Receive this fire that helps you to advance in your life!

I saw this vision during a time of prayer. It's a vision of fire coming from above. This fire aglows. This fire lights up the room that's dark. It's a fire from God! I could literally feel the presence of God in the room where I was praying. I saw this fire burning away the hands that sabotage, the hands that disrupt, the hands that disturb, and the hands that cause danger or evil. 

Then, I heard the Lord say, "Whatever that sabotages, whatever that disrupts, whatever that disturbs, and whatever that causes danger or evil to you, this fire from heaven, the fire of God, the fire of the Holy Spirit, burns all these away." 

The Lord said further, "This fire is clearing away the hindrances that the forces of darkness have put against you. This fire is clearing your path. This fire is clearing your path in life, your career path, and whatever path that I have destined for you to walk in. This fire goes out in every direction, and it destroys every hand of evil or hidden hand that tries to come against you, whether in the spiritual realm or in the physical realm." 

The Lord also said, "This fire is holy. The fire of holiness and purity. This fire cleanses. This fire purifies. This fire burns away the chaff or whatever that's undesirable. This fire brings light to whatever that is darkness in your life. Keep receiving from Me. Keep this fire burning. Like the lamps burning on the lampstand in the Temple in the days of old. For this fire will never go out. This fire keeps on burning and touches many lives around you." 

In Leviticus 24:1-2 (Expanded Bible), the Lord said to Moses, "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from crushed olives. That oil is for the lamps so that these lamps may never go out." 

Leviticus 24:3-4 says further, "Aaron (the priest) will keep the lamps burning in the Meeting Tent from evening until morning before the Lord... This law will continue from now on. Aaron must always keep the lamps burning on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord." 

Beloved of God, like the Tabernacle or the Temple those days, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant! (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Now, this fire is not an ordinary fire. This is the fire of God. This is the fire from heaven. This is the fire of the Holy Spirit. This fire clears the way for you to fulfill your God-given destiny. This fire accomplishes things for you. And when God accomplishes for you, no man can stop it! Why? Because this fire is greater! This fire is greater than any force of darkness that tries to come against you. 

The Lord then said, "This fire will not die. This fire cannot be defeated. This fire cannot be vanquished by the enemy. As you open your heart and continue to receive this fire inside of you afresh and anew from Me, I will see to it that no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every word that comes against you in judgment, you shall condemn and overcome." 

As I was praying, I also kept hearing this word "haba" in Hebrew. This word can be found in Psalm 118:26. Let's read from the Expanded Bible. 'God bless [Blessed be] the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless all of you from the Temple [house] of the LORD.' 

See the words 'who comes' here. In Hebrew, the statement "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD" is read as "Baruch Haba B'shem Adonai". 'Baruch' means 'Blessed'. 'Haba' means 'He who comes'. 'B'shem' means 'In the name of'. 'Adonai' means 'The LORD'. 

"Baruch Haba B'shem Adonai". Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! 

Let's zero in on 'who comes'. It is 'haba' in Hebrew. Specifically, the word 'comes' is 'ba' in Hebrew. It can also mean 'befall (like the light or fire that falls on you), embrace, abide, enter'. 

Who is this that 'haba'? Who is this that brings light? Who is this that comes with fire? Who is this that enters? 

Psalm 119:130 says, 'The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.' 

Now, that's the key: A simple heart and a childlike heart. A life that clears oneself of the complication that's in this fallen world. And that's how you're going to receive and be enlightened. Welcome Him. Welcome this light. Welcome this fire. 

Who is this 'Word of God', as in 'Your words give light' here in Psalm 119? None other but Jesus! He is the Word of God became flesh, and He dwelt among us (John 1:14). And He comes with the fire that burns away infirmities and sins. This same fire has been released upon you! He is igniting in you this fire that keeps burning! Like in the Tabernacle or the Temple of God in the days of old!

As you receive this fire, and as you continue to pray in the spirit, let God show you many things. Let God illuminate you. Let God enlighten you. Let God cause you to see the many things that you couldn't see in the past. Let God show you His secrets! 

Interestingly, one verse after Psalm 118:26 that we've read just now, Psalm 118:27 (Expanded Bible) says, 'The Lord is God, and He has shown kindness to us...' This can also be understood as 'has illuminated us' or 'has given light to us'. Amen!

Today, the Lord is calling you and inviting you to join Him and embrace Him! Embrace His light. Embrace His fire. Because He is in the midst of illuminating you. He is enlightening your spiritual eyes of understanding. Many things that you couldn't see in the past, you shall begin to see. Many things that you couldn't understand in the past, you shall begin to understand. Things will be made so much clearer for you!

Click here to watch the video in TiC YouTube Channel

This is why He is above all!

As we celebrate Jesus and thank Him for His great love toward us, we also want to proclaim that He is the name above all names, the King of kings and the Lord of lords! 

Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT) says, 'Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross.' 

In what ways did Jesus humble Himself? 

1. By taking the form of man, even though He is God! 

2. By being born in a humble setting, i.e. in a manger!

3. By being born in an obscure and poor little town! 

4. By being born as a child, instead of appearing as a man! 

5. By submitting as a child in a common household!

6. By waiting many years before launching into public ministry! 

7. By the people He chose as His companions and His disciples! 

8. By enduring hunger, thirst, and tiredness while on earth! 

9. By choosing to be humiliated, mocked, and shamed! 

10. By choosing to suffer and die an agonizing death on the cross! 

Why He did what He did? For you and I! I mean, He could have said "No" to all the above, but He chose to go through all this! Why? To set us free and pave the way for our eternal life! 

Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) says, 'Therefore God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' 

Isaiah 9:1 (NLT) says, 'Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.' 

The background here is that there's a huge gloom over God's people at that time. They were surrounded by their enemies who wanted to conquer, destroy, and annihilate them. But God! The Lord had promised this would not go on forever. There would come a time God's light would shine in the midst of the darkness and despair, and God would send a Savior, the Messiah, the True Light! His name is Jesus! 

Isaiah 9:2-3 (NLT) says, 'The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.' 

Isaiah 9:4 (NLT) says, 'For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.' 

