I had a dream the other night about three persons whom I know, all of whom are God's beloved.
One is a leader, and in the dream, one after another follower or disciple of his seemed to desert him or walk out on him. He was of course downcast and discouraged. The next person I saw in the dream was someone who seemed to have lost direction and purpose in life, not knowing what to do in life anymore. And the third person was someone who seemed to have some kind of marriage problem or relationship problem.
When I woke up from this dream, I prayed for each of them. I know this kind of dream is given so that I will pray. I will pray for the good of these people. So I prayed for God to heal and restore whatever area that needs to be healed or restored in these lives.
That's also when the Lord spoke these words:
"Tell My beloved, whatever your hurt, pain, regret, or even trauma may be, this is the time for you to be set free! Surrender all these areas of your life to Me, for I am extending My hand to heal you and restore you. Receive by faith. My grace is sufficient for you. My power to heal and restore is at hand. I will make all things new for you. I will cut rivers in the desert for you."
The Lord is saying to you that He is sending miraculous supplies of water to 'water' you. You see, 'water' can speak of 'refreshing, healing, restoration'. The Lord is also saying to you that He can make whatever that is barren or deserted in your life to turn into fruitfulness and wholeness again. Not just that. He also makes all things new in your life!
Revelation 21:5 (NKJV) says, 'He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."'
Indeed, the Lord is faithful to His words. This is His assurance of His renewal work in your life. Not just in His eternal plan for your life, but also currently, at present, in your life!
The word 'new' here is 'kainos' in Greek. It speaks of 'freshness' or 'refreshing'. It speaks of 'renewal' or 'being made new again'. So, if it's a relationship trouble that you are facing at the moment, the Lord is refreshing it again! And the Lord is making all things new again!
This word 'kainos' can also speak of 'being new in the inward, in the spirit, and in substance, not just in the outward'. In fact, it also speaks of 'being made entirely new again, as if the past has been erased away'.
This word 'kainos' can also be found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) that says, 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new ('kainos').'
You see, only God can do this work of renewal in us and to set us free, that humans by themselves cannot. It is not just about a regeneration in your spirit, or your salvation. It is also about God doing a change in your life to the better. Not just physically, but also in your spirit and your soul. It is also about 'turning over a new leaf' in your life in ways that only God can do.
One example in the Gospel about a substantial and real change, both in the inside and outside of a person, can be found in Luke chapter 5 about this paralyzed person being brought to Jesus.
Luke 5:17 (NIV) says, 'One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.'
That's also when some men came carrying a paralyzed man on the mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When these men could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
You see, beloved, whatever your situation may be, Jesus will always have time for you, even in the midst of His "busy-ness", or in the midst of the multitudes of people looking for Him. In other words, He is never too busy for you, no matter how big or small your problem may be.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven', or to say, 'Get up and walk'?"
Now, the background here is that some of Jesus' audience were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. These were the religious leaders at that time. In fact, some had come from afar. These Pharisees were zealous in their religious laws. But you know what? Many of them were only focused on outward obedience to the law. It means obedience for people to see, but not so much in the inside of them. Also, they believed God only loved them and those who did exactly what they did. So, they began to judge others who were not like them.
So, here they were, sitting there with critical eyes and hearts against Jesus, waiting to twist and pounce on some words that Jesus said. And so, here Jesus was, looking at the men bringing the paralyzed man down from the rooftop. He saw their faith. He saw their determination to help their paralyzed friend. He also said that this man's sin has been forgiven.
And you know what? That's when the Pharisees pounced. They were trying to catch Jesus with His words. They began to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. They may be correct in believing that God can forgive sins, but they failed to see that Jesus is indeed the Son of God who has the authority to forgive sins. Their hearts were hardened.
The Scripture says, 'The entrance of God's words brings light...' (Psalm 119:130). The Scripture also says, 'Jesus is the Word, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory...' (John 1:14). But these Pharisees' hearts were not enlightened to see all this.
Jesus then said, "But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat, and go home." Immediately the paralyzed man stood up in front of them, and went home praising God. His life was changed - in the inside and in the outside, spiritually and physically. Everyone was filled with amazement and gave praise to God.
You see, Jesus did both - to forgive sins; and to heal, restore, and renew a person physically. To man, both real forgiveness and the power to heal are impossible. To man, the physical part in fact seems harder because it has to do with something visible, and you have to show proof to the physical eyes; whereas forgiveness is invisible. But to God, both are easy. Jesus was showing that if He had the power to restore that paralyzed man, He also had the authority to forgive his sins. It's like one is the confirmation of the other.
Beloved of God, today is the same. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the same God those days in Luke chapter 5, and He is the same God in your life right now, today! Maybe your situation or problem is physical, or maybe it is not physical. Whatever you have been "paralyzed" by recently, be it a certain lingering sin in your life that seems so hard to be set free from; or a hurt, a regret, or a trauma in your soul that seems so hard to be set free from, the Lord is here to meet you right now. Not just that. He's also here to forgive you and heal you, just as what you have seen in the Scripture here.
This paralyzed man's life in Luke chapter 5 was never the same again! Not only did he receive forgiveness and renewal in his spirit, he also began to walk free physically. His life was never the same again! I declare the same it is with you, beloved. Your life will never be the same again!
