Break free from your past!

I had a dream the other day. In the dream, I saw someone I know who is God's beloved, and he is being constantly "haunted" by a certain idol of his past. The idol would just appear wherever he went, even though he had wanted to move on and forget those past. So, in the dream, I saw him struggling. He was struggling to ward off the idol. But the dream ended well. Eventually, with the help of other godly people, they all caught hold of the idol and broke it into pieces. That beloved of God was then set free. There's a breaking free. There's a new found joy for him. There's a fresh new start for him. 

The Lord then spoke: 

"Whatever from the past that has been 'haunting' you, there's now a breaking free! This is the time for breaking free! Because I want you to embrace the new. The new and exciting things ahead of you. Receive the anointing to break free from the past that holds you back and ties you up. Receive the anointing to break free from whatever curse that has bound you all these while. This is the time to receive such anointing. No more shall you be bound. There's a release right now. Receive also the joy that comes from heaven!" 

What is the meaning of 'to break free'? This can mean 'to escape from someone's hold'. In this case, someone you want to 'escape' from. This can mean 'to escape from the control of a person, group, or practice.' So, 'to break free' is 'to escape or to be released from such control.' 'To break free' can also mean 'to escape from whatever that bounds or imprisons you.' 

For you, beloved, it may not be like that person in the dream. It may not be a certain idol. It may be a certain person in the past. Of course, that person may not even know it. But in your memory, that person has been 'haunting' you. Or it may be an incident in the past that keeps 'haunting' you. Whatever it may be, there's one thing in common that you have with that person in the dream. What is that? You just want to move on. You don't want to be bound and tied up anymore by those memories of the past. Now, it may even be someone you fell in love with in the past or in your younger days, but things didn't work out. And you want to move on from there. 

So, different people different. Different people has different experience in life. Each of us has our own story in life. Today is the day of breaking free from those unpleasant memories. Receive the anointing by faith. I want to declare upon you, by faith, that you can now look ahead to the many new things, good things, ahead of you! Also, receive a new found joy and even new purpose in your life! The power of God is at hand right now to set you free, to cause you to break free, from whatever that has bound you! 

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.' 

Here, the prophet Isaiah spoke about Jesus, the Messiah. This has been fulfilled when Jesus came on earth. When He was in the synagogue in His hometown in Nazareth, He opened the scroll and read it, and said this has been fulfilled. That's in Luke chapter 4. 

So, this anointing has come. And in Christ Jesus, you can receive too. Yes, the anointing to set you free! The anointing for you to break free from whatever that ties you up! 

The word 'anoint' here is 'mashach' in Hebrew. It literally means 'to rub or sprinkle on with oil'. It can also mean 'to consecrate (or set apart) for the good works, for what's ahead of you'. 

For example, the priests in the Old Testament were anointed with oil before they began to serve the Lord. The oil that was rubbed on the head of those priests were an outward representation of the real spiritual work that's going on inside of them. That's for the priests in the Old Testament. But for you in the New Covenant, it works the same. It is a sign of the Holy Spirit upon your life, that the power of God is at hand to set you free and to empower you for what's ahead of you! 

If you look at Isaiah 61:1-2 just now, you'd see the word 'liberty'. The word 'liberty' here is 'deror' in Hebrew. It can mean 'to be free (from what bounds you), to move on (from the past), to clear away (from the past), to have a fresh new start'. 

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV) says, 'To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.' 

You see here? Exchanging ashes with beauty. Exchanging mourning with joy of the Lord. Exchanging spirit of heaviness with praise. Instead of ashes, you have beauty. Instead of mourning, you have the joy of the Lord. Yes, your mourning turned into dancing. Dance of joy! And instead of spirit of heaviness, whatever that burdens you, you begin to praise the Lord! Praising the Lord with the liberty in your spirit and soul! And the Lord is right now releasing the oil of joy from heaven upon you! 

Those days, when people were in mourning, ashes would be put on the head. But now, the joy of the Lord is upon you! The oil of the Lord is put on your head instead! 

Now, why 'ashes'? When something gets burned and turned into ashes, it cannot be physically restored anymore. It's hopeless. It's gone. It cannot be turned back to the original shape before it's being burned. But you know what? Here, the Lord is doing a miracle. The ashes turned into something of a beauty again! That's what He is doing in your life right now. Receive this by faith! 

Isaiah 61:4 (NKJV) says, 'And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolation of many generations.' 

Even though this chapter is specifically referring to Israel, but this applies to you too who is God's beloved. You can receive all these promises in Isaiah 61 as well. 

God loves you, and He wants to restore and rebuild whatever in your life that has been ruined and broken down. So, this is your time for restoration and repair. No matter how deep the hurts may be, nothing is impossible for the Lord to repair and restore. Yes, repairing and restoring your life. 

So right now, beloved, surrender your situation to the Lord. Surrender all those past that have been pulling you back and holding you back. Maybe you feel that you have been tied up. Maybe you feel that you cannot move ahead to embrace the new that the Lord has for you. The Lord is saying to you right now that there's hope for you. Today, you can be set free. Today, the anointing has been rubbed on you. You can break free to embrace the new that the Lord has for you! Hallelujah!

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Don't buy the lies of the devil!

Words from the Lord: 

"Just as in the natural realm, the biological father is connected (or tied) to the biological son by blood, your Heavenly Father is connected (or tied) to you His son or daughter by the Holy Spirit." 

The Lord has been speaking this statement during the week.

So today, we are going to talk about the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit in you bears witness that you are a son or daughter of your Abba Father. We are going to talk about your sonship and your relationship with your Abba Father. 

The Lord also wants you to go deeper in your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Your relationship with Him is what matters the most. Not any position on earth. Not any material thing on earth. These are not as important as your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Why? Because when you have Him, you have everything. Yes, everything you ever need in this life! He is your lifeline and your only real hope, especially in this perilous time. 

Many believers or even ministers of God have this fear that God will give up on them, abandon them, or 'disown' them whenever they've made a mistake or didn't fulfill what God had told them to do. 

But today, the Lord is giving you this assurance that He is a Good Father. He doesn't get disappointed with you that easily (the way humans in this world do), simply because He already knew your weaknesses and inadequacies even before you knew Him or you knew His calling for your life. 

The enemy will try to make your relationship sour with the Lord. The enemy will try to throw accusations about Him, and throw condemnation at you. But be rest assured that your Heavenly Father, your Abba Father, will always have your best interests in His mind.

Let's go to the Scripture to back up what we are saying today. 

Romans 8:14 (NKJV) says, 'For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.'

Romans 8:15-16 (NKJV) says, 'For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.' 

Ephesians 1:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.' 

The expression 'adoption as sons' here in Greek is 'uihothesia'. This is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted heir. 

Galatians 4:6-7 (NKJV) says, 'And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.' 

The word 'heir' here is 'kleronomos' in Greek. It simply means 'a sharer of an inheritance' or 'inheritor'. In other words, you can have a rightful share in all of His inheritance. Why? Because you are a son or daughter of your Abba Father in heaven. 

1 John 3:1 (NLT) says, 'See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know Him.' 

This love of your Abba Father for you never fails. When everything else in this world fails, this love never fails. So, beloved, whatever you may be facing at the moment, or you feel as if God has given up on you or abandoned you, the Lord is saying to you right now that He loves you. He is your Abba Father, your Daddy in heaven who loves you. Let Him embrace you right now. Let Him assure you right now.

Reject every form of accusation or condemnation against you. Don't buy the lies of the devil. Don't buy the lies of those who do not know who God is. 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NKJV) says, 'Now He who established us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) in our hearts as a guarantee.' 

See the word 'guarantee' here? A guarantee! What is a guarantee? A formal assurance that a promise is fulfilled and kept!

What is 'sealed' then? It means putting His very own signature, His name, on you! That you are His! That you belong to Him! That you are His son or daughter! And He is your Abba Father who loves you! 

Let's look at another version now. The Contemporary English Version. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (CEV) says, 'And so God makes it possible for you and us to stand firmly together with Christ. God is also the One who chose us and put His Spirit in our hearts (in our spirit) to show that we belong only to Him.' 

I like this version. To show that we belong only to Him! And this, beloved, is the work of the Holy Spirit who works in you, and who bears witness inside of you. Bears witness of what? That you belong to Him, and you are His son or daughter! That He is your good Daddy in heaven! 

With all these promises in the Scripture, there is no reason for you to be afraid of anything, knowing that if God is with you and you are His beloved child, who and what can come against you? 

Know and remember always, that no matter what you may be facing at the moment, your good Daddy in heaven is here for you and with you. And the Holy Spirit is here living in you and bearing witness in you, that you are so deeply loved, and you are God's very own child!

Let us pray:

"O Lord God, we thank You for Your assurance in the Scripture today. We look to You, because You are our Abba Father and we are Your sons and daughters. Because of the Holy Spirit living in us, we have this assurance that we are deeply loved by You. We have this assurance that we are not alone and we will never be abandoned by You. We can also be assured that You will always know how to lead us and guide us in every season of our lives. This is the assurance of our Abba Father for us today. In this, we are grateful. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

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This will liberate you!

The Lord says: 

"When many others choose to harbor unforgiveness, you choose to forgive and let go. There is power in forgiving and letting go. When you choose to forgive and let go, I will know how to take over and stand up for you. Receive therefore the grace to forgive. Release those who have spoken ill against you or done harm against you. I will come to your rescue and I will come to your defence." 

Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV) says, 'Then Peter came to Him (Jesus) and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."'

