Feeling overwhelmed? Resort in the Lord!

The Lord says: 

"For you who have been overwhelmed, stressed, burdened, worried or anxious in your life, or you are facing a situation that you don't see any hope, look to Me and lean on Me. Like John who rested on My bosom, and like the man at the pool of Bethesda who trusted and believed in Me, I will carry your burden, and I will bring you through. There is no burden or situation in your life that I cannot carry. Cast all these care to Me, for I am the Lord who cares for you." 

We all know that we are living in a very uncertain time. But there's a good news for you. The Lord is saying that He notices you, He cares for you, and He is here to carry all your burdens, whatever your burdens may be at the moment. 

In reference to what the Lord has spoken just now, let's go to John 13:23 first. This verse says, 'Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.' And of course we know that he is John. You see the word 'leaning' here? Leaning on Jesus' bosom! The same it is for you right now. The Lord wants you to just rest in Him, lean on Him, and look to Him. Different people different. Your situation may be different from another person's situation. But the Lord knows it. The Lord notices it. And the Lord will bring you through. I declare that everything's going to be alright for you. Amen! 

The word 'leaning' here is 'anakeimai' in Greek. This word can mean any of these: 'to rest on, to lie on, to eat together with, to have deep fellowship with.' In other words, the Lord is calling you to just rest in Him, lie on Him, lean on Him, come to a deeper communion with Him and in intimacy with His Spirit. And that's how even in the midst of the 'storm' around you, you can still have peace and calmness in your life. 

John 5:2-4 says, 'Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.' 

As you can see here, 'Bethesda' is the name of a pool near the Sheep Gate at Jerusalem. And Bethesda is where its waters was believed those days to have healing and curative power to heal every kind of sickness. The sick, blind, lame, paralyzed, and people with all kinds of troubles and diseases would converge there to wait for their turn to be healed. 'Bethesda' in Hebrew can mean 'house of mercy, house of kindness, house with flowing water'; where people received the mercy of God, the kindness of God, and the healing water of God. 

But you know what? The problem is this: There's a long queue, and many people were waiting for that queue, waiting for their turn to receive their healing at the stirring of the water!

John 5:5-6 says, 'Now a certain man was there, and this man was there who had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to this man, "Do you want to be made well?"' 

Beloved, whatever situation you may be facing at the moment, the Lord is asking you the same. He loves you. He wants to heal you. He wants to restore you. It doesn't necessarily have to be a health condition like this man at Bethesda. It can be a soul problem. It can be a spiritual problem. It can be any problem you are facing in life at the moment. Whatever it may be, the Lord wants to visit you and meet with you. 

John 5:7-9 says, 'The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.'

Do you see the scenario here at that time? Everybody wanted to be the next person to receive the healing touch of God, but there's just no opportunity for this sick man. But you know what? Jesus came along. Jesus saw him. Jesus noticed him. Jesus healed him.

Maybe you too are in a situation where no one notices you, no one cares for you, and no one takes a second look at you. But the Lord is saying to you right now He is here for you. You see, in this world where everybody is after their own things; it is a rat race, it is a dog-eat-dog world, it is a world that can be cruel; and you feel that you have been forgotten, you feel that no one notices you; I have a good news for you. God is here. God notices you. You are not just one among many in the crowd, like what happened to that man in Bethesda. When no one else notices you, Jesus notices you! 

You know what? There's nothing in this life that cannot be solved when you are in Him, and when you learn to rest in Him, lean on Him, and look to Him. I believe this is the time He is going to minister to you directly. Yes, even if you are among a crowd of people, He notices you. And He is here to minister to you directly in your specific and unique situation. 

You see, one beautiful thing about the Lord your God is He has never forgotten you, and He has never stopped working in your life - whether you see it with your physical eyes or not - whether He is working literally or working behind the scene in your life. 

So, like the man at Bethesda, receive His touch right now. Receive His love. Receive His healing. Receive all that He wants you to receive right now. 

