You will rise again!

The Lord says: 

"After the darkest hour, comes dawn and sunrise! I am declaring to you that darkness has gone, and My light has come! This is your time to receive My power and strength to rise again! Rise above and over all those 'desolate' and 'desert' times! Rise above and over all those pains and sorrows! For your time has come to arise and shine!" 

Beloved of God, whatever 'darkness' or 'storm' that you've been going through recently, the Lord is saying to you today: "You will rise again!" 

Isaiah 60:1 (Amplified Bible) says, 'Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.' Amen! 

There can be times God allows a "winter" time in your life, when everything seems to be dormant, and nothing seems to be happening in your life. And sometimes you feel like your life is going nowhere. Take heart. The Lord hasn't forgotten you. 

There can be times God even closes certain doors for you. This is not meant to harm you or hinder you. This is actually to protect you and prevent certain future trouble or danger in your life. Maybe you cannot foresee it yet. And you may not even understand why. Some people may even question Him. Some people may even be angry at Him or have a "cold war" with Him. But you know what? God sees long term. God sees the end from the beginning. God sees farther than any one of us can. God knows better.

Of course, waiting time is never easy. Imagine you wait for the bus or the train, and the bus or the train takes ages to arrive. No one says it's easy. But God is assuring you today that He still has you in His mind, and He hasn't forgotten you. He still remembers His plan for you, which is of future and of hope. 

I mean, you look at Moses. You look at Joseph. You look at David. And many others in the Bible. All had to wait before God's promises came to pass in their lives. Each of them had their "downtime" as well. They saw darker times before the 'dawn' or before the 'sunrise', so to speak. 

Look at the example of Jesus now. After having been baptized by John the Baptist, this was the next thing that happened. Matthew 4:1 (NKJV) says, 'Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.' 

You see, it wasn't that He stumbled into the wilderness, but He was led up by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. So, instead of greater glory of God happening to Jesus after the water baptism, he was now led into the wilderness! In other words, from the cool waters of Jordan River where He was baptized, He was now led into the barren desert! From the water of baptism, now the fire of temptation or testing! 

The word 'wilderness' here is 'eremos' in Greek. It can mean 'solitary, desolate, desert, lonesome, waste'. Have you recently been going through a time you thought has been wasted? Or at least wasted in the eyes of this world? Take heart. To God, it wasn't a waste. It was a preparation time for even greater things for your life! 

Just like Jesus, why would He be led into the wilderness ('eremos') to be tempted or tested? Because God the Father had greater things prepared for Him! So it is the same with you, beloved. Hang on there! Hang on strong! Keep setting your eyes on God! Keep looking to God! Keep your focus on God! You know why? Because your 'dawn' time is coming! Your 'sunrise' time is coming! 

The word 'tempted' here in Matthew 4:1 is 'peirazo' in Greek. This word 'peirazo' is more accurately translated as 'testing' instead of 'temptation'. That is why many Bible scholars actually felt it is more proper to refer this 'temptation of Jesus' in Matthew 4 as 'the testing of Jesus'. 

You know what? Jesus passed this test! He passed with flying colors! How did He do it? He focused on God! He focused on the Word of God! Three times the devil tested Him, and three times Jesus said: "It is written... It is written... It is written..." The devil had no choice but to leave Him. 

See what's next. Matthew 4:13-16 (NKJV) says, 'And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali... The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned."' 

This prophecy of Isaiah came to pass! From that time onwards, Jesus embarked on His earthly ministry, preaching the kingdom of heaven wherever He went. In other words, the time had come for Jesus to arise and shine on this earth! 

The same it is with you, beloved. The time has come for you to arise and shine, whatever God has purposed for you to be and to do! 

Let's continue with Matthew 4:23 (NKJV). It says, 'And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.' 

The word 'healing' here is 'therapeuo'. It means 'to relieve (of disease), to cure, to put in order (what is not in order)'. I like this: 'to put in order (what is not in order)'. 

