Look up! There will be ingathering and reunion!

Words from the Lord: 

"Comfort one another as you keep looking to Me and fix your eyes on Me. Because I will never leave My people nor forsake My people, no matter what has become of this world. My promises for My people is not slack, and I am in the midst of preparing My bride for My glorious coming. There shall be a great ingathering and reunion of My people - for those who have fallen asleep together with those who are alive!" 

Hallelujah! The Lord says there will be a great ingathering and reunion of His people - those who have fallen asleep and those who are still alive - together!

So, will you meet your loved ones or good friends again up there in heaven? Yes! For all of us who are in Christ - Yes! There will be a reunion for all of us! 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote, 'But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.'

See? Sleep in Jesus! It's not just 'sleep', but 'sleep in Jesus.' The word 'asleep' here is 'koimao' in Greek. It literally means 'to fall asleep', and in the context of our study here, it can mean 'to cease', 'to cease from this earth', or in other words, 'deceased'. So, 'fall asleep' here means a person has been brought home into the arms of the Lord.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote, 'For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.'

In 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote further, 'Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.' 

Notice the word 'together' here? 'Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them'. Now, the question here is who are these 'them' here? Those who have fallen asleep, but whom the Lord will resurrect! 

Let's go to The Amplified Bible for 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18, 'Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord! Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died].' 

See the word 'reunion' here? Reunion with believers who have fallen asleep, i.e. those who have gone before us! Do you see that? Reunion! Ingathering for all those who have fallen asleep (who have gone before us) and those who are alive and remain! 

You know what this means? It means for those of you who have lost your loved ones or good friends who are in Christ, you are going to have a reunion with them, meeting the Lord together with them! Hallelujah! 

The word 'together' here is 'hama' in Greek. It means 'at the same time'. It means we, at the same time with those who have gone before us, will be meeting the Lord together! Another definition of 'hama' is 'closeness (in being together) with one another'. It means you will see and meet each other, together, even as you meet the Lord in the air, up there! 

Now I'm going to show you the words 'caught up' that you see in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. What is this 'caught up' here? In The Amplified Bible, there's a bracket that says 'raptured'. 

The word 'caught up' here is 'harpazo' in Greek. It can mean 'being pulled away, being seized away, being caught away, being taken away'. And in the context of 'being caught up' here in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, it means you are being pulled away by the Lord, seized away by the Lord, caught away by the Lord, or taken away by the Lord from this earth to meet Him face to face, to be in His presence, in His glory; to be in His arms, the Heavenly Father's arms. 

Now, that's how the word 'rapture' in English is derived from, i.e. from this word 'caught up'. The word 'caught up' here is 'raptura' in medieval Latin. By the way, 'medieval age' is a period between Roman empire and the Renaissance, and that's between the 5th century and the end of 15th century. And this word 'raptura' is where the English word 'rapture' comes from, which means 'an act of carrying away, carrying off, seizing away'. 

So, as you can see here, the word 'raptura' in medieval Latin has the same meaning as the word 'harpazo' in Greek. Both speaks of 'being carried away by the Lord'. It means the Lord carries you away from this earth to meet Him in the air! 

From our Bible study today, the Word of God says there will be an ingathering and reunion for those who have deceased and those who are still alive - together! It means you will be meeting your departed loved ones or good friends, even as you meet the Lord in the air! And that's good news, especially if you have lost a loved one or a good friend before (i.e. they have passed on). But if they are in Christ, you are going to meet them together! This is an assurance and comfort that the Lord wants you to receive today. And that's why the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 'Therefore comfort one another'. 

Another assurance you can have regarding those in Christ who have departed from this earth, is that they are merely sleeping, and are actually not dead! That's why apostle Paul wrote 'fallen asleep'. Now, the Bible says so. This is not a fantasy. This is not a make-believe. This is the reality in the spiritual realm. Those who are in Christ, who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, when their spirit depart from their body, they are not dead, but they are just asleep! And you'll be meeting them again! 

Let me explain the word 'asleep' here in the context of what apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We actually have a glimpse of eternity while we are on earth. Imagine you have been running around and you have been so busy the whole day. By the end of the day, you are so tired. And say, you sleep at 10pm. You're so exhausted, so tired, and the moment you lie down on the bed, you fall asleep. And the next thing you know is you wake up and it's already 6am! From 10pm to 6am, 8 hours passed by just like that! Now, you have just experienced a glimpse of what it is like in eternity. In the spiritual realm, in eternity, we are not time-bound anymore. Just with a twinkling of an eye, and just like that, 8 hours! 