Before I explain these verses, let's look at the definition of the word 'forgive'. The word 'forgive' here is 'aphiemi' in Greek. It can mean 'to lay aside, to leave it, to let go (a matter or a person)'. 

'To forgive' can also be defined as 'to stop feeling resentment or angry towards someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake.' 

But what does it mean by 'up to seven times' and 'up to seventy times seven'? What is the difference?

When you look at the meaning of '7' and '70' in Hebrew numeric, you will see something. 

'7' in Hebrew numeric can mean 'perfect, perfection, in a perfect way, complete in every way'. Therefore, to forgive 'up to seven times' means 'to forgive perfectly'. 

But you may say, "I find it very difficult to forgive perfectly!" 

That leads us to the number '70'. What is the number '70' in Hebrew numeric? It speaks of God's Spirit! Therefore, to forgive 'up to seventy times seven' means 'to forgive perfectly with the help of the Holy Spirit'. 

In other words, by yourself, you may find it hard to forgive, and sometimes even impossible to forgive. But with the help of God's Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, it is possible and it is so much easier. So, that is the difference between 'seven times' and 'seventy times seven'. 

'Seven times' can mean 'depending on your own self to forgive', whereas 'seventy times seven' can mean 'depending on the Holy Spirit to work in you to forgive'. 

This is possible, if you are willing to give the Holy Spirit a chance, and if you are willing to give yourself a chance. It is liberating. It is healing. It sets you free. That's why forgiveness is so powerful. 

By the way, do you know on what occasion the word 'forgive' was first mentioned in the Scripture? Speaking of The Law of First Mention. The answer is Genesis 50. And that's about Joseph forgiving his brothers for what they have done against him - throwing him into a pit and selling him off to be a slave in a foreign country. 

Let's look at Genesis 50:15-17. When Joseph's brothers saw their father (Jacob) was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil we did to him." So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespasses of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespasses of the servants of the God of your father."

Let's look further in Genesis 50:19-21. Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. 

You see, Joseph could have exacted revenge on the brothers now that the father's dead. But he had a big heart. He chose to forgive. He chose to forgive his brothers for whatever harm done against him in the past. As a result, God's name is glorified. There's reconciliation and unity again among the sons of Jacob (or the sons of Israel). 

Now, all this happened simply because Joseph chose to forgive. May you choose to forgive as well. And may the Lord grant you the peace to forgive. 

Let's continue with Genesis 50:22-23. So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household. And Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. 

In other words, Joseph lived to see his great-grandchildren. That's the third generation. This is indeed a blessing! The blessing of a long life and the blessing of living to see not just his grandchildren, but his great-grandchildren. Amen!

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Receive the faith to face your future!

The Lord says: 

"This is the time to receive My faith to overcome! Faith to be healed! Faith to be set free! Faith to see your breakthrough! Faith to walk into a greater future! Do not allow fear to creep in. Do not allow regret to hold you back. Do not allow bitterness to hinder you. Take authority and bind all these. Look to Me and receive from Me. For I am releasing My faith upon you." 

Yes, the faith of Jesus! The faith that He has when He walked on earth. Not just your own faith. But His faith is being released upon you right now! The faith to move mountains, so to speak. 'Mountains' here speaks of whatever problem you may be facing on this earth.

People often ask questions like these: 

Will I get the right job? What if I am in the wrong career line? Will I be retrenched from my job? Will I still be needed in my company/organization? Will my marriage work or break? What does the future hold for me? Do I have enough for my retirement? Will I end up sick and lonely? Will I be abandoned by my children? Will I get scammed and cheated when I get older? 

The list goes on.

If left unchecked, all these fears and worries can 'paralyze' you. 

Take authority and bind all these fears and worries about your future! Instead, right now, receive the faith of Jesus! 

In John 6, Jesus saw a huge crowd coming to look for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" Philip replied, "Even if we work for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!" Then Andrew spoke up, "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" 

"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. The men alone numbered about 5,000. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward, He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 

After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. 

You see, Jesus is more than enough for you. To Him, nothing is impossible. He is not just your Provider and Miracle-Worker, but He is the Provider and Miracle-Worker who lives in you! 

In the evening, Jesus' disciples then went down to the shore to wait for Him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough.

They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but He called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" Then they were eager to let Him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination. 

Look here: 'Immediately they arrived at their destination.' That's a miracle! They were in the rough seas at that time. But when Jesus came on the boat, immediately they arrived at their destination! A miracle happened! 

So beloved, if you are going through a rough time, or an uncertain time, or 'choppy waters' at the moment, Jesus is saying the same to you right now: "Don't be afraid. I am here!" 

What's your part? Let Him into your 'boat'! 

If you think you are too late in your life, or you have missed out on a great opportunity in your life, don't rue over those misses, and don't linger on those misses. 

Instead, receive the faith of Jesus to look ahead right now. 

You will still reach your God-given destiny!

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