Today, the same it is with you! The Lord is putting in order what has not been in order in your life! Receive this by faith! Receive that healing! Receive that cure! Receive that 'therapeuo'! Spiritually and physically!

Matthew 4:25 (NKJV) then says, 'Great multitudes followed Him - from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.' In other words, from all over! And you know what? Jesus never looked back ever since. His ministry was effectively launched, and that changed the world like no one else had done before or after!

And it all began with Him being led into the wilderness ('eremos')! So, never doubt God when you seem to have been in your wilderness ('eremos'). Now, what is 'eremos' again? Desolation. Loneliness. Wastage. Desert. A time when nothing seems to be happening in your life. But you know what? These are times to prepare you for greater things! These are times to get you ready to launch! And the Lord is saying that time of 'launching' has come in your life! Amen!

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Prophetic words: A new generation is arising!

The Lord says: "A new generation of apostolic and prophetic people is arising. For I will raise up a people who are bold to walk with Me and speak what I speak, even in a time when the spirit of antichrist is also arising. But My people will triumph. I will put My words in their mouth, and not them putting their words in My mouth. For I will raise up a people who fear no man, or are men pleasers, but a people who say only as I say, and do as I command."

Indeed, the Lord is raising up such people in this time. These are not men-pleasers. Men-pleasers are people who speak only what men wants to hear, what is sensational to their ears, or what is music to their ears. But it may not be what God says. They even put words in God's mouth, even though God never says it. Now, that's very dangerous.

But praise the Lord, because He is raising up a people who will not fear man, but fear the Lord. These are people who will not bow down to the Babylonian ways in the world. By the way, 'Babylon' is from the word 'Babel'. This speaks of men trying to build a name for themselves, or men trying to build their own empires, instead of allowing God to build His kingdom in His way.

The Lord is also raising up a people who will serve Him sincerely without being engrossed with wanting fame, position, or social status. In other words, these are like the reluctant people. Jeremiah was one. Elijah was one. In fact, after the wilderness experience, Moses was also one. These are people who have the sincerity of heart and will not put on a front or put on a show for others to see in the outward. Because the Lord is saying He is looking for people who are real. It means what you see in their outside is who they really are in the inside. They are not hypocrites.

These are apostolic and prophetic people who will declare as God declares, and say as God says. When He says so, they say so. When He says no, they say no.

One example is Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1:4-8 says: 'The Lord gave me this message: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as My prophet to the nations." But Jeremiah said, "O Sovereign Lord, I can't speak for You! I'm too young!" The Lord replied, "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!"'

The time is coming when people who don't want it, the Lord is choosing them. And people who want it so much (but with wrong intention or motive), the Lord will turn His head away.

May you be one of those whom the Lord says, "This is a right one. This is a person who is real. This is a person who will not put on a show. And this is a person who will say, 'Yes Sir!' to whatever I have spoken for them to say and to do."

Jeremiah 1:9-10 says: 'Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, "Look, I have put My words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant."'

Interestingly, the name 'Jeremiah' is 'Yirme Yah' in Hebrew. There can be different definitions to this name. But I'm going to show you four. It can mean 'YHWH lays the foundation', 'YHWH establishes', 'YHWH appoints', or 'YHWH sends'.

In this time, He is laying the foundation in His people, He is establishing His people, He is appointing His people, and He is sending His people. Many of them have been 'hidden'. They don't look for attention. They don't want to be known. But the Lord knew them. And He is raising them up in such a time.

By the way, this new generation the Lord is talking about has nothing to do with physical age. Rather, the Lord is speaking about a new mindset, a new wineskin for the new wine that He is pouring forth. It is about those who have the same mentality as the Lord's - those who see the way He sees, not how man sees. 

