How to shine in a time of trouble?

The Lord says,

"Many of My people have forgotten to PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE seven times! PRAISE at all times! PRAISE even when you see no reason to PRAISE in the natural realm! For I am strengthening My people through their PRAISES! I will be enthroned in the PRAISES of My people! I am releasing a fresh anointing to My people through your PRAISES! And I am releasing a new sound against the enemy through your PRAISES!"

As you walk into this time and season to 'arise and shine' (Isaiah 60:1-5), and prepare yourself for the greater glory of the Lord in your life, one important key never to be missed out is PRAISE! Yes, PRAISE THE LORD! Don't forget to PRAISE!

In Isaiah 60:1-5, the Lord 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. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you... 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."

The word 'light' here is 'owr' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'brightness (in every sense), clear, happiness'; whereas the word 'darkness' here is 'khoshek' in Hebrew, meaning 'gloom, misery, destruction, sorrow, wickedness, trouble'. We can't deny that the world is getting 'darker' and 'darker', i.e. 'khoshek', because the Scripture says so. BUT for you and I, i.e. the people of God, our 'light' is also shining 'brighter' and 'brighter'!

So, PRAISE THE LORD! No, not praising the Lord for the 'darkness' (i.e. gloom, misery, destruction, sorrow, wickedness, trouble) in this world, but praising the Lord in spite of all these 'khoshek'! You may be living in an unprecedented world events, but the good news is you are also living in an unprecedented glory of the Lord being seen upon you! Hallelujah!

Here are the five keys on how to shine in a time of trouble:

1. PRAISE! (Psalm 119:164, Psalm 22:3-4, Psalm 150:6, Isaiah 60:18)
If you have been praising the Lord, keep on praising! You are on the right track! But if you have not been praising, start praising the Lord now! 'Praise' is like the 'switch'. Now, how do you switch on the light when you enter a dark room? You press the switch! In the spiritual realm, this 'switch' is PRAISE! Psalm 119:164 says, 'Seven times a day I praise You'. Number 'seven' here in Hebrew speaks of 'perfection', and therefore it means 'praise the Lord perfectly, i.e. unceasingly, at all times, no matter what!' Isaiah 60:18 says, 'Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise'. See here? You shall call your gates Praise! Why gates? Gates open and close! Gates are where people enter and exit their houses! So, what is your 'gate'? Your mouth! You use your mouth to PRAISE! PRAISE opens the way for breakthrough! PRAISE goes forth first, and everything else (good things) will follow suit!

2. BLOOD OF JESUS! (Exodus 12:5-7, Exodus 12:12-13)
As the Lord prepared His people to be delivered from Pharaoh those days, they were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and on the lintel of their houses, so that when He strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt and execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, 'He will pass over them (His people), and the plague shall not destroy them (His people).' This 'blood of the lamb' here is a 'picture' of 'the blood of Jesus shed for you on the cross'. As you 'arise and shine', fear not, because the blood of Jesus has got you covered!

3. ANOINTING OIL! (Psalm 104:15, Psalm 92:10, Isaiah 10:27)
Every yoke and burden that the enemy tries to put against you will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. That's what Isaiah 10:27 says! Not only that, your strength will be exalted like a wild ox when you are being anointed with fresh oil, i.e. the anointing of the Holy Spirit! That's what Psalm 92:10 says! When you are 'in the oil', you will shine brighter! Don't believe? Pour some olive oil on the palm of your hand, and compare now between the part with oil and the part without oil. Which part is shinier? The part with oil, of course! People of God, you are 'in the oil'!

4. THE WORD OF GOD! (Hebrews 4:12, Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 6:17, Revelation 12:11)
The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians 6:17 says so! When you have this 'sword', you can slay the 'giants', whatever these are in the world! No 'darkness' ('khoshek') can defeat you when you stand on the Word and take Him at His Word! Therefore, it is so important to be rooted and built up in the Word! Not just that, abounding in the Word too! Jesus is the Word! (John 1:1-5)

5. SEEK THE LORD! (Psalm 34:10, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Isaiah 55:6)
Psalm 34:10 says, 'The young lions may lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing'! In other words, in a time of widespread lack, recession, unemployment, or loss of income, those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing! The Lord will know how to show you a way where there seems to be no way. The Lord will know how to release His wisdom to you on what to do and how to go about, even in such 'khoshek' times; and the world will see it and know that His light has come upon your life. Amen!

For the full preaching video, click to watch

How to respond in this time of shaking?

The Lord says,

"You are in this time when whatever can be shaken will be shaken! But My people, if you look to Me and return to My ways, you need not be afraid in this time of 'shaking'. I allowed it for a reason, so that My people, My church, My body, will come forth without wrinkle and without spot, holy and unblemished! Focus not on the enemy, but focus on Me!"

Someone asked me why does the Lord allow this time of 'shaking'? Isn't He more than powerful to zap the 'coronavirus' within just a second? Of course, He is more than powerful to do so! But why doesn't He at this point of time?

Because we are entering a time when 'whatever can be shaken will be shaken'! Be it in His church, or in the world!

For His church as a whole, Ephesians 5:26-27 (NKJV) says, 'that He might sanctify and cleanse her (i.e. His church) with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish'. 

The word 'sanctify' here in Greek is 'hagiazo', and it can mean 'to set apart, to make holy, to purify'. You see? The Lord is setting us apart, making us holy, and purifying us! Why? Because He is getting us ready for His coming, and so that He might present us to Himself a glorious church!

For the world as a whole, Hebrews 12:25-29 (NKJV) says, 'See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of those things that are made (i.e. man-made), that the things which cannot be shaken (i.e. of God, from God) may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace (i.e. rely on His ability), by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire'.

In a time like this, remember what Jesus had spoken in John 14:27 and John 16:33. Receive the peace that comes from Him, whatever happens in this world. Find your peace and rest in Him. In John 14:27, Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." In John 16:33, Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

The word 'peace' in both these verses is 'eirene' in Greek, and it can mean 'be at one (with God), quietness, rest, prosperity'. Notice the expression 'be at one' here. That is to say, when you are 'enjoined' with Him, or when you are 'at one' with Him, nothing's going to be able to shake you! When you are 'at one' with Him, the Lord is your Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of peace, and in Him is perfect peace, Shalom Shalom. And because He is your Jehovah Shalom, no matter what 'chaos' you see in this world, you cannot be shaken!

Let's look at an example in the Scripture, and he's none other than Noah. In a time of chaos those days, Noah found peace and rest in the 'ark'! I know those days, it was a time of huge flood and high waves. But you know what, huge flood and high waves can come in the form of many different ways. For us, we are now faced with a very different kind of 'huge flood' and 'high waves', something so invisible to our naked eyes called the 'coronavirus'. But in the midst of all these, like Noah, you too can find peace and rest! (Genesis 6:18, Genesis 6:21-22) The 'ark', by the way, is a 'picture' of Jesus Himself!

Therefore, people of God, fear not! Look not to the left and look not to the right, but look to Him! Focus not on the virus, but focus on the Lord! Look unto Him who is the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2), the One who begins your faith and the One who completes your faith! As He is, so are you in this world. And because He has overcome (John 16:33), so will you be. In Jesus' name. Amen!

For the full preaching video, click to watch

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His thoughts and His ways are higher!

The Lord says,

"This is a time of reflecting and returning. This is a time of introspection and realignment. This is a time of restoration and renewal. Yes, I am in the midst of renewing you, even in the way you understand things and see things. Be still, and know that I am the Lord. Seek Me, and you will find My higher plans and purposes for your life like you've never seen before. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways."

People of God, this is the best time for us to self-reflect and return back to be still and know that He is the Lord. Our minds can be restless in this busy, busy world; but in a time of 'lock down' in many parts of the world like this, this is your best time to be in the mode of receiving, restoring, and renewal.

In a time like this, the Lord is going to reveal to you His thoughts and His ways which are infinitely higher than yours. Take heed. 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."

The word 'thoughts' here is 'machashabah' in Hebrew, and it means 'purpose, plan, imagination'. See this? Not only His purposes and plans are higher than yours, but His imagination for your life is also higher than yours! In other words, His imagination for you is higher than all that you could imagine yourself to be! He knows you from the end, and He knows you from the very beginning!

How about the word 'ways' here? It is 'derek' in Hebrew, from the word 'darak' meaning 'the road ahead, the journey ahead'. You know what? He sees the road ahead of you, and He sees the journey ahead of you! So, if you take time to receive from Him, to heed Him and His ways for you, there's no way that you'll fail or get lost along the way!

Your part now is to nestle before you begin to soar like an eagle again! Yes, even higher than ever before! For some of you, this is also the time to sharpen yourself, sharpen your spiritual skills, and even your natural skills! Don't miss this time and season! There will be a new beginning for many of God's people! There will be many new ventures and new ideas coming your way! When many in the world are badly affected by the coming economic storms and recession, you will be like the eagle that soars higher than all these storms. Amen!

For the full preaching video, click to watch