A time of the visitation of the Lord and a time to welcome Him!

During a time of worship recently, I heard these words to be released to the people:
"This is a month of the visitation of the Lord! This is a time to welcome Him into every area of your life, even in every troubled area of your life, be it in your family, your health, your finance, or your vocation! And prepare Him a 'room'! Like the Shunammite woman welcoming Elisha those days!"

Let's go straight to the book of 2 Kings now.

2 Kings 4:8-10 says, 'Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."'

Here, you can see this Shunammite woman showing great hospitality towards the man of God, Elisha. This speaks of her deep reverence and respect for Elisha, and of course, the God whom Elisha serve. No wonder (as you can see later) this family had a special place in Elisha's heart, and of course, in God's heart!
Note: 'Hospitality' is defined in Oxford Dictionary as 'friendly and generous reception of someone, especially in one's own home'.

Having written the above, I would also like to point out there's a greater prophetic meaning in this passage about Elisha and the Shunammite woman here.

The very name Elisha in Hebrew is a 'picture' of 'the Lord God who saves, helps, and sets free'! This name comes from two words, 'El' meaning 'God the Almighty, strong and powerful is He', and 'shuwa' meaning 'to save, to help, to set free', whereas this place named 'Shunem' literally means 'quiet, rest, peace' in Hebrew, from the word 'Shuwniy' meaning 'to be quiet, to rest, to be at peace'. This word therefore speaks of 'the sons and daughters of peace towards the Lord', i.e. 'those who accept and welcome the Lord in their lives', and 'those who learn to rest in Him and trust in Him, no matter what'.

Look now at the five 'items' that this woman (and her husband) had prepared for Elisha, who is a 'typology' of Jesus Himself:
1. Upper room = a place of worship/prayer.
2. Bed = a place to rest.
3. Table = a place to fellowship with.
4. Chair = a place to be seated.
5. Lampstand = a place of ministry.

And let's read what 2 Kings 4:10 says: "... so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there"! Indeed, this is a time to welcome the Lord and prepare a place for Him to 'turn in'! The truth is when He 'turns in', you are blessed beyond measure! And that's exactly what happened to the Shunammite woman and her household!

2 Kings 4:12-13 says, 'Then he (Elisha) said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman." When he had called her, she stood before him. And he said to him (the servant), "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you?,,,'"'

The Lord is asking the same to those who welcome Him this day: "What can I do for you?"

You see, He is not a stingy God who keeps good things to Himself, but a God who wants to bless you, and goes all out to bless you! After all, He had even given His one and only begotten Son Jesus to die for you on the cross!

In 2 Kings 4:13, Elisha initially asked if she would want him to speak to the king (or the commander of the army) on her behalf, but she declined. Little did she know that one day, she would actually need him (through his servant) to speak to the king on her behalf! You can actually see that in 2 Kings 8:1-6 when this same woman needed to appeal to the king for her house and her land to be restored to her after a seven-year famine in the land! Well, that's how great the Lord our God is! He knows our future long before we know it!

Let's go back to 2 Kings 4 now. Elisha then found out from Gehazi his servant that this Shunammite woman had no son, and her husband was old (2 Kings 4:14). He then called her and said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." (2 Kings 4:16). His words of prophecy came to pass, and indeed, she bore a son, and the child grew (2 Kings 4:17-18).

However, later on, tragedy struck, and this very son died (2 Kings 4:19-20).

As you walk this journey of faith on earth, there can be times when you face challenges or 'storms' in life. But fear not! Because the Lord your God is not dead, but is very much alive in every situation you face. He is here to save you, help you, and set you free!

2 Kings 4:22-23 then says this woman ran to the man of God, Elisha, and in spite of the death of her son, she said "It is well!". Interestingly, 2 Kings 4:25 says she went to Elisha at Mount Carmel! There's a prophetic meaning here. You know what 'Carmel' means in Hebrew? It means 'fruitful, plentiful field; orchard, garden, vineyard', a 'picture' of 'the Lord your God who has all the resources to bless you, heal you, and restore you'! So, take heart!

This is also a time to boldly declare "It is well!" unto every area of trouble (or need) in your life at the moment! Keep declaring "It is well!", instead of speaking words that lead to death! As you declare words of life unto your situation, you are in effect declaring these words into being! The Word of God says, 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit' (Proverbs 18:21).

I'm not teaching you to escape from reality here. But I'm teaching you to look to the Word of God who is supernatural! This Shunammite woman ran to 'Elisha', a 'picture' of Jesus who is the Word of God! (John 1:1-3) Indeed, He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and this truth shall set you free (John 8:31-32). This truth shall also prevail over all the facts (i.e. all the challenges you face on earth). By the way, what is the difference between 'truth' and 'facts' here? One is supernatural, and the other is natural! The supernatural will always prevail over the natural! Jesus is your supernatural God who does great miracles on earth! And He is the same to you today as He was to the Shunammite woman those days!

For the record, Elisha then went on to do a miracle of restoring the woman's son back to life! 2 Kings 4:34-35 says, 'And he (Elisha) went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes'.

Therefore, people of God, no matter what your situation may be, and no matter how 'dead' it may be at the moment, keep running to the Lord your God (like the Shunammite woman), and keep resting in the assurance that He is here to save you, help you, and set you free!