I sense that in this time and season, the Lord is opening the window of heaven and releases the rain from heaven, releases the rain of the Holy Spirit right into your life. This rain will bring blessing from heaven right into your life. Receive this heavenly rain. Receive on behalf of your household as well. Receive and be blessed. Amen! 

Now I want to point you to Psalm 71:1-3 that says, 'In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually. You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.' 

Do you notice there's this word 'resort' in the Scripture? And here you find it in Psalm 71, New King James Version. The word 'resort' here is 'bow' in Hebrew, and this word can mean 'to enter in, to run towards, to fall on (Him), to abide in, to confide in, to entrust something to someone for safe keeping'. 

For the record, this psalm was written by David in a time of uncertainty and trouble. Notice that David was writing, 'O Lord, I can resort in You continually...' And David means 'Beloved'. And you too, as a beloved of God, you can enter into His presence continually, you can run towards Him continually, you can fall on Him and lean on Him continually, you can abide in Him continually, you can confide in Him continually, and you can entrust your situation to Him for safe keeping continually. 

Isn't this good news in a time of uncertainty and trouble around us? 

You see, many people in this world seem to not know what to expect in life, or what to expect for their future. They are worried. They are anxious. They are feeling hopeless. They are feeling troubled. But you need not be one of them. You can still have peace and calmness. You can still rest in the Lord, even in the midst of all these uncertainties and trouble, even in a great storm on this earth, whatever the storm may be (e.g. economic storm, political storm, etc). It's like being in the eye of the storm, at the center of a storm, yet you are not affected by the storm. Now, this is what happens when you lean on Him, when you rest on His bosom, and when you rest in His presence.

So, do you see that? All these verses that I've shared with you today, it all ties up. And at the end of the day, you know that the Lord has this message for you, that He wants to meet with you, and He wants to encounter with you. Why? Because He loves you. He wants to heal you. He wants to rescue you. He wants to make a way for you. Amen! 

Let us pray: "O Lord God, we look to You. We lean on You. And we rest in You. Like John who rested on Your bosom, or like the man at the pool of Bethesda who trusted and believed in You. Whatever situation we may be facing at the moment, we can cast all these care to You, for You are the Lord who cares for us. Indeed there is no burden or situation in our lives that You cannot carry. You will see to it that You will carry our burdens, You will bring us through, You will know how to create a better future for each of us. We are grateful to You. We thank You for all that You have done in our lives. And we thank You in advance for all that You are going to do in our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen."

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Words for now: In your weakness, He is your strength!

The Lord says: "There may be people who make life difficult for you at the moment, and those who oppose you or cause problem to you at the moment, but look to Me, for I will know how to turn it around for you. I will know how to turn it around for your good and for your victory. I will strengthen you, and My grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness, I will be your strength. Take heart." 

Beloved of God, if you have been going through a certain challenge in life, or going through some problems in life, or some people are opposing you or causing problems to you, take heart. The Lord says He is here for you, as long as you do what He tells you to do and keep your focus on what He has spoken for you to do. He will know how to turn things around for you. His grace is more than enough for you. 

For today, we are going to look at the life of King Hezekiah. 

2 Kings 18:13 says, 'And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.'

Here, you see that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against Judah and the people of God. This name 'Sennacherib' comes from the original word 'Senkerib'. The original meaning of 'Senkerib' is 'sin being multiplied'. So, this can speak of the spirit of darkness or the work of darkness that comes against you, that tries to persecute you and cause problem to you, as you walk with God on this earth. 

2 Kings 18:28-30 says, 'Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, "The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."''

By the way, 'Rabshakeh' was a title in the Assyrian kingdom those days, and Bible scholars believe he was the chief of staff or a governor who served the king of Assyria. Here, this Rabshakeh was challenging the people of God, "Don't let Hezekiah deceive you, or make you trust in the Lord!" In short, "Don't trust Hezekiah!"

Beloved of God, if you are in the same situation when someone tries to sow seeds of distrust against you or sow seeds of discord against you, just look to the Lord and trust in the Lord. He will know how to take over.

