God hasn't given up on you!

In a time of worship and prayer recently, I heard these words from the Lord:
"Tell My people I have not given up on them, even if they think they have failed Me or have made a bad mistake in life. Tell them to look to My mercy and tell them to receive My mercy! My mercy is greater than judgment."

I then heard further:
"This is a time to receive a renewed hope, even if you think your situation is hopeless and beyond repair. Look to Me, for I am in the midst of doing a renewal work in many of My people - spirit, soul, and body."

Isaiah 62 is a key chapter in this time and season. It is a chapter that brings a renewed hope to God's people, and it speaks of the Lord who never gives up on His people, even if they think they have failed Him or have made a bad mistake in life.

Here's what the Lord say in Isaiah 62:1-4, 'For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace (keep silent). And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings (shall see) your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name. You shall also be a crown of glory... and a royal diadem (crown worn as a sign of royal power)... You shall no longer be called 'Forsaken', nor shall your land any more be called 'Desolate'; but you shall be called 'Hephzibah' (My delight is in her), and your land be called 'Beulah' (Married to the King)'.

See the word 'until' here? He will not give up doing His great work in you until 'your righteousness goes forth as brightness, and your salvation as a lamp that burns'! Even though this chapter refers to Zion, it is also a 'picture' of what the Lord wants to do in His beloved (i.e. you and I, the believers) today.

Jesus came to a 'dead-end road' at the cross (i.e. became 'Forsaken' and 'Desolate'), so now you are called 'Hephzibah' (My delight is in her), and your land be called 'Beulah' (Married to the King)! Indeed, as a believer in the New Covenant, God's delight is in you, and as a people of God, you and I are the 'bride' prepared for the coming of the 'Bridegroom'! (Revelation 21:2)

One amazing passage about God's great love for us (in spite of our sins and mistakes) is found in the book of Hosea. In Hosea 1:2-3, the Lord said to him (Hosea), "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed a great harlotry by departing from the Lord." So Hosea went and took Gomer...

The name 'Hosea' here in Hebrew is from this word 'yasha', meaning 'to set free, to help, to deliver, to save, to rescue', and the name 'Gomer' is from the word 'gamar', meaning 'to end, to cease, to come to an end, to fail, to be gone'. In one way or another, we are all like Gomer - doomed, damned, 'the end', 'goner', if Jesus never come and save us!

Hosea 3:1 then says, 'The Lord said to me (Hosea), "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans."

Notice the word 'again' here? Like Hosea to Gomer, this passage is a 'picture' of God's love towards Israel, and God's love towards His people, even when there are times we have broken His heart with our unfaithfulness, sins, and disobedience (to His voice, leading, and guidance).

Hosea taking Gomer as his wife here speaks of Jesus embracing you (in spite of your sins and mistakes in life). Like Hosea, His love for you never quits, and He definitely hasn't given up on you! The devil (or the enemy) will always want to make you think that God has quit you and has given up on you. And he wants to make you think that you have reached a point beyond repair (a point of no return), and you have come to an end of God's mercy and grace (exhausted God's mercy and grace) in your life!

But the truth is God's desire for you is always mercy, and not judgment; to save you, and not to hurt you! He is a God who longs to show you mercy the moment you return to Him (and His ways). Psalm 145:8 says, 'The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy'. The Bible tells us that His anger lasts only for a moment, but His mercy endures forever.
Note: The word 'mercy' here is pronounced 'kheh-sed' in Hebrew, and it can also mean 'loving kindness'.

Therefore, no matter what your past may be (or what wrong you may have committed), come boldly to the throne of grace, that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Condemn yourself no more, and let go of those past! He is here to heal you (and restore you), and He wants to give you a 'new name' (which speaks of a 'new character') today, just as it is written in Isaiah 62:2! Take it, and receive it! As you turn a new leaf in your life and receive a fresh new hope, declare that you too will see many more good days ahead of you. In Jesus' name. Amen!