So, it's not about one's physical age. It means one may be in his 50's, 60's, 70's or even beyond, but yet he sees the way God sees. Yet there are people who may be in their 30's, 40's, or 50's who may still be bound by lots of man-made traditions or old wineskins. And when the new wine comes, the old wineskin is going to break. So, it's not about one's physical age. Just look at Caleb and Joshua in Moses' days. Yet the Lord caused them to enter the Promised Land. Why? Because they saw how God saw. 

And this is the kind of people whom the Lord is raising up in such a time.

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

You have this life in Him - the resurrection life!

The stone has been rolled away! And Jesus is risen! Hallelujah!

Luke 24:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus'.

Luke 24:4-7 (NKJV) says, 'And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"

Beloved of God, because you are in Christ, therefore the 'stone' ('stone' here speaks of 'any bondage or hindrance in your life') has been removed too, and you are now made alive together with Him! This is the time to look to Him and receive this resurrection power of God!

Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV) says, 'And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it'.

The words 'made alive together (with Him)' or 'quickened together (with Him)' in King James Version (KJV) is 'suzoopoieo' in Greek; from the word 'sun' (pronounced 'soon') meaning 'together', and the word 'zoopoieo' meaning 'make alive, give life, vitalize'.

How about 'the handwriting of requirements' in Colossians 2:14? What is that?

It is basically a list of our wrongs or 'debts' before God, that none of us (imperfect as we are) is able to pay completely. It can only be taken out of the way (paid completely) by Jesus Christ Himself, who is the perfect man and perfect God. 

This term 'the handwriting of requirements' is like a handwritten document:

- in legal sense, it is a list of criminal charges against a prisoner. 

- in financial sense, it is like a ledger sheet that shows a person is bankrupt.

Either way, it means this document represents 'a person is doomed and condemned'. 

Indeed, without Christ, we are like prisoners (i.e. prisoners of sin) and debtors who can never fully pay off our debts. It is only through Christ Jesus that all these 'criminal charges' and 'debts' can be taken out of the way when He died on the cross for us!

Beloved of God, what are the areas in your life that seem 'dead' or 'doomed' at the moment? 

Maybe it's your personal life or spiritual life. Maybe it's your health. Maybe it's your finance. Or maybe it's your family's situation, your career, your business, or even your ministry. Whatever it may be, my prayer for you is that every 'stone' that keeps you in bondage be removed, and every 'dead' or 'doomed' situation be made alive. In Jesus' name. Amen! 

There's always hope if you look to Jesus. This is not a cliche or a slogan. But this is the reality in the spiritual realm. After all, He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God. In other words, All-powerful, All-knowing, and All-present God. See Psalm 139. 

And if He can rise from the dead, there's nothing in this world that He cannot do. To man, it seems impossible; but to Him, nothing is impossible. So, take heart. This is your time to declare your breakthrough and victory by faith! This is your time to receive the 'zoe' life that comes from heaven! And that's how you can 'suzoopoieo' and be made alive together with Him! See the word 'together' here? You know what this means? You aren't alone! He is now here together with you, going through your challenges together with you, triumphing over the enemy and making a way for you (even where there seems to be no way)!

Hallelujah!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC's YouTube Channel

Prophetic declaration for 2021

For this year 2021, the LORD is saying to you:

"Arise and shine! This is your time to receive My light and My glory! The world will get darker and darker, but My glory will be shown upon you brighter and brighter! So, fear not! Your time to arise and shine has come! Many who have despised you will come running to you! Many who have overlooked you will come acknowledging you!"

Isaiah 60:1-3 (NKJV) says, 'Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising'.

And the LORD says further:

"Your key this year is to stay close to Me! Stay close to Me and walk with Me. As I move, you move. As I stop, you stop. Like the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, you shall follow Me."

"Make this your first and foremost priority: Intimacy. Nothing else matters more than being in intimacy with My Spirit this year! For I am looking for humble and yielded hearts whom I will pour My glory upon! Walk in this key, and you will see how the promises I have spoken in Isaiah 60 shall come upon you, even in ways you cannot imagine!"

People of God, no matter what happens around you in this world, stay close to the LORD and walk with Him closely this year. This is the key for the year 2021. As you walk in intimacy with His Spirit and humble yourself under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6), you will see all the promises of God in Isaiah 60 coming to pass in your life.

As for the nations, many nations and cities will be humbled this year, if they do not choose to humble themselves. Let not your nation or city be one of those. Pray and ask for forgiveness and healing for the sins, disunity, strife, corruption, pride, or whatever the LORD has put in your heart to ask for forgiveness and healing. 

Pray especially to let go of pride. The Spirit of God is grieved when there is pride. Pray for the leaders in your nation or city (e.g. government leaders, political leaders, church leaders, etc) to learn to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God this year.

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NKJV) says, 'If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place'.

The word 'humble' here is 'kana' in Hebrew, and it means 'to bend low (before the LORD), to come into subjection/submission/obedience (before the LORD)'. 

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NKJV) says, '... Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time'.

Indeed, when God's people humble themselves, God gives grace. God's grace can mean God's ability and God's supply from heaven. This includes the supply of His light and His glory. And this is how it ties up with the promises of God for you in Isaiah 60.

Click here to watch in TiC YouTube Channel

How to shine in a time of trouble?

The Lord says,

"Many of My people have forgotten to PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE seven times! PRAISE at all times! PRAISE even when you see no reason to PRAISE in the natural realm! For I am strengthening My people through their PRAISES! I will be enthroned in the PRAISES of My people! I am releasing a fresh anointing to My people through your PRAISES! And I am releasing a new sound against the enemy through your PRAISES!"

As you walk into this time and season to 'arise and shine' (Isaiah 60:1-5), and prepare yourself for the greater glory of the Lord in your life, one important key never to be missed out is PRAISE! Yes, PRAISE THE LORD! Don't forget to PRAISE!

In Isaiah 60:1-5, the Lord says, "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you... Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you."

The word 'light' here is 'owr' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'brightness (in every sense), clear, happiness'; whereas the word 'darkness' here is 'khoshek' in Hebrew, meaning 'gloom, misery, destruction, sorrow, wickedness, trouble'. We can't deny that the world is getting 'darker' and 'darker', i.e. 'khoshek', because the Scripture says so. BUT for you and I, i.e. the people of God, our 'light' is also shining 'brighter' and 'brighter'!

So, PRAISE THE LORD! No, not praising the Lord for the 'darkness' (i.e. gloom, misery, destruction, sorrow, wickedness, trouble) in this world, but praising the Lord in spite of all these 'khoshek'! You may be living in an unprecedented world events, but the good news is you are also living in an unprecedented glory of the Lord being seen upon you! Hallelujah!

Here are the five keys on how to shine in a time of trouble:

1. PRAISE! (Psalm 119:164, Psalm 22:3-4, Psalm 150:6, Isaiah 60:18)
If you have been praising the Lord, keep on praising! You are on the right track! But if you have not been praising, start praising the Lord now! 'Praise' is like the 'switch'. Now, how do you switch on the light when you enter a dark room? You press the switch! In the spiritual realm, this 'switch' is PRAISE! Psalm 119:164 says, 'Seven times a day I praise You'. Number 'seven' here in Hebrew speaks of 'perfection', and therefore it means 'praise the Lord perfectly, i.e. unceasingly, at all times, no matter what!' Isaiah 60:18 says, 'Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise'. See here? You shall call your gates Praise! Why gates? Gates open and close! Gates are where people enter and exit their houses! So, what is your 'gate'? Your mouth! You use your mouth to PRAISE! PRAISE opens the way for breakthrough! PRAISE goes forth first, and everything else (good things) will follow suit!

