Don't take matters into your own hands

The Lord says:
"My people shall be set free from bitterness! My people shall walk in healing and sweet waters! Even when you've been betrayed, unfairly treated, taken advantage of, or falsely accused of, do not take matters into your own hands. For I have spoken, 'Vengeance is Mine, and I shall repay'. Trust in Me and look to Me instead, and I will cause you to see your vindication in due time!"

Have you been in a situation when you've been betrayed, unfairly treated, taken advantage of, or falsely accused of something? Take heart, because the Lord knows how to vindicate you and defend you, when you look to Him. Romans 12:19 (NKJV) says, 'Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord'. Romans 12:19 (NLT) says it this way, 'Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the Lord'.

I would like to point you to someone named Absalom in the Bible. It was a tragic ending for him, but it needn't have been so. Indeed, we have much to learn not just from the success stories in the Bible, but also the tragic stories in the Bible.

Absalom has always been portrayed in a bad light in Bible studies. But the truth is he did not become bad overnight! In fact, he started off as a good boy and a good brother! It was only after his beloved sister (Tamar) was raped by his half-brother (Amnon) that he allowed bitterness to set in, and unfortunately, this bitterness in him grew! (see 2 Samuel 13:1-21)

Here, we learn bitterness (that is not dealt with) will lead to a person committing more and more wrongs. The Bible says Absalom hated Amnon because he (Amnon) had forced himself on his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:21). Revenge has been in his mind since then. And he waited two full years before he finally got his opportunity - by getting his servants to kill a drunk Amnon at a feast! (2 Samuel 13:23-29)

Instead of looking to the Lord and letting the Lord take over, Absalom took matters into his own hands. As a consequence, he had no choice but to flee (2 Samuel 13:37-38). Not many years after that, he rebelled against his own father (David), usurping his own father's reign as king (2 Samuel 15:1-6). The Bible says he stole the hearts of the men of Israel (2 Samuel 15:6).

Now, the big question is why did Absalom eventually conspire to topple his own father (David)? Here are the likely root causes. Maybe he felt his father had not done enough to protect his beloved sister? Or maybe he felt his father had not done enough justice as the head of the family? In other words, Absalom kept hurts against his own father. For the record, Amnon was the eldest son of King David, whereas Absalom was the third son (from a different mother). So, there's always a possibility that Absalom felt his own family had not been treated fairly, or given enough attention. In a polygamous family like David's, there're bound to be jealousies, insecurities, conspiracies, and competition among the wives and children (from the different mothers).

Beloved, maybe you too feel your own parents (or leaders, superiors, comrades, etc) have not done enough for you, or have failed you? Forgive. Let go. Don't let bitterness set in and grow any further. Look to the Lord instead, because He loves you, and He knows how to take over from here. Receive your healing waters from heaven right now.

Cut the long story short, Absalom eventually died during a battle with his own father's army (2 Samuel 18:9-15). It needn't have been so. What a tragic ending to someone who was so talented and full of charisma; someone who could have been greatly used by the Lord for His kingdom. Upon hearing the news of Absalom's death, David wept bitterly and mourned for his son (2 Samuel 18:33).

Lesson learned. Bitterness kills. It's not worth it at all to keep bitterness in our soul. One thing will lead to another, and it only leads to further misery. Be set free therefore from bitterness, and begin to walk in healing and sweet waters. Amen.

Be awakened to walk into your God-given callings!

The Lord says,
"It is a time of awakening! Be awakened to walk into your God-given callings and assignments on earth! Never doubt, for I will never leave you nor forsake you! I am in the midst of exposing the plans of the enemy that comes against My people! Look to Me, for I will fight for you, and I will defend you!"

If you look at the origin of this word 'awaken', it comes from two English words, namely 'on' and 'waken'. Indeed, this is your time to 'switch on', and not 'switch off' in fulfilling all that the Lord has called you to be on earth! And this is your time to 'be awakened', and not 'slumber'; for the Lord is in the midst of raising up His people for the greater glory that's coming!

Not just that, He has even begun exposing the plans of the enemy in ways you've never seen before! Like the days of Paul when he confronted the spirit of divination! (Acts 16:16-18) The spirit of divination is in effect a satanic spirit from the forces of darkness. It is any spirit that claims to be the truth, but is not. The word 'divination' here simply means 'to be inspired by a god (it can be any god, but not the true and living God)'.

And we are now living in a time when whatever can be shaken, will be shaken! (Hebrews 12:27) Like the days of Paul when the foundations of the prison that kept him bound were shaken to the core, and everyone's chains were loosed! (Acts 16:25-34) Indeed, nothing that originates from the enemy or from the flesh can stand this shaking time! Every 'foundation' built by the enemy shall be shaken to the core! And every man-made ways (be it in the church, or in the world) shall also be shaken to the core! So, people of God, don't just listen and be easily swayed by the voices (or ideas) of this fallen world! But instead, listen to the sound of mighty waters that has already been released in the spiritual realm! Ezekiel 43:2 says, 'And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory'.