The glory of restoration and the glory of healing

While praying recently, I saw a vision of many leaves of a tree branch being eaten up by worms, insects and locusts, and became disfigured, out-of-shape (with holes), and jagged (rough, uneven edges). After that, the glory of the Lord came in the form of a river that looks like a hand that touches the leaves. The leaves then became fresh and new again, looking whole and complete again.

That's when I heard the Lord saying, "This is a month of My glory! The glory of restoration and the glory of healing!"

There are many aspects of God's glory in the heavenly realm, but the glory that is now is the glory of His restoration and the glory of His healing! By faith, tap into this 'river' and drink from it! The river of God always bring with it the glory of God! Revelation 22:1-2 (NIV) says, 'Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations'.

In cross-reference, Ezekiel 47:12 (NKJV) says, 'Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine'.
Note: The word 'medicine' here is 'teruwphah' in Hebrew, which means 'a remedy'; from the word 'rapha' meaning 'to heal, to cure, to repair, to mend'.

And Joel 2:25-26 (NKJV) says, 'So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust... You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame'.
Note: The word 'restore' here is 'shaw-lam' in Hebrew, meaning 'to be safe (in spirit, soul, body, estate), to be made completed, to give back what one has lost'; from the same root word as 'shalom' (i.e. peace, complete, full, perfect, whole, well; nothing broken, nothing missing).

I was asking the Lord the meaning of those 'leaves' being restored and healed in the vision. And interestingly, 'leaves' in Greek is from the word 'phule', meaning 'an offshoot, a race, a clan, a tribe'. Indeed, you and I (irrespective of race) are all 'offshoots' from the man Adam! And symbolically therefore, you and I are those leaves! You see, not only does God want you to be restored and healed, but He also wants you to in turn be used to bring healing to the nations!

People of God, never underestimate what the Lord can do through you when He has put a nation (or nations) in your heart to preach the good news, or to proclaim what He has asked you to proclaim in prayer! The truth is God wants to restore and heal every tribe and tongue, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (Revelation 14:6, 2 Peter 3:9).

And the good news is in the glory of the Lord, the leaves stay fresh and young! That's what God's people (you and I) should be on earth! Psalm 1:3 says, 'He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper'. And Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, 'Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear (or see) when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit'.

This brings us to the question people often ask: "What is the glory of the Lord on earth?"
And the next question: "Can the glory of the Lord manifest on earth?"

Revelation 21:2-5 says, 'Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."'

Revelation 21:10-11 then says, 'And he (the angel) carried me (John) away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal'.

The word 'glory' here is 'doxa' in Greek, meaning 'magnificence (or splendor) of heaven that is apparent (obvious, tangible, clearly seen, a reality)'. And see the words 'coming down out of heaven' here? And the words 'descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God'?

Therefore, here are the answers according to the Scriptures above: The glory of the Lord on earth is a foretaste of heaven (where there is no pain or shame), and can manifest here and now on earth!
Note: The meaning of 'foretaste' (according to Oxford Dictionary) is 'a sample, an experience of something before it actually happens'.

So, people of God, let this glory of the Lord be seen upon you, here and now on earth! You don't have to wait till you reach heaven one day! Your time is NOW, here on earth! As it is written in Isaiah 60:1-3 that 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 (of the world). But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising'. Let it be so! In Jesus' wonderful name.

A time to clear what needs to clear!

I heard and released these words from the Lord the other day:

"A time to clear what needs to clear! Allow Me to clear away every form of 'smoke' that blurs your spiritual eyes! There's a release of water from My well-spring to wash away the 'smoke' that the enemy has put against you! There's a free flow of forgiveness today! Allow Me to wash you clean, so I can begin to lead you into greater victories!"

In view of the above words for this time and season, I would like to bring your attention to Mark 8:22-26. Here, the Scripture says, 'Then He (Jesus) came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

There are two questions one may ask about this passage:

1. Why did it take two times for Jesus to heal this blind man?

2. Why did Jesus lead this blind man out of the town, and then told him not to go back to that town?

Here are the answers. 

From 'seeing nothing' (i.e. blindness) to 'seeing shadows' and finally 'seeing clearly', this speaks of one's spiritual eyes being enlightened to see more and more from one stage to another. As you can see here, this passage in Mark 8:22-26 is more than just about physical healing. It speaks of one's spiritual blindness, and how one's spiritual eyes can be enlightened more and more to see what God wants His people to see! Check the few verses just before Mark 8:22-26, and you'd know Jesus was indeed talking about spiritual blindness.

The word 'Bethsaida' in Hebrew means 'house of huntsmen (or hunters)'. It speaks of those who 'keep hunting after your past darkness (or past sins)', or those who 'keep trying to dig your past darkness (or past sins)'. When Jesus told the man (who had been healed from his blindness) 'not to go back to the town', it speaks of 'God's people are to keep looking ahead, and not look back'! In cross-reference, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new'. 

Interestingly, the word 'blind' here is 'tuphlos' in Greek, which means 'smoke (in and around the eyes)', from the word 'tuphoo' meaning 'to envelop with smoke'. In other words, a spiritual blindness is likened to the smoke that envelops one's sight! Have you experienced 'smoke getting in your eyes' before? For example, smoke that comes from the burning of rubbish? Not only your vision becomes blurred, but it also causes sore eyes or irritation to your eyes!

How do you clear the smoke? You pour water on it! And that's exactly what Jesus did to that blind man! The act of 'spitting' on the man's eyes here is symbolic of 'water from the mouth of Jesus (i.e. the Word of God) that washes and cleanses every form of smoke in His people'! In cross-reference, Ephesians 5:26-27 says, '...that He might sanctify and cleanse her (i.e. the church) with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her (i.e. the church) to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish'.

People of God, this is a time to let Him wash you afresh and anew, and let every 'smoke' that the enemy had put against you be cleared in Jesus' name! Remember this is 'a time to clear what needs to clear', so that the Lord can begin to lead you into even greater victories in the coming months! 

If you read Joshua chapters 7 and 8, you'd know that was also a time when God's people needed to 'clear what needs to clear'. At that time, Joshua and the people of God had already crossed the River Jordan, and they had even conquered the city of Jericho by then. In other words, they should be walking in great victories after victories from then on! But the next thing they knew, they were defeated by the people of Ai (who were lesser than them), simply because someone by the name of Achan (meaning 'trouble') kept an accursed thing in their midst. But once cleared, Israel began to walk in victory again!

It is the same with all of us, the people of God today. Clear what needs to clear! Because the Lord is getting you ready to walk into greater victories from now on. Mark my words. As a matter of fact, sin blocks victory, as you can see in Joshua chapter 7. This is a crucial time to return to Him and His ways. Allow Him to wash you clean today by the water of His Word. Allow Him to renew your mind from any form of impurities. He will help you and He will heal you. With men, it may be impossible; but with God all things are possible. He can set you free (even from any deep-seated sin, addiction, etc) today!

Heaven is open now, and the Lord is releasing water from His well-spring to wash you and clear you of any 'smoke' that the enemy has put against you. No matter what had happened in your past (or whatever mistake you've made in your past), there is a free flow of forgiveness for you today. Keep receiving and keep drinking from it. Just do not allow anyone (or the devil) to keep 'hunting after your past' any further! Because you have already been forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), and He remembers your sins no more (Hebrews 10:17).

Knowing that you are already forgiven, flee from those past darkness (or past sins), as the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:22, and look to Jesus instead! He is your righteousness, faith, love, and shalom peace! You can be so full of Jesus that there's no more desire to sin in that area ever again!

Another practical guide is to clear away anything (or any materials) that may remind you (or tempt you) to fall right back into that past (or sin) again. Delete them all! Remember this is a time to 'clear what needs to clear'! Out of sight, out of mind! Just as the prophet Elisha told Joash the king of Israel in 2 Kings 13:15-19 those days, it is the same for God's people today, i.e. to utterly destroy any residue of the enemy's work in your life, leaving no room for the enemy to make a comeback. And you'll be well on your way to greater and greater victories in the months to come. In Jesus' name. Amen.