2. BLOOD OF JESUS! (Exodus 12:5-7, Exodus 12:12-13)
As the Lord prepared His people to be delivered from Pharaoh those days, they were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and on the lintel of their houses, so that when He strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt and execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, 'He will pass over them (His people), and the plague shall not destroy them (His people).' This 'blood of the lamb' here is a 'picture' of 'the blood of Jesus shed for you on the cross'. As you 'arise and shine', fear not, because the blood of Jesus has got you covered!

3. ANOINTING OIL! (Psalm 104:15, Psalm 92:10, Isaiah 10:27)
Every yoke and burden that the enemy tries to put against you will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. That's what Isaiah 10:27 says! Not only that, your strength will be exalted like a wild ox when you are being anointed with fresh oil, i.e. the anointing of the Holy Spirit! That's what Psalm 92:10 says! When you are 'in the oil', you will shine brighter! Don't believe? Pour some olive oil on the palm of your hand, and compare now between the part with oil and the part without oil. Which part is shinier? The part with oil, of course! People of God, you are 'in the oil'!

4. THE WORD OF GOD! (Hebrews 4:12, Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 6:17, Revelation 12:11)
The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:17 says so! When you have this 'sword', you can slay the 'giants', whatever these are in the world! No 'darkness' ('khoshek') can defeat you when you stand on the Word and take Him at His Word! Therefore, it is so important to be rooted and built up in the Word! Not just that, abounding in the Word too! Jesus is the Word! (John 1:1-5)

5. SEEK THE LORD! (Psalm 34:10, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Isaiah 55:6)
Psalm 34:10 says, 'The young lions may lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing'! In other words, in a time of widespread lack, recession, unemployment, or loss of income, those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing! The Lord will know how to show you a way where there seems to be no way. The Lord will know how to release His wisdom to you on what to do and how to go about, even in such 'khoshek' times; and the world will see it and know that His light has come upon your life. Amen!

For the full preaching video, click to watch

Be set free from the spirit of slumber, and awake to Jesus!

I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Be set free from whatever that dampens you! Be set free from the spirit of slumber that's been sent to dampen you! This is a time to receive My power, so you shall arise again! This is a time to receive My Spirit, so you shall awake to righteousness again! Be set free, so you shall walk into the victories and open doors I have prepared for you this year!"

'To dampen' is 'to make (something/someone) less strong (or less agile)'. Imagine someone putting an extremely heavy, wet blanket over your head, and you find it hard to move around freely. Now, that's how it feels like to be dampened! And the same can happen in the spiritual realm!

Whether you realize it or not, the enemy has been sending the spirit of slumber to the Church in order to dampen what the Lord has promised to do this year. The enemy knows the Lord is going to cause a great awakening and arising in the Church, and he is trying to dampen it. From history, this would normally happen before the Lord is about to release a great outpouring, breakthrough, or fresh anointing to His Church!

One may ask, "How do I know if I have been 'dampened'?"

- If for no reason, your spirit seems dull, in a daze (stupor), numb, and you are in a state of spiritual lullaby!

- If for no reason, you just can't seem to hear God anymore!

- If for no reason, you suddenly become worldly and loses interest in the things of God (Word and Spirit).

But the good news is you can be set free from whatever that dampens you, and rise up again! Romans 13:11-14 says, 'And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust'.

Indeed, when the light comes, darkness will have to flee! And who is the 'light' here? In John 8:12, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Therefore, to 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ' is to 'put on the armor of light'!

The key is to praise! 

One sure-fire way to release this 'light' and triumph over the spirit of slumber is 'to praise'! Isaiah 52:1-2 says, 'Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise... Loose yourself (i.e. be set free) from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!'

What does 'beautiful garments' mean here? 'Garment of praise'! To 'put on your beautiful garments' is 'to put on garment of praise'! Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Isaiah 61:3 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...' You see? The 'garment of praise' that overcomes and replaces 'the spirit of heaviness'! What then is 'the spirit of heaviness'? The spirit that dampens!

