The Lord says in this time and season: "Be of good cheer!"

As I was praying and worshiping the other day, the Lord simply said this: "Tell My people to be of good cheer, in spite of all the troubles they see around them, and whatever that's happening in the world right now." 

Yes, be of good cheer, in spite of whatever trouble, problem, or challenges you may be facing at the moment. Take heart. There is help for you! Whatever work of the enemy that comes against you, be it sickness, disease, lack, or all other kinds of troubles, spiritually or physically, look to the Lord! 

Literally, beloved, the Lord wants to put smiles back to your face. 

Maybe you are going through a tough time at workplace. Maybe you are struggling with certain health issues. Maybe some family members of yours are going through a rough patch in life, and because you love them so much, you are deeply concerned. Or maybe there's a relationship issue in your life that sucks joy out of your life. Whatever your situation may be, take heart. Look to the Lord. He is a good God. He is a God who is alive. He isn't dead in your situation. He will know how to save you, deliver you, rescue you, and set you free from all your predicaments. Just do not doubt. Keep trusting in Him and His goodness in your life. 

Let's begin with the definitions of 'Be of good cheer', translated from the original words spoken by Jesus. It can mean 'be bold and of good courage'. It can mean 'keep the joy of the Lord'. Nehemiah 8:10 says, 'The joy of the Lord is your strength'. It means when you keep the joy of the Lord and receive the joy of the Lord, you have the strength to carry on and look forward in your life. Another way to define 'Be of good cheer' is 'to rejoice (in spite of the troubles around you)'. It means you choose to rejoice, in spite of all those troubles and "choppy waters" around you. You can also define 'Be of good cheer' as 'having hope (that all will be well)'. It can also mean 'not getting discouraged', 'not losing faith and trust (in the Lord)', or 'facing life with confidence (in the Lord)'. 

In other words, come what may, but if you have the Lord with you, you have no problem looking ahead in your life, knowing that you can count on the Lord to bring you through. 

Let's go to the Scripture now. Matthew 9:2 says, 'Then behold, they brought to Jesus a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith (i.e. 'a believing heart'), Jesus said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."' 

You see, Jesus has the power to forgive sins. He then said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." And he was made well, arose, and departed back to his house. 

Beloved, whatever that's past is past. Let the bygones be bygones. Receive the forgiveness of the Lord right now. Whatever mistake that you've made or committed in your past, this is your time to receive the forgiveness of the Lord. You know what? Forgiveness leads to your healing, whether in the spirit, soul, or physical body. 

The words 'good cheer' here is 'tharseo' in Greek. It can simply mean 'be comforted' or 'have good courage'. 

So, whatever your situation may be, the Lord is comforting you. The Lord is saying to you, "I will give you the strength to look ahead. I will give you the strength to carry on. I will give you good courage."

Matthew 9:20-22 says, 'And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of Jesus' garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.' 

The words 'good cheer' here is the same word 'tharseo'. 

As simple as this message may be, the Lord has spoken, "Somebody needs to hear this." And He is saying to you, whatever healing that you need, He is touching you right now. Wherever you may be, let the Lord touch you. Be healed, and stay healed, in the name of Jesus! Be well, and stay well, in the name of Jesus! Receive by faith!

Matthew 14:22-24 says, 'Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.' In other words, they were in "choppy waters".

Matthew 14:25-27 says, 'Now in the fourth watch (between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.) of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."' 

The words 'good cheer' here is the same word again, 'tharseo'. 

Here, you see that Jesus was walking on the sea. Literally, He was walking on water! That's supernatural! No one in the physical realm can do that! But Jesus is above the physical realm. He is supernatural! 

Whatever "storm" or "choppy waters" you may be in at the moment, the Lord is saying to you, "With men, it may be impossible. But with Me, nothing is impossible. All things are possible." If Jesus could walk on water, Jesus can do anything to rescue you! 

Matthew 14:28-29 says, 'And Peter answered Jesus and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.' 

In other words, Peter was beginning to walk in the supernatural! As long as he continued looking to Jesus, he could walk in the supernatural realm! Now it is the same with us. As long as you keep looking to Him, and not look at the left or look at the right; and as long as you're not looking at all those "stormy and choppy waters", you can walk in the supernatural realm as well. You can walk higher and above all that is in the physical realm!

Now, of course, don't get me wrong. What you've read in the verses above is just an example of your God who is supernatural. That doesn't mean you can be like a 'daredevil' and just walk on water now. If the Lord never puts in your heart to do something, then you don't try to do it by your own strength. 

Let's continue with Matthew 14:30. 'But when Peter saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."' 

Yes, Jesus is the Son of the living God! Not just any prophet. Not just any teacher. But God came in the flesh. 

