A time to experience God's light and re-dedicate yourselves to Him

The Lord says:
"This is the time to experience My light, and to re-dedicate yourselves to Me! Turn to My light and return to My light, for I am enlightening the spiritual eyes of many in this time and season!"

Indeed, this is the time to experience the Light, the true Light - Jesus! Let this Light so shine into every area of your life, because when this Light comes, every darkness has to flee! Yes, even whatever darkness sent by the enemy against you!

John 1:6-13 (NLT) says, 'The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the Light so that everyone might believe (in Christ, the Light)... John himself was not the Light; he was simply a witness to tell about the Light. The One who is the true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God'.

John 8:12 (NLT) says, 'Jesus spoke to the people, "I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the Light that leads to life."

You see, this Light leads to life! In a time of reflection and thanksgiving, let us all turn to the Light and return to the Light. And as you celebrate the Light, let Him show you His way and enlighten your spiritual eyes - to see what He sees and how He sees - His plans, purposes, and destiny for your life, moving forward!
*By the way, 'to enlighten' is 'to give someone greater knowledge and understanding about something, to shed light on'.

Let us not be like the people those days, such that when the Light came, they couldn't recognize Him, and even rejected Him!

John 10:22-33 (NLT) says, 'It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. The people surrounded Him and asked, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don’t believe Me. The proof is the work I do in My Father’s name. But you don’t believe Me because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill Him. Jesus said, "At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone Me?" They replied, "We’re stoning You not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

You see the irony here? During the Festival to celebrate Lights, the people those days couldn't recognize the True Light when He passed by! Not only that, they even sought to kill Him and destroy Him, because their spiritual eyes were blinded!

*What is the Festival of Hanukkah?
- Also known as Jewish Festival of Lights.
- To commemorate the re-dedication of the 2nd Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
In Hebrew, the word 'Hanukkah' simply means 'dedication'.

There is no accident in how the Scripture verses have been arranged, because the Holy Spirit is the true author of the Scripture! (2 Peter 1:20-21) Notice just before the above verses in John 10, Jesus spoke about spiritual blindness in John 9, and showed how He healed a man born blind (who was now able to see)!

John 9:1-6 (NLT) says, 'As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. "Rabbi," His disciples asked Him, "Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" "It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the Light of the world." Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!'

Yes, like that man, we may be 'blind' in the past, but now we can 'see'! Hallelujah!

People of God, as you celebrate the Light this week, may you experience Him so real! And because you are now the 'temple' where the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19), just as at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, let this also be a time you'll re-dedicate yourself to Him - because He's going to do greater works through you in the year ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Do not be afraid to face your future!

The Lord says:
"Do not be afraid to face what comes in your future! Fear not, for I am your Miracle and your Provider! I will know how to provide even in the midst of famine or uncertainties! I will know how to shield you from the fiery darts or arrows that come against you! Look to Me therefore, and look not at what is around you!"

Indeed, in times like these, look to Him, and look not at the troubles around you. John 6:16-21 (NLT) says, 'That evening Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for Him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but He called out to them, "Don’t be afraid. I am here!" Then they were eager to let Him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!'

Just before that, John 6:8-13 (NLT) says, 'Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. "There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" "Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves'.

People of God, from the Bible verses above, know that Jesus isn't just your Miracle-worker, but HE IS your Miracle! And Jesus isn't just your Provider, but HE IS your Providence! When you have Him, you have everything you ever need on earth! This Miracle lives in you, and this Providence lives in you! He is your all-sufficient God and you don't need to look anywhere else, because He is more than enough for you! He can even redeem your lost time, and bring you to your 'destination' in spite of the storms and rough seas around you!

The Lord says further:

"This is a key time to guard your 'spiritual windows'! Guard your spiritual eyes and ears! Do not allow your 'windows' to be intruded and compromised by the enemy! Guard what you see, and guard what you hear! Take authority over the spiritual atmosphere around you, and bind the spirit of fear!"

In perilous times like these, here are some of the questions people in the world often ask:

- "Will I still be needed in my company/organization?"

- "Will I still be needed in the job market?"

- "What does the future hold for me?"

- "Do I have enough for my retirement?" 

- "Will I end up sick and lonely in old folks' home?"

- "Will I be abandoned by my children in my older days?"

- "Will I get scammed or cheated in my later years?"

And the list goes on.

If left unchecked, 'fear' can 'paralyse' us. So, what do you do when you are overwhelmed by atmosphere of fear? Or what do you do when you are afraid to face your future (or what comes in your future)?

- Know that your God isn't dead! (1 Corinthians 15:20)

- Don't allow fear to 'seep' in. Trust God! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

- Take authority in Jesus' name! (Luke 10:19)

- Bind the spirit of fear, and nullify those works of darkness! (Matthew 16:19)

- Cover yourself with the blood of Jesus (Psalm 91:3-6).

Some may ask, "But what if I've made a bad mistake in my life?"

In 2 Kings 4:38-40 (NLT), the Bible says, 'Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, "Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group." One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous. Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, "Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!" So they would not eat it'. 

People of God, like that 'young man', we all (at one time or another) make mistakes in life (due to ignorance, immaturity, or lack of knowledge) and end up in a 'poisonous' or 'precarious' situation. But look what happens next. In 2 Kings 4:41 (NLT), the Bible says, 'Elisha said, "Bring me some flour." Then he threw it into the pot and said, "Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat." And then it did not harm them'.

You see, a miracle happened then and there: The 'flour' healed and neutralized the 'poison'!

What does 'flour' symbolize here? JESUS! And how is flour made? When grain gets crushed! 'Flour' here is therefore a 'picture' of Jesus (the grain offering) being crushed! He was 'beaten' and 'crushed' when He died for you on the cross! Isaiah 53:5 (NLT) says, 'But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed'. He is the remedy to your 'poisonous' or 'precarious' situation! And He is here to turn things around for you, even if you think you've 'blown it' and made a bad mistake in life! Take heart therefore. 

By the way, 'Elisha' (or 'Eliyshuwa' in Hebrew) means 'God of supplication (riches)'; from two words, 'El' meaning 'God'; and 'Shuwa' meaning 'supply, miracles, riches' or 'freedom from trouble, fear, worry'. The good news is your 'pot of stew' need not be wasted, and your 'pot of stew' need not be 'poisonous' any more! The same God who performed miracles and turned things around those days is the same God in your life today. Just trust Him, look to Him, and let Him in, and everything's going to be alright! Believe and receive by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Declaring and experiencing the goodness of God

The Lord says,
"Talk to My people about My goodness! Let them taste and see that I am good! Let this month be a month My people declare and experience more and more of My goodness!"

Wow! What a month we are entering into! A month to declare and experience more and more of God's goodness! Therefore, whatever 'ugliness' or 'pains' that had happened to you in the previous months, this is your time to be set free from these, and this is your time to walk into the realm of God's goodness!

To start off with, let's go to Psalm 23:6, and here, David wrote, 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever'. The word 'goodness' here is 'towb' in Hebrew, and it means 'good (in the widest sense), good things, 
bountiful, beautiful, favor, kindness, pleasantness, sweetness, gladness'.

Another beautiful psalm that David wrote is Psalm 34. Here, he wrote about tasting and seeing that the Lord is good ('towb'). In other words, he was writing about experiencing the goodness of God in real ways! Let's read Psalm 34:8 now, 'Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!' Hallelujah!

Yet another beautiful psalm composed by David is Psalm 136, and here, he declared the goodness of God as first and foremost in his thanksgiving unto the Lord! Let's look at Psalm 136:1-5 now,
'Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good ('towb')!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever.'

Notice in Psalm 136, David put the goodness of God at the very top, and only then he wrote about 'God of gods', 'Lord of lords', 'God who alone does great wonders', and 'God who by wisdom made the heavens'! You know what that means? David had this revelation that God is first and foremost good ('towb'), and only then God of gods, Lord of lords, God of signs and wonders, and even God of wisdom!

You see, the enemy will always try to downplay the goodness of God, and he will do whatever he can to stop you from seeing (and believing) the goodness of God in your life! Why? Because he knows how powerful God's people can be when they have this revelation of the goodness of God, like David did! The enemy certainly doesn't want to see many 'Davids' in this world, i.e. those who not only have the revelation that they are God's beloved, but the revelation that God is good in their lives! Yes, we must admit that David had his share of troubles in life too, but instead of wallowing in these, he chose to trust in God's goodness, as you can see from the psalms above! David went on to become the greatest king ever lived in the history of Israel, hands down!

People of God, what are the good things in your life (that you can give thanks for)?

Having a good family? Having good health? Having good friends? Having good career? Having financial freedom? Maybe one of these? Or there must be something good in your life that you can give thanks for at the moment!

Don't just look at the big (wow) things! How about those smaller things in life (that you can give thanks for)? 

Examples: Nice bed, nice pillow, nice bolster :) 

Remember, there are many people in this world who don't even have a good bed to sleep on. In other words, they are homeless and sleeping on the streets!

Why not ask God to show you the many other good things that you are currently tasting and seeing in life (no matter how small or insignificant you think these may be)? Why not begin to thank your way to more and more good things that are coming, instead of falling into the enemy's trap of blaming your way to more and more doom (and gloom) in your life?

To sum it up: Begin to give thanks to God for the smaller things in life, and bigger things will certainly come your way! Try it, and you'll surely be amazed how this works! David did, and you're next. Amen!