Let your spiritual eyes be opened to see!

As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we want to declare that Jesus is alive! Hallelujah! 

Let's go all the way to Luke 24 now. 

On the third day after Jesus was crucified and buried, very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 

As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what He told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that He would rise again on the third day." 

It was then that these women remembered what Jesus had said before. 

They then rushed back to tell the disciples of Jesus what had happened. But the disciples didn't believe them. However, Peter ran straight to Jesus' tomb to check it out himself. True enough, Jesus wasn't there anymore. 

That same day, two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along, they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus suddenly came and began walking with them. They didn't realize it was Jesus walking with them. 

Then Jesus asked them, "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days." 

You see, they were talking about what had happened to Jesus, and how the priests and the religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, and handed Jesus over to be crucified. 

Jesus then said to them, "You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?" Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 

By the time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey, they begged Jesus, "Stay the night with us, since it is getting late." So He went home with them. As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him!

The moment Jesus broke the bread and gave the bread to them, that was when their spiritual eyes were opened. This is a 'picture' of His body broken and His blood shed for you on the cross to set you free. Free from whatever bondage that the world has bound you. Free from whatever bondage that the devil has bound you. 

So beloved of God, never lose focus on what Jesus has done for you on the cross. Keep looking to Him, the Author and the Finisher of your faith. He died, He rose again on the third day, and He is now sitting in the heavenly places together with God the Father. 

The two from Emmaus then told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized Him as He was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus suddenly stood among all of them! 

Jesus then opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem. 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.' You are witnesses of all these things." 

Beloved of God, this message is still being preached today, bringing hope to many lives all over the world. Hallelujah! 

In cross-reference, Ephesians 1:17-18 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... '

What exactly is the meaning of 'the eyes of your understanding being enlightened'? It can be translated as 'the eyes of your heart being enlightened', or it can be translated as 'your spiritual eyes being enlightened'. 

Let's refer back to the two who were walking to the village of Emmaus. Their spiritual eyes were opened. The eyes of their hearts were opened. They began to see what Jesus wanted them to see. They began to understand what Jesus wanted them to understand. 

So it is the same with us as believers of Christ today. He is opening our spiritual eyes right now. He is enlightening the eyes of our understanding to see what He wants us to see, and to understand the many things that He wants us to understand; the things that the world can never understand. 

Let us pray:

"O Lord God, we thank You for the revelation of who You are in our lives. Let our spiritual eyes be continuously opened to see the many things that You want us to see. We have this assurance inside of us that You are the Lord, the One who is above all principalities and powers in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm. We have this revelation that we are strong in the power of Your might. Therefore, we do not fear, and we will not be affected, whatever happens in this world. Because we know we can always look to You and count on You. Our hope is in You. Our life is in You. All that we need in life is found in You. Amen." 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Let your eyes of understanding be enlightened!

Words from the Lord:

"Be set free from confusion! Be set free from anxiety! Be set free from discouragement! For many of My people, the enemy has been trying to cause confusion, anxiety and discouragement. The enemy has been trying to contaminate My vision and My plan for each of My people."

"This is your time to receive My power to set you free and to break free! Break free from those strongholds of the enemy! Break free from those deceptions of the enemy! Look to Me! For I am enlightening the spiritual eyes of many of My people! My vision in your life is going to be made clear! My plan for your life is going to be made clear!"

If you have been going through a time of confusion regarding your life, or you have been confused about what you are to do in life, this message is for you. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) says, 'For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace...'

John 16:13 (NKJV) says, '...when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.'

John 14:26 (NKJV) says, 'But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.'

Take heart, because the Lord is setting you free from the spirit of confusion, and uprooting the seed of confusion that the enemy has been planting in your life. Remember, the Holy Spirit in you will know how to guide you into all truth and teach you all things, going forward. 

If you have been going through a time of anxiety, and even for no reason you have been feeling rather anxious about your life or your future, this message is for you too. 

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) says, 'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.'

Psalm 94:18-19 (NKJV) says, 'If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.'

Take heart, because the Lord is setting you free from any form of anxiety right now. Receive the shalom peace of the Lord, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind. Amen!

If you have been feeling rather discouraged recently, and you just couldn't seem to get out of discouragement no matter how you try, this message is for you as well.

Joshua 1:9 (NLT) says, 'This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) says, 'Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.'

John 16:33 (NKJV) says, 'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'

Take heart, because the Lord is in the midst of uprooting every seed of discouragement in your life. Be open to Him. He is releasing His divine encouragement upon you right now. Receive by faith. 

Beloved of God, whatever vision and plan of the Lord in your life cannot and should not be 'hijacked' or 'contaminated' by the enemy. Therefore, this is an important time to ask the Lord to enlighten your spiritual eyes - to see what He sees and how He sees.

Ephesians 1:17-20 (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 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...'

You will not see what the enemy wants you to see regarding your life and situation at the moment. Instead, you will see what God sees and how God sees. God wants you to see His vision and plan for your life is now made clear! God wants you to see His mighty power which He worked in Christ is now setting you free from every lie and deception of the enemy! God wants you to see in Him, you will have what it takes to rise above and triumph, no matter what the enemy throws at you! God wants you to see how rich you are and how rich is your inheritance in Him! God wants you to see His wisdom and revelation is continuously flowing in your life! 

Claim all these promises of God for your life as written in Ephesians 1:17-20, and you will begin to see God turning the tide for you and turning things around for your good. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Spiritual eyes being opened to see

The Lord spoke these words:
"For I am in the midst of clearing the spiritual blindness in many! Many who could not 'see' shall begin to 'see'! Seeing what I've been doing in their midst! Because their eyes of understanding has been enlightened!"

In Ephesians 1:17-19, Paul wrote, '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'. The word 'enlightened' here is 'photizo' in Greek, literally meaning 'to be made to see'.

In the physical realm, in order to see, there's got to be light. Imagine you are in a pitch-black enclosed room with a thick curtain. No matter how good the physical condition of your eyes may be, it's useless when there's no light. You can't see a thing! It is the same with the spiritual realm and your spiritual eyes. That's why David wrote in Psalm 36:9, 'In Your light we see light'. There's got to be His light for you to see with your spiritual eyes! That's why many unbelievers whose hearts are not open to Him may read the Bible, but they just can't 'see' what God is saying! In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life."

People of God, the key chapters to read at the moment are John chapters 8 and 9. Interestingly, John chapter 8 is about the Pharisees who couldn't 'see', and after John chapter 8, is John chapter 9 that talks about how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man. I believe there's no coincidence in the Bible, and there's no coincidence why Jesus said what He said, and why Jesus was at where He was. Everything happened for a reason in the dispensation of His time on earth. Jesus was always at the right time and right place, all the time. You see, when His time wasn't up yet to be crucified, no matter how people tried to kill Him, they just couldn't!

Now, who then were the Pharisees those days? They were an influential religious sect within Judaism, mostly made up of leaders of synagogues and affluent laymen, holding important positions with decision-making powers. They emphasized men's tradition in addition to the written Law, and taught that all Jews should observe all 600-plus laws in the Torah. Men's traditions were added to God's laws, and given equal emphasis as God's laws. Jesus called them hypocrites, because they taught man-made rules/traditions that they themselves could not follow (see Mark 7:6-7). 

And when the 'light' came, they just couldn't 'see'! That is the gist of what John chapter 8 is all about! In fact, John chapter 8 ends with verse 59 that says, 'Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by'. 

The very next verse is John 9:1-2 that says, 'Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth, and His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"' In John 9:3-5, Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 

John 9:6-7 then says, 'When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing'.

Reading John chapter 9 in the context of the previous chapter (John chapter 8), it is clear that Jesus wasn't just opening the man's physical eyes, but He was also giving a message that blindness in spiritual eyes can only be opened when we are open to His light! 'Saliva' here speaks of 'Word and Spirit from the mouth of God', whereas 'clay' speaks of 'we humans'. And the statement "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" speaks of 'we being open and look to the Sent One, i.e. Jesus'!

People of God, the good news is your time to 'see' has also come! Be open to His light, and let His light shine in your heart and soul right now. Let us not be like the Pharisees those days who 'rejected' this light. I pray that you'll 'see' what He's been doing in your life - Seeing the many good that He wants to do in your life! Seeing that you aren't too late yet, even if the enemy wants you to think so! Seeing that He understands and cares for that 'tricky' situation you are in right now! And seeing that your answer is on the way! In Jesus' name. Amen!

Keep building what God is building!

The Lord says these words to His people:
"Keep building what I've called you to build! Keep restoring what I've asked you to restore! Cease not! For My eye is upon you, and My hand is with you! This is your time to yield your eyes to Mine, and your hands to Mine! And nothing shall be able to stand before you!"

The key chapters to read in this time and season is Ezra chapters 3-7. In these chapters, the Scripture shows us how the Lord had moved His people to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, having been in Babylonian exile for seventy years. The writer (Ezra) narrated how Zerubbabel (the governor of Judah), Jeshua (the high priest), and the rest of the priests and Levites began this work of rebuilding, only to find themselves facing resistance from the adversaries (Ezra 4:1-5).

This part of the Scripture is actually prophetic of our times as believers in the New Covenant today. If those days, the Lord was building His temple; today, the Lord is building His people. The former is the 'shadow', and the latter is the 'substance'. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT) says, 'Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?' The word 'temple' here is 'naos' in Greek, and it simply means 'the dwelling place of God'. Indeed, you and I are 'the dwelling place of God'! 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) says, 'And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests...'

People of God, maybe in recent times you have grown tired of building what the Lord has begun in you. In fact, some of you are already on the verge of giving up. For some, it's because you haven't seen much fruit; and for some others, it's because you've grown tired in facing resistance from those naysayers. Whatever your reasons may be, the Lord is saying "Cease not!" Because the Lord who has begun the good work in you will continue His work until it is finally completed! (Philippians 1:6) He will give you new strategies! He will give you new resources! He will give you new strength! He will see to it that what He has begun in you, He will complete it, if you do not lose heart!

That was exactly what happened those days, as written in the book of Ezra. Interestingly, the name 'Ezra' (which is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word 'Ezer') means 'The Lord helps'. Indeed, in the midst of resistance from the enemies (who tried to frustrate and discourage God's people), the Lord's help was evident, and the Lord's eye was with them. Ezra 5:5 (NKJV) says, 'But the eye of their God was upon them, so that the enemies could not make them cease...' Not only that, the Lord also sent prophets Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo to prophesy to them in order to edify them. And the prophets were with them, helping them as well! (Ezra 5:1-2)

The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'fountain, favor, presence'. In other words, the Lord's fountain of living waters (speaks of 'the Spirit of the Lord') was upon them, flowing in (and through) them! As a result, they never ran short of wisdom and revelation to complete the Lord's work! Of course, the Lord's favor was with them, and the Lord's presence was with them too! Now, how could they fail? Later on, the Lord even raised up a King Darius to issue a decree to let the temple be rebuilt and be firmly laid, with all expenses paid from the king's treasury! (Ezra 6:3-5)

People of God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible says you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He has prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord's eye ('ayin') is upon you, and His Spirit is flowing in (and through) you too! Be open and let Him. And just as the temple in Ezra's days was successfully completed, every good work that the Lord has begun in you will also be successfully completed! Receive these prophetic words into your life today! In Jesus' name. Amen!

Let the Lord guide you with His eye

Psalm 32:8 (NKJV): I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew, literally meaning 'eye (to see)', or in picture form, 'like a fountain in a landscape'. A fountain is usually the 'centerpiece' of a garden, and it is where you see water gushing out. This very word 'ayin' interestingly speaks of 'the living water gushing out to water the surrounding area, effectively turning desert into garden'.

And with this 'eye' of the Lord, you will see what He sees, and what He wants you to see! This is therefore a crucial time to let His eyes be upon your eyes, and let the Spirit of the Lord enlighten your spiritual eyes of understanding, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling in your life, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in your life, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward you who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19).

The Hebrew number attached to 'ayin' is the number seventy (70), and this number speaks of 'God's Spirit, God's insight'. To have 'insight', by the way, is to have 'a clear, deep understanding of things'. In other words, you will suddenly 'see' the many things (of God) that you couldn't 'see' in the past.

I heard these words from the Lord recently:

"This is a season of visions and dreams! Watch how I will guide you, teach you, and speak to you in visions and dreams! Take heed, and you will see good success! For this is the season I am opening your eyes, and you shall see!"

When I heard these words, I knew the Lord wasn't just saying this is a season of visions and dreams in the general sense for the entire end-time, but He was saying God's people are entering a crucial season of seeing visions and dreams, a 'kairos' time, when the window of heaven is opened wide, and His light is shining right into God's people's eyes of understanding in very special ways. There will be new visions birthed. There will be new dreams birthed. There will be new hope birthed. There will be new horizons to be crossed. And when God's people take heed what they 'see', they will begin walking into new authority and fresh anointing given them.

The key psalm to read in this time and season is Psalm 32. This psalm written by David begins with acknowledging one's sins, and knowing that one is forgiven. See Psalm 32:1-5. We can hide our darkest sin from our loved ones, our family, or our friends. But we cannot hide it from Him. Since we cannot hide it from Him, might as well we acknowledge it. David wrote about the joy when one knows he has been forgiven. It begins with you acknowledging your sins. Friends, here holds the key to turn your life from drought to rain, from disappointments into new appointments.

In Psalm 32:9, David wrote further, 'Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you'. A 'harness' is put on the horse to drive it (and control it), a 'bit' is placed on the horse's mouth to assist the rider in communicating with the animal, and a 'bridle' is a piece of headgear used to direct the horse. This verse can be interpreted as 'we should take counsel and advice from the Lord, and be ready to obey and heed (hear and do) whatever His wisdom says, instead of waiting till we get 'chastened' the way the rider does to the horse!

David wrapped this psalm up beautifully in Psalm 32:10-11, 'Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!' 

Indeed, let His light visit you now, and let Him shine right into the darkest parts of your life and set you free! Set free to see Him giving you new visions and new dreams! Set free to see yourself walking in new authority and fresh anointing! Set free to walk into good success, and to see many good days ahead of you! In Jesus' name. Amen!