Keys to living a happy and radiant life everyday

The Lord is saying to you today: 

"There's a fresh release of My power to destroy and break every yoke of sorrow right now. Receive the joy that comes from Me. Sorrow is being destroyed. Joy is taking over. For I am giving you a new lease of life. I am turning a brand new chapter in your life." 

The Lord says further: 

"As you receive this power to break free and walk in the new freedom that I've given you, do not look back. Let go of those past. Let go of those regrets. Let go of those disappointments. Let go of those bitterness. Let them all go. And look to Me. For I have new things that you have not known yet, as you look ahead of you." 

Psalm 30:11 (NLT) says, 'You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.' 

You may have gone through a time of mourning or sorrow (whatever it is, and different people may be in different situation), or you may have been trapped in your past, but God has a good news for you today. The power of sorrow is being broken! Declare that you are now set free! 

You can receive the joy of the Lord right now. The joy of knowing the Lord is greater than all your sorrows on earth. The joy of knowing the Lord is here to restore and heal you. The joy of knowing there is new hope and purpose ahead of you. Amen! 

Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV) says, 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.' 

When you have the joy of the Lord in your life, you will have the strength to look ahead and to carry on in your life. You will have a new vigor. You will look forward to what's ahead of you!

Nehemiah wasn't just giving the people a mere suggestion. He didn't mean to say, "Hey, it's up to you whether you choose to stay in your sorrow, or you choose to receive the joy from the Lord." Instead, it was actually a command from the Lord. You see, God places great importance to your joy. He wants you to keep your joy, stay in your joy, and not lose your joy. 

If you look at the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 that says, 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control', you will see how important joy is. It comes second only after God's love that never fails. 

The word 'joy' here is 'chara' in Greek. It can mean 'great delight'. In the context here, it means 'delighting greatly in the Lord'. Another meaning of 'chara' is 'exceeding joy and gladness'. In other words, you have the exceeding joy and gladness inside of you. It is genuine. It is not a facade. It is not fake. And this exceeding joy and gladness inside of you is reflected in the cheerfulness outside of you, i.e. your countenance. 

That's why Philippians 4:4 says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.' Notice the word 'rejoice' here is mentioned not just once, but twice. It shows the emphasis. 

The word 'rejoice' here is 'chairo' in Greek, from the same word 'chara' that you saw just now. 

What's the difference between 'chairo' and 'chara'? 'Chairo' is the verb, while 'chara' is the noun. It means 'to rejoice' is the verb, and 'joy' is the noun. Both these words 'chara' and 'chairo' come from the same ancient Greek root word 'char'. Interestingly, this word 'char' is also the root for the word 'charis' meaning 'grace' and 'favor'. 

As you can see here, all these words are inter-connected. In the context of what God is saying to you today, to rejoice is the result of having the joy of the Lord inside of you, knowing that God's face is shining upon you, and you are now living in the richness of God's grace and favor. It's from the inside-out. 

In short, when you know that God's grace and favor is with you, that He is for you and not against you, that His love for you never fails, joy begins to arise inside of you. And it shall be reflected outside of you!

You may ask, "So how do I keep this joy?" 

Let's go back to Philippians 4:4. It says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.' 

This word 'always' is so important in Philippians 4:4. What's the meaning of this word 'always'? It is 'aei' in Greek. It means 'always', of course. It also means 'a continued duration' or 'a regular practice'. Let's focus on the third meaning here. What is 'a regular practice'? There's an adage that says "practice makes perfect". There's a truth in it. It means the more you practice on something, the more you'll be good at it. In the context here, the more you practice joy, the more you'll be good at it! 

You may ask, "But how do I practice joy?" 

The answer lies in the word 'practice' itself. What is 'to practice'? 'To practice' simply means 'to do something again and again'. And that's exactly what apostle Paul meant when he wrote Philippians 4:4. To do something again and again! Rejoice in the Lord as your regular practice! Rejoice in the Lord again and again! 

Beloved of God, you can change your life today. Take joy in knowing who you are in Christ. Take joy in knowing that God has loved you with an everlasting love. Take joy in knowing that God's grace and favor is super abundant in your life. Take joy in knowing that God has not forgotten you, and has good thoughts and plans for you, no matter what you've gone through in your past. Amen! 

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How to stay youthful and radiant in life?

How do you stay youthful and radiant in life, no matter what your age? 

The key here is to receive from Him! 

Yes, you can eat health food, you can eat well, you can sleep well, you can exercise well, you can do all that you can do in the natural (in the physical realm). Nothing wrong with all these. 

But nothing beats receiving directly from Him! Because He is a God who is always fresh, full of life, full of energy, full of radiance, and full of glory!

How many of you know that our God is a God who never gets old? No doubt, this earth will get older and older, but our God is not!

Where is the proof? 

Revelation 4:2-3 (NKJV) says, 'Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 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.' 

By the way, 'rainbow' here speaks of our God being a covenant-keeping God. He is a God who keeps His covenant, and He is a God who keeps His promises. 

How about 'emerald'? The word 'emerald' here is from the Greek word 'smaragdos', and it simply means 'green gem'. In other words, a precious stone that is green in color. 

Now, 'green' is the color in Hebrew for 'life, new life, renewal, refreshing, freshness, healing, victory, prosperity'. 

If you look at the verse here, 'emerald' or the color 'green' is the color around God's throne! It means He is full of life, freshness, health, victory, and prosperity! 

Therefore, when you look to Him, and as you open your heart to Him and receive from Him, you are receiving all that is in Him and around Him! 

Do you see that? 

Another revelation I want to share with you from the Bible is our God never gets old! He is eternal and everlasting! He is immortal and timeless (i.e. not bound by time)! 

You might ask, "Where in the Bible says so?" 

Revelation 4:8 (NKJV) says, 'The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"'

You see, the living creatures in the spiritual realm are so full of life and energy that they do not rest day or night! It means they can keep going on and on, and yet never grow tired or weary. Wow! And who is their Source? The Lord God Almighty!

Revelation 4:9-11 (NKJV) says, 'Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."'

Aren't you glad that you worship a God who lives forever and ever, who never gets old, and who is full of life and full of glory? 

Psalm 90:1-2 (NKJV) says, 'Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.' 

Notice the words 'from everlasting to everlasting' here? We humans are used to things getting old on earth. Our belongings can get old. Our car can get old. Our house can get old. Everything in this fallen world gets old. The earth itself gets old. But I tell you what, our God never gets old!

Isaiah 40:28-29 (NKJV) says, 'Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.' 

Maybe at the moment, you are feeling weak, and you feel like you cannot carry on anymore. But I want to encourage you today. Look to the Lord and receive strength from Him. 

By the way, this word 'everlasting' here is 'olam' in Hebrew. Indeed, the Lord our God is the El Olam, the Everlasting God! He is a God who is forever and ever! 

The word 'olam' can mean 'timeless (not bound by time), perpetual, eternal, always there'. In other words, He continues forever and ever, and He is always there for you!

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKJV) says, 'Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but 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.' 

The word 'wait' here is 'qavah' in Hebrew, and in this context, it can mean 'collect from the Lord, gather from the Lord, expect from the Lord, hope in the Lord, bind together with the Lord, or look patiently to the Lord'. 

As you 'qavah', your strength shall be renewed! It's an all-rounded strength from the Lord that money cannot buy and no one on earth can give it to you, because it comes only from the Lord!

Let's go all the way to the very first chapter and first verse in the whole Bible. Genesis 1:1 (NKJV) says, 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' 

Look carefully at this verse: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.'

You see, this verse is not talking about God's beginning. After all, God is Self-Existent. But rather, this verse is talking about the beginning of the heavens and the earth! In other words, He existed even before all these were created! 

So, I reiterate that this verse is not talking about God's beginning! Instead, this verse is talking about creation's beginning! It means God was already there even before the earth, the whole universe, or the heavens were created! And that's what Genesis 1:1 tells us!

Therefore, the Bible is very clear that God has always existed! There has never been a time when He didn't exist, and there will never be a time when He stops existing! 

There is none like Him!

He is great, and greatly to be praised! 

And whatever your situation (or problem) may be at the moment, He is more than enough for you!

So, what's your part right now? What can you do right now? Keep receiving from Him! Never stop receiving from Him! Receive life! Receive refreshing! Receive renewal! Receive all that He wants you to receive from His throne!

And you too shall be full of life and full of the glory of the Lord! Hallelujah!

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The secret of being radiant & youthful

Daniel 1:12 (NKJV): "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink."

The word 'vegetables' here is 'pulse' in King James Version, i.e. 'zeroa' in Hebrew, which means 'something sown'. It's from the word 'zara', which means 'to sow, seed'. By the way, 'pulse' means 'seeds of various plants'.

Let's now see this verse from the spiritual point of view. There's definitely a spiritual meaning here, and it's not literally talking about being a 'vegetarian'! You see, some people eat lots of vegetables but aren't 'radiant' at all, because they may also have lots of hurts, unforgiveness, or condemnation inside. Of course, on the other hand, people who eat much meat may not necessarily be 'radiant' either! So, it's not physical food we are talking about here, even though you should take good care and be a good steward of your body (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit).

Every name, object, item, or place in the Old Testament has its meanings. The exciting part is these are for you to discover and unlock! You see, the New Testament is mainly direct and literal in its meaning, but more often than not, the Old Testament is symbolic in nature, being the 'shadows' of the things to come. Your Bible-study becomes very much alive when you learn to 'trace' and 'find' Jesus as you read through the Bible. Jesus is the Word, and He is in the Old Testament concealed, and in the New Testament revealed.

So, what does eating vegetables (i.e. 'zeroa') in Daniel 1:12 mean?

It means feeding on the 'seed'!

Let Scripture interpret Scripture now, and let's go all the way to Matthew 13:3-23 about the Parable of the Sower. Here, you see that 'seed' means the Word of God! And he who receives the 'seed' (i.e. being the 'good ground' he is) bears fruit and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13:23).

At the end of ten days, Daniel and his friends appeared more 'radiant' (i.e. shining brightly, full of youthfulness and life) and better in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies (Daniel 1:15).

Now, if 'zeroa' represents the Word of God, then 'the portion of the king's delicacies' represents the 'food' that one feeds from the world (e.g. newspaper, tv, etc). You see, that made a whole lot of difference between Daniel (and his friends) & the rest! Not only that, Daniel 1:20 says, 'And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his (the king's) realm'. Praise God! May you also be the 'Daniels' of today. Amen!

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, '... beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (i.e. the radiance of the Lord), we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord'. The 'mirror' here speaks of the Word of God as well. It means as you meditate on the Word day and night, you'll also be transformed into the same image, i.e. you'll be changed according to what the Word says about you!

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true when one 'beholds' from sources that are contrary to the Word of God!

Here are some of the verses personalized for you to increase in radiance & youthfulness:

1. I behold the glory of God and am transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).

2. God gives power to me and He increases my strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but I wait on the Lord and be renewed in my strength; I mount up with wings like eagles, I run and I am not weary, I walk and do not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31).

3. My youth is renewed like the eagle's (Psalm 103:5).

4. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me, and God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead gives life to my body through His Spirit who dwells in me (Romans 8:11).

5. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God's name is glorified both in my body and in my spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

6. I am without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but I am holy and without blemish. My body is a member of Christ's body, of His flesh and of His bones (Ephesians 5:27-30, 1 Corinthians 6:15).

7. My whole spirit, soul and body is preserved blameless at the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

8. Christ is magnified in my body (Philippians 1:20). 
Note: It means "Christ's health, radiance, and youthfulness increases in my body". 

9. God satisfies me with long life and shows me His salvation (Psalm 91:16).

10. Just as Moses' eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished, my eyes are not dim nor my natural vigor diminished (Deuteronomy 34:7).

11. My eyes will not be dim at all. The words of God are pure, enlightening my eyes (Isaiah 32:3, Psalm 19:8).

12. My teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep which have come out from the washing, every one of which bears twins, and none is barren among them (Song of Solomon 4:2).

Meditate (by speaking under your breath) and confess aloud these verses over and over again to yourself, and that's how you'll be transformed into the same image as the Lord's. Notice that Jesus continued to increase (Luke 2:52) until He has fulfilled all of God's purpose on earth, and only then He went up! He never diminished, and of course, was never sickly! As He is, so are you in this world. Believing, you'll be likewise. Amen!