How to survive and thrive in these chaotic times?

No denying we are living in a chaotic time in the world right now. So, how do you survive and thrive in these chaotic times? How do you rise above the 'storms' that the world is facing right now? 

Economic storms. Geopolitical storms. Wars and rumors of war. Trade wars. Stock market meltdown. Uncertainties all around. Higher inflation. Job losses. Possible recession, or even depression. You name it. 

But you know what? In spite of all these, you can look to the Lord who is a God of wisdom and revelation. We don't look to man. But we look to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Jesus!  

With the economic shakings and turmoil that's happening right before our eyes, more people are going to suffer. But no matter what happens around you, beloved of God, fear not! Because if you look to the Lord and put all your trust in the Lord, instead of in man, the Lord will show you a way. He will give you the wisdom and revelation that you need to rise above all these mess. 

The good news here is the Lord does have the answer. If you abide in Him and keep following Him (your True Shepherd), you will not need to fear. Like a sheep following the shepherd closely, you will find green pastures. You will be still and know that He is God. Jesus is Lord! You will be at peace in the midst of the storms. Amen! 

What can we do in such chaotic times?

1. Be ready to think 'outside the box'! 

To think 'outside the box' means to think in a different way from the status quo. The key is to ask Him. Ask Him for His wisdom and revelation how to go about. Now, 'wisdom' means 'knowing what to do and how to go about'. And that's when you will find your 'niche'. You will find a way out in the midst of the storms. 

2. Be ready to do something outside your 'comfort zone'! 

If you look at Luke 5:3-6, you would see how Jesus told Simon Peter to 'launch out' and 'spread the fishing net for a catch', when conventional thinking is that it's impossible to get a catch at that time of the day. For the record, Simon Peter and his fellow fishermen had already toiled all night and caught nothing. But you know what? When Simon Peter listened to Jesus and obeyed Jesus' instruction to spread the net again, he saw a great catch of fish! It was a miraculous catch! So much so he had to call his friends to come and help out! 

3. Be ready to change! 

I know change is uncomfortable. But this is a time of major changes. The Lord is in the midst of changing the way we think. The Lord is in the midst of changing the way we do things. The Lord is changing the way we perceive things. And He's saying that this is the time to prepare your 'new wineskins for the new wine'. That's what He said in Matthew 9:17. So, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you to make the necessary changes in your life. Now, different people different. The Holy Spirit will show you the specifics that works for you in this time and season. You see, what used to work in the past may not work in this new season. So, be open. Stay humble before the Lord. Your heart needs to stay soft before the Lord, like a sponge. Stay 'pliable' and willing when the Lord asks you to change certain things in your life or certain areas of your life. 

4. Keep sowing the seeds of love and kindness 

In other words, keep doing good to others. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:7-10 that we are not to grow weary while doing good, because in due season, we shall reap what we sow. So, if you sow love and kindness  to others, you will receive love and kindness in return. God will take care of that. God will see to it that it will happen. Because He's not dead. He's a God who is alive! But if you sow greed and hatred, you will reap the consequences of it. So, sow what is of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Amen! When many people are tempted to do the opposite, you stay in the love of Christ, and keep bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You will be rewarded openly. The Lord will know how to reward you even in ways you have not imagined yet. 

5. Clear what needs to clear! 

Clear away all those burdens! The Lord wants your life to be light and easy. In other words, clear your clutter! Clear away your unwholesome things! Clear away your sins! Wash your heart. Wash your hands. Let the blood of Jesus continue to wash you clean. Let the water of His Word continue to wash you clean. Let the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of holiness, continue to cleanse you from the inside out. Continue to spend time with the Word of God. Read the Word of God often. Pray in the spirit often. Walk in holiness and purity. Walk in humility and simplicity the way Jesus has taught us to walk. 

6. Be agile and flexible! 

What is 'to be agile'? 'To be agile' means 'to be able to move quickly and easily when the need arises'. Like a deer at the mountain. Even in rocky terraces and at the cliff, the deer is agile, able to move quickly and easily when the need arises. You may ask, "Where is the Scriptural proof?" Psalm 18:33 (NKJV) says, 'He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.' The Amplified Bible puts it this way, 'He makes my feet like hinds' feet [able to stand firmly and tread safely on paths of testing and trouble]; He sets me [securely] upon my high places.' 

