Not a time to retreat or give up!

I released these words as I was ministering last Sunday:
"This is not a time to retreat or give up! Eat of My food all the more, and drink of My drink all the more! Like I have spoken to Elijah those days! There's so much more that I have in store for you, and there's so much more that I want to show you! Receive My strength and be healed in your situation!"

The word 'retreat' is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as '(especially of an army, etc) withdraw when faced with danger or difficulty'.

We are going to do a little study today on the life and ministry of Elijah.

So, who is Elijah? Let's go right into 1 Kings 17:1 when the name Elijah was first mentioned in the Bible. This verse says, 'And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to (king) Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."'

Not much is known about Elijah's background, and Bible scholars have differing views on which tribe he's from. This simply goes to show that it doesn't matter what your background is (or who your forefathers are), but as long as you walk with the Lord and fear the Lord, He will be with you and use you for His glory!

'Elijah' is 'EliYah' in Hebrew, from two words, 'El' (meaning 'God') and 'Yah' (meaning 'the Lord God Almighty who is Self-Existent and Eternal'), and this name is a 'picture' of 'God's people today who represent the Lord and being used by the Lord'. The Word of God says in Malachi 4:5-6, 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers...'

Indeed, we are living in these end of days, and these are the days of Elijah! The life and ministry of Elijah (written in 1 Kings and 2 Kings) therefore 'foreshadows' what is happening in these last days when the Lord our God confronts the god (i.e. Baal, or master) of this world!

Interestingly, the word 'Tishbite' ('tishbiy' in Hebrew) means 'the source of help', and the word 'Gilead' ('gilad' in Hebrew) can mean 'caring, or affection (like a brother)'. People of God, you too are born and raised for such a time to be 'the source of help' to this world, 'the light and the salt' (Matthew 5:13-16) to this world! And as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ in this whole wide world, you and I belong to a community ('inhabitants') that's supposed to be 'caring and affectionate'!

And if 'Elijah' speaks of 'the people of the Lord today', then 'Ahab' speaks of 'those who follow the god (or gods) of this world'. The Bible describes Ahab as a king who did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him (1 Kings 16:30), and he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger more than all the kings of Israel who were before him (1 Kings 16:33). He also took Jezebel as his wife, and served and worshiped Baal, i.e. 'the god (or master) of this world' (1 Kings 16:31-32).

Let's move on. 1 Kings 17:2-4 then says, 'Then the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah), saying, "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."

Here, the Lord wanted Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith and be fed supernaturally. This is a 'picture' of God's people drinking from the Living Waters, i.e. the Holy Spirit, and eating from the Word of God. The word 'Cherith' ('keriyth' in Hebrew) in this verse comes from this word 'karath', meaning 'to cut off'.

In the midst of the 'hustle and bustle' of this world and the distractions of human voices, the Lord is calling His people to learn to 'sit still' and 'receive' from Him, instead of 'running everywhere' in search of answers to their situation (or situations). The truth is we all need to take some time to be alone with the Lord, and to 'cut off' from the world (and its noises)!
Note: Jesus did it too with His Abba Father while on earth, and He literally set an example for all of us today! In Luke 6:12-13, He spent the whole night alone with His Abba Father before making a major decision (of choosing His twelve disciples)!

It is then that the Lord will lead you and guide you, from season to season, and from place to place! And that's exactly what happened to Elijah. In 1 Kings 17:8-9, the Lord said to Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

See the words 'Arise' and 'go' here?

After that, in 1 Kings 18:1, the Bible says, 'And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year (of the drought), saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."'

King Ahab had been searching high and low for Elijah all these years in order to kill him for 'cursing Israel' with drought! And when Ahab saw him, he said, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" (1 Kings 18:17) But Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals." (1 Kings 18:18)

And there was Elijah, 'presenting himself' before the powerful king, and completely outnumbered! He was to face the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19), and what he did to 'challenge' the 'king' seemed like a 'lost cause', foolish in the eyes of the world! As a matter of fact, it wasn't so much about 'Elijah' versus 'Ahab' here (as Ahab had made it out to be), but rather 'the Lord God' versus 'the god (gods) of this world'!

What mattered most was Elijah knew the Lord was with him, and he knew the Lord had spoken! And true to God's words, victory came, and the rain returned! (1 Kings 18:20-46)

People of God, at times when it looks like you are 'losing it', keep looking to the Lord your God, and keep trusting in what He has spoken to you, no matter what you see happening in this world. He is a God who is very much alive today, and He will see you through! The Lord God whom Elijah worshiped is the same God who lives in you today! (Hebrews 13:8)

Let's go a little further before we end. Now, when Jezebel (Ahab's wife) heard about those great exploits of Elijah, and how he had executed all those prophets of Baal, she sent a messenger to him, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them tomorrow about this time."

Elijah then ran for his life, rather discouraged, and prayed that he might die, saying, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" (1 Kings 19:1-4)

But the Lord had other ideas! Here's what 1 Kings 19:5-8 say, 'Then as he (Elijah) lay and slept under a broom tree, an angel touched him, and said, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God'.