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) says, 'For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' 

You see, He didn't come as a grown-up man, or a great warrior. I mean, He could have. After all, He is God! But instead, He came as a child! And there's nothing more vulnerable and helpless than being born as a child, or as a baby! 

Isaiah 9:7 (NLT) says, 'His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!' 

You see, He is Sovereign! No matter how the devil tries to stop it, and no matter how humans try to stop it, the Lord God is Sovereign! He will make this happen! 

His name is called 'Wonderful' 

The name 'Wonderful' is 'Pele' in Hebrew, and it means 'Miraculous, Marvelous, Extraordinary'. 

Indeed, who He is and what He has done for us should fill us with wonder and amazement! Who could have thought a God who is All-Powerful would do such a humbling thing just to save us? To be born as a child! 

His name is called 'Counselor'

The name 'Counselor' is 'Yoes' in Hebrew, and it means 'Plan, Guide, Purpose.' 

Who else does it better than Jesus to guide our lives, to give us wise counsel, and to give us purpose in our lives? Who else has a plan to save us and rescue us from this broken world? No one else but Jesus! 

His name is called 'Mighty God'

The name 'Mighty God' is 'El Gibbor' in Hebrew. 'El' is the name of God, and 'Gibbor' can mean 'Powerful, Warrior, Champion, Chief, Strong, Valiant, Excellent.'

Who says Jesus is not God? He is indeed more than a prophet and a teacher. He is the God of all creation and God of all glory! He reigns in heaven, and He is worthy to be praised and worshiped!

His name is called 'Everlasting Father'

The name 'Everlasting Father' is 'Abi Ad' in Hebrew. 'Abi' or 'Abba' means 'Father, Chief, Principal of all things', whereas 'Ad' means 'Everlasting, Perpetual, Continuous, Eternal, Never-Ending, Forever'. 

He is forever, He lives forever, and He reigns forever! There is no one like Him! He is the Source and the Author of all eternity! He is the Creator of heaven and earth, and all in it! 

His name is called 'Prince of Peace'

The name 'Prince of Peace' is 'Sar Shalom' in Hebrew. 'Sar' means 'Prince, Captain, Governor, Ruler', whereas 'Shalom' can mean 'Peace, Wholeness, Wellness, Prosperity, Health, Completeness'. In fact, many more! This word 'Shalom' is a broad word! 

Who is this 'Sar Shalom'? He is the One who gives us peace, wholeness, wellness, prosperity, and health! He is the One who makes our lives complete! He is the One who has the peace that the world cannot give! He is the One who gives us the peace that the world cannot give! 

He also makes peace between God and us. How? By reconciling us back to God! He has carried away our sins. He has carried away our curse. He has restored us to where we belong. We belong to the Lord God Almighty. We belong to our Heavenly Father. Amen! 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Seeing light and hope at the end of the tunnel

Words from the Lord: 

"In the situation you are facing right now, let not your heart be troubled, and let not your heart be anxious. Cast all your cares and worries to Me, for I am the Lord who cares for you. You shall see the light at the end of your tunnel. You shall see My hand healing you and guiding you. You shall see My hand opening a way for you." 

What does 'light at the end of the tunnel' mean? 

- signs of an improvement in a situation that has been bad. 

- signs that a long and difficult time is coming to an end.

- a reason to believe that a bad situation is coming to an end.

Maybe you are going through a tough time right now. Or you aren't sure how things are going to work out in your life. Or how things are going to be solved in your life. Maybe you are facing an uncertain future. Maybe you do not know how your future is going to be like. 

Whatever you are going through at the moment, whether it's a big change in your life, or a difficult time for your family, or a financial situation, or a health situation, I have a good news for you. You can look to God, and you can find light and hope in the Lord your God! 

You see, this world can be a cruel world. It is a rat-race. It is a 'winner-takes-all' world. It is a 'big fish eat small fish' world. It is a world that judges according to the outward appearance. It is a world that judges according to one's outward performance or achievements. The world gives you the accolades according to how 'big' you are, how 'big' your organization is, or how many 'followers' you have. This is a world of 'perking things up'. In fact, many things you see in this world are fake. It is just for show. It is a world full of facade. What you see in the outside may not be what it really is in the inside. Maybe you have seen too much of all this, and you are getting tired of it all!

Now I want to tell you something. God loves you. God understands what you are going through. You can find respite in Him. You can find solace in Him. You can find hope in Him. You can find rest in Him. You can find peace in Him. 

Psalm 147:10-11 says, 'The Lord does not delight in the strength of the horse. The Lord takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, and in those who hope in His mercy.' 

What do 'strength of the horse, or legs of a man' imply here? 

In cross-reference, Psalm 20:7 says, 'Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.' 

Now, don't get me wrong. If you have 'horses and chariots', good! There's nothing wrong with them. But we are not to make them the object of our confidence. So, 'horse' here can imply 'pride'. In other words, 'pride in one's achievements, or pride in one's strength'. 

If you look at Psalm 147:10-11 again, you see that God is not impressed with all these. Neither is God impressed with 'legs of man'. You see, like an athlete, strong legs enable the person to push forward, to achieve great things, and to break records. Now, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong in using all that God has given to us, i.e. the gifts that God has given to us. But if a person puts his or her hope on all these outward strengths or outward achievements, God is saying that He is not impressed. 

So, what is God truly impressed with? What does God truly delight in? The answer is found in Psalm 147:10-11. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, i.e. those who revere Him and acknowledge that He is God; knowing that without Him, they can do nothing. He also takes pleasure in those who hope in His mercy. 

Let me explain the word 'hope' and 'mercy' here. 

The word 'hope' here is 'yawchal' in Hebrew. It can mean 'patiently waiting' or 'patiently trusting'. Yes, trust in His perfect timing and plans for your life. Isaiah 40:31 says, 'Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.' 

It means no matter what the world throws at you, because you wait on the Lord, i.e. because you hope in the Lord, you are like the eagle that rises above all the storms of this world! You shall run and not be weary. You shall walk and not faint. You shall continue to run with the Lord and walk with the Lord, and nothing in this world can have a hold in your life! Why? Because you know that your life belongs to the Lord! 