Last but not least, let's go to John 16:33, in the words of Jesus: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (i.e. 'trouble'); but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

Again, the words 'good cheer' here is 'tharseo' in Greek. So, all throughout the Scripture verses that we've read with the words 'good cheer' today, we have learned this word 'tharseo', meaning 'be comforted' or 'have good courage'. 

So, in the midst of all those troubles around you, be it in the office, in the neighborhood, in an organization, or whatever your situation may be, the Lord is giving you the peace, the Shalom peace, right now. The peace that comes only from the Lord. The peace that you cannot get from this world. The peace that the Lord says, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled. Let not your heart be afraid." Amen!  

To wrap it up, you can personalize all these verses that I've mentioned to you, and speak these out over and over again for your ears to hear. 'Faith comes by hearing; hearing comes by the Word of God' (Romans 10:17). In other words, your faith arises when you hear the Word of God being spoken. 

I can summarize it for you: 

He has forgiven me (Matthew 9:2) 

He has made me well (Matthew 9:22) 

He has saved me from my troubles (Matthew 14:27) 

He has given me peace (John 16:33a) 

He has overcome for me (John 16:33b)

Indeed, I want to declare that the Lord is here, and the Lord has overcome for you. Amen! 

Prayer:

"O Lord God, no matter what we may be facing at the moment, You have spoken 'Be of good cheer' ('tharseo'). Because You will surely know how to save us, deliver us, rescue us, and set us free from all our predicaments. We choose not to doubt. But we choose to put all our trust in You. You are a miracle-working God. With men, it may be impossible. But with You, all things are possible. So, we look to You in a time like this. We do not want to look at the 'storms' or 'choppy waters' around us. We do not want to look at the left or at the right. But we look to You, knowing that we can count on You. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

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Words from the Lord: Be of good cheer!

Let's look at one example in the Scripture how someone faced a crisis, and yet he has learned how to be of good cheer! 

In Acts chapter 27, the writer of the Book of Acts, Luke, wrote an account of how Paul and several other prisoners set sail for Italy. Paul needed to go to Rome to appeal to Caesar, because certain Jewish leaders from Jerusalem made serious accusations against him, accusing him of a crime against the Jewish laws, against the temple of God, and even against the Roman government. 

Several days into the journey, the ship that Paul was in struggled with great difficulty due to the adverse weather condition. The weather had become dangerous for sea travel because it was late in the fall (autumn time), and Paul then spoke to the ship's officers, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on - shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well." However, the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner, rather than to Paul. 

You see, as winter approached, the weather became more dangerous for sailing. Paul, knowing the season and conditions at that time, and with the wisdom that he received from the Lord, advised them not to go on, lest there may be shipwreck, loss of cargo, and even danger to their lives. But the captain and the owner of the ship didn't heed what Paul said. Apparently, it's not to their advantage to not to continue in this journey, due to the loss of time, because to them, time is money. That's probably what they were thinking in their minds. So, in spite of Paul's warning, the captain of the ship continued on the journey.

True enough to what Paul had warned, the weather later changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength blew their ship further and further to the open sea. As gale-force winds battered the ship, the crew even had to throw the cargo overboard in order to save the ship from sinking! 

Luke wrote an account how this terrible storm raged for many days, and even blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. In other words, all these crew in the ship were at their wits' end. They were thinking they're all going to die! 

Acts 27:21 in fact says no one in the ship had eaten for a long time, probably because they were too frightened, or they were so seasick (due to the high waves). Of course, they were worried and anxious, thinking that the ship's going to sink! 

But look at what Paul said in Acts 27:22 (KJV), "And now I exhort you to be of good cheer! For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship." 

Those in the ship must have thought Paul was going crazy at that time! How could he say, 'Be of good cheer' when all hope seemed lost and they're all going to die? But one thing they didn't realize is this: They didn't know that Paul was a man who know his God. Paul was a man who know what his God can do, even against all odds. In fact, Paul even had an encounter with an angel who encouraged him, and in turn, Paul encouraged others on board!

So, in the midst of all these, Paul became like a light to all of them, even though he was only a prisoner on board. His words became the beacon. His words became the source of encouragement. His words brought hope to all on board in the midst of the tempest. He even encouraged them to eat something, and they did. At that point of time, Paul became the 'de facto leader' on board, even though he was just a prisoner waiting for trial! 

Let's wrap up Acts chapter 27 now. One fine morning, as they persevered and hung on to what Paul had said, they finally saw a bay with a beach! That's good news of course! Eventually, all 276 persons on board the ship escaped to safety (in the island called Malta), and not even one life was lost, just as what Paul had declared and prophesied! Hallelujah!

Beloved of God, no matter what crisis you may be going through at the moment, be encouraged that He is still God, and He will know how to make a way for you, even against all odds. Nothing is impossible to Him. I declare that your darkest night is behind you, and a new dawn has begun for your life. Amen! 

