I saw a vision of a 'hammer'. What does that mean?

I saw a vision when I woke up in the morning the other day. In that vision, I saw God holding a hammer and breaking into pieces whatever that is not of Him...

I asked the Lord what this means, and He spoke: "I am in the midst of breaking whatever that is not of Me, so that My people will have whatever that is of Me. I am hammering whatever that is driven by pride, greed and lust, and replace it with faith, hope and love. I am doing this in each individual, in My body the church, and in the world with its every form of man-made systems."

He spoke further: "Look to Me, humble yourselves, and I will know how to prosper you even in a time of famine, especially economic famine. Even in such a time, I will exalt you and I will cover you with My hand."

This is the message of the Lord for His people right now. 

In the midst of this 'hammering', your response is in humbling yourselves and walking in the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV) says, 'By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.'

Indeed, true riches, honor and life comes from God and is given by God. And when God's people learn to humble themselves in times like these, the Lord will know how to exalt them, because He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (see 1 Peter 5:5-6). When He gives us the grace, it means He gives us the ability and supply that comes from heaven in doing what He has called us to do (that by ourselves, we will not be able to). It is equally important to have the fear of the Lord (deep reverence for the Lord), being and doing what God says, in obedience to Him. Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, i.e. knowing what to do and how to go about (see Proverbs 9:10).

Let's relate this to the vision of the 'hammer'. Hammer doesn't mean it is a bad thing. It may be bad for the wicked or ungodly people, but it is a good thing for the righteous and godly people, and for those who put their trust in the Lord. This hammer breaks what is not of God, so that God's people can be set free from all forms of suppression and oppression by the enemy. 

Psalm 75:10 (NKJV) says, 'All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.' Psalm 75:10 (Expanded Bible) puts it this way, 'He will take all power away from [cut off all the horns of] the wicked, but the power of good [righteous] people will grow [be exalted].'

The Lord is in the midst of 'hammering' all those works of the evil one, all those hindrances, all those blockages and all those bondages in your life. Let Him do His work to set you free and release you for the greater things to come. 

In Jeremiah 23:29 (NKJV), the Lord says, "Is not My word like a fire? And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"

'Hammer' here is a 'picture' of God's Word that smashes and demolishes whatever that is not of God or whatever that is of the evil one. And as you know, God's Word cleanses, sanctifies and purifies (see Ephesians 5:26-27).

Let's go now to the book of Judges as our cross-reference for this word 'hammer'. In Judges 4:21 (Expanded Bible), the Scripture says, 'But Jael, the wife of Heber, took a tent peg and a hammer and quietly [secretly] went to Sisera. Since he [Sisera] was very tired, he was in a deep sleep. She hammered the tent peg through the side of Sisera’s head and into the ground. And so Sisera died.'

Speaking of women heroes, this is one example in the Bible! 

The word 'hammer' here is 'maqqebeth' in Hebrew; coming from the word 'naqab' meaning 'to strike through, to puncture, to pierce'; and interestingly, it's from the word 'neqe' meaning 'to cleanse, to clean, to purify, to make clean'. 

Therefore, 'hammer' here speaks of God's Word that not just smashes and shatters the power of the enemy, but purifies and cleanses His people! Do you see it now? It is bad for the wicked, but good for the righteous!

Now, the background of Judges chapter 4 is at that time the people of the Lord (the Israelites) were cruelly oppressed by the enemy, namely Jabin a king of Canaan and Sisera the commander of Jabin's army. But the Lord raised up a prophetess named Deborah in Israel. Deborah then sent a message from the Lord to Barak commanding him to position himself for a battle against Sisera's army, because the Lord was about to hand the enemy into his hands. Sisera's army was defeated, but Sisera managed to escape to a tent where Jael was. And with a hammer and a tent peg, Jael shattered Sisera's head and presented Sisera dead. On that day, the Lord defeated and subdued the power of the enemy, and Israel grew stronger and stronger, and the land had rest for forty years (see Judges 5:31).