7. Pray for the right opportunity and right timing! 

Keep praying in the spirit. Because praying in the spirit is praying in the perfect will of God. Perfect will of God for your life! The Lord will show you many secrets. So, let His Spirit of wisdom and revelation flow. The Lord will show you and guide you, even in dreams and visions. The Lord has been giving me many crucial dreams at night that helped guide me in my decision-making all these years. I'm glad I've obeyed all these guidances and instructions from the Lord. And recently He has also been showing me many things through dreams. And I'm heeding these guidances from the Lord. Now, I pray the same for you too. I pray that God will also speak to you even through dreams. And as you are led by the Holy Spirit, you will be at the right place at the right time, doing the right things, saying the right things, and making the right decisions in your life. Amen! 

Prayer:

"O Lord God, we thank You for Your guidances today. We thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding to reign in our lives, in spite of all the chaos that are happening in the world right now. We thank You for Your leading and guidance. We want to walk in the right direction. We want to walk into the right opportunity, at the right time and at the right place. We continue to receive Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You and Your calling in our lives. We want to walk through doors that only You can open. We look to You, and not to man. For You see farther and You know better than anyone else on earth. In Jesus' name. Amen."

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Time to walk free!

The Lord says: 

"Your chains are broken! Time to walk free now! For My hand has set you free! Free from suppression. Free from oppression. Free from depression. Free to be who I want you to be. Free to walk in My purposes and plans for your life in this time and season." 

Yes indeed, it's time for you to be set free and to walk free! 

Let's look at Peter and how God set him free. 

Acts 12:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church... And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter...' 

Acts 12:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'So when Herod had arrested Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.' 

Acts 12:6-7 (NKJV) says, 'And when Herod was about to bring Peter out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone into the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.' 

The angel then said to Peter, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals". So Peter did. The angel also said to Peter, "Put on your garment and follow me." So Peter went out and followed the angel. 

You see, Peter didn't know what was done by the angel was real. Peter thought he was seeing a vision. Because this seemed surreal to him. It's like a dream. But mind you, it's real. Nothing is impossible to God! 

Beloved of God, God can do the same for you too, whatever your predicament may be at the moment. Just don't limit how God's going to do it.  

Let's get back to Peter now. Acts 12:10 (NKJV) says, 'When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord...' Hallelujah! Somehow the gate flung open! Of course, nothing is too hard for God. And thanks to the constant prayer of the people who prayed for Peter as well.

You see, when a 'door' is shut and locked on you, what do you do? You pray! Pray like the people prayed those days. Because when you pray, even though the door is shut by men, God's heaven's door will be opened! And when heaven's door is open, His light will shine into your situation! 

The words 'constant prayer' in Acts 12:5 is very interesting. The word 'constant' here is 'ektenos' in Greek. It can mean 'without ceasing'. It can also mean 'earnest'. In other words, 'sincere, intense, from the heart'. So, it's not just a 'lip service'. It's not just 'on the surface' kind of prayer. It's not 'just for show' kind of prayer. 

This word 'ektenos' is related to the word 'ektenes'. What is 'ektenes' in Greek? It literally means 'stretching out a muscle to its limits'. It can also be defined as 'stretching out all you can for something'. So, when you pray, you stretch out all you can to the Lord. Amen! 

Let's move on to Acts 12:11. When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod." And you know what? Peter then went to see the people who were praying for him. He met the people there. Of course, all these people were astonished when they saw him. They couldn't believe their eyes. But after Peter told them what happened and how he was set free from the prison, they believed.

Beloved of God, just as for Peter, the Lord knows how to turn things around for you too. So, fear not! Keep walking in obedience to the Lord. Keep living a life of worshiping the Lord. Keep drawing near to the Lord. 

Even though Acts 12 here is talking about Peter's unique situation, this can apply in whatever situation you may be facing at the moment. Your God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still your miracle-working God. He can and He will do a miracle for you too! Yes, even in ways you've never imagined possible. Amen!

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Receive God's power to prevail!

The Lord says: 

"It's time for you to receive My power to overcome! Overcome and triumph over whatever your bondage may be! Overcome and triumph over whatever evil and wickedness thrown at you by the enemy! Overcome and triumph over whatever curse or disease that has been inflicted upon you! Be set free! And start afresh!" 

Judges 3:7-8 (NKJV) says, 'So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and they served the Baals and the Asherahs. Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.' 

Judges 3:9 (NKJV) says, '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.'

For every name in the Scripture, there is a meaning. What does 'Cushan-Rishathaim' mean? It is translated as 'double wickedness'. It can also be translated as 'repeating wickedness that comes again and again like a curse'. Now, what does this speak of? It speaks of your bondage in life that seems so hard to be set free from. It speaks of the curse that has been inflicted upon you, or whatever thought of certain bad experiences, hurts, pains, or even guilt of your past that keeps trying to make a comeback to your life. And it comes again and again, attacking and pounding you over and over again, pulling you back to those past. That's what the definition of 'repeating wickedness that comes again and again' means here. 

You see, we all have our "Cushan-Rishathaim". It's like you are trying to forget it and move on, but somehow it still comes back again and again to haunt you. And you feel so helpless, and it's like there's just no way out. 

That's what the people of God experienced at that time as well. They were suffering under the 'double wickedness' of the king, Cushan-Rishathaim. 

Beloved of God, maybe you too are going through a time like this. Your past keeps haunting you, be it those pains, bad experiences, tragedies, guilt, even shame or mistakes in your life, or failures in your life. And the enemy, your "Cushan-Rishathaim" keeps wanting to pull you back to remember those past. 

The name 'Rishathaim' comes from two words: 'Rishah' which means 'wickedness, condemnation, fault'; and 'Ayim' which means 'double, plural, repeat'. See the word 'repeat' here? It means 'repeatedly pounding you again and again, reminding you of those past pains, condemnation, failure, guilt, or whatever bad experiences that you've had'. 

How about the word 'Cushan' here? It comes from the word 'Cush'. Who is 'Cush'? He's the son of Ham. Remember that Ham who uncovered and exposed his father's (Noah's) nakedness? You can see that in Genesis 9:22-23. So, 'Cush' here speaks of 'guilt, curse'. 

Have you been having nightmares or thoughts recently that bring you all the way back to those certain past failures, mistakes, or shame of yours? It's like all of a sudden, all those past bad memories you've wanted to forget suddenly make a comeback to haunt you again. 

You see, the devil, the enemy, always wants to try to pull you back to your past, pointing fingers at you, and reminding you of those bad past of yours. Now, he's good at that. You know what? The Bible says he is the accuser of our brethren, accusing us day and night. That's in Revelation 12:10. 

But look at one verse later in Revelation 12:11. That's the good news. 'And they (God's people) overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...' Who is this Lamb? Jesus! Who is this Word? Jesus! If you have Him, He has overcome for you! By His blood shed for you on the cross! And by His Word, which is like a sword that slays the power of darkness! 

When Jesus' power is at work, the curse is broken! The bondage is broken! The 'spell' over you is broken! By Jesus' blood and by His Word! Amen! And that's where Othniel comes into picture! It is a 'picture' of who Jesus is in your life! 

Judges 3:10 (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel), and he judged Israel. And so he went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.' 

You see, the enemy wants you to relapse into your old cycle of repeated failures and pain again and again. The enemy wants history to repeat itself. I mean, those bad history. Those bad past. That's also what King Cushan-Rishathaim of Mesopotamia did against the people of God those days. In other words, he was bringing their memories back to Mesopotamia. And you know where is Mesopotamia? That's the place God had told Abraham to get out of there those days, and go to the land that God had promised him and his descendants.

But right now, praise the Lord and thanks be to God, because Jesus has overcome and prevailed for you! And you are now set free! See Jesus carrying all your curse and all those past of yours on the cross once and for all. 

I want to declare that your bad history doesn't have to repeat itself! I also want to declare that you are now set free, and you can start afresh today! 

Interestingly, 'Othniel' means 'Force of God, Strength of God, Power of God' in Hebrew. This name comes from two words: 'Othniy' which means 'force, strength, power'; and 'El' which is 'the name of God Almighty'. Othniel! Force of God! Strength of God! Power of God! 

This speaks of Jesus who lives in you! This speaks of Jesus who has overcome for you! This speaks of Jesus who has prevailed over all your "Cushan-Rishathaim". Amen! 

Right now, God's power is being released upon you. Receive by faith. Nothing of the enemy can stand this power of God. Declare that all the curse in your life is broken! And for all those bondages in your life, you are now set free from those! 

Receive God's anointing right now! Receive the anointing for you to also start afresh! Yes, a new strength and a new vigor is coming upon you. Amen! 

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