Words from the Lord: "God is turning things around from crisis to clarity!"

God wants to tell you this:

"This is the month I am turning your confusion to clarity, and your crisis to breakthrough! What is 'gloomy' and 'grey' shall be turned to 'blue skies'! Do not lose heart therefore, for I, the Lord, am still working behind the scenes, and even in ways that you know not of yet." 

God says further:

"Look to Me and keep trusting in My plans and destiny for you. Do not look at those crises and confusion, but look to Me who is Sovereign and Almighty. For I am the Lord your God, and there is no other." 

In Isaiah 45:22, the Lord says, "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." 

The word 'saved' here is 'yasha' in Hebrew. This word has a broad meaning. It can mean 'delivered, rescued, helped, preserved, defended, avenged, set free'. 

Beloved of God, as you look to Him, He will know how to deliver you, rescue you, help you, preserve you, defend you, avenge for you, and set you free! 

The word 'crisis' can mean 'an unstable, dangerous, difficult, or crucial situation that one is facing'. 'Crisis' can also mean 'a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in one's life'. 

Maybe you too are facing a crisis at the moment, or maybe you are in a state of confusion about a situation, not knowing what is happening and not knowing what to do. Take heart. The Lord your God is not dead. He is still very much alive in your situation. He is saying to you that He is visiting you right now. He will know how to bring clarity to you. Many things will become much clearer. And He will know how to give you the breakthrough that you need.

Your part is to keep trusting Him and keep looking to Him, and have patience. Endure. Persevere. Do not give up. 

The word 'clarity' can have three major meanings: 

1. Being free from any form of confusion or ambiguity.

2. Clearness as to the understanding or perception of certain matters. 

3. The state of being clear in one's spiritual eyes of understanding.

Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV) says, 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.' 

Let this power of God fill you right now. Let this power of God set you free from whatever crisis, confusion, or limitation that the devil (or the enemy) puts against you!

One example in the Scripture is in the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis.

In Genesis 39, Joseph was sold by his own brothers, and he was taken to Egypt to become a slave. Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites. Joseph was then falsely accused of seducing Potiphar's wife, and was thrown into the prison!

In other words, it was a crisis for Joseph. He was also probably in a state of confusion as to why all this happened to him. 

Maybe you too are in a situation where there's just no breakthrough in sight. You just cannot see any form of breakthrough in your life at the moment. You feel bound. You feel limited. It's like as if there's a 'lid' over your head. You cannot break that 'ceiling'. You are bound by the limitations that people around you (or the enemy) put against you, and you are now feeling trapped. 

Whatever it may be, be encouraged, because your help is at hand. The Lord is here. The Lord is here to 'yasha' you. To save you. To deliver you. To rescue you. Yes, even to avenge for you. As long as your heart draws near to the Lord who is Almighty and All-knowing, you need not fear. 

In Genesis 40, in spite of all the external 'darkness' in the prison that Joseph experienced, Joseph continued to walk with God. Even though in the physical realm, he was imprisoned, but in the spiritual realm, God was doing something in his life. God was working behind the scenes. God was preparing Joseph for something greater!

One day, when Pharaoh's butler and baker had dreams that bothered them greatly, Joseph was able to interpret their dreams. You see, God can open doors for you in ways that you cannot imagine yet. And that's what happened to Joseph! 

Fast forward two years later, when Pharaoh himself had a dream and a subsequent dream, and no one could interpret those dreams, that same butler remembered Joseph. The butler told Pharaoh about Joseph, and Joseph successfully interpreted Pharaoh's dreams. 

You see, Joseph had a spiritual understanding and perception that no one else in Egypt had. Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord!

Genesis 41:37-39 (NKJV) says, 'So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you."' 

Joseph knew it's not him. It's God. It's God who worked in him. It's by the Spirit of the Lord. Pharaoh then promoted Joseph to be second only to himself over all of Egypt. The unthinkable happened! From a slave to become a prime minister! From crisis to breakthrough! From confusion to clarity!

The same it is for you. God's plan be accomplished for you! God's purpose be accomplished for you! God's destiny be accomplished for you! God's will be done for you! 

Declare by faith that you are set free! Lift up your hands towards God, and declare that your 'yasha' is at hand! You are being set free! You are being delivered! The Lord's help has come! You are free from any 'limitation' or 'bondage' set by the enemy against you! You are free from any form of confusion or crisis that the enemy has caused you to be in! You are free to be who God wants you to be! You are free to walk into your breakthrough and victory, going forward! Hallelujah!

I declare by faith that God has taken away all those 'gloominess' around you! God has given you the clarity! God's light has come, and this light is now shining upon you! Amen! 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Watch this if you are feeling worthless or defeated!

What does the Lord say for this time?

The Lord has not forgotten you! The Lord has a destiny for you! And He wants you to fulfill that destiny, no matter what has happened in your past, or no matter how terrible your past may be!

We are going to look at the life and ministry of someone called Jephthah in the Book of Judges. Here, we'll see that the Lord remembered him and has a destiny for him, despite his broken past or upbringing.

Judges 11:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. Gilead's wife bore sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to Jephthah, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman."'

You see over here that Jephthah was being driven out from his own household. Why? Simply because his half-brothers didn't accept him due to him being a son of a harlot. In other words, he was considered by his half-brothers as illegitimate child. They were judging Jephthah based on his background, even though this wasn't even his fault! 

But I tell you what, beloved, the Lord your God doesn't judge you based on all these! The Lord your God understands everything that you have gone through. He understands your background. He understands whatever trauma, trouble, or shame that you may have gone through in your past. And He is here to deliver you and set you free! 

So today is a day of deliverance for you! Today is a day you are being set free! 

By the way, interestingly, the name 'Jephthah', which is 'Yif-tawkh' in Hebrew, means 'He will open, or He will release.' This shows that the Lord your God can open a way for you in spite of your broken past, whatever your past may be. Maybe it's a broken family. Maybe it's a broken childhood. Maybe rejection from people. Maybe it's a past mistake or mistakes that you have made. Maybe it's a past regret. Whatever it may be, none of these will be able to hinder the Lord from opening a way for your life, and to show you His kindness and goodness! 

So, will you surrender your situation before the Lord? Whatever your situation may be! Nothing is impossible to Him. He can turn things around for you. Remember this today: The Lord has not forgotten you! The Lord remembers you! And the Lord is here to deliver you, set you free, and open a way for you! Now, that's what 'Jephthah' means! 

Back to the meaning of 'Jephthah' here. Not only will the Lord open a way for you, the Lord will also release you and set you free! This name 'Jephthah' also shows that the Lord your God can release you from your past bondage, past shame, or even past trauma in your life! He can give you a new lease of life! And He can give you the victory and breakthrough in your life! Your part is to look to Him and trust in Him. 

There's nothing that is accidental in the Bible. Everything that's written in the Bible, there's a reason that God puts it there. And over here, you see that 'Jephthah' means 'He will open, or He will release.' Now it is the same with you. He will open a way for you. He will release you and set you free from your past, whatever your past may be. And this is your God! This is a God who is kind and who is good to you. You've got to remember this always. You've got to believe, and you shall receive, that the Lord is kind, and the Lord is good to you. Amen! 

And you can see here in Judges 11:3 (NKJV) that says, 'Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob.' Now, interestingly, the word 'Tob' means 'Good'. It means the Lord wanted to show a way for Jephthah, and the Lord wanted to show goodness and kindness to him. In other words, the Lord was in the process of preparing something good for him! Now, of course geographically speaking, Tob was actually a real place at the east side of the Jordan River. But 'Tob' means 'Good' too!

So you see, the Lord will know how to lead you into something good, even though you may not initially understand why certain things happened in your life, especially those not-so-good things. 

I continue with Judges 11:3 (NKJV), 'And worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.' Now, a lot of people interpret this part as Jephthah mixing with gangsters and doing all those gangsters' work. I don't think so. So, who were these 'worthless men'? If you study the original word for this word 'worthless' here, you would see that these men were not necessarily criminals, bandits, or robbers. They were simply a group of outcast and worthless people in the eyes of the world. But to God, Jephthah and these people were not worthless. They might be poor or without much possessions; but they were not necessarily criminals. In fact, they were probably fighting against invaders into that land, or protecting some families in that land. 

Judges 11:4-5 (NKJV) then says, 'It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob.' 

In other words, when the people were in trouble those days, only then they thought of Jephthah and looked for Jephthah. Remember, these were the very people who rejected Jephthah in the past. 

For some of you, maybe you too have been rejected, shunned, or despised before in the past. Take heart. Surrender your situation to the Lord. Forgive yourself. Forgive those who have rejected you, shunned you, or despised you. Look to the Lord. The Lord has a plan for you. The Lord has a destiny for you. And the Lord remembers you. He is going to cause everything to turn out for good to you.

And that's exactly what happened for Jephthah. 

Judges 11:6 (NKJV) says, 'Then they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon."' What a turnaround! They even invited Jephthah to be their leader! Maybe because they were desperate, and they knew no one could help them and deliver them the way Jephthah could. 

Let's look at Jephthah's answer. Judges 11:7 (NKJV) says, 'So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and expel me from my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?"' Here, Jephthah was just saying the fact. 

Did Jephthah forgive them and accept this offer? 

Let's read further. 

Judges 11:11 (NKJV) says, 'Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them...' 

So the answer is Yes. Jephthah forgave them, and he went on to be their leader. I mean he could have continued in his bitterness and this was a chance for him to exact revenge against the very people who rejected him earlier. But you see here, Jephthah has a big heart, and he has a heart for God. He wanted to see his people being delivered from the enemies. 

You see here that there was actually a proper closure. There was a forgiveness. There was a release. And the Lord gave Jephthah a new lease of life. This was also a time when Jephthah was about to be raised up by the Lord to be a deliverer for the whole nation. He was rejected by his own people, but now the Lord raised him up to be the deliverer of the very people who rejected him in the past! 

And you know what? The rest is history. The Spirit of the Lord was with Jephthah, and he (and the people of the Lord those days) went on to defeat the people of Ammon!

Hallelujah!

People of God, in the name of Jesus, there's a release of anointing right now to set you free from whatever that has caused you to be in a bondage, or whatever that has oppressed you or suppressed you. Be set free! Be released to walk in your God-given destiny, going forward!

And this year, you are going to walk in His destiny for your life! This is a year of a fresh new start in your life! This is a year you are going to advance and move forward in your life! I declare this upon you, in the name of Jesus!

Let us pray: 

"O Lord God, we do not want to be bound by the past brokenness and bitterness. We receive Your anointing right now to advance and to move forward in life. We receive Your anointing right now to have a fresh new start. Like Jephthah in the Scripture, we can forgive and we can let go, whatever happened in our past. This year is a year of destiny for us. This year is a year to advance and to move forward. And of course this year is a year of victory and breakthrough for us. In the name of Jesus. Amen."

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Fulfilling your God-given destiny

The Lord spoke these words:
"Rejoice! Again I say rejoice! If I have given you a destiny, no one can take it away from you! But you've got to look to Me, not to man! Choose to look to My wisdom, instead of the wisdom of man. Choose to walk in My ways and timing, instead of the ways of this world."

The word 'destiny' in English is derived from the Latin word 'destinare', which can mean 'to establish, to appoint, to make firm, to put in place'. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (Amplified Bible) says, 'For God has not destined us to (incur His) wrath (that is, He did not select us to condemn us), but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ'. This verse speaks of our general destiny as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

But how about our specific God-given destiny for each of us? The Scripture has many verses to show us that the Lord has indeed established us, appointed us, and put in place a specific destiny for each one of us. No two persons are exactly the same. Each one of us is unique and special in our own God-given ways. Ecclesiastes 6:10 (NLT) says, 'Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny'.

The good news is His destiny for each one of us is always the best-suited one, simply because He knows each one of us inside-out, more than we know ourselves. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) says, 'For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'. Our part is simply to heed Him and follow His ways (and timing)!

Let's look at David's life now, and we shall see as long as he heeded the Lord and followed His ways (and timing), no one could take away the destiny God had given him! Proverbs 16:20 (NIV) says, 'Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord'.

It all began when the Lord spoke to prophet Samuel to anoint someone from among the sons of Jesse as king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:1 (NLT) says, 'Now the Lord said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king."' Soon, Samuel found David as the one he was to anoint, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. And David was only fifteen years old at that time.

However, if you look at the Scripture, it took many more years before David eventually became king. After Saul died a tragic death (1 Samuel 31:1-10), David was installed as king not long after, but only as the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-4). He was thirty years old at that time, about fifteen years after prophet Samuel anointed him. Through those years, it was a time of preparation for David, and even a test of faith and patience for David.

Even then, this wasn't exactly the fulfillment of his God-given destiny, because he only became king of Judah, but not yet king of Israel. And the reason why David was not yet installed as king of Israel was Abner (commander of Saul's army, who was also a cousin of Saul). Abner knew God had designated David as the next king of Israel, and so did the people of Israel those days. But out of his own self-interest, he installed Ishbosheth (a son of Saul) as king of Israel instead! (2 Samuel 2:8-11) With that, Abner became the 'brain' behind Ishbosheth, who was merely a puppet-king. Abner then challenged the servants of David to a fight; and a long, exhausting war between the house of Israel and the house of Judah ensued (2 Samuel 2:12-17). But as years went by, the house of Judah (under David) grew stronger and stronger, whereas the house of Israel (under Ishbosheth, who was a 'puppet' of Abner) grew weaker and weaker (2 Samuel 3:1).

Very interestingly, through those years (when Abner stopped David from becoming king of Israel), David did not oppose and react against Abner who installed Ishbosheth as king of Israel. Why? Because he understood it is the Lord who holds one's destiny, not man. If it wasn't his time yet, then so be it! Furthermore, David had made a promise never to cut off Saul's descendants. Therefore, he would not (by any means) remove Ishbosheth as king of Israel, whether through subtle ways or by force.

As you can see here, David learned to wait on the Lord, and he chose to walk in God's ways (and timing), not man's ways (and timing). Some seven years later, things turned around when Abner was killed, and Ishbosheth too was killed (2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 4:5-7). David's time eventually came, and he reigned over all of Israel and Judah from then on (2 Samuel 5:1-5), ushering in what historians call as 'the golden age' of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah.

As David reminisced in his old age, he wrote Psalm 37. In verse 4 of that psalm, he wrote, 'Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart'; and in verse 23, he wrote, 'The steps of a good man are ordered (appointed, directed, established) by the Lord, and He delights in his way'. 

The word 'delight' in verse 4 is 'awnag' in Hebrew, and in this context, it means 'to be soft (before the Lord), to be pliable (before the Lord), to be easily bended (before the Lord)'. The opposite of this word 'delight', by the way, is 'blame, a hardened heart'. Now, here's the secret to David fulfilling his God-given destiny: David had learned to be soft, pliable, and easily bended before the Lord! 

Not only that, David had learned to be patient, instead of blaming and complaining! He chose to believe there's still justice on earth, because his God's not dead! He knew God would eventually turn the tables on the wicked, and true enough, God did! The truth is God had never forgotten what He had spoken about him through the prophet Samuel!

People of God, like David (whose name means 'beloved'), you too are God's beloved. Do not lose heart therefore if what God had spoken to you (about your destiny) seems so far-fetched at the moment. The truth is He hasn't forgotten you, and He hasn't forgotten His destiny and 'appointments' for you on earth. Never mind if things look impossible at the moment. Never mind if you think you have recently missed your opportunity. Look to Him, and return to His ways. Trust in His perfect wisdom and timing for your life! And just as happened to David, God will know how to turn things around for you too, even in ways you cannot imagine yet. Your waiting time will soon be over. In His time, He will make all things beautiful. Amen!

You have a God-given destiny, and He hasn't forgotten it!

I had a dream recently. In the dream, I was in a troop (looking like a military unit), and I belonged to that particular troop. We were facing and warring against another troop, which belonged to the enemy. There were times we did some experiments in our laboratory, made mistakes, 'bombed', and as a consequence, our own laboratory and belongings were burned. It really did look foolish on our part. We were suffering losses, and were actually heading for a defeat. However, in the end, somehow we prevailed and had our victory. How we won, I didn't know. The dream ended there.

As I woke up from the dream, I was encouraged by the fact that in spite of the weaknesses (and foolishness) we had, we somehow prevailed and had our victory in the end!

And that's when I heard the Lord speak:

"Tell and remind My people that they are a people of destiny! They may have 'bombed' it at times, they may have stumbled, and even fallen down at times; but I will teach them to complete the race till the end! I am a God who has the final say!"

I then heard further:

"This is a time to receive a new strength to walk and keep walking in your God-given destiny!"

People of God, we are living in the end of days, and the spiritual war in these last days are real. The enemy is all-out to steal, kill and destroy God's destiny, calling, and vision for your life. And his aim is to rob you of your inheritance in God. But the truth is he will never prevail against you, if you don't give in. 

In Philippians 1:6, the apostle Paul wrote, 'Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ'. Just as 'when God opens a door, no man can shut', and 'if a promotion comes from the Lord, no one can take it away'; it is the same with God's destiny for your life! If God has started it, no one can stop it!

What, then, is the meaning of 'destiny'? It simply means 'the future (or events) of a person that has been planned and purposed by the Lord'. Psalm 139:16 (NCV) says, '...All the days planned for me were written in Your book before I was one day old'. And Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV) says, 'How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You'. You know what? You are precious, and special in God's eyes! And your life isn't an accident! You have a destiny, one that only you can walk in it!

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, 'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago'. You see? You are not just a face in the crowd, or a number among the billions on earth! You are God's masterpiece, made anew in Christ Jesus, so that you will fulfill all that God has planned for your life!

Psalm 37:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied'. The expression 'the days' here are 'yowm' in Hebrew, which can mean 'chronicles (a record of the events in one's life); the destiny in one's life'! I can therefore say the Lord knows the destiny of His righteous, and you (the righteous) shall never be ashamed in these last days!

Now that you know He has a destiny for you, some of you may ask, "How do I begin walking in my God-given destiny?"

Psalm 37:3-4 (NKJV) says, 'Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart'. 

The word 'delight' here is 'awnag' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to be happy with; to be soft (to be pliable, or easily bent)'. At the time of writing this psalm, David had seen life long enough (Psalm 37:25), and he concluded that no matter what had happened (in and around your life), keep putting your trust in the Lord and learn to 'be happy with' the Lord!

Have you ever asked what is the opposite of the word 'delight' in this verse? I did! I have sought the Lord, and I shall give you the answer now. The answer is 'blame'! In other words, blaming self, blaming God, or blaming others, for whatever that had happened to you! What then is the opposite of the word 'soft'? The answer, of course, is 'hard'! In other words, being hard on self, hard on God, or hard on others! 

When you learn to stop the 'blame', and stop 'being hard', that's when you'll also see how good the Lord is, and how much He wants to give you the desires of your heart! You can't worship Him and trust Him with a blaming, hardened heart, can you? But when you delight yourself in the Lord and soften your heart before Him in worship, that's when you'll also see God's destiny and your heart's desires meet!

So, beloved of God, whatever had happened in your past, let not your heart be discouraged, and never compare with others. All is not lost, and it's never too late yet! He can redeem your lost time! To Him, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day! What man can achieve in a thousand years, God can accomplish it within a day! If you have 'stumbled', 'fallen', 'bombed', made mistakes in life, or even missed an opportunity along the way, the Lord wants you to know that He hasn't forgotten you! Psalm 37:24 (NKJV) says, 'Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand'. I am not encouraging you to make foolish mistakes (or to sin), but if somehow you have fallen into it (and you feel real bad about it), stop condemning yourself any further, turn over a new leaf, and let the Lord lift you up again! 

Don't dwell in that self-pity or 'blame-game' any longer! This is YOUR time! There's an anointing being released to you right now! Take it! Receive it! Old things have passed away, and all things have become new! This is your time to receive a new strength to start walking in your God-given destiny! This is your time to declare that 'you will rise up stronger'! Yes, stronger than ever before! With God, you can! In Jesus' name! Amen!

Little by little, one step at a time

Isaiah 28:10 (NKJV): "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."

The word 'precept' in this verse is 'tsav' in Hebrew, which can mean 'guidance, command, or order'. That's how God leads, teaches, and guides His people - little by little, guidance by guidance, command by command, order by order, and line upon line.

Recently, the Lord spoke these words, "Little by little, one step at a time." He also said, "Let not My people be overwhelmed!" And that's when I opened the dictionary to see what exactly 'being overwhelmed' is defined as! The Oxford Dictionary defines it this way: 'being overcome or being overpowered by force of numbers or quantity'.

How many of you are 'overwhelmed' by the enormity of your 'task' ahead? Or you are 'overwhelmed' by something 'big' that you are going to do this year. Maybe it's a 'calling', a prophecy, a dream, or a vision you have received recently, and you know it's from the Lord. Or it's a new phase in your life this year! But yet, you have no idea how it's going to happen, or how you are going to 'achieve' it. It also seems naturally impossible anyway, considering the 'limited' resources you have at the moment!

So, the big question here is:
"How in the world am I going to see all these come to pass?"

Look now at Moses, Joshua, and Paul in the Bible. All these men likewise had seemingly impossible 'tasks' and 'callings', but God somehow did it through them! And it's by His ability, not theirs.

Moses:
'He was to go to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh to let God's people go'.

But the problem was he had no idea how he's going to do it! In fact, he thought it was impossible! He said, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11). He also said, "... but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." (Exodus 4:10). But then God said, "Who has made man's mouth? ... Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." (Exodus 4:11-12)

What Moses needed to do was to listen to God's specific instruction, and then speak forth or raise the rod accordingly! And that's how the waters turned into blood, the frogs came, the lice came, etc, and all the way till the Red Sea opened! So, it really wasn't Moses' part to figure out, say, how the frogs were to come (or how was he going to get or buy that many frogs?), but the frogs did come! That was God's part! And God's ways are always beyond man's ways. Moses just needed to be a willing 'channel' for God's instructions, step by step, one step at a time!

Joshua:
'He was to face the wall of Jericho upon crossing the River Jordan and conquer the city'. 

But again, the problem was (as in Moses' case) he had no idea how the wall was going to come down! Again, it seemed quite humanly impossible for that to happen! And that's when he heard God's specific instruction to 'march around the city...' (Joshua 6:3-5). Again, 'God's specific instruction for a specific situation' was at work! Joshua didn't have to figure out how to 'knock the wall down' by his own ability or scientifically, but when he did according to what God has said, down came the wall! Again, that was God's part, not Joshua's! And that also marked the beginning of Joshua's successful conquest of Canaan, from the middle to the south, and then to the north, step by step, one step at a time!

Paul:
'He had an enormous 'calling' of reaching out to the whole Mediterranean world with the gospel of grace'.

And again, the problem was he had no idea how he's going to 'achieve' this 'calling' within the duration of his lifetime! It also seemed humanly impossible, considering there wasn't any facebook, twitter, skype, e-mail, mobile phones, telephone lines, etc, not even proper postmen at that time! But God did it through him, and amazingly within just a short twenty years!

According to Bible scholars, Paul was converted (on his way to Damascus) at about thirty, and martyred at about sixty years old. It means he only lived as a Christian for about thirty years. Within these thirty years, the first ten years was spent in preparation (with the last seven years under Barnabas) before he had his own apostolic team. So, this comes up to only about twenty years of 'real' ministry! And within these short twenty years, he wrote almost half of the books in the New Testament, went on all his missionary journeys, built disciples and churches, etc, and impacted the whole Mediterranean world! "How on earth did he do it?" Again, it's not his ability, but God's ability working through him! He's definitely a man who knew how to hear God in his spirit, and again, step by step, one step at a time!

"But pastor, you don't understand! Easier said than done. My situation is worse off!"

Now, who can be worse off than Paul? See the list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. It's a 'been there, done that' list. But yet, through all these testings and trials, Paul said he always remembered God's vision for him (2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Acts 26:19) and God's grace (ability) that is sufficient for him (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Point to note: It doesn't mean as a believer, there's no 'storm' in life. One cannot live in a fantasy. But when the 'storm' comes, you know He is the One who can calm the 'storm' for you. He is in you, and He cares for you (see Mark 4:35-41).

Paul also learned to let go of the past (the things behind him), and look forward (Philippians 3:13-14), and eventually, that's how he could say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness..." (2 Timothy 4:7-8) 

More often than not, a God-given 'destiny' or 'calling' is 'bigger' than the person himself/herself, and it looks humanly impossible to 'achieve'. So, if you think your 'task' ahead is too big for you, you are not alone. Just look at Moses, Joshua, and Paul. Today, God wants to show you that it's His ability, and not yours. You just need to be a willing 'channel'. In other words, it's by His grace (i.e. His ability to do for you what you cannot do by your own ability). Paul knew this very well, and he wrote, "Yet of myself I will not boast..." (2 Corinthians 12:5).

So, cast all your cares to Him, and rest in Him. Take one step at a time. Don't expect Him to reveal to you the next ten or twenty steps at one go. You may not be able to take that whole 'chunk' if He does that! More often than not, He'll only show you the next step. After your next step, He'll show you further step. That's how He works (Isaiah 28:9-10).

If many things have been happening, or are happening in and around you at the moment (e.g. new ventures, change of job, promotion in career, expansion in business, getting married, having baby, new phase in ministry, etc), don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Take one step at a time, little by little, step by step. Eventually, you'll reach where you should be (Philippians 1:6). How is it going to happen? I don't know. But God knows. And I know He'll open the way for you. Believe that He is able, trust in His wisdom to get 'it' done, and of course, keep looking to Him, the author and finisher of your faith. Amen.

Coming to 'nothingness' of self

Hebrew 11:6 (NKJV): But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

What does the word 'faith' means here? As I was doing my study, the Lord began to show me what it means, i.e. 'coming to nothingness of self/flesh'. It's about being in total reliance on Him (& not on our flesh or self-effort). It means when we 'come to nothingness of self/flesh', we allow ourselves to die to our own ability to 'achieve' our desires/goals. Instead, we look to His ability working in us (& through us). Paul put it aptly in Galatians 2:20 when he said, 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'

How about the words 'please Him' here? It is 'euaresteo' in Greek, from the word 'euarestos' which means 'fully agreeable'. So, Hebrews 11:6a can be understood this way: "But without coming to nothingness of self/flesh, it is impossible to be fully agreeable with Him." Being 'fully agreeable with Him' is to be 'in harmony with Him', or 'flowing with His will' for you, thus, allowing Him to bear fruit through you (in His way).

Let's look at the life of Moses now. For the first 40 years in his life, the Bible says he was 'learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians ('picture' of the world), and was mighty in words (eloquence in speech) and deeds'. But when he tried to 'deliver' the Israelites by his own hand (own way & effort), things went awry, and he had to flee to the land of Midian. Nothing significant seemed to happen after that, and it seemed like he has lost everything, including his God-given destiny!

And by the time God appeared to him 40 years on, he had nothing but a rod in his hand (Exodus 4:2), and even then, God asked him to cast it down on the ground! (Exodus 4:3) He had come to 'nothingness' of himself by then, and he even lost his eloquence of speech (Exodus 4:10), and just before that, he also said, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) You see, when he thought he had 'nothing left in him' anymore, that's when God thinks he's ready! God then said, "I AM WHO I AM"! He wanted Moses to know that 'HE IS', and He is able if he would let Him be!

When you come to a realization that 'you cannot by your own strength', that's when He can!

Beloved, maybe things have not seemed good for you recently, but because He is in you (& will never leave you nor forsake you), all things will work for good to you! (Romans 8:28) And of course you don't have to go through the 40 years Moses went through. But will you let go of your way & let Him have His way? Will you also let your 'seed' die & be buried? (like Moses cast his rod on the ground) And when the Lord begins to 'water' your seed, that's when it'll germinate, sprout, and bear fruit! Notice the 'rod' was never the same again when Moses was asked to pick it up. This 'seed' (or 'rod' in Moses' case) is a 'picture' of your calling & destiny in life. And the rest, of course, was history! Moses went on to fulfill his God-given destiny, by His leading & grace. Praise the Lord! And God can do likewise for yours too! Amen.

Inner change leads to outer change

It’s time to allow Him to change you in the area He wants you to change! And I’m talking about ‘inner’ change, i.e. a change in the ‘inside’ of you. Change in the ‘inside’ will lead to change in the ‘outside’! In other words, an ‘inner’ change will eventually lead to an ‘outer’ change! (be it in your career, ministry, family relationships, finance, or in any other area of your life)

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “With unveiled face (i.e. transparent, honest, putting away ‘mask’, uncovered before Him), beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed (i.e. changed) into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” So, the Bible says a true ‘inner’ change comes by consciously & continuously beholding Jesus (feeding from His Word) & by the works of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at Genesis 37 now. This man Joseph had a destiny, a big one. In fact, his name ‘Yowceph’ means ‘let him add, or increase more and more’ in Hebrew. To the Israelites, a name means everything to them, and more often than not, a name also carries each one’s character & destiny! So, as you can see, Joseph was meant to “increase more & more”! However, before he could be who God wanted him to be, an ‘inner change’ must take place in his life first! And unless this happens, his outward ‘expansion’ (i.e. promotion) would still remain a distant ‘dream’!

Here in Genesis 37, instead of ‘let him add’ or ‘more to more’, Joseph’s life actually went from ‘minus to minus’, from bad (Genesis 37:2-4) to worse (Genesis 37:18-20), and then worst (Genesis 37:27-28). Not enough by being a guy despised by his own brothers (& notorious for pulling down others with his words & bad reports), he was also thrown into a pit, and then sold as slave! And if that’s still not bad enough, Genesis 39:19-20 says he was also thrown into prison for a wrong he never committed! So, as you can see, his life went ‘down & down’ all the way, from his father’s ‘blue-eyed boy’ to a lonely, ‘stripped of everything’ prisoner in a land far away from home!

As some people say, “When you are down at its lowest, the only way now is up!” It was then that Joseph had a change of heart, an ‘inner’ change of character.

In Genesis 40, by the time Pharaoh’s butler and baker were thrown into the same prison as he was, Joseph was already a changed man. And now, instead of being indifferent & insensitive (the way he used to be with his brothers earlier), he showed genuine concern and care (Genesis 40:7) for the fellow prisoners! Not only that, he even helped them by taking time to explain their dreams! And you know what? The rest was history! Later on, this very same butler (whom he had helped) remembered him, when no one else could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41:8), and the very next moment, Joseph was elevated to be Egypt’s next prime minister! His ‘expansion’ has finally come! And guess what? He did ‘increase more and more’ since that day, & God’s destiny in his life eventually came to total fulfillment! (see Genesis 50) And all these began with a simple change of heart on his part!

Beloved, maybe you know you too have a God-given destiny, or a ‘dream’ that has yet to come to pass. But you have also been discouraged, and left wondering if those ‘dreams’ will ever come to pass in your lifetime. You may even wonder if God has already forgotten about it altogether! May you receive His divine encouragement now, because I believe all’s not lost yet, and it’s never too late for a change! If God can do it in Joseph’s life, he can do it for you too! I really believe so! In fact, all it takes now is your allowing it. Of course you don’t have to end up in prison (like Joseph did) to have a change of heart! But will you allow Him to change you? Will you allow Him to lovingly search your heart? How about those ‘hidden’ areas in your life that have been ‘clouded’ with ‘cobweb’? How about a certain weakness in your character? Will you allow His light to ‘pierce’ through? Will you also allow Him to bring you back to His original plan for your life? Will you allow those ‘dark clouds’ to be cast away by His light? When the ‘dark clouds’ are gone, what you have is ‘clarity’, even in your vision & destiny!

My sincere prayer for you is that you'll walk in all of God's destiny for you, and the good work that He has begun in you, by His grace, He shall bring it to full, flourishing completion! Be blessed!

Let go of the past 'baggage'!

"Let go of the 'baggage' of your past & be set free to start anew this new season!" I heard these words recently, and it has everything to do with your destiny!

The 'baggage' can be a certain person (or a group of persons), work, memory, backlog, etc of your past. Some of you may even need to be set free to enter into a new 'environment'. There'll be new friendships. There'll be new 'doors'. There'll be new 'opportunities'. Be open and flexible before the Lord. This is His time of re-positioning. This is His time of bringing you into a new season. And His ways are always higher than yours! (Isaiah 55:8-9) Have a 'hearing' & 'listening' heart. My prayer for you is you'll not miss your timing & season.

The 'baggage' may even be something good that you've had in the past season. Some may say, "But pastor, you don't understand, I can't let go!", or "But pastor, it's easier said than done!" But do you know there are people who may be in a new season, but not set free (from the past 'baggage') yet? This may hinder God's destiny for you to come to pass in the new season! The decision is yours. No doubt 'letting go' can be painful at times, and may not be easy. But if God says 'let go', you'd better 'let go'! There may even be some 'soul-ties' or 'emotional ties' that you need to 'let go of' as you enter a new season.

Let's learn a little from Abraham in the Bible. In Genesis 12:1, God clearly asked Abram (his name then) to 'let go' of certain things in order to step into His blessings & His destiny for him (see Genesis 12:2-3). What was it that he had to 'let go'? God said, "Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you". But Genesis 12:4 shows he didn't fully heed what God has said. Instead, he brought Lot (his nephew) along. This eventually caused lots of problems to Abraham (see Genesis 13:7, see Genesis 19:37-38 with 2 Chronicles 20:1), and you see, all those loads of problems could have been averted in the first place! He should only have brought along his wife (Sarai), and none other! "But, pastor, doesn't that sound cruel? Look, wasn't Abram doing the right thing by bringing along his nephew (Lot) whose father was already dead? He's just being a nice 'uncle'. After all, Abram's wife was barren and they were childless!". Sounds noble isn't it? But the big question is: "Did God say so?"

By the way, interestingly, the word 'Lot' actually means 'veil, or something that hinders', i.e. something that hinders/delays God's destiny/vision for your life. Someone with 'veiled eyes' is someone 'who can't see what God sees'. Look now at Genesis 13. There was a strife between Abram & Lot (over the issue of land & possession). A fatherly heart as Abram was, he even allowed Lot to choose the better place (a well-watered place) in order to end the strife (Genesis 13:7-12). And right after Abram had separated from Lot, God broke His silence and began speaking to Abram further about His destiny for him (Genesis 13:14-17). The 'veil' was 'lifted', the 'hindrance' was gone, and he was now 'set free' to walk in God's destiny/vision for him again. You know what? Not until Abram separated from Lot (let go of Lot) did God speak His destiny/vision to him again!

People of God, this is your time to 'let go' of your 'Lot' too (whatever that 'Lot' may be) if you want to hear further (or clearly) from Him & walk in His destiny again!

After you have entered a new season, don't look back! Move on as the Lord leads you. Don't be like Lot's wife. She looked back to her 'Sodom & Gomorrah', and as a consequence, became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). A 'pillar of salt' is like a 'statue'. It is 'stagnant'. It has no more 'movement'. It is 'not moving anymore'. Beloved, you've got to start looking forward & keep on moving! Leave the 'Sodom & Gomorrah' of your past behind. The word 'Sodom' actually means 'burnt/scorched, or volcanic (or some other turbulent) activities' in Hebrew, while the word 'Gomorrah' means 'a ruined heap'. In other words, don't look back to your past ruins, shame, 'volcanic activities', turbulence, etc. Look to Jesus. The 'veil' has already been 'torn' when Jesus died on the cross for you.

For every 'inch' of your 'Sodom & Gomorrah' that you let go, is every 'inch' of God's newness (& goodness) added to you!  

Step into His blessings!