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A time to magnify the Lord!

Psalm 34:3 (NKJV): Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

The word 'magnify' here in Hebrew is 'gadal', which means 'to see something (or someone) as exceedingly great, excellent, and large'. Therefore, the words 'magnify the Lord' here means 'to see the Lord as exceedingly great and excellent, bigger than anything (or anyone) else'. He is infinitely bigger than any of your fears (or problems/troubles) on earth, and even all the fears (or problems/troubles) on earth put together! After all, the Bible says He is the Possessor of heaven and earth! (Genesis 14:19)

And as a believer, you are indeed blessed because you have received Him as your Lord and God! In the Book of Genesis, Melchizedek said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." (Genesis 14:19-20)

By the way, 'to exalt His name' in Hebrew means 'to lift up His name (above all else), to raise His name (above all else), to extol Him, or to mount up to Him'.

Now, see what comes right after Psalm 34:3! Psalm 34:4 then says, 'I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears'. In other words, as you magnify the Lord and exalt His name, all your fears will also be gone! See the word 'all' here?

Psalm 34:5-6 then follows, 'They looked to Him and were radiant (i.e. lightened, become cheerful), and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man (i.e. humble man) cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles'. See the word 'all' again?

The more you see Him great and magnified, the less your own fears (or problems/troubles) become! These are correlated.

So, people of God, no matter what happens (in this time and season), keep looking to Him, magnifying Him and exalting His name continually. The psalmist David himself said it this way, 'I will bless (i.e. adore, speak well of) the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth' (Psalm 34:1). Notice the words 'at all times' and 'continually' here?

In Him, you'll also overcome the 'giants' (of fear, trouble, intimidation, etc) around you (in this time and season), just as Caleb did (see Numbers 13:1-33, Numbers 14:1-24).

The name 'Caleb' in Hebrew implies 'to attack (and to overcome) with strength, courage, and vigor', and interestingly, Caleb was from the tribe of Judah! (Numbers 13:6) The word 'Judah' in Hebrew is 'Yehuwdah' (i.e. 'to celebrate'), which comes from the word 'yadah', meaning 'to praise and worship (with extended hands)'. So, when others lifted up their voices to complain against their leader (Moses) and cried in fear and anxiety thinking they would be like grasshoppers (or mere insects) to the 'giants' (Numbers 14:1), Caleb instead lifted up his voice, saying, "The land (Promised Land) we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people ('giants') of the land, for they are our bread..." (Numbers 14:7-9).

See the difference between Caleb and the other spies sent into the land of Canaan? No wonder the Lord then said, "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it." (Numbers 14:24)

In the end, not only did Caleb successfully enter the Promised Land (when many others failed), he also received his inheritance in the land (see Joshua 14:6-15). Praise God! Believe you will too! A year of glory beckons! Receive the Spirit and strength that overcomes, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Be strong and of good courage!

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) says, "... Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The word 'afraid' in this verse is pronounced as 'awrats' in Hebrew, which means 'fear, or be shaken, or allow yourself to be harassed (even by words/enemy's threats)'. In other words, do not be shaken, or allow yourself to be harassed (even by words/enemy's threats), as you 'cross over' into the new things God has for you.

Fear not, as you 'cross over'! These are His current prophetic words for you, likened to Joshua's 'crossing over' River Jordan. Whether it's a mandate, a calling, new ventures, change of vocation, re-direction in career, etc, it's a season to be bold. And by God's grace, you'll advance like Joshua advanced! Continue to stay focused in what God has called you to be, no matter what you see or what you hear, or no matter how 'dark' the world surrounding you may be. Don't let anything or anyone 'hold you back' from what God is doing in your life. Receive God's 'overcoming anointing' to advance. This anointing is for you to 'overcome' any 'obstacle' as you move into your God-given mandate/calling. I believe you'll rejoice in the end. Just be strong and be very courageous.

In Numbers 13:30, Caleb quieted the people who feared entering the Promised Land, and he said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." People of God, in Christ, you have also overcome. 1 John 4:4 says, 'He who is in you is greater than he that is in this world'. God is raising up His Calebs of today! I want to believe you are one of those. By the way, the word 'Caleb' means 'force, attack (like a dog, in a good sense)' in Hebrew. He had a different spirit (Numbers 14:24). Instead of fear, he had God's faith. Instead of receiving the spirit of fear (like the majority in his days), he received the spirit of power, love, and sound mind. You see? That's the problem with 'fear'. Fear weakens power, negates love, and causes unsound mind (or unsound decision). But Caleb did not allow 'fear' to take place in his heart. And that's what made him different! People of God, let it be so for you too! Also, Caleb was from the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6), after the 'seed' of the 'Overcoming King', the Lion of Judah (i.e. Jesus). Likewise, as a believer today, you too are also after His seed. Amen!