You must know this passage is in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the 'shadow', and the New Testament is the 'substance'. We are now in the New Testament time; and in the New Testament, we are not fighting flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). So, we interpret the above 'hammering' as a 'picture' of God's Word that shatters the power of the enemy and sets God's people free from oppression of the enemy.

People of God, be encouraged therefore in times like these. No matter what happens in the world around you, and no matter what 'shaking' or 'hammering' that comes into this world, know that you are the redeemed of the Lord and the righteousness of God through Christ! Your part is to continue to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, draw near to God, and keep walking closely with God - and He will know for sure how to lead you, guide you, and even prosper you. Amen.

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Why is prayer and waiting on the Lord so important?

The Lord spoke these words:

"I have hidden many of My people for a time. It is a preparation time. It is for the future glory. I am filling them with My anointing, My substance, My wisdom, and all that they need to emerge stronger than ever and more anointed than ever."

The Lord spoke further:

"I am raising up men and women whose hearts are for Me, whom I will work miracles, signs and wonders through them. A people steep in My Word and deep in My Spirit. A people who are being readied for a greater manifestation of My presence, power and glory, for a greater outpouring of My Spirit the world has not seen before."

I pray you will be one of these whom God has spoken. Indeed, this is a preparation time. Get yourself ready for the greater glory of the Lord in your life! How? By prayer and waiting on the Lord! Remember, prayer precedes power, and waiting time is never a wasted time!

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'

The word 'wait' here is 'qavah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'entwined together (with God), gather together'. To be 'entwined together with God' is to be 'one with God'. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, '... he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him'. 

So, what do you do in a time of waiting on the Lord? You pray, you worship the Lord, you draw near to Him, you minister unto Him, and of course, you continue reading His Word!

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'And being assembled together with them (the disciples), He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."'

See the word 'wait' here? 

The word 'wait' here is 'perimeno' in Greek, and it can mean 'to stay around (until it happens)'; from the words 'peri' meaning 'being around, being there', and 'meno' meaning 'abide, continue, dwell, remain, be present'. 

Interestingly, this word 'meno' is the same Greek word for 'abide' in John 15:4-5 when Jesus said "Abide in Me, and I in you; I am the vine, you are the branches, for without Me you can do nothing."

Acts 1:12-14 (NKJV) says, 'Then they (the disciples) returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.'

Altogether there were 120 disciples (Acts 1:15). And what did they do? They were praying and waiting on the Lord for the coming of the Holy Spirit! 

They knew they were about to receive a new level God's glory in their lives! In fact, Jesus had told them earlier that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them (Acts 1:8).

Back to Acts 1:12-14. What is the word 'prayer' here in Greek? It is 'proseuche', and it means 'to pray to God (or to worship God) from the heart; to pray earnestly.' In other words, 'proseuche' is praying to the Lord with sincerity of heart.

And as they were praying and waiting on the Lord for some 10 days, see what happened next.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) says, 'When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.'

The Holy Spirit came. The power of God came. The promise of the Father came, just as Jesus had spoken to them 10 days earlier. And their lives were never the same again! They began to preach the gospel of God's kingdom with the power of the Holy Spirit, accompanied with miracles, signs and wonders. And many who heard them and seen the miracles believed in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Interestingly, even after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early disciples continued to practice prayer and waiting on the Lord as essential part of their lives! Why? Because they understood the power of prayer and waiting on the Lord. They would never go ahead to do something without praying and waiting on the Lord first! 

Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV) says, '"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.'

See the word 'prayed' here?

You may ask, "Pray until when?" 

Pray until the impartation from heaven comes! Pray until the anointing and power comes! Pray until the instruction or direction from the Lord comes! Pray until God gives you the 'green light' to act!

Back to Acts 4:29-31. And that's when the disciples began to act on what the Lord had imparted or spoken to them, and they began to speak the word of God with a newfound boldness! Again, a new level of God's glory was upon them! And the Bible says great power and great grace was upon them all! (Acts 4:33)

Indeed, prayer is the pillar to any ministry of the Lord (even in anything that God has called you to do, including your business and your career). Prayer precedes power! 

