When times are tough, what do you do?

When times are tough, what do you do? This is a question many people ask, especially in times like these. But the answer from the Lord may surprise many.

Here's the answer, and here's what the Lord says, "Keep loving. Keep sowing seeds of love and care. Help anyone who needs genuine help. Look out for one another and look after one another."

There's no denying the fact that the world (I mean, the people of the world) has become 'colder' and 'colder', even though the earth is getting warmer and warmer (due to climate change). People are getting more and more selfish (lovers of their own selves without considering others or to the detriment of others), and more and more inward-looking.

2 Timothy 3:1-4 (NKJV) says, 'But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God'.

But how about you who are the disciples of Jesus?

In Matthew 5:15-16, Jesus says, "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

In tough times like these, the Lord's answer for us is all the more let our light shine brighter and brighter, even as the world gets darker and darker! 

But how do you shine your light? 

Through acts of love and kindness from a genuine and sincere heart!

1 John 3:18 (NKJV) says, 'My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth'.

1 John 4:8 (NKJV) says, 'He who does not love does not know God, for God is love'.

1 John 4:12 (NKJV) says, 'No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us'.

In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus says, "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"

You see, as you scatter seeds of love and kindness wherever you are, as you help those who are helpless, and care for those who are uncared for, the Lord will know how to reward you and honor you, even in ways that no man can! The Lord sees it even when man never sees or recognizes it!

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV) says, 'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart'.

In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

It doesn't necessarily have to be giving in the form of money. It can be using your spiritual gifts, your talents, your time, your energy, or in any way that you can be a blessing others! It goes a long way in bringing hope to many, and you'd never know how much this means to some who are in dire situations at the moment!

So, beloved of God, go ahead and love others! Make a difference in this world! Not just in words, but also in deeds! Your 'light' will shine ever brighter in the spiritual realm! And you will reap the good that you sow! Amen!

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How do you prepare for Year 2021?

As I sought the Lord regarding Year 2021, He gave two key words to take note of as His people prepare for the year ahead: "Agile and versatile!"

Let's go to the definition of these two words first.

'Agile' is defined as 'nimble, able to move quickly and easily (or lightly)'.

'Versatile' is defined as 'flexible, able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities'.

This applies whether in ministry, in business, in career, or in anything that you put your hands on in your life for the year ahead.

Psalm 18:32-33 (NKJV) says, 'It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places'.

Psalm 18:32-33 (New English Translation) translates it this way, 'The one true God gives me strength; He removes the obstacles in my way. He gives me the agility of a deer; He enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain'.

See the word 'agility' here? 

By the way, a mountain deer is an amazing animal. Some mountains are so steep and rocky that these seem impossible to climb. And some trails can be extremely narrow and dangerous to tread on. Yet a mountain deer has what it takes to negotiate these rugged terrain. In fact, a mountain deer is one of the most sure-footed, agile and focused mountain creature you can ever see on earth!

People of God, there's going to be a huge shift coming, a huge spiritual tectonic shift! And the Lord wants His people to prepare themselves for such! But fear not, because like the deer in Psalm 18:33, the Lord will help you!

Now, what does this word 'tectonic' mean? If you watch documentaries about earthquake, you would have heard of this word 'tectonic'. It can be defined as 'pertaining to the structure of the earth's crusts'. 

Therefore, a spiritual tectonic shift will have to do with how people see and understand His church!

There's no denying the fact that in this time of worldwide pandemic, many ministers of God have actually started to rethink their ministry and rethink church. Many 'old structures' that used to work in the past will become unsustainable in this new spiritual era. Many 'old wineskins' that used to work in the past will not be able to contain the 'new wine' that the Lord is pouring out in this new spiritual era.

Jesus says in Matthew 9:17, "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

You see, some things that used to work in the past may not work now. Here in Matthew 9:17, Jesus reminds us that what is old and stagnant often cannot be renewed or reformed. And the Lord will often look for new vessels to contain His new work!

Will you allow yourself to be one of those new vessels?

People of God, I write this with humility and the fear of the Lord. I love the church, the Body of Christ. But let it be known that there's going to be a huge spiritual tectonic shift coming! 

The Lord has begun preparing His church to be that holy and unblemished bride. His church will come forth pure like a virgin again, and ready for the coming of the Bridegroom! But whatever that is not of Him will be shaken! (Hebrews 12:27) In fact, this applies not just to the religious structure that man has created, but also in every other facet of society in general (be it economic, financial, political, or social).

But fear not! Because the Lord will help you and give you the solutions (Psalm 18:32-33), if you look to Him!

May the Lord enlighten our spiritual eyes of understanding so we can see how He sees (Ephesians 1:17-19, Revelation 3:17-18, Psalm 119:18). Not how man sees, not how the world sees, not how the Babylonian system in this world sees. But how God sees. Amen!

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What are the keys to riches, honor and life?

The Lord says these words: "For many of you, the devil has been trying to make you feel helpless and hopeless! The devil has been trying to make you feel like out of control in your life! Take authority over the devil and put all these to a stop!"

People of God, ya, put all these nonsense of the devil to a stop! Take authority in Jesus' name, and declare: "Even though many things in this world seem to be out of control, but God, You are a God who is still in control of my life!"

There's a renewed hope and refreshed hope being released to you right now! Don't let the devil talk you out of it! But instead, receive by faith a renewed hope and a refreshed hope from the Lord, no matter what challenges you've gone through recently! 

In fact, this is your time to declare the Lord has paved the way for a greater future for you! Amen!

The Lord says further: "Commit everything you do to Me! Roll all your cares and concerns to Me! And I will show you the way to lasting riches, honor and life!"

Psalm 37:5 (NKJV) says, 'Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass'. 

The word 'commit' here is 'galal' in Hebrew, and it means 'to roll it all'. 

As you 'roll all your ways' - your life, your career, your business, your relationships, your health, your problems, your fears, and even your frustrations onto the Lord, He will know how to take over from there. 

It also means to believe that He is trustworthy, and to acknowledge that by yourself, you are insufficient to cope with the pressures, complexities and challenges in life. Now, this requires humility on your part. Because not everyone on earth will admit this. But blessed are you if you do.

Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) says, 'By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life'. See, these are two keys to lasting riches, honor and life. First, humility. And second, the fear of the Lord!

Let's talk about 'humility' first.

In Matthew 5:5 (NKJV), Jesus says, 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'. In cross-reference, Psalm 37:11 (NKJV) says, 'But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace'.

You may be asking: "What does it mean by 'inherit the earth' here?" 

To 'inherit the earth' simply means whatever the Lord wants to give to you on earth, no one can take it away! Indeed, He has given you an inheritance, and it's yours! The Bible says you are an heir of God! (Romans 8:17) But there is a way to receive it, as written in Matthew 5:5 and Psalm 37:11!

Interestingly, the word 'humility' in Proverbs 22:4 is 'anavah' in Hebrew, and the word 'meek' in Psalm 37:11 is 'anav' in Hebrew. So, these two words - 'humility' and 'meek' share the same root word 'anav'! To 'anav' literally means 'to be lowly, meek, humble (before the Lord)'!

How about 'the fear of the Lord'? 

To fear the Lord is to have a deep reverence and respect before the Lord, and being found obedient to whatever He has spoken. It is to acknowledge that He knows better and He sees further. And He knows what's best for us. Amen.

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The Lord wants to tabernacle with you!

The Lord says, "This is a time to rejoice! Choose to rejoice, no matter what happens around you in the world! Look to Me and receive from Me! Be set free from your sorrow, and enter into My joy! This is the time to declare that your time of mourning has ended, and your time of rejoicing has come!"

Isaiah 60:20-21 (NLT) says, 'Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands in order to bring Myself glory'. 

The word 'mourning' here is from the word 'abal' in Hebrew, which means 'to lament, to bewail, to be in sorrow'. Indeed, your time of mourning is coming to an end, and you are set free from sorrow!

Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT) says, 'You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!'

The word 'mourning' here is 'sawfad' in Hebrew, which speaks of 'to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as some people in some culture do in a time of grief)'. Now, what does 'beating the breasts' (or 'beating the chest') show us here? It is a show of grief, regret, or disappointment because of something that had happened, and the person who does it would even cause self-inflicted harm.

Beloved of God, some of you need to hear this! Beat yourself no more! Hit yourself no more! Harm yourself no more! Whether physically or in your soul. Past is past. Let it go! Forgive yourself. Forgive those who have hurt you. Today, know that the Lord has set you free, and He has given you a new hope and a new joy! 

You know why? Jesus has already been beaten, hit, striped, and slashed for you! In fact, He has been pierced for you when He died for you on the cross! He has become the man of sorrow, acquainted with grief, and He has carried all those sorrows and griefs of yours when He died for you on the cross! (Isaiah 53:3)

In Isaiah 57:14-15 (NLT), the Lord God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so My people can return from captivity. I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."

Beloved of God, here's a piece of good news for you! The Lord is in the midst of 'rebuilding the road' for you! He is clearing away the 'rocks and stones' that hinder you! He is setting you free! He is making a way for a greater future for you, in spite of what had happened in your past! But you have to play your part by giving Him room to do so! 

So, take heart. All is not lost yet, no matter how you 'blew it' recently, or what mistake you've made recently!

The word 'live' (or 'dwell' in NKJV) here is 'shakan' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'stay, abide, continue, inhabit, remain, rest, reside, lodge'. See? The Lord is 'attracted' to those whose hearts are contrite and humble before Him! And He will know how to restore and revive those who are such! 

So, dedicate yourself to Him afresh and anew! Dedicate even your home to Him afresh and anew! Let Him dwell in your life! Let Him 'shakan' with you! Because when you have Him lodging and residing in your life, you don't have to be afraid anymore! After all, He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and He lives in you!

Zechariah 2:10-11 (NKJV), the Lord says, "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you."

The word 'dwell' here is also 'shakan' in Hebrew, and another word to describe it is to 'tabernacle'. That is to say He is here to tabernacle with you! In other words, He is here to make His home in your life! What a privilege to be called a child of God!

Prayer for you today: "O Lord, as Your people dedicate their lives, and even their homes to You this day, come and fill each of Your beloved and their homes with Your glorious presence. As You tabernacle with them, and as You dwell in their midst, I declare a time of mourning has ended, and a time of rejoicing has begun! There will be honor, riches, and life for those who humble themselves and fear the Lord! And when Your glory is here, nothing in this world can withstand You, and no evil can overcome Your people who look to You. Amen!"

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