People of God, today, the Lord also want you to know there's so much more that He has in store for you, and there's so much more that He wants to show you! Good things! Greater things! I therefore declare these words to you, wherever you are right now and whatever situation you are in right now! Take these words, and receive by faith! And never allow the 'enemy' to cause you to 'waver' and to 'doubt' the goodness of God!

This is a day to declare that you are set free from any discouragement! And like Elijah, eat of His food all the more, and drink of His drink all the more, and you too will be on your way to many more greater things to come in your life! Amen!

A time to take back what you have lost!

The Lord spoke these prophetic words as I was ministering last Sunday:
"This is a month to gain back what you have lost, and that includes even your calling in life! Turn your heart back to Me, and you will receive a new zeal and a fresh new perspective in your life! You will see yourself a 'giant', not an 'ant'! You will step on the mountain, and not succumb under the mountain!"

By the way, the word 'perspective' here means 'seeing correctly into the distance', and 'mountain' here speaks of 'challenges or problems in life'.

Then, the Lord spoke further:

"This is a key time to praise! Praise and keep praising this month, and I will show you how to take back what's meant to be yours, the way I have shown Caleb and Joshua in their days!"

The name 'Caleb' ('Kaleb' in Hebrew) means 'force', coming from the word 'keleb' meaning 'to attack (like a dog)', whereas the name 'Joshua' ('Yehowshuwa' in Hebrew) means 'The Lord (YHWH) saved', from the word 'yasha' meaning 'to save, to rescue, to deliver, to set free, to get victory'.

People of God, no matter what 'mountain' you may be facing at the moment, praise and keep praising the Lord! And watch how the Lord will lead you into a time of 'attacking' and 'getting your victory', just as He had shown Caleb and Joshua those days!

Let's look at Caleb now. The Bible says Caleb has a 'different spirit'. In Numbers 14:24, the Lord says, "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it."

Have you ever wondered what made Caleb different? What's the secret of Caleb that caused him to enter the Promised Land and receive his inheritance?

The answer is found in the very tribe he represented, the tribe of Judah! Numbers 13:1-2 says, 'And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a leader among them."' 

The name 'Judah' ('Yehuwdah' in Hebrew) here comes from the word 'yadah', meaning 'to praise, to revere/worship with outstretched hands, to shoot forth'. See the word 'leader' in Numbers 13:2? Caleb was a leader of 'yadah'! In other words, Caleb was a leader of 'praise'! When others in Israel 'lifted up their voices in complaints' (Numbers 14:1-4) because of the 'giants' they saw (Numbers 13:27-33), Caleb 'lifted up his voice in praise'! The truth is something is broken in the enemy's camp when you 'shoot forth' your voices in the praises of the Lord!

You see? Caleb saw differently! He had a different perspective from others in Israel! He saw with the eyes of God!

And that's how he (together with Joshua) led a whole new generation of the children of Israel to take back what was meant to be theirs! For the record, the Lord had already shown their forefather Abraham long time ago that the land was meant for them (Genesis 15:18-21). In fact, Abraham dwelt in that land those days, but somehow through the generations after that, the land was lost! Now, they were there to take it back!

Someone confided in me the other day, "Pastor, I am just an 'ant' among the 'big players' in this industry I am in." But it was then that I was prompted by the Spirit to declare these words to him, saying, "When God is in you, you'll be turned from an 'ant' into a 'giant' in this industry!"

People of God, if you think you are an 'ant' (that is easily stepped upon by the enemy), think again! Because when you invite God into your life and your vocation, you too will be turned from an 'ant' into a 'giant'! 

See the word 'ANT' here? Now see the word 'GIANT'! What's the difference here? The alphabets 'G' and 'I'! Let's play some acronyms here. If 'G' represents 'God', and 'I' represents 'in', there you have it! When GOD is IN you, you'll be turned into a 'GIANT' in the spiritual realm! It will be reflected in the physical realm! And just like Caleb and Joshua, nothing's going to stop you from taking possession of the 'land' that God had promised you!

The 'land' here speaks of 'His promises and His vision' for your life! In other words, what He has spoken to you!

Let's go to Numbers 14:6-9 now. Here, Caleb and Joshua spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them."

Numbers 14:10 then says, 'And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel'.

The glory of the Lord appeared then and there as a 'sign' and confirmation (that the Lord is with Caleb and Joshua), and by the Lord's divine intervention, they were prevented from being stoned! 

And you know what this means? When you follow the Lord and walk according to His promises for you, He will also back you up!

Caleb and Joshua are 'pictures' of the apostolic people today, raised up by the Lord in this end time to do great exploits and to take back what was lost!

The word 'apostle' by the way comes from the Greek word 'apostello', meaning 'to set apart, to send out, to send forth, to set at liberty'. And that was exactly what Caleb and Joshua were called for those days! They were to lead a new generation of God's people into the land flowing with milk and honey! They were to set at liberty the old mindset that had bound many in their generation!

Someone asked, "Where are we now in the time-table of God?"

The answer is obvious. We are living in an apostolic era, 'where many run (go) to and fro, and knowledge shall increase' (see Daniel's end time prophecy in Daniel 12:1-4). People are traveling and moving around nowadays like never before in history, and transportation industry (particularly aviation industry) is definitely at its prime time.

God's people are being sent forth (out of their comfort zones) like never before, and this sending forth is not just about sending for missions (or to a country far away), but also a sending forth into the marketplaces, and into every industry (and every facet/aspect of society).

Indeed, God is sending many in this end time!

Let me clarify the difference between 'apostle' and 'apostolic' here. Some are called to be 'apostles' (see Ephesians 4:11-13), but ALL in the Body of Christ today are called to be 'apostolic'. Simply because the very word 'apostolic' ('apostolos' in Greek) means 'he that is sent, he that is commissioned'.

People of God, there is a place for each of you in this end time. No one is left out. Jesus Himself spoke, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

May the Lord cause you to 'see' His calling in your life with a new zeal and a fresh new perspective, and may you also be counted as the 'Calebs' and 'Joshuas' of today. Amen!

Receive a new identity that comes with new authority!

I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Some of you are feeling like you are 'losing it', you are losing your authority in some areas of your life, losing your 'ground', or even losing your opportunity, but look to Me, and watch how I am going to give you a new identity that comes with new authority!"

And then, I heard further:
"There is a new sound and new rhythm being released from heaven right now. The wind of change is blowing, and it is blowing stronger and stronger in many of you! And this wind that carries a new sound and new rhythm is overwhelming every sound of disappointment and sound of pain in your life. Receive by faith and let it flow in your spirit, soul, body. Do not resist Me, but choose to let go of all those disappointments and pains in your life, for I am in the midst of releasing to you a new identity that comes with new authority!"

By the way, the word 'identity' is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as 'who or what somebody (or something) is'. 

People of God, whatever disappointment or pain you have gone through in your past, take heart in the words of the Lord above, even though you may not fully understand why certain things happened the way it happened, or why God allowed it.

Maybe you are still blaming (or beating) yourself for what had happened, for that mistake you have made, or for that lost opportunity that (you thought) was supposed to be yours! Some of you have even blamed God or got angry with God, and you were wondering "Why? Why? Why didn't God do something (about it)? Why didn't God intervene at that time?" And you began to question if God really knows what He's doing! The enemy would also try to 'rub salt in those wounds' and make you think that you have indeed 'lost it', lost that 'golden opportunity', and are now 'doomed' beyond return!

But that's not what God thinks! 

Because He says in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." The word 'peace' here is 'shalowm' in Hebrew, and it means 'wholeness, wellness, favor, welfare, prosperity, health, safety'. In other words, 'nothing broken, nothing missing'!

In Romans 8:28, the apostle Paul wrote, 'And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose'. Notice the words 'all things' here? Not 'few things' or 'some things', but 'all things'! Surely, the Lord knows better and sees farther than us! (Isaiah 55:8-9)

You see, Joseph could have questioned God too, having received a 'grand' dream only to find himself thrown into a pit and sold as slave the next thing he knew! But in the end, he understood that what was meant for evil against him, God turned it into a time to save many! (Genesis 50:20)

Let's go all the way to the book of Judges now, and look at this man named Gideon. He was living in a time when nothing went right for Israel, and whenever they have planted, the enemy (the Midianites) would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth, leaving no sustenance for them whatsoever, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey (Judges 6:1-5).

And it was against this backdrop that Judges 6:11-14 says, '...the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, and said, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (But) Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of Midianites." Then the Lord turned to him (Gideon) and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent (appointed) you?"'

This appointment by the Lord was an answer to the cries of the children of Israel who have been greatly impoverished because of the Midianites (Judges 6:6-7), and the Lord had chosen Gideon to be the deliverer. And you know what? This was also a turning point for Gideon! From someone who was the least in his father's house, and from the weakest clan (Judges 6:15), the Lord then spoke these life-changing words to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man." (Judges 6:16)

In other words, Gideon had just received a new identity that came with new authority!

The Spirit of the Lord then came upon Gideon, and the people were gathered behind him (Judges 6:34-35). As you can see here, the Lord began to move the people to respect him and his leadership, supernaturally. This speaks of the 'new authority' that he had never experienced before prior to that, and with this new authority, he began to do great exploits for the Lord!

By the way, the name 'Gideon' is 'Gidown' in Hebrew, which means 'warrior, feller', from the root word 'gada' meaning 'to fell a tree, to destroy/cut down (the enemy's work)'; whereas the name 'Midianites' comes from the word 'Midyan' in Hebrew, meaning 'contention, brawling, strife, discord, quarrel', which speaks of 'the enemy who tries to hurl problems at you'.

And with the three hundred men that the Lord had given to Gideon, the Lord then said, "Arise, go down against the camp (of the Midianites), for I have delivered it into your hand." (Judges 7:9)

Remarkably, with these mere three hundred men coming against the enemy who were 'as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude' (Judges 7:12), and with the sound of the trumpets blown by these three hundred, the Lord then gave Israel a resounding victory! This is none other but the Lord's doing, the One who is great and mighty in all His deeds! Hallelujah!

People of God, this is a time to declare that your 'turning point' has come too, just as it had happened to Gideon! And your victory is at hand! In Jesus' name. Amen!