Time to walk free!

The Lord says: 

"Your chains are broken! Time to walk free now! For My hand has set you free! Free from suppression. Free from oppression. Free from depression. Free to be who I want you to be. Free to walk in My purposes and plans for your life in this time and season." 

Yes indeed, it's time for you to be set free and to walk free! 

Let's look at Peter and how God set him free. 

Acts 12:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church... And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter...' 

Acts 12:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'So when Herod had arrested Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.' 

Acts 12:6-7 (NKJV) says, 'And when Herod was about to bring Peter out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone into the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.' 

The angel then said to Peter, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals". So Peter did. The angel also said to Peter, "Put on your garment and follow me." So Peter went out and followed the angel. 

You see, Peter didn't know what was done by the angel was real. Peter thought he was seeing a vision. Because this seemed surreal to him. It's like a dream. But mind you, it's real. Nothing is impossible to God! 

Beloved of God, God can do the same for you too, whatever your predicament may be at the moment. Just don't limit how God's going to do it.  

Let's get back to Peter now. Acts 12:10 (NKJV) says, 'When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord...' Hallelujah! Somehow the gate flung open! Of course, nothing is too hard for God. And thanks to the constant prayer of the people who prayed for Peter as well.

You see, when a 'door' is shut and locked on you, what do you do? You pray! Pray like the people prayed those days. Because when you pray, even though the door is shut by men, God's heaven's door will be opened! And when heaven's door is open, His light will shine into your situation! 

The words 'constant prayer' in Acts 12:5 is very interesting. The word 'constant' here is 'ektenos' in Greek. It can mean 'without ceasing'. It can also mean 'earnest'. In other words, 'sincere, intense, from the heart'. So, it's not just a 'lip service'. It's not just 'on the surface' kind of prayer. It's not 'just for show' kind of prayer. 

This word 'ektenos' is related to the word 'ektenes'. What is 'ektenes' in Greek? It literally means 'stretching out a muscle to its limits'. It can also be defined as 'stretching out all you can for something'. So, when you pray, you stretch out all you can to the Lord. Amen! 

Let's move on to Acts 12:11. When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod." And you know what? Peter then went to see the people who were praying for him. He met the people there. Of course, all these people were astonished when they saw him. They couldn't believe their eyes. But after Peter told them what happened and how he was set free from the prison, they believed.

Beloved of God, just as for Peter, the Lord knows how to turn things around for you too. So, fear not! Keep walking in obedience to the Lord. Keep living a life of worshiping the Lord. Keep drawing near to the Lord. 

Even though Acts 12 here is talking about Peter's unique situation, this can apply in whatever situation you may be facing at the moment. Your God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still your miracle-working God. He can and He will do a miracle for you too! Yes, even in ways you've never imagined possible. Amen!

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Receive God's power to prevail!

The Lord says: 

"It's time for you to receive My power to overcome! Overcome and triumph over whatever your bondage may be! Overcome and triumph over whatever evil and wickedness thrown at you by the enemy! Overcome and triumph over whatever curse or disease that has been inflicted upon you! Be set free! And start afresh!" 

Judges 3:7-8 (NKJV) says, 'So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and they served the Baals and the Asherahs. Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.' 

Judges 3:9 (NKJV) says, 'When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.'

For every name in the Scripture, there is a meaning. What does 'Cushan-Rishathaim' mean? It is translated as 'double wickedness'. It can also be translated as 'repeating wickedness that comes again and again like a curse'. Now, what does this speak of? It speaks of your bondage in life that seems so hard to be set free from. It speaks of the curse that has been inflicted upon you, or whatever thought of certain bad experiences, hurts, pains, or even guilt of your past that keeps trying to make a comeback to your life. And it comes again and again, attacking and pounding you over and over again, pulling you back to those past. That's what the definition of 'repeating wickedness that comes again and again' means here. 

You see, we all have our "Cushan-Rishathaim". It's like you are trying to forget it and move on, but somehow it still comes back again and again to haunt you. And you feel so helpless, and it's like there's just no way out. 

That's what the people of God experienced at that time as well. They were suffering under the 'double wickedness' of the king, Cushan-Rishathaim. 

Beloved of God, maybe you too are going through a time like this. Your past keeps haunting you, be it those pains, bad experiences, tragedies, guilt, even shame or mistakes in your life, or failures in your life. And the enemy, your "Cushan-Rishathaim" keeps wanting to pull you back to remember those past. 

The name 'Rishathaim' comes from two words: 'Rishah' which means 'wickedness, condemnation, fault'; and 'Ayim' which means 'double, plural, repeat'. See the word 'repeat' here? It means 'repeatedly pounding you again and again, reminding you of those past pains, condemnation, failure, guilt, or whatever bad experiences that you've had'. 

How about the word 'Cushan' here? It comes from the word 'Cush'. Who is 'Cush'? He's the son of Ham. Remember that Ham who uncovered and exposed his father's (Noah's) nakedness? You can see that in Genesis 9:22-23. So, 'Cush' here speaks of 'guilt, curse'. 

Have you been having nightmares or thoughts recently that bring you all the way back to those certain past failures, mistakes, or shame of yours? It's like all of a sudden, all those past bad memories you've wanted to forget suddenly make a comeback to haunt you again. 

You see, the devil, the enemy, always wants to try to pull you back to your past, pointing fingers at you, and reminding you of those bad past of yours. Now, he's good at that. You know what? The Bible says he is the accuser of our brethren, accusing us day and night. That's in Revelation 12:10. 

But look at one verse later in Revelation 12:11. That's the good news. 'And they (God's people) overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...' Who is this Lamb? Jesus! Who is this Word? Jesus! If you have Him, He has overcome for you! By His blood shed for you on the cross! And by His Word, which is like a sword that slays the power of darkness! 

When Jesus' power is at work, the curse is broken! The bondage is broken! The 'spell' over you is broken! By Jesus' blood and by His Word! Amen! And that's where Othniel comes into picture! It is a 'picture' of who Jesus is in your life! 

Judges 3:10 (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel), and he judged Israel. And so he went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.' 

You see, the enemy wants you to relapse into your old cycle of repeated failures and pain again and again. The enemy wants history to repeat itself. I mean, those bad history. Those bad past. That's also what King Cushan-Rishathaim of Mesopotamia did against the people of God those days. In other words, he was bringing their memories back to Mesopotamia. And you know where is Mesopotamia? That's the place God had told Abraham to get out of there those days, and go to the land that God had promised him and his descendants.

But right now, praise the Lord and thanks be to God, because Jesus has overcome and prevailed for you! And you are now set free! See Jesus carrying all your curse and all those past of yours on the cross once and for all. 

I want to declare that your bad history doesn't have to repeat itself! I also want to declare that you are now set free, and you can start afresh today! 

Interestingly, 'Othniel' means 'Force of God, Strength of God, Power of God' in Hebrew. This name comes from two words: 'Othniy' which means 'force, strength, power'; and 'El' which is 'the name of God Almighty'. Othniel! Force of God! Strength of God! Power of God! 

This speaks of Jesus who lives in you! This speaks of Jesus who has overcome for you! This speaks of Jesus who has prevailed over all your "Cushan-Rishathaim". Amen! 

Right now, God's power is being released upon you. Receive by faith. Nothing of the enemy can stand this power of God. Declare that all the curse in your life is broken! And for all those bondages in your life, you are now set free from those! 

Receive God's anointing right now! Receive the anointing for you to also start afresh! Yes, a new strength and a new vigor is coming upon you. Amen! 

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Watch this if you are discouraged or burnt out

The Lord says: 

"I remember and appreciate all the good that you've done for Me. And I remember and appreciate all the good that you've done for others whom I extend My hand to. In the open. In the secret. Wherever you are. Anytime. Anywhere. Even if you've forgotten about it. And I will know how to reward you openly." 

The Lord is pointing us to the story of Elijah today. 

After a great exploit for the Lord at Mount Carmel, and after having defeated and executed the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings 19:1-2 (NLT) says, 'When Ahab (the king) got home, he told Jezebel (his wife) everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them."'

Elijah was afraid and then fled for his life. As he was alone in the wilderness, he prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died." 

At that point of time, Elijah was burnt out and lonely. Not just that. He felt like a failure. In fact, he even felt angry. He felt like nothing has changed. It's back to the same old status quo. The people of God those days, after having seen a great spectacle and miracle from God, seemed to have forgotten the great things done by God. It's back to "business as usual" again. They didn't seem to have a great awakening. The evil king still remained the evil king. The evil queen Jezebel still remained the evil queen. It's like nothing has changed. In fact, the evil queen Jezebel even wanted to kill him! 

And here Elijah was - burnt out, discouraged, disoriented, and even feeling angry - so much so he wanted to die. But look here what happened. As he was sleeping, an angel of the Lord touched him and said, "Get up and eat!" Elijah looked around and saw some bread and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and then slept again. The angel then came again, touched him and said, "Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you." So he got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 

Something interesting happened here. Instead of judging Elijah for his negativity and defeatism, God did the opposite. God showed care and appreciation towards Elijah. The angel sent food and drink to strengthen him. Obviously, God wasn't done with Elijah yet. God still has new things ahead for Elijah. God still has a plan for Elijah. God still has a future for Elijah. 

Right now, beloved of God, maybe you too are in somewhat the same situation as Elijah. You feel like your life's going nowhere. Or you feel so tired and exhausted with life, or in your career, or in the ministry. You feel like no one appreciates you for all the good that you've done. Or you feel like you have failed and wasted your life, and what you've done so far is in vain, yielding not much result. Whatever it may be, take heart. Even if all these happen, and even if no one seems to see the good in you and appreciate you, the Lord sees and the Lord appreciates you.

Today, He wants to give you the grace and the strength to rise again. Yes, even better than before! So, let Him do His part. Let Him do a deep work in you. He is releasing His Spirit upon you right now. He is releasing His refreshing in your spirit right now. Let your spirit be refreshed and be renewed again. 

Back to Elijah now. With the strength that Elijah received from the bread and water, which speaks of the Word of God and the Spirit of God, he reached the mountain of God, where he was about to have a personal encounter with God. 

After the windstorm, the earthquake, and the fire, the Lord began to speak to him in a gentle whisper. The Lord began to speak new things to him. New direction. New instruction. New purpose.

1 Kings 19:15-16 (NLT) says, 'Then the Lord told Elijah, "Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet."' 

There's a new role in a new season for Elijah. What is that role? To anoint and to mentor a new generation of kings and prophet! In other words, the Lord moved him on to become a spiritual father and a mentor now. It's not just a re-direction! It's a promotion! A new level! The next level! 

You see, God remembered and appreciated all that Elijah had done in the earlier season or seasons of his life. And now, at this juncture, a new season and a new stage of life had begun to spring forth! Today, the Lord is speaking the same to you too. 

You may say, "That's Elijah. That's a great man of God. How can I compare with him?" But the Lord is saying this doesn't just apply for those serving in the ministry. This also applies to every aspect of your life as a believer. In your career. In your vocation. In the business. In every area of your life. 

God is interested in every aspect, and even the minute detail of your life. God doesn't just care for your spiritual ministry. God doesn't just care for your calling and mission in life. God cares for you in every other area of your life. Yes, in every way. God is interested in your well being. God is interested in giving you the peace that you need. God is interested in giving you the joy that you need.

Let Him fill you again all in all. Let Him fill you with His love, His peace, and His joy again. Let Him fill you with a renewed hope again.

He wants to be in deep union with you. Just you and Him. Here, the Lord wants to meet you. Here, the Lord is giving you a new direction and a new purpose. And here, the Lord is releasing a new strength and zeal upon you to look ahead in your life, like what happened to Elijah!

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Words from the Lord: "Strength is coming upon you!"

As I was praying and worshiping the Lord, I heard the Lord say, "Strength! Strength! Strength!" 

And then, I heard the Lord say: 

"A fresh release of My strength is coming upon you! Receive by faith right now. Do not lose heart. Do not be discouraged. For I am causing you to see your victory and breakthrough as you look to Me. Take heart therefore. You will be on time. You will not be too late. Do not allow yourself to be undermined by the circumstances or challenges that you are facing right now. For I've made you more than conquerors through Me who loves you!" 

Psalm 28:7-8 (NKJV) says, The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed.' 

The word 'strength' here is 'oze' in Hebrew. It can mean 'power, might, boldness, force, security'. The Lord is the power who works in you. He is the might who works in you. He gives you the boldness that you need to rise above all your circumstances and challenges, and whatever the devil throws at you. He is the force who works in you and through you. And of course, He is your security and safety. Therefore, fear not!

Here in Psalm 28, David looked to the Lord in a time of challenges in his life. If you look at Psalm 28:1, he acknowledged that the Lord is his Rock. What does 'Rock' mean here? It speaks of security and stability. It cannot be shaken. You see, a solid rock is like a strong foundation. It is unshakable. Very interestingly, one fact in the whole of Old Testament is that 'rock' usually is symbolic of who God is, not about any human being! 

Maybe you are in a deep despair right now. Maybe you are in a certain crisis right now. Maybe you are facing a certain illness right now. Or maybe it's a difficult financial situation that you are facing right now. Whatever it may be, the Lord your God is saying to you right now that He is your Rock. And He will still be your Rock, now and forever. So, take heart, and be encouraged. 

Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.'

This is a psalm that speaks of our confidence and trust in the Lord's protection, power, and of course, strength. The expressions 'The earth be removed... the mountains be carried... the waters roar... the mountains shake...' here speak of some of the most devastating and frightening things that can happen on earth. Yet, the psalmist wrote that we are not to fear any of these. Why? Because the Lord your God is greater than all these. Now, what more, whatever situation that you are facing now. He is definitely and infinitely greater than all your problems and challenges combined together! Is there anything too hard for God? Is there anything that God cannot overcome? Nothing! 

Because He is your El Shaddai, the Almighty, The Great I Am, The I Am Who I Am, the Great and Mighty God, the miracle-working God. Amen! And He lives in you! 

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV) says, 'He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' 

The word 'strength' here is 'otsmah' in Hebrew. It means 'power, abundance, numerous (in strength)'. In other words, strength and power, great in number and great in volume! Abundance of God's strength and power! Numerous in strength! And the Scripture says all these are being added upon you! 

What are the areas in your life that you have been weary? What are the areas in your life that you are falling apart? What are the areas in your life that you feel so weak? The Lord wants to release His strength upon you right now! Strength upon strength shall be added upon you! Strength great in number and strength great in volume! That's what 'otsmah' means here.  

Let's go to the New Testament now. Romans 8:35-37 (NKJV) says, 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.' 

Very interestingly, 'more than conquerors' here is 'hupernikao' in Greek. This word is from the word 'huper' meaning 'beyond, more than, exceeding, above', and 'nikao' meaning 'victory, conquer, prevail, subdue, overcome'. 

When you combine these two Greek words, 'huper' and 'nikao', 'hupernikao', it literally means 'more than a victory'. You know what? It is a decisive victory. What is a decisive victory? It is a military term. It is a military victory that effectively ends a war. It is a victory that is definitive and gives outright victory to you. That's what decisive victory is. In other words, it is done, and it is concluded. This victory has been concluded, and there's no way the enemy can rise up against you anymore in that situation! Wow! Now, that's powerful! And that's what Paul wrote here, 'you are made more than conquerors'. 

How do you walk in this realm of 'more than conquerors'? It's when you know how much God loves you and how much God is fighting for you! And that's also when you know you have no more fear, whatsoever, knowing that you have been made a 'hupernikao'. More than conquerors!

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