Indeed, He is able, and He will do His part for sure! Believe that He is, and you'll receive. Amen!

A time to birth forth like Hannah!

1 Samuel 1:17-18 (NKJV): Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." And she (Hannah) said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman (Hannah) went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

The name 'Hannah' here is 'Channah' (pronounced 'khan-naw') in Hebrew, which means 'favored', from the word 'chanan', meaning 'to favor, to grant graciously'. Indeed, in Christ, you too are the 'favored' of God. Ephesians 1:6 says, '...to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved'. The word 'accepted' here is 'charitoo' in Greek, which literally means 'be highly favored'.

Now, here's the background leading to Hannah's breakthrough. 1 Samuel 1:1-2 says, 'Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah... And he had two wives, the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children'. 

Elkanah was a good husband to Hannah, and he loved Hannah even though she was barren (1 Samuel 1:5). Interestingly, the name 'Elkanah' is 'El' (meaning 'God') and 'qanah' (meaning 'to obtain, to redeem, to possess, to recover, to procure') in Hebrew. Today, the Lord is also saying to you that He loves you, and He too has 'obtained, redeemed, possessed, recovered, and procured' you from all the provocation and works of the enemy. 'Peninnah' speaks of 'the worldly way of seeing things, the worldly mindset, the outward way, or the flaunting way of this world'.

People of God, if you have been persecuted, mocked or ridiculed by the 'Peninnahs' around you recently (1 Samuel 1:6-7), take heart, because God is about to cause you to birth forth, just as He did for Hannah in those days! Your breakthrough is at hand!

As Hannah cried out and poured out to God, God (through the priest, Eli) answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." Today, whatever your situation may be, and no matter how 'dark' your situation may be, God is still the same to you as He was to Hannah. He has never changed His ways towards His beloved (Hebrews 13:8).

Hannah then said, "Let your maidservant find favor ('grace' in KJV) in your sight." She then went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad (1 Samuel 1:18). And herein lies a very important key to your breakthrough. Now watch Hannah at this point of time! Has Hannah seen her breakthrough (of asking for a male child) physically yet at this point of time? No! Yet the Bible says, 'she went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad', as if the breakthrough had already happened! 

Many believers make this mistake of remaining bitter and sad (i.e. negative), and some even took Hannah's weeping and crying as the reasons for them to remain in their own 'pity party'. But you see, that really wasn't the case with Hannah herself! The moment she received a prophetic word from the Lord (through Eli), she began to take God at His words, and walked free (from sorrows) as if she already had the breakthrough!

You see, as long as you remain bitter and sad (i.e. negative), God cannot bring you out of your 'barrenness', whatever your 'barrenness' in life may be!

Therefore, people of God, this is a time to rise up from your 'melancholy' (state of being sad or depressed) and eat! Eat of the Word! Drink of His Spirit! Rejoice and be glad! And never allow 'negative' people around you to pull you down any further! Remember you are the 'Hannahs' of today! Hannah rose above, ate, and rejoiced, even before the child Samuel was actually born! This speaks volume of her trust in God’s words (prophetic words), and as 1 Thessalonians 5:20 says, 'never to despise prophecies'. By the way, 'Samuel' here speaks of 'the breakthrough that you've been yearning for'.

See now what happened when Hannah began to rejoice and eat! 1 Samuel 1:19-20 then says, 'They (Elkanah and Hannah) rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord."' 

And just as God remembered Hannah, He remembers you as well.

'Samuel' in Hebrew is 'Shemuw-El', from two words, 'El' (the name of 'God'), and 'Shama' meaning 'to hear attentively, to give attention carefully, to be obedient'. 'Samuel' speaks of the 'apostolic and prophetic move of God in our days'. God used him for the unprecedented in his days, breaking new grounds by anointing the first kings, and opening the way for God’s people to enter into the new things. 'Samuel' also speaks of ‘the fountain of revelation from heaven being opened’ at a time when the word of the Lord was rare and there was no widespread revelation (1 Samuel 3:1). 

People of God, as you cross into the next one year, you'll also see many people in this world not knowing what to do, or how to go about anymore, but take heart, ‘you will know’. God is going to show you many things that ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

Recently, I heard these words from the Lord during a time of worship and prayer:

"The fountain of revelation is being opened! I am raising up a people who hears! I am raising up a people who hears from heaven, revelation upon revelation from My throne! And I am going to thrust those who are ready into greater things! Greater things than they could ever have imagined!"

And I heard further:
"This is a time to return to Me in worship! There is a call for My people to worship! Yes, like they have never done before! Yes, even entering into new dimensions of worship! This is also a time to bring your 'rod' into My Holy of Holies! Like Aaron's rod! Surrender every 'deadwood' of yours in My presence! For I will use you if you are willing, and I will cause your 'deadwood' to sprout, to put forth buds, to produce blossoms, and to yield ripe almonds."

'Rod' speaks of 'your calling in life', and your calling brings with it 'authority'. 

Let the Lord visit (and transform you) as you cross into a new year. 

1 Samuel 2:21 says, 'And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord'. You see, Hannah was meant to be fruitful. That was her destiny in her life, even though she did not start well. In Christ, you too are meant to be fruitful (in every area of your life), no matter how your past has been. Expect the Lord to visit you too right now, as He did to Hannah in those days. You are indeed highly favored in the Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen!