A time to ride the wave of the Holy Spirit!

I heard and released these prophetic words recently:
"This is your time to ride the wave of My Holy Spirit! Get yourselves ready, and move with Me! For I am imparting, and I am teaching My people to be in tune with My wave! Catch My wave, and you'll begin to see many things I've wanted you to see!"

As I was contemplating on the prophetic words above, I couldn't help but to imagine a surfer riding the wave in the ocean. Before a surfer can ride the wave, there's got to be wave in the first place. So, let's study a little on the dynamics of ocean waves:
1. Wind causes energy (like how windmill works).
2. Ocean waves get their start when wind blows the open ocean.
3. Ocean waves are therefore 'energy moving through water'.
Note: 'Dynamics' is defined as 'scientific study of the forces that produce movement'.

As you can see above, without the wind, there would be no wave. The same it is in the spiritual realm. If the 'wind' represents 'the Holy Spirit', then the 'wave' represents 'the move of the Holy Spirit'. Who then, is the 'surfer'? You and I, 'the people of the Lord'!

Indeed, the Lord is moving, and the wave is coming! For some of you, a new cycle has begun, whether in ministry, or in some other areas of life! Get yourselves ready, and move with Him! As He moves, you move; and you'll begin to see many things He's wanted you to see!

Sharon (my wife) released these words recently:
"There is a ministry cycle with different stages for everyone. To some, a new cycle has begun. To some others, it is moving from one stage to another in the same cycle. It is an elevation from where you are! Some of you will begin to venture into what you have been gifted and trained. Some of you will rise up to mentor others. Some of you will start working on leaving your legacy."

She then released further:
"Some of My people will only go through one ministry cycle but some will go through many ministry cycles. Do not worry about the span of your ministry stages and cycles. Trust Me, and you will not miss your time and season. Follow My instructions, you will enjoy and fulfill your assigned stages and cycles."

People of God, what is your 'time' now? Elijah knew his time. Elisha knew his time too.
Let's read what 2 Kings 2:1-4 say, 'And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho'.

2 Kings 2:5-8 then say, 'Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground'.

And 2 Kings 2:9-11 say, 'And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven'.

As Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, a new cycle began for Elisha. Notice many things are caught, and not just taught. Elisha received his double portion. It was an 'elevation' from where he was in his old cycle.

People of God, that 'Elisha' time has come for many of you who have been 'hidden' by the Lord all these while. There is a release. There is a wave. Begin to ride the wave that's coming! Don't miss this time and season! For the Lord is raising many new generals, majors, captains, and lieutenants that will bring shockwaves in the camp of the enemy. I declare that you are part of this great move of the Lord that's coming. Stay faithful, keep looking to the Lord, and He will bring it to pass. Amen!

Empower, not encumber!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV): "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

The word 'rest' here in Greek is 'anapauo', meaning 'to rest, to refresh, to be at ease', and it isn't just about finding rest from the stress and pressures of day-to-day life, but in the right context, finding rest from the heaviness and encumbrance of religious rules, bureaucracy, and legalism.

This was the actual reason Jesus spoke these words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". He was speaking to those who had been trying to carry an impossible load, namely the man-made rules and standards imposed upon them by the religious leaders of the day.

The word 'labor' here speaks of 'trying to work it out to the point of utter exhaustion', whilst the term 'heavy laden' speaks of 'a great load being dumped on a person'. As you can see here, Jesus was addressing those who were exhausted (or burnt-out) from trying to measure up to the expectations of the religious leaders of the day!

I heard the Lord saying these words recently:
"Make Christianity as simple as the Bible says Christianity is! Make life as simple as the Bible says Christians are! Empower them, not encumber them!"

As a matter of fact, Jesus came to set us free! Freedom from not just the stress and pressures of day-to-day life, but also from the religious yoke set by men! What then is a yoke? It is a wooden crosspiece fastened on the neck of two oxen to pull together a load when working in pairs. You see, the ox isn't alone under the weight of the wooden crosspiece. That's speaking about you. There's another ox to help him. And that's speaking about Jesus. A yoke is in effect a 'picture' of the 'cross', and Jesus is here to help you carry your 'cross', burden, heaviness, and shame!

Of course, Jesus paid a very heavy price to set the people free! He ruffled the feathers of 'the powers that be' (the religious leaders) of His days, so much so that they sought to kill Him! But He stayed true to His calling on earth, obedient till the very end, even to the point of death on the cross! Today, He is exalted above all names, that every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess that He is Lord!

Hebrews 4:15 says, 'For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin'.
- He suffered assassination attempts, both character assassination and physical assassination (Matthew 2:13-16, Luke 4:28-30).
- He suffered rejection from His own disciples, and even His brothers did not believe in Him (John 6:41-66, John 7:5).
- He suffered sorrows, and wept. Raising Lazarus back to life sealed His very own death (John 11:35, John 11:48-50).
- He suffered betrayal from His own at the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1-3).
- He suffered great pains, humiliation, and loss of breath on the cross (John 19:17-30).

Beloved of God, whatever your 'cross', burden, heaviness, or shame may be at the moment, know that there's nothing that He cannot understand (or sympathize with you). Like the ox that carries the weight of the wooden crosspiece, let Him also carry them all for you, as you continue to walk side-by-side with Him. Amen.

God knows how to raise up people who will appreciate you!

I woke up one morning and heard these words from the Lord:
"Not everybody in this world will appreciate you (for who you are and what you do), but there will always be some who will appreciate you (for who you are and what you do)."

I then heard further:
"Give your very best to those who accept and appreciate you. Like David and those who were in the cave of Adullam, and how he turned them into great, mighty men of God!"

As a matter of fact, whether you are a minister of God, or you are in any vocation on earth, there are bound to be people who will not appreciate you (for who you are and what you do). But take heart, because the Lord your God sees your heart, He knows exactly how to raise up people who will accept and appreciate you! You can see the same in David's life, in Paul's ministry, and even Jesus Himself prepared His disciples likewise when He sent them out for the harvest!

David
Though David served Saul with all his heart and did many great things for him, Saul did not appreciate him. In fact, Saul was jealous of him, and wanted to kill him! David had to flee, and he ended up in the cave of Adullam.
1 Samuel 22:1-2 says, 'David therefore departed and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented (bitter of soul) gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him'.
In actual fact, these people didn't look promising at all, but the Lord used David to raise them up to be great, mighty warriors!
You can see that in 2 Samuel 23:8-39! Here are some of them:
Josheb-Basshebeth - chief among the captains, he killed 800 men at one time!
Eleazar - he fought the enemy till his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword!
Shammah - when others fled, he stood his ground in the middle of the field!
Abishai - he lifted his spear against 300 men and killed them!
Benaiah - he killed two lion-like heroes of Moab and killed a lion inside a pit!

Paul

Though Paul was sent out by the Lord for his missionary journeys, there were some along the way who did not appreciate his teachings. 

Acts 19:8-10 says, 'And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks'. 

Tyrannus was open-minded in allowing Paul to use his school's facility. 'Tyrannus' in this context represents 'those who appreciated Paul's teachings'.

The disciples of Jesus

Luke 10:1-3 says, 'After this (i.e. talking about the cost of discipleship) the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves."'

In Luke 10:4-7, Jesus said, "Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages..."

The Hebrew/Aramaic expression 'son of peace' here speaks of 'those who receive and appreciate you'. In other words, those who show peace to you, and those who accept and appreciate you (for who you are and what you do).

Therefore, people of God, whether you are in David's situation, Paul's situation, or as disciples of Jesus, you can be sure there will be the cave of Adullam, the school of Tyrannus, or the 'sons of peace' being prepared and readied for you! Give your very best to those who accept and appreciate you, and let the Lord use you to turn their lives around for His glory!