A time to experience God's light and re-dedicate yourselves to Him

The Lord says:
"This is the time to experience My light, and to re-dedicate yourselves to Me! Turn to My light and return to My light, for I am enlightening the spiritual eyes of many in this time and season!"

Indeed, this is the time to experience the Light, the true Light - Jesus! Let this Light so shine into every area of your life, because when this Light comes, every darkness has to flee! Yes, even whatever darkness sent by the enemy against you!

John 1:6-13 (NLT) says, 'The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the Light so that everyone might believe (in Christ, the Light)... John himself was not the Light; he was simply a witness to tell about the Light. The One who is the true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn - not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God'.

John 8:12 (NLT) says, 'Jesus spoke to the people, "I am the Light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the Light that leads to life."

You see, this Light leads to life! In a time of reflection and thanksgiving, let us all turn to the Light and return to the Light. And as you celebrate the Light, let Him show you His way and enlighten your spiritual eyes - to see what He sees and how He sees - His plans, purposes, and destiny for your life, moving forward!
*By the way, 'to enlighten' is 'to give someone greater knowledge and understanding about something, to shed light on'.

Let us not be like the people those days, such that when the Light came, they couldn't recognize Him, and even rejected Him!

John 10:22-33 (NLT) says, 'It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. The people surrounded Him and asked, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don’t believe Me. The proof is the work I do in My Father’s name. But you don’t believe Me because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one." Once again the people picked up stones to kill Him. Jesus said, "At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone Me?" They replied, "We’re stoning You not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

You see the irony here? During the Festival to celebrate Lights, the people those days couldn't recognize the True Light when He passed by! Not only that, they even sought to kill Him and destroy Him, because their spiritual eyes were blinded!

*What is the Festival of Hanukkah?
- Also known as Jewish Festival of Lights.
- To commemorate the re-dedication of the 2nd Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
In Hebrew, the word 'Hanukkah' simply means 'dedication'.

There is no accident in how the Scripture verses have been arranged, because the Holy Spirit is the true author of the Scripture! (2 Peter 1:20-21) Notice just before the above verses in John 10, Jesus spoke about spiritual blindness in John 9, and showed how He healed a man born blind (who was now able to see)!

John 9:1-6 (NLT) says, 'As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. "Rabbi," His disciples asked Him, "Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" "It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the Light of the world." Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!'

Yes, like that man, we may be 'blind' in the past, but now we can 'see'! Hallelujah!

People of God, as you celebrate the Light this week, may you experience Him so real! And because you are now the 'temple' where the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19), just as at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, let this also be a time you'll re-dedicate yourself to Him - because He's going to do greater works through you in the year ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen!

A time to dedicate your spiritual ears to the Lord

I heard these words from the Lord recently:
"Come to a place of rest, security and safety in Me. Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you. Find rest in Me, find your security in Me, and nestle in Me. For I am calling you for such, before a new assignment is given to you."

And then I heard further:
"This is a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to Me, and let Me anoint your spiritual ears. I will cause you to hear many more secrets that I have wanted to tell you. I will show you My will and My way. I will reveal Myself to you, just as I have revealed Myself to Samuel in Shiloh."

Let's look at the Scripture now. 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (NKJV) says, 'So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord'.

The word 'revealed' here is 'galah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to disclose, to tell, to show'. In a time when Israel was hardly 'in tune' with the Lord (see 1 Samuel 3:1), this was indeed 'a breath of fresh air' for the nation, and it marked an end to one era, and the beginning of a new era. Eli's time was ending, and Samuel's time has come! It was a pivotal time in the history of Israel, and Samuel was about to walk into a new assignment from the Lord!

By the way, the name 'Samuel' is 'Shemuw-El', literally meaning 'heard of God'; from the word 'shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to hear obediently, to give ear', and 'El' meaning 'God'.

How about 'Shiloh'? And why did the Lord reveal Himself to Samuel in Shiloh? There are no insignificant details in the Bible. Interestingly, 'Shiloh' ('Shiyloh' in Hebrew) means 'a place of tranquility, security, safety', from the word 'shaw-law' meaning 'to have peace, to be secure, to be in safety'. It was a place of 'drawing near to the Lord' and 'finding rest, security and safety in Him'. It was also a place of worship and sacrifice to the Lord those days (see 1 Samuel 1:3), and of course, a place where Samuel was dedicated to the Lord (see 1 Samuel 1:24-25).

People of God, as you 'draw near to the Lord' and 'find rest, security and safety in Him', this is also a time to dedicate your spiritual ears to the Lord and let Him anoint your ears to hear the many secrets that He had wanted to tell you! (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

Samuel's life and ministry was never the same again since then, and he went on to become a great blessing wherever he was. Indeed, for you too, this is a time to declare that your 'Eli' time is ending, and your 'Samuel' time has come!

A time to consecrate yourself for the new things ahead!

Exodus 28:1-3 (NKJV): "Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest... And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest."

The word 'consecrate' here is 'qadash' in Hebrew, which can mean 'to be made clean, to be made holy, to be purified (sanctified), to be set apart, to be prepared for the Lord to use'.

The above was the instruction from the Lord to Moses, as Aaron (his brother) was being prepared for something new those days, that is 'to minister to the Lord as priest'.

The 'holy garments' ('priestly garments' or 'garments of the temple') here speaks of 'God's holiness and righteousness imputed upon you' (Isaiah 61:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Talmud (a collection of Jewish civil and ceremonial laws and traditions) actually has a part that is translated this way: 'While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them'. It means no priest (neither the priest nor the high priest himself) is fit to serve in the temple unless he is wearing the holy garments.

Now, how do you relate the 'priestly garments' to a believer in the New Covenant? 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, 'But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy'. See the words 'now' here?

Indeed, you and I are the 'royal priesthood' of today! In other words, you and I are being 'set apart, prepared for the Lord to use' in the specific calling or vocation that God has called each of us to fulfil on this earth!

During a time of worship and prayer recently, I heard and released these words:
"Consecrate your walk with Me again. Train up your walk with Me again, like Enoch walked with Me. For this is the time I am preparing you for the many new things in the days ahead."

From the prophetic words above, 'to consecrate' can also be defined as 'to dedicate yourself for God to begin working (in you and through you)'.

Indeed, He is preparing to do many new things in you (and through you) in the days ahead! New creativity and ideas are being released to God's people like never before! New ways of doing things are also being released like you have never imagined before! Indeed, He is a God who always does new things! And He is not done with it yet! In fact, scientists have acknowledged that new stars and new galaxies are still being created even now in the physical realm! (Source: Institute for Creation Research)

People of God, watch how He is going to do new things for you as well! It is therefore a high time for you to refresh and renew your walk with Him again, whatever your calling or vocation may be on this earth!

By the way, 'walking with God' means 'walking alongside Him, traveling with Him (hand in hand), and following Him continually'.

In Genesis 5:24, the Bible says, '... Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him'. Very interestingly, this name 'Enoch' ('khanoke' in Hebrew) means 'dedicated', from the word 'khawnak', which can mean 'to dedicate, to consecrate, to train up (i.e. to prepare for something)'. As you can see here, Enoch was a good example of someone who had dedicated himself to walk with God all through his life on earth (until the day God 'took him up'). In short, his walk was a dedicated walk.

Hebrews 11:5 says, 'By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him" ; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God'. 

The word 'pleased God' here has been misunderstood by many. It is 'euarestos' in Greek, which actually means 'to be fully agreeable with God (and His ways)'. Indeed, His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). As you can see here, the writer of Hebrews 11:5 meant 'Enoch was fully agreeable with God (and His ways)'. This, my friend, is the essence of a genuine and fulfilling walk with God. 

'Enoch' here is also a 'typology' of 'God's people (you and I) awaiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). We are the 'bride', and He is the 'bridegroom' (Revelation 21:9-11, Revelation 22:16-17). And as we await for that glorious day of His coming, let us all also 'continue to walk with Him' (Galatians 5:16-18) and 'keep (wearing) His (holy and righteous) garments' (Revelation 16:15), bringing glory to God till the very end. Amen!