Ephesians 5:14-19 says, '..."Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly (i.e. carefully, vigilantly, with alertness), not as fools but as wise... Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation (a waste); but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...'

Note: The word 'hymns' here is 'humnos' in Greek, from the word 'hudeo', meaning 'to celebrate (in praises)'. 

Notice when you are awakened in the spirit, you will begin to understand what the will of the Lord is in your life! And the way to go is by praises that come forth from your heart to the Lord!

Praise leads to victories and open doors!

Acts 16:25-27 says, 'But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns (i.e. praises) to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep...'

The fact that 'the prisoners were listening to them' shows that Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises out loud! Faith arises when you begin to hear the Word of God being spoken out loud, even in your praises to the Lord! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! (Romans 10:17)

Miracles happen in an atmosphere of faith, and just as happened those days, believe that the very foundations of your 'prison' shall also be shaken!

It was a great victory for Paul and Silas, and not only were they set free, but along the way, the keeper of the prison was 'awakened from sleep' too, and he and his family were eventually saved and baptized! There's a prophetic meaning here. Your praises to the Lord is 'highly-contagious'! Not only shall you see your breakthrough, but along the way, lives around you shall also be 'awakened' from their 'slumber' and be set free from darkness!

Therefore, people of God, begin to praise the Lord without reservation, and begin to praise Him aloud! You can do it corporately (with others in the household of faith), and you can do it privately! Praise Him at all times! (Psalm 34:1-3) Praise Him for how great He is! Praise Him for how majestic He is! Praise Him for putting the sun in its place! Praise Him for causing the earth to keep spinning! Praise Him for His wondrous works of creating all the galaxies! When you praise Him, He is magnified over your situation, and whatever your problem is will in turn become smaller and smaller till it disappears!

This is a time to awake to Jesus, who is your righteousness! (1 Corinthians 15:34) Know that He who is the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption lives in you! (1 Corinthians 1:30) And if He lives in you, of whom shall you fear? This is a time to reclaim back whatever you have lost! Yes, even your spiritual alertness and sharpness! Declare that you are set free today! And declare that you'll begin to walk into greater (and greater) victories and open doors this year! Hallelujah!

Not a time to retreat or give up!

I released these words as I was ministering last Sunday:
"This is not a time to retreat or give up! Eat of My food all the more, and drink of My drink all the more! Like I have spoken to Elijah those days! There's so much more that I have in store for you, and there's so much more that I want to show you! Receive My strength and be healed in your situation!"

The word 'retreat' is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as '(especially of an army, etc) withdraw when faced with danger or difficulty'.

We are going to do a little study today on the life and ministry of Elijah.

So, who is Elijah? Let's go right into 1 Kings 17:1 when the name Elijah was first mentioned in the Bible. This verse says, 'And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to (king) Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."'

Not much is known about Elijah's background, and Bible scholars have differing views on which tribe he's from. This simply goes to show that it doesn't matter what your background is (or who your forefathers are), but as long as you walk with the Lord and fear the Lord, He will be with you and use you for His glory!

'Elijah' is 'EliYah' in Hebrew, from two words, 'El' (meaning 'God') and 'Yah' (meaning 'the Lord God Almighty who is Self-Existent and Eternal'), and this name is a 'picture' of 'God's people today who represent the Lord and being used by the Lord'. The Word of God says in Malachi 4:5-6, 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers...'

Indeed, we are living in these end of days, and these are the days of Elijah! The life and ministry of Elijah (written in 1 Kings and 2 Kings) therefore 'foreshadows' what is happening in these last days when the Lord our God confronts the god (i.e. Baal, or master) of this world!

Interestingly, the word 'Tishbite' ('tishbiy' in Hebrew) means 'the source of help', and the word 'Gilead' ('gilad' in Hebrew) can mean 'caring, or affection (like a brother)'. People of God, you too are born and raised for such a time to be 'the source of help' to this world, 'the light and the salt' (Matthew 5:13-16) to this world! And as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ in this whole wide world, you and I belong to a community ('inhabitants') that's supposed to be 'caring and affectionate'!