You may ask, "How do I fulfill my part in this time of greater glory?" 

In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul exhorted Timothy, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Now, how do you 'stir up' the gifts given to you? You 'stir up' the gifts given to you by beginning to use them wherever you are, and wherever He puts you! Don't wait until you are given a 'formal position' before you start using them, because that's not how the Lord worked in the early church! The early disciples were full of the Spirit and were led by the Spirit; and they were preaching, teaching and making disciples wherever the Lord put them, be it in the marketplace, or in every village, town, and city that the Lord led them to! And as they walked in it, the Lord will also know how to set up divine appointments for them. When Paul responded to a vision of a Macedonian man standing and pleading with him to come over, concluding that the Lord had called him to preach the gospel there, the Lord did His part by setting up a divine appointment through Lydia who opened her home! (see Acts 16:9-15)

By the way, the words 'stir up' here is 'anazopureo' in Greek, consisting of three words, namely 'zo' (bring to life), 'pureo' (kindle the fire), and 'ana' (up). In other words, 'bringing to life' and 'kindling the fire' (whatever the Lord has given to you) by using them! And you have nothing to fear, for God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind!

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus Himself said, "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." You see, in Him, you too have the highest authority and mandate, and the Lord has promised that He will be with you till the end of age! Be who God has called you to be! Amen!

He is here to turn things around for you!

We all make mistakes in life, don't we? Given a choice, nobody would want to make a mistake in whatever he/she does. But thanks be to God, because even if you thought you have 'blown it', your God can turn things around for you and do a miracle for you!

Romans 8:28 says, 'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them'. Indeed, God will work things together for good, in spite of your mistake. He can even use your mistake and turn it into a miracle, if you look to Him and put your trust in Him! Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths'.

In 2 Kings 6:1-5, the Scripture says,
'One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet."
"All right," he told them, "go ahead."
"Please come with us," someone suggested.
"I will," he said. So he went with them.
When they arrived at the Jordan River, they began cutting down trees. But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. "Oh, sir!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!"'

To begin with, let's ask this question: What is the purpose of the 'ax'? 'Ax' is used when we cut trees for the building of things (e.g. buildings, furniture, etc). 'Ax' is therefore used 'to build'. In our context here, it speaks of building what God has called you to build (be it ministry, business, vocation, etc). But in this passage, the ax head fell into the river! And once fallen, never easy to retrieve, considering it was a heavy iron ax head! Not only that, it was a borrowed ax! So the man cried!

But God! He is a God who can turn things around, and He is a God of miracles! Notice Elisha had never left nor forsaken 'those who were in the midst of building'. When someone suggested for Elisha to "Please come with us", Elisha said, "I will", and he went with them. You know what it means here? 'Elisha', by the way, is 'Eliysha' in Hebrew, coming from two words, i.e. 'El' meaning 'God', and 'Shuwa' meaning 'riches, supplies, helps, hope'. People of God, the Lord is assuring you today that He is still your God of riches, supplies, helps, and hope, even when you have made a mistake or 'committed a faux pas' along the way!

In 2 Kings 6:6-7, the Scripture says,

'"Where did it fall?" the man of God asked.
When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot.
Then the ax head floated to the surface.
"Grab it," Elisha said.
And the man reached out and grabbed it'.

The 'stick' here speaks of what Jesus has done for you on the wooden cross. Just as the 'stick' caused the iron ax head to float to the surface, what Jesus has done for you on the cross is your turning point! Look to Him and put your trust in Him! And do not lose heart! He is your supernatural God and He can turn things around in ways human cannot think of!

I heard and released these words of the Lord recently:
"As you keep building what I've called you to build, I will give you new strategies, I will give you new resources, and I will give you new strength! I will even turn your mistakes around and do a miracle for you! Do not lose heart therefore, and cast all your cares to Me, for I am the Lord who cares for you!"

Indeed, He is here to turn things around for you, no matter what had happened in your life. There is nothing that He cannot turn around for you, because He is your miracle-working God. No mistake, no failure, no curse, and no enemy can hold back His turnaround power in your life! Believe and receive. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Keep building what God is building!

The Lord says these words to His people:
"Keep building what I've called you to build! Keep restoring what I've asked you to restore! Cease not! For My eye is upon you, and My hand is with you! This is your time to yield your eyes to Mine, and your hands to Mine! And nothing shall be able to stand before you!"

The key chapters to read in this time and season is Ezra chapters 3-7. In these chapters, the Scripture shows us how the Lord had moved His people to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, having been in Babylonian exile for seventy years. The writer (Ezra) narrated how Zerubbabel (the governor of Judah), Jeshua (the high priest), and the rest of the priests and Levites began this work of rebuilding, only to find themselves facing resistance from the adversaries (Ezra 4:1-5).

This part of the Scripture is actually prophetic of our times as believers in the New Covenant today. If those days, the Lord was building His temple; today, the Lord is building His people. The former is the 'shadow', and the latter is the 'substance'. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT) says, 'Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?' The word 'temple' here is 'naos' in Greek, and it simply means 'the dwelling place of God'. Indeed, you and I are 'the dwelling place of God'! 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) says, 'And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests...'

People of God, maybe in recent times you have grown tired of building what the Lord has begun in you. In fact, some of you are already on the verge of giving up. For some, it's because you haven't seen much fruit; and for some others, it's because you've grown tired in facing resistance from those naysayers. Whatever your reasons may be, the Lord is saying "Cease not!" Because the Lord who has begun the good work in you will continue His work until it is finally completed! (Philippians 1:6) He will give you new strategies! He will give you new resources! He will give you new strength! He will see to it that what He has begun in you, He will complete it, if you do not lose heart!

That was exactly what happened those days, as written in the book of Ezra. Interestingly, the name 'Ezra' (which is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word 'Ezer') means 'The Lord helps'. Indeed, in the midst of resistance from the enemies (who tried to frustrate and discourage God's people), the Lord's help was evident, and the Lord's eye was with them. Ezra 5:5 (NKJV) says, 'But the eye of their God was upon them, so that the enemies could not make them cease...' Not only that, the Lord also sent prophets Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo to prophesy to them in order to edify them. And the prophets were with them, helping them as well! (Ezra 5:1-2)

The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'fountain, favor, presence'. In other words, the Lord's fountain of living waters (speaks of 'the Spirit of the Lord') was upon them, flowing in (and through) them! As a result, they never ran short of wisdom and revelation to complete the Lord's work! Of course, the Lord's favor was with them, and the Lord's presence was with them too! Now, how could they fail? Later on, the Lord even raised up a King Darius to issue a decree to let the temple be rebuilt and be firmly laid, with all expenses paid from the king's treasury! (Ezra 6:3-5)

People of God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible says you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He has prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord's eye ('ayin') is upon you, and His Spirit is flowing in (and through) you too! Be open and let Him. And just as the temple in Ezra's days was successfully completed, every good work that the Lord has begun in you will also be successfully completed! Receive these prophetic words into your life today! In Jesus' name. Amen!

Your time to advance has come!

The Lord says these words in this time and season:
"Many of My people have let go of their past. Many of My people have been determined to stand their ground in the face of the enemy. But NOW is My people's time to advance!"

The Lord says further:
"Your time to advance has come! Like Joshua who chose to let go of the past, and began to move forward! There will be new ways of doing things. There will be new ways of seeing things. Behold, I will do a new thing!"

People of God, as you let go of the past and begin to look forward, this is a key time to declare Isaiah 43:19 unto your life: 'Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert'! Notice it is the Lord who will do a new thing, and not us. Our part is to heed and move with Him!

One example of transitioning from the old to the new is found in the book of Joshua. Joshua 1:1-2 says, 'After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them..."'

Moses had paved the way for the people of the Lord, and through him, they were delivered from the stranglehold of the Pharaoh. But now was Joshua's time. And the Lord spoke to him to arise, and go over to take the Promised Land!

As we all know, change is never 'comfortable', because it involves re-adjustments (in the way we see or do things). But change is necessary, so that we can enter the new that God has prepared for us, just as He had prepared for Joshua!

A time of change is also a time of allowing God to bring renewal (in the way things are done, even in unprecedented ways). Change, of course, takes willingness and great courage. That's why the Lord spoke these words to Joshua as an assurance to him, "No man shall be able to stand before you... as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you... Only be strong and very courageous..." (Joshua 1:5-7)

Now, don't get me wrong. We don't change for the sake of changing. But we change when the Lord tells us so. As Joshua embraced change, the Lord assured him that He would not leave him nor forsake him. Joshua was to be strong and very courageous, because the Lord would show him many things he had not been taught before in Moses' days. Joshua in turn went on his three major military campaigns (central, south, and north) with great success (see Joshua chapters 6-11).

You see, the key to Joshua's great success was his willingness to embrace changes in strategies whenever the Lord instructed him to do so. And as Joshua heeded the Lord's instructions every step of the way, advancing as He advanced, there was no looking back, and the people of the Lord began to enter a time of greater blessings!

People of God, know that your Joshua time has come too! Don't miss this time and season! Let go of those past (whatever it may be), and declare that you too are entering a time of greater blessings!