One more example of praying and waiting on the Lord can be found in Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV). It says, 'Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.'

What do you do as you wait for His instructions (on what to do next)? Like the early disciples those days, keep ministering to the Lord and praying - until His time for you to act comes! By the way, to minister to the Lord is to draw near to Him and worship Him.

People of God, this is the time to keep praying and ministering to the Lord until the glory comes! It will be the glory of the Lord such that you have never seen before. Great and mighty doors of the Lord shall be opened for you, and you shall walk through them! You shall rise up stronger than ever before, and you shall do greater exploits for the Lord, going forward. To God be all the glory! Hallelujah!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

How to pray the right and effective prayers?

Words from the Lord:

"I am teaching My people to pray the right prayers. I am teaching My people to pray effective prayers. Prayer is being one with Me and being in union with Me. This is the time many things in the spirit are going to be birthed forth by My people through prayer. This is the time to go deeper in your prayer life. Pray in the spirit and worship in the spirit!"

Indeed, this is the time to go deeper in prayer, just as the disciples of Jesus did those days leading up to the Day of Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit came). They were at the upper room, praying and waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-14). 

You see, prayer is not just petitioning to God and asking God to answer our prayer requests. There is a place for that of course, but prayer is much more than that! 

James 5:15-18 (NKJV) says, 'And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.'

What is the secret of Elijah? Why is it that whatever he prayed, God just caused it to happen? 

To understand that, let's go first to what Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23, "I do not pray for these (disciples) alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

Now, Jesus set an example of a prayer life while He was on earth. 

Notice the words 'one in Us' here? 

In 1 Corinthians 6:17, the apostle Paul wrote, 'But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.' 

Notice the words 'one spirit with Him' here? 

So, you see, prayer is a relationship with God. It is being one with God. I believe this is also the secret of Elijah in his prayer life. Prayer is oneness with God. In other words, being in union with God and being in communion with God - where God speaks and we hear; and we speak and God hears. It is a two-way communication. That is why prayer is a relationship. And it's from this oneness with God that every good thing from heaven flows - in you and through you! 

And as you release all that you've received from Him, things happen! John 15:4-5 says 'He is the vine and you are the branches'. It means all the 'nutrients' from heaven flow in you and through you! And that's how you bear fruits - even the fruits of your prayers!

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'

Interestingly, the word 'wait' here is 'qavah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to be entwined together (with God), or to gather together.' You know what this means? 'To be entwined together (with God)' is 'to be one with God'! And that's how you 'gather together' all that heaven has for you! In other words, all the resources from heaven flow right into you and through you - when you 'qavah'! And that's also how your strength is being renewed, and you will mount up with wings like eagles! Hallelujah! 

Do you see something now? This is very exciting! Because prayer life need not and should not be dull and boring. If you have this revelation of what prayer is really about, I congratulate you, because your prayer life is going to become more and more exciting! And like Elijah, you too are going to receive lots of 'downloads' from heaven - and you will know what to do and how to go about - while on earth. Amen!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Hungry and thirsty for more of God!

The Lord spoke these words recently:

"There is a hunger and thirst in many of My people for more of My Word and My Spirit. Blessed are you, because for those who hunger and thirst for Me and My righteousness, they shall be filled. For I am the Bread of life and My Spirit is the Living Water. For those who eat of Mine and drink of Mine shall never lack any good thing!"

The Lord spoke further:

"I am teaching My people to be rooted in Me, so that they will not be tossed to and fro with the deceitfulness and every wind of doctrine in these perilous times. Desire therefore to grow spiritually! Desire therefore to grow deeper in Me! For I have so much more that I want to show you!"

Indeed, the Lord is putting a hunger and thirst in many of His people for more of Him and more of His glory, just like what Moses said those days, "O Lord, show me Your glory!" (Exodus 33:18) 

What we know now is just a drop of water in the entire ocean, or a little sand in the whole, vast ocean. But there is so much more that God wants to show us.

Even after seeing all the miracles, signs and wonders that God performed in Egypt, and the Red Sea opened (Exodus 14:21), and then the supernatural supply of manna (Exodus 16:15) and water from the rock (Exodus 17:6), Moses knew there's more, so much more, and hence he said, "O Lord, show me Your glory!" Moses knew if God's presence did not go with him, he couldn't carry on anymore (Exodus 33:15). 

People of God, we have entered such a time as well. It is an unprecedented and challenging time, to say the very least. Like Moses those days, this is the time all the more we need God (and His direction or guidance), as we journey on. And all the more we are to look to Him, humble ourselves and seek His face.

In pandemic times like now, and for many of you who are still in a time of waiting (for what is to come, or for your next step), the Lord is encouraging you to never give up looking to Him and seeking His face. Because He has many more things that He wants to show you. It is not over yet for you. In fact, you are about to enter the realm of great manifestations of His miracles, signs and wonders in your life. So, take heart and stay strong in the Rock of your salvation, no matter how the 'storm' descends, the 'flood' comes, or the 'winds' blow at the moment (Matthew 7:24-27).

This is the time to keep desiring for more of Him, His Word and His Spirit. As Jesus has spoken, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6). 

May you be filled with the fullness of the Spirit of God - even the Spirit of wisdom and revelation - as you get ready for what is to come, and as you position yourself for His greater glory in your life. The best is yet to come. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

How to abide and flow with God effortlessly?

The Lord spoke these words:

"When many in the world are striving and trying to take matters into their own hands, but you My beloved, you abide in Me and receive from Me. Do not go with the flow of the carnal and worldly ways. Instead, flow with Me and My perfect timing for your life. For I am the vine and you are the branch. Without Me, you cannot bear real fruit."

In John 15:4-5 (NKJV), Jesus said, "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 stay, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, wait on'. Jesus used this 'picture' of the 'vine' and the 'branches' because there were grape plants everywhere in Israel those days, and so His disciples would see and understand how this connection between He and them works. At that time, Jesus was about to depart from His disciples - to be arrested and crucified. So, this was an encouragement to His disciples - that He would remain united to them and they to Him - as truly as branches are connected to the main vine. As a matter of fact, the relationship between vine and branch is of constant connection to each other!

In John 15:7-8 (NKJV), Jesus said further, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

'Abiding in Jesus' is also 'abiding in His words'. From the above verses, Jesus actually connected 'abiding in Him' to the idea of faithfulness to His words! And that's how whatever we ask of Him, it shall be done for us! Why? Because when we abide in Him and His words, and let His will and desires flow in us and through us (just like from the vine to the branches), we will ask and desire according to God's will for us, and not according to our own carnal will or desires.

In John 14:23-24 (NKJV), Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

For those who love Him and keep His word, these are those whom Jesus said, "We (My Father and I) will come to him and make Our home with him'!

By the way, very interestingly, the word 'home' here is 'monay' in Greek, meaning 'a place to stay, a place of residence'; from the same word 'meno' in John 15, meaning 'abide'.

You see? For He to make His home with you, your part is to abide in Him and His words!

And you know what? When He makes His home in you, you have absolutely nothing to fear! After all, He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords! And He is the El Shaddai, the Mighty God who lives in you and makes His home in you! Many in the world may be living in constant worry, fear, or anxiety about their lives (or their future), especially in trying times like these. But you beloved of God, you have absolutely nothing to fear! Because no matter what happens around you in the world, you can be rest assured that all the resources from heaven will continue to flow in you and through you, just as all the nutrients flow from the vine to the branches! Therefore, abide in Him and His words! And you'll be sure you'll continue to bear good fruits in life! Hallelujah!

Prayer: "Father God, when many in the world are striving and trying to take matters into their own hands, teach us to abide in You and receive from You. We choose not to go with the carnal and worldly ways. We choose not to do things with our own strength. But we choose to be fully dependent on You and keep receiving from You. We choose to receive Your love, joy, peace, wisdom, favor, and whatever we ever need on earth. We choose to flow with You and Your perfect timing for our lives. Indeed, You are the vine and we are the branches. Without You, we cannot bear real fruit in life. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel