Remain faithful and stay focused!

The Lord says,
"Remain faithful in Me, and stay focused on what I've called you to be and to do! Remain faithful to your covenant with Me, and keep your eyes and ears on My words! Do not allow your priorities to be misplaced, and do not allow your assignments to be diluted by those who do not understand what I'm doing in your life!"

The Lord says further,
"The enemy is trying to do whatever to upset My works and plans for your life. But do not allow yourself to get out of focus and be distracted from what I have called you to be and to do!"

How does the enemy 'upset' God's works/plans for your life?
- by sowing the seed of discouragement against you
- by sowing the seed of accusations against you
- by using people to gossip/character-assassinate against you
- by attacking your health and well-being

*However, please differentiate the above from constructive criticism or advice, because we should always be humble enough to let people correct us or improve us. At the same time, we should also learn to be good stewards of our lives, be it in thoughts, words, or deeds, and of course, in taking care of our health. We can't possibly claim the enemy is attacking our health when we become couch potatoes and eat potato chips all day long!

Let's go straight now to the book of Haggai. At that time, God's people had become complacent and had forgotten their priority, i.e. to put God's kingdom first above all else. And through prophet Haggai, the Lord conveyed these messages to His people:
- A call to remain faithful and remember His plans
- A call not to get distracted from building His plans
- A call for His people to rise up from the 'ashes' and humiliation of Babylonian exile
- A call for His people to reclaim their rightful place and shine for Him

*From historical timeline, Haggai's prophecy came at a time when God's people were extremely vulnerable. They had been humbled by their 70-year exile in Babylon, and were so discouraged by the opposition against them in rebuilding God's temple that they quit! (see Ezra 4:24) Haggai thus encouraged them to complete what they have started!

In Haggai 2:2-5 (NLT), the Lord spoke these words through prophet Haggai, "Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: 'Does anyone remember this house - this Temple - in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.'"

People of God, prophetically-speaking, we too are currently at a crucial time when the Lord is speaking the same to us! Be strong! Don't get distracted! Stay focused on your God-given calling and purposes in life! The truth is, as believers, each of us has a specific God-given calling in life (no two persons are exactly the same), each of us has been endowed with spiritual gifts and talents (for us to use for His glory), and therefore, each of us is a ministering Christian - being salt and light to this world! (see Matthew 5:13-16)

Here in the book of Haggai, the message to rebuild God's temple was simple and straightforward. Very interestingly, after thousands of years, the book of Haggai remains unique and special among the books of Old Testament prophets for one key reason: The people actually listened! :) It was indeed a 'kairos' moment in the history of God's people, and when the Lord spoke through prophet Haggai, a 'paradigm shift' in God's people happened! Their lives shifted from 'devotion to self' to 'devotion to God'! Their lives shifted from 'self-interest' to 'God-interest'! Their lives shifted from 'building own things' to 'building God's things'!

In Haggai 2:6-9 (NLT), the Lord spoke, "In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!"

In Haggai 2:21-23 (NLT), the Lord spoke further, "Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!"

People of God, your time for the above has come too! You and I are now that Temple, filled with His greater glory! 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (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? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple'.

Indeed, greater glory of the Lord is coming upon your life, and a new authority in Him has been given to you! By the way, 'signet ring' here is 'khothawm' in Hebrew, and it simply means 'signature', which speaks of you having the authority in Christ to 'sign' something, and whatever you 'sign' becomes a decree! In other words, no word (or work) of the enemy can overturn this decree that you make!

As God's people, are you building your own 'empire' for own selfish ambitions? Or are you building God's kingdom, leaving a legacy that will stand the test of time and test of fire? Choose ye this day! As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! (Joshua 24:15) Keep building lives, keep equipping lives, keep 'adding value' to others, keep bringing God's heart to people, and keep pointing people to Jesus! The Lord who sees these will know how to honor you, just as prophet Haggai had spoken those days! Amen!

Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and revelation

The Lord says:
"Ask and keep asking! Seek and keep seeking! Knock and keep knocking! Do not be afraid to ask, and do not hesitate to ask! I am your Father in heaven, and you are My children. Ask of Me, and you shall receive! Ask of the Holy Spirit, and it shall be given to you. Ask for My wisdom and revelation, as you prepare to move into the next level!"

Jesus said in Luke 11:9-10 (Amplified Bible), "So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened."

Jesus then said further in Luke 11:11-13 (Amplified Bible), "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!"

See, your heavenly Father has great pleasure in giving you good gifts when you ask! Notice here, Jesus said 'how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit'! Interestingly, Jesus didn't say 'give money', 'give big house/car', 'give positions', 'give connections', 'give fame', etc! But He said 'give the Holy Spirit'! In other words, 'good gifts' here translates to 'the Holy Spirit'! You know why? Because when you have the Holy Spirit, you have everything! The truth is when you have the Holy Spirit to show you the way, and disclose to you what you should do (or how you should go about doing things), every 'good thing' will come!

Indeed, this is a key time to ask of the Holy Spirit - because He knows all things - even things regarding your future! And don't stop until you get the answer! Jesus said in John 16:13-15 (Amplified Bible), "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you."

People of God, as you prepare for the new decade that's coming, and as you get ready to move into the next level, ask the Holy Spirit to disclose to you the wisdom, revelation, and even strategies that you need - be it in your family, career, business, ministry, or even investments!

You might ask, "Why do some Christians ask but do not receive?"
Some people ask but do not receive, because they ask amiss! In other words, they ask according to their own self-indulgent desires (motivated by lust, greed, pride), instead of asking for what is God's best for them! To put it simply, they ask with wrong motives! James 4:1-3 (Amplified) says, 'What leads to [the unending] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your lust goes unfulfilled; so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain [the object of your envy]; so you fight and battle. You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires'. By the way, the word 'hedonistic' here is from the Greek word 'hedone' meaning 'engaged in the pursuit of own selfish pleasure or self-indulgence (motivated by lust, greed, pride)'.

You might ask further, "What then is the antidote to 'praying amiss'?"
The answer is by praying in the spirit! Because when you pray in the spirit, you are in effect praying God's perfect will for your life! Romans 8:26-28 (Amplified Bible) says, 'The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will. And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose'.

You see, the truth is the Holy Spirit knows you better than you'd ever do! So, don't ask according to what your carnal mind think (or presume) is best for you, but ask of the Holy Spirit who knows EXACTLY what's best for you! And when the Holy Spirit begins to take it from here, you can be sure to walk into all that Ephesians 3:20 has promised you: 'Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, according to the power (of the Holy Spirit) that works in you'. Amen!

Not time to 'give up', but time to 'pick up'!

The Lord says:
"For many of My people who have gone through a down time, I am beginning to pick them up! And for those who have gone through a valley time, I am beginning to bring them to mountain top! This is not the time to 'give in' or 'give up', but this is the time I am 'picking you up'! Look to Me therefore, and like Jacob, your tenacity will also pay off!"

Indeed, people of God, whatever the Lord has put in your heart (or has spoken) for you to do, this is not the time to give up, but this is the time to pick up! And no matter what 'down time' you've gone through recently, this is the time to receive a fresh hope and new strength from the Lord! Be it in your family, career, business, or God-given ministry, He will give you the wisdom you need moving forward, and He will cause you to walk in favor again! Yes, He hasn't forgotten you, even though the enemy tries to make you think so!

By the way, 'down time' here means 'time when things aren't working or functioning as it should', and 'pick up time' here means 'time when things are improving, recovering (from a fall/problem), or looking up again'. So, shout out loud to yourself: "Things are picking up again!" Say it again, and again! Say this into the spiritual realm around you! Say this over your life, and over your every situation! Not saying for the sake of saying it, but saying because the Lord says so! The truth is when you agree with what He says in the 'inside' of you, whatever 'outside' of you will also begin to agree!

Therefore, declare:
- this is the time to pick up the pieces (when you fall);
- this is the time to pick yourself up (when you are down);
- this is the time to not look back, but look forward;
- this is the time to not give in (under pressure from this world);
- this is the time to not give up (whatever the Lord has spoken to you).

Let's look at the Scripture now, and see an example in someone named Jacob. As you know, this same Jacob eventually became Israel. From the name that means 'grasping the heel' (which is a Hebrew idiom for 'deceptive behavior') or 'supplanter', he was later named 'prince with God', or put it plainly, 'ruling with God who fights for him'! To the Hebrews, a change of name means a change of character. Through those years, Jacob went through much, of course, before he was finally named Israel. As a matter of fact, he had his share of 'down time' too those days. After escaping from his brother Esau who wanted to kill him for stealing his (Esau's) birthright, he went to his mother's homeland only to find himself being taken advantage of and 'played out' by his uncle Laban for twenty years! (Genesis 31:38-41) In other words, the 'supplanter' was now being 'supplanted'!

It all began when Jacob met Rachel, the love of his life! (Genesis 29:16-20) It was supposed to be the beginning of the best days of his life, but what could have gone wrong?! The 'deceiver' or 'supplanter' had finally 'met his match' in his own uncle Laban, and he got 'outfoxed' this time! He was made to work for seven years, and another seven years for the love of his life, Rachel; and then another six years for his uncle's flock. So, all in all, twenty years!

'Rachel' ('rawkhale' in Hebrew), by the way, means 'ewe' or 'female sheep', a symbol of innocence and beauty. It can also mean 'to journey', and here, Jacob was supposed to have found his purpose (or meaning) in life when he met Rachel - someone he would 'journey' in life with. People of God, maybe the Lord had shown you the beauty of His plans (and purposes) for your life too, but things just aren't happening at the moment. Well, the same it was with Jacob at that time. Things didn't work out the way he had wished initially; and instead of Rachel, uncle Laban gave him Leah (Rachel's older sister)! Not only that, through those years, Jacob worked for uncle Laban like a slave! In fact, his pay was revised ten times through those years! Not pay rise, but pay cut!

But Jacob didn't give up. He kept going and going in spite of it all. People of God, things may not have borne much fruit at the moment, but if you do not give up on what the Lord has put in your heart to do, you'll soon begin to see lots of fruits. And when the fruits come, THEY COME! You'd better prepare a whole lot of baskets to 'contain' them all! You see, Jacob could have given up, thrown in the towel, and accepted his 'fate' to be enslaved by uncle Laban the rest of his life. But somehow he didn't. He kept believing and believing. Now, that's tenacity! And you know what, the Lord even gave him wisdom and favor to make a way of escape! Yes, no doubt he was the 'bad guy' in his earlier days, but what mattered more to the Lord was his willingness to humble himself and be changed! Everyone deserves another chance! And so do you!

Maybe things aren't looking good in your life, or you've been struggling in your life recently. Maybe you've been badly affected in your career, business, or ministry due to a wrong decision you've made or a wrong investment you've made; and what the Lord had promised you seems impossible or unachievable at the moment. Do not lose heart. Do not give in under the pressure from others. Do not give up your hope in God.

Whatever your situation may be at the moment (and no matter how dire it may be), as long as you do not 'give up' on what He has spoken to you, He sees you a winner! Just as He saw Jacob a winner! The Lord will know how to turn things around for you. Choose therefore to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He will know how to lift you up (1 Peter 5:6). The Scripture says 'By humility and the fear of the Lord, comes riches, honor and life' (Proverbs 22:4). Indeed, things are going to pick up again in your life! Take this, declare this, and receive this by faith. Amen!

Get ready to move into the next level!

The Lord says:
"What I have spoken to you, and what I have given to you, this is the time to surrender it back wholly to Me! Like Abraham, this is the time to surrender your 'Isaac' to Me, and I will see to it that there will be providence and there will be a solution! Do not retract, and do not hold back! For I am getting you ready to walk into the realm of greater blessing, and I am bringing you to the next level!"

As happened to Abraham, there's going to be a time when the Lord will ask you to surrender to Him all that He has given to you. And for many of God's people, that time is now! No, the context here isn't about 'the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away', but rather, He is asking you to surrender, so that He can bring you into a time of greater blessing, and to the next level!

Let me show you from the Scripture. Genesis 22:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."'

The word 'Moriah' ('Mowri Yah' in Hebrew) here can mean 'The Lord will see to it, or the Lord will provide', from two words, 'Raah' (to see, to look on, to provide) and 'Yah' (the name of the Lord our God). Therefore, this name speaks of the Lord who will see to it that there's going to be providence (or solution) when you surrender to Him whatever/whoever you hold dear. In Abraham's context at that time, it was also a place of worship. Indeed, to worship is to surrender all of ourselves before the Lord!

Genesis 22:4-8 (NKJV) says, 'Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering."'

People of God, what are the 'Isaacs' in your life at the moment?
These can be whatever/whoever you hold dear.
Examples:
- your vocation, career, or business;
- your spiritual gifts, or talents;
- your God-given ministry;
- someone you hold dear (but you don't know what to do with him/her anymore).

Genesis 22:9-14 (NKJV) says, 'Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide...'

'Burnt offering' here speaks of 'your unreserved worship and surrender before the Lord', whereas 'ram' here speaks of 'the providence, the solution, or the answer that's coming your way'. In fact, 'a ram caught in a thicket by its horns' is actually a 'picture' of 'Jesus with the crown of thorns'! On the cross some two thousand years ago, He wore the crown of thorns, so that you can now wear the crown of blessings and the crown of God's glory!

Now, let's put a little imagination into the verses above. Imagine now Abraham on the way to that place of worship and surrender, and he suddenly changed his mind and decided to retract (or hold back) his son, Isaac. Can you imagine what would have happened? The ram wouldn't have appeared! Because the ram (i.e. the solution) that was to be provided by the Lord would also be somehow retracted (or held back)!

Look now how the Lord was getting Abraham ready for a time of greater blessing and the next level, after he had 'passed' the test of faith! Genesis 22:15-17 (NKJV) says, 'Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies."'

Very interestingly, The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), which was written from a biblically Jewish perspective, translates this expression 'blessing I will bless you' as 'I will most certainly bless you'. You know what that means? The Lord was in effect promising Abraham that He will most certainly bless him, even in all circumstances, and no matter what circumstance he's in!

By the way, 'in all circumstances' here includes even the not-so-good times in the eyes of the world! And even in times like these, there's still no stopping you from walking in the realm of greater blessing!

Indeed, as descendants of Abraham by faith, you can now receive this same promise in your life too - that the Lord will most certainly bless you, even in all circumstances, and no matter what circumstance you're in! Hallelujah!