We have entered a crucial time of transition in the spiritual realm, and it will soon be reflected in the physical realm full-blown. In fact, for some, this transition has already begun.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word 'transition' as 'changing from one state or condition to another'. This applies both in one's personal walk (or calling/vocation in life), and even in the nations of the world (both politically and economically).
This is a key time, a pivotal time, or put it simply, a 'make' or 'break' time for many in the Body of Christ. The enemy, of course, would want God's people to reach a 'breaking point' when they'd just give in to whatever form of distress, pressure, fear, and intimidation thrown against them.
But fear not! In Romans 8:33-39, the apostle Paul wrote, 'Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come. nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'.
Notice the statement 'who also makes intercession for us' here. This word 'intercession' is 'entugchano' in Greek, from the word 'tugchano' (toong-khan-o), meaning 'to bring to pass, to bring about the effect'. In other words, it is Christ who 'bring to pass' and 'bring about the effect' that nothing (and no one) shall be able to bring a charge against you, who is God's elect! And nothing whatsoever shall be able to separate you from the love of God!
People of God, in this crucial time of transition, your part is to stay true to the Lord, knowing that He (not just anybody else, but He who is the Great I Am) is making intercession for you. To 'stay true to the Lord' is to keep your focus on Him, instead of the distress, pressure, fear, and intimidation thrown by the enemy against you. And that's also how you'll begin to 'transit' into a new season of breakthrough, victory and fruitfulness in your life (and ministry)!
If you look at the life of Hannah in the Old Testament, you'll see the same thing happening to her those days. She was also in a time of transition. 'Hannah', by the way, is 'Channah' in Hebrew, and her name means 'favored'. You see, she was supposed to be 'favored', and her life was supposed to be 'fruitful'. But in reality, she was barren. In fact, she was in great distress, because her rival (Peninnah) who had many children (1 Samuel 1:4), provoked her severely to make her miserable (1 Samuel 1:6-7).
But instead of focusing on her 'rival' (and whatever the 'rival' said or did to her), she turned to the Lord and cried out to Him (1 Samuel 1:8-16). And Eli the priest then answered her and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition, which you have asked of Him." (1 Samuel 1:17) Hannah then went her way and her face was no longer sad. As we all know, the rest is history. Not long after that, the Lord gave her a son, and she called his name Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20). The Lord then visited her again and again, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).
People of God, what happened to Hannah those days is prophetic of our time and season at the moment. It was a 'make' or 'break' time for her. It was a difficult and distressful time for her. It was a time of transition for her. But she did something pivotal that eventually led to her breakthrough, victory and fruitfulness. She cried out and poured out to the Lord, and the Lord answered her.
Like Hannah, you too are supposed to be the 'favored' of the Lord, and 'fruitful' in all that the Lord has called you to be (and do). Make no mistake about that! But maybe you have been hard-pressed in your life (or even in ministry) recently, or you have reached a plateau in your life, and you don't know what to do anymore. For some of you, you are at your wit's end, and you are on the verge of giving it all up. Like Hannah, this is a time to cry out to the Lord and pour out to Him.
This is also a time to meditate on Psalm 46:1-5 that says, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn'.
Pray in the Spirit much, and meditate on God's promises in the Word all over again. Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. And if the Lord leads you into a time of prayer and fasting, go ahead (I fully believe there is a place for prayer and fasting even for believers under the New Covenant!), and you'll see the 'ceiling' that limits you from receiving all the promises of God in your life be 'broken'.
By the way, fasting doesn't change God, but fasting changes you, so that you can receive from God without hindrances. Sometimes, the hindrance may not be from the devil, but is due to your own carnal (fleshly) self. The apostle Paul wrote about it in Romans 8:6-10! It is when your flesh is 'tamed' and 'humbled' (through prayer and fasting), your spirit man begins to have the upper hand again, and that's when you'll also begin to hear and receive from God clearer! 1 Peter 5:5 says 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble'. 1 Peter 5:6 then says, 'Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time'. Amen.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
A time to dedicate your spiritual ears to the Lord
I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Come to a place of rest, security and safety in Me. Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you. Find rest in Me, find your security in Me, and nestle in Me. For I am calling you for such, before a new assignment is given to you."