For the record, Caleb was 40 when he spied the Promised Land, and he was 85 when he was given Hebron as his inheritance after the conquest (see Joshua 14:6-10). Yet, he was just as strong as before! (see Joshua 14:11) Age is never a factor for God to use you in His end-time army. The irony is I've seen people in their twenties very much 'bound' by human traditions and 'old wineskins', but I've also seen people in their eighties at the very 'cutting edge' of what God is currently doing, moving as He moves in new, unprecedented ways! However, on the other hand, if you are a youth, let not also anyone despise your youth (1 Timothy 4:12).

So, prepare yourself, just as God's people did those days (Joshua 1:11). Reflect back on the prophecies and dreams you know (that you know) are from the Lord. Be reminded of His promises you've received so far, as you 'cross over', just as God's people reminded themselves of 'the promise of a land filled with milk and honey' those days.

This is also your time to walk into the inheritance God has given you! Let go of those past regrets. Your 'Moses' is dead. This is a new season. It's your 'Joshua' time. A new season always comes with a fresh new anointing. His grace is also more than enough for you to 'overcome' as you 'cross over'. Just be bold and be very courageous. Know that your 'land that is to come' is good and filled with His shalom & rest (Joshua 1:13). So, go ahead, and go with God! He is with you. Joshua 3:3 says, 'When you see the ark of the covenant (representing God's presence & leadership), ..., then you shall set out from your place and go after it'. So, move as He moves. That's how He'll use you for His great exploits!

As the feet of the priests who bear the 'ark' rested in the waters of Jordan, the waters got cut off (Joshua 3:13), and God's people began crossing over. They've overcome their first 'obstacle'. Praise God! After everyone had completely crossed over, the 'ark' and the priests then also crossed over (Joshua 4:11). This is a 'picture' of the Lord going before and after you. On that day, the Bible says about 40,000 who were prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle (Joshua 4:13). Interestingly, the number 40,000 in Hebrew numeric means 'wise rule, skillful, expert'. Likewise, He is also currently raising up such people, a people 'wise and skillful' in the operation of the spiritual gifts and offices given them (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-13). In regards to this, as Paul exhorted Timothy, God is also exhorting you now that He has not given you the spirit of fear, but He has given you the spirit of power, love, and sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:6-7) as you 'stir up' (by using) the gifts given you.

Throughout this new season of yours, there's one vital principle He wants you to always keep in mind, and this is found in Joshua 5:9. Here, the Lord spoke to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." The words 'rolled away (like a wheel)' means 'Gilgal' in Hebrew, and that's also the place where the children of Israel camped upon 'crossing over'.

As you read through Joshua 1-11, notice that Gilgal was always the place of Joshua's camp throughout his conquest of Canaan:
After Joshua took Jericho and Ai, he returned to Gilgal (see Joshua 1-8).
Then, after Joshua launched a southern campaign against Lachish, Hebron, Debir, and Gaza, he returned to Gilgal again (see Joshua 10).
And finally, in a northern thrust all the way to Hazor, Joshua also launched the attack from his camp in Gilgal (see Joshua 11).
And that's also the importance of 'Gilgal' in your new season as well!

Now let Scripture interpret Scripture. In Luke 24:2, on the first day of the week when Jesus arose, the stone ('picture' of 'obstacle, stumbling block') was also rolled away. You know what that means? In your 'Promised Land', know that all your curse (whether spoken against you, or a generation curse) and reproach have been 'rolled away' through Jesus Christ your Lord! 'Promised Land' here is also a 'picture' of 'the New Covenant'. So, as a believer in the New Covenant, God doesn't want you to be conscious of whatever curse spoken against you anymore, but He wants you to be always conscious of His goodness and shalom for you! Just as Joshua returned and camped in Gilgal upon every conquest (central, southern, and northern), you too should always be reminded of your 'Gilgal' throughout your new season.

You know why Israel failed when they first attempted to take Ai? Yet, Ai was a much 'lesser' opponent compared to the Jericho they've just conquered! So what went wrong? Because somebody by the name of Achan took of the accursed things! (Joshua 7:1-3). That spells trouble! By the way, 'Achan' literally means 'trouble' in Hebrew. You know why? Achan had effectively 're-installed' curse, when all of Israelites' curse should have already been 'rolled away'! As a consequence, God wasn't there in that battle, and God's people had to flee. Not until the 'curse' was taken away did the children of Israel win again (see Joshua 7:13, Joshua 8:1). The message was clear, and that's how particular God was against His people being reminded of their curse and reproach.

Today, God also wants you to be always reminded that 'all your curse have also been rolled away'. At the cross, Jesus has already taken all your 'beatings, curse, and reproach', so now you can have all His 'blessings, goodness, and shalom'. Amen!