Fast forward to 2 Kings 19:1-3, 'And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth... Then Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth."' 

Maybe you too are in a situation when you have no more strength to carry on. Remember what the Lord has spoken just now? In your weakness, He is your strength! And I'm going to tell you something very interesting here, what the name 'Hezekiah' means: 'Khizkee Yah' in Hebrew. It means 'Yah strengthens' or 'Yah is my strength'. 

So, in a time of weakness, or in a time when you feel you have no more strength to carry on, the Lord wants you to receive this strength from Him. Remember: 'Khizkee Yah'. Yah strengthens you. Yah is your strength. Yah is the name of the Lord your God. His grace is more than enough for you. His grace is sufficient for you. He will know how to give you the strength. And He will know how to add upon you the strength that you need!

2 Kings 19:5-7 says, 'So the servants of King Hezekiah came to prophet Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the Lord: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."''

Notice here: "...return to his own land." You know what that means? It means God's going to turn things around and push all those works of darkness back. In other words, God has started to take over!

It is the same for you, beloved! God has started! God has begun! God has started to turn things around for you! You've got to believe this! Remember, He is a God who is not dead. He is a God who is very much alive in your situation, whatever you may be facing at the moment. 

Let's continue with 2 Kings 19:21-22. Just now, the Lord spoke to Hezekiah. But now, the Lord spoke about Sennacherib. Here, the Lord said: 'The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head behind your back! Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel...'

2 Kings 19:32-34 then says, 'Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: "He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor build a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city. For I will defend the city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."' 

Beloved of God, I want to declare upon you the same, that the Lord is going to defend you, and the Lord will know how to fight for you. You don't have to fight for yourself or by yourself. The Lord will fight for you. Because the battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord's. Amen! 

Now look what's written in 2 Kings 19:35-36, 'And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out and killed in the camp of the Assyrians, the enemy, 185,000! And when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses - all dead. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.' 

You see again here? God took over and turned things around. Of course under the New Covenant, we are not fighting flesh and blood. We are fighting against the principalities and the power of darkness. We are fighting against the rulers of the darkness of this age. We are fighting against spiritual hosts of wickedness. You can see that in Ephesians chapter 6.

And finally, in 2 Kings 19:37, 'Now it came to pass, as Sennacherib was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his God, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword...' 

It means his own children killed him! And the so-called great and mighty Sennacherib was finally defeated! And he wasn't even defeated in a battle. But he was defeated by the people of his own clan. 

The power of darkness better not play a fool with the Lord God. See what happened to those who boasted against the Lord and the people who put their trust in the Lord?

Therefore, beloved of God, as much as the enemy had wanted to crush you, I tell you what, the good news is this: God will not allow it! God will turn it around for you and get back to the enemy! 

So, take heart, if you are just being faithful doing what God tells you to do in each time and season of your life. Whatever people want to say, let them say. But you stay focused on what God tells you to do. And God will take care of the rest. 

I want to declare upon you that 'No weapon that comes against you shall prosper, and every word of judgment that rises against you, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. Your righteousness comes from the Lord.' That's in Isaiah 54:17. Amen! 

Let's pray: "O Lord God, we thank You that as much as the enemy wanted to crush Your people, You will not allow it. You will know how to turn things around, and You will know how to get back to the enemy. We do not have to fight this battle. The battle is Yours. So, we can take heart in this truth, that You will know how to take care of the rest, as we stay focused on what You have spoken for us to be and to do. You will know how to strengthen us. In our weakness, You will be our strength. Your grace is sufficient for us. As you have done for Hezekiah; You are the same yesterday, today and forever; You can do the same for our lives too. In the name of Jesus. Amen." 

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How to receive and keep the joy of the Lord?

The joy of the Lord is your strength! 

When I say this joy of the Lord, it is the joy that comes directly from heaven. Unspeakable joy! It is not something that humans can conjure up in this world, or no matter how many hours people spend in the entertainment outlets, singing their blues away, and trying to find joy and happiness in this world. No, I'm not teaching you about the worldly way. But I'm teaching you about the joy that comes directly from heaven, that you can receive and walk in it. Hallelujah! 

