Secrets to walking in divine appointments and lasting fruits

The Lord says: 

"I am setting up divine appointments for My people. For those who have been stagnant and couldn't see any headway, this is a time to watch how I am going to set up divine appointments that lead to breakthrough and lasting fruit." 

Jesus says in John 15:16, "You didn't choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name." 

See the words "I appointed you" and "lasting fruit" here? Who appointed you to produce lasting fruit? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself! So, it's not by your own striving or struggling, but by His appointment and His hand that opens the door for you to produce lasting fruit! 

The word 'appointed' here is 'tithemi' in Greek (according to Strong's Concordance), and it can mean any of these: 'placed, laid down, set up, established, purposed, destined'. In other words, He has placed you to be at the right time at the right place to produce lasting fruit, He has laid it down for you, He has set it up for you, He has established it for you, He has purposed it for you, and of course, He has destined it for you! 

But how can you walk in His divine appointment and produce lasting fruits? 

There are many examples in the Scripture on walking in divine appointments and having lasting fruits. But for today, let's go to Acts 10:1-2, 'In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.' 

As you can see here, Cornelius was someone who feared God and loved God. 

Acts 10:3-6 says, 'One afternoon about three o'clock, Cornelius had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" Cornelius asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore." 

Acts 10:7-8 says, 'As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.' 

Here, Cornelius had a visitation from an angel, and he obeyed all that the angel had spoken to him. So he sent these men to Joppa to look for Simon Peter, the apostle. 

Acts 10:9-16 says, 'The next day as Cornelius' messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." "No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean." But the voice spoke again, "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." Now the same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.' 

Peter was of course perplexed. He wondered what could that vision mean? Just then, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house, and standing outside the gate, they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there. Meanwhile, as Peter was still puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them."

You see? The angel spoke to Cornelius regarding Peter; and now, this voice from heaven spoke to Peter regarding someone he was about to meet, i.e. Cornelius! It matched! The divine appointment was about to take place! 

Acts 10:23-24 says, 'So Peter invited the men to stay for the night (even though they were strangers to him). The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa. They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was already waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.' 

And that was how Peter and Cornelius eventually met each other in person, and yes, by divine appointment! This appointment in turn led to lasting fruit and a major breakthrough for the Gentiles (the non-Jews), because it was also the beginning of the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit and be water baptized. 

What can we learn here? 

If the door is from the Lord, or is opened by the Lord, there will be lasting fruit! We don't have to artificially try to prise open the door or force open the door by means of persuasion, by striving, or by struggling for an open door. The Lord will know how to make things happen, and in His perfect timing.

Some may say, "Pastor, but this is regarding ministry." No, it's not just regarding ministry. Divine appointments can happen in every aspect of your life. There can also be divine appointments in your career, in your business, or in any area of your life as well. Indeed, this is the time to look to God and watch how He can set up divine appointments for you! 

Back to Acts chapter 10. When Peter came in to the house where Cornelius, his relatives and his close friends were, Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean." Now, Peter had this revelation, because the Lord had spoken to him personally. In other words, he came to Cornelius' house by revelation. As for Cornelius, he invited Peter according to what the angel had instructed him to do. Both did their part. And "Bang!" Something wonderful happened!

What can we learn from both Peter and Cornelius here?

They were responsive to what the Lord has spoken to them. They didn't hesitate. They obeyed what the Lord said (through the Holy Spirit or through an angel). And that's how they met. As a result, a major breakthrough happened! 

You see? One divine appointment led to one major breakthrough that changed the course of history. That was the beginning of the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit. As Peter was preaching to them, the Holy Spirit fell upon all of them who were listening. In fact, the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too! They even heard them praying in tongues! Peter then concluded that since these Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit, why shouldn't these Gentiles also be water baptized in the name of Jesus? And that's how Cornelius and those with him were also water baptized in the name of Jesus Christ on that day. The rest is history. It opened a new horizon for the Gentiles, and many more received Jesus Christ and were filled with the Holy Spirit since then! 

This is just one example of divine appointment that leads to lasting fruit. And you too can walk in this same pattern, i.e. walk in God's divine appointments that lead to lasting fruits in your life. 

So, what are the secrets? Actually these are open secrets. You can see the traits here, i.e. what caused this divine appointment to happen between Peter and Cornelius. 

Number One: Prayer and communing with God. 

Do not stop praying and communing with the Lord. Set aside your time for the Lord. Spend time with the Lord. Spend time in praise and worship before the Lord, read the Word of God, and pray in the spirit. The Lord will know how to speak to you, even as you yield to Him and surrender to Him. 

Number Two: Abiding in God. 

As you can see in John chapter 15, Jesus is the vine, and you are the branch. Without Him, you cannot bear fruits that last.

Number Three: Obeying God's instruction. 

Peter obeyed God's instruction without hesitation. The same it was with Cornelius. When the angel appeared to him, he obeyed the instruction of the angel to summon Peter from Joppa to his house in Caesarea. We can play our part by having a listening ear and obeying His every instruction for us.

Whether it's in ministry, in business, in career, or in any area of life, it's the same. So, pray and ask for divine appointment beginning this month. And watch how the Lord is going to open the way and open the horizon for you. Don't be shy to ask of God. Remember, you are His beloved. Ask, and you shall receive. If God your Father did not spare His only begotten Son to die for you, is there anything that He cannot do for you? So, ask and you shall receive!

Indeed, this is the season to 'place your order' and ask for divine appointment for your life. And you are going to see in the coming months, things will begin to advance in your life, especially if you have been stagnant in recent months, or you have not been seeing much headway in your life in recent months.

New doors are going to be opened for you. New horizons are going to be opened for you. You will never have to look back anymore, because God has greater things in store for you, going forward! Believe for it, and you shall receive. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

How to abide and flow with God effortlessly?

The Lord spoke these words:

"When many in the world are striving and trying to take matters into their own hands, but you My beloved, you abide in Me and receive from Me. Do not go with the flow of the carnal and worldly ways. Instead, flow with Me and My perfect timing for your life. For I am the vine and you are the branch. Without Me, you cannot bear real fruit."

In John 15:4-5 (NKJV), Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

The word 'abide' here is 'meno' in Greek, meaning 'to stay, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, wait on'. Jesus used this 'picture' of the 'vine' and the 'branches' because there were grape plants everywhere in Israel those days, and so His disciples would see and understand how this connection between He and them works. At that time, Jesus was about to depart from His disciples - to be arrested and crucified. So, this was an encouragement to His disciples - that He would remain united to them and they to Him - as truly as branches are connected to the main vine. As a matter of fact, the relationship between vine and branch is of constant connection to each other!

In John 15:7-8 (NKJV), Jesus said further, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

'Abiding in Jesus' is also 'abiding in His words'. From the above verses, Jesus actually connected 'abiding in Him' to the idea of faithfulness to His words! And that's how whatever we ask of Him, it shall be done for us! Why? Because when we abide in Him and His words, and let His will and desires flow in us and through us (just like from the vine to the branches), we will ask and desire according to God's will for us, and not according to our own carnal will or desires.

In John 14:23-24 (NKJV), Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."

For those who love Him and keep His word, these are those whom Jesus said, "We (My Father and I) will come to him and make Our home with him'!

By the way, very interestingly, the word 'home' here is 'monay' in Greek, meaning 'a place to stay, a place of residence'; from the same word 'meno' in John 15, meaning 'abide'.

You see? For He to make His home with you, your part is to abide in Him and His words!

And you know what? When He makes His home in you, you have absolutely nothing to fear! After all, He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords! And He is the El Shaddai, the Mighty God who lives in you and makes His home in you! Many in the world may be living in constant worry, fear, or anxiety about their lives (or their future), especially in trying times like these. But you beloved of God, you have absolutely nothing to fear! Because no matter what happens around you in the world, you can be rest assured that all the resources from heaven will continue to flow in you and through you, just as all the nutrients flow from the vine to the branches! Therefore, abide in Him and His words! And you'll be sure you'll continue to bear good fruits in life! Hallelujah!

Prayer: "Father God, when many in the world are striving and trying to take matters into their own hands, teach us to abide in You and receive from You. We choose not to go with the carnal and worldly ways. We choose not to do things with our own strength. But we choose to be fully dependent on You and keep receiving from You. We choose to receive Your love, joy, peace, wisdom, favor, and whatever we ever need on earth. We choose to flow with You and Your perfect timing for our lives. Indeed, You are the vine and we are the branches. Without You, we cannot bear real fruit in life. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Year 2020: A time to be set free and receive your double portion!

The Lord says:
"I am your everlasting light and your glory! This is the time to declare your time of mourning is coming to an end, and your dreams that have gone wasted will be revived! For I am setting you free! I am setting you free from your 'prison' and bondage. I am setting you free from those tricky situations. I am showing you a way to be set free, and I am redeeming those 'wasted' time of yours!"

This is the Part 2 of what the Lord has spoken regarding Year 2020. Part 1 was released on the 1st January 2020. The key chapter to read (and receive by faith) at the moment is Isaiah 61. This chapter begins with Isaiah 61:1 (NLT) saying, 'The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed'.

Indeed, people of God, this is the time to be set free - free to be who you are meant to be in God's sovereign plan!

What are the areas in your life that need to be set free?
- Health problems
- Financial problems
- Family feud
- Bondage and curse
- Tricky situations (difficult situations to deal with, and seemingly no way out)

Whatever your situation may be, the good news is the Lord has a way out for you! Look to Him and believe that your time to be set free has come! He will know how to set you free from your 'prison', and He will know how to redeem whatever 'wasted' or 'lost' time of yours!

Isaiah 60:19-20 (NLT) says, 'No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon
to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end'. These two verses are beautiful 'pictures' of knowing that the Lord has become your everlasting light and your glory, instead of you looking to the physical world and physical creation for the answer to your problems.

As you can see, Isaiah 61 (the chapter to read at the moment) comes right after Isaiah 60 (that speaks of the Lord being your everlasting light).

Because the Lord has become your everlasting light (that never dims), you can therefore boldly proclaim 'your days of mourning has also come to an end'. Hallelujah! Isaiah 61:7 (NLT) then says, 'Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours'. See how Isaiah 61 ties up with Isaiah 60 here?

Let's look at one example in the Scripture - someone who had seemingly 'wasted' or 'lost' his time, his dreams, and even his opportunities. His life then got from bad to worse (from being a slave to being a prisoner). Yes, he's none other than Joseph. After sharing his dreams about how his brothers would bow down to him, his brothers hated him even more! (Genesis 37:5-9) Speaking of releasing words at the wrong place and wrong time, to the wrong people! He was then thrown into a pit by his brothers, sold as a slave in Egypt, and later on ended up in prison, being falsely accused of trying to rape his master's wife! (Genesis 39:19-20) Things certainly did not look good at all at that point of time!

But God! What was seen by the world as 'a totally hopeless case' eventually had a turn around! With man, it may be impossible; but with God, all things are possible! Joseph's moment of being set free finally came! Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his dreams, but none could interpret the dreams he had - not even the best of all the magicians or wise men in all of Egypt! (Genesis 41:8) It was then that someone (i.e. the king's chief cup-bearer) remembered Joseph, and told Pharaoh that Joseph had the ability to accurately interpret dreams. Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the prison (Genesis 41:14). The rest, of course, is history. Joseph went on to become the person he was meant to be in God's sovereign plan, and in fact, the earlier dreams he had about his brothers bowing down to him actually came to pass!

Interestingly, during that time in Egypt, Joseph had two sons - Manasseh and  Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-52). 'Manasseh' ('Menashsheh' in Hebrew) means 'causing to forget (past troubles)', and
'Ephraim' ('Ephrayim' in Hebrew) means 'double fruitfulness'.

For the record, number '20' in Hebrew numeric means 'redemption, attainment, crowning (honor)'. So, '2020' surely means 'double redemption, double attainment, double crowning (honor)'! Indeed, this is the year of double honor and double portion!

People of God, like Joseph, your time of being set free has also come! Look not at those 'wasted' or 'lost' time of yours, but look to the Lord who makes all things beautiful in His time! Know that you are set free for such a time as this, because the Lord has a plan for you to enjoy double honor and possess double portion this year 2020. Amen!

Be set free to enter a time of greater fruits!

As you prepare for the 2nd half of the year 2019, the Lord says,
"Get yourself ready, for there will be new seeds planted, and there will be new sprouts coming forth in your life! For I have willed for you to bear greater fruits. But let Me cut those bondages and sorrows at the root first!"

The expression 'to cut it at the root' carries the meaning 'to cut it off before it has chance to grow further, or to put an end to something negative'. Matthew 3:10 (NKJV) says, "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

What does this 'ax' symbolize here?
This ax, or in other words, the cutting edge, is none other than the Word of God! Hebrews 4:12-13 (NKJV) says, 'For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account'. The word 'creature' here, by the way, can mean more than just a living thing. In Greek, it is 'ktisis', meaning 'formation, creation, invention, fabrication (even deception), possession'. It can therefore mean whatever 'formation, creation, invention, fabrication (even deception), or possession' that have been conjured up by the enemy against you will not be hidden from God's sight! And that's good news! This is the time to declare you are set free from such 'ktisis' - by the Word of God, and by all that Jesus has done for you on the cross!

Let Him carry your curse!
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) says, 'Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith'. What does 'the curse of the law' mean here? For the record, there were over 600 laws that the Jews had to keep to be right in God's eyes, and breaking even one would put a person under condemnation and curse (see Deuteronomy 27 and 28). But thank God for His redemption work that sets us free!

What are the areas in your life that needs setting free?

A. Inherited negative family traits
- Gambling addiction
- Alcohol addiction
- Drug/chemical addiction
- History of emotional disorder
- History of insanity
- History of accidents
- Tendency to lust
- Tendency to bad temper
- Tendency to jealousy
- Tendency to worry/anxiety
- Failure in life (frequent 'so near yet so far' situations)

B. Inherited health problems

- Root of cancer
- Root of heart condition
- Root of blood issues
- Root of some strokes
- Root of mental/psychiatric issues
- Defective genetic tendencies in your family tree

Whatever your situation (or condition) of bondages or sorrows may be, the time has come to lay the ax at the roots of these problems! The Lord has made a way for you! This is your time of setting free! This is your time of supernatural breakthrough! This is the time He is planting new seeds in your life, and new sprouts are going to come forth! This is the time He is getting you ready for greater fruits in life! The best is still to come! Believe and receive. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Prayer to be set free for a time of greater fruits:
"Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for becoming a curse for me and redeeming me! I thank You for setting me free for a time of greater fruits in my life. Your Word is the ax, the cutting edge, and I therefore lay the ax to the root of my (and my family's) problem ......(name the problem)...... I claim and receive my freedom now, even freedom from any curse that has been passed down from the previous generation. I believe and receive my setting free now. Amen."