And then I heard further:
"This is a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to Me, and let Me anoint your spiritual ears. I will cause you to hear many more secrets that I have wanted to tell you. I will show you My will and My way. I will reveal Myself to you, just as I have revealed Myself to Samuel in Shiloh."
Let's look at the Scripture now. 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (NKJV) says, 'So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord'.
The word 'revealed' here is 'galah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to disclose, to tell, to show'. In a time when Israel was hardly 'in tune' with the Lord (see 1 Samuel 3:1), this was indeed 'a breath of fresh air' for the nation, and it marked an end to one era, and the beginning of a new era. Eli's time was ending, and Samuel's time has come! It was a pivotal time in the history of Israel, and Samuel was about to walk into a new assignment from the Lord!
By the way, the name 'Samuel' is 'Shemuw-El', literally meaning 'heard of God'; from the word 'shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to hear obediently, to give ear', and 'El' meaning 'God'.
How about 'Shiloh'? And why did the Lord reveal Himself to Samuel in Shiloh? There are no insignificant details in the Bible. Interestingly, 'Shiloh' ('Shiyloh' in Hebrew) means 'a place of tranquility, security, safety', from the word 'shaw-law' meaning 'to have peace, to be secure, to be in safety'. It was a place of 'drawing near to the Lord' and 'finding rest, security and safety in Him'. It was also a place of worship and sacrifice to the Lord those days (see 1 Samuel 1:3), and of course, a place where Samuel was dedicated to the Lord (see 1 Samuel 1:24-25).
People of God, as you 'draw near to the Lord' and 'find rest, security and safety in Him', this is also a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to the Lord and let Him anoint your ears to hear the many secrets that He had wanted to tell you! (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
Samuel's life and ministry was never the same again since then, and he went on to become a great blessing wherever he was. Indeed, for you too, this is a time to declare that your 'Eli' time is ending, and your 'Samuel' time has come!
"Come to a place of rest, security and safety in Me. Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you. Find rest in Me, find your security in Me, and nestle in Me. For I am calling you for such, before a new assignment is given to you."
And then I heard further:
"This is a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to Me, and let Me anoint your spiritual ears. I will cause you to hear many more secrets that I have wanted to tell you. I will show you My will and My way. I will reveal Myself to you, just as I have revealed Myself to Samuel in Shiloh."
Let's look at the Scripture now. 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (NKJV) says, 'So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord'.
The word 'revealed' here is 'galah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to disclose, to tell, to show'. In a time when Israel was hardly 'in tune' with the Lord (see 1 Samuel 3:1), this was indeed 'a breath of fresh air' for the nation, and it marked an end to one era, and the beginning of a new era. Eli's time was ending, and Samuel's time has come! It was a pivotal time in the history of Israel, and Samuel was about to walk into a new assignment from the Lord!
By the way, the name 'Samuel' is 'Shemuw-El', literally meaning 'heard of God'; from the word 'shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to hear obediently, to give ear', and 'El' meaning 'God'.
How about 'Shiloh'? And why did the Lord reveal Himself to Samuel in Shiloh? There are no insignificant details in the Bible. Interestingly, 'Shiloh' ('Shiyloh' in Hebrew) means 'a place of tranquility, security, safety', from the word 'shaw-law' meaning 'to have peace, to be secure, to be in safety'. It was a place of 'drawing near to the Lord' and 'finding rest, security and safety in Him'. It was also a place of worship and sacrifice to the Lord those days (see 1 Samuel 1:3), and of course, a place where Samuel was dedicated to the Lord (see 1 Samuel 1:24-25).
People of God, as you 'draw near to the Lord' and 'find rest, security and safety in Him', this is also a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to the Lord and let Him anoint your ears to hear the many secrets that He had wanted to tell you! (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
Samuel's life and ministry was never the same again since then, and he went on to become a great blessing wherever he was. Indeed, for you too, this is a time to declare that your 'Eli' time is ending, and your 'Samuel' time has come!
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Knowing God's will and making the right decisions
As I was seeking the Lord for the prophetic words for this month, I heard Him say:
"It is a key month to inquire of Me and to seek My will. Abide in Me, and I will teach you and show you My will and My way. Many of My people will enter a season of decision-making that will cause them to bear much fruit in life."
As I received these words, the Lord also gave me a vision of an apple tree with many branches full of ripe, red apples, ready for the picking. This is a 'picture' of decisions you make that lead to health, life, goodness, and stability in life.
Back to the prophetic words above. Why do you need to know God's will for your life? The answer is simple. So that you can make the right decisions in life that lead to health, life, goodness, and stability in life! Many people make decisions first before seeking God's will, and that's where the trouble starts. It's akin to shooting first before aiming!
Before we go further, it is important to know that God's will for you is always to save you, heal you, restore you, and prosper you (2 Peter 3:9, 3 John 1:2). This is the underlying principle that you must know. His thoughts for you are always thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
In fact, Jesus drank the cup of suffering and separation so that you don't have to! In Mark 14:36, Jesus said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." The word 'will' here is 'thelesis' in Greek, from the word 'thelo' meaning 'to determine, to choose, to intend'.
He was praying this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, knowing that He would soon be separated from the Abba Father. You see, they are one (John 10:30) and they cannot be separated, just like the sun and light cannot be separated. But for once, they had to (see Matthew 27:45-46), because He had to carry all our sins on the cross! So that we can now have this assurance that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). He did it all for you and I whom He loves.
He has chosen you and intended for you to bear fruit in life
Notice the word 'will' in Greek can mean 'to determine, to choose, to intend'. The next principle you need to know is He has chosen you and intended for you to bear fruit in life.
Ephesians 1:4-5 says, 'Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will'.
In John 15:15-16, Jesus says, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..."
"How to know God's will for my life?"
This is a question people often ask me. I would say the one most important key to knowing God's will is to abide in Him. In other words, to stay connected with Him, moment by moment, day by day. Talk to Him about everything. Take time to immerse yourself in reading the Word of God and praying in the Spirit. It is in a deep, personal and intimate relationship with Him that you will soon receive the latest 'instructions' as to what to do and how to go about. His Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He will never lead you into trouble.
In John 15:4-5, Jesus says, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
The word 'abide' here is 'meno' in Greek, meaning 'to remain, to stay, to dwell, to wait on, to be present'.
David learned to abide in the Lord and wait on the Lord
The Bible says David was 'a man after God's own heart' (1 Samuel 13:14). David learned very early that he had to continue to abide in the Lord and wait on the Lord in order to have good success. Not long after he became king over all Israel, the Philistines deployed themselves against him. 2 Samuel 5:19 says, 'So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand."'
Notice the words "Shall I..." and "Will You..." in the verse above. As you can see here, David would not go ahead unless and until he had received a specific instruction from the Lord. David learned to be present (to hear from the Lord) and to wait on the Lord first. As a result, he had a resounding victory (2 Samuel 5:20).
David learned to depend upon the Lord for every new decision
Now, watch what happened next. The Philistines then came up and deployed themselves against David once again. 2 Samuel 5:23-25 says, 'Therefore David inquired of the Lord (once again), and (this time) the Lord said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer'.
What if David had assumed (or presumed) he should go up against the Philistines without asking God first, just because he had won a battle earlier? Chances are he would not have gained a total victory. David had learned to depend upon the Lord for every new decision he's about to make, every step of the way.
The lesson we can learn here is: When He says so, we say so. When He says no, we say no.
The Lord is here to help you!
Like David (whose name means 'beloved' in Hebrew), you too are God's beloved. Therefore, know that your battle is His battle. The battle is the Lord's. He is here to help you, no matter what the challenge (or challenges) you may be facing right now.