Nehemiah 8:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; Do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"' 

Why is it so important to have this joy of the Lord? Because without this joy of the Lord, one will not have the strength to carry on in life. But when you have this joy of the Lord, you will also have the strength and vigor to carry on in life and to fulfill all that God has purposed for you to be (and to do). And that's what it means by 'the joy of the Lord is your strength'! 

The word 'joy' here is 'khedvaw' in Hebrew. It comes from this word 'khawdaw', meaning 'to rejoice, to make glad, to be glad', and this is interesting, 'to be joined (in this context, to be joined with the Lord)'. 

I don't have to elaborate on the words 'rejoice', 'make glad', or 'be glad'; but I want to pinpoint today on 'be joined with the Lord'. That's 'khawdaw'! When your spirit and soul are joined with the Lord, you will be filled with unspeakable joy. And this joy stays with you and dwells in you.

You see, He is the Lord who is the Source of true joy. You can receive this joy from heaven when you align with Him, when you do what He says, and be who He wants you to be in each time and season of your life. You know what? This joy money cannot buy. And this joy cannot be conjured up by any human being in this world. This joy comes from the Lord. And that's why it's so important for you to be joined with the Lord. Because as I've written just now, without this joy, it's not easy to have the strength to carry on in this life, especially in this world when everything is being shaken and is in turbulence. 

Some people may say they can find joy and happiness the worldly way, in all kinds of places, at the entertainment outlets, trying to make friends, and singing their hearts out all night long. All these will not last. But the Lord is telling you what will last. It's by receiving and enjoining ourselves with Him in our spirit and our soul. It is from the inside out. Not from the outside in. It will then emanate from your spirit and soul, and flow out to others. People around you can sense and feel this joy that you have! 

One way to keep this joy is not always be self-seeking, but to look out for others, and to share good things with others. Not just good food and good things, but how about spiritual food? Yes, that's the Word of God! So, whenever you have the opportunity, be a blessing to others, encourage others, pray for others, minister to others, and share the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Yes, it doesn't have to be done formally. It can be done anytime, anywhere, wherever you are. So, do something to surprise others. Do something to bring joy to others. Those who bring joy to others will themselves receive the joy. So, listen to the Holy Spirit what are the things that you can do, and how to do it? How can you be a blessing to others? How can the river of the Holy Spirit in you flow out through you? You see, there's something wonderful about letting the river of the Holy Spirit flow, not just only in you, but also through you to others.

Back to the book of Nehemiah now. In Nehemiah's time, the people of the Lord were told they should be rejoicing. You can read through the whole book of Nehemiah. They have overcome the opposition, i.e. from Sanballat, Tobiah, etc. They have overcome with the help of the Lord. Therefore, they have every reason to rejoice! So it is the same with you! Because Jesus who is in you is greater than he that is in this world! You have overcome, because Jesus in you have overcome! Therefore you have every reason to rejoice as well! 

Another reason for the people in Nehemiah's time to rejoice was because the Lord has shown to them that He has been with them, He is still with them, and He will still be with them. This assurance that the Lord is with them is one reason for them to rejoice. So it is the same with you! In Christ, you know that the Lord is with you, and the Lord will not leave you nor forsake you. So, even for this one reason, you can rejoice too! 

Beloved of God, you don't have to wait till you are in heaven to have this joy of the Lord. Heaven on earth! His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! One aspect of His kingdom is this joy that comes from heaven. You can walk in this joy while you are on earth. So, go ahead and celebrate today, rejoice and be glad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Hallelujah! 

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Prophetic dream: A murky river turned into a clean river!

I received a dream from the Lord the other day. 

In the dream, I saw a very murky, filthy and polluted river flowing into the sea. It was full of rubbish and no life seemed to survive in that river. And then I saw huge waves, wave after wave, from the sea approaching and overwhelming the river. The sea water looked so clean and crystal clear like I've never seen before on earth. Instead of the river flowing into the sea, it was the other way round. The crystal clear sea water overturned the river water and turned the river clean and pure again. 

How this works in the physical realm, or is there any scientific explanation to it, I don't know. I'm not a scientist or geologist. But it's definitely something supernatural that I saw, and that's for sure. 

I then asked the Lord what this dream means, and this is what the Lord said: 

"This is the time and season I have begun to rebuild, repair, heal and restore My people and My church back to My original vision and purpose for them. Like the river that I have shown, what has become impure will be turned pure again, and what has become unclean will be turned clean again. Nothing that the enemy does in this world or the Babylonian systems of this world will be able to withstand My works, as I prepare My people, pure, holy and unblemished, for what is to come, and for My coming glory." 

Indeed, the Lord has begun preparing His people, His church, like the Bride being prepared - holy, unblemished, pure - for the coming of the Bridegroom. 

And I want to share with you the explanation and interpretation to this dream with this life called Josiah, a truly outstanding king among all the kings of Judah those days. 

Josiah's heart was tender before the Lord (see 2 Kings chapters 22 and 23). His heart was tender to the Word of God and to the Spirit of God. This is the quality the Lord is looking for in His people in this end-time as well. 

The great reformation during Josiah's days was actually an example of simply returning to the Word of God, and doing whatever the Lord says.

This is also the time and season the Lord is calling us to return to the Word of God and to return to His ways, instead of bowing down to any man-made ways, or the Babylonian systems. 

By the way, 'Babylonian systems' simply means systems that are man-made (instead of coming from God), and it has its origins from the word 'Babel' and 'Tower of Babel', which speaks of humans trying to build something for themselves, or trying to build their own 'empires', even though the Lord never says so, or never asks them to do so. 

Back to Josiah now. 

What makes Josiah so outstanding among all the kings of Judah and Israel? You see, there are other good kings too, for example, David and Hezekiah. But what makes Josiah so outstanding, so much so the Scripture says 'there was no king like him, nor after him did any arise like him'? (2 Kings 23:25)

I believe Josiah was outstanding among the many kings of Judah those days, not just because of his obedience and tender heart towards God (even though these are real reasons), but what made him outstanding was due to the fact that Josiah at that time was living in a terribly wicked and evil time. He lived in a terribly wicked and evil era when even the priests were corrupted, and there was widespread idolatry being practiced all around. In fact, there were even idols in the temple of the Lord itself! (2 Kings 23:4-5)

So, Josiah's godliness stood out like a bright light in the midst of the surrounding darkness all around him in his era. That made Josiah so outstanding. He was not afraid to be different. He was not afraid to make a change. He was not afraid to restore what God has originally planned for His people. And he did not bow down to the status quo during his days. That made him an outstanding king. 

How is this life and example of Josiah relevant to our time?

This is a time for reflection. This is a time to return to His ways. What are the things (or practices) in our lives that we should do away with and clear away? In this time and season, let the Holy Spirit fill us. Let the Holy Spirit enlighten us. Let the Holy Spirit show us what are the areas in our lives, and in our church as a whole, that we should just do away with, and clear away, and return to His original vision and purpose that the Lord has for us and for His church.

God loves us. God loves His church. God loves His people. This is not a message of condemnation. This is a message of restoration. God loves us, and therefore He wants the best for us. He wants to restore. He wants to heal. He wants to repair. He wants to rebuild. And He wants His perfect will be done in His people and in His church. Amen.

Prayer: "O Lord God, as Your people, we are like the river that You have shown, and we therefore humbly surrender our lives before You, as You begin the process of rebuilding, repairing, healing and restoring us. Like the river that You have shown, what has become impure will become pure again, and what has become unclean will become clean again. You love us and You have never forgotten us, and we know that nothing the enemy does in this world will be able to stop the work that You have begun, as You prepare us - pure, holy and unblemished - for what is to come and for Your coming glory. All this we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen."

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