And if 'Elijah' speaks of 'the people of the Lord today', then 'Ahab' speaks of 'those who follow the god (or gods) of this world'. The Bible describes Ahab as a king who did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him (1 Kings 16:30), and he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger more than all the kings of Israel who were before him (1 Kings 16:33). He also took Jezebel as his wife, and served and worshiped Baal, i.e. 'the god (or master) of this world' (1 Kings 16:31-32).

Let's move on. 1 Kings 17:2-4 then says, 'Then the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah), saying, "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."

Here, the Lord wanted Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith and be fed supernaturally. This is a 'picture' of God's people drinking from the Living Waters, i.e. the Holy Spirit, and eating from the Word of God. The word 'Cherith' ('keriyth' in Hebrew) in this verse comes from this word 'karath', meaning 'to cut off'.

In the midst of the 'hustle and bustle' of this world and the distractions of human voices, the Lord is calling His people to learn to 'sit still' and 'receive' from Him, instead of 'running everywhere' in search of answers to their situation (or situations). The truth is we all need to take some time to be alone with the Lord, and to 'cut off' from the world (and its noises)!
Note: Jesus did it too with His Abba Father while on earth, and He literally set an example for all of us today! In Luke 6:12-13, He spent the whole night alone with His Abba Father before making a major decision (of choosing His twelve disciples)!

It is then that the Lord will lead you and guide you, from season to season, and from place to place! And that's exactly what happened to Elijah. In 1 Kings 17:8-9, the Lord said to Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you."

See the words 'Arise' and 'go' here?

After that, in 1 Kings 18:1, the Bible says, 'And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year (of the drought), saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."'

King Ahab had been searching high and low for Elijah all these years in order to kill him for 'cursing Israel' with drought! And when Ahab saw him, he said, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" (1 Kings 18:17) But Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals." (1 Kings 18:18)

And there was Elijah, 'presenting himself' before the powerful king, and completely outnumbered! He was to face the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19), and what he did to 'challenge' the 'king' seemed like a 'lost cause', foolish in the eyes of the world! As a matter of fact, it wasn't so much about 'Elijah' versus 'Ahab' here (as Ahab had made it out to be), but rather 'the Lord God' versus 'the god (gods) of this world'!

What mattered most was Elijah knew the Lord was with him, and he knew the Lord had spoken! And true to God's words, victory came, and the rain returned! (1 Kings 18:20-46)

People of God, at times when it looks like you are 'losing it', keep looking to the Lord your God, and keep trusting in what He has spoken to you, no matter what you see happening in this world. He is a God who is very much alive today, and He will see you through! The Lord God whom Elijah worshiped is the same God who lives in you today! (Hebrews 13:8)

Let's go a little further before we end. Now, when Jezebel (Ahab's wife) heard about those great exploits of Elijah, and how he had executed all those prophets of Baal, she sent a messenger to him, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them tomorrow about this time."

Elijah then ran for his life, rather discouraged, and prayed that he might die, saying, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" (1 Kings 19:1-4)

But the Lord had other ideas! Here's what 1 Kings 19:5-8 say, 'Then as he (Elijah) lay and slept under a broom tree, an angel touched him, and said, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God'.

People of God, today, the Lord also want you to know there's so much more that He has in store for you, and there's so much more that He wants to show you! Good things! Greater things! I therefore declare these words to you, wherever you are right now and whatever situation you are in right now! Take these words, and receive by faith! And never allow the 'enemy' to cause you to 'waver' and to 'doubt' the goodness of God!

This is a day to declare that you are set free from any discouragement! And like Elijah, eat of His food all the more, and drink of His drink all the more, and you too will be on your way to many more greater things to come in your life! Amen!