Just as when you sleep while you are on earth, it is the same with those (your loved ones or your good friends) who have departed. They are now fallen asleep in Christ, and the moment they wake up, we shall all meet again! That's what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18!

Therefore, be comforted if your loved ones or good friends have gone home to be with the Lord. Recently even for me, a good friend and a fellow minister of God of mine has gone home to be with the Lord. God brought him home after he has fulfilled His purposes on earth. Surely I will miss him. But I can be comforted because it's actually not a permanent loss, because as the Scripture says, there will be a reunion one day!

Isn't this a deep comfort and assurance for all of us who are in Christ? Yes, we may have missed some of our loved ones or good friends who have departed, but that is just temporary. Now, this is not my idea. Check it out in the Bible yourself. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says so!

That is why it is so urgent and important to share about Jesus to your loved ones, to those whom you care, to those whom you love. You want to see them in eternity together. So, this is the time to share the love of Jesus, pray for them, pray for their spiritual eyes to be open, so that they will see that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let them see that Jesus is the Lord, and only Jesus, the Salvation, can save them from this fallen world! And that's how we all can be together in eternity! 

After all, the earth is only a temporary place. You know it very well. We are just sojourners or pilgrims on this earth. The Bible says so in 1 Peter 2:11. Our permanent place is up there, where we will see no more pain or suffering. And we will all be in the loving arms and embrace of the Lord. Indeed, once we have fulfilled our God-given purposes on this earth, He will bring us home. There will be a homecoming! 

So, take heart, be encouraged, and stay strong, no matter what happens in this world. Keep running this race of faith. Keep fulfilling all that God has purposed for you to be on this earth. Keep focusing on the Lord. Keep fixing your eyes on the Lord. Keep trusting the Lord. Keep putting your hope in the Lord.

In John 14:1-4, Jesus Himself said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." 

It is then written in John 14:5-7, 'Thomas (one of His disciples) said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."'

It means Jesus was saying, "If you see Me, you would have seen My Father as well." Because Jesus and the Father are One! You see, God the Father was being revealed through Jesus who came!

Let us pray: 

"We thank You Lord God that You have reminded us of all these verses, that we will be together with those who have 'fallen asleep', to meet You in the air, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Therefore, we receive Your assurance, we receive Your comfort, as we keep looking to You and fix our eyes on You, till the day of Your glorious coming. We thank You Lord God that You have shown us there will be a great ingathering and reunion of Your beloved, for those who have 'fallen asleep' together with those who are alive and remain. In the name of Jesus. Amen." 

So there you have it, today's message is a message of comfort for you to keep running the race of faith and keep fulfilling all that God has purposed for you on this earth! 

Encourage one another, comfort one another, and continue to share about Jesus, about the love of Jesus. When everything else on this earth fails, the Lord's love, Jesus' love, never fails!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Are you ready to move to the next level?

The Lord says: "I am opening the spiritual eyes of My people to see in the Spirit. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see what I want them to see in the Spirit. They shall see My glory and they shall see My plans, purposes, visions for their lives." 

The Lord says further: "To be pure in heart so that you can see what I want you to see even regarding the future, My people must be ready to die to themselves. Die to your sins. Die to your pride. Die to your lust. Die to your greed. Die to your yearning for fame and name. Die to your fleshly, sinful desires. Just as the seed must die before it sprouts and grows good fruit, so shall My people be." 

Let me be clear here. When the Lord says 'die to yourself', it doesn't mean to kill yourself. No! But rather, die to anything in your life that hinders your walk with God, die to anything in your life that hinders the glory of the Lord from being shown in your life, or die to any area of your life that hinders God's plans, purposes, or visions for your life. That's what the Lord meant by 'die to yourself'. 

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The word 'pure' here is 'katharos' in Greek, meaning 'clean, clear, pure'. In other words, 'Blessed are those who are clean, clear, pure in their heart'. Why? So that they shall see God! 

What does 'they shall see God' mean here? The word 'see' here is 'optanomai' in Greek, from the word 'optomai'. By the way, the word 'opto' means 'to see (with your eyes)', and it can also be your spiritual eyes. So, 'optanomai' here means 'have a vision (of God and what God sees)'. In other words, 'you see what God sees'. Not only you see the glory of God, the majesty of God, or the light of God, but you also see what God sees! So, over here, Jesus meant that to be pure in heart is so that you can see God - see His glory, see what He sees, or see whatever He wants you to see in the Spirit! And this includes seeing His plans, purposes, and visions for your life!

Now, in order for this to happen, the Lord has spoken today that we need to die to self. You see, many people want to know God's plans, purposes and visions for their lives, but they are not willing to die to self. 

Psalm 32:8 says, 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.' The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew. It speaks of God's sight for you, or God's vision for you. So here David wrote that God promised to instruct, teach and guide His people. Guide with what? Guide with His sight for you, or His vision for you! 

But for you to receive Psalm 32:8, David also wrote one verse later in Psalm 32:9, 'Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle...' Now that's the condition for you to see in the Spirit, or to see what God wants you to see. 

But why did David mention horse and mule? These are examples of animals that are not easily guided. In other words, they can be stubborn. They need the bit and bridle, and sometimes rigorous training from the master, before they can be of good use. Bit and bridle basically function together to give control of the horse's head, so that they can stay in the race, and not stray. 

I know today's message may not be popular, unlike messages on prosperity, wellness or wholeness. There's nothing wrong with these messages of course, because God wants us to live a good life, to prosper, and to have good health. But what I mean here is God also wants us to walk in purity before Him, and to die to self. In fact, God has spoken this is a very important time for us to die to self. 

In John 12:24, Jesus says, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." See the words 'if it dies'? Unless the seed dies, it cannot reproduce or produce many more seeds. So, the seed must die. When the seed dies, it will then sprout, grow, and bear good fruit. 

What are the areas in your life (that you know) you need to die to yourself? Each of us is answerable before the Lord. Indeed this is a time of soul-searching. You may want to ask Him, "O Lord, is there any area in my life that You want to change me, train me further, or uproot from me?" 

Galatians 2:20 says, 'I have been crucified with Christ; It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.' These are the words of apostle Paul. And you know that apostle Paul had to die to himself. You know that he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, well learned, and well trained by a great tutor Gamaliel. But after the Great Light experience that led to his conversion, he had to count all those in the past as rubbish (Philippians 3:8). He had to die to all those reputation, fame, and even being respected by the people those days. And that's when he wrote that it is no longer he who lives, but Christ lives in him. And mind you, that takes a lot of dying to self. And apostle Paul understood this. 

Indeed, whatever you are to become in Christ, whoever God wants you to be, and to walk in the fullness of His destiny for you on earth, this can only come about if you 'die to yourself' (in the areas that God wants you to die to yourself). 

You may have to die to your pride or ego. You may have to die to your stubbornness. You may have to die to your lust. You may have to die to your greed. Or even die to the expectations of men or the status quo. So, it's not just dying to your sins.

For some of you, it may be dying to the yearning for fame and name. For some of you ministers of God, will you still be ministering faithfully and give all your heart to serve even if there's no big stage? Even if it's just a small group of 2 or 3 persons that you minister to, and nobody else is watching? Even if there's no 'glamour' of big stage where hundreds or thousands of people are watching you? But I tell you what, God is watching your heart. This is the time God is testing many of His people. You know why? Because God is getting ready to promote many of His people and move them into the next level of anointing and authority in Him! 

Jesus Himself set this example of dying to self. In fact, not only He died to self, He gave up all His divine privileges. Now, look here in Philippians 2:5-8, 'You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.' 

So you see, Jesus has set the example of dying to self. He could have saved Himself. And He could have come down from the cross by Himself. But He didn't. He went through it all. Why? For you and I. Now look here in Philippians 2:9-11, 'Therefore, God elevated Him (promoted Him) to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' Hallelujah! 

Jesus did not withhold anything. He gave it all. He said, 'Not My will', but My Father's will be done'. Blessed are you, people, if today, you can come before the Lord and say to Him, "Not my will, but God, Your will be done. Whatever You want to do in my life going forward, here am I, use me." 

What are the other examples of dying to self? 

Die to your 'smart in your own eyes' plans or ambitions. Die to your certain fleshly or sinful pleasures. Die to selfish ambitions. Die to certain wrongful relationships. Or even die to a certain relationship that is detrimental to God's plans for your life. For example, a certain toxic relationship that God wants you to uproot and cut it off.

Let me show you the contrast to Jesus. It's about Lucifer. Isaiah 14:12-15 says, 'How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depth of the Pit.' 

Here, Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, his intelligence, his own power and position, that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God and God alone! This pride represents the actual beginning of sin entering the universe, and this precedes the fall of human, Adam. 

But what the fallen angel Lucifer had failed, Jesus did it right. Jesus reversed it. And you, in Christ, you can reverse it as well. By the blood of Jesus Christ, you are washed, cleansed, forgiven, and you can start afresh and anew. 

Right now, will you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your conscience? Let Him speak in the inside of you. Let Him show you if there's any area in your life that you need to let go and change? Is there any area in your life that God wants you to uproot? Is there any area in your life that God wants you to die to self? Different people may be different. 

Now, this is not a condemning message. In Christ, there's now therefore no more condemnation (Romans 8:1). But what I'm saying here is God loves you and God wants you to walk in the fullest of all that God has for you on this earth, fulfilling His destiny for you on this earth. 

Heaven is rejoicing when you make that decision today. Blessed are you! And that's what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:8! 'Blessed are those who are pure in heart (clean, clear in heart), for they shall see God!' They shall see God's glory! That's how when you say, "Lord, show me Your glory!", the Lord is going to show up in many ways, the Lord is going to speak to you, the Lord is going to enlighten your spiritual understanding. Your life begins to be so clear, and you will know what direction to take in life. 

You see, there's no shortcut here. Many people want quick fix in this modern days. But there are certain principles of heaven, in the spiritual realm, there's no quick fix. You just have to die to yourself in those areas. I know it's not easy to die to yourself in some areas. But if the Lord says let go, you let go. You are blessed, because that's when God is going to promote you to the next level.

So, this is what the Lord has spoken in this time and season. This is not a message of condemnation. This is a message of restoration. Because God wants you to see what He wants you to see, and God wants you to see His plans, purposes, and visions for your life, going forward.

Prayer: "Father God, we want to thank You today, because You are opening our spiritual eyes to see in the Spirit. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see You, and they shall see what You want them to see. They shall see Your glory, they shall see Your plans, purposes, and visions for their lives. So we ask that You show us the areas that we need to die to ourselves. Because the seed must die, before it sprouts and grow good fruits. We know that You mean well for us. You want to restore us. You want us to walk in the fullness of Your destiny for us. Not to condemn us. But so that Your glory will be shown in our lives in greater measure. Teach us, train us, change us, and correct us, in any area of our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen." 

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

5 keys to hearing in the Spirit

I heard the Lord say: "Learn to hear from Me, just as Samuel heard from Me. Ask for it, and you will receive. Let your spiritual ear be sensitized and ready to hear. For I am now awakening My people's ear to hear what I have to say. I am showing My people what they should do and what they should not do in this new season. I am refreshing My people from their weariness and purposelessness, so long as they would humble themselves to hear Me and heed Me." 

Many people ask this question: "How do you hear from God?" The Bible certainly has the answer. Of course the first person you can think of when it comes to hearing from God is none other than Samuel. In fact his name 'Samuel' has to do with hearing from God. It is 'Shemuw-El' in Hebrew, meaning 'Heard of God'; from the word 'Shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to give ear, to hear carefully, to hear in order to obey', and 'El' meaning 'God'. 

I believe we are now in this time and season like Samuel, when many people in this world are spiritually blur and 'hit and miss', but you, beloved of God, are like the 'Samuels' of today. You are the people who will hear from the Lord. You will not be spiritually blur. You will continually hear from the Spirit of God, and you will know what to do in your life. I want to declare this upon you. Amen! 

1 Samuel 3:1-4 says, 'Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli (the high priest those days). And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!"'

At that time, in Samuel's younger days, revelation from the Lord was scarce. Even the priest was blur in the Spirit. But the Lord began to speak to Samuel, even in times when many in his days were spiritually blur. Samuel was being trained by the Lord to be clear, to hear clearly from the Lord. 

Right now, the Lord is anointing your spiritual ear as well. Let the Lord touch your spiritual ear. Let the Lord open your spiritual ear and awaken your spiritual ear, so that you will hear what God has to say in this new time and season. Amen!

1 Samuel 3:5-6 says, 'So he (Samuel) ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he (Eli) said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Eli answered again, "I did not call, my son, lie down again."' 

As you can see here, the young Samuel was still learning how to hear from God, and how to differentiate between the voice of God and the voice of man. But you see, you've got to start somewhere, just like Samuel. Samuel has got to start somewhere too. You and I know that Samuel went on to become a great man of God, who would hear from the Lord to anoint David as king. 

1 Samuel 3:8-9 says, 'And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.'

See the word 'hear' here? 

1 Samuel 3:10-12 says, 'Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle (it means many will be awakened, and many will be shocked upon hearing it). In that day I will perform against Eli, all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end."' 

Now over here, God was about to judge Eli's household, because his sons were corrupt and Eli did not restrain the sons. 

And then 1 Samuel 3:18-19 says, 'Then Samuel told Eli everything that he heard from the Lord, and hid nothing from him. And Eli said, "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him." So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.'

You see over here, Eli still had some godliness in him, even though he was somewhat spiritually blur. So these words of Samuel spoke to Eli. Eli was awakened about it, and he acknowledged what's been said by the Lord. Eli knew the Lord has spoken to Samuel. 

Now, here lies the first key. What was the key of Samuel hearing from God, but not Eli, not Eli's sons? Samuel was innocent and pure before God. That's the difference. So that's key Number 1. Stay innocent and pure before the Lord, no matter how complex the world has become. Clear yourself from every form of deception, lies, or even corruption - in your spirit, soul, and even in everything that you put your hands on to do.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." So, you are the sheep, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Hear Him. Pay attention to Him, to His voice. The word 'hear' is 'akouo' in Greek, meaning 'to give audience, to give ear to.' Just like Samuel was a good sheep to God, and he was obedient and faithful to what God has to say; so are you and so can you be. You will hear the voice of God, and you follow whatever He says. And that's how you are going to fulfill God's destiny for your life on this earth! 

In John 10:28, Jesus said, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." Now, this is interesting. You know what this means? No one can snatch you away from Jesus, as long as you continue to hear His voice and follow Him! Therefore, hear Him and follow Him. Because when you hear and follow Him, His voice, His way, His will, and His words for you, no evil can snatch you away from Him; and no evil can snatch you away from His plans and purposes for your life on earth! So, key Number 2 here is to stay humble and yielded before the Lord, like the sheep towards the Good Shepherd. Hear Him and follow Him. And that takes humility on your part. That takes yieldedness on your part. That takes submission on your part. 

Isaiah 50:5 says, 'The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.' Here, Isaiah heard from the Spirit of God regarding Jesus the Messiah who was to come. This verse is actually talking about Jesus and how Jesus obeyed till the point of death, never turning away from His Father. But having said this, this verse also applies to Isaiah himself. After all, the name 'Isaiah' is 'Yesha Yah' in Hebrew. It means 'Yahweh is Salvation'. It's a typology, a 'type' of Jesus. In fact, the whole book of Isaiah is likened to a mini-Bible. 66 chapters in total represents 66 books in the Bible (39 - Old Testament, 27 - New Testament). You can see that God has spoken a lot of things to Isaiah - 66 chapters in the whole book of Isaiah! 

Many people would ask this question: "How do I identify God's voice from other voices?" It is true there are three major kinds of voices - voice of God, voice of your own flesh, and voice of the evil spirit. The answer is simple. Whatever you hear must be 'screened through' the Word of God, and cannot contradict the Word of God. 

Another way to be so sensitive to the voice of God is by getting yourself familiarized with the Holy Spirit. How? Pray in the Spirit often. Get yourself familiarized with the Holy Spirit. When you are so familiar with the Holy Spirit, you will know how to differentiate between His voice and the voice of your own flesh or the voice of the evil spirit. 

One more question people may ask, "When is the best time to hear from the Holy Spirit?" The answer is simple. Anytime is a good time! After all, God is 24/7. He is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Your part is this: As long as you get rid of all those 'noises' of this world, or even from social media for a while, and just spend time exclusively with Him, read the Word of God, pray in the Spirit, worship Him, lock yourself in your own room (or your prayer closet), and just enjoy being in the presence of God; you are actually positioning yourself to hear from God! 

So, the answer is anytime is a good time, as long as you make time for God. As far as I am concerned, practically speaking, I find between 4am and 6am is best. You know why? That's when I would wake up and feel refreshed. Now, when your spirit, soul and body - all 3 parts of you - are well rested and refreshed, you are more likely to hear from God. So sleep early and wake up early when it's still quiet, and when many people are not awake yet. First thing in the morning, come into His presence and hear Him. Now this is just my own practical advice. Different people may be different. Because some people are morning people, and some people are night people. Go with what suits you best.

Isaiah 50:4 says, 'The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning. He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.' You see here? 'He awakens Me morning by morning'! Early in the morning, when you are fresh! In fact, that's Jesus' lifestyle! Jesus woke up early and often withdrew Himself to hear from His Heavenly Father. As Jesus is, so are you! 

May the Lord awaken you to hear from Him, just as Isaiah 50:4 says! Though this is about Jesus, the same can apply for you, just as the same applied to prophet Isaiah himself. God can awaken your ear! So Isaiah tells us how he received his messages from God - in the morning - when he's most rested and refreshed, and most sensitive to the promptings and voice of God. That's when you too would receive many things and revelations from God! Yes, even saying refreshing words to the weary or the purposeless. Not only it refreshes others, but it also refreshes you!

So, prepare yourself, be refreshed and be well rested - spirit, soul and body - and you are more likely to hear from God. Now, Holy Spirit can speak to you in many ways, for example, in the inside of you, through your thoughts, through the Word of God that you read, or even in an audible voice!

Proverbs 6:22 says, 'When you roam, they (the Word of God) will lead you; When you sleep, they (the Word of God) will keep you; And when you awake, they (the Word of God) will speak with you.' You see here? When you awake from your sleep, the Word of God will speak with you!

5 keys to hearing in the Spirit:

Number 1: Stay pure and innocent before the Lord, no matter how complex this world has become. Keep yourself from deception, lies, and corruption. 

Number 2: Stay humble and yielded before the Lord. Like the sheep to the Good Shepherd, hear His voice and follow Him. To follow Him, you've got to humble yourself and say, "God, You are God, I am not. I will follow You because You know better than me." 

Number 3: Be refreshed - spirit, soul and body. This is the practical part. You are more likely to hear correctly and precisely from the Lord when you are well rested and fresh, after a good night's sleep. So wake up fresh and spend time with the Lord!

Number 4: Read the Word of God often. No shortcut here. The more you read, the more likely He will speak to you!

Number 5: Pray in the Spirit often. Again, no shortcut here. The more you spend time praying in the Spirit, the more likely He will speak to you!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

How to make plans in the Spirit?

The Lord has spoken for this week: "Look to Me and seek Me, and I will show you My plans and purposes in your life. Be patient to wait on Me. My Spirit will lead you and guide you. My Spirit is teaching you to discern and differentiate what is My plan and what is mere man's plan." 

With these words from the Lord, I'm going to write on how to make plans in the Spirit (i.e. how to plan in the Spirit), or how to purpose in the Spirit. The Bible has something to say regarding this. 

But before that, I want to ask you, "Who are you actually?" You are a spirit being. You are a spirit who lives in a body (a physical body) and have a soul. So, first and foremost, you are a spirit being. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, apostle Paul wrote, 'Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 

You see here, apostle Paul wrote there are three parts in a human being - spirit, soul (consists of your mind, will, and emotions), body (physical body). But out of these three parts, your spirit is who you really are. Your spirit is real. It is not just a bodily organ. Some people call it a heart, some people call it a belly. But it's not just a bodily organ. It's not an imagination. It's not an idea. But your spirit is real. It's your real self. You are first and foremost a spirit being, and I call it spirit-man. 

In fact, your spirit should dominate your whole being. People exercise their physical body and nourish themselves with good food and proper nutrition. Nothing wrong. People exercise their soul by training their mind, by receiving education. No problem. But you know what? Many people in this world neglect the most important part, the essential part, the real them - that is the spirit. Now, the way to strengthen or nourish your spirit is by none other than feeding yourselves with the Word of God and praying in the Spirit. See? Word of God and Spirit of God. Word and Spirit. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says, '...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' Jude 1:20 says, 'But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.' 

So today, I want to point you to your spirit being, because that is the most important part of your whole being, yet it's the most neglected part by the world. So how do you nourish yourself? How do you strengthen your spirit being? You've got to exercise your spirit. You've got to give it proper nutrition. You've got to feed it well. Feed with the Word of God. Pray in the Spirit to build yourself up on your most holy faith. See again? Word and Spirit. These are the two important pillars in your Christian life. 

I continue. In Romans 1:9, apostle Paul wrote, 'For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.' 

You see, Paul served God with his spirit. He never wrote 'with his soul or body', though of course these two parts (soul and body) will be involved too. Because we are a tripartite being. Three parts. But one person. But I tell you what, first and foremost, it is his spirit that serves God. The word 'serve' here is 'latreuo' in Greek. It simply means 'to minister unto God' or 'to worship God'. It means we minister unto God with our spirit. We worship God with our spirit. We worship God by doing what God says we do on earth, by obeying His callings, His plans and purposes for us on earth. And that's part of our worship before the Lord. To submit ourselves before Him. Because He is God, and we are not. 

The word 'spirit' here is 'pneuma' in Greek. It can mean the spirit of a man (or of course a woman), or the spirit-man. We humans are spirit beings, remember this. So, whatever we do on this earth, whether in our worship before the Lord, our ministering unto Him, in our walking with Him, in doing whatever God asks us to do, we are serving Him with our spirit. 

In John 4:23-24, Jesus says, 'But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit ('pneuma') and truth.' The word 'worship' here is 'proskuneo' in Greek. If you look at the definition in James Strong's Concordance, he defined 'proskuneo' here as 'to kiss'. It means to touch God, to be in close proximity to God. That's what 'to kiss' means. And interestingly, he put it this way: 'like a dog licking his master's hand'. So imagine your pet dog licking your hand, so excited to see you when you come home, so longing to want to spend time with you as the master. Now, that's how James Strong defined 'proskuneo'. Like the dog licking his master's hand, so it is the same with us as we worship the Lord. We 'proskuneo' before the Lord. We want more of Him. We long for Him. We will miss Him when we are far from Him. Of course, 'proskuneo' can also mean 'to prostrate before God', 'to submit or surrender to God'. You see, not necessarily with music and songs. You can worship of course with music and songs, but worship before the Lord is more than just music and songs, as you see from the definitions above.

With the right understanding of who you actually are (you are first and foremost a spirit being), now let's see what the Scriptures say about 'making plans in the Spirit'. Remember our topic here is 'How to make plans in the Spirit?' Because in order for you to make plans in the Spirit, you've got to know who you are first. You are a spirit being, and therefore whatever you do, you do it with your spirit. You serve God with your spirit, you worship God with your spirit, and now, like Paul, you can make plans in the Spirit. Look at this verse here in Acts 19:21: 'When these things were accomplished (in the context here, the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed in Ephesus), Paul purposed in the Spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."' You see, Paul was purposing in his spirit, making plans in his spirit, to go to Jerusalem, and after that, he wanted to go and see Rome. The word 'purpose' here is 'tithemi' in Greek. It can mean 'conceive, set forth, present, commit'. So Paul was conceiving in the Spirit his plan to go to Jerusalem and Rome. He was setting it forth before the Lord. He presented it before the Lord. He committed it before the Lord. Therefore, to make plans in the Spirit, or to purpose in the Spirit, is to present an idea or a thought before the Lord. You see, even in making plans, Paul was doing it in the Spirit first! 

So we are not talking about making mere man's plans. It's easy to make man's plans by just using your mind to plan for your life. But I tell you a better way, a way that will always lead you to your victory and to fulfill your God-given destiny. It's planning the way the Bible teaches us to plan, i.e. planning according to His will, His plans and His purposes in our lives.

Acts 17:27-28 says, '...so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us; For in Him we live and move and have our being...' See the word 'move' here? Not just in Him we live, not just in Him we have our being, but in Him we move! It means your moving here and there! You know what this means? Your direction in life!

Through the many years of me walking in the Spirit, and teaching people in serving with the spirit and moving in the Spirit, I've learned not to go ahead with any major decisions in life unless and until I have sought the Lord and get confirmation (or 'green light') from Him first. Now that's super important. Because a lot of people are just like 'punching in the air'. They never aim first. They shoot everywhere, but never aim. But when you receive a thought or an idea, present it before the Lord first, and then pray and seek the Lord. Even if the Lord leads you to fast (fast and pray), go ahead. Pray in the spirit. Read the Word of God. And wait on the Lord. Learn to be patient before the Lord. And the Lord will give you the confirmation, even more confirmation. And if it's not from the Lord, the Lord will give you 'counter-confirmation', saying no to it. But if it's from the Lord, the Lord will surely give you 2 or 3 more confirmations. So, pray, fast, seek the Lord, be patient, read the Word of God. Never mind if people call you 'slow poke', because they are so impatient, but you be like the eagle, do it right first time in catching the prey. You know, sometimes even 30 days, 60 days, or even many more months, God may still be silent regarding a certain matter that you present to Him. This is especially so if it is a major decision, like a new direction in your ministry, a new direction in business, moving from one location to another location, bigger kind of investment (e.g. buying properties), deciding your career path, etc. Ya, sometimes God can be silent for many days, even months. Just be patient. Don't give up praying. Don't give up waiting on the Lord. Keep seeking, keep praying in the spirit, till there is clear confirmation or answer (whether through dreams, through thoughts that are not premeditated, etc). And when you receive the confirmation, act accordingly, and there will be results! 

If you look at Acts 16:6-10, you would know that apostle Paul has been seeking the Lord regarding direction in his ministry (for him and his team), 'Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.' 

So you have this example in the Scripture, especially of apostle Paul. He never went ahead in his life and ministry before seeking the Lord first, and when he has received confirmation, only then would he go ahead. So, go directly to God is the best! That's what apostle Paul did. If other people say anything or give opinion (suggestion) what you should be doing, what you should not be doing, what they think is best for you, or what is the best decision that you should make, if other people, other than God, give you all kinds of opinions, you need to check with your spirit first. You need to check your inner witness, your inward witness. You need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you first, a sense of whether there is peace or no peace. Ahhh... (if there's peace). Ugh Ugh Ugh... (if there's no peace). Check with your spirit first. You know why? Because many times I have heard people complaining this way: "I was taking this so and so's advice, but it turned out to be a bad decision." And you know what, some of these advices may even be so-called 'prophecies'. Of course no denying prophecies from the Lord (that's not premeditated by man), when man speaks as God speaks, can lead to great breakthroughs or into the right direction. Never despise prophecies from the Lord. But what I mean here is even prophecies need to be tested. KIV (keep in view) first, when you hear someone prophesy about you. Wait on the Lord further to sense peace or no peace. Does your spirit respond with 'a leap of joy'? Or repulsiveness? Or simply neutral? Wait on the Lord and seek the Lord, to see if there is confirmation or counter-confirmation (it means God refuting or rebuking that 'prophecy'). May the Lord sensitize your spirit-man. You know why I say this? Because some 'prophecies' may just be merely that 'prophesier' imposing his will or his idea on you. Or that person merely saying it from his mind, perception, or opinion regarding your situation. But it may not be from the Lord. In other words, to put words in God's mouth by saying, "I heard God says this...", "I heard God says that..." 

Now, be extra careful. Every prophecy needs to be tested. You can see that in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, 'Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things, hold fast what is good.' You see, test all things, including prophecies. 

Back to the Macedonian call to Paul and his team, and how God did not permit them to go certain direction. The fact here is there can be times the Lord does not permit us to go to a certain direction, or move to a certain direction. You know why? Because He sees further than us, and knows better than us, even if at times we ask, "Why not?" Or even if at times we just cannot understand why cannot? Why God does not permit it? But you know what, God is God. God sees the end from the beginning. So, your part is just flow with Him, flow with His direction, even His timing. Speaking about patience here. And as you flow with Him, His direction and His timing, you are going to see your destiny being fulfilled on earth. You know why? Because God always has your best interest in His mind, and He has the best plan for us. 

So, if you are in the midst of seeking the Lord to make a major decision in your life, be it in ministry, your career, your family's direction, your business, or whatever it may be, remember all that have been taught today. As you present before the Lord, learn to wait on Him. Be patient. The Lord will surely speak. And if you are not sure, you KIV (keep in view). Put yourself in 'neutral gear' before the Lord. Present it before the Lord further. That's how you make plans before the Lord. And let God speak to you in different ways that He wants to speak to you. And when you have confirmation, you go ahead, and you are going to see your results for sure! 

Let's pray: "O Lord God, we ask that You sensitize our spirit-man so that we'll be like that antenna, spiritual antenna, that will receive Your reception, spiritual reception. We want to flow with You, Your plans in our lives, Your direction in our lives, even Your timing in our lives. Be it in ministry, in personal life, in family plans, or in career or business plans. Teach us to be patient to wait on You. We thank You because You are teaching us to discern and to differentiate what is Your plan and what is mere man's plan, what is God's idea and what is mere man's idea. We want to walk in Your idea for us. We want to walk in Your plan and purposes for us. In the name of Jesus. Amen."

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel