Receive the key to "pray heaven down"!

In the midst of what seems to be "hell on earth" in many places nowadays, the Lord has a good news for you. He has given you the power to "pray heaven down"! 

Yes, "pray heaven down" upon your life, your career, your business, your health, your household, or in any area of your life! Never underestimate the power of your prayer. Because God can do mighty things and great miracles through you!

Let's go to the Scripture now. James 5:16-18 says, '...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.' 

Yes, receive the anointing like that of Elijah's! Receive this anointing for such a time as this! Whatever you pray, as long as you pray according to His will and His leading, it shall come to pass, and you shall see it happening! 

What is the key to receive this anointing? 

Matthew 16:13-16 says, 'When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."' 

Matthew 16:17 says, 'Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."' 

Here, you see that Simon Peter had the revelation of who Jesus is, that He is not like any prophet or teacher that have walked on this earth. He is more than that! He is the Son of the living God! He is God became flesh! 

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus said further, "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 

What does this Scripture verse mean? 

Whatever you 'lock', it shall be 'locked'! Whatever you 'unlock', it shall be 'unlocked'! Whatever you 'stop', it shall be 'stopped'! Whatever you 'release', it shall be 'released'! 

So, people of God, if you declare a stop to a certain problem, it shall be stopped in the spirit, and in turn, be reflected in the physical realm on earth! 

That's how you can "pray heaven down"! 

It means you pray on earth in His name, and it happens in the spiritual realm, and in turn, it will be seen and reflected in the physical realm! In other words, heaven comes down! And the good news is this can happen in any area of your life! 

You see, that's how powerful you are, if you have the revelation of who Jesus is in your life! He is not just a man, or a human prophet, or a human teacher. But He is God who came on earth in the flesh! He is the Son of the living God! Without Him, nothing was made that was made! 

John 1:1-4 says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.' 

John 1:12-14 says, 'But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' 

As you declare that He is the Son of the living God, He is the Word of God became flesh, He came and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, you know what? This glory falls on us! This glory comes with it the anointing and the power of His Spirit! And as you receive Him by faith, He has given you this right to become His children. That's how you're entering into the realm of the supernatural! And that's when whatever you bind on earth, it shall be bound! And whatever you release on earth, it shall be released! 

So, as you declare the release of "heaven on earth", bringing hope in this hopeless world, and bringing truth to this world full of lies, you are "praying heaven down"! You are praying God's kingdom come, and God's will be done! 

In addition to your own life and your own situation, on the macro level, pray for God's kingdom come, and God's will be done even upon the nation (or the nations) that God has put in your heart to pray for. Yes, pray for the Lord to intervene and prevent certain evil from happening to the nation (or the nations) that you are praying for. 

If you know that the Lord has put in your heart to pray for a certain nation in this world, just obey Him. Pray according to what He has put in your heart to pray. There is a very intense spiritual battle for the nations in the world right now. This is a crucial time to pray. This is a crucial time to receive the anointing and the power to pray and to declare God's words into the spiritual realm. As you declare into the spiritual realm, it shall be reflected in the physical realm. It shall come to pass. You shall see this happening. Because you are praying in the name of Jesus, the mighty name of Jesus, the Son of the living God, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords! 

Ezekiel 22:30 says, 'So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land...' 

What's the background of this Bible verse? At that time, there was no one willing to 'stand in the gap'. But may you be one of those who would 'stand in the gap'! 

How do you 'stand in the gap'? You 'stand in the gap' through your prayers! In other words, you can "pray heaven down" or pray the perfect will of God upon the nation (or the nations) that God has put in your heart to pray for. Pray for His will be done. Pray for His light to shine. Pray for His glory to fall. When light comes, darkness has to flee! You can declare all this in the spirit! 

What other areas can you also pray for the nation (or the nations)? Pray for the right people to be raised up by the Lord for such a time as this! Pray for the "Samuels" of today. Pray for the "Esthers" of today. Pray for the "Davids" of today. Amen! 

Apostle Paul wrote this in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 'Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.'

The word 'intercessions' here is 'enteuxis' in Greek, from the word 'entugchano'. This word can mean 'to visit, to fall upon, to effect upon, to make it happen'. 

So, as you do your part through your prayers, God is going to visit! God is going to effect His power upon! God is going to make it happen! His kingdom come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! 

What if you do not have the exact words to pray? Just pray in the spirit. Because praying in the spirit is praying in the perfect will of God! 

Right now, let heaven be open! Let there be a release of God's anointing upon you! Let there be a release of God's power upon you! Let God's hands touch your hands! Lift up your hands, and let His power fall on you! Like the rain that falls on earth! Receive by faith. Hallelujah! 

Prayer: 

"O Lord God, we "pray heaven down". We pray for all the goodness of heaven be upon us. We pray for Your light to shine in the midst of the darkness. We pray for Your perfect will be done in each of our lives, and even for the nation and the nations You have put in our hearts to pray for. Let Your wisdom and revelation flow. Let Your glory fall. Let Your power be seen. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

Click here to watch the video in TiC YouTube Channel

Walking in heavenly economy

The Lord says,

"It is time to teach My people to walk in heavenly economy! For I am decreeing that My people will never lack any good thing, even in times like these! My people, do not be enslaved by what the world has taught you! You are in the world, but you are not of the world! This is your time to be set free from your bondages, whatever these may be, even the bondages of the Babylonian system!"

- What if I say God can give you supernatural wisdom to walk in heavenly economy on earth?
- What if I say God can supernaturally open doors for you, such that no one can shut?

Sounds 'out-of-the-world', right? But this is possible. After all, the Word of God is supernatural! And we as believers in the Word of God should be likewise! Because we may be in the world, but we are not of the world! (John 17:14-15)

All these can begin to happen when you have a renewed mind (i.e. change of mindset) to see how God sees, not how man sees!

In Matthew 6:9-11 (NKJV), Jesus taught us, "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread..." In Romans 12:2 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote, 'And do not be conformed to (the pattern of) this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God'.

Now, the word 'will' here (same Greek word for the verses above) is 'thelema' in Greek, and it can mean 'purpose, desire, mandate, determine, decree (i.e. order or command)'. Watch the word 'decree' here! You see? It isn't just His desire be done 'on earth as it is in heaven', but His decree, order, command be done! Wow, these are very strong words! That's to say He is determined to make it happen! Make what happen? His kingdom come on earth! And mind you, His kingdom is supernatural!

But you've got to allow Him to renew your mind! That's what Romans 12:2 says! In other words, your mindset cannot be bound by what the world (this fallen world) tells you!

This is your time to receive the anointing to be set free from such! Free from the Babylonian system that has permeated this world!

What does 'Babylonian system' mean here? It simply means 'the ways/systems of this fallen world'. The word 'Babylon', by the way, comes from the word 'Babel', meaning 'confusion, mixed up'. Remember the story of Tower of Babel? (Genesis 11:1-9) And remember how these people tried to make a name for themselves, but the Lord scattered them? You see, the way of this fallen world has always been driven by pride, greed, and lust. And these ways of men may look like a good idea to them, but never God's idea!

One example of someone who walked in heavenly providence and heavenly economy was none other than Elijah (1 Kings 17:1-16). In a time of drought, the word of the Lord came to him to get away from where he was, and hide by the Brook Cherith. There, the Lord supernaturally commanded the ravens to feed him, morning and evening! (1 Kings 17:2-6)

And then, the word of the Lord came to him again, because it was time to move to Zarephath. There, the Lord prepared a widow to provide for him! (1 Kings 17:8-16) Out of all people, a widow? The worldly ways would see this as absurd and illogical! Why not go to a rich man, or a businessman instead? But a widow? Not only that, Elijah came at a time when the widow was about to prepare her last meal!

But Elijah did according to all that the Lord had spoken! And miracles happened again! And here in Zarephath, he (and the widow and her son) had a never-ending supply of flour and oil till the Lord sent rain on earth again!

So, what was the key to Elijah seeing such supernatural providence and heavenly economy, even in a time of drought? Obedience to whatever the Lord says! Even if what the Lord had spoken didn't make sense to the worldly mind!

People of God, will you allow the Lord to renew you and set you free from the worldly ways of men? If yes, I declare in Jesus' name, that you too are on the way to experience a greater manifestation of His supernatural wisdom and providence, even in ways you cannot imagine yet. Amen!

For the preaching video, click to watch

He will never leave you nor forsake you

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV): Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Moses was already one hundred and twenty years old when the Lord spoke these words through him to all of Israel. He was about to 'leave' the people and the earth by then, and he was not to cross over Jordan into the Promised Land. Joshua was the one chosen.

In Deuteronomy 31:7-8, Moses then called Joshua and said these words to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

While praying in the spirit the other day, I heard these words from the Lord:
"I AM the Lord who never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid therefore, for I AM present and I AM here with you, whatever you are going through right now."

I then heard:
"Wherever I have called you to be, there I AM with you. And whatever I have called you to do, there I AM with you also."

Indeed, He is the Great I AM, the 'present tense' God, and not an absent God, whatever you may be going through at the moment. Your part is simply to call out to Him, for He is your very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

In cross-reference, Hebrews 13:5-6 says, '...For He himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"'

In Greek, this statement "I will never leave you nor forsake you" here is a 'double negative', which is designed to strengthen (put strong emphasis to) a particular statement, and in effect, it actually means, "I will never, ever leave you nor forsake you, no matter what, and in whatever circumstance you may be in." By the way, 'to forsake' is 'to give up (on something, or someone), or to abandon'.

The Amplified Bible puts it this way: "I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!" 

Just as the Lord had spoken to all of Israel and to Joshua those days, know that He is NOW right here, speaking the same to you. And because He is present, know also that His hand is present, strong enough to ward off every work of darkness that the enemy may have thrown against you. Romans 8:31 says it so aptly, 'What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?'

Not only that, His hand opens the way for you, where there seems to be no way. In Isaiah 43:10-13, the Lord says, "And understand that I AM He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, AM the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed... Indeed before the day was, I AM He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" In Isaiah 43:19, the Lord then says, "Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

As I was praying further, the Lord then spoke:
"This is a time to ask of Me, and call down heaven on earth! Be bold to ask, and you will receive! For I AM to you the Lord who is there, the YHWH Shammah, when you call upon Me!"

The name YHWH Shammah is found in Ezekiel 48:35, which is translated as 'The Lord is there, or the Lord is present', and it speaks of the city of God (see Revelation 21:9-12, Revelation 22:3-5). And where He is, there will be life, and life in great abundance. Whatever is dead will be turned into life, simply because there is no death in heaven. Revelation 21:4-5 says, 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."'

"But that's what happens in heaven, and not here on earth!" You might say.

People of God, the good news is you don't have to wait till you leave this earth to taste heaven! The truth is you can have a portion of heaven even now, right here on earth! In other words, you can partake of heaven even now! Otherwise Jesus wouldn't have taught us to pray this way: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10)

Now watch what Revelation 21:2-3 (NKJV) says to confirm the above, 'Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God."'

See the words "coming down out of heaven from God" here? On earth as it is in heaven!

Let's do a little cross-reference on the name YHWH Shammah now.

The word 'Shammah' comes from the Hebrew word 'sham', and this word 'sham' can be found in Isaiah 48:16 that says, "Come near to Me, hear this... From the time that it was, I was there ('sham'), and now the Lord God and His Spirit have sent Me (Jesus) to you..." This verse speaks of the Lord who is and who was and who is to come. In Revelation 1:8, the Lord Himself says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Notice 'who is' comes first here? The Lord wants you to know that He is first and foremost 'who is', the very present God!

And this same word 'sham' (where 'Shammah' comes from) can also be found in Psalm 133:3 that says, "It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there ('sham') the Lord commanded blessing - life forevermore."

'Hermon' here is a 'picture' of 'being exclusive', i.e. 'not found elsewhere, or can't find it anywhere else (but only from the Lord)', and 'dew' here speaks of 'the refreshing that the Lord brings'. Indeed, there is no other name given among men by which one can be saved, except by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), and only in Him flows times of refreshing (Acts 3:19).

Lamentations 3:22-24 says, 'Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning (like the dew), and great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion", says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"'

The phrase "The Lord is my portion" here can mean "I can partake of Him (the Lord)" or "I have a part in Him (and His heavenly plans)".

Therefore, people of God, no matter what you see or what happens on earth at the moment, and no matter how perilous this world has become, there's still every reason to hope! And as the Lord had spoken to all of Israel and to Joshua, fear not; knowing that the Lord is now here with you, and He is to you the YHWH Shammah, the Lord who is present.

Allow heaven and all the goodness of heaven to descend upon you today!

A time to declare heaven to open above your heads!

John 1:51 (NKJV): And He (Jesus) said to him (Nathanael) "Most assured, I say to you, thereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

As I was ministering prophetically to the congregation the other day, I suddenly heard these words, and therefore spoke them out by faith: "Declare heaven to open above your heads!" It immediately reminded me of Psalm 24:7-8 that says, 'Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle'.

Indeed, people of God, as you begin to declare heaven to open above your heads, this same King of glory will begin to come into every situation of yours today! Like the light that shines (from open heaven) and dispels every darkness! Jesus is the light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). And when this light comes, every darkness has to flee!

And you know what? The very next moment after Jesus had spoken in John 1:51, He began to perform His very first miracle by turning water to wine! John 2:11 says, 'This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him'.

John 2:1-5 says, 'On the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour (timing) has not yet come." His mother said to the servants. "Whatever He says to you, do it."'

This account written by John is very prophetic of our days and time as believers in the New Covenant.

'On the third day' here is symbolic of 'the resurrection of Jesus', and the fact that He is very much alive today!

Jesus being invited to this wedding banquet speaks of 'Jesus being invited into your life'. Just as there are 'highlights' in each wedding banquet (feast), there are also 'highlights' in each of our lives. Personally, the greatest 'highlights' in my life so far have always involved Jesus manifesting Himself and showing Himself so real, especially in times of need. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

'Wine' speaks of 'joy and celebration in life'. In the English Standard Version (ESV), Nehemiah 8:10 says, 'And he (Nehemiah) said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."' It is interesting to see that the first miracle of Jesus has to do with turning your sorrow into joy, and mourning into dancing! In other words, He came to set you free from every sorrow! And of course, if He is invited into your life (or any situation you face in your life), you'll be sure that He'll always have a way or solution for you! The Bible says He is the way, the truth, and the life! (John 14:6)

The word 'hour' here in Greek is 'hora', which can be translated as '(high) time'. In other words, He holds the (right) timing as to when exactly He will perform it, and how He's going to do it! Simply because He knows better. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, '"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."'

"What's my part then?"

Your part is simply to invite Him into your life (and of course, the situation you are facing at the moment), and as Mary had said, "Whatever He says to you, do it." People of God, these are keys to His miracle and manifestation in your life (and the situation you are facing now)!

In John 2:6-8, you'd see the very specific instructions of Jesus for that very specific situation. It says, 'Now there were set there six waterpots of stone... Jesus said to them (the servants), "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them,"Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it.'

Then, John 2:9-10 says, 'When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"'

In John 14:21, Jesus says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

The word 'commandments' here is 'entole' (pronounced 'en-tol-ay') in Greek, which can mean 'an authoritative prescription or instruction', from the word 'entellomai' meaning 'to (give) a charge, to (give) a command'. See the word 'authoritative' here? As you can see, His words carry authority and power! And the word 'keeps' here is 'tereo' in Greek, which means 'to hold fast (to a command), to fulfill a command, to act on a command'.

To put it simply, "Whatever He says to you, do it." And of course, take time to listen for that command (or commands). Do not be wise in your own eyes, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Read the Word, and let it never depart from your eyes (Proverbs 4:21), and pray in the Spirit often (Ephesians 6:18).

And you'll be sure to see Him manifest Himself in your situation as well. Amen!

Being filled with all the fullness of God

Ephesians 3:18-19 (NKJV): ... that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The word 'passes' here is 'huperballo' in Greek, which means 'to throw beyond the usual mark, to surpass, to exceed'. See the word 'all' here? God wants you to be filled with all the fullness of Him, not 'some' or 'part'.

'Fullness' here is 'pleroma' in Greek, which means 'completion, filled up (to the full)', from the word 'pleroo' meaning 'to satisfy, to complete, to supply, to fulfil'. In other words, to be filled with all the fullness of God is to be satisfied, completed, supplied, and fulfilled with all the fullness of God!

God has satisfied every 'thirst' (or 'lack') of yours at the cross some 2,000 years ago, and therefore as a believer, your 'cup' runs over (Psalm 23:5). David understood this fullness of God very well, and that's why he wrote "I shall not be in want" (Psalm 23:1). This fullness of God is the fullness of heaven - where there's no lack, no sickness, and no pain. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You see, heaven on earth! And the good news is you don't have to reach heaven (yet) to live in heaven! You can have heaven even right now on earth!

"Sounds too good to be true!"

But this is what the Word of God says!

Let me explain further. John 19:28-31 says, 'After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop (a kind of bitter herb), and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit'.

By the way, 'sour wine' here is like acid, and imagine this acid 'burning' through Jesus' dry lips, tongue, throat, esophagus, lung, and through all the internal organs of His body! As you can see, it wasn't just outwardly that He was disfigured and wounded, but also inwardly! It was a whole, complete sacrifice! This acid 'burning' through is like fire burning through, a 'picture' of God's holy anger against sin being fully satisfied on Jesus' body at the cross.

And that's how Jesus became the 'burnt offering' for you. God's holy judgement and punishment against your sins consumed like fire on (and in) Jesus' body at the cross! Let Scripture interpret Scripture. In cross-reference, Exodus 12:7-9 says, 'And they shall take some of the blood (of the lamb) and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night (of Passover); roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire - its head with its leg and its entrails (i.e. internal organs)'. See the word 'entrails' here? The lamb was to be roasted in fire not just outwardly, but also inwardly!

Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, see all your sins, diseases, or problems 'burnt' with this fire on Jesus' body as well! He got 'dried up' so you'll never 'thirst' or lack any good thing from heaven!

Ephesians 2:18-22 says, 'For through Him (Christ) we have access by One Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit'. See the word 'access' here? Through Him, you have access to the Father who gives you every good thing! (see Matthew 7:11)

Let's go to the Old Testament now for cross-reference. Genesis 28:11-12 says, 'So he (Jacob) came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God ascending and descending on it'. 

Genesis 28:16-17 then says, 'Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"'

'House of God' here is 'Beyth El' or 'Bethel', which also means 'habitation of God, dwelling place of God'. The word 'gate' here is 'sha ar' in Hebrew, meaning 'an opening, access'. Therefore, the term 'gate of heaven' here means 'access to and from heaven'! See the word 'access' again?

As a believer, know that you too are the 'house of God' (where He dwells), and the 'gate of heaven' (where you have access to every good thing that heaven supplies)! 

And because there's no lack, no sickness, no pain, no work of darkness in heaven, so should you be on earth!

Genesis 28:18-19 says further, 'Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he (Jacob) called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously'. 

Notice 'stone' here is actually a 'picture' of you and I, the living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5), and 'oil' here speaks of the Holy Spirit. In the New Covenant, you and I are that living stones filled with the Holy Spirit!

Interestingly, one meaning of 'Luz' in Hebrew is 'be perverse, be turned aside from the truth'. As you behold Him as in a mirror (see 2 Corinthians 3:18), allow Him to transform you from 'Luz' to 'Bethel', and of course, from glory to glory!

Romans 12:2 says, 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God'. By the way, the word 'prove' here is 'dokimazo' in Greek, which can be translated as 'to allow it to happen'. 

People of God, this is the time to allow God to renew and transform your mind, so that 'His kingdom come, His will be done (in your life) on earth as it is in heaven'. Start seeing yourself as the 'house of God' and the 'gate of heaven' from now on, where angels are ascending and descending - ministering for you (Hebrews 1:14) and bringing all the 'goodies' of heaven on earth to you and through you. Amen!

Entering the realm of miracles

Genesis 1:2-3 (NKJV): The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.’

The word ‘hovering’ here is ‘rachaph’ (pronounced 'raw-khaf’) in Hebrew, which means 'remaining in the air in one place' or ‘to relax on, or to brood (like a bird sitting on eggs in order to hatch them)’. ‘To hatch’ here simply means ‘to bring forth results or breakthrough’, and in this context, a miracle happened as it was being spoken, when God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).

Genesis 1:4 (NKJV) then says, 'And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness'. ‘Light’ here speaks of 'your miracle, healing, or breakthrough' that is being 'hatched', when it used to be 'darkness on the face of the deep' (i.e. 'pitch dark', or 'with no light at all') in that situation.

People of God, this is a year of glory. Many miracles have begun to happen in our midst, and will continue to happen. Praise God! Supernatural opening of doors in career or ministry, miraculous providence of finance, signs and wonders, and even creative miracles! And I believe this is only the beginning of His glory manifesting in a very significant way (where even the angels will attest to that), and in the years ahead, this glory will continue to increase more and more. Those who see 'no light at all' in any situation will begin to see the 'light', be it in finance, in health, in family relationships, in career, or in ministry. The next seven years will also see a supernatural transfer of wealth for the expansion of His kingdom like never been seen before. In other words, 'your light has (already) come', and He can do a miracle in your life and in your family too! Only believe, and do not doubt.

His glory always comes with the exceeding riches of His grace ('His grace' here speaks of 'His supply from heaven', or 'His supernatural ability'). Ephesians 2:6-7 (NKJV) says, '...and (He) raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus'.

Know also that you don't have to wait till you reach heaven to see 'the exceeding riches of His grace', but the Bible says 'you (already) are in the heavenly places'! When? When you are in Christ Jesus! (see Ephesians 1:3)

How to tap into this realm of miracles? 

The key is to connect with Him. It's when you are connected, that's when you'll also start to hear from the Spirit. This is a time to praise and worship like never before, 'dig' into the Word of God like never before, and pray in the spirit often. He's in the midst of revealing many secrets for His people to 'carry out'.

Habakkuk 2:14 (NKJV) says, 'For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea'. To be filled with 'the knowledge of the glory of the Lord' is to have 'the knowledge on how to operate in His glory realm', and not just merely having 'the experience of His glory'. You see, the people in Moses' time had 'the experience of His glory' (e.g. the Red Sea opened), but today, God wants you to enter even deeper in His realm, i.e. to 'sit together with Him' in the heavenly places, and to 'be in the thick of action' in His glory realm!
Note: 'To operate' here means 'to carry out something, or to be in the thick of action (not missing in action!)'.

Another key is to be conscious of His Spirit hovering over you always. Imagine an 'eagle' (picture of 'His Spirit') hovering over you and landing on your head right now. It's when you know that His Spirit is always hovering over you (i.e. His glory/light has come on you) that you'll also receive His vision, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, faith, etc, and whatever you receive, spontaneously release it through your spoken words (e.g. when God said, "Let there be light"). Why do I say so? Because it's the glory of the Lord that leads to creativity (i.e. the creation of 'light' in any area that used to be 'in the darkness') manifesting in the physical realm, as evident in Genesis 1:2-3.

The next key is obedience. Whatever Moses had been commanded by the Lord (or whatever Moses heard from the Lord), he’d speak and declare it to the children of Israel (Exodus 34:34). So, whatever He says, you say! This in turn releases you into the realm of miracles, signs and wonders to manifest in and through your life. You’ll never go wrong here, because ‘when He orders, He’ll also pay’, i.e. He’ll see to it that He'll back up what He says.

Similarly, in the New Testament, before Jesus Himself saw miracles, signs and wonders manifesting through His life while on earth, He Himself set the example by 'connecting with His Father'. He fasted 40 days 40 nights (Matthew 4:1-2). 'Fasting and prayer' here simply speaks of ‘connecting with God’ and ‘shutting our ears away from the worldly ways’.
Note: In the New Covenant, we 'fast and pray' not to try to earn God's favor or merit, but instead for the reasons mentioned above.

It's only then that Matthew 4:16 comes in to say 'the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light (speaks of ‘His glory’), and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light (speaks of 'His glory') has dawned'. Amen!

When the glory of the Lord is upon you (just as had come upon Jesus), there'll also be:
1. Wisdom (even to 'ward off' the devil, e.g. “It is written…”) - Matthew 4:3-11.
2.  Authority (e.g. when He called the disciples to follow Him, they followed) - Matthew 4:18-19.
3. Miracles, signs, wonders, healing, deliverance (Jesus healed all kinds of disease) - Matthew 4:23-25.

That’s why it’s so important to be conscious of His glory (Jesus Himself is the King of glory - Psalm 24), before you can see 'the exceeding riches of His grace' manifesting in and through your life! Well, some of the things you receive (from His Spirit) may not be logical or possible to your mind, but never limit Him. He is always a God who is above natural (i.e. super natural). As you hear, declare and release it in faith, and your miracles will be at hand. Amen!

The secret to walking in heaven on earth

Genesis 1:1 (NKJV): In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

'The heavens' here in this verse is 'ha shamayim' in Hebrew. 

The letters in Hebrew are as below (reading from right to left):

'Hey' meaning 'the'; 

'Shin', a picture of 'God' (the El Shaddai); 

'Mem', a picture of  'water or wave'; and

'Yud', a picture of 'hand or arm (of God)'.

Notice also that the last two letters in the word 'heavens' here are 'Yud' and 'Mem'. When we have 'Yud' and 'Mem' at the end of a Hebrew word, it forms a suffix 'eem' (which turns the subject into plural). In other words, 'eem' would be like 's' ending in English translation 'heavens'. So, if the singular (for the word 'heaven') is 'shama', then the plural (for the word 'heavens') is 'shamayeem'.

Interestingly, the word 'mayim' ('mem', 'yud', 'mem'), taking the letter 'shin' out, means 'water' in Hebrew. For instance, this word 'mayim' can be found in Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV) that says 'Therefore with joy you will draw water ('mayim') from the wells of salvation (Yeshuwah)'. 

And so, if 'shin' speaks of 'God', and 'mayim' means 'water', then 'the heavens' ('ha shamayim') can also mean 'the waters of God'!

Also, two 'mem' (picture of 'water or wave') here speaks of two 'waters'. Now, what does 'water' speaks of in the New Testament? Let's do some cross-references now: 

(a) Water of the Word: '... that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the church) with the washing of water by the word' (Ephesians 5:26) 

(b) Water of the Spirit: '... Jesus saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."' (John 7:37-38)

I call this the twin-pillar of 'waters' of God, i.e. the Word and the Spirit.

From the above, you'll see that 'heaven' is therefore full of the ministry of Word and Spirit (represented by the two 'mem', i.e. 'waters')! Of course, heaven is full of worship too!

The water of the Word and the water of the Spirit! Let me give you an illustration of the importance of God's waters in our lives. Say, if you are like a fish, heaven (i.e. God’s waters) then is like ‘water’ to the fish, without which the fish cannot survive, function or live!

The above is also the key to every spiritual blessing you can ever receive from Him! Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) says, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ'. Notice the words 'heavenly places' here? Wow! Long before us, Paul already had the revelation of how to walk in heaven while on earth!  

So, if you want to walk in heaven ('ha shamayim') on earth, and whatever you touch (or do) be 'heavenly' on earth, be then filled and soaked in His waters right now!

You want ‘heaven’ in your church? Then focus on the heavenly ministry of His Word and His Spirit, instead of coming out with all kinds of programs of men!

The ministry of Word and Spirit on earth is a reflection of the heavenly ministry, without which a church is not a church! So, church is not about tradition of men or programs of men (for these are only secondary), but a church is primarily a ministry of Word and Spirit! That's what a church is for on earth, a channel to bring heavens ('God's waters') down on earth! 

Every church (which is founded in Him) on earth represents 'heaven' on earth, and therefore should focus on these two 'waters', instead of focusing on more and more programs. After a program has ended (no matter how good it may be organized), the excitement will also die down. Just temporary! Nothing is permanent on this fallen earth anyway! But on the other hand, the ministry of Word and Spirit is permanent, because it is made in heaven, and it lasts forever! Now, don't get me wrong. I am not writing against programs of men (for there's a place for such too), but let's major on the majors, and not get distracted with too many programs of men that may take the place of the original ministry of a church!

People of God, let His hand ('yud') release the waters ('mem') of heaven to you right now! And you shall then be like a tree planted by the rivers of water ('mayim'), that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever you do shall prosper! (Psalm 1:3) Draw directly from these rivers of divine life!

Heaven is full of life! Nothing's dead there! And His 'mayim' brings life too! The Bible calls it 'living water'! (see John 7:38) Water! Life! Hallelujah! I pray in Jesus' name that His life falls on you right now! Receive this life from above, and let even the 'dry bones' in any area of your life be revived and be renewed today (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Amen!

His 'mayim' also cleanses! Ezekiel 36:25 says, 'Then I will sprinkle clean water ('mayim') on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols'. That's why Jesus Himself says, "You are already clean, because of the word which I have spoken to you." (John 15:3) Allow His waters to cleanse (or bathe) you today, and be refreshed in the name of Jesus!

Not only that, His 'mayim' brings new hope (see Job 14:7-9) and new joy too (see Isaiah 55:1 leading to Isaiah 55:12).

Recently, in a prophetic gathering, my wife Sharon spoke these words during high praise and worship: 

"Revive Lord! We speak life! Revive! Revival! We speak Your life, Lord! Fill this place with Your life! Whatever that's been dead, be revived to new life, Lord! Life in Christ! Your life comes! Your life comes, Lord! Upon every cell, Lord! Everything will be activated again! Remove whatever is dead, like those dead skin cells! In heaven is life! Nothing dead! Your life fall on us! Dry bones revived! Pour Your water on us! We receive Your living waters!"

Later on, in the same prophetic gathering, Sharon went on to prophesy:

"This new season comes with new joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength. New joy brings new hope, creativity, idea. We shall live with joy, dance with joy, soak in Your joy like never before. Rejoice! Many will see hope, many will find You. Receive the joy from above! The sun shines, the sun arises! The sun speaks of hope. Sing a new song! Sing a new song! Give us new song that’s louder than what’s in the atmosphere, a new song of breakthrough, a new song that’s above the atmosphere, louder than any other in the atmosphere. A new song of joy. Song of hope! Sing a new song! A song of victory! A song of triumph! A new song of victory! A new song of triumph over the power of darkness, over the atmosphere, over and above the atmosphere of this land. A new sound, a new sound over the atmosphere! A new sound, a new sound of victory and triumph over the atmosphere and darkness. We thank You for a new sound and new song!"

People of God, these prophetic words are for you too in this time and season, wherever you may be, or in whichever land you may be residing at the moment. Amen.

May you also always be hungry and thirsty for more of His Word and His Spirit, and by His grace, never running out and never getting dried up of His Word (the bread) and His Spirit (the water) throughout your life and ministry. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God's throne room

Revelation 4:1-2 (NKJV): 'After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne'.

Revelation 4:3 then says, ‘And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald’.

Do you see Jesus here?

‘Jasper’ speaks of ‘a transparent gem’. The Hebrew meaning of this word ‘jasper’ simply means ‘being polished till it is transparent’. So, ‘jasper’ speaks of ‘the transparency of Jesus’. It means He is who He is! He is a transparent God, and He never ‘beats about the bush’.

‘Sardius’ (or ‘sardine’ in KJV) is 'red' in color. It speaks of ‘the redemption of Jesus’. It’s by His blood that He has saved you and cleansed you from your sins.

‘Rainbow’ is a picture of God’s promises, and it speaks of ‘the covenant that He has made with you’, in appearance like an ‘emerald’. ‘Emerald’ is 'bright green' in color. It speaks of Jesus being an ‘evergreen’ God, always fresh, bright, ageless and never gets old. That’s why in His presence, the weary will always be refreshed!

Revelation 4:4 says, ‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads’.

This verse speaks of you, the citizen of heaven, a people redeemed and saved. The ‘white robes’ here speaks of you being pure (i.e. washed by the blood of Jesus) and righteous in Christ, and the ‘crowns of gold’ speaks of His glory over you. The word ‘elder’ in Greek is ‘presbuteros’, which means ‘matured person’, and the number ‘twenty-four’ speaks of you as 'the covenant people of God'.

Revelation 4:6a says, ‘Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal’. In His presence, there’s no more storm, no more waves, and no more ripples, i.e. no more troubles. In fact, the psalmist David had a glimpse of heaven long before John saw it. Psalm 23:2 says, ‘He makes me to lie down in green pastures (i.e. emerald); He leads me beside the still waters (i.e. sea of glass)’.

People of God, you can have a taste of all the above even right now on earth, as you look to Him and behold Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). His kingdom come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back (Revelation 4:6b). These four living creatures represent ‘the good news of Jesus Christ’ (i.e. the four gospels of Jesus Christ). In His presence is the fullness of His good news.

‘Lion’ represents ‘The Gospel according to Matthew’, which speaks of Jesus Christ as the Lion of Judah, the King of Jews.

‘Calf/Ox’ represents ‘The Gospel according to Mark’, which speaks of Jesus Christ as the Servant, coming not to be served, but to serve (see Mark 10:45).

‘A face like a man’ represents ‘The Gospel according to Luke’, which speaks of Jesus Christ as Man, yet sinless.

‘A flying eagle’ represents ‘The Gospel according to John’, which speaks of Jesus Christ as God.

And these four living creatures were focused on Him day and night (Revelation 4:8), saying:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"
His name is Lord God Almighty: 
YHWH (The Redeemer God) 
ELOHIM (The Creator God) 
SHADDAI (The Almighty God).

Some people see God as only the Creator, while some others see God as the Almighty, but as a believer, you are blessed because your God is all THREE to you, and you have indeed known the One complete God. Amen.