How about the word 'mercy' here? This word 'mercy' is 'hesed' in Hebrew, which refers to 'the great love of God towards us', especially in the context of 'His faithfulness to His promises and His covenant with us'. So, it pleases God when we patiently put our hope in His faithfulness and in His lovingkindness towards us, instead of us putting our trust in the achievements of man and in the strength of man. In other words, in 'horses and chariots'. And it pleases God when we put all our trust in Him, knowing that He is a God who keeps His promises and covenant with us.

You see, if you have God, you have everything! So, let us put our priority right. Let God be first. With God, we can do all things! With God, all things will work together for good! With God, all good things will flow in and out of our lives! 

So you see, you are not alone! The Lord is with you! If no one in this world understands you (or what you are going through at the moment), bring it before the Lord. He understands. Look to Him. Trust in Him. He knows how to guide you. He knows how to lead you. He knows how to restore you. He knows how to heal you.

What is the 'tunnel' that you are 'stuck in' right now? It may be a challenging time in the ministry that you are involved in. It may be in your career. It may be in the business that you have right now. Whatever your 'tunnel' may be, take heart, because you have this assurance that the Lord your God is here with you, and He is going through it with you! You shall see light at the end of the tunnel!

Let us pray. 

"O Lord God, we praise You because You are not a dead-end God. You are always a God of light, and You are always a God of hope. We thank You for Your Word for us today. Whatever situation Your people may be facing right now, You have spoken today that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We declare good things are beginning to happen! We declare breakthrough! We declare victory! We declare Your Word! We declare hope! In Jesus' name. Amen." 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

Experiencing God's glory from the inside out - why & how?

How do you experience God's glory wherever you are? 

Now, don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong in going to places where revival or a great awakening is happening, in order to 'catch the fire' or to 'jumpstart' your spiritual life. But you know what? You can't do that all the time! You can't be in a particular place all the time! 

But I have a good news for you! You can experience God's glory wherever you are! Yes, even wherever you are right now! 

In fact, when you experience God's glory from the 'inside out', from the inside of you, from within you, it is so real! Remember, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and He wants to fill you with His glory and light inside of you!

When we talk about God's glory and light, we can't help but also talk about cleansing from every form of impurities in our lives. Why? Because all these impurities in our lives can hinder us from receiving His glory and light! 

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus Himself says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The word 'see' here is 'optanomai' in Greek. In the context of this verse, it can mean 'your spiritual eyes can be opened and enlightened to see the many things that you couldn't see (or experience) before'. When this happens, something changes in the inside of you, and you'll begin to see the way God sees, and not the way the world sees! 

Indeed, this is the time He is touching many of His people to want to go deeper and deeper in His presence, His glory, His light, and His realm!

In Ezekiel 8:2, Ezekiel said: 'Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire - from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber.' 

Here, Ezekiel saw the appearance of the Lord God Himself - full of light, full of fire, full of brightness! And he even described Him as 'like the color of amber'. This word 'amber' is 'khahsmal' in Hebrew. It can literally mean 'polished, shining substance'. What does this show us? As we behold the Lord, we are being 'polished' till we become full of His light and shining again! 

Let us therefore humble ourselves, and let Him cleanse us and 'polish' us till we reflect more and more of the Lord in our lives! 

Do you want to be like Ezekiel (to whom the Lord showed so many things)? Here in Ezekiel chapter 8, the Lord actually showed Ezekiel the many idolatries that were happening within His temple. The Lord was very grieved at that time. You see, He yearned to dwell in His temple. But His people had turned their face away from Him, and turned to idols. In our context, 'idols' don't necessarily have to be idols per se (i.e. statues or images of idols). But an 'idol' can be anything in life that takes away our focus on the Lord. It can be a certain lust, greed, or pride in our lives. It can be anything that we hold on to, when we should be letting it go. 

Right now, the Lord is calling us to let go of whatever that hinders His glory and light from shining in our lives. Why? Because there's so much more that He wants to show to us, and there's so much more that He wants us to see and experience in the spiritual realm! 

For the record, when man was first created (i.e. when Adam was first created), he was full of God's glory and light too! That's why the Scripture says 'he had no sense of nakedness'. In other words, he didn't feel naked, even though he didn't have any physical clothing on! Why? Because he was clothed in God's glory and light! But after he disobeyed and sinned, this glory departed! It's the same in the time of Ezekiel when he saw the glory departed from the temple! (Ezekiel 10:18)

But I have a good news for you! In Christ, you can gain it back! You can receive the glory back! You can be clothed in His glory and light again! What Adam has lost, you can receive it back! How do you receive it back? By knowing that Christ lives in you! He is our glory and light! By opening your heart to receive Him into your life! And if you have received Him into your life, by worshiping Him and fellowshipping with Him! How do you fellowship with Him? You fellowship with Him by reading and receiving His Word! You also fellowship with Him by praying in the spirit! That's how you'll be so full of His Spirit - His glory and His light!

Another area is obedience to Him, i.e. obedience to whatever He has spoken to you (or instructed you to do). Yes, choose to obey what He says, even if some people on this earth may despise you or ridicule you for doing it! As you obey and heed what He says to you, you'll begin to reflect His glory and light more and more! 

I have more good news for you! When you are so full of His glory and light, no enemy (or work of darkness) can 'touch' you! They cannot 'access' into your life! And if they try to 'touch' you, they are 'touching' the Lord, and it's very dangerous to them, not to you! Your part, beloved, is to continue to stay in His glory and light! (1 John 1:5-6)

In Colossians 1:27, Paul wrote: 'To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.' 

Another good news is this: It is His will to make known the riches of His glory to you! In other words, it is His will that you should experience more and more of His glory and light!

So, never miss this time and season! The Lord wants to show you His glory and light in more and more ways! More and deeper than you've ever seen or experienced before! Hallelujah! 

Prayer: "O Lord God, we thank You for Your glory and Your light. We want more and more of You. What we have experienced so far is just a mere drop in the ocean. There's so much more that You want to show us, that You want us to experience. As we behold You, let us also be changed from glory to glory, to be more and more like You, to reflect who You are from the inside out. We receive Your glory now. We receive Your light now. In the name of Jesus. Amen." 

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

How to be happy and shining for the Lord?

Hi, happy shining people! Why do I greet you happy shining people? Because as a beloved of God, as a believer of Christ, you should be the happiest person on earth, no matter what happens in this world! 

Happy are you, because you are blessed! Jesus has carried away all your curse, sorrows, hurts, and wounds, so that you are now blessed! 

And why are you shining? Because you are a light! And what is a light for? A light is for you to shine! 

Ephesians 5:8-10 (NKJV) says, 'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.' 

Ephesians 5:8-10 (Amplified) says, 'For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him - your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation].' 

You see, you are not just in the Light (Jesus), but you are a light! As you receive His light, you become a light! And wherever you are in this world, you are a light that shines! That's what the Scripture says!

The Lord also spoke these words for this week: 

"Be alert and vigilant. Walk circumspectly. Guard your time. Don't let the enemy snatch your time away. Choose to spiritualize your time." 

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NKJV) says, 'See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.' 

The word 'circumspect' here is 'akribos' in Greek. In the context of this verse, it means 'to walk carefully, to walk diligently, and to walk honorably (before the Lord).'

How about 'redeeming the time'? It simply means 'making the most of your time (while you are on earth).' 

Not only the Lord wants you to walk carefully, diligently, and honorably before Him, He also wants you to make the most of your time while on earth! So, whether you are a youth, in your 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, or a retiree, you can utilize your time for His glory, everyday of your life! 

How are the days evil? This expression doesn't mean time, calendar, or hours are evil. Rather, this expression "the days are evil" tells us that these days on earth are filled with evil, i.e. filled with sins and dominated by the powers of darkness. And if we are not careful, we can be swallowed up in it!

What then is 'spiritualize your time'? It means to make your life honorable before the Lord, to make your life spiritual before the Lord, instead of carnal. You see, being spiritual and being carnal, these are opposites and antagonistic to one another. Romans 8:6 says, 'For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.' 

If you do not choose to 'spiritualize your time', dedicating your time before the Lord, the enemy will always try to suck you into being carnal or being fleshly!

What are the examples of being carnal? Thinking lustful thoughts, thinking greedy thoughts, thinking prideful thoughts, pulling down others, backstabbing others, gossiping about others, etc. 

But as you dedicate yourself before the Lord, you are exchanging all these 'carnalities' with what is honorable and spiritual before the Lord. And that's how your life will be happier and more fruitful. And you will be a great testimony to many around you. People who see you will see Jesus in you! 

What are the examples of being spiritual? Being a light to others, bringing hope to others, strengthening others through your faith, strengthening others through the Word of God, encouraging others when they are down, etc. And of course being a giver. Not just giving material things or money to those in need, but giving encouragement, giving love, giving hope, caring for the uncared, loving the unloved, looking out for those who need help, etc. 

Instead of looking inward, you look outward. 

During the healing meetings in the 1970's those days, there's one great evangelist who actually told the people to forget about their own problems or sicknesses, but instead find someone worse off (or more sick) than them and pray for them. As these people began to forget about their own problems (or sicknesses) and began praying for those around them, you know what? Not only did they see miracles and healing happening in those around them, they themselves were healed! 

So, go ahead and be a light to others, especially in this time and season! Arise and shine, for the glory of the Lord is upon you! Your life will be happier as you shine on others!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

The benefits of thinking good thoughts

Words from the Lord: 

"Teach My people to think of good things. Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, think of these things." 

Further words from the Lord: 

"Your thoughts determine the amount of light around you in the spiritual realm. The more you think good thoughts, the more light emanates in and around you." 

By the way, the word 'emanate' means 'to emit or to release and flow out (in and around you)'. So today, I'm going to show you the importance of your thought life, and how it correlates to the light in the spiritual realm around you. 

Of course whatever is being taught here, it has to be backed up with the Scripture. So, I'm going to show you and prove to you from the Scripture as well.

But before that, in Philippians 4:8-9, apostle Paul wrote, 'Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, this do and the God of peace will be with you.'

The word 'meditate' (or 'think' in King James Version) here is 'logizomai' in Greek. It can speak of any of these:

- the mental faculty of a person (i.e. the mind realm) 

- the reasoning with the mind of a person 

- the thought life of a person 

- making conclusion (that it is true about something) 

In other words, once you have concluded that that is the right thing to do, you begin to channel your thoughts, you begin to channel your mind, on that something or on that truth. And that's what 'meditate' is about. 

Now, why did apostle Paul emphasize so much on meditation life, on thought life, on thinking the right thoughts? 

Because in the spiritual realm, thoughts are so important. In the spiritual realm, thoughts will determine the light that emanates around you. In fact, in the spiritual realm, your thoughts will be known or 'caught' by others as well, unlike in the physical realm where you can hide your thoughts (i.e. you may think of something inside of you, but you can portray a different facade to other people).

You may be asking how do I know all these? The Lord caused me to see all these in the spiritual realm, and I have Bible verses to show you and prove to you.

Jesus Himself said in Luke 8:17 (NKJV), "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light." 

It means nothing hidden that will not be revealed. 

Luke 8:17 (NIV) puts it this way, "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." 

Now this applies in the spiritual realm. Everything will be exposed. Our thoughts, whether good thoughts or bad thoughts will be exposed, will be known, unlike in this physical world where we can hide our thoughts. In the physical realm, we can say something that may not be what we actually think of. But in the spiritual realm, we cannot hide that. We cannot put up a facade. 

That's why, people of God, always think good thoughts. Don't always think bad thoughts about yourself or even about others, as this will only cause more harm to yourself. 

Just as in the physical realm, rubbish attract flies, and flowers attract butterflies; in the spiritual realm, bad thoughts attract the work of darkness, and good thoughts attract the work of light or the work of angels (who minister around you and for you).

In the spiritual realm, good thoughts attract more light, but bad thoughts cause your light to be dimmer in and around you. 

The same with different stars in the galaxy. Do you realize some stars shine brighter and some stars dimmer? Each of us in the spiritual realm is like a star. Some stars shine brighter and some stars dimmer. Why is that so? It has to do with one's thought life, i.e. what are the things that always fill one's mind? In other words, if you think good thoughts, you are like the star that shines brighter and brighter in the spiritual realm! 

That is why the Bible prepares us to think good thoughts and take care of our thought life even here on earth! Because you are not just living in the physical realm while on earth, but you are living in the spiritual realm here on earth too! 

Here are the examples of Bible verses about thought life:

Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.'  

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) says, 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.' 

Romans 8:5-6 (NKJV) says, 'For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.' 

In other words, if your mind is being renewed and you are spiritually minded, that's how you will have life and peace on earth. But if you always give in to your flesh, give in to your carnality, give in to lust, greed and pride, you think greedy thoughts, you think lustful thoughts, you think prideful thoughts, all these kinds of fleshly thoughts, it is going to lead you to death and it is going to bring you nowhere. 

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) says, 'And do not be conformed to this world (or 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.'

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) says, 'Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.' 

In other words, if there's anything that contradicts God and the knowledge of God, you cast them down. Do not entertain all those arguments against God and the knowledge of God. But instead, bring every thought of yours to focus on Christ, the obedience of Christ, and on all that Christ has done for you on the cross. 

Also, it is important to guard your thoughts. If your heart is the door to the spiritual realm, then your mind or your thought is the window to the spiritual realm. It's just like if you live in a house, you guard not just your door from thieves or burglars, but you guard your window as well. Because thieves and burglars don't just try to enter through the door, but they may even try to enter through the window. So guard both your door (that's your heart) and your window (that's your mind or your thought). 

Now this is interesting. Jesus Himself said this in Matthew 6:22-23. I read from New King James Version (NKJV) first. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Now over here, Jesus tells us that either our eye is directed at heavenly things and therefore full of light, or it is directed at earthly or carnal (or fleshly things), therefore full of darkness. So there's a contrast here. One leads to 'full of light', and one leads to 'full of darkness'. It depends on the eye, whether the eye is good or the eye is bad.

By the way, the word 'eye' here is 'ophthalmos' in Greek, and it can be defined as 'the way you see something, the way you gaze into something, the way you understand something'. 

Now I read from King James Version (KJV) for the same verses. "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" 

Now this is interesting. Why the word 'single' here? Why is it translated as 'eye be single' for 'eye be good' here? It means being single-minded on God! It means to focus your thoughts or your minds on good and godly things! Now that's what being single-minded means! It means to concentrate and to focus, concentrating only on one aim. And what is the aim here? On God's things! Do you see the correlation here? If the eye is good (single), then you will be full of light! It means you are single-minded, concentrating and focusing on God and God's things! And that's how you are full of light! You will also be happier and more content when you focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing that all the good things, the material things, will be added unto you! (Matthew 6:33) 

But in contrast, when you are double-minded, it's as if your whole body is full of darkness. That's what Jesus meant here. In other words, when a person tries to live for two masters, serving or entertaining two masters - one is God, one is mammon - all at the same time, it puts a dark shadow over a person!

Proof? Just one verse later in Matthew 6:24, Jesus said this, "No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." 

By the way, 'mammon' here means the material things, money, or the riches of this world. Now, this doesn't mean that you cannot prosper. God's will is for you to prosper in your soul, in your health, and even in material things, so that you can use all these to glorify God. Nothing wrong with God prospering you. But what Jesus meant here is when you begin to love money more than God, when money has a hold on you, that's how you will be full of darkness. You see, the Bible says 'the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil' (1 Timothy 6:10). But that doesn't mean money is evil. Money is just a medium of exchange. So let's know the difference here.

In 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV), apostle Paul wrote, 'But I fear, lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity (purity) that is in Christ.' 

Here, apostle Paul meant a person's mind can be corrupted by the devil or forces of darkness, if that person isn't careful or if that person begins to entertain (or open the mind to) wrong influences, just as what happened to Eve. 

So, let not your minds be corrupted or deceived by the things or lures of this world, by all that the forces of darkness, the devil try to brainwash you. But instead, you set your minds on the things of God, on the simplicity (purity) of who Christ is.

How about God's thoughts for you? 

Now, this is a very familiar verse. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think towards you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Hallelujah! 

As you align your thoughts with God's thoughts for you, that's how you are going to see your God-given destiny being fulfilled, and you are going to accomplish all that God has planned for you on this earth. Therefore, beloved of God, be set free from the thought that you are no good. Be set free from the thought that you are a failure. Be set free from the thought that you are forever not up to it, or not up to what God wants you to be. But instead, commit your life and your work to the Lord.

Proverbs 16:3 (NKJV) says, 'Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established (by the Lord).' 

The word 'commit' here is 'galal' in Hebrew. In this context, it means 'align your works to the Lord, dedicate your works to the Lord, entrust your works to the Lord, or roll it all unto the Lord'. So, even as you commit your life, you dedicate your life, you surrender, align, entrust your whole life to the Lord, your future to the Lord, and roll it all unto the Lord, He will know how to establish your thoughts and He will know how to teach you step by step. He will know how to put His thoughts into your thoughts. 

After all, His thoughts are always higher than our thoughts, and His ways are always higher than our ways. In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Lord says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." 

Then in Isaiah 55:10-11, the Lord says, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." 

See, as you align your thoughts to His thoughts regarding your life, you are going to walk in that prosperity that God has meant for you.

And in Isaiah 55:12-13, the Lord says, "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree. And it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

So you see, these are His promises for you, the results and the fruits of you aligning your thoughts to God's thoughts. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that awesome? When you commit your thoughts before the Lord, commit your life before the Lord, aligning your thoughts to His thoughts, and surrender your thoughts to be renewed by Him, not only will you have the light emanating from you, not only will you attract the light, but you are also going to have the joy and peace of the Lord in your life, just as the Lord has said in Isaiah 55. Hallelujah!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

I saw vision of torchlight shining in the cave

Every week, we seek the Lord for the timely revelation in the Word to be released to you. 

In the past week, while I was praying and seeking the Lord, I saw a vision of a powerful torchlight being switched on and shining into a dark, pitch-black, deep cave. 

I asked the Lord what this vision meant, and the Lord said, "This is a time to let Me search your heart and your soul. For My Spirit is like a 'torchlight' that shines through the darkest cave. Look to Me, My people, and let Me bring 'light' to these areas of your life and bring fresh hope in your life, be it your past hurts, wounds, shame, or failures."

Some of you recently have been having dreams about certain not-so-nice situation or happenings in your past. Do not fear. Because God is shining His light into that time of your life, or that area of your life, in order to set you free, restore you, and give you a fresh new hope. 

I'm bringing you now to a psalm of David, Psalm 139. I believe this is a time for us to meditate on this whole Psalm 139. I start from the very end part of Psalm 139, which is verse 23 and verse 24. It says, 'Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting.' 

The word 'search' here is 'chaqar' in Hebrew. It means 'to penetrate', like the light penetrating into the darkness, even into your darkest past, wounds, hurts, shame, or failure. Maybe your darkest days happened during your teenage years, or your early 20's, or anytime in your past. Maybe it's a certain bad experience that you have wanted to let go, but it just kept haunting you again. Maybe for some of you, it was a sexual abuse, or for others, you have been a victim of terrible bully. Let the Lord shine His light, or penetrate ('chaqar') into those time (or areas) of your life. Why? Because the Lord wants to set you free, restore you, and give you a fresh new hope, going forward! 

So, there's a release right now. This is your time of being set free, so you can look forward and look ahead in your life!

Now, let's read Psalm 139 verse 23 and verse 24 from another Bible version, The Expanded Bible. It says, 'God, examine [investigate; search] me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any bad thing [hurtful way] in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.' 

You see, the word 'search' here isn't just regarding your past, i.e. your past wounds, past hurts, past shame, or past failures; but it's also regarding your present spiritual condition or spiritual state of your life. Let the Lord search that as well. 

As you allow the Holy Spirit to search you even in your current situation or current condition of your spirit and soul, some of you may even suddenly have this realization, "Wow, how can I be so wicked in this area?", or "How can I think such wicked thoughts against so and so?" 

God is also searching (like the torchlight) any hidden motives, hidden intentions, or hidden desires, especially fleshly desires that are not from the Lord. For example, to have more fame, to want to be known by many more people, to have many more followers so you can flaunt it, etc. Now, this applies for some of us ministers of God as well. What is your motive when you say you want to have a bigger ministry, a bigger church, or a bigger stage? Is it because you really want to be a blessing to others, to many lives? Or is it because it feeds your ego?

You see, there are many areas in our life that God is in the midst of shining His 'torchlight' (into our spirit and soul). Why does God want to do that? Because He wants to prepare us for a greater future - both here on earth and also in eternity!

I'll go right up to the beginning part of Psalm 139 now, from verse 1 to verse 4. Notice this psalm begins and ends with 'search' (the same word 'chaqar'). It says here, 'O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.' 

In other words, God knows when we sit down and God knows when we stand up. God knows our thoughts even before we think them. God knows everything we do. Nothing escape His eyes. Even before we say a word, He already knows it. Why? Because He is the Omniscient, All-knowing God. And one very interesting thing about this statement 'God knows your sitting down and rising up' is that even such insignificant thing as you taking a seat or standing up at any time of the day, God takes notice. No, it's not to restrict you, but to watch over you. 

From Psalm 139 here, we know that God has perfect knowledge of you and even your future! You know what this means? There's nothing to fear if you have Him in your life! Jeremiah 29:11 says His thoughts for you are thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. So, be rest assured that even if the world falls apart or the world falls into deep trouble or tribulation, still there's nothing to fear! Because God knows all and God sees further. God will know how to make a way of escape for you! Because His thoughts for you are always thoughts of peace, of future, and of hope! The Word of God says so!

David has this revelation when he wrote Psalm 139. David acknowledged that nothing could escape God's eyes. And one thing for sure is David was a worshiper of the Lord, and he has a close and personal relationship with his God. You see, David knew very well that this God of his, whom he worship, isn't just a Creator of all things, of heaven and earth, including his own life; but this God also cares for him enough to search him. No, not to find fault or to accuse him of wrongdoing, but so that God could guide him and lead him into the right ways! David knows God wants the very best for him! 

'David' means 'Beloved'. You too are a beloved of God, and God wants the very best for you too! So, be like David. You can present your life before the Lord and say, "God, search my heart. Show me if there's any area that You want to correct me or change me." And God will surely come in, like a torchlight that shines into one's life! And you are blessed, because the Lord will begin to guide you and lead you, even the way forward!

So, be prepared. This is the time God wants to go deeper in your life. God wants to go even more personal in your life. There's nothing to hide from God. You may be hiding things from your friends, from your associates, or from people around you, but with God, don't hide! Just let God shine His light into any area of your life, and the more you allow Him to shine His light into your life, the better! Remember, God will never lead you into trouble. God will always lead you into better things, if you allow Him. Amen!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Those who despised you will come running to you!

The Lord says, "This is the time I am anointing you to shine for Me! Arise and shine, for your light has come! And My glory is falling upon you! Receive My light and My glory by faith! Those who despised you in the past will come running to you! Those who shunned you in the past will begin to remember you and honor you! This is not the time to give up hope, no matter what the devil throw at you! This is the time to arise and shine, for your light has come!"

Isaiah 60:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you'.

Many of you would have learned from life experience that just before the light comes, it always seem like that's the most hopeless and darkest time. That's when the devil would also try to take advantage to discourage you and 'kill you off'! The devil always aim to steal, kill and destroy God's people!

Even in the Scripture, just before the beautiful promises of the Lord in Isaiah 60, you'd find Isaiah 59! Let's go to Isaiah 59:9-10 now. This part of the Scripture says, 'Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places'.

You see, just before the Lord declared "Arise, shine; For your light has come!" in Isaiah 60, there's a part in a chapter just before that says, "We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness!"

For the record, Jesus went through a time of darkness too, before His glorious rising! 

Mark 15:27-32 (NKJV) says, 'With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him'.

Luke 22:63-65 (NKJV) says, 'Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him'.

People of God, know that your Jesus has gone through a time of darkness too, and He understands fully what you've been going through in times like these. 

No matter how 'dark' things have been, keep looking to Him, and He will know how to make a way for you. Remember, He knows your future (more than anyone else on earth), and He knows the end from the beginning!

And if you've been despised by others, snubbed by others, ignored by others, shunned by others, or bypassed by others in the past, be rest assured the Lord understands and sees all these as well. Why? He has gone through all these before!

But I have a good news for you. The time is coming when the Lord is going to cause many who used to despise, snub, ignore, shun or bypass you to begin to run to you! They'll begin to honor you, remember you, and appreciate you!

Let's go back to Isaiah 60 now. I know this chapter is specifically for Israel. But as people of God, you too can receive all these promises by faith, in the name of Jesus!

Isaiah 60:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you'.

Isaiah 60:14-15 (NKJV) says, 'Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations'.

Therefore, people of God, at this juncture of your life, it is so important to hang on to God! Hang on to your hope in God! Trust that He knows what He is doing and He knows exactly what to do in your life, going forward. Trust Him! Let Him lead. Don't fight with Him. Yield to Him. And you too will begin to see all the promises in Isaiah 60 coming to pass in your life! Hallelujah!

For details of this message, watch here in YouTube

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

The entrance of God's words gives light!

Psalm 119:130 (NKJV): The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

God's Word is light, and the entrance His words gives light! And when the light comes, darkness flees! This light also gives understanding to the simple (i.e. those who do not know or understand).

Psalm 119:131 then says, 'I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments (Your words)'. So, how do you allow God's words to enter your life? By 'opening your mouth' and 'eating' His words! 

Recently, the Lord spoke these words to a congregation I was ministering to:

"Many of you are crossing the threshold, and many of you are entering a new season of breakthrough that you've been waiting far too long. But now is your time! Your time has come! This is also the time to eat of My Word! Eat, and keep eating, so you will be strong for the journey ahead!"

These words actually reminded me of Elijah when the angel of the Lord said to him, "Arise and eat!" (see 1 Kings 19:5-7) Indeed, for many of you, you need to 'eat' so you'll have the strength for the 'journey' ahead! This is not the time to 'lay down', and definitely not the time to 'throw a pity party'! The Bible says Elijah then went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God (see 1 Kings 19:8). By the way, 'forty' in Hebrew numeric simply means 'total rule, total dominion, or completed course.'

And how do you 'eat' of His Word? By meditating in His Word! 

Joshua 1:8 says, 'This Book of the Law (the Word) shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and, and then you will have good success'.

It's time to go back to basics today!

“Oh! Don't tell me about this meditating thing! I have meditated a lot those days! I know the Word already!” Some might say.

Well, it’s just like saying, “Oh! I’ve eaten a lot of good, nutritious food those days! Many years ago! I don’t need to eat nowadays!” 

As a matter of fact, to continue to stay strong and healthy every day, you need to continue to eat good, nutritious food every day! The same it is with your 'spiritual food', i.e. the Word. This is definitely one 'food' that you should be taking in continuously (and consistently)! And of course, 'you are what you eat'! The entrance of good food brings good health; but on the other hand, the entrance of junk food brings junk health! So, you've got to know what you eat, and eat the right food! Because too much junk makes people sick!

In Joshua 1:8, the word 'meditate' here is 'hagah', from the alephbets 'hey-gimel-hey' (הָגָה) in Hebrew. 'Hey' (ה) speaks of God's grace (or God's supply, God's ability), whereas ‘Gimel’ (גָ) is a picture of ‘foot’, which speaks of ‘movement’. 

And you know what this means? As you meditate in His Word day and night, you'll also be moving from grace to grace! (i.e. growing from grace to grace, or grace upon grace)

People of God, do you want more of His grace, His supply (of every good thing from heaven) and His ability in your life? Then meditate in His Word day and night, and repeatedly again and again! Notice Joshua 1:8 says: 'it (the Word) shall not depart from your mouth'. See the word 'mouth' here? I used to wonder why the Bible never says 'it shall not depart from your heart', or 'it shall not depart from your mind', but the Bible says 'it shall not depart from your mouth'!

Let me explain.

Contrary to what many people think, 'meditation' in the context of Joshua 1:8 here isn't so much about 'silent contemplation' of the Word. Instead, it is about speaking out (or confessing aloud) with your mouth God's words day by day. Psalm 35:28 says, 'And my tongue shall speak ('hagah') of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long'. Psalm 71:24 says, 'My tongue also shall talk ('hagah') of Your righteousness all the day long'. Job 27:4 says, 'My lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter ('hagah') deceit'. See 'hagah' (הָגָה) is translated as 'speak', 'talk', and 'utter' here? All these involve your voice, and not silence! As you 'hagah' (הָגָה), you'll also hear it. And faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) Also, your faith hardly comes when you hear junks!

You see, you don't need to hear 'world news' repeatedly over and over again. Have you noticed the news that you hear from your television set is often repetitive (shown over and over again) throughout the day? And with all those 'bad news' one hears nowadays, it's no surprise that one would feel even more 'terrible' upon hearing it! Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't keep abreast of what is happening in the world in that case, but the truth is hearing too much of 'bad news' will never help nourish your spirit or strengthen your soul! The Bible never says 'the entrance of the world gives light', but instead 'the entrance of the Word gives light'! 'World' and 'Word'! And one little 'L' makes a whole lot of difference!

The good news is there's always an answer in the Word to every situation or problem you face in this world! So, the more you meditate ('hagah') in the Word (for any particular area of your life) day by day, the more light enters that particular area of your life (whether in health, in providence, in your thought life, or in every other area of your life).

As you confess aloud God’s Word into your life day by day, this light of His Word also causes darkness in that area of your life to flee! So, use your eyes to see the Word, your mouth to speak the Word, and your ear to hear the Word! And as Joshua 1:8 says, you'll be right on your way to prosperity (in any area of your life), and you'll have good success. Amen!

Examples of Bible verses (personalized) that you can speak into your life over and over again:

In Christ, there is no darkness at all, for God is light and He lives in me (1 John 1:5)

In Christ, my light has come, and the glory of the Lord is seen upon me (Isaiah 60:1-2)

In Christ, my path is as the shining light, that shines brighter and brighter till the full light (Proverbs 4:18)

In Christ, I am empowered by the Holy Spirit, and I am established (2 Corinthians 1:21)

In Christ, I give thanks for He always leads me in triumph in Christ, and through me diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14)

God's Light brings authority, wisdom and revelation

Isaiah 60:1-2 (NKJV): Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.

People of God, this is the year of the Light! And Jesus is that Light (read John 1:1-18). John 1:4 says, 'In Him (Jesus Christ) is life, and this life is the light of men'. To be in Him is to be in the Light. In other words, when you have Him, you have the light (and of course, eternal life).

The word 'arise' here in Isaiah 60:1-2 is 'zarach' in Hebrew, which means 'to shoot forth beams of light, to appear on you like sunrise'. I can therefore paraphrase the verse this way: 'Even though darkness may cover the earth and its people, but as for you (the believers), the Lord will shoot beams of light on you and appear on you like the sunrise!'

With the Light comes authority. This Light brings with Him authority, i.e. the authority over darkness and all the power of darkness. Revelation 18:1-2a says, 'After these things, I (John) saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen..."

The word 'authority' here is 'exousia' in Greek, which can mean 'power, ability, privilege, force, freedom, competency, jurisdiction, superhuman'. You can find this same word 'exousia' in Luke 10:19: 'Behold, I (Jesus) give you the authority ('exousia') to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you'.
Note: 'Serpents and scorpions' here are pictures of 'the devil, or the work of darkness'.

'Babylon' comes from the word 'Babel', meaning 'confusion'. This speaks of 'the systems of the world, or the man-made structures/systems of this world'. The end-time is a time when God's way clashes with the worldly way, but in the end, God's way will triumph and exult over the 'Babylonian' way (see Revelation chapters 18 and 19).

With the Light also comes wisdom and revelation. The word 'illuminate' in the above verse is 'photizo' in Greek, which means 'to shed rays, to shine, to brighten up, to enlighten, to bring to light, made to see'. This word 'photizo' is derived from the word 'phos', which simply means 'light'. 'Light' is the source of 'enlightening'. I can therefore say 'with the light comes enlightening, but without the light, there's no enlightening'.

In cross reference, this word 'photizo' is also found in Ephesians 1:17-18: '...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 ('photizo'), that you may know what is the hope of His calling...'

The word 'wisdom' here in Greek is 'sophia', from the word 'sophos' which means 'to be clear (and not blur), to have clarity in what one is to do'. When the eyes of your understanding is enlightened, you'll be so clear as to what to do and what not to do in your life and vocation (calling)!

Not only that, the thing that has been 'veiled' (i.e. 'in the dark') now becomes 'unveiled' when the light brings with it enlightening. The word 'revelation' here in Greek is 'apokalupsis', meaning 'unveiled, disclosed, uncovered, brought to light'.

As you can see, light will always triumph over darkness. When the light comes, darkness will have to flee (1 John 2:8). There's no other way around it.

So, if there's any one word you can remember throughout this year, it is the word 'Light'. Be conscious always of the Light who is in you. Know also that you are in the Light (no matter what happens around you), and you'll rise above every darkness that covers the earth and its people, be it in health, in finance, in economy, or in any other area of life. Amen.

Receiving your Light for a brand new year

Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV): Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

The word 'light' here is 'owr' in Hebrew, which can mean 'illumination, bright, clear, morning sun, lightning, happiness, break of day, glory, shine, set on fire'. As you can see, this word 'owr' has a wide range of meaning in Hebrew.

Isaiah 60:2-3 then says, 'For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light ('owr'), and kings to the brightness of your rising'.

People of God, even though the world may be getting 'darker and darker' (in every sense) in this end-time, 'but the Lord will arise over you'. The Word of God says so. The word 'arise' here is rather interesting. It is pronounced 'zarach' in Hebrew, which actually means 'to shoot forth beams of light, to appear on you like the sunrise'. Let me paraphrase the verse above now: Even though the world may be getting 'darker and darker', but as for you (the believers), the Lord will 'shoot forth beams of light' over you and 'appear on you like the sunrise'! Hallelujah! Take it, believe for it, and receive it. Amen!

Now, who is this 'light'? John 1:6-10 says, 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (the Baptist). This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

Notice the words 'true Light' here? Indeed, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and this truth sets us free (John 8:32). And when this true Light comes, all darkness (even false lights) will have to flee. 1 John 2:8 says, 'Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true Light is already shining'.

People of God, to be 'in this Light' is to be 'in Christ'! Jesus is your Light!

1 John 1:5-7 says, 'This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all... if we walk in the light (i.e. in Him) as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin'.

The word 'light' here in Greek is 'phos', which means 'to shine, to make manifest (to show up, to reveal)'. The Word of God says Jesus Christ is God manifested (showed up, revealed) and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

Just as Jesus Christ (the true Light) reveals God the Father, the light that shines (from the physical sun) also reveals the physical sun. In other words, without the light, you wouldn't know there's a sun!
Note: The Lord God Almighty forbid that we worship the physical sun, but He shows us the physical sun as a sure 'sign' that points us to Him and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (see John 1:1-18). If the 'physical sun' reflects God the Father, then the 'light' has got to reflect God the Son! The 'physical sun' and its 'light' cannot be separated. They are 'one'. If the 'light' is taken away from the 'physical sun', it is not called the 'sun' any more. May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened. Amen.

Isaiah 60:19-20 says, 'The (physical) sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended'.

Today, know that Jesus Christ is to you an 'everlasting light'!

So, friends, if you are currently going through a time of 'darkness' (in family, in relationship, in business, in career, in health, in finance, or in any other area of your life), and it seems your hope has also gone dimmer and dimmer, this is your time to receive the 'Light'. This 'Light' will also bring with Him a renewed hope for you. Amen. The Word of God says 'Christ in you, the hope of glory' (Colossians 1:27).

Know also that Jesus Christ Himself has already carried all your 'darkness' when He died for you on the cross, and in exchange, you can now receive the 'light'. The Word of God says, 'Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" (Luke 23:44-47)

And because He gave you this 'light', you can now therefore 'proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy' (1 Peter 2:9-10). Have a year full of His light and the praises of the Lord. Amen!