In John 14:16-18, Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
1 John 2:27 says, 'But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him'.
People of God, allow the Lord to anoint your spiritual eyes and ears today, so that you will begin to see and hear the many more things that He wants (wills) to make known to you, such that 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). Amen.
"It is a key month to inquire of Me and to seek My will. Abide in Me, and I will teach you and show you My will and My way. Many of My people will enter a season of decision-making that will cause them to bear much fruit in life."
As I received these words, the Lord also gave me a vision of an apple tree with many branches full of ripe, red apples, ready for the picking. This is a 'picture' of decisions you make that lead to health, life, goodness, and stability in life.
Back to the prophetic words above. Why do you need to know God's will for your life? The answer is simple. So that you can make the right decisions in life that lead to health, life, goodness, and stability in life! Many people make decisions first before seeking God's will, and that's where the trouble starts. It's akin to shooting first before aiming!
Before we go further, it is important to know that God's will for you is always to save you, heal you, restore you, and prosper you (2 Peter 3:9, 3 John 1:2). This is the underlying principle that you must know. His thoughts for you are always thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
In fact, Jesus drank the cup of suffering and separation so that you don't have to! In Mark 14:36, Jesus said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." The word 'will' here is 'thelesis' in Greek, from the word 'thelo' meaning 'to determine, to choose, to intend'.
He was praying this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, knowing that He would soon be separated from the Abba Father. You see, they are one (John 10:30) and they cannot be separated, just like the sun and light cannot be separated. But for once, they had to (see Matthew 27:45-46), because He had to carry all our sins on the cross! So that we can now have this assurance that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). He did it all for you and I whom He loves.
He has chosen you and intended for you to bear fruit in life
Notice the word 'will' in Greek can mean 'to determine, to choose, to intend'. The next principle you need to know is He has chosen you and intended for you to bear fruit in life.
Ephesians 1:4-5 says, 'Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will'.
In John 15:15-16, Jesus says, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..."
"How to know God's will for my life?"
This is a question people often ask me. I would say the one most important key to knowing God's will is to abide in Him. In other words, to stay connected with Him, moment by moment, day by day. Talk to Him about everything. Take time to immerse yourself in reading the Word of God and praying in the Spirit. It is in a deep, personal and intimate relationship with Him that you will soon receive the latest 'instructions' as to what to do and how to go about. His Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He will never lead you into trouble.
The word 'abide' here is 'meno' in Greek, meaning 'to remain, to stay, to dwell, to wait on, to be present'.
David learned to abide in the Lord and wait on the Lord
The Bible says David was 'a man after God's own heart' (1 Samuel 13:14). David learned very early that he had to continue to abide in the Lord and wait on the Lord in order to have good success. Not long after he became king over all Israel, the Philistines deployed themselves against him. 2 Samuel 5:19 says, 'So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand."'
Notice the words "Shall I..." and "Will You..." in the verse above. As you can see here, David would not go ahead unless and until he had received a specific instruction from the Lord. David learned to be present (to hear from the Lord) and to wait on the Lord first. As a result, he had a resounding victory (2 Samuel 5:20).
David learned to depend upon the Lord for every new decision
Now, watch what happened next. The Philistines then came up and deployed themselves against David once again. 2 Samuel 5:23-25 says, 'Therefore David inquired of the Lord (once again), and (this time) the Lord said, "You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer'.
What if David had assumed (or presumed) he should go up against the Philistines without asking God first, just because he had won a battle earlier? Chances are he would not have gained a total victory. David had learned to depend upon the Lord for every new decision he's about to make, every step of the way.
The lesson we can learn here is: When He says so, we say so. When He says no, we say no.
The Lord is here to help you!
Like David (whose name means 'beloved' in Hebrew), you too are God's beloved. Therefore, know that your battle is His battle. The battle is the Lord's. He is here to help you, no matter what the challenge (or challenges) you may be facing right now.
In John 14:16-18, Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
1 John 2:27 says, 'But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him'.
People of God, allow the Lord to anoint your spiritual eyes and ears today, so that you will begin to see and hear the many more things that He wants (wills) to make known to you, such that 'eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). Amen.
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