear the clutter'! In other words, a 'house-cleaning' time! A time to weed out the excess, and a time to weed out the mess! As a verb, the word 'clutter' means 'to crowd (something) untidily'; and as a noun, it means 'a collection of things lying untidily, a mess'.

This is also a time to clear 'whatever has become your idol that takes away the first place of God in your life'. It can be the love of money, fame, a certain lust, or even a certain excess of entertainment (e.g. excessive online games). As you can see here, it does not necessarily mean a spiritual idol which is worshiped by people.

I don't believe the Lord is here to expose you or condemn you (Romans 8:1). But I believe the Lord wants you to get ready for the many new surprises and unexpected blessings that He's going to bring upon your life in the coming months! Your part is to be open to the Holy Spirit, and let the Holy Spirit help you and show you the areas in your life that need 'house-cleaning'!

In Isaiah 46:1-2, the Lord says, 'Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity'.

The word 'carriages' here speaks of 'your vocation, your business, your God-given ministry, or even your life'. 'Bel' and 'Nebo' were the names of specific idols (i.e. the fake 'gods') that put a heavy burden on the house of Israel those days. Here in Isaiah 46, the Lord has become very personal and specific, even naming names of those idols! And He is doing the same even now for His people, because He wants to set His people free from any specific 'idol' in life!

At this point of your life, are your 'carriages' heavily loaded with 'idols' too? And you find yourself stuck in a 'mess' at the moment. Take heart, because it is never too late for the Lord to help you and deliver you! Allow Him. In Isaiah 46:3-4, the Lord says, "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb. Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you."

In Isaiah 46:8-9, the Lord then says, "Remember this, and show yourselves men... For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me." As you let go of those 'idols' in life, will you also respond to His call to go into a deeper life of worship, Word, and prayer?

Because in Isaiah 46:10-11, the Lord promises these (for you who remember Him, look to Him, and go deeper in Him), "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure', calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it."

The expression 'bird of prey from the east' here refers to King Cyrus (see Isaiah 45), a pagan king from Persia whom God used as His instrument to set God's people free from the captivity of Babylon. This 'bird of prey' (or 'ravenous bird') is 'ayit' in Hebrew, which speaks of 'a hawk that is swift, deft, and has the ability to swoop suddenly to catch its prey'.

People of God, as you 'clear the clutter' and 'put your house in order' in this time and season of the Lord, watch how your unexpected blessings will come just as swiftly, deftly, and suddenly in the months ahead of you! Indeed, He can even use unexpected people (or situation), i.e. the 'Cyrus-es' of today, to bring it forth, and fulfill His purposes in your life! He has spoken it, and He will also bring it to pass! Amen!

In a time of delay, the Lord is busy working behind the scene!

Hebrews 6:10-12 (NKJV): For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

If you are having a sense of dissatisfaction or restlessness due to things stagnating in some areas of your life, know that He hasn't forgotten you! So, take heart. And while you are waiting for your breakthrough, Galatians 6:9 says, 'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart'.

People of God, this is a time to keep looking to Him, and keep doing what the Lord had spoken for you to do currently! In due season, you shall surely reap, if you do not lose heart!

Hebrews 6:13-15 then continues with how God made a promise to Abraham, and after he (Abraham) had patiently endured, he eventually obtained the promise.

In Habakkuk 2:2-3, the Lord says, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come..."

It is interesting to notice right after Habakkuk 2:2-3, the Lord says further in Habakkuk 2:4, "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith." This verse contrasts the 'proud' (i.e. those who take matters into their own hands, instead of trusting in God's timing), and the 'just' (i.e. those who live by faith and patiently wait for the Lord).

The Bible says, 'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God' (Romans 10:17). In other words, to live by faith is to keep hearing (and heeding) what the Lord says (through the Word), and not what man says (through their opinions)!

A.W. Tozer, a man of God, used to write, 'The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us'.

How true!

In this era of 'quick fixes', we can see many of God's people 'jumping the gun' because they can't wait to see the results they want (whether in ministry, in business, in career, etc). And they would begin to act on their own accord, instead of waiting for the Lord's timing and 'go ahead'! As a consequence, many find themselves having to 'back-pedal' soon after!

Proverbs 14:29 says, 'Whatever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered (impulsive) displays folly'. And Psalm 37:7 says, 'Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes'.

As you can see here, patience has its virtue!

Let us learn from Moses, whom the Lord had called to be a deliverer of the Israelites from the bondage of the Pharaoh. Having gone out to his brethren and looked at their burdens, he took matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-12). Upon hearing this, the Pharaoh sought to kill him, and Moses had to flee (Exodus 2:15). He ended up in the desert of Midian, and stayed there for forty years (Acts 7:30).

Forty years in the desert of Midian, when nothing seemed to be happening! It was as though the Lord had forgotten Moses! But the truth is, throughout those forty years, the Lord was indeed busy working behind the scene in Moses' life! It wasn't until he came to the end of himself that the Lord began to speak to him from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-4). There was no looking back since then. Moses went on to fulfill his God-given destiny as a deliverer of the Israelites!

Let us look at David now, whom the Lord had destined for him to be the new king reigning over Judah and Israel. Having been anointed by the prophet Samuel at the tender age of fifteen, it wasn't until fifteen years later that David finally became the king over Judah; and another seven years and six months later, when he became king over all Israel and Judah (2 Samuel 5:1-5).

Through those 'waiting' years, the Lord was also busy working behind the scene in David's life! You see, preparation time is never a wasted time, though nothing promising seems to be happening during that time! Through those years, David had to escape several times from Saul who sought to kill him. But in the end, what the Lord had spoken eventually came to pass. There was no looking back since then. David went on to become the greatest king in the entire history of Israel!

I heard and released these words from the Lord recently:
"Though some things may seem monotonous and dead at the moment, know that I am in the midst of working behind the scene in your lives. Let Me do My part, and you will begin to see some good surprises. Though some things may seem to tarry for now, it is worth the wait. By faith and by patience, you will inherit the promises."

Receive by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen.

This is a key time to advance!

I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"I am enlightening the spiritual eyes of many in this new time and season! Many things you couldn't see, you'll begin to see! Many things you couldn't understand, you'll begin to understand! Many things you didn't realize, you'll begin to realize!"

The word 'enlighten' in the context here means 'to receive deeper insight and understanding of who the Lord is, and what the Lord is currently doing (in each of our lives)'. In Ephesians 1:17-19a, the apostle Paul wrote, 'that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe...'

I then heard further:
"This is a key time to advance! As you receive the enlightening of your spiritual eyes, I will cause you to advance, both in My kingdom and in your lives! I am the Potter, and you are the clay! I will put My Spirit in you, and you will be My vessels! I will do miracles and wonders through you, and I will cause many to be enlightened because of you!"

People of God, this is the time and season for the Lord to enlighten your spiritual eyes to 'see' and understand many things that you couldn't 'see' and understand in the past! As you allow Him to do so, He will show you many keys to advance from where you are at the moment. Some of you have been 'stagnant' in your life for a season (and even seasons), but take heart, because if you are reading this, your time to advance has come!

Your part is to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6), just as the clay is being shaped (and re-shaped) by the potter. Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) says, 'Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the Potter; we are all the work of your hand', and Jeremiah 18:1-4 (ERV) says, 'This is the message that came from the Lord: "Jeremiah, go down to the potter's house. I will give you my message there." So I went down to the potter's house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be'.

Indeed, He is the Potter, and you are the clay. Allow Him to shape (and even re-shape) you the way He wants it to be.

As you are being enlightened, and as you advance in all that He has purposed for you to be, the Lord will also begin to use you as 'vessels' through whom many others will be 'enlightened'!

In John 9, the Scripture tells us that Jesus passed by and He saw a man born blind, and His disciples asked Him who had sinned - the blind man or his parents - that he was born blind. Jesus answered them, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in this world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:3-5).

John 9:6-7 then says, 'When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Then He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing'.

This passage is prophetic of our time and season now, and 'blindness' being written about here is symbolic of 'blindness in the spiritual eyes' of many in this world.

The 'ground' here speaks of 'you and I', as the 'ground' consists of 'dust and soil'. The Bible says '...for dust you are, and to dust you shall return' (Genesis 3:19). The 'saliva' here speaks of 'water of the Word and the Spirit'. You see, Jesus could have put the saliva straight on the blind man's eyes, but He chose to use the clay instead! And who is that 'clay' here? You and I, the 'clay' that is being wet by the 'water of the Word and the Spirit'! (Ephesians 5:26, John 7:37-39)

What then is the symbolic meaning of 'Siloam' here? Why did Jesus point that blind man to 'Siloam'? This word is 'Shiloach' in Hebrew, which means 'sent, sword, a shoot (from the plant), a branch (from the tree)'. Notice all these meanings point to none other but Jesus Himself - the Sent One, the Word of God, the Shoot, and the Branch of Righteousness! (John 6:29, Ephesians 6:17, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6)

People of God, just as Jesus pointed the blind man to 'Siloam', and the wonders of God manifested, so will you see the same as you begin to point others to the Sent One, the Word of God, the Shoot, and the Branch of Righteousness! Because He has put His Spirit